Suemez Island facts for kids
Suemez Island is a cool place located in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska, United States. Think of the Alexander Archipelago as a big group of islands! Suemez Island is found off the west-central coast of Prince of Wales Island.
To its southeast, you'll find the northern part of Dall Island. To its northwest is Baker Island. Suemez Island is quite large, covering about 151.7 square kilometers (that's about 58.6 square miles). No one lived on the island when the 2000 census was taken.
Island Features
Suemez Island is home to a volcano! This volcano is called the Tlevak Strait-Suemez Island volcano. It stands about 50 meters (or 164 feet) tall. You can find it at these coordinates: 55°15′0″N, 133°18′0″W.
How Suemez Island Got Its Name
The island got its name a long time ago, between 1775 and 1779. Two explorers, Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra and Francisco Antonio Mourelle, named it "Isla Suemez." "Isla" means "island" in Spanish.
Later, in 1802, another explorer named Dionisio Alcalá Galiano drew a map. On his map, he called it "Guemes." This might actually be the correct way to spell the name! The name "Guemes" was given to honor Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo. He was a very important leader called a Viceroy of New Spain from 1789 to 1794. A Viceroy was like a governor who ruled a colony for the king of Spain. New Spain was a huge area that included parts of what is now the United States, Mexico, and other countries.
