most of these places have no highways and can only be reached by aircraft or snowmobile, or by boat if they are on the coast or near a river when they are not frozen. long ago there were only inuits living here, who make up the majority of the population. they mostly ate salmon, which there are lots of there, and also whales and other marine mammals. more people came to arctic alaska when gold was discovered there. still more people and industry came when petroleum was discovered in the area. above the arctic circle, the sun rises in may and sets in august.