is located on the easternmost portion of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, protruding into the Sea of Okhotsk. It is separated from Kunashir Island, which is now occupied by Russia, by the Nemuro Strait. The name Shiretoko is derived from the Ainu word sir etok, meaning "the end of the Earth" or "the place where the Earth protrudes". The towns of Rausu and Shari are found on the peninsula. The Shiretoko Peninsula was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, in recognition of the peninsula being the southernmost point where sea ice usually forms in the Northern Hemisphere. Geography From Shiretoko Cape at the tip of the peninsula, a series of volcanoes runs down the peninsula, including Mount Shiretoko, Mount Unabetsu, and Mount Iō. It is part of the Chishima volcanic zone. The highest peak is Mount Rausu. The peninsula is long and wide at its base. It covers some The peninsula is bounded on the northwest side by the Sea of Okhotsk and the southeast side by the Pacific Ocean. To the east, Kunashiri Island runs parallel to the peninsula. The Kunashiri can be seen from Shiretoko Peninsula. Kunashiri has been occupied by Russia since September 1, 1945, and disputed by Japan. The cold Oyashio Current flows southwest along the east side of the peninsula, and the Soya Current flows southeast from the Sea of Okhotsk until it is redirected north along the west side of the peninsula. In winter, the Soya Current carries sea ice south from the Sea of Okhotsk where it dams along the west side of the Shiretoko Peninsula resulting in the lowest latitude regularly occurring sea ice on earth at 43 degrees north. The volcanic zone has made several onsen possible, including Seseki Onsen and Iwaobetsu Onsen. List of peaks Mount Poromoi Mount Shiretoko Mount Dokkarimui Mount Rusha Mount Higashi Mount Chienbetsu Mount Minami Mount Iō Mount Okkabake Mount Sashirui Mount Rausu Mount Chinnishibetsu Mount Onnebetsu Mount Unabetsu Mount Shari Mount Samakke Nupuri Mount Shibetsu Climate The Oyashio Current profoundly impacts the weather of the peninsula. Shiretoko Peninsula has short summers and long winters. The current causes fog on the southeastern coast and sea ice in the winter. Snow covers the peaks from September to June, except the very highest peaks, which retain snow all summer long. The strong subarctic ocean current makes it difficult for boats to navigate. On April 23,