What are the Kuril Islands known for?

The Kuril Islands sit atop a seismic region in the Pacific known as the “Ring of Fire,” which has produced this chain that features over 100 volcanoes, more than 35 of which are still active. Do not forget your camera because a sail through the Kurils puts a diverse range of incredible volcanoes on display.

Where are Kuril Islands?

Russia
Kuril Islands, Russian Kurilskiye Ostrova, Japanese Chishima-rettō, archipelago in Sakhalin oblast (province), far-eastern Russia.

Who owns the Kuril Islands?

20 Russia currently maintains uncontested sovereignty over Sakhalin and the Kuril islands north of Kunashiri and Etorofu ex- tending up to the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Can you visit Kuril Islands?

To see the entire archipelago, a small ship cruise is the answer. This can travel the length of the Kuril Islands, from Kunashir to the Kamchatka mainland, docking or using a Zodiac RIB to get you on shore.

What language is spoken in the Kuril Islands?

Kuril Ainu or Kuril, is an extinct and poorly attested Ainu language of the Kuril Islands, now part of Russia. The main inhabited islands were Kunashir, Iturup and Urup in the south, and Shumshu in the north.

Where is Shikotan island?

Hokkaido
The disputed islands of Iturup (Etorofu in Japanese), Kunashir (Kunashiri), Shikotan and Habomai lie at their closest point just a few kilometres off the north coast of Hokkaido in Japan. They are the southernmost islands in a volcanic chain that separates the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.

Can you visit the Kuril Islands?

Does anyone live on Kuril Islands?

The Kuril Islands consist of the Greater Kuril Chain and the Lesser Kuril Chain. They cover an area of around 10,503.2 square kilometres (4,055.3 sq mi), with a population of roughly 20,000.

What is Sakhalin island famous for?

Numerous whales visit the sea coast, including the critically endangered Western Pacific gray whale, for which the coast of Sakhalin is the only known feeding ground. Other endangered whale species known to occur in this area are the North Pacific right whale, the bowhead whale, and the beluga whale.

Who lives on Kuril Islands?

As of 2013, 19,434 people inhabited the Kuril Islands. These include ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Nivkhs, Oroch, and Ainus. Russian Orthodox Christianity is the main religion. Some of the villages are permanently manned by Russian soldiers (especially in Kunashir following recent tensions).