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21-670: The Papuan Peninsula , also known as the Bird's Tail Peninsula , is a large peninsula in Papua New Guinea , southeast of the city of Lae , that makes up the southeastern portion of the island of New Guinea . The peninsula is the easternmost extent of the New Guinea Highlands and consists largely of the Owen Stanley Range , with peaks such as Mount Victoria (4,038 m) and Mount Suckling (3,676 m). On

42-469: A basin . This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula . In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form moraines , which act as dams for the meltwater. This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas. If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock , which

63-657: Is a peninsula extending about 497 mi (800 km) to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands . The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay , an arm of the Bering Sea . In literature (especially Russian), the term "Alaska Peninsula" was used to denote the entire northwestern protrusion of the North American continent , or all of what

84-638: Is generally turbid and muddy, experiences tidal extremes, and is relatively shallow; the Pacific side, which is also known as the "ring of fire", has relatively small tidal activity and the water is deep and clear. All of the Peninsula is organized as a part of four adjacent boroughs ; the Aleutians East Borough , Bristol Bay Borough , Kodiak Island Borough , and Lake and Peninsula Borough . The Lake and Peninsula Borough includes most of

105-638: Is now the state of Alaska, exclusive of its panhandle and islands . The Lake and Peninsula borough , the Alaskan equivalent of a county , is named after the peninsula. The Alaska/Aleutian Peninsula is also grouped into Southwest Alaska . The other largest peninsulas in Alaska include the Kenai Peninsula and Seward Peninsula . The base of the Alaska Peninsula extends outward from

126-506: The Aleutian Islands , Iceland , and Tierra del Fuego . The Alaska Peninsula is home to some of the largest populations of native and undisturbed wildlife in the United States. Besides the famous McNeil River and Katmai Alaskan brown bear populations, large herds of caribou , moose , wolves , waterfowl , and willow ptarmigan inhabit the area. The bears of the peninsula and Bristol Bay are so numerous because they feed on

147-550: The Kodiak Archipelago which lie off the south coast of the peninsula and are home to even more bears, constitute the Alaska Peninsula montane taiga ecoregion and contain a number of protected areas such as Katmai National Park . Vegetation on the Peninsula consists mostly of shrub-lands, grassy meadows, or wet tundra. Besides the communities on the coast ( see: Bristol Bay ), the Alaska Peninsula also

168-572: The 16th century. A peninsula is generally defined as a piece of land surrounded on most sides by water. A peninsula may be bordered by more than one body of water, and the body of water does not have to be an ocean or a sea. A piece of land on a very tight river bend or one between two rivers is sometimes said to form a peninsula, for example in the New Barbadoes Neck in New Jersey , United States. A peninsula may be connected to

189-410: The bird as a shorthand for explaining where various actions and deployments occurred on the island. This Papua New Guinea –related geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Peninsula The word peninsula derives from Latin paeninsula , from paene  'almost' and insula  'island'. The word entered English in

210-499: The case of Florida , continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions were all contributing factors to its shape. In the case of formation from glaciers (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula or Cape Cod ), peninsulas can be created due to glacial erosion , meltwater or deposition . If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed

231-935: The end of the Alaska Range . The Aleutian Range is a very active volcanic mountain range which runs along the entire length of the Peninsula. Within it lie Wildlife Refuges, including the Katmai National Park and Preserve , the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve and the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge , the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge , and the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge . The most active volcano along

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252-531: The mainland via an isthmus , for example, in the Isthmus of Corinth which connects to the Peloponnese peninsula. Peninsulas can be formed from continental drift , glacial erosion , glacial meltwater , glacial deposition , marine sediment , marine transgressions , volcanoes, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation. More than one factor may play into the formation of a peninsula. For example, in

273-423: The peninsula's territory. Average annual precipitation ranges from 24–65 in (610–1,650 mm). Coastal areas are subject to intense storms, wind, and rain. Winter temperatures average between 12 and 34 °F (−11 and 1 °C), and in summer between 43 and 59 °F (6 and 15 °C). Frosts can occur any day of the year at higher elevations. The climate can be compared to that of parts of Scotland ,

294-469: The sea in one or two years. Exceptionally large seabird colonies exist along the coast. Additionally, there are large populations of sea mammals in the North Pacific Ocean between the Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka . This includes harbor seals , ringed seals , northern fur seals , whales , porpoises , sea otters and sea lions . The rugged southern half of the peninsula, and also

315-468: The sediment is deposited, forming a delta peninsula. Marine transgressions (changes in sea level) may form peninsulas, but also may affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels. Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger. Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce

336-431: The size of some peninsulas over time. Peninsulas are noted for their use as shelter for humans and Neanderthals . The landform is advantageous because it gives hunting access to both land and sea animals. They can also serve as markers of a nation's borders. Alaska Peninsula The Alaska Peninsula (also called Aleut Peninsula or Aleutian Peninsula , Aleut : Alasxix̂ ; Sugpiaq : Aluuwiq , Al'uwiq )

357-504: The south coast is Port Moresby , the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. The island of New Guinea is often visualized as being in the shape of a bird, with the Bird's Head Peninsula being at the northwest end of the island, and the Bird's Tail Peninsula at the southeast end. For example, American soldiers in WWII visualized it specifically as a turkey, and referenced the anatomy of

378-688: The volcanic mountain range is Pavlof Volcano which is more than 8,251 feet (2,515 meters)(see also: Aleutian Arc ). The southern side of the Alaska Peninsula is rugged and mountainous, created by the uplifting tectonic activity of the North Pacific Plate subsiding under a western section of the North American Plate ; the northern side is generally flat and marshy, a result of millennia of erosion and general seismic stability. The northern and southern shores are likewise quite different. The northern Bristol Bay coastal side

399-564: The volcano erupts near shallow water. Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of limestone . A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in plate tectonics (e.g. the Arabian Peninsula ), while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas (e.g. Gibraltar or the Indian subcontinent ). Peninsulas can also form due to sedimentation in rivers. When a river carrying sediment flows into an ocean,

420-423: The world's largest sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) runs, which occur here in large part because the many large lakes of the peninsula are an important element in their lifecycle. These salmon, after returning from their brief time at sea, swim into the lakes and their contributing streams to spawn. Their offspring, or fry , overwinter in the deep and food-abundant depths of these lakes until their migration to

441-504: Was created from a large deposit of glacial drift . The hill of drift becomes a peninsula if the hill formed near water but was still connected to the mainland, for example during the formation of Cape Cod about 23,000 years ago. In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts magma near water, it may form a peninsula (e.g., the Alaskan Peninsula ). Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when

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