Mednyi Ostrov

Mednyi Ostrov

 

an island in the Komandorskie Islands (USSR). Area, 186 sq km; length, 56 km; width, up to 5-7 km; maximum height above sea level, 640 m.

Mednyi Ostrov is covered with tundra vegetation; there are thickets of purple willow, mountain ash, and the birch Betula ermani. Aquatic vegetation, particularly sea kale, abounds in the coastal waters. There are bird colonies and breeding grounds for sea animals (the northern fur seal, sea otter, and Steller’s sea lion) along the shores. The settlement of Preobrazhenskoe is on the island.