Back Курилтәи адгьылбжьахақәа Abkhazian Pulo-pulo Kuril ACE Koerile Afrikaans جزر الكوريل Arabic Islles Kuriles AST Kuril adaları Azerbaijani Курыльскія астравы Byelorussian Курилски острови Bulgarian কুরিল দ্বীপপুঞ্জ Bengali/Bangla Inizi Kouril Breton
The Kuril Islands (/ˈkʊərɪl, ˈkjʊərɪl, kjʊˈriːl/; Russian: Кури́льские острова́, tr. Kurilskiye ostrova, IPA: [kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva]; "Kuril Islands"), also called the Chishima Islands (Japanese: 千島列島, Hepburn: Chishima rettō), are a group of islands (archipelago) between Russia and Japan. The northern islands are an undisputed part of Russia and four southernmost islands are disputed by Japan. Both countries say that they own the four islands in the south of the group. This disagreement is called the Kuril Islands dispute.
Japan is asking for return of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai subgroup. They say that these islands are being illegally held by Russia. Several political parties in Japan are asking for return of all Chishima Islands. Russia has said that it would return Shikotan and Habomai subgroup in 1956 but Japan did not agree to this agreement because it meant the United States would keep the island of Okinawa.