An island in Alaska and the city located on it, also referring to the Kodiak brown bear, a large subspecies of brown bear found in the region. The island is known for its fishing industry and wildlife.
From the Alutiiq (native Alaskan) word 'qikertaq' meaning 'island'. Russian fur traders transliterated this as 'Kadyak' in the 18th century, which was later Americanized to 'Kodiak' after the U.S. purchase of Alaska in 1867. The name has been applied to various things associated with the region, most famously the massive brown bears.
Kodiak bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and are among the largest land carnivores in the world, but they're actually omnivores who spend much of their time eating salmon, berries, and grasses. The isolation of Kodiak Island has allowed these bears to evolve into a distinct subspecies that's larger than most other brown bears, showing how geography shapes evolution.
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