Shiretoko Peninsula
| Shiretoko Peninsula | ||
 Landsat image of the Shiretoko Peninsula |
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| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 44 ° 3 '0 " N , 145 ° 6' 0" E | |
| Waters 1 | Pacific Ocean | |
| Waters 2 | Sea of Okhotsk | |
The Shiretoko Peninsula ( Japanese 知 床 半島 , Shiretoko-hantō ) is located in the easternmost part of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō and protrudes into the Sea of Okhotsk . The area is very remote and to a large extent only accessible on foot or by boat.
The name Shiretoko is derived from the Ainu language : sir-etok ( シ ㇼ エ ト ㇰ ) means "protruding land", i. H. Cape.
geography
From Cape Shiretoko at the tip of the peninsula, a series of volcanoes stretches along the peninsula, among them Shiretoko-dake ( 知 床 岳 ; 1254 m), Shiretoko-iōzan ( 知 床 硫 黄山 , German Shiretoko-sulfur mountain; 1562 m), Rausu- dake ( 羅 臼 岳 ; 1660 m), Onnebetsu-dake ( 遠 音 別 岳 ; 1331 m) and Unabetsu-dake ( 海 別 岳 ; 1419 m).
There are several famous onsen in the volcanic area , such as Seseki Onsen and Iwaobetsu Onsen. The multitude of thermal springs makes the area a popular tourist destination.
Flora and fauna
The peninsula is home to numerous species of deciduous and coniferous trees, such as the oak species Quercus crispula ( Mizunara ). Foxes, brown bears, Japanese deer, the Hokkaido owl and sea lions are some of the animal species that can be found here. The Shiretoko Peninsula is one of the most important wintering quarters for the giant sea eagle ( Haliaeetus pelagicus ), at times more than 2000 animals gather, which corresponds to about a third of the total population.
In order to protect the otherwise rare wildlife and natural beauty in Japan, a large part of the peninsula was declared a Shiretoko National Park in 1964 . Since then it has been a nature reserve, and entering large parts of the peninsula is prohibited.
On July 17, 2005, the peninsula was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ ア イ ヌ 語 地名 リ ス ト . Hokkaido Prefecture, p. 68 , accessed April 28, 2011 (Japanese).
- ↑ James Ferguson-Lees, David A. Christie: Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London 2001 ISBN 0-7136-8026-1