Population Geography
Home Page

Physical Features

Settlement Patterns

Population Geography

Political Geography

Industrial and Commercial Organization

Modern Transportation and Communication Systems

Cities and Neighborhoods

Recreational Resources

Human Impact on the Environment

Cultural Regions


Native Populations


The Alaska native population includes Eskimos, Indians, and Aleuts.  About half of all Alaska natives are Eskimos.  The two main Eskimo groups, the Inupiat and Yupik, are distinguished by their language and geography.  The former live in the north and northwest parts of Alaska and speak Inupiaq, while the latter live in the south and southwest and speak Yupik.


About a third of Alaska Natives are American Indians.  The major tribes are the Alaskan Athabaskan in the central part of the state, and the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida in the southeast.


The Aleuts, native to the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island, the lower Alaska and Kenai Peninsulas, and Prince William Sound, are physically and culturally related to the Eskimos.  About 15% of Alaska natives are Aleuts.