Kunashir Island

Kunashir (Russian Кунашир, Japanese:国 后 岛, Kunashiri -tō ) is an island of the Kuril archipelago. It is part of Russia, but claimed by Japan as part of the sub-prefecture Nemuro, Hokkaido.

Etymology

The name comes from the Ainu, probably from kina -sir (キナシㇼ ) in the meaning " Grass Island", or kunne -sir (クンネシㇼ ) for " black island ".

Geography

Kunashir is located in the north-east off the coast of Hokkaido, close to the southern end of the island chain of the Kuril Islands, between the straits of Kunashir in the south and Yekaterina Strait in the north. With an area of about 1498.56 km ², it is one of the larger islands of the archipelago. Kunashir is about 123 km long, with a width of 4-30 km.

The island is formed by four volcanoes that were once separate islands, however, have now joined by low-lying areas with lakes and thermal springs. The four volcanoes are still active: Tjatja (1819 m) ​​, Rurui in Dokuchaev - back, Mendeleev and Golovnin. The soil of the island is formed by volcanic and crystalline rocks. The climate is monsoonal - type.

The vegetation consists mainly of spruce, pine, fir and mixed forest of deciduous trees sommergünen with lianas and Kuril bamboo underbrush. The mountains are covered with shrubs of birch and Siberian dwarf pine, herbs or are bare rock.

History and Politics

Kunashir in 1855 by the Treaty of Shimoda to Japanese territory. 1945, the island was occupied by Soviet troops. Since 1946 it belongs to Soviet or Russian since 1991 to consider their territory. Counting to the Southern Kuriles, is the subject of Kunashir Kurilenkonflikts: The sovereignty of Kunashir is claimed by Japan.

Economy

The economy Kunaschirs, which administratively belongs to the Sakhalin Oblast is dominated by fishing and the fishing industry. The island has a port for the settlement Yuzhno- Kurilsk, the seat of the district of Yuzhno- Kurilsk and the main settlement on the island.