Kuril Islands (Kurilskiye Ostrova) Chain of 56 islands in SAKHALIN region, Russia; extending 1200km (750mi) from the S Kamchatka Peninsula to NE Hokkaido, Japan, and separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. The N islands were settled by Russians, the S islands by Japanese.
In 1875, Russia gave the islands to Japan in exchange for full control of SAKHALIN island. After World War 2, the islands were ceded to the Soviet Union. Chief economic activities are sulphur mining and whaling. Area: 15,600sq km (6,023sq mi).
How to cite this entry: "Kuril Islands" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 18 December 2011
