The 'Kuril Islands' ( , ''Kuril'skie ostrova'') or 'Kurile Islands' in
Russia's
Sakhalin Oblast region, are a volcanic island archipelago that stretches approximately 1,300 km (700 miles) northeast from
Hokkaidō,
Japan, to
Kamchatka,
Russia, separating the
Sea of Okhotsk from the North
Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands in total and many more minor rocks.
Nomenclature
The Kuril Islands are known in
Japanese as the 'Chishima Islands' (
Kanji: 千島列島 /
Hepburn Romaji: ''Chishima rettō'' , literally, ''Thousand Islands Archipelago''), also known as the 'Kuriru Islands' (
Kanji: クリル列島 /
Hepburn Romaji: ''Kuriru rettō'' , literally, ''Kuril Archipelago''). The name ''Kuril'' originates from the
autonym of the aboriginal
Ainu: "kur", meaning man. It may also be related to names for other islands that have traditionally been inhabited by the
Ainu people, such as ''Kuyi'' or ''Kuye'' for
Sakhalin and ''Kai'' for
Hokkaidō.
Geography
The Kuril Islands form part of the ring of
tectonic instability encircling the Pacific ocean referred to as the
Ring of Fire. The islands themselves are summits of
stratovolcanoes that are a direct result of the subduction of the
Pacific Plate under the
Okhotsk Plate, which forms the
Kuril Trench some 200 km east of the islands. The chain has around 100 volcanoes, some 40 of which are active, and many
hot springs and
fumaroles. There is frequent
seismic activity, including an earthquake of magnitude 8.3 recorded on
November 15,
2006, which resulted in
tsunami waves up to 5 ft reaching the
California coast.
The climate on the islands is generally severe, with long, cold, stormy winters and short and notoriously foggy summers. The average annual precipitation is 30–40 inches (760–1,000 mm), most of which falls as snow.
The chain ranges from temperate to sub-Arctic climate types, and the vegatative cover consequently ranges from tundra in the north to dense spruce and larch forests on the larger southern islands. The highest elevations on the island are Alaid volcano (highest point 2339 m) on
Atlasov Island at the northern end of the chain and Tyatya volcano (1819 m) on
Kunashir Island at the southern end.
Landscape types and habitats on the island include many kinds of beach and rocky shores, cliffs, wide rivers and fast gravelly streams, forests, grasslands,
alpine tundra,
crater lakes and
peat bogs. The soils are generally productive, due to the periodic influxes of volcanic ash and, in certain places, due to significant enrichment by
seabird guano. However, many of the steep, unconsolidated slopes are susceptible to landslides and newer volcanic activity can entirely denude a landscape.
Marine ecology
Due to their location along the Pacific shelf edge and the confluence of Okhotsk Sea gyre and the southward
Oyashio current, the waters around the Kuril islands are among the most productive in the North Pacific, supporting a wide range and high abundance of marine life.
'
Invertebrates': Extensive
kelp beds surrounding almost every island provide crucial habitat for
sea urchins, various
mollusks and countless other invertebrates and their associated predators. Many species of
squid provide a principle component of the diet of many of the smaller marine mammals and birds along the chain.
'
Fish': Further offshore,
walleye pollock,
Pacific cod, several species of
flatfish are of the greatest commercial importance. During the 1980s, migratory Japanese
sardine was one of the most abundant fish in the summer and the main commercial species, but the fishery collapsed and by 1993 no sardines were reported caught leading to significant economic contraction in the few settlements on the islands. Several salmon species, notably
pink and
sockeye, spawn on some of the larger islands.
'
Pinnipeds': The Kuril islands are home to two species of
eared seal, the
Steller sea lion and
northern fur seal, both of which aggregate on several smaller islands along the chain in the summer to form several of the largest reproductive rookeries in Russia. A distinct Kuril island subspecies of the
common seal (''Phoca vitulina stejnegeri'') and
Largha are also abundant.
Pinnipeds were a significant object of harvest for the indigenous populations of the Kuril islands, both for food and materials such as skin and bone. The long term fluctuations in the range and distribution of human settlements along the Kuril island presumably tracked the pinniped ranges. In historical times, fur seals were heavily exploited for their fur in the 19th and early 20th centuries and several of the largest reproductive rookeries, as on
Raykoke island, were extirpated. In contrast, commercial harvest of the true seals and Steller sea lions has been relatively insignificant on the Kuril islands proper. Since the 1960s there has been essentially no additional harvest and the pinniped populations in the Kuril islands appear to be fairly healthy and in some cases expanding. The notable exception is the now extinct
Japanese sea lion which was known to occasionally haul out on the Kuril islands.
'
Sea otters' were exploited very heavily for their pelts in the 19th century. Indeed, the pursuit of the valuable otter pelts drove the expansion of the Russians onto the islands and much of the Japanese interest. Their numbers consequently dwindled rapidly. A near total ban on harvest since the mid 20th century has allowed the species to recover and they are now reasonably abundant throughout the chain.
'
Cetaceans': The most abundant cetaceans include
orcas,
harbor and
Dall's porpoises.
Baird's and
Cuvier's beaked whales,
fin whales, and
sperm whales are also observed.
'
Seabirds': The Kuril islands are home to many millions of seabirds, including
northern fulmars,
tufted puffins,
murres,
kittiwakes,
guillemots,
auklets,
petrels,
gulls,
cormorants. On many of the smaller islands in summer, where terrestrial predators are absent, virtually every possibly hummock, cliff niche or underneath of boulder is occupied by a nesting bird.
Terrestrial ecology
The composition of terrestrial species on the Kuril islands is dominated by Asian
mainland taxa via migration from Hokkaido and
Sakhalin Islands and by Kamchatkan taxa from the North. While highly diverse, there is a relatively low level of
endemism.
Because of the generally smaller size and isolation of the central islands, few major terrestrial mammals have colonized these, though
red and
arctic foxes were introduced for the sake of the fur trade in the 1880's. The bulk of the terrestrial mammal biomass is taken up by
rodents, many introduced in historical times. The largest southernmost and northernmost islands are inhabited by
brown bear,
foxes,
martens. Some species of
deer are found on the more southerly islands.
Among terrestrial birds,
ravens,
peregrine falcons, some
wrens and
wagtails are common.
History
The Kuril Islands first came under nominal Japanese administration in the
Edo period of Japan, in the form of claims by the
Matsumae clan. It is claimed that the Japanese knew of the northern islands 370 years ago. (see "The Kuril Islands", John J Stephan, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1974, pp. 50–56). Trade between these islands and Ezo (
Hokkaidō) existed long before then. On "Shōhō Onkuko Ezu", a map of Japan made by the
Tokugawa shogunate, in 1644, there are 39 large and small islands shown northeast of the
Shiretoko peninsula and Cape
Nosappu.
Russia began to advance into the Kurils in the early 18th century. Although the Russians often sent expedition parties
for research and hunted sea otters, they never went south of
Urup island. This was because the Tokugawa shogunate controlled islands south of
Iturup and had guards stationed on those islands to prevent incursions by foreigners.
In 1811, Captain
Golovnin and his crew, who stopped at
Kunashir during their hydrographic survey, were captured by retainers of the
Nambu clan, and sent to the Matsumae authorities. Because a Japanese trader,
Takadaya Kahei, was also captured by a Russian vessel near Kunashir, Japan and Russia entered into negotiations to establish the border between the two countries (1813).
The ''Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation'' was concluded in 1855, and the border was established between Iturup and Urup. This border confirmed that Japanese territory stretched south from Iturup and Russian territory stretched north of Urup.
Sakhalin remained a place where people from both countries could live. In 1875 (
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875)) Japan relinquished all its rights in Sakhalin in exchange for
Russian cession of all its rights in the Kuriles to Japan.
During the
Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905,
Gunji, a retired Japanese military man and local settler in
Shumshu, led an invading party to the
Kamchatka coast. Russia sent reinforcements to the area to capture and intern this group. After the war was over, Japan received fishing rights in Russian waters as part of the Russo-Japanese fisheries agreement (until 1945).
During their armed intervention in Siberia 1918–1925, Japanese forces from the northern Kurils, along with
United States and European forces, occupied southern
Kamchatka. Japanese vessels made naval strikes against
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The Soviet Union reclaimed the South of Sakhalin and the Kuriles by force at the end of
World War II (
Treaty of San Francisco), but Japan maintains a claim to the four southernmost islands of
Kunashir,
Iturup,
Shikotan, and the
Habomai rocks, together called the ''Northern Territories'' (see
Kuril Islands dispute).
Japanese Administration in the Kuril Archipelago
In 1869, the new
Meiji government established the Colonization Commission in
Sapporo to aid in the
development of the northern area. Ezo was renamed Hokkaidō and
Kita Ezo later received the name of Karafuto. Eleven provinces and 86 districts were founded by Meiji government and were put under the control of feudal clans. Because the new Meiji government could not sufficiently cope with Russians moving to south Sakhalin, the Treaty for exchange of Sakhalin for the Kuril Island was concluded in 1875 and 18 islands to the north of Uruppu, which had belonged to Russia, were transferred to Japan.
Road networks and post offices were established on Kunashiri and Etorofu. Life on the islands became more stable when a regular sea route connecting islands with Hokkaidō was opened and a telegraphic system began. At the end of the
Taisho era, towns and villages were organized in the northern territories and village offices were established on each island. The Habomai island were all part of
Habomai Village for example. In other cases the town and village system was not adopted on islands north of
Uruppu, which were under direct control of the
Nemuro Subprefectural office of the Hokkaidō government.
Each village had a district forestry system, a marine product examination center, salmon hatchery, post office, police station, elementary school, Shinto temple, and other public facilities. In 1930, 8,300 people lived on
Kunashiri island and 6,000 on Etorofu island, and most of them were engaged in coastal and high sea fishing.
Kuril during WW2
★ Admiral
Yamamoto Isoroku ordered the meeting of the
Imperial Japanese Navy Strike force for the
Hawaii Operation (
Pearl Harbor Attack), during November 22, 1941 in
Tankan or
Hittokappu Bay, in
Etorofu Island, South Kurils. The territory was chosen for its sparse population, lack of foreigners, and constant fog coverage. The Admiral ordered the move to Hawaii on the morning of November 26.
★ During July 10, 1943, occurred the first bombardment against
Shumushu and
Paramushiro Japanese bases. From Alexai airfield 8
B-25 Mitchell from 77th Bomb. Sqdn. took off led by Capt.
James L. Hudelson. This mission struck Paramushiro bases principally.
★ Another mission, was flown during September 11, 1943, when Eleventh Air Force dispatched eight
B-24 Liberators and 12
B-25s. But now the Japanese were alert and reinforced their defenses. 74 crew members in three B-24s and seven B-25 failed to return. Twenty two men were killed in action, one taken prisoner and 51 interned in
Kamchatka, Russia.
★ 11th Air Force implement other bombing mission against northern Kurils in February 5, 1944, when envoyed six
B-24 from 404th Bomber Sqdn. and 16
P-38 from 54th Fighter Sqdn.
★ Japanese report why in
Matsuwa, military installations were subject of American air strikes between 1943–44.
★ The Americans' "
Operation Wedlock", diverted Japanese attention north and misled them about U.S. strategy in the Pacific. The plan included air strikes by USAAF and US Navy Bombers and U.S. Navy shore bombardment and submarine operations. Japanese increased their garrison in north Kurils from 8,000 in 1943 to 41,000 in 1944 and maintained more than 400 aircraft in
Kurils and
Hokkaidō area in anticipation that the Americans might invade from
Alaska.
★ Americans planners had briefly contemplated an invasion of northern
Japan from
Aleutians during fall of 1943, but rejected that idea as too risky and impractical. They considered the use of
Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, on
Amchitka and
Shemya Bases, but rejected that idea too. U.S. military maintained interest in these plans when they ordered the expansion of bases in the western Aleutians, and major construction began on Shemya. Plans were put on the shelf for a possible invasion of Japan via the Northern route in 1945.
★ In August 18–31, Soviet forces invaded the North and South
Kurils. The entire Japanese civilian population of roughly 17,000 was expelled until 1946.
★ Eleventh Air Force, sent between August 24 and September 4, 1945, two B-24 in reconnaissance mission over North Kuril Islands to take photos of the Soviet occupation in the area. Soviet fighters intercepted and forced them away, a foretaste of the Cold war that lay ahead.
Today
Today, roughly 30,000 people (ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Koreans, Nivkhs, Oroch, and Ainu) inhabit the Kuril Islands. About half of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the regional administration. Fishing is the primary occupation. The islands have strategic and economic value, in terms of fisheries and also mineral deposits of pyrite, sulfur, and various polymetallic ores.
Atlasov Island
The second northernmost, Atlasov Island (Oyakoba to the Japanese), is an almost perfect volcanic cone rising sheer out of the sea, and has led to many Japanese eulogies in haiku, wood-block prints, etc., extolling its beauty, much as they do the more well-known Mt. Fuji.
On January 13, 2007, an earthquake of magnitude 8.3 generated an alert of tsunami.
Islands
While in Russian sources the islands are mentioned for the first time in 1646, the earliest detailed information about them was provided by the explorer Vladimir Atlasov in 1697. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Kuril Islands were explored by Danila Antsiferov, I.Kozyrevsky, Ivan Yevreinov, Fyodor Luzhin, Martin Shpanberg, Adam Johann von Krusenstern, Vasily Golovnin, and Henry James Snow.
From north to south, the main islands are (alternative names given in parentheses are mainly Japanese):
'North Kurils (Kita-chishima / 北千島)'
★ Shumshu (Shimushu / 占守島)
★ Atlasov Island (Oyakoba / )
★ Paramushir (Paramushiru, Horomushiro / 幌筵島)
★ Antsiferov Island (Shirinki / 志林規島)
★ Makanrushi (Makanru / 磨勘留島)
★ Onekotan (Onnekotan / 温禰古丹島)
★ Kharimkotan (Harimukotan, Harumukotan / 春牟古丹島)
★ Ekarma (Ekaruma / 越渇磨島)
★ Chirinkotan (知林古丹島)
★ Shiashkotan (Shashukotan / 捨子古丹島)
★ Raikoke (Raikoke / 雷公計島)
★ Matua (Matsuwa / 松輪島)
★ Rasshua (Rasutsuwa, Rasuwa / 羅処和島)
★ Ushishir (Ushishiru / 宇志知島)
★ Ketoy (Ketoi / 計吐夷島)
★ Simushir (Shimushiru, Shinshiru / 新知島)
★ Broutona (Buroton, Makanruru / 武魯頓島)
★ Chirpoy (Chirinhoi, Chieruboi / 知理保以島)
★ Brat Chirpoyev
★ Urup (Uruppu / 得撫島)
'South Kurils (Minami-chishima / 南千島)'
★ Iturup (Etorofu / 択捉島)
★ Kunashir (Kunashiri / 国後島)
★ Shikotan (色丹島)
★ Habomai Rocks (Habomai shotou / 歯舞諸島)
★
★ Kaiba (海馬島)
★
★ Taraku (多楽島)
★
★ Seleni (Shibotsu / 志発島)
★
★ Yuri (勇留島)
★
★ Akiyuri (秋勇留島)
★
★ Suisho (水晶島)
★
★ Zelioni (Kaigara / 貝殻島)
See also
★ Chishima Province
★ Karafuto
★ Organization of Hokkai(North) Army
★ Organization of Kita and Minami Fortresses
★ Governor-General of Karafuto
★ Political Division of Karafuto Province(1905-1945)
★ Organization of Karafuto Fortress
★ Evacuation of Karafuto and Kuriles
External links
★ http://depts.washington.edu/ikip/index.shtml (Kuril Island Biocomplexity Project)
★ Kuril Islands at Ocean Dots.com (includes space imagery)
★ Kuril Islands at Natural Heritage Protection Fund
★ http://artedi.fish.washington.edu/okhotskia/ikip/index.htm
★ http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/russia/territory/index.html
★ USGS Map showing location of Magnitude 8.3 Earthquake 46.616°N, 153.224°E Kuril Islands region, 2006 November 15 11:14:16 UTC
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