|
|
|
|
 |
Area:
Sakhalin - 76,400 sq. km
Kuril Islands (total) - 15,600 sq.km.
Map location: Russian Far East.
Background: Sakhalin is one of the largest islands in Russia. It is
bathed by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Japanese Sea. The island stretches 948km from North
to South. The maximum width of the island is about 160 km. The minimum width is about 30
km. The area of the island is 76 400 sq km. The coastline is slightly indented.
Nearly 2/3 of the Sakhalin area is mountainous. Lopatin Mountain is the highest, at 1,609
m. The Northern part of the island is a swampy plain covered with deciduous taiga.
Mountains of the central and southern parts of the island are covered with forests of Ayan
spruce, fir and birch. The undergrowth is of dwarf Siberian pine, and Kuril bamboo. The
usual forest inhabitants are bear, marten, wolverine, sable, squirrel, Northern deer, musk
deer and adder. There are two mud volcanoes and more than 60 thousand rivers and streams,
the largest of which are the Tym, and Poronai Rivers. The lakes number about 16,120. The
largest among them are the lagoon lakes, Tunaicha (174 sq km) and Nevskoye (178 sq km).
The climate is moderate-monsoon. Average January temperatures range from -6°C in the
South, to -24°C in the North of the island. The record low temperature is - 54°C.
Average temperature in August is +19°C in the South and + 10°C in the North. The record
high is +38°C. The annual precipitation is 600-1200 mm. Snow accumulations in the
mountains can reach 5 meters or more; where under such conditions, avalanches are quite
frequent. In the north of Sakhalin, and in the mountains, winter lasts from October to
May. In the South, winter is from November to April. Typhoons are quite frequent in
summer, and can produce up to 220 mm of rain during a single 24-hour period.
The Kuril Islands stretch from north to south for 1,200 km. Their total area is nearly
15.6 thousand square kilometers. Among the islands of the Kuril archipelago, 30 large
islands, and more than 20 small islands, are of volcanic origin. Dominating heights are
500-1000 m. There are nearly 160 volcanoes on the Kuril Islands, forty of which are active
volcanoes. The highest in elevation is Alaid, on Atlasov Island at 2,339m. Rivers and
streams number nearly 4,000, and there are numerous lakes including those of crater
origin. The highest waterfall in Russia, Ilija Muromets, is located on Iturup Island, and
is 141 m. high.
Vegetation on the northern and middle islands includes alder thickets, and dwarf Siberian
pine. Spruce, fir, and broad leaf forests of yew, mulberry, and oak, as well as bamboo
thickets, are very common in the southern islands. Bear, fox and mink are representative
of the typical Kuril fauna.
The climate of the Kuril Islands is typically marine-like, without strong frosts or
extensive summer heat. Rain and fog are quite frequent in the summer. The total annual
level of precipitation is 1000-1400 mm. Winds often reach hurricane strength, at more than
40 m/sec.
Natural hazards: volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes
and earthquakes on the Kuril Islands. |
|
|
Map
|
The Kuril Islands include about 40 active volcanoes.
The largest of them are:
• Alaid (2339 rn), the highest summit of the Kuril Islands and the Sakhalin Region, -
Atlasov Island
• Tyatya (1819 m) - Kunashir
• Chikurachky (1816 m) and Fussa (1772 m) - Paramushir
• Bogdan Khmelnitskyi (1589 m) - lturup
• Milna (1539 m) - Simushir
• Sarychev(1446m) - Matua |
|
|
|
