Cape Thompson

Geographical location

The Cape Thompson is a cape on the west coast of Alaska to the northwest of the Lisburne Peninsula, 42 km southeast of Point Hope. It is part of the Chukchi Sea unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

The first mention of the Cape of Russian sailors in the late 18th century, who named it after Peter Iwanowich Rikord ( 1776-1855 ) of the Imperial Russian Navy "Cape Rikord ". Your present name from the headland on August 2, 1826 by Frederick William Beechey of the Royal Navy after Deas Thompson, a member of the Navy Commission. The Inupiat used the name " Uivaq ". Cape Thompson was often referred to as Uivaq Qanitoq ( "close cape" ), during ( "cape far away " ) was used for the Cape Lisburne Uivaq Ungasiktoq.

In 1962, the residents of Point Hope fought successfully against the putative Operation Chariot projects of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, to create by firing a series of nuclear bombs an artificial harbor in Cape Thompson.