Commander Islands

55°00′N 166°24′E / 55.00°N 166.40°E / 55.00; 166.40

Commander Islands
Командо́рские острова́ (Russian)
Komandorskiye ostrova
Map showing the position of the Commander Islands to the east of Kamchatka. The larger island to the west is Bering Island; the smaller island is Medny.
Map showing the position of the Commander Islands to the east of Kamchatka. The larger island to the west is Bering Island; the smaller island is Medny.
SettlementNikolskoye
55°11′51″N 165°59′51″E / 55.19750°N 165.99750°E / 55.19750; 165.99750
Ethnic groups
Area
• Total
1,846 km2 (713 sq mi)
Population
• 2009 estimate
613

The Commander Islands, Komandorski Islands, or Komandorskie Islands (Russian: Командо́рские острова́, Komandorskiye ostrova) are a series of islands in the Russian Far East, a part of the Aleutian Islands, located about 175 km (109 mi) east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. Treeless and sparsely populated, the islands consist of Bering Island (95 km (59 mi) by 15 km (9.3 mi)), Medny Island (55 km (34 mi) by 5 km (3.1 mi)) and fifteen islets and rocks. The largest of the latter are Tufted Puffin Rock (Kamen Toporkov or Ostrov Toporkov), 15 ha (37 acres), and Kamen Ariy, which are between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8.1 mi) west of the only settlement, Nikolskoye. Administratively, the Commanders compose the Aleutsky District of the Kamchatka Krai in Russia.

In 2005 the Comandorsky State Nature Reserve was nominated for the List of World Heritage Sites in Russia of UNESCO.[1]