[[Image:Alaska Panhandle.png|thumb|250px|The Alaska Panhandle]]
The '''Alaska Panhandle''', sometimes referred to as '''Southeast Alaska''', is the southeastern portion of the coast of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]], which lies just west of the northern half of the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[British Columbia]]. The majority of the panhandle's area is part of the [[Tongass National Forest]], the U.S.'s largest national forest. In many places, the [[international border]] runs along the crest of the [[Boundary Ranges]] of the [[Coast Mountains]] (see [[Alaska boundary dispute]]).
[[Image:MistyFjordsWaterfall.jpg|thumb|right|Misty Fjords Waterfall and kayak]]
[[Image:TongassForest1.jpg|thumb|right|Tongass Forest near Ketchikan]]
[[Image:CruiseShipsKetchikan.jpg|thumb|right|Cruise ships at Ketchikan]]

==Geography==
The Alaska Panhandle is the northern terminus of the [[Inside Passage]], a protected waterway of convoluted passages between islands and fjords, beginning in [[Puget Sound]] in [[Washington state]]. This was an important travel corridor for native canoeists, as well as gold-rush steam ships, and in modern times is an important route for ferries and cruise ships.
The [[Panhandle]] has a land area of 91,008.18 [[kilometre|km]]² (35,138.46 square miles), comprised of four entire [[county-equivalent|borough]]s and three [[census area]]s, in addition to the part of [[Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska|Yakutat Borough]] lying east of 141° West longitude. Although it has only 6.14 percent of Alaska's land area, it is larger than the state of [[Maine]], and almost as large as the state of [[Indiana]]. The [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]] population of the Panhandle was 72,954 inhabitants, about 42 percent of whom were concentrated in the city of [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]].
*[[Haines Borough, Alaska|Haines Borough]]
*[[Juneau City and Borough, Alaska|Juneau Borough]]
*[[Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska|Ketchikan Gateway Borough]]
*[[Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska|Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area]]
*[[Sitka City and Borough, Alaska|Sitka Borough]]
*[[Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska|Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area]]
*[[Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska|Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area]]
*[[Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska|Yakutat Borough]] (the part east of 141° W longitude; 12,506.53 km², or about 63.12 percent of the borough)
It includes the [[Tongass National Forest]], [[Glacier Bay National Park]], [[Admiralty Island National Monument]], [[Misty Fjords National Monument]], [[Alaska's Inside Passage]], and myriad large and small islands. The largest islands are, from North to South, [[Chichagof Island]], [[Admiralty Island]], [[Baranof Island]], [[Kupreanof Island]], [[Revillagigedo Island]] and [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]]. Major bodies of water of the Alaska Panhandle include [[Glacier Bay]], [[Lynn Canal]], [[Icy Strait]], [[Chatham Strait]], [[Stephens Passage]], [[Frederick Sound]], [[Sumner Strait]], and [[Clarence Strait]].

On [[August 20]], [[1902]], [[President of the United States|President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] established the [[Alexander Archipelago Forest Reserve]], which formed the heart of the [[Tongass National Forest|Tongass]] [[National Forest]] that covers most of the region.

==National Parks and Monuments ==
*[[Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve]]
*[[Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park]]
*[[Sitka National Historical Park]]
*[[Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve]] (part, the southeasternmost section only)
*[[Admiralty Island National Monument]]
*[[Misty Fjords National Monument]]

==Ecology==
Southeast Alaska is a [[temperate rain forest]] within the [[Pacific temperate rain forest]] zone, which extends from northern [[California]] to [[Prince William Sound]]. The most common tree species are [[sitka spruce]] and [[western hemlock]]
Wildlife includes [[brown bear]]s, [[American Black Bear|black bears]], [[wolf|wolves]], [[Sitka deer]], [[humpback whale]]s, [[orca]]s, five species of [[salmon]], [[bald eagle]]s, [[harlequin duck]]s, [[scoter]]s, and [[Marbled Murrelet|marbled murrelet]]s.

==Cities and towns==
Major cities are [[Juneau City and Borough, Alaska|Juneau]], [[Sitka City and Borough, Alaska|Sitka]], and [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]]. Other towns are [[Petersburg, Alaska|Petersburg]], [[Wrangell, Alaska|Wrangell]], [[Metlakatla, Alaska|Metlakatla]], [[Haines, Alaska|Haines]], [[Hoonah, Alaska|Hoonah]], [[Angoon, Alaska|Angoon]], [[Kake, Alaska|Kake]], [[Craig, Alaska|Craig]], [[Klawock, Alaska|Klawock]], [[Yakutat, Alaska|Yakutat]], [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]], and [[Gustavus, Alaska|Gustavus]]. There are also many tiny (under 100 people) towns and villages, such as [[Pelican, Alaska|Pelican]], [[Tenakee Springs, Alaska|Tenakee Springs]], [[Port Protection, Alaska|Port Protection]], [[Port Frederick, Alaska|Port Frederick]], [[Port Alexander, Alaska|Port Alexander]], [[Baranof Warm Springs, Alaska|Baranof Warm Springs]], [[Elfin Cove, Alaska|Elfin Cove]], [[Excursion Inlet, Alaska|Excursion Inlet]], [[Hyder, Alaska|Hyder]], and [[Meyers Chuck, Alaska|Meyers Chuck]].

==Culture==
This area is the traditional homeland of the [[Tlingit]] people, and home of a prehistoric settling of [[Haida]] as well as a modern settlement of [[Tsimshian]]. The region is closely connected to [[Seattle]] and the American [[Pacific Northwest]] economically and culturally.

==Industry==
Major industries in Southeast Alaska include [[commercial fishing]] and [[tourism]] (primarily the cruise ship industry). [[Logging]] has been an important industry in the past, but has been steadily declining with competition from other areas and the closure of the region's major pulp mills.

==Transportation==
Due to the extremely rural nature of Southeastern Alaska, almost all communities (with the exception of Hyder, Skagway, and Haines) have no road connections outside of their locale, so aircraft and boats are the major means of transport. The [[Alaska Marine Highway]] passes through this region.

==Air transportation==
[[Alaska Airlines]] is by far the largest air carrier in the region, with Juneau's [[Juneau International Airport]] serving as the aerial hub for all of Southeast and Ketchikan's [[Ketchikan International Airport]] serving as a secondary hub for southern Southeast Alaska. However, Alaska Airline's [[Boeing 737]]s can only be handled by a few airports in the region and Alaska's [[Alaska bush|bush]] airlines serve many of the smaller and more isolated communities and villages in the regions. [[L.A.B. Flying Service]] (based out of Haines), [[Wings of Alaska]] (based out of Juneau), [[Alaska Seaplane Service]] (based out of Juneau), and [[Skagway Air Service]] (based out of Skagway) are the primary bush carriers in region and also offer cargo service to smaller communities.

==Marine transportation==
Southeast Alaska is primarily served by the state-run [[Alaska Marine Highway]] and secondarily by the [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]]-based [[Inter-Island Ferry Authority]] although small companies like Sitka-based [[Alaska Catamaran]] and a myriad of independent operators in the [[Lynn Canal]] also occasionally offer marine passenger service.

==External links==
*[http://library.state.ak.us/asp/edocs/2007/04/ocn123132311.pdf The regional economy of southeast Alaska : final report] / prepared for Alaska Conservation Foundation ; prepared by Steve Colt, Darcy Dugan, Ginny Fay (EcoSystems). Hosted by [http://library.state.ak.us/asp Alaska State Publications Program].
*[http://library.state.ak.us/asp/edocs/2007/04/ocn133148238.pdf Southeast Alaska energy export study : final report] / prepared for The Southeast Conference ; by D. Hittle & Associates, Inc., in association with Commonwealth Associates, Inc. Hosted by the [http://library.state.ak.us/asp Alaska State Publications Program].
*[http://library.state.ak.us/asp/edocs/2007/04/ocn123202025.pdf Swan - Tyee intertie economic analysis] / prepared for the Four Dam Pool Power Agency ; prepared by CAI, Commonwealth Associates, Inc. Hosted by [http://library.state.ak.us/asp Alaska State Publications Program].

{{Alaska}}

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[[Category:Regions of Alaska]]
[[Category:Pacific Northwest]]

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