The 2010 Census starts today in the Alaska Native village of Noorvik.

The Inupiat Eskimo village is home to about 650 people. It was chosen as the first community to be counted by the U.S. Census Bureau, whose director will fly there to start the process.

The first person to be counted will be Clifton Jackson, 89, a World War II veteran and the oldest resident, the Associated Press reported.

Alaska's population on the 2000 Census was 626,900 people. About 16 percent of the population is Alaska Native.

Get the Story:
You're number 1: Alaska village up first in census (AP 1/25)
Photos: Census begins count in Noorvik Monday (AP 1/25)