Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta facts for kids

The Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta is a huge area of land in Alaska, USA. It's where two big rivers, the Yukon and the Kuskokwim, flow into the Bering Sea. This delta is one of the biggest in the world. It covers about 129,500 square kilometers (50,000 square miles). That's almost as big as the entire U.S. state of Louisiana! Most of the delta is tundra, a flat, treeless land. It's a protected area called the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.

Living in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta

Around 25,000 people live in the delta. Most of them (about 85%) are Alaska Natives. These include the Yupik and Athabaskan people.

Main Communities

The biggest town and main center for services is Bethel. About 6,200 people lived there in 2011. Bethel is surrounded by 49 smaller villages. Some of these villages have over 1,000 residents.

Traditional Ways of Life

Most people in the delta live a traditional lifestyle. They get their food by hunting animals, fishing in the rivers, and gathering plants. This way of life is called "subsistence." It means they rely on the land and water for their daily needs.

Getting Around the Delta

The Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta has almost no roads. So, how do people travel? In summer, they use river boats. In winter, when the rivers freeze, they travel by snowmachines. Small planes, called Bush planes, are also very important for travel and connecting communities.

Images for kids

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  This image shows the Yukon Delta from space. It uses special colors to highlight different features.

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  Here's an aerial view of the Kuskokwim Delta wetlands. You can see how much water and land there is.

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  This picture of the delta was taken by a satellite called MODIS.

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  A natural-color satellite image of the Delta.