The little Kurile Range is about 120 km long. It stretches from Hokaido in the northeast. It comprises six small islands, which are relatively flat, about 20-40 m from sea level. An exception is Shikotan Island which is characterized by low mountain relief, formed as a result of an ancient volcanic destruction. The climate in the Kurile Islands is moderately cold monsoon.
Fog happens frequently in the summer and blizzards and storms in the winter.
The majority of sunny days happen in August, but this season is also characterized by typhoons and hurricane winds. The first information about the Kurile Islands was supplied by Russian pioneers in the middle of the 17th century. In 1698, V. Atlasov discovered the island which was later named after him. In 1711-1713, D. Antiserof and L. Kozyrevsky investigated Shumshu, Paramushir and Makanrushiy islands. In 1738-1739, M. Shpanberg had mapped the Kurile Islands for the first time and S. Krashnennikov made the description of their nature.