Fox Islands (Alaska) facts for kids
The Fox Islands (Russian: Лисьи острова) are a group of islands located in Alaska, a state in the United States. They are part of the larger Aleutian Islands chain. These islands are the closest part of the Aleutians to mainland North America. They lie just east of Samalga Pass and the Islands of Four Mountains group.
For many centuries, the Aleut people lived on these islands. Europeans first visited the Fox Islands in 1741. This happened when Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator working for the Russian navy, explored the area. He was looking for new places to find fur for Russian fur traders.
About the Fox Islands
The Fox Islands are often covered in fog almost all year. This makes them hard to travel around. The weather is usually bad, and there are many reefs, which are dangerous rocks under the water. The waterways around the islands are known as the Fox Islands Passes. Like other Aleutian islands, the Fox Islands often experience earthquakes.
Main Islands
The larger Fox Islands are listed from west to east. They include Umnak, Unalaska, Amaknak, Akutan, Akun, Unimak, and Sanak.
Islands located west of Akutan are part of the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska. Islands from Akutan eastward are in the Aleutians East Borough, Alaska.
Name Origin
The name Fox Islands is an English translation. Russian explorers and fur traders gave the islands this name in the 1700s.
In Fiction
The Fox Islands were used as a setting in some popular video games. The games Metal Gear Solid and its remake Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes took place on a made-up island called Shadow Moses Island. This island was a nuclear facility within the Fox Islands. A later game, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, also featured Shadow Moses Island.
