Kuril Islands

American  

[koor-il ahy-luhnz, koo-reel] / ˈkʊər ɪl ˈaɪ lənz, kʊˈril /

plural noun

1. a chain of more than 55 small volcanic islands off the northeast coast of Asia, extending from northern Japan to the southern tip of Kamchatka: under Russian administration since Soviet invasion 1945, but subject to dispute, as with Japan’s ongoing claim to the four southernmost islands.

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Kuril Islands British  

/ kʊˈriːl /

plural noun

1. Japanese name: Chishima. a chain of 56 volcanic islands off the NE coast of Asia, extending for 1200 km (750 miles) from the S tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula to NE Hokkaido. Area: 14 990 sq km (6020 sq miles)

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Etymology

Origin of Kuril Islands

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Russian Kuríl'skiye Ostrová, from Ainu kur “man”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Kuril Islands

Russian security police accused Mr. Imai of reporting on Russian soldiers taking part in live-fire bombing exercises over the Kuril Islands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

The Kuril Islands -- called the "Northern Territories" in Japan -- have been under Russia's control since the end of World War II, when they were seized by the Soviet Union.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Breeding occurs in regions spanning from Año Nuevo Island in Central California to the Kuril Islands north of Japan, with the greatest concentration of breeding grounds in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

"Troop exercises are taking place near the Kuril Islands, which seriously complicates the situation in the Asia-Pacific region."

From Reuters ● Sep. 3, 2023

Aleutian, and Kuril Islands, and coast of Kamchatka.

From Color Key to North American Birds with bibiographical appendix by Frank M. Chapman

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