Commander Islands

Commander Islands Командо́рские острова́  (Russian) Komandorskiye ostrova
Map showing the position of the Commander Islands to the east of Kamchatka. The larger island to the west is Bering Island; the smaller island is Medny.
Settlement	Nikolskoye 55°12′N 165°59′E / 55.200°N 165.983°E / 55.200; 165.983
Ethnic groups	Russians Aleuts
Area
• Total	1,846 km2 (713 sq mi)
Population
• 2009 estimate	613

Coordinates: 55°N 167°E / 55°N 167°E / 55; 167

The Commander Islands or Komandorski or Komandorskie Islands (Russian: Командо́рские острова́, Komandorskiye ostrova) are a group of treeless, sparsely populated (about 600 people on 1,850 km² (714 sq mi)) Russian Bering Sea islands located 175 kilometres (109 mi) east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The islands consist of Bering Island (95 kilometres (59 mi) by 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)), Medny Island (55 kilometres (34 mi) by 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)), and fifteen smaller ones (islets and rocks), the largest of which are Kamen Toporkov ("Tufted Puffin Rock", 15 hectares (37 acres), sometimes referred to as Ostrov Toporkov) and Kamen Ariy, which are between 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of the only settlement, Nikolskoye. Administratively, they compose Aleutsky District of Kamchatka Krai.

The Commander Islands are the westernmost extension of the Aleutian Islands, most of which are part of the US state of Alaska, though they are separated from the closest US island, Attu Island, and the rest of the chain by 207 miles (333 km). Between the two runs the International Date Line. The relief is somewhat diverse, encompassing folded-block mountains, volcanic plateaus, terraced plains, and low mountains. The geologic origins are long-extinct volcanoes on the edge of the Pacific and North American Plates. The highest point is Steller Peak on Bering Island at 755 metres (2,477 ft). The highest point on Medny Island is Stenjeger's Peak at 647 metres (2,123 ft).