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Prior to European settlement, the islands were part of the traditional area of the Central Coast Salish. Linguistically, the Central Coast Salish consisted of five groups: Squamish, Halkomelem, Nooksack, Northern Straits (which includes the Lummi dialect), and Clallam. Exploration and settlement by Europeans brought smallpox to the area by the 1770s. In 1843, the Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Camosun at nearby Vancouver Island.

The 1846Events January 5 The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom February 5 The Oregon Spectator becomes the first newspaper on the Pacific coast of the United States. February 10 Many Mormons Oregon TreatyThe 1846 Oregon Treaty formally titled Treaty with Great Britain, in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains established the border between the British and American sections of the Oregon Country. The Oregon Country had been jointly occupied by b forced by President PolkJames Knox Polk ( November 2, 1795 June 15, 1849) was an American politician and the eleventh U. President, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. Polk was born in North Carolina, but primarily lived in and represented the state of Tennessee. A Demo established the 49th parallel as the boundary between Canada and the U.S., except in the San Juan archipelago. While both sides agreed that all of Vancouver Island would remain British, the treaty wording was left vague enough as to put the boundary between modern-day Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in dispute. Conflicts over this border led to the Pig WarThe Pig War (also called the Pig Episode the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute was a confrontation in 1859 between American and British authorities, resulting from a dispute over the boundary between the United States and Cana in 1859Events January 2 Erastus Beadle publishes The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette''. February 14 Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U. February 16 George Washington Gale Ferris Jr born February 16, 1859 Galesburg, Knox, IL March 26 French amateur astronomer clai. Skimishes continued until the boundary issue was eventually placed in the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm I of GermanyWilhelm I ( March 22, 1797 March 9, 1888), German Emperor (Kaiser), ruled January 18, 1871- 1888 and king of Prussia, ruled 1861- 1888. His full name was Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig . Early Life and Military Career As second son of Friedrich Wilhelm III Wilh for arbitration. The border was finally established in 1872Events January 2 Brigham Young, is arrested for bigamy (25 wives). February 20 In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens. March 1 Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park March 5 George Westinghouse patents t.

Today, the San Juan Islands are an important tourist destination, with sea kayakingA Sea kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on the open waters of the ocean. Typically a seaworthy small boat with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck. Modern sea kayaks come in a bewildering array of materials and des and orca-watching two of the primary attractions. Part of the charm that attracts tourists and residents to the San Juans is that each island seems to have a character of its own, both in terms of geography and of the lifestyle of the people who live there.

Politically, the bulk of the islands make up San Juan County, Washington, though some of the furthest east of the islands are in the mainland Whatcom County, Washington, most notably Lummi Island .

The San Juans are actually the remaining mountain-tops of a receding continent much older than the American mainland. The islands are generally quite hilly, the tallest mountain being Mount Constitution at almost exactly a half-mile elevation (see "Orcas Island" below), with some flat areas and valleys, often quite fertile, in between. The coastlines are a mixed bag of sandy and rocky beaches, shallow and deep harbors, placid and reef-studded bays. Gnarled, ochre-colored madrona trees grace much of the shorelines while evergreen fir and pine forests cover large inland areas.

The islands get less rainfall than Seattle, about 65 miles (100 km) to the south, due to the rain shadow of U.S. and Canadian mountain ranges to the west. Summertime high temperatures are around 70° F (21° C) while average wintertime lows are in the high thirties and low forties. Snow is infrequent in winter except for the higher elevations, but the islands are subject to high winds at times—those from the northeast sometimes bring brief periods of freezing and arctic-like windchills.

Three ferry systems serve some of the San Juans.

• The Washington State Ferries system serves Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island (typically in that order), from a dock in Anacortes.
• Skagit County serves Guemes Island , also from a dock in Anacortes
• Whatcom County serves Lummi Island , from a dock near Bellingham

Beginning in about 1900 the San Juan Islands became infested with European rabbits, an exotic invasive species, as the result of the release of domestic rabbits on Smith Island . Rabbits from the San Juan Islands were used later for several introductions of European rabbits into other, usually midwestern, states.

The San Juans include:

• Barnes Island
• Blind Island
• Brown Island
• Center Island
• Clark Island
• Crane Island
• Cypress Island
• Decatur Island
• Eliza Island
• Flattop Island
• Goose Island
• Henry Island
• Johns Island
• Lopez Island
• Lummi Island
• Matia Island
• Obstruction Island
• Orcas Island
• Patos Island
• Pearl Island
• San Juan Island
• Shaw Island
• Smith Island
• Spieden Island
• Stuart Island
• Sucia Island
• Waldron Island