- Shikotan
Infobox Disputed Islands
name = Shikotan
image caption =NASA picture of Shikotan Island
image size = 300px
locator
map_custom = yes
native name =
native name link =
other_names = _ru. Шикотан; _ja. 色丹島
location =Pacific Ocean
coordinates = Coord|43|48|N|146|45|E|type:isle|display=inline
archipelago =Kuril Islands
total islands = 1
major islands =
area = convert|225|km2|acre
length =
width =
coastline =
highest mount = Mount Tomari
elevation = convert|412|m|ft
country claim = Japan
country claim divisions title = Prefecture
country claim divisions =Hokkaidō
country claim capital city = Tokyo
country claim largest city =
country claim largest city population =
country claim leader title =
country claim leader name =
country 1 claim = Russia
country 1 claim divisions title = Oblast
country 1 claim divisions = Sakhalin
country 1 claim capital city =
country 1 claim largest city =
country 1 claim largest city population =
country 1 claim leader title =
country 1 claim leader name =
country = Russia
country admin divisions title =Oblast
country admin divisions = Sakhalin
country capital city =
country largest city =
country largest city population =
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population =
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additional info =Shikotan, both in Russian (Шикотан) and Japanese (色丹島), and one of the bigger islands of the
Kuril Islands , is located in theSakhalin Oblast ofRussia . Although this island is a part of Russia,Japan maintains a claim to it along with the other three southermost Kuril islands (seeKuril Island conflict ).The name of "Shikotan" derives from theAinu language and means "land with big communities."The total land
area of Shikotan is 225km² . The island is hilly, averaging 300 meters in elevation. The shores of the island are very indented and covered with oceanicmeadow s. The highestaltitude is 412 m. The island is formed by thevolcanic rock andsandstone of the UpperCretaceous andCenozoic periods. There are two extinct volcanoes on Shikotan: Mount Tomari and Mount Notoro.Shikotan's
Vegetation consists mostly of Sakhalinfir ,larch ,deciduous trees,bamboo underbrush andjuniper brushwood.There are two Settlements -
Malokurilskoye (Formerly Shikotan) andKrabozavodskoye (Formerly Anama).The primary economic activity is
fishery andsea hunting , with the principal marine products beingcod ,crab andkelp .An
earthquake and subsequenttsunami caused major damage on the island's coastline onOctober 4 1994 .ee also
*
Kuril Islands dispute
*Shikotan District, Hokkaido External links
* [http://www.kurilnature.org Kuril Island Network - A volunteer group dedicated to raising awareness of the habitat on the Kurils]
* [http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/kuril/shikotan.htm] - Satellite image of Shikotan
* [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20061008f1.html Ainu speaker and activist explains the meaning of the South Kuril island names]
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