The Chumash people made shell beads to fuel their economy. Historically, the northern islands were occupied by the island Chumash, while the southern islands were occupied by the Tongva. Indigenous peoples Tomols or te'aats are Chumash and Tongva boats used to travel throughout the islands and to the mainland. The Anacapa Island Archeological District is a 700-acre (280 ha) historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1979. Īrcheological sites on the island provide a unique and invaluable record of human interaction with Channel Island marine and terrestrial ecosystems from the late Pleistocene to historic times. His age was determined to be about 10,000 years. His remains were exposed by beach erosion, and were preserved by University of Oregon archeologists. The Tuqan Man was discovered on San Miguel Island in 2005. The remains were dated to 13,000 years BP. The Arlington Springs Man was discovered in 1960 at Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island. The northern Channel Islands are now known to have been settled by maritime Paleo-Indian peoples at least 13,000 years ago. Separated from the California mainland throughout recent geological history, the Channel Islands provide the earliest evidence for human seafaring in the Americas. † Navy installations, itinerant military and civilian population Islands The eight Channel Islands of California, off the west coast of North America It snows only rarely, on higher mountain peaks. The Channel Islands at low elevations are virtually frost-free and constitute one of the few such areas in the 48 contiguous US states. Native Americans used naturally occurring tar, bitumen, for a variety of purposes which include roofing, waterproofing, paving and some ceremonial purposes. Tar balls or pieces of tar in small numbers are found in the kelp and on the beaches. Natural seepage of oil occurs at several places in the Santa Barbara Channel. Attractions include whale watching, hikes, snorkeling, kayaking and camping. Camping grounds are available on Anacapa, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara Islands in the Channel Islands National Park. Visitors can travel to the islands via public boat or airplane transportation. The islands attract around 70,000 tourists a year, mostly during the summer. The Channel Islands National Park mainland visitor center in Ventura Harbor received 342,000 visitors in 2014.

University of Southern California also houses its USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies marine lab in Two Harbors. Santa Catalina Island is the only one of the eight islands with a significant permanent civilian settlement-the resort city of Avalon, California, and the unincorporated town of Two Harbors. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary encompasses the waters six nautical miles (11 kilometers 6.9 miles) off these islands. Together, the islands’ land area totals 221,331 acres (89,569 ha), or about 346 square miles (900 km 2).įive of the islands ( San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara) were made into the Channel Islands National Park in 1980. The archipelago extends for 160 miles (257 km) between San Miguel Island in the north and San Clemente Island in the south. The four northern Islands used to be a single landmass known as Santa Rosae. The islands are divided into two groups the northern Channel Islands and the southern Channel Islands. The eight islands are split among the jurisdictions of three California counties: Santa Barbara County (four), Ventura County (two), and Los Angeles County (two). The islands harbor 150 unique species of plants. The Channel Islands and the surrounding waters house a diverse ecosystem with many endemic species and subspecies.

military uses some of the islands as training grounds, weapons test sites, and as a strategic defensive location. The Chumash and Tongva Native Americans who lived later on the islands may be the descendants of the original inhabitants, but they were then displaced by Spaniards who used the islands for fishing and agriculture. The Nature Conservancy was instrumental in establishing the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Five of the islands are within the Channel Islands National Park, and the waters surrounding these islands make up Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and the four Southern Channel Islands are part of the Peninsular Ranges province. The Channel Islands ( Spanish: islas del Canal, Archipiélago del Norte) are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. Beach of Santa Cruz Island Beach at San Miguel

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