About Chukchi Sea, facts and maps

The Chukchi Sea, off the coast of northwest Alaska, is one of the most productive ocean ecosystems in the world. The Chukchi Sea freezes completely during the winter, a pattern that has not changed over the past 30 years. Chukchi Sea (Russian: Чуко́тское мо́ре, tr. Chukotskoye more, IPA: [tɕʊˈkotskəjə ˈmorʲɪ]), sometimes referred to as the Chuuk Sea, Chukotsk Sea or the Sea of Chukotsk, is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea. The Bering Strait forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The principal port on the Chukchi Sea is Uelen in Russia. The International Date Line crosses the Chukchi Sea from northwest to southeast. It is displaced eastwards to avoid Wrangel Island as well as the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug on the Russian mainland.

The sea has an approximate area of 595,000 km2 (230,000 sq mi) and is only navigable about four months of the year. The main geological feature of the Chukchi Sea bottom is the 700-kilometer-long (430 mi) Hope Basin, which is bound to the northeast by the Herald Arch. Depths less than 50 meters (160 ft) occupy 56% of the total area.

The Chukchi Sea has very few islands compared to other seas of the Arctic. Wrangel Island lies at the northwestern limit of the sea, Herald Island is located off Wrangel Island’s Waring Point, near the northern limit of the sea. A few small islands lie along the Siberian and Alaskan coasts.

The sea is named after the Chukchi people, who reside on its shores and on the Chukotka Peninsula. The coastal Chukchi traditionally engaged in fishing, whaling and the hunting of walrus in this cold sea.

In Siberia places along the coast are: Cape Billings, Cape Schmidt, Amguyema River, Cape Vankarem, the large Kolyuchinskaya Bay, Neskynpil’gyn Lagoon, Cape Serdtse-Kamen, Enurmino, Chegitun River, Inchoun, Uelen and Cape Dezhnev.

In Alaska, the rivers flowing into the Chukchi Sea are the Kivalina, the Kobuk, the Kokolik, the Kukpowruk, the Kukpuk, the Noatak, the Utukok, the Pitmegea, and the Wulik, among others. Of rivers flowing in from its Siberian side, the Amguyema, Ioniveyem, and the Chegitun are the most important.

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the “Chuckchi Sea” [sic] as follows:

On the West. The Eastern limit of East Siberian Sea [From the Northernmost point of Wrangel Island through this island to Blossom Point thence to Cape Yakan on the mainland (176°40′E)].

On the North. A line from Point Barrow, Alaska (71°20′N 156°20′W) to the Northernmost point of Wrangel Island (179°30’W).

On the South. The Arctic Circle [66°33′46″N] between Siberia and Alaska. [The northern limit of the Bering Sea.]

Common usage is that the southern extent is further south, at the narrowest part of the Bering Strait[citation needed] which is on the 66th parallel north.

Do people live in Chukotka?

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Population: 50,526 (2010 Census); 53,824 (2002 Census); 157,528 (1989 Census). The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is one of the very few places in Russia where there are more men than women.

Is Chukchi Russian?

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Chukchi, also spelled Chukchee, also called Luorawetlan, people inhabiting the northeasternmost part of Siberia, the Chukotskiy (Chukotka) autonomous okrug (district) in Russia. They numbered 14,000 in the late 20th century and are divided into two chief subgroups, reindeer Chukchi and maritime Chukchi.

What language does Chukchi speak?

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Chukotko–Kamchatkan language

Chukchi /ˈtʃʊktʃiː/, also known as Chukot, is a Chukotko–Kamchatkan language spoken by the Chukchi people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The language is closely related to Koryak. Chukchi, Koryak, Kerek, Alutor, and Itelmen form the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family.

What is Chukchi religion?

shamanism

Chukchi religious beliefs and practices are often described as a form of shamanism. Animals, plants, heavenly bodies, rivers, forests, and other natural phenomena are considered to have their own spirits. Fire created by friction (instead of matches or lighters) and the tools used to make it are considered sacred.

What race is Chukchi?

The Chukchi are an ancient arctic people who live at the meeting point of two continents, Eurasia and North America. They refer to themselves as lyg’oravetl’a, which means “real people” or “people standing openly.” The present population is about 16,000.

Where did the Chukchi come from?

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The Chukchi, or Chukchee (Chukot: Ԓыгъоравэтԓьэт, О’равэтԓьэт, Ḷygʺoravètḷʹèt, O’ravètḷʹèt), are a Siberian indigenous people native to the Chukchi Peninsula, the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean all within modern Russia. They speak the Chukchi language.

Why is the Chukchi Sea important?

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WHY IS THE CHUKCHI SEA IMPORTANT? The Chukchi Sea, being fed by nutrient-rich waters from the south, is one of the most abundant marine ecosystems in the world, including whales and walrus, Waters from the Chukchi are an important source of nutrients, heat and freshwater for the Arctic Ocean.