The total land area is 10,503.2 square kilometres (4,055.3 sq mi) and the total population is 19,434. All the islands are currently under Russian jurisdiction, and most are internationally recognized as Russian.
As the summer progresses and the fruits reach full size remove a few leaves to allow the fruit to ripen. Harvest: July to August. 65 to 70 days to maturity. Cantaloupe melons can range in size from 0.5 to 5.0 kg (1.1 to 11 lb). F1 Pepito typically weighs 1.2 to 1.4 kg. When they are ripe the skin will be a dull yellow background with raised netting.
There is also a sweet fragrance which is obvious when smelling the rind of a ripe melon. When many of these smaller melons are ripe, the stem just naturally separates from the melon. When choosing a melon in the garden, the surest way to pick one which is ripe is to wait until the stem slips from the melon easily.