bering

Bering is a surname most often associated with Vitus Bering (1681–1741), a Danish navigator in the service of the Russian Empire. He led major Arctic and North Pacific voyages in the early 18th century, mapping parts of Siberia and Alaska and contributing to Russia’s geographic knowledge of the region. The name Bering has since been applied to several geographic features in the Arctic and North Pacific.

Geography and nomenclature: The Bering Strait connects the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and lies between Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula and Alaska. The Bering Sea lies to the west of Alaska and to the east of Russia’s Siberian coast. Bering Island, part of the Commander Islands in the western Bering Sea, is named after Vitus Bering. The term Beringia refers to the historic land and sea area that connected Asia and North America during lower sea levels and is also linked to the explorer’s legacy.

Legacy: Numerous other places and institutions bear the Bering name in recognition of Vitus Bering’s explorations. The term remains central to discussions of Arctic and North Pacific geography, maritime history, and the study of the Bering Strait region and its paleogeography.