The
Alexander Archipelago is a long
archipelago, or group of islands, of
North America off the southeastern coast of
Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the
Pacific Ocean. Deep channels and fjords separate the islands and cut them off from the mainland. The northern part of the
Inside Passage is sheltered by the islands as it winds its way among them.