Furugelm Island
Encyclopedia
Furugelm Island is an island in the southwest part of Peter the Great Gulf
in the Sea of Japan
, 110 km southwest of Vladivostok
. It belongs to Khasansky District of Primorsky Krai
, Russia
.
.
After 1922, with the advent of the system of fishing kolkhoz
es and state fishery enterprises, several fishing facilities were located on the island. Greater renown came to the island after the opening of wild animal farms, on which for the first time selective breeders began to raise blue mink
s. For a while all was well. Later, the fur animal killed almost all the local birds. The bird colonies took a long time to recover.
Following the deterioration of relations with Japan
began the construction of coastal defenses on Furugelm. Artillery
batteries and several anti-landing reinforcements were introduced. They remained in battle-ready state during the Korean War
.
In the end of the 1970s the military garrison was dissolved.
There is currently no permanent population on the island. Since March 24, 1978 the territory of the island has belonged to the Far-East State Marine Reserve.
. This parcel of Russian land is also called "the last Russian island". It is not large - about 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide; and relatively low - the maximum height is 120 m. The shore of the island consists of rocky cliffs. The island is surrounded by shallows of depth less than 10 m, on which lie exposed and submerged rocks. On the western side it is fronted by small bays with stone columns standing haphazardly in the water.
colony numbers more than 50,000 birds. It is neighbored by a settlement of Spectacled Guillemot
s and Brunnich's Guillemot
. The island also serves as a resting place for migrating birds recorded in the IUCN Red List
, such as petrels, sea eagle
s, skua
s, and Ross's Gull
s.
In all, the island has more than 300 species of birds registered, 80 of them nesting. In Russia such a variety is not found even in the Volga delta. Red-book varieties are found: red-crowned
and white-naped Crane
s, black griffon, white-tailed eagle
, golden eagle
, and peregrine falcon
. The largest currently extant colony of Japanese cormorant
and black-tailed gull colonies in the world are located on this island. In all, sea bird colonies in May and June collect up to 100,000 birds.
Among mammals on the island are the field mouse
and Reed Vole
.
From the land reptiles are found a small quantity of Japanese natrix
and steppes ratsnake.
On the Mikhelson Rocks, not far from the island, live seal
s. Not knowing what a hunter is, they are completely unafraid of humans, and allow themselves to be photographed.
On the sandy bottom of the island's bays there are colonies of scallop
s, the largest in the Maritime Province.
.
The water in August can warm up to 23-25°C.
Peter the Great Gulf
The Peter the Great Gulf is the largest gulf of the Sea of Japan adjoining the coast of Russia's Primorski Krai...
in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
, 110 km southwest of Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. It belongs to Khasansky District of Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
History
The island was described by the sailors of the frigate Pallada on May 10, 1854, and named for Ivan Vasilyevich Furugelm, captain of the transport Knyaz Menshikov, which belonged to the Russian-American CompanyRussian-American Company
The Russian-American Company was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the so-called Shelekhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelekhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov The Russian-American Company (officially: Under His Imperial Majesty's Highest Protection (patronage)...
.
After 1922, with the advent of the system of fishing kolkhoz
Kolkhoz
A kolkhoz , plural kolkhozy, was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms . The word is a contraction of коллекти́вное хозя́йство, or "collective farm", while sovkhoz is a contraction of советское хозяйство...
es and state fishery enterprises, several fishing facilities were located on the island. Greater renown came to the island after the opening of wild animal farms, on which for the first time selective breeders began to raise blue mink
Blue Mink
Blue Mink was a British five-piece pop group, that existed from 1969 to 1974. Over that period they had six Top 20 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart, and released five studio based albums...
s. For a while all was well. Later, the fur animal killed almost all the local birds. The bird colonies took a long time to recover.
Following the deterioration of relations with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
began the construction of coastal defenses on Furugelm. Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
batteries and several anti-landing reinforcements were introduced. They remained in battle-ready state during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
In the end of the 1970s the military garrison was dissolved.
There is currently no permanent population on the island. Since March 24, 1978 the territory of the island has belonged to the Far-East State Marine Reserve.
Geography
Furugelm Island is the most southerly island of the Maritime Province and all Russia, located almost at the border with North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. This parcel of Russian land is also called "the last Russian island". It is not large - about 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide; and relatively low - the maximum height is 120 m. The shore of the island consists of rocky cliffs. The island is surrounded by shallows of depth less than 10 m, on which lie exposed and submerged rocks. On the western side it is fronted by small bays with stone columns standing haphazardly in the water.
Nature
The island is known for its seabird colonies. The Black-tailed GullBlack-tailed Gull
The Black-tailed Gull is a medium-sized gull, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm. The bird is resident in East Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. It is a vagrant to Alaska and northeastern North America....
colony numbers more than 50,000 birds. It is neighbored by a settlement of Spectacled Guillemot
Spectacled Guillemot
The Spectacled, or Sooty Guillemot, Cepphus carbo, is a seabird in the auk family.-Description:This species is about 38 cm long, with red legs, black bill and a blackish iris....
s and Brunnich's Guillemot
Brünnich's Guillemot
The Thick-billed Murre or Brünnich's Guillemot is a bird in the auk family . This bird is named after the Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich...
. The island also serves as a resting place for migrating birds recorded in the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, such as petrels, sea eagle
Sea Eagle
Sea eagle mainly refers to Sea eagle, birds of prey of the genus Haliaeetus.It may also refer to:-Aerospace:* Sea Eagle , British, anti-ship missile* Sea Eagle * Supermarine Sea Eagle, 1920s British passenger flying boat-Sports:...
s, skua
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
s, and Ross's Gull
Ross's Gull
The Ross's Gull is a small gull, the only species in its genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus Hydrocoloeus, which otherwise only includes the Little Gull....
s.
In all, the island has more than 300 species of birds registered, 80 of them nesting. In Russia such a variety is not found even in the Volga delta. Red-book varieties are found: red-crowned
Red-crowned Crane
The Red-crowned Crane , also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane , is a large east Asian crane and among the rarest cranes in the world...
and white-naped Crane
White-naped Crane
The White-naped Crane is a bird of the crane family. It is a large bird, 112–125 cm long, approximately 130 cm tall and weighing about 5.6 kg with pinkish legs, grey and white striped neck, and a red face patch.The White-naped Crane breeds in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern...
s, black griffon, white-tailed eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, and peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
. The largest currently extant colony of Japanese cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
and black-tailed gull colonies in the world are located on this island. In all, sea bird colonies in May and June collect up to 100,000 birds.
Among mammals on the island are the field mouse
Field mouse
Field mouse may refer to:*in Europe, Asia and north Africa, one of several species of mice in genus Apodemus*in North America, a small vole such as the Meadow Vole*in South America, one of several species of mice in genus Akodon...
and Reed Vole
Reed Vole
The Reed Vole is a species of vole. It is found in northern and central Eurasia, including northern China and the Korean Peninsula. The species is somewhat larger and longer-tailed than most other voles. An adult Reed Vole has a body 12-18 centimeters long, and a tail of 4.7-5.7...
.
From the land reptiles are found a small quantity of Japanese natrix
Natrix
Natrix is a genus of colubrid snakes. There are three or four species in the genus. They are collectively called grass snakes and water snakes...
and steppes ratsnake.
On the Mikhelson Rocks, not far from the island, live seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s. Not knowing what a hunter is, they are completely unafraid of humans, and allow themselves to be photographed.
On the sandy bottom of the island's bays there are colonies of scallop
Scallop
A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
s, the largest in the Maritime Province.
Epidemological circumstances
On the island there have been noted cases of people contracting Japanese encephalitisJapanese Encephalitis
Japanese encephalitis —previously known as Japanese B encephalitis to distinguish it from von Economo's A encephalitis—is a disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus. The Japanese encephalitis virus is a virus from the family Flaviviridae. Domestic pigs and wild birds are...
.
Climate
The coldest month is January, when the average air temperature is -11°C. The warmest month is August, when the average air temperature is 21°C.The water in August can warm up to 23-25°C.
External links
- Furugelm Island on the site shamora.info with photographs (Russian)
- Furugelm Island on the site leto.primpogoda.com (Russian)