Geography and Ecology
The island is 135 miles (217 km) long, 45 miles (72 km) wide and has an area of 2,577 sq mi (6,674 km2), about 1/10 the size of Ireland and slightly larger than the state of Delaware. Approximately 6,000 people live on the island. Craig is the largest community; founded as a saltery in the early 20th century, it has a population of 1,000. Some 750 people live in Klawock, a long-established village that grew with the fishing industry. Hollis was a boom and bust mining town from 1900 to about 1915; abandoned, it was re-established as a logging camp in the '50s, and now has a population of 100. Hollis is where the ferry terminal is located, one hour drive from Craig and a three-hour trip to Ketchikan.
Mountain peaks, all but the tallest of which were buried by Pleistocene glaciation, reach over 3,000 feet (914 m). Fjords, steep-sided mountains, and dense forests characterize the island. Extensive tracts of limestone include karst features such as El Capitan Pit, at 598.3 feet (182.4 m) the deepest vertical shaft in the United States.
Moist, maritime conditions dominate the weather.
The Tongass National Forest covers most of the island. Within the forest and on the island are the Karta River Wilderness and the South Prince of Wales Wilderness. The Prince of Wales flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons) is found nowhere else.
The island is in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.
Read more about this topic: Prince Of Wales Island (Alaska)
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