Barrow, Alaska

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Barrow, Alaska

Barrow is a city in and the borough seat

County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
of the North Slope Borough

North Slope Borough, Alaska

North Slope Borough is a Borough located largely in the Alaska North Slope region of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the United States Census 2000, the population was 7,385....
in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
of Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
. Barrow is the northernmost settlement

Northernmost settlements

Some of the northernmost settlements in the world are:...
on the North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n mainland and in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Nearby Point Barrow

Point Barrow

Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a Headlands and bays on the Arctic Ocean in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow, Alaska. It is the Extreme points of the United States of the United States, at ....
is the northernmost point of the United States

Extreme points of the United States

This is a list of the extreme points of the United States, the points that are farther north, south, east, or west than any other location in the country....
. The population was 4,683 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 3,982 in 2007.

city derived its name from Point Barrow, which was named by Frederick William Beechey

Frederick William Beechey

Frederick William Beechey was an England naval officer and geographer.He was the son of Sir William Beechey, RA., and was born in London. In 1806 he entered the Royal Navy, and saw active service during the wars with France and United States....
in 1825 for Sir John Barrow

Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet

Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet, Fellow of the Royal Society , Royal Geographical Society , Doctor of Laws was an England statesman.He was born in the hamlet of Dragley Beck in the parish of Ulverston in Lancashire....
of the British Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
. The location has been home to Native Inupiat

Inupiat

The Inupiat or I?upiaq are the Inuit people of Alaska's Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska and North Slope Borough, Alaska boroughs and the Bering Straits region....
Eskimo

Eskimo

Eskimos or Esquimaux are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska and Canada, and all of Greenland ....
people for over 1,000 years under the name Ukpeagvik or "place where snowy owls are hunted".

ow is located at (71.300371, -156.735840).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

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Encyclopedia

Barrow is a city in and the borough seat

County seat

North Slope Borough, Alaska

North Slope Borough is a Borough located largely in the Alaska North Slope region of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the United States Census 2000, the population was 7,385....
in the U.S. state

U.S. state

Alaska

Northernmost settlements

Some of the northernmost settlements in the world are:...
on the North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n mainland and in the United States

United States

Point Barrow

Extreme points of the United States

Etymology

The city derived its name from Point Barrow, which was named by Frederick William Beechey

Frederick William Beechey

Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet

Admiralty

Inupiat

The Inupiat or I?upiaq are the Inuit people of Alaska's Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska and North Slope Borough, Alaska boroughs and the Bering Straits region....
Eskimo

Eskimo

Geography

Barrow is located at (71.300371, -156.735840).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it is water. The total area is 14% water. The predominant land type in Barrow is tundra

Tundra

In physical geography, tundra is an biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes from Kildin Sami tund?r, which means "uplands, treeless mountain tract." There are two types of tundra: Arctic tundra and alpine tundra....
, which sits on permafrost

Permafrost

In geology, permafrost or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of the ground material....
that is as much as in depth.

Climate

Owing to its location north of the Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the parallel of latitude that runs 66degree 33'39? north of the Equator....
, Barrow's climate is cold and dry and is classified as a polar climate

Polar climate

Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers .The tundra covers over 20% of the earth. The sun shines 24 hours in the summer, and barely shines at all in the winter ....
. Winter weather can be extremely dangerous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observations are available for Barrow dating back into the late 1800s. Currently there is a National Weather Service

National Weather Service

The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States Federal government of the United States....
(NWS) Office and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the Earth's atmosphere....
(NOAA) Climate Monitoring Lab in Barrow.

Barrow is the National Weather Service's most northerly First-Order station. Although it generally records the lowest mean average temperatures in Alaska during winter months, Barrow rarely experiences the extreme cold temperatures typical of the Alaska Interior

Alaska Interior

File:Interior fall.jpgThe Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
, and virtually never sets record cold winter temperatures for the state.

Despite the extreme northern location, temperatures at Barrow are moderated by the surrounding topography

Topography

Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, Natural satellite, and asteroids. It is also the description of such surface shapes and features ....
. With the Arctic Ocean

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....
on three sides, and flat tundra stretching some to the south there are no wind barriers and there are no protected valleys where dense cold air can settle or form temperature inversions

Inversion (meteorology)

In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e., an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer within which such an increase occurs....
in the lower atmosphere in the way that commonly happens in the Interior between the Brooks Range

Brooks Range

The Brooks Range is a mountain range that stretches from west to east across northern Alaska and into Canada's Yukon Territory, a total distance of about 1100 km ....
and the Alaska Range

Alaska Range

The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast....
.

However, Barrow experiences the lowest average temperatures in Alaska. While actual temperature extremes are rare, extremely low wind chill

Wind chill

Wind chill is the Felt air temperature felt on exposed skin due to wind. The degree of this phenomenon depends on both air temperature and wind speed....
and "white out"

Whiteout (weather)

Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds.There are four different forms of a whiteout:...
conditions from blowing snow

Blowing snow

Blowing snow is snow lifted from the surface by the wind, at a height of 8 feet or more, that will reduce visibility. Blowing snow can come from falling snow or snow that already accumulated on the ground but is picked up and blown about by strong winds....
are very common.

Temperatures remain below freezing from early October through late May. The high daily temperature is above freezing on an average of only 109 days per year. There are freezing temperatures on an average of 324 days per year. Freezing temperatures, and snowfall, can occur during any month of the year.

Barrow is a desert, with an average of less than "equivalent rainfall" per year, which includes less than of snow. (Since one inch of rain is approximately equal to twelve inches (305 mm) of snow).

The first snow (defined as snow that will not melt until next spring) happens in the first week of October, when temperatures cease to rise above freezing during the day. October is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall, with at least a trace of snow virtually every day and an average total accumulation of about .

On November 18 or 19 the sun goes down, and remains below the horizon for about 65 days until it re-appears, normally on January 22 or January 23. During the first half of the polar night

Polar night

The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours, usually inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called the polar day, or midnight sun....
there is a decreasing amount of twilight

Twilight

Twilight is the time between dawn and sunrise, and the time between sunset and dusk. Sunlight Scattering in the upper Earth's atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the Earth is not completely lit or completely dark....
each day, and on the winter solstice

Winter solstice

Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice* Winter Solstice *...
, December 21 or December 22, civil twilight in Barrow lasts for a mere 3 hours.

In addition to the low temperatures and months without sun, Barrow is also one of the cloudiest places on earth. Owing to the prevailing easterly winds off the Arctic Ocean, Barrow is completely overcast slightly more than 50% of the year and at least 70% overcast 62% of the time. Cloud types are mainly low stratus

Stratus cloud

Stratus means layer or blanket in Latin. A stratus cloud is a cloud belonging to a class characterized by horizontal layering with a uniform base, as opposed to convective clouds that are as tall or taller than wide ....
and fog, cumuli

Cumulus cloud

Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. These are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance, cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters....
forms are rare. Peak cloudiness occurs in August and September when the ocean is open. Dense fog occurs an average of 65 days per year, mostly in the summer months. Ice fog is very common during the winter months, especially when the temperature drops below .

Serious cold weather usually begins in January, and February is generally the coldest month, averaging . By March 1 the sun is up for 9 hours, the average temperature is 2 or 3 degrees warmer, and the winds are usually higher. April brings less extreme temperatures, with an average of about , but on April 1 there are over 14 hours of sunlight. In May the temperatures are much warmer, averaging . Beginning on May 11-12, the phenomenon

Natural phenomenon

A natural phenomenon is a non-artificial event in the physics sense, and therefore not produced by humans, although it may affect humans . Common examples of natural phenomena include volcanic eruptions, weather, and decay....
known as the midnight sun

Midnight sun

The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight....
occurs and the sun does not set for 82-83 days, until July 31-August 1. In June the average temperature rises above freezing, to , and average daily temperatures remain above freezing until mid-September.

July is the warmest month of the year with an average high of and an average low temperature of . Beginning in late July the Arctic Ocean is relatively ice-free, and remains so until late October.

Variation of wind speed during the year is small, with the fall months being windiest. Extreme winds from have been recorded for all months. The average winds are , from the east.

Demographics

As of the census

United States Census

File:Census Bureau seal.svgThe United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate List of United States Congressional districts , U.S....
of 2000, there were 4,683 people, 1,399 households, and 976 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
was 249.0 people per square mile (96.1/km²). There were 1,620 housing units at an average density of 88.1/sq mi (34.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 21.83% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 57.19% Native American, 9.41% Asian, 1.35% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 8.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.34% of the population.

There were 1,399 households out of which 56.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 4.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.

The median income for a household

Median household income

The median household income is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more....
in the city was $63,094.09, and the median income for a family was $68,223. Males had a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
for the city was $22,902. About 7.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line

Poverty threshold

The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country....
, including 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.12% of those 65 and older.

Population of Barrow
Year	Population
1940	400
1960	1,300
1970	2,100
1980	2,200
1990	3,500
2000	4,683

As of March 3rd 2009 the website www.cityofbarrow.org wrote of the population: "The largest city in the North Slope Borough, Barrow has 4,429 residents, of which approximately 61 percent are Iñupiat Eskimo."

Economy

Barrow is the economic center of the North Slope Borough, the city's primary employer, and numerous businesses provide support services to oil field operations. State and federal agencies also provide employment. The midnight sun has attracted tourism and arts and crafts provide some cash income. Many residents rely upon subsistence food sources: whale, seal

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae ....
, polar bear

Polar Bear

The polar bear is a bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas. The world's largest carnivore found on land, and shares the title of largest land predator with the Kodiak Bear, an adult male weighs around , while an adult female is about half that size....
, walrus

Walrus

The walrus is a large pinniped marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere....
, waterfowl

Waterfowl

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, goose, and swans.They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies....
, caribou

Reindeer

The reindeer , also known as the caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer, widespread and numerous across the northern Holarctic....
and fish are harvested from the coast or nearby rivers and lakes.

Transportation

Barrow is served by passenger jet service at the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport

Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport

Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport is a public airport located in Barrow, Alaska, a city in the North Slope Borough, Alaska of the U.S. state of Alaska....
from Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage is a consolidated city-Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,671 municipal residents in 2007 , it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population....
and Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a Devolution City in and the county seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Alaska Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage, Alaska....
. Freight arrives by air cargo year round and by ocean-going marine barge

Barge

A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Most barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats....
s during the annual summer sealift

Sealift

Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the Military deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, military personnel, and materiel supplies....
.

Barrow also serves as the regional transportation center for the North Slope Borough's Arctic Coastal villages. Multiple jet aircraft daily, with service from Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay

Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

Prudhoe Bay is a census-designated place located in North Slope Borough, Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census , the population of the CDP was 5....
), Fairbanks and Anchorage, provide mail, cargo, and passenger services, which connect with smaller single and twin engine general aviation

General aviation

General aviation is one of two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military aviation and scheduled air transport flights, both private aviation and commercial aviation....
aircraft that provide regular service to other villages, from Kaktovik

Kaktovik, Alaska

Kaktovik is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population of the city is 293....
in the east to Point Hope

Point Hope, Alaska

Point Hope is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 United States Census the population was 757....
in the west. The town is also served by several radio taxi services, most utilizing small four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
vehicles such as the Honda CR-V

Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1996. It was loosely derived from the Honda Civic to satisfy a public demand for a sport-utility vehicle from Honda....
or Toyota RAV4

Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is a compact SUV crossover SUV built and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The car was introduced in Japan and Europe in 1994 and sales began in North America in 1996 to cater to consumers wanting a vehicle that had most of the benefits of SUVs, such as increased cargo room, higher visibility, and the option of full-t...
.

History

In the Inupiaq language

Inupiaq language

Inupiaq, I?upiaq, Inupiak, or Inupiatun are a group of dialects of the Inuit language, spoken in northern and northwestern Alaska....
the location of Barrow is called Ukpeagvik, which means "the place where we hunt Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals....
s".

Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Inupiat

Inupiat

The Inupiat or I?upiaq are the Inuit people of Alaska's Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska and North Slope Borough, Alaska boroughs and the Bering Straits region....
lived around Barrow as far back as AD 500. Some remains of 16 dwelling mounds from the Birnirk culture

Birnirk culture

The Birnirk culture is a prehistoric Inuit civilization of the Alaska North Slope of Alaska, dating from 500 to 900 and disappearing around 1000....
of about AD 800 are still in evidence today on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Their position on a slight rise above the high water mark places them in danger of being lost to erosion within a short time.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
officers were in the area to explore and map the Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctica region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland....
coastline of North America. The United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Barrow in 1881, and the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station was established in 1893.

In 1888 a Presbyterian

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism is a group of Christian congregations adhering to the Calvinism theological tradition within Protestantism. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible and the necessity of Divine grace through faith in Christ....
church was built at Barrow, and in 1901 a United States Post Office

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
was opened.

In 1935 the famous humorist Will Rogers

Will Rogers

William Penn Adair ?Will? Rogers was a Cherokee-United States cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentary, vaudeville performer and actor. He was the father of U.S....
and pilot Wiley Post

Wiley Post

Wiley Hardeman Post was the first aviator to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits....
made an unplanned stop at Walakpa Bay south of Barrow while enroute to Barrow. As they took off again their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both. Now called the Rogers-Post Site

Rogers-Post Site

The Rogers-Post Site, located on the Alaska North Slope of the U.S. state of Alaska, is the location of a Accidents and incidents in aviation that killed humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post on 15 August 1935 during an aerial tour of Alaska....
, there are two monuments at the site, another is located in Barrow and the airport is named after them.

Barrow was incorporated as a 1st Class City in 1958.

Residents of the North Slope cast the lone vote in opposition to passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 18, 1971, the largest land claims settlement in United States history....
, which passed in December 1971. In 1972, the North Slope Borough was established. The borough, with millions of dollars in new revenues, created sanitation, water and electrical utilities, roads, fire departments, and health and educational services in Barrow and the villages of the North Slope

Alaska North Slope

The Alaska North Slope is the region of the U.S. state of Alaska located on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of two marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea being on the western side of Point Barrow, and the Beaufort Sea on the eastern....
.

In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center, which later became Ilisagvik College

Ilisagvik College

Ilisagvik College is a public community college located in Barrow, Alaska, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The College is the first of a projected five tribally controlled colleges to be created in Alaska and is the northernmost accredited community college in the United States....
, which is now an accredited two-year college dedicated to providing an education based on the Inupiat culture and the needs of the North Slope Borough.

The Tuzzy Consortium Library, in the Inupiat Heritage Center

Inupiat Heritage Center

The I?upiat Heritage Center is a museum in Barrow, Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. Dedicated in February 1999, it is an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and recognizes the contributions of Alaska Natives to the history of whaling....
, serves the communities of the North Slope Borough and functions as the academic library for Ilisagvik College

Ilisagvik College

Ilisagvik College is a public community college located in Barrow, Alaska, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The College is the first of a projected five tribally controlled colleges to be created in Alaska and is the northernmost accredited community college in the United States....
. The library was named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee.

Barrow, like many communities in Alaska, has enacted a "damp" law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, but allows for import, possession and consumption.

Media

KBRW (AM)

KBRW is a non-commercial radio station in Barrow, Alaska, broadcasting on 680 Amplitude Modulation. The station airs public radio programming from the National Public Radio and networks....
/KBRW-FM

KBRW-FM

KBRW-FM is a non-commercial radio station in Barrow, Alaska, broadcasting on 91.9 Frequency Modulation. The station airs public radio programming from the National Public Radio and WFMT networks....
radio station broadcasts in Barrow on 680 kHz

Hertz

The hertz is a measure of frequency per unit of time, or the number of list of cycles per second. It is the SI base unit of frequency in the International System of Units , and is used worldwide in both general-purpose and scientific contexts....
AM

AM broadcasting

AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation....
and 91.9 MHz FM

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio....
. KBRW is also broadcast via FM translators

Broadcast relay station

A broadcast relay station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator , rebroadcaster , or repeater is a broadcast transmitter which relays or repeaters the signal of another radio station or television station, usually to an area not covered by the signal of the originating station....
in all of the North Slope Borough villages, from Kaktovik to Point Hope.

The Arctic Sounder is a newspaper published weekly by Alaska Newspapers, Inc.

Alaska Newspapers, Inc.

Alaska Newspapers, Inc. is the publisher of six weekly List of newspapers in Alaska , a quarterly magazine, and several special publications including a shopper, visitor's guides, and programs....
, covers news of interest to the North Slope Borough, which includes Barrow, and the Northwest Arctic Borough

Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

Northwest Arctic Borough is a Borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska, formed on June 2, 1986. The borough seat is Kotzebue, Alaska....
which includes Kotzebue

Kotzebue, Alaska

Kotzebue is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 3,237....
, in northwestern Alaska.

Sports teams

On August 19, 2006 the Barrow Whalers of Barrow High School

Barrow High School

Barrow High School is a public high school in Barrow, Alaska, Alaska, United States, operated by the North Slope Borough School District....
played the first official football

High school football

High school football, referring to the American football code in the United States and the Canadian football code in Canada, is one of the most popular interscholastic sports at high schools in both countries....
game in the Arctic against Delta Junction

Delta Junction, Alaska

Delta Junction is a city in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897....
High School. Barrow recorded its first win two weeks later; the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just yards from the makeshift dirt field.

On August 17, 2007 the Whalers football team played their first game of the season on their new artificial turf

Artificial turf

Artificial turf, or synthetic turf, is a man-made surface manufactured from chemical synthesis materials, made to look like natural grass....
field. The historic game, attended by former Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
player Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus

Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player, widely regarded as the greatest linebacker of his generation and one of the best football players of all time....
, was the first live Internet broadcast of a sporting event in the United States from north of the Arctic Circle.

In 2007, the Long Beach Armada

Long Beach Armada

The Long Beach Armada is a professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada is a member of the North Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball....
of the independent Golden Baseball League

Golden Baseball League

The Golden Baseball League, based in Dublin, California, is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the western United States, Canada and Mexico....
officially renamed themselves the "Long Beach Armada of Los Angeles of California of the United States of North America Including Barrow, Alaska", a take-off on the recently renamed Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball based in Anaheim, California. The Angels are a member of the American League West of Major League Baseball's American League....
. The chances of the Armada playing any actual games in Barrow is unlikely -- there is in fact a baseball field in town, but the playing surface is all-dirt (due to a lack of grass in Barrow) and the dimensions are only Little League-sized.

Depictions in popular culture

Barrow is the setting for a series of horror

Horror fiction

Horror fiction is fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a supernatural element into everyday human experience....
comic book

Comic book

A comic book is a magazine or book of narrative artwork and dialog and descriptive prose. The style was introduced in 1934. Despite the term, comic books do not necessarily feature humorous subject-matter; in fact, it is often serious and action-oriented....
s entitled 30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night

30 Days of Night is a three-issue horror fiction comic book limited series written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith and published by IDW Publishing in 2002....
. The stories center on vampires who take advantage of the more than a month of darkness that takes place annually in the town to engage in a killing spree. A film

30 Days of Night (film)

30 Days of Night is a 2007 in film horror film based on the comic book miniseries of the 30 Days of Night. The film is directed by David Slade and stars Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Danny Huston....
, named after and based upon the comic, was released on October 19, 2007.

Special events

Kivgiq, The Messenger Feast. In more recent times this has been held almost every year, but "officially" is held every two or three years in late January or early February, and is called at the discretion of the North Slope Borough Mayor. Kivgiq is an international event which attracts visitors from around the Arctic Circle.
Piuraagiaqta, The Spring Festival. Held in mid-April and includes many outdoor activities.
Nalukataq
Nalukataq

Nalukataq is the spring whaling festival of the Inupiat Eskimos of Northern Alaska, and is characterized most famously by the Eskimo blanket toss....
, The Blanket Toss Celebration. Held on multiple days beginning in the third week of June to celebrate each successful spring whale hunt.
July 4, Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain....
. In Barrow this is time for Eskimo
Eskimo

Eskimos or Esquimaux are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska and Canada, and all of Greenland ....
games, such as the two-foot high kick
Two-foot high kick

The two-foot high kick is a traditional Inuit jumping event that occurs at many Arctic sports competitions. In the two-foot high kick, athletes must jump using two feet, touch a hanging target with both feet, and land on both feet, maintaining balance....
and ear pull
Ear pull

The ear pull is a traditional Inuit game which tests the competitors' ability to endure pain. Competitors sit facing each other on the floor and a loop of leather cord is strung between an Pinna each....
, with the winners going on to compete at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics
World Eskimo Indian Olympics

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics is an annual event held over a four-day period in July or August, designed to preserve cultural practices and traditional survival skills essential to life in circumpolar areas of the world....
.
Fall whaling
Aboriginal whaling

Aboriginal whaling is the hunting of whales carried out by indigenous peoples groups who have a tradition of whaling. Under the terms of the 1986 whaling, the International Whaling Commission allows whaling carried out by aboriginal groups if it occurs on a subsistence basis....
. Generally happens during the second week of October.
Qitik, Eskimo Games. Also known as Christmas Games, are from December 26 through January 1.

Barrow, Alaska

Etymology

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Transportation

History

Media

Sports teams

Depictions in popular culture

Special events

See also

External links