Kuril

The Kuril Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the northwest Pacific Ocean, extending roughly 1,200 kilometers from the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, Japan, to the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The chain comprises about 56 islands and numerous rocks, with a total land area around 10,500 square kilometers. The islands lie between the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The landscape is rugged, with active volcanoes, hot springs, and complex coastlines. Geologically, the Kuril Islands form an arc generated by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk Plate, making the region seismically active.

The archipelago supports diverse marine and coastal ecosystems and relies heavily on fishing. Seabirds, marine mammals, and various fish species are important to regional biodiversity and economy. The climate is influenced by its maritime location, with cool summers and relatively mild winters compared with inland regions, and weather strongly affected by ocean conditions.

Population and economy are centered on a few larger islands, particularly Iturup and Kunashir, while many islands are sparsely inhabited or uninhabited. Economic activity is dominated by fishing and related processing, with limited agriculture and small-scale tourism in some areas. Transportation is by air and sea, including regional airports and seasonal ferries.

History and sovereignty have been shaped by indigenous presence and successive state claims. The islands were historically inhabited by Ainu and other Indigenous peoples. In 1875, the Treaty of Saint Petersburg recognized Russian sovereignty over the Kurils and Japanese sovereignty over Sakhalin. After World War II, the Soviet Union occupied the archipelago, and Russia has administered the islands since. Japan maintains a claim to four southern islands—the so-called Southern Kurils or Northern Territories—which remains a point of bilateral dispute without a formal peace treaty.