Kuril Islands Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
island chain located in Northeast Asia administered by Russia
About Kuril Islands
The original inhabitants of the Kuril Islands were the Ainu people, who also live on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and the Russian island of Sakhalin. With the establishment of diplomatic relations between theRussian Empireand Japan in 1855, the islands were divided between the two countries, then another treaty in 1875 nominally placed the islands under Japanese control. At the end ofWorld War II, the Soviet Union took control of the islands. They were then ethnically cleansed of their Japanese populations in 1947, and thoroughly Russified. Though still claimed by their former owner, Japan, the Kurils are now thoroughly Russian. Similar to other parts of the Russian Far East, this remote, sparsely populated area has seen little industrial development. Most locals make their living fish
Kuril Islands Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 13 sections including: