Kuril Islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited Iturup, one of the disputed Kuril Islands, amid continuing tensions between Russia and Japan over the territorial dispute and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

About Kuril Islands

The Kuril Islands are an island chain in the Russian Far East, forming a natural boundary between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk.

The archipelago stretches for about 1,300 km, from the southern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to the northeastern part of Japan’s Hokkaido. It consists of around 56 islands, along with several smaller islets and rocks, covering more than 15,600 sq. km.

The islands are divided into the Greater Kuril Chain and Lesser Kuril Chain and have a population of more than 20,000.

Geographical Features

The Kuril Islands lie within the Pacific Ring of Fire and have more than 100 volcanoes, including around 35 active volcanoes. The region is also known for its hot springs.

The climate is generally severe, with long, cold and snowy winters and cool, wet and foggy summers. Vegetation varies from tundra in the north to dense forests in the southern islands.

The major settlements include Kurilsk on Iturup, Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir, and Yuzhno-Kurilsk on Kunashir.

Kuril Islands Dispute

Russia administers the entire Kuril Islands chain, but four southern islands are at the centre of the Russia–Japan territorial dispute.

Japan refers to these four islands as the Northern Territories and claims them as Japanese territory. The disputed islands are:

Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands.

The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from formally concluding a peace treaty to end World War II.