Severo-Kurilsk

The Ainu are the original inhabitants of Paramushir, which came under the control of the Russian Empire in the mid-18th century. Russian sovereignty was initially confirmed under the terms of the Treaty of Shimoda in 1855, but the island was transferred to the Empire of Japan per the Treaty of Saint Petersburg in 1875. The Japanese established a settlement, Kashiwabara, on the site of the largest Ainu village (Ottomai), which became the major port on the island, and a center for the commercial fishing industry, particularly for herring. The village was named for the captain of the survey vessel Iwaki, which charted the coasts of the island in 1875. The village had the northernmost post office in Japan. During World War II Kashiwabara was strongly garrisoned by the Imperial Japanese Army and served as the headquarters of the IJA 91st Infantry Division. Kashiwabara Airfield was established in the outskirts of the village, and numerous fortifications and gun emplacements were built. The area was subject to sporadic air raids from the US Army Air Force and US Navy based in the Aleutian Islands from 1943 until the end of the war.

During the Invasion of the Kuril Islands, Soviet forces landed on Paramushir on August 18, 1945, and combat operations continued through August 23, ending with the surrender of the surviving members of the Japanese garrison. The Soviets forcibly deported the remaining Japanese civilian inhabitants and sent the prisoners of war to labor camps. Kashiwabara was renamed Severo-Kurilsk (Northern Kuril Town) and the island annexed by the Soviet Union in 1946.

On November 5, 1952 the town was completely destroyed by the 1952 Severo-Kurilsk tsunami, with at least 2,336 of the town's 6,000 inhabitants killed. Severo-Kurilsk was rebuilt on higher ground, and the population soon rose above its original level, however in the years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the associated economic crisis of the 1990s, the town's population has again declined.

The surrounding area has some remaining Japanese fortifications visible. On 25 March 2020, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck near the town of Severo-Kurilsk.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/earthquakes/article/Magnitude-7-5-earthquake-strikes-near-15155150.php|title=Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes near Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia|date=2020-03-25|website=SFGate|access-date=2020-03-25}}

File:209 0943 SevKur heli View wiki.jpg|View of the original site of Severo-Kurilsk

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Severo-Kurilsk serves as the administrative center of Severo-Kurilsky District and is subordinated to it.Law #25-ZO As a municipal division, the town of Severo-Kurilsk and one rural locality of Severo-Kurilsky District are incorporated as Severo-Kurilsky Urban Okrug.Law #524

Commercial fishing is virtually the only industry in the town.

Severo-Kurilsk has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). The monthly average temperature is greater than 10 degrees Celsius only in August and September. Due to the influence of the cold current of the Oyashio current, it is cold and humid all year round. Severo-Kurilsk is above the 0°C isotherm and has very rarely, sporadic permafrost during the winter. Despite its northern latitude, temperatures are extremely mild as the ocean regulates the temperature. The annual precipitation is more than five times that of Siberia. Winter lasts from December through April, the months where temperatures average below freezing. The summers are short, cold, and mostly cloudy. Winters are long, freezing, snowy, extremely windy, and overcast. During the winter season, Snow is extremely common and can be found blanketing the ground. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from -6.4°C to 15.2°C and is rarely below -15°C or above 22°C.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Severo-Kurilsk for warm-weather activities is for the entire month of August.

{{Weather box

|location=Severo-Kurilsk (1991–2020, extremes 1948–present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 6.0

|Feb record high C = 6.0

|Mar record high C = 9.2

|Apr record high C = 14.6

|May record high C = 19.7

|Jun record high C = 24.3

|Jul record high C = 29.4

|Aug record high C = 25.1

|Sep record high C = 24.5

|Oct record high C = 17.8

|Nov record high C = 12.2

|Dec record high C = 7.9

|year record high C = 29.4

|Jan high C = -1.8

|Feb high C = -2.4

|Mar high C = -0.8

|Apr high C = 1.9

|May high C = 5.7

|Jun high C = 10.6

|Jul high C = 13.5

|Aug high C = 15.2

|Sep high C = 13.8

|Oct high C = 8.9

|Nov high C = 3.4

|Dec high C = -0.5

|year high C = 5.6

|Jan mean C = -3.7

|Feb mean C = -4.4

|Mar mean C = -3.0

|Apr mean C = -0.3

|May mean C = 2.9

|Jun mean C = 6.9

|Jul mean C = 10.0

|Aug mean C = 11.7

|Sep mean C = 10.6

|Oct mean C = 6.3

|Nov mean C = 1.3

|Dec mean C = -2.4

|year mean C = 3.0

|Jan low C = -5.6

|Feb low C = -6.4

|Mar low C = -5.0

|Apr low C = -2.1

|May low C = 0.8

|Jun low C = 4.2

|Jul low C = 7.5

|Aug low C = 9.1

|Sep low C = 7.8

|Oct low C = 3.8

|Nov low C = -0.8

|Dec low C = -4.5

|year low C = 0.7

|Jan record low C = -22.0

|Feb record low C = -18.9

|Mar record low C = -17.6

|Apr record low C = -10.7

|May record low C = -6.0

|Jun record low C = -1.9

|Jul record low C = 1.6

|Aug record low C = 2.0

|Sep record low C = -1.0

|Oct record low C = -4.0

|Nov record low C = -12.2

|Dec record low C = -16.1

|year record low C = -22.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 126

|Feb precipitation mm = 137

|Mar precipitation mm = 152

|Apr precipitation mm = 116

|May precipitation mm = 113

|Jun precipitation mm = 143

|Jul precipitation mm = 160

|Aug precipitation mm = 163

|Sep precipitation mm = 183

|Oct precipitation mm = 246

|Nov precipitation mm = 253

|Dec precipitation mm = 185

|year precipitation mm = 1977

|Jan snow depth cm = 64

|Feb snow depth cm = 86

|Mar snow depth cm = 103

|Apr snow depth cm = 98

|May snow depth cm = 27

|Jun snow depth cm = 0

|Jul snow depth cm = 0

|Aug snow depth cm = 0

|Sep snow depth cm = 0

|Oct snow depth cm = 0

|Nov snow depth cm = 10

|Dec snow depth cm = 35

|year snow depth cm = 103

|Jan rain days = 1

|Feb rain days = 0.3

|Mar rain days = 1

|Apr rain days = 7

|May rain days = 16

|Jun rain days = 17

|Jul rain days = 18

|Aug rain days = 20

|Sep rain days = 22

|Oct rain days = 25

|Nov rain days = 12

|Dec rain days = 4

|year rain days = 143

|Jan snow days = 30

|Feb snow days = 29

|Mar snow days = 29

|Apr snow days = 24

|May snow days = 11

|Jun snow days = 1

|Jul snow days = 0.2

|Aug snow days = 0.1

|Sep snow days = 0.2

|Oct snow days = 6

|Nov snow days = 24

|Dec snow days = 30

|year snow days = 184.5

|Jan humidity = 75

|Feb humidity = 77

|Mar humidity = 77

|Apr humidity = 79

|May humidity = 82

|Jun humidity = 85

|Jul humidity = 89

|Aug humidity = 87

|Sep humidity = 80

|Oct humidity = 76

|Nov humidity = 74

|Dec humidity = 74

|year humidity = 79

|Jan dew point C = -8

|Feb dew point C = -8

|Mar dew point C = -6

|Apr dew point C = -4

|May dew point C = 0

|Jun dew point C = 4

|Jul dew point C = 8

|Aug dew point C = 10

|Sep dew point C = 10

|Oct dew point C = 2

|Nov dew point C = -3

|Dec dew point C = -6

|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net{{cite web

| url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/32215.htm

| title = Pogoda.ru.net

| access-date = 8 November 2021

| language = ru}}

|date=January 2012

}}

• {{Flagicon|Japan}} Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan[http://www.ec-japan.jp/sap-hok/Business/Business.SisterCities.html Sister relations with Hokkaido]

{{Reflist}}

• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|sak|adm|law}}
• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|sak|mun|list}}

• Krasheninnikov, Stepan Petrovich, and James Greive. The History of Kamtschatka and the Kurilski Islands, with the Countries Adjacent. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1963.
• Rees, David. The Soviet Seizure of the Kuriles. New York: Praeger, 1985. {{ISBN|0-03-002552-4}}

• [http://www.sakhalin.info/skurilsk/ Unofficial website of Severo-Kurilsk] {{in lang|ru}}

{{Kuril Islands}}

{{Sakhalin Oblast}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities and towns in Sakhalin Oblast

Category:Paramushir