Many inland lakes and small coastal lakes and ponds exist. Most of the area is underlain by permafrost. Wetlands occupy 53 percent of the area. Occurrence of wildfires is common, particularly from June through August. Mosses and lichens dry during summer, allowing fire to spread through the tundra.
Population is low and dispersed.
The largest settlement is Nome, where subsistence and recreational hunting and fishing are concentrated. Numerous mines are scattered throughout the section. This is the historic range of Inupiaq Eskimos. Compiled by Alaska Region.