Kodiak can refer to different things, depending on the context. Here are some possible meanings:
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Kodiak bear: This is a subspecies of brown bear that only exists on the Kodiak Archipelago, which includes Kodiak Island and the surrounding islands of Afognak, Shuyak, and Raspberry. Kodiak bears are one of the largest bears alive today, and they are omnivores that eat a variety of foods, including grass, plants, berries, and fish.
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Kodiak Island: This is a large island on the south coast of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. It is the largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago and the second largest island in the United States, with an area of 3,595.09 sq mi (9,311.2 km2). Kodiak Island is mountainous and heavily forested in the north and east, but fairly treeless in the south. The island has many deep, ice-free bays that provide sheltered anchorages for boats.
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Kodiak city: This is the largest community on Kodiak Island and is the islands main city. All commercial transportation between the island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline.
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Kodiak bear hunting: Kodiak bears have interacted with humans for centuries, especially hunters and other people in the rural coastal regions of the archipelago. The bears are hunted for sport and are encountered by hunters pursuing other species. Less frequently, Kodiak bears are killed by people whose property (such as livestock) or person are threatened.
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Kodiak Island history: Kodiak Island was the site of the first European settlement in Alaska, made by Russians in 1784. The island is also the ancestral land of the Sugpiaq, an Alutiiq nation.
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Kodiak language: Kodiak Alutiiq is a language spoken by the Alutiiq people of the Kodiak Archipelago. It is a dialect of the Alutiiq language, which is part of the Eskimo-Aleut language family.
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Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge: This is a wildlife refuge that covers much of the southwestern two-thirds of Kodiak Island, as well as some nearby islands. It was created in 1941 to protect the Kodiak bear population and their habitat.
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Kodiak brown bear research and management: Kodiak bear research, management, and habitat protection is done cooperatively by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
