Kuril Islands

UPSC Reference Category: GS Paper I – World Geography | GS II – International Relations | Geopolitics

Location

The Kuril Islands form an island chain extending between:

Kamchatka Peninsula → Hokkaido

They separate the:

  • Sea of Okhotsk
  • Pacific Ocean

Territorial Dispute

The southern Kuril Islands are disputed between:

  • Russia
  • Japan.

Japan refers to the disputed southern islands as the:

Northern Territories.

The four principal disputed islands are:

  • Iturup
  • Kunashir
  • Shikotan
  • Habomai Islands.

Strategic Importance

  • Pacific access
  • Naval strategy
  • Fisheries
  • Natural resources
  • Proximity to Japan and Russia's Far East.

In August 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, prompting renewed Japanese objections.

Historical Background

The dispute dates from the end of World War II, when Soviet forces occupied the islands.

The territorial dispute has contributed to the absence of a formal Russia-Japan peace treaty after WWII.

Key Pointer

Kurils → Russia-Japan dispute → Sea of Okhotsk + Pacific → Northern Territories