Karafuto is a former prefecture in the southern part of Sakhalin which was administrated by Japan from 1905 till 1945.
Islands
Names in italics are the current Russian names.The Karafuto Prefecture incorporated several smaller islands.
Karafuto Island 樺太島 SakhalinKaiba Island 海馬島 Moneron IslandKaihyō Island 海豹島 Tyuleniy IslandNijōiwa Rock 二丈岩 Kamen Opasnosti RocksKarafuto was a very mountainous area. Its highest mountain was Mount Shikuka.
Mount Shikuka 敷香岳 (1,375 km) Mount VozvrasheniyeMount Horoto 幌登岳 (1,259m) Mount MatorosovskayaMount Esutoru 恵須取岳 (1,135m) Mount UgoliMount Kamabushi 釜伏岳 (1,087m) Mount KrasnovaMount Suzuya 鈴谷岳 (1,045m) Mount ChekhovaMount Furito 振戸岳 (1,035m) Mount KorzhevinaMount Niitoi 新問岳 (1,034m) Mount OdinokayaMount Nodasamu 野田寒岳 (1,029m) Mount SpambergoMount Kitasōya 北宗谷岳 (1,009m)Lake Taraika 多来加湖 Lake NevskoyeLake Tonnai 富内湖 Lake TunaichaLake Raichishi 来知志湖 Lake AinskoyeLake Tōbuchi 遠渕湖 Lake BusseLake Waai 和愛湖 Lake Bolishoe VavaiskoyeLake Chibesan 地邊讃湖 Lake ChibisanskoyeLake Hōhoro 遠幌湖 Lake RusskoyeLake Ondō 恩洞湖 Lake IzvenchiboyeLake Hakuchō 白鳥湖 Lake LebyazhiyeLake Omudō 雄武洞沼 Lake ProtochnoyeLake Tōro 塔路沼 Lake TouroHoronai River 幌内川 Poronai RiverNaibushi River 内渕川 Naiva RiverRūtaka River 留多加川 Lyutoga RiverRukutama River 留久玉川 Rukutama RiverSusuya River 鈴谷川 Susuya RiverEsutoru River 恵須取川 Uglegorka RiverRaichisi River 来知志川 Sura RiverChinnai River 珍内川 Krasnogorka RiverKitanayoshi River 北名好川 Lesogorka RiverBays and gulfs
Aniwa Bay 亜庭湾 Aniva BayGulf of Taraika (Gulf of Patience) 多来加湾 Gulf of TerpeniyaCapes and Peninsulas
Cape Nakashiretoko 中知床岬 Cape AnivaCape Nishinotoro 西能登呂岬 Cape CrillonCape Kitashiretoko 北知床岬 Cape TerpeniyaSōya Strait 宗谷海峡 La Pérouse StraitMamiya Strait 間宮海峡 (Strait of Tartary) Strait of NevelskoyMaoka 真岡 KholmskŌdomari 大泊 KorsakovOwing to the influence of the raw, foggy Sea of Okhotsk, the climate is very cold. At Dui the average yearly temperature is only 0.5°C (January -15.9°; July 16.1°), 1.7° at Kushunkotan and 3.1° at Aniwa (January, -12.5°; July, 15.7°). At Mamiya near Dui the annual range is from 27° in July to -39° in January, while at Rūtaka in the interior the minimum is -45°C. The rainfall averages 570 mm. Thick clouds for the most part shut out the sun; while the cold current from the Sea of Okhotsk, aided by north-east winds, brings immense ice-floes to the east coast in summer.
During the winter, the Sea of Okhotsk turns to ice, rendering the northern coast impassable to marine traffic, and halting the lucrative fisheries there until the thaw.
