Antsiferov Island

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Antsiferova / Shirinki

Elevation 761 metres (2,497 ft)
Location Kuril Islands, Russia
Coordinates 50°12′N 154°59′E / 50.2, 154.98
Type Stratovolcano
Last eruption Unknown

Antsiferov Island (Russian: Остров Анциферова) also known as Shirinki (Russian: Ширинки) is a small, uninhabited island in the Kuril Islands group. It belongs to the northern group of islands, about 15 km distant from the south end of Paramushir across the Luzhin Strait and 140 km from the southern tip of Kamchatka. It is a roughly circular stratovolcano about 4.25 km in diameter, reaching a maximum elevation of 761 metres at the crater rim. Administratively, it is within the Severo-Kurilsky district of the Sakhalin oblast.

It is named for the cossack explorer Danila Antsiferov, who first described it along with other North Kuril islands in the early eighteenth century.

The southern end of Antsiferov is the site of one of five major Steller sea lion reproductive rookeries (about 600 animals) on the Kuril Islands. Because of the absence of terrestrial predators, it is also the home of very dense colonies of northern fulmars and tufted puffins which nest in the hummocks along its slopes. Cliff-dwelling birds, such as kittiwakes and thick-billed murres are also abundant.

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