Amchitka

Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in southwestern Alaska. It belongs to the Council of Iceland, an island group of the Aleutian Islands. Amchitka is about 68 km long and 3-6 km wide. The island has an area of ​​308.6 km ² and reaches a height of 373 meters above the sea. It has a maritime climate, with many storms and a mostly cloudy sky.

The island, which was inhabited by the Unangan more than 2500 years, will no longer permanently inhabited since 1832.

Along with Alaska, the island was in 1867 by Russia, which was in a precarious financial situation, sold to the United States at the Alaska Purchase. During World War II it was used as the airfield of the USAAF for the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.

Later the island by the United States Atomic Energy Commission was selected as a test space for underground nuclear weapons.

Nuclear tests on Amchitka

On Amchitka following three tests were carried out:

Today, no more nuclear weapons tests are conducted on Amchitka, but the island is monitored for leakage of radioactive substances.

Amchitka and Greenpeace

The tests, especially the last Cannikin in 1790 meters depth were controversial. Environmentalists feared that the test could cause severe earthquakes and tsunamis.

The preparations for the third nuclear test on Amchitka were one of the triggers to the founding of Greenpeace. The end of 2009, Greenpeace published this reason, an album entitled " Amchitka ".