Here’s the last island you’d ever want to be stranded on. 

This uninhabited volcanic rock formation is part of a 552 square mile Russian island called Urup, which means ‘salmon trout’ in the Ainu language. 

Urup Island sits south of the Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. 

One can imagine this upstanding volcanic plug off the coast of Urup appearing in a future James Bond film. 

According to the Neatline antique map collection website, Urup used to be known as “Company’s Land” as discovered by Maarten Vries of Dutch East India Company in 1643. Vries map (see below) is considered the westernmost region of America, a widely held view in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

The discovery of Urup by the Dutch East India Company added a significant piece to the puzzle of uncharted territories during the Age of Exploration. The island’s association with Western views of geography during the 17th and 18th centuries offers an insightful glimpse into how perspectives have evolved over time.