Kuril Straits
The Kuril Straits ( Russian: Курильские проливы Koerilskieje prolivy ) are the roads that separate the Kuril Islands and thus connect the Sea of Okhotsk with the Pacific Ocean .
The Kuril Roads are listed below from northeast to southwest:
- Kuril Road (or First Kuril Road) - between the Kamchatka Peninsula (NW) and Shumshu Island (SE);
- Second Kuril Road - between Shumshu (NW) and Paramushir (SE);
- Alaid Street - between Atlasowa (NW) and Paramushir (SO)
- Levasjova Street - between Paramushir (NW) and Ptitsji Islands (SW);
- Luzhin Street (Third Kuril Street ) - between Anziferowa (NE) and Paramushir (SO)
- Fourth Kuril Road - between Anziferowa (NE) and Paramushir (NE) and Makanruschi (SW) and Onekotan (SW);
- Krenitsyn Strait - between Onekotan (NE) and Charimkotan (SW);
- Ekarma Street - between Ekarma (NW) and Shiashkotan (SE);
- Krusenstern Street - between the Lowuschki rocks (N) and Raikoke (S);
- Golownin Street - between Raikoke (N) and Matua (S);
- Nadezhda Street - between Matua (NE) and Rasschua (SW)
- Srednego Strait - between Rasschua ( NE ) and the Ushishir Islands (SW);
- Rikorda Street - between Ushishir ( NE ) and Ketoi (SW)
- Diana Street - between Ketoi (NE) and Simushir (SW)
- Boussole Street - between Simushir (NE) and Tschirpoi (SW);
- Snou Street - between Tschirpoi ( NE ) and Brat Tschirpojew (SW) and Morskaya Vydra (SW)
- Urup Strait between Tschirpoi (NE) and Urup (SW)
- Fries Street - between Urup (NE) and Iturup (SW);
- Ekaterina Street - between Iturup (NE) and Kunashir (SW);
- South Kuril Strait - between Kunashir (NW) and the Chabomai Islands (SE);
- Polonskogo Street - between Polonskogo (NE) and Selyony (SW);
- Vojekova Street - between Seljony ( NE ) and Juri (SW);
- Yuri Street - between Yuri (NE) and Anuchina (SW);
- Tanfiljewa Street - between Tanfiljewa (NW) and Anuchina (SE);
- Nemuro Strait (Strait of Kunashir) - between Kunashir (O) and the Shiretoko Peninsula on Hokkaidō (W);
- Izmena Street - between Kunashir (N) and the Notsuke Peninsula on Hokkaidō (S).
The sea roads partly consist of overflowing valleys between the volcanic cones protruding from the sea, which have formed the Kuril Islands. The width of the straits varies between 1.8 km (Second Kurile Road) and 68 km (Boussole Strait), while the maximum water depths are between 10 m and 500 m. The Kuril Straits are characterized by strong tidal currents with speeds between 2 and 12 km / h. Part of the straits is traversed by drift ice in late winter.