Adak Island

Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island. The island has an area of 450 km² (280 square miles) and is located at latitude 51° 84.2'90.0" North, longitude 176° 64.0' 27.8" West. Due to harsh winds, frequent cloud cover, and cold temperatures, very little vegetation grows on Adak Island. The highest point is Mt. Moffett at an elevation of 3,924 feet.

Location of Adak, Alaska

The word Adak is from the Aleut word adaq, which means father.

History

Adak Island has been the home to Aleut peoples since ancient times. Russian explorers in the 1700s also visited the island but made no permanent settlements. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army took control of two of the most western Aleutian Islands - Attu and Kiska. In response, the United States military began a campaign to unseat the invaders. Since the nearest US military presence was in Cold Bay, Alaska, the military began to construct bases in the western Aleutian Islands from which to launch operations against the Japanese. Adak Island was chosen as the site of an airfield and operations began in September 1942. Attacks against the Japanese were successful and in 1943 the Japanese had been defeated in the Aleutian Islands. Afterwards, the island was used for signals intelligence as Adak Island represented the closest US soil to Japanese military facilities in the Kurile Islands.

Naval Air Facility Adak continued to be a military base during the Cold War but was closed in March 1997. Shortly thereafter, the town of Adak, Alaska was incorporated at the site of the former base. Down from a peak population of 6000, the island now hosts about 300 residents. In 1980, the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was created and much of Adak Island lies within its boundaries.