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Kurile islands

Kuril Islands
Disputed islands
Native name: Курильские острова
千島列島
Sea of Okhotsk map.png
Location of the Kuril Islands in the Western Pacific between Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 46°30′N 151°30′E / 46.500°N 151.500°E / 46.500; 151.500Coordinates: 46°30′N 151°30′E / 46.500°N 151.500°E / 46.500; 151.500
Total islands 56
Area 10,503.2 km2 (2,595,400 acres)
Highest point
  • Alaid
  • 2,339 metres (7,674 ft)
Administered by
Russia
Districts Severo-Kurilsky, Kurilsky and Yuzhno-Kurilsky Districts (Sakhalin Oblast)
Claimed by
Russia
Districts Severo-Kurilsky, Kurilsky and Yuzhno-Kurilsky Districts (Sakhalin Oblast)
Japan
Subprefecture Nemuro Subprefecture (Hokkaido)
Demographics
Population 19,434 (as of 2010)

The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (/ˈkʊərɪl/, /ˈkjʊərɪl/, or /kjʊˈrl/; Russian: Кури́льские острова́, tr. Kurilskiye ostrova; IPA: [kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva]; Japanese: Kuriru rettō (クリル列島?, "Kuril Islands") or Chishima rettō (千島列島?, "Chishima Islands")), in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately 1,300 km (810 mi) northeast from Hokkaido, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many minor rocks. It consists of Greater Kuril Ridge and Lesser Kuril Ridge. The total land area is 10,503.2 square kilometres (4,055.3 sq mi) and the total population is 19,434.


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