North Slope Borough, Alaska

The borough was established in 1972 by an election of the majority indigenous people in the region following Congressional passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The borough has first-class status and exercises the powers of planning zoning taxation and schools. In 1974 it adopted a Home Rule Charter, enabling it to exercise any legitimate governmental power.[3]

In 2020 Ravn Alaska went into bankruptcy and ended operations. The government of North Slope Borough attempted to take property of the airline in a way to keep flights and shipments coming to the community, but the Alaska Attorney General stated that it was improper.[4]

It has a seven-member assembly body, elected to staggered three-year terms. The borough's executive and administrative powers are vested in a mayor, who is limited to two consecutive three-year terms.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 94,796 square miles (245,520 km²), of which 88,695 square miles (229,720 km²) is land and 6,101 square miles (15,800 km²) (6.4%) is water.[11] The borough is larger than 39 states.[12]

Its western coastline is along the Chukchi Sea, while its eastern shores (beyond Point Barrow) are on the Beaufort Sea.

The North Slope Borough is the largest county-level political subdivision in the United States by area, with a larger land area than that of the state of Utah (Utah is the 13th-largest state in the nation). Although the adjacent Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is larger in area, it has no borough-level government. The borough is the fourth-least densely populated county-level entity in the United States. (The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is the least densely populated county-level entity).

National protected areas

Map of northern Alaska showing location of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA).

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Chukchi Sea unit)
  • Cape Lisburne
  • Cape Thompson
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Mollie Beattie Wilderness (part)
• Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (part)
  • Gates of the Arctic Wilderness (part)
• Noatak National Preserve (part)
  • Noatak Wilderness (part)

As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 9,430 people, 2,109 households, and 1,524 families residing in the borough. The population density was 12.03 square miles (31.2 km²) per person. There were 2,538 housing units at an average density of 35 square miles (91 km²) per unit. The racial makeup of the borough was 17.09% White, 0.72% Black or African American, 68.38% Native American, mostly Inuit, 5.92% Asian, 0.84% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 6.55% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 42.84% reported speaking Iñupiaq or "Eskimo" at home, while 4.21% reported speaking Tagalog.[20]

There were 2,109 households out of which 48.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 4.05.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 38.2% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 18.10% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.90 males.

• Eskimo
• Inuit
• Iñupiat
• Iñupiaq
• List of airports in Alaska
• Nalukataq

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Slope Borough, Alaska.

• North-Slope.org - Official Borough Website
• Borough map, 2000 census: Alaska Department of Labor
• Borough map, 2010 census: Alaska Department of Labor