- Shumshu
Shumshu ( _ru. Шумшу) is the northernmost
island of theKuril Islands group. It is situated only 11km south ofCape Lopatka on theKamchatka Peninsula and has an area of 388 km². The island is the least elevated in the entire Kuril group with a height of 189 metres. The terrain is low-lying and covered with numerouslake s andmarshland .Due to its proximity to Kamchatka Shumshu became the first of the Kurils to be reached by
Cossack s from the peninsula in the first years of the 18th century. It was from this base that Russian fur hunters and traders gradually expanded into other islands of the chain andSakhalin . The town ofBajkovo (Kataoka) is the main populated settlement and administrative center on Shumshu island.In
1945 the island was the scene of the last battle of World War Two between Soviet invasion forces and Japanese troops. The battle commenced on August 18th, three days after theImperial rescript for surrender had been issued by EmperorHirohito .Administratively this island belongs to the
Sakhalin Oblast of theRussian Federation .References
* [http://worldmaps.web.infoseek.co.jp/russia_guide.htm Location]
External links
* [http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Russia/Far_East/Sakhalin/Shumshu_Island/ Pictures]
* [http://land.worldcitydb.com/sakhalinskaya_ã¢â€â™_in_russian_federation_state.html Sakhalin Oblast]
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