Paramushir (, , ) is a volcanic island in the northern portion of Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is separated from Shumshu by the very narrow Second Kuril Strait in the northeast , from Antsiferov by the Luzhin Strait () to the southwest, from Atlasov in the northwest by , and from Onekotan in the south by the wide Fourth Kuril Strait. Its northern tip is from Cape Lopatka at the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its name is derived from the Ainu language, from “broad island” or “populous island”. Severo-Kurilsk, the administrative center of the Severo-Kurilsky district, is the only permanently populated settlement on Paramushir island. Geography and geology Paramushir is roughly rectangular and is the second largest of the Kuril Islands with an area of . Geologically, Paramushir is a continuous chain of 23 volcanoes. At least five of them are active, and exceed : Chikurachki, (, ; Chikura-dake) with a height of is the highest peak on Paramushir and the third highest in the Kuril Islands. It has erupted in 1690, 1853, 1859, 1933 and several times between 1957–2008. During the most recent eruption in August 2008, the volcanic ash reached the town of Severo-Kurilsk located north-east. The previous eruption took place on March 4, 2007, when a high plume of ash was emitted that trailed for several hundred kilometers into the neighboring waters. Fuss Peak, (, ; Shiriyajiri-dake) with a height of is a conical stratovolcano. It has erupted in 1742, 1854 and 1934. Lomonosov Group, (, ; Kanmuridake) with a height of is part of the Chikurachki group. Karpinsky Group, (, ; Shirokemuri-yama) with a height of has erupted in 1957. Ebeko, (, ; Chishima Iōyama) with a height of has erupted numerous times, most recently in 1990. The central crater of Ebeko is filled by a caldera lake about deep. Climate and flora and fauna Paramushir has a sub-arctic climate strongly modulated by the cooling effects of the North Pacific Oyashio Current. The arboreal flora of Paramushir is consequently limited to dense, stunted copses of Siberian dwarf pine and shrubby alder. The alpine tundra which dominates the landscape produces plentiful edible mushrooms and berries, especially lingonberry, Arctic raspberry, whortleberry and crowberry. Red fox, Arctic hare and ermine are notably abundant and hunted by the inhabitants. The island also supports a population of brown bears.