• The Kuril Islands, also known as the Kurile Islands, are a volcanic archipelago situated in the northern Pacific Ocean.
• They stretch from the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, Japan, to the southernmost tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
• It consist of 56 islands, with Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai being the most significant.
• The Kuril Islands are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with intense volcanic and seismic activity, due to the movement of tectonic plates.
• The islands are home to several active volcanoes, with some of the notable ones being Alaid, Ebeko, and Chikurachki.

What is the dispute?

• The islands have been a subject of territorial dispute between Russia and Japan since the end of World War II.
• After the war, the Soviet Union took control of the Kuril Islands, leading to the displacement of around 17,000 Japanese residents who were living there.
• Japan claims the southernmost islands (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai) and refers to them as the “Northern Territories.”
• Russia maintains sovereignty over the islands and considers them an integral part of its territory.
• The territorial dispute has hindered the signing of a formal peace treaty between Russia and Japan to officially end World War II hostilities.

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