Location: Adak is located on Adak Island, about 1300 miles southwest of Anchorage, in the Aleutian Islands. It is the southern-most community in Alaska. Adak has a maritime climate, which means that skies are frequently overcast and windy. In summer, fog forms over the Bering Sea. Average temperatures range from 20-60 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is approximately 64 inches.
Description: A portion of Adak lies within the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Adak provides a fueling port and supply outlets for fishing fleets. An airport, docks, housing, restaurant, and grocery facilities are also available. Norquest-Adak Seafood Co. processes Pacific cod, pollock, mackeral, halibut, albacore, and king crab.
Adak Airport has a control tower and two asphal paved runways over 7,000 feet long. It is served by Alaska Airlines passenger and cargo operations.
History:
Adak was heavily populated by Aleuts, the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, until the early 1800's when Aleut hunters followed the Russian Fur trade and famine set in.
During World War II, the U.S. Army's military presence on Adak allowed successful offensives to be mounted against Japanese forces occupying Kiska and Attu islands. After the war Adak became a Naval Air Station, and played a role in the Cold War as a surveillance center, housing as many as 6000 naval personnel and their families. The Navy provided recreational opportunities which included a movie theater, roller rink, swimming pool, ski lodge, bowling alleys, skeet range, racquetball and tennis courts. A hospital was built in 1990. In 1994, due to cut-backs in military funding, family housing and schools on Adak were closed. The installation was officially closed in 1997, and its properties are currently under lease to the Aleut Corporation.
About 30 families relocated to Adak in 1998, and the school was reopened. Adak is being developed as a commercial center, and became a Second Class City Government in 2001.
source: Alaska Community Database
see also: Wikipedia article