Southeast Alaska is also often called the Panhandle and the Inside Passage because the ocean channels are protected by islands. Many islands in this region run alongside the mainland, which makes it a popular area to explore by cruise ship.

The area has less than 70,000 people located across a handful of scattered towns, villages, and communities. The bears outnumber people by approximately two to one. On some of the larger islands, the ratio of bears to people is at least ten to one!

The Southeast Alaska Panhandle is approximately 500 miles long by 120 miles wide and consists of a narrow mainland strip of steep mountains, ice fields, and glaciers along with several thousand islands that make up the Alexander Archipelago.

The South Central Alaska region encompasses a wide range of communities from Cook Inlet to Prince William Sound. The region includes the Kenai Peninsula, the Prince William Sound Census Area, the Municipality of Anchorage, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough as shown in Figure 3.3-1.