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”

Example Sentences

Defending against attacks on Sakhalin Island and the southern Kuril Islands — claimed by both Russia and Japan — was among the objectives of the drills.

From Washington Times • Apr. 20, 2023

The Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a September report that overshadowed by the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's militarisation of the Kuril Islands "has flown largely under the radar."

From Reuters • Dec. 6, 2022

The deployment followed moves by Russia to beef up its military presence on the Kuril Islands.

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2021

Japan on Monday protested the detention by Russia of one of its citizens visiting the disputed Kuril Islands, a Japanese official said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 22, 2016

Aleutian, and Kuril Islands, and coast of Kamchatka.

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