Sagwon, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sagwon
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 Sagwon, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | North Slope |
| Elevation | 675 ft (206 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
Sagwon is a very small place in Alaska, way up north in an area called the North Slope Borough. It's so far north that it's even above the Arctic Circle! Sagwon isn't a city with a mayor and a city hall; it's what we call an "unincorporated community." This means it's a small group of people living together without a formal local government.
Sagwon is especially known for an important discovery made there. This discovery happened when people were building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
Contents
Exploring Sagwon's Location
Sagwon is located in the state of Alaska, which is part of the United States. It sits in the North Slope Borough, a large area in the northern part of Alaska.
What is the Arctic Circle?
The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line around the Earth. It marks the area where, for at least one day a year, the sun never sets in summer. Also, for at least one day in winter, the sun never rises. Being above the Arctic Circle means Sagwon experiences these unique daylight patterns.
Unincorporated Communities Explained
An "unincorporated community" is a group of homes or buildings that are not part of an official city or town. They don't have their own local government, like a city council or mayor, to make rules just for them. Instead, they are usually governed by a larger area, like a county or, in Alaska's case, a borough.
Important Discoveries in Sagwon
Sagwon is famous because of an important archaeological site found there. An archaeological site is a place where scientists study the remains of past human life and activities. They dig up old tools, bones, and other items to learn about how people lived long ago.
The Gallagher Flint Station Archeological Site
The site near Sagwon is called the Gallagher Flint Station Archeological Site. It was discovered by accident during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This site has given scientists clues about ancient people who lived in Alaska thousands of years ago. Finding such old evidence helps us understand the history of humans in North America.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a huge pipeline that carries oil across Alaska. It starts in the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay in the north and goes all the way to Valdez, a port city in the south. The pipeline is very important for moving oil from where it's found to where it can be shipped around the world. The construction of this pipeline led to the discovery of the ancient site near Sagwon.
