Delarof Islands
island group in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States
The Delarof Islands (Aleut: Naahmiĝun tanangis; Russian: Острова Деларова) (ca. 51°23′13″N 178°57′47″W) are a group of small islands at the extreme western end of the Andreanof Islands group in the central Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The Delarofs consist of 11 named islands (from West to East): Amatignak, Unalga (Unalĝa), Tanadak (Tanaadax̂), Ulak, Gareloi, Kavalga (Qavalĝa), Ogliuga (Aglaga), Skagul (Sxaĝulax̂), the Tag (Tagachaluĝis), Ugidak (Qagan-tanax̂), and Ilak. The northern- and southern-most named Delarof Islands are Gareloi Island and Amatignak Island respectively.
The islands were named after the 18th century Greek explorer and first de facto Governor of Alaska, Evstratios Ioannou Delarof (Ευστράτιος Ιωάννου Ντελάρωφ).
These islands are separated from the remainder of the Andreanofs by Tanaga Pass to the east and from Amchitka and Semisopochnoi (the easternmost of the Rat Islands) by Amchitka Pass to the west. All of these islands are managed as part of the Aleutian Islands Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Delarof Islands together have a land area of 63.842 sq mi (165.349 km2). None of the islands are populated.
The Delarof Islands were named in 1836 by Captain Fyodor Petrovich Litke of the Imperial Russian Navy.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Delarof Islands” as island group in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as island group in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q195124. Authority coordinates are 51.387, -178.963. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1836.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Delarof Islands”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Delarof Islands primary sources, Delarof Islands archive and Delarof research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Delarof Islands”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Delarof Islands” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.