ALEXANDER ARCHIPELAGO

group of about 11,000 islands (actually the tops of submerged mountains) off the coast of southeastern Alaska, U.S. The islands are included within the Tongass National Forest and extend southward from Glacier Bay and Cross Sound to the Dixon Entrance. Among the largest islands (north-south) are Chichagof, Admiralty, Baranof, Kupreanof, Kuiu, Mitkof, Wrangell, Prince of Wales, and Revillagigedo. The chief cities are Sitka on Baranof and Ketchikan on Revillagigedo. Lumbering, fishing, fur collecting, and mining are the main economic activities of the area. The irregular shorelines of the islands are separated from the mainland by deep, narrow channels that form part of the Alaska Marine Highway system, or Inside Passage. The name was assigned by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1867 to honour Alexander II, tsar of Russia. Pop. (1991 est.) 38,800.