Shikotan (Japanese: 色丹村, Shikotan-mura, Russian: Шикотан) is a village in Shikotan District, both of which are located in the disputed Northern Territories area of the Kuril Islands. It is currently administered by Russia as part of Yuzhno-Kurilsky District in Sakhalin Oblast, although Japan continues to claim it as part of Hokkaido Prefecture.[1][2]

Shikotan
色丹村
Village
Port of Malokurilskoye
Port of Malokurilskoye
The municipality is labeled here as number 6.
The municipality is labeled here as number 6.
Country Japan
Russia
Region/Federal District Hokkaido
Far Eastern Federal District
Prefecture/Federal Subject Hokkaido Prefecture (Nemuro Subprefecture)
Sakhalin
District/DistrictShikotan
Yuzhno-Kurilsky District
Area
 • Total253.33 km2 (97.81 sq mi)
Population
 (1945)
 • Total1,499
 • Density5.9/km2 (15/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+11 (MSK+8)

Etymology

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The name was originally called Shakotan and it comes from the Ainu language.

Geography

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The municipality and island is formed by the volcanic rock and sandstone of the Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic periods. There are two extinct volcanoes on Shikotan: Mount Tomari and Mount Notoro.

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Seokwoo; Yi, Sŏg-u (2001). Towards a Framework for the Resolution of the Territorial Dispute Over the Kurile Islands. IBRU. ISBN 978-1-897643-44-0.
  2. ^ Richardson, Paul B. (2018-06-30). At the Edge of the Nation: The Southern Kurils and the Search for Russia’s National Identity. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-7547-3.