Alexander Archipelago

Alexander Archipelago, group of more than 1,100 islands lying along the coastline of the Alaska Panhandle. They are the peaks of a submerged coastal range. Sitka, on the island of Baranof, was once capital of Alaska. The islands were discovered by Vitus Bering in 1741 and were acquired by the United States as part of the Alaska purchase in 1867. Fish, furs, gold, and timber are important items in their economy.