South Kuril Islands: history, belonging

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

In the chain of islands between Kamchatka and Hokkaido, stretching in a convex arc between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, on the border of Russia and Japan, there are the South Kuril Islands - the Habomai group, Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup. These territories are disputed by our neighbors, who even included them in the Japanese prefecture of the island of Hokkaido. Since these territories are of great economic and strategic importance, the struggle for the South Kuriles has been going on for many years.

Geography

Shikotan Island is located at the same latitude as the subtropical city of Sochi, and the lower ones are at the latitude of Anapa. However, there has never been a climatic paradise here and is not expected. The South Kuril Islands have always belonged to the Far North, although they cannot complain about the same harsh Arctic climate. Here winters are much milder, warmer, summers are not hot. This temperature regime, when in February - the coldest month - the thermometer rarely shows below -5 degrees Celsius, even the high humidity of the sea location deprives the negative impact. The monsoonal continental climate here changes significantly, since closethe presence of the Pacific Ocean weakens the influence of the no less close Arctic. If in the north of the Kuriles in the summer it is +10 on average, then the South Kuril Islands constantly warm up to +18. Not Sochi, of course, but not Anadyr either.

The ensimatic arc of islands is located at the very edge of the Okhotsk plate, above the subduction zone where the Pacific plate ends. For the most part, the South Kuril Islands are covered with mountains, on Atlasov Island the highest peak is more than two thousand meters. There are also volcanoes, since all the Kuril Islands lie in the Pacific fiery volcanic ring. Seismic activity is also very high here. Thirty-six of the sixty-eight active volcanoes in the Kuriles require constant monitoring. Earthquakes are almost constant here, after which the danger of the world's largest tsunami comes. So, the islands of Shikotan, Simushir and Paramushir have repeatedly suffered greatly from this element. The tsunamis of 1952, 1994 and 2006 were especially large.

Resources, flora

In the coastal zone and on the territory of the islands themselves, reserves of oil, natural gas, mercury, a huge number of non-ferrous metal ores have been explored. For example, near the Kudryavy volcano there is the richest known rhenium deposit in the world. The same southern part of the Kuril Islands was famous for the extraction of native sulfur. Here, the total resources of gold are 1867 tons, and there are also a lot of silver - 9284 tons, titanium - almost forty million tons, iron - two hundred and seventy-three million tons. Now the development of all minerals is waitingbetter times, they are too few in the region, except for such a place as South Sakhalin. The Kuril Islands can generally be regarded as the country's resource reserve for a rainy day. Only two straits of all the Kuril Islands are navigable all year round because they do not freeze. These are the islands of the South Kuril ridge - Urup, Kunashir, Iturup, and between them - the straits of Ekaterina and Friza.

In addition to minerals, there are many other riches that belong to all mankind. This is the flora and fauna of the Kuril Islands. It varies greatly from north to south, since their length is quite large. In the north of the Kuriles there is rather sparse vegetation, and in the south - coniferous forests of amazing Sakhalin fir, Kuril larch, Ayan spruce. In addition, broad-leaved species are very actively involved in covering the island mountains and hills: curly oak, elms and maples, calopanax creepers, hydrangeas, actinidia, lemongrass, wild grapes and much, much more. There is even magnolia in Kushanir - the only wild species of obovate magnolia. The most common plant that adorns the South Kuril Islands (landscape photo is attached) is Kuril bamboo, whose impenetrable thickets hide mountain slopes and forest edges from view. The grasses here, due to the mild and humid climate, are very tall and varied. There are a lot of berries that can be harvested on an industrial scale: lingonberries, crowberries, honeysuckle, blueberries and many others.

Animals, birds and fish

On the Kuril Islands (especially different inIn this regard, the northern) brown bear is about the same as in Kamchatka. There would be the same number in the south if it were not for the presence of Russian military bases. The islands are small, the bear lives close to the rockets. On the other hand, especially in the south, there are many foxes, because there is an extremely large amount of food for them. Small rodents - a huge number and many species, there are very rare ones. Of the terrestrial mammals, there are four orders here: bats (brown earflaps, bats), hares, mice and rats, predators (foxes, bears, although they are few, mink and sable).

Of the marine mammals in the coastal island waters, sea otters, anturs (this is a species of island seal), sea lions and spotted seals live. A little further from the coast there are many cetaceans - dolphins, killer whales, minke whales, northern swimmers and sperm whales. Accumulations of eared sea lion seals are observed along the entire coast of the Kuriles, there are especially many of them on Iturup Island. During the season, here you can see colonies of fur seals, bearded seals, seals, lionfish. decoration of marine fauna - sea otter. The precious fur-bearing animal was on the verge of extinction in the very recent past. Now the situation with the sea otter is gradually leveling off. Fish in coastal waters is of great commercial importance, but there are also crabs, and molluscs, and squids, and trepangs, all crustaceans, and seaweed. The population of the South Kuril Islands is mainly engaged in the extraction of seafood. In general, this place can be called without exaggeration one of the most productive territories in the oceans.

Colonial birds make up huge and picturesque bird colonies. These are fools, storm-petrels, cormorants,a variety of gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, puffins and many, many more. There are many here and the Red Book, rare - albatrosses and petrels, mandarins, ospreys, golden eagles, eagles, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, Japanese cranes and snipes, owls. They winter in the Kuriles from ducks - mallards, teals, goldeneyes, swans, mergansers, sea eagles. Of course, there are many ordinary sparrows and cuckoos. Only on Iturup there are more than two hundred species of birds, of which one hundred are nesting. Eighty-four species listed in the Red Book live in the Kuril Reserve.

History: 17th century

The problem of ownership of the South Kuril Islands did not appear yesterday. Before the arrival of the Japanese and Russians, the Ainu lived here, who met new people with the word "kuru", which meant - a person. The Russians picked up the word with their usual humor and called the natives "smokers". Hence the name of the entire archipelago. The Japanese were the first to draw up maps of Sakhalin and all the Kuriles. This happened in 1644. However, the problem of belonging to the South Kuril Islands arose even then, because a year earlier, other maps of this region were compiled by the Dutch, led by de Vries.

The lands have been described. But it's not true. Friz, after whom the strait he discovered is named, attributed Iturup to the northeast of the island of Hokkaido, and considered Urup to be part of North America. A cross was erected on Urup, and all this land was declared the property of Holland. And the Russians came here in 1646 with the expedition of Ivan Moskvitin, and the Cossack Kolobov with the funny name Nehoroshko Ivanovichlater he colorfully spoke about the bearded Ainu inhabiting the islands. The following, slightly more extensive information came from the Kamchatka expedition of Vladimir Atlasov in 1697.

Eighteenth century

The history of the South Kuril Islands says that the Russians really came to these lands in 1711. The Kamchatka Cossacks rebelled, killed the authorities, and then changed their minds and decided to earn forgiveness or die. Therefore, they assembled an expedition to travel to new uncharted lands. Danila Antsiferov and Ivan Kozyrevsky with a detachment in August 1711 landed on the northern islands of Paramushir and Shumshu. This expedition gave new knowledge about a whole range of islands, including Hokkaido. In this regard, in 1719, Peter the Great entrusted reconnaissance to Ivan Evreinov and Fyodor Luzhin, through whose efforts a whole range of islands was declared Russian territories, including the island of Simushir. But the Ainu, of course, did not want to submit and go under the authority of the Russian Tsar. Only in 1778, Antipin and Shabalin managed to convince the Kuril tribes, and about two thousand people from Iturup, Kunashir and even Hokkaido passed into Russian citizenship. And in 1779, Catherine II issued a decree exempting all new eastern subjects from any taxes. And even then conflicts began with the Japanese. They even banned Russians from visiting Kunashir, Iturup and Hokkaido.

The Russians have not yet had real control here, but lists of lands have been compiled. And Hokkaido, despite the presence of a Japanese city on its territory, was recorded as belongingRussia. The Japanese, on the other hand, visited the south of the Kuriles a lot and often, for which the local population rightly hated them. The Ainu did not really have the strength to rebel, but little by little they harmed the invaders: either they would sink the ship, or they would burn the outpost. In 1799, the Japanese had already organized the protection of Iturup and Kunashir. Although the Russian fishermen settled there relatively long ago - approximately in 1785-87 - the Japanese rudely asked them to leave the islands and destroyed all evidence of Russian presence on this land. The history of the South Kuril Islands had already begun to acquire intrigue, but no one knew at that time how long it would be. For the first seventy years - until 1778 - the Russians did not even meet with the Japanese in the Kuriles. The meeting took place in Hokkaido, which at that time had not yet been conquered by Japan. The Japanese came to trade with the Ainu, and here the Russians are already catching fish. Naturally, the samurai got angry, began to shake their weapons. Catherine sent a diplomatic mission to Japan, but the conversation did not work out even then.

The nineteenth century is a century of concessions

In 1805, the famous Nikolai Rezanov, who arrived in Nagasaki and failed, tried to continue negotiations on trade. Unable to endure the shame, he instructed two ships to make a military expedition to the South Kuril Islands - to stake out the disputed territories. It turned out to be a good revenge for the destroyed Russian trading posts, burned ships and expelled (those who survived) fishermen. A number of Japanese trading posts were destroyed, a village on Iturup was burned. Russian-Japanese relations have reached the last pre-war brink.

It was only in 1855 that the first real demarcation of territories was made. Northern islands - Russia, southern - Japan. Plus joint Sakhalin. It was a pity to give away the rich crafts of the South Kuril Islands, Kunashir - especially. Iturup, Habomai and Shikotan also became Japanese. And in 1875, Russia received the right of undivided possession of Sakhalin for the cession of all the Kuril Islands without exception to Japan.

Twentieth century: defeats and victories

In the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Russia, despite the heroism of worthy songs of cruisers and gunboats, defeated in an unequal battle, lost along with the war half of Sakhalin - the southern, most valuable. But in February 1945, when the victory over Nazi Germany was already predetermined, the USSR set a condition for Great Britain and the United States: it would help defeat the Japanese if they returned the territories that belonged to Russia: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Kuril Islands. The Allies promised, and in July 1945 the Soviet Union confirmed its commitment. Already in early September, the Kuril Islands were completely occupied by Soviet troops. And in February 1946, a decree was issued on the formation of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk region, which included the Kuriles in full force, which became part of the Khabarovsk Territory. This is how the return of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands to Russia happened.

Japan was forced to sign a peace treaty in 1951, which stated that it does not and will not claim rights, titles and claims regarding the Kurilislands. And in 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan were preparing to sign the Moscow Declaration, which confirmed the end of the war between these states. As a sign of goodwill, the USSR agreed to transfer two Kuril Islands to Japan: Shikotan and Habomai, but the Japanese refused to accept them because they did not refuse claims to other southern islands - Iturup and Kunashir. Here again, the United States had an impact on the destabilization of the situation when it threatened not to return the island of Okinawa to Japan if this document was signed. That is why the South Kuril Islands are still disputed territories.

Today's twenty-first century

Today, the problem of the South Kuril Islands is still relevant, despite the fact that a peaceful and cloudless life has long been established in the entire region. Russia cooperates with Japan quite actively, but from time to time the conversation about the ownership of the Kuriles is raised. In 2003, a Russian-Japanese action plan was adopted regarding cooperation between the countries. Presidents and prime ministers exchange visits, numerous Russian-Japanese friendship societies of various levels have been created. However, the same claims are constantly made by the Japanese, but not accepted by the Russians.

In 2006 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was visited by a delegation from a public organization popular in Japan - the League of Solidarity for the Return of Territories. In 2012, however, Japan abolished the term "illegal occupation" in relation to Russia in matters relating to the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. And in the Kuril Islands, the development of resources continues, federal programs for the development of the region are being implemented, the amount of funding is increasing, a zone with tax benefits has been created there, the islands are visited by the highest government officials of the country.

Problem of ownership

How can one disagree with the documents signed in February Y alta 1945, where the conference of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition decided the fate of the Kuriles and Sakhalin, which will return to Russia immediately after the victory over Japan? Or did Japan not sign the Potsdam Declaration after signing its own Instrument of Surrender? She did sign. And it clearly states that its sovereignty is limited to the islands of Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu. Everything! On September 2, 1945, this document was signed by Japan, therefore, and the conditions indicated there were confirmed.

And on September 8, 1951, a peace treaty was signed in San Francisco, where she renounced in writing all claims to the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island with its adjacent islands. This means that its sovereignty over these territories, obtained after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, is no longer valid. Although here the United States acted extremely insidiously, adding a very tricky clause, due to which the USSR, Poland and Czechoslovakia did not sign this treaty. This country, as always, did not keep its word, because it is in the nature of its politicians to always say "yes", but some of these answers will mean - "no". The United States left a loophole in the treaty for Japan, which, having slightly licked its wounds and issued, as it turned out, papercranes after the nuclear bombings, resumed its claims.

Arguments

They were:

1. In 1855, the Kuril Islands were included in the original possession of Japan by the Shimoda Treaty.

2. The official position of Japan is that the Chisima Islands are not part of the Kuril chain, so Japan did not abandon them by signing the agreement in San Francisco.

3. The USSR did not sign the treaty in San Francisco.

So, Japan's territorial claims are made on the South Kuril Islands of Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup, whose total area is 5175 square kilometers, and these are the so-called northern territories belonging to Japan. In contrast, Russia says on the first point that the Russo-Japanese War annulled the Shimoda Treaty, on the second point - that Japan signed a declaration on the end of the war, which, in particular, says that the two islands - Habomai and Shikotan - the USSR is ready give after the signing of the peace treaty. On the third point, Russia agrees: yes, the USSR did not sign this paper with a cunning amendment. But there is no longer a country as such, so there is nothing to talk about.

At one time, talking about territorial claims with the USSR was somehow inconvenient, but when it collapsed, Japan plucked up courage. However, judging by everything, even now these encroachments are in vain. Although in 2004 the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that he agreed to talk about the territories with Japan, nevertheless, one thing is clear: no changes in the ownership of the Kuril Islandscan't happen.