Iturup

Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu , is the largest of the Kuril Islands separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. It is the largest and northernmost of the southern Kurils, ownership of which is disputed between Russia and Japan. It is located between Kunashir 19 km (12 mi) to its southwest and Urup 37 km (23 mi) to its northeast. The Vries Strait between Iturup and Urup forms the Miyabe Line dividing the predominant plants of the Kurils. The town of Kurilsk, the administrative