Dall Island is an island in the

Alexander Archipelago The Alexander Archipelago () is a archipelago (group of islands) in North America lying off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, the tops of submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep ...

off the southeast coast of

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

, just west of Prince of Wales Island and north of Canadian waters. Its peak elevation is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. Its land area is , making it the 28th largest island in the United States. Dall is used economically for fishing and limestone quarrying.

Population and demographics

The 2000 census recorded 20 persons living on the island. The Haida are known to have inhabited coastal caves on the island two to three thousand years ago.

History

Dall Island was first called "Quadra," after

Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (22 May 1743 – 26 March 1794) was a Hispano-Peruvian naval officer operating in the Americas. Assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department base at San Blas, in Viceroyalty of New Spain (present ...

, until 1879, when it was renamed in honor of naturalist William H. Dall. The island was also considered part of Prince of Wales Island as recently as 1903. During the maritime fur trade era, harbors on southeast Dall Island, collectively known as Kaigani, were among the most popular sites for trade between fur trading ships and the Kaigani Haida.

Cape Muzon Cape Muzon is a cape located in the Alexander Archipelago of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the southernmost point of Dall Island and the headland marking the northwestern extremity of the Dixon Entrance. The boundary line separating Alaska fro ...

, the southernmost point of the island, is the western terminus, known as Point A, of the A–B Line, which marks the marine boundary between the state of Alaska and the Canadian province of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, per the position of the Canadian government on the decision of the arbitration tribunal under the Alaska Boundary Treaty of 1903. This line is also the northern boundary of the waters known as the Dixon Entrance. Cape Muzon was established as the "point of commencement" of the international boundary between Russia and British North America in the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1825. The

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey ( USC&GS; known as the Survey of the Coast from 1807 to 1836, and as the United States Coast Survey from 1836 until 1878) was the first scientific agency of the Federal government of the United State ...

charts produced in 1884 and 1894–95 laid the boundary line with Canada from Cape Muzon through Dixon Entrance and

Portland Canal Portland Canal is an arm of Portland Inlet, one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is approximately long. The Portland Canal forms part of the border between southeastern Alaska and British Columbia. The name of the enti ...

. In its decision on the delimitation of the disputed Alaska Panhandle boundary, the six-judge 1903 Court of Arbitration unanimously agreed that Cape Muzon was the initial point of the boundary and designated Point A as one endpoint of the A–B Line. Canada considers Point A () as part of the delimited international boundary, just like the other defined turning points outlined in 1903 for the resolved boundary. Furthermore, Canada regards the A–B line as defining Canada's internal waters within the Dixon Entrance. On the other hand, the U.S. considers the A–B line as having been described to allocate sovereignty over the land masses within the Dixon Entrance, with Canada's land to the south of the line. In contrast, it considers the waters subject to international marine law.

Logging

Dall Island is also an island used for its timber resources. The island houses many logging camps. Columbia Helicopters of Oregon is one of the leading companies using the island for timber.

References

External links

* {{authority control Islands of the Alexander Archipelago Islands of Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska Islands of Alaska Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska International islands