| Kuril Islands | |
 | |
| State | Russia |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Russia |
| Capital | Kurilsk(culturally but not politically) |
| Surface | 10 355.61 km² |
Kuril Islands is a region of the Russia.
To know
Geographical notes
The Kuril Islands (in Russian: Куриильские островаί ,; in Japanese: 千島 列島, Chishima rectō), constitute an archipelago of 60 islands located between the northeastern tip of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō and the Russian peninsula of the Kamchatka. The Kuril Islands separate the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific. They are part of the Sakhalin Oblast. These islands are known to be subject to frequent and strong earthquakes. The islands are delimited by a narrow and deep pit (9,000-10,000 meters deep) which takes its name from them, the "Fossa delle Kurili".
Background
The Kuril Islands were inhabited by the Ainu from time immemorial, until they were driven out of the northern part of the archipelago by the Russians, who arrived in the 19th century [1]. In 1857 Japan received the archipelago from Russia in exchange for the island of Sakhalin. The Soviet Union returned to reclaim the Kurils with the end of the Second World War on the occasion of the San Francisco Treaty.
Japan currently claims the four southern islands which the Tokyo government calls "the northern territories". Even if some diplomatic progress took place under the presidency of Vladimir Vladimirovič Putin, it is unlikely that the four southern islands of the archipelago will be returned to Japan, as the headquarters of Russian naval, air and nuclear submarine bases. In this regard, it is worth recalling that - in September 1983 - in this area, the Soviet air force did not hesitate to shoot down a Korean airliner Flight KAL 007 that had gone off course, mistaking it for an American spy plane.
Territories and tourist destinations
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The archipelago consists of 60 islands, of which the main ones are:
Northern Islands
- Atlasov (Атласов, Araido / 阿 頼 度 島)
- Šumšu (Шумшу, Shumushu / 占 守島)
- Paramušir (Парамушир, Paramushiru, Horomushiro / 幌 筵 島)
- Anciferov (Анциферова, Shirinki / 志 林 規 島)
- Makanruši (Маканруши, Makanru / 磨勘 留 島)
- Onekotan (Онекотан, Onnekotan / 温 禰 古 丹 島)
- Charimkotan (Харимкотан, Harimukotan, Harumukotan / 春 牟 古 丹 島)
- Čirinkotan (Чиринкотан, 知 林古丹 島)
- Ėkarma (Экарма, Ekaruma / 越 渇 磨 島)
- Šiaškotan (Шиашкотан, Shasukotan / 捨 子 古 丹 島)
- Rajkoke (Райкоке, 雷公 計 島)
- Matua (Матуа, Matsuwa, Matsua / 松 輪 島)
- Rasšua or Rasshya (Расшуа, Rasutsuwa, Rashowa, Rasuwa / 羅 処 和 島)
- Ušišir (Ушишир, Ushishiru / 宇 志 知 島)
- Ketoj (Кетой, Ketoi / 計 吐 夷 島)
- Simušir (Симушир, Shimushiru, Shinshiru / 新知 島)
- Broutona (Броутона, Buroton, Makanruru / 武 魯 頓 島)
- Čërnye Brat'ja (Чёрные Братья, 知 理 保 以 島):
- Čirpoj (Чирпой, Chirihoi, Chieruboi / 知 理 保 以 島)
- Brat Čirpoev (Брат-Чирпоев, Chirihoinan / 知 理 保 以 南島)
- Urup (Уруп, Uruppu / 得 撫 島)
Southern islands
- Iturup (Итуруп, Etorofu / 択 捉 島)
- Kunašir (Кунашир, Kunashiri / 国 後 島)
- Šikotan (Шикотан, 色 丹 島)
- Chabomai (Хабомаи, Habomai Shotō / 歯 舞 諸島)
- Polonskogo (Полонского, Taraku / 多 楽 島)
- Zelënyj (Зелёный, Shibotsu / 志 発 島)
- Jurij (Юрий, Juri / 勇 留 島)
- Anučina (Анучина, Akijuri / 秋 勇 留 島)
- Dëmina (Дёмина, Harukaru / 春 苅 島)
- Tanfil'eva (Танфильева, Suishō / 水晶 島)
- Oskolki islets (Осколки, Kaiba / 海馬 島)
- Signal'nyj (Сигнальный, Kaigara / 貝殻 島)
Urban centers
Among the 60 islands there are three main cities, one in the north, one in the south and one in the center:
- Kurilsk (Курильск) - Located roughly in the southern part of the archipelago, on the island of Iturup, was an ancient Japanese city called Shana. Since the second half of the twentieth century it has been a Russian city.
- Južno-Kurilsk (Южно-Курильск) - The name means South-Kurisl'sk. It is located on the island of Kunašir and is one of the disputed islands with Japan, from which it is very culturally influenced.
- Severo-Kurilsk (Северо-Курильск) - The name means North-Kuril'sk, it is located on the island of Paramušir. The city is one of the northernmost of the archipelago and is also an ancient Japanese city. Like many others, it suffered from the dissolution of the USSR and from disputes with Japan.
How to get
 | ATTENTION: The archipelago is a border area of Russia, so a special visa is required to visit it |
Getting here is quite difficult, so it's a good precaution to plan ahead. Ask for your visa making sure to allow yourself extra days as transport conditions, weather and seismic activity tend to be unpredictable. Also keep in mind that many of the necessary permits can only be requested in theSakhalin Oblast. Due to the complexity of the permit application procedures, which includes a visit to at least three different offices and an invitation letter from a resident or tourist agency, it would be ideal to have contacts on site. There are also few means of connection between the islands and the neighboring regions and these are mostly helicopters and ferries with very irregular working hours and days.
How to get around
What see
What to do
At the table
Being an archipelago, you can't miss the fish that is caught here. Especially in the North, restaurants cook fish, which is considered the best in the world.
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Kuril Islands
Commons contains images or other files on Kuril Islands
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Kuril Islands
