Savoonga, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Savoonga
Sivungaq (Central Siberian Yupik)
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Savoonga in 2013
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 Savoonga, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Nome |
| Incorporated | October 6, 1969 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.87 sq mi (15.21 km2) |
| • Land | 5.87 sq mi (15.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 835 |
| • Density | 142.20/sq mi (54.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99769
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| Area code | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-67460 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1409106 |
Savoonga is a small city in Nome Census Area, Alaska. It is located on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. In 2020, about 835 people lived there. This was more than the 671 people who lived there in 2010.
Savoonga became an official city in 1969. In 1971, it shared ownership of St. Lawrence Island with the island's only other city, Gambell.
The people of Savoonga mostly get their food by hunting. They hunt for animals like walrus, seals, fish, and bowhead whales. The city is even known as the "Walrus Capital of the World." A special mail service using dogsled mail delivered mail until 1963.
Contents
History of Savoonga
St. Lawrence Island has been home to people for about 2,000 years. Both Alaskan Yup'ik and Siberian Yupik people have lived there. In the 1700s and 1800s, about 4,000 people lived on the island in many villages.
Between 1878 and 1880, a terrible famine hit the island. Many people died from hunger, and others left. After this, almost everyone left on St. Lawrence Island was Siberian Yupik.
In 1900, reindeer were brought to the island. By 1917, there were more than 10,000 reindeer. A camp for reindeer herders was set up near where Savoonga is today in 1916. The village of Savoonga started near this camp in the 1930s. More people moved there because of good hunting and trapping.
In 1971, Gambell and Savoonga gained shared ownership of most of the land on St. Lawrence Island. This happened because of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Where is Savoonga?
Savoonga is on the northern coast of St. Lawrence Island. This island is in the Bering Sea. It is about 39 miles (63 km) southeast of Gambell.
The city covers about 6.1 square miles (15.21 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
Most people on St. Lawrence Island speak the Siberian Yupik language.
There are daily flights from Nome to Savoonga Airport. These flights depend on the weather.
Savoonga's Weather
Savoonga has a polar climate. This means it has short, cool summers. The winters are long and very cold, lasting from October to May. On average, about 68.6 inches (1.74 meters) of snow falls each year. The deepest snow is usually in April, around 21 inches (0.53 meters) deep.
| Climate data for Cape Northeast, Alaska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
43 (6) |
48 (9) |
44 (7) |
53 (12) |
63 (17) |
68 (20) |
66 (19) |
57 (14) |
50 (10) |
42 (6) |
45 (7) |
68 (20) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 15.0 (−9.4) |
8.5 (−13.1) |
15.1 (−9.4) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
35.2 (1.8) |
44.6 (7.0) |
51.8 (11.0) |
50.5 (10.3) |
44.4 (6.9) |
34.3 (1.3) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.6 (−12.4) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
39.8 (4.3) |
46.9 (8.3) |
46.9 (8.3) |
41.3 (5.2) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
8.3 (−13.2) |
25.6 (−3.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.1 (−15.5) |
−3.2 (−19.6) |
1.7 (−16.8) |
10.1 (−12.2) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
34.9 (1.6) |
42.1 (5.6) |
43.4 (6.3) |
38.1 (3.4) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
3.9 (−15.6) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−36 (−38) |
−32 (−36) |
−16 (−27) |
−4 (−20) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
3 (−16) |
−9 (−23) |
−26 (−32) |
−36 (−38) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.03 (26) |
0.85 (22) |
1.08 (27) |
0.83 (21) |
0.61 (15) |
0.57 (14) |
1.19 (30) |
3.14 (80) |
2.94 (75) |
2.90 (74) |
1.57 (40) |
0.60 (15) |
17.31 (439) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.0 (23) |
8.4 (21) |
9.9 (25) |
7.9 (20) |
3.2 (8.1) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
9.4 (24) |
12.3 (31) |
7.5 (19) |
68.6 (174) |
| Source: WRCC | |||||||||||||
Population of Savoonga
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 139 | — | |
| 1940 | 209 | 50.4% | |
| 1950 | 249 | 19.1% | |
| 1960 | 299 | 20.1% | |
| 1970 | 364 | 21.7% | |
| 1980 | 491 | 34.9% | |
| 1990 | 519 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 643 | 23.9% | |
| 2010 | 671 | 4.4% | |
| 2020 | 835 | 24.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Savoonga first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1930. Back then, it was a small village. It officially became a city in 1969.
In 2000, there were 643 people living in Savoonga. Most of the people were Native American (95.33%). About 4.35% were White.
Many households (55.2%) had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 4 to 5 people. The median age in the city was 26 years old.
Jobs and Economy
As of 2013, about 25% of adults in Savoonga did not have jobs. For those who did, 37% worked for the school system. Other jobs included working in air transportation, fishing, and the oil industry.
Education in Savoonga
Savoonga is part of the Bering Strait School District. The local school is called Hogarth Kingeekuk Memorial School. It teaches students from pre-kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
Famous People from Savoonga
- Annie Aghnaqa (Akeya) Alowa (1924–1999) was a Yup'ik activist, healer, and leader. She worked to protect the environment.
See also
In Spanish: Savoonga para niños
