Forum:Territory application/AN152f - Itarnar
- Please fill in the information below to make a territory request.
 | Territory ID and proposed name |
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| The Territory ID (from OpenGeofiction:Territories, e.g. AR123a) and proposed name of the country |
AN152f∈⊾ - Itarnar (Republic of Itarnar/ Treèb Itarnar)
 | Physical geography |
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| An overview of climate, topography and landscape of the country. It is advised to also create a sketch, you can add a link to this (hosted on imgur or similar) |
In general I intend to approach the Geography in a way that is as realistic as feasible. This means a large portion of the mapping will focus on natural features. I hope to collaborate with neighbouring mappers to assist them in integrating the terrain features they want to see in the region in a way that is realistic in all aspects (geological, geographical, climatological). Furthermore, I wish to contribute to establishing a foundation of geography for other mappers to work with in the region, and as such
Geologic background
The goal of the geologic background was to reasonably explain the geographical features present locally and in the surrounding territories. The territory would primarily be formed of a microcontinent that collided with the south of the Antarephian continent. The microcontinent setting was deemed to best explain the peninsular nature of the region that sits perpendicular to the main Antarephian mountain ranges, furthermore it allowed fertile plane regions to be present across the territory.
The microcontinent is proposed to have originated in the western world with a large block of continental crust built up of highly metamorphic basement rocks. The plate of the microcontinent then moved eastwards where it collided with the Antarephian plate forming the main belt of northern mountains at the southern end of the Antarephian gap (orange on map). The relatively slow east-northeast movement of the plate in recent history meant that these mountain ranges are relatively low. The Antarephian gap is explained to have formed by the subsidence of the crust caused by the downweight of the continental crust that is built up on the north and south of it, it is composed of sedimentation from the surrounding mountain ranges and is therefore highly fertile.
The main peninsular mountain range that spans the territory from southwest to northeast consists of very old rock formations that have been uplifted by convergence of the western ocean plate with the microcontinent (purple marks the subduction fault). These mountain ranges are higher than the ones in the north. The convergence of the plates has also gradually deformed the south-western end of the peninsula more southwards, opening up rift zones on the north-west coast. The south-eastern portion of the territory is also a region of large sedimentary plains mixed with volcanic deposits from further west, contributing to their significant fertility despite the subarctic setting.
One alternative version would see the rift zones and islands removed and coastlines modified (mainly straightened) to conform more with the main feature direction of the peninsular range. I believe this would be more realistic but it would require changes to the coastlines on a relatively large scale. I would be willing to provide more detail on this option if the admins are open to considering the associated changes.
Topography with references to locations on Earth
The main peninsular range, with peaks over 3km in height would primarily be glaciated. The wet climate would deposit heavy snowfall in the mountain ranges throughout the year which would build up large ice caps across the region. This region would share similarities to Southeastern Alaska (ca. 60N 140W), the Patagonian Ice Fields (ca. 50S 73W), and New Zealand's South Island (ca. 44S 170E). The ice caps have not receded significantly in recent history, as such the fjord systems are not very developed or exposed as some of these regions.
The western coast [map notes 1 and 9] is heavily influenced by sedimentation caused by the glacial erosion inland, these have formed a short plain extending from the base of the mountain range. Similar land formations can be seen in Alaska (60N 144W and 59N 138.5W) and New Zealand (43S 170E).
The eastern (leeward) peninsular coast in the southern region [map note 2] is similarly influenced by glacial runoff, but the location towards the middle of the continental shelf makes the terrain less rugged and plains more extensive, similar to the eastern areas of New Zealand's South Island (ca. 46S 168E) and Argentinian Patagonia (ca. 50S 70W).
The main leeward plains [map notes 3 and 4] continue with a similar setting but with an even wider plane region. Some local hills are present in the area too, but the region is primarily flat.
The Northern range [map note 5] is a rugged but relatively low mountain range, with peaks no higher than 3km, these would not have ice caps, but rather significant glacier systems. It generally formed a barrier between the Antarephian gap in the north and the leeward plains to the south, the topography would be somewhat similar to the European Alps, however it would be colder and more influenced by glacial erosion rather than river erosion.
The Northern plains [map note 6] would be a continuation of the landscape of the adjoining territories, primarily a flat and locally mildly hilly. It may be compared with the American Midwest.
The Northern Windward Hills [map note 7], reaching less than 1km high, would serve as a barrier to moderate the strong westerly winds and make the climate on the plains more continental, topographically they would likely be similar to areas such as Vancouver Island.
The Windward Islands [map note 8] would be primarily volcanic. I am not yet sure of how I intend to develop those, they may just remain uninhabited or have a small fishing town and ship base, otherwise they would be mainly to be mapped for their natural features.
Climate and biomes
The climate setting is mainly explained in the adjoined map. It takes into consideration the general plan for Antarephia along with the local topography. The main regions consist of the following:
- A windward rainforest area with very mild summers and winters, heavily influenced by the sea and strong westerly winds. The peninsular area is coldest, sea level temperatures generally staying between 0c and 10c (similar climates can be found in Patagonia, southern New Zealand, SE Alaska, and the Lofoten archipelago), while the northern areas are warmer, influenced by warmer sea temperatures, with summers more similar to Scotland and Norway.
- The ice cap of the peninsular mountain range.
- Leeward foothills and plains in the shadow of the ice caps which have progressively colder winters closer to the mountains and a wetter climate towards the sea. In the north, the climate becomes more continental with warmer summers, however the proximity to the sea and relatively high lattitude means temperatures generally stay below 20. The biome consists of mainly cold steppe, with plants resistant to heavy winter snowfall.
- Northern mountains with a wet climate somewhat similar to inland Norway, a temperate rainforest region.
- Northern plains, with a slighly drier temperate climate, very good for farming, historically a temperate grassland.
 | Human geography |
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| A brief description of the territory demographics, economic development, land occupation, infrastructure and mapping style |
The country to be established on the territory has the English formal name: Republic of Itarnar, (tentatively Treèb Itarnar in the native language, meaning Realm of the roaming folk).
The population of the territory is considered to be semi-settled, but is generally highly mobile (see more in History/Culture section), the population is relatively sparse throughout the the territory totalling no more than 15 million, with major population centres only north of the main mountain ranges. The majority of farmland is in the Northern Plains as well, as has been the case historically. The southern regions are primarily travelled for their abundant natural resources, most infrastructure in the south is geared towards extraction of such resources. The modern population is primarily urban due to advances in farming technology, and any people have multiple homes throughout the country as a cultural tradition and for work reasons.
The main natural resources used are the managed woodlands bordering the Antarephian gap and large amounts of mineral wealth found in the mountain ranges. Some hydrocarbon extraction exists too. Resource extraction is generally restrained as to preserve the natural habitats the culture is based on. Industries are diverse, with most manufactured goods having a domestic supply chain. However, while technologically advanced, the low population has meant industrial output is only moderate. Exports are, despite their high quality, not dominant on the global market. Generally production is focused around national needs, but if it is desired by neighbouring mappers, strong trade links can be made with the surrounding countries.
The mapping style I would use for manmade would have a Dutch approach to planning adapted for the substantially different geography of the region, this would be complemented by some design elements from other European countries (particularly France and the Nordic countries). The local culture (see notes below) will also play a large role in shaping the way more historic population centres are shaped and laid out. The road network is advanced but restrained and is complemented by strong rail infrastructure, particularly in the north, the difficult geography is the primary limiter for the networks further south. Outside links are relatively developed in the North and East, and with the strong seafaring nature of the culture, the country has found some impact on sea trade by assisting in providing an alternative trade route bypassing the straits further north, but it is not something the economy wants to rely on.
The administration of the territory primarily comes from the capital. Because of the mobile nature of the population, local governments are more seen to administer geographical areas, rather than the populations that live within them. This has meant the regional administrations are more technocratic as their purpose is more to maintain the utility of the region they control for the population as a whole. The history of governments on the territory is stable and slowly morphing, transitions have generally been peaceful.
 | History & culture |
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| A brief description of the intended culture and language |
The population of the territory is almost exclusively indigenous, with links primarily to the neighbouring territories (due to the easy terrain). It is historically highly mobile, with domestication of animals, and the development of tools along with seafaring skills enabling movement despite the geographical barriers throughout the territory. The key characteristic of populations on the territory distinguishing them from the cultures further north is to the access to the southern leeward plains. On those plains, the population made use of herding to subsist in the summer, then mostly returned to the north in the winter. From very early, the culture made use of water powered "haulways" using ropes to haul carts across the mountains, this enabled them bring significant amounts of food (chilled using ice from the mountains) and other valuables from the south back to their homes in the north (some of these traditional haulways still exist as museums and attractions in the mountain regions, even still being used to supply a few mountain lodges). Fishing in the windward seas was also a big source of food, and alternative access to the southern coast via the sea has been used since prehistoric times. In modern times, the mobile nature of the population persists, even where people primarily live in the south, they regularly travel north for business, family, or other reasons and vice versa. The mobility of the population and stability of the region facilitated technologies entering and exiting the territory in historic times, resulting in a highly developed culture.
This changed substantially during the times of colonisation, the territory became more insular and government became centralised, beginning to form into the current system. This period also saw the development of the home defence forces which fended off more violent attempts at colonisation, the modern military still reflects this purpose. Despite the insular nature of the state, the people continued to apply their trades abroad, this form of foreign exchange served to further grow the economy. Furthermore, the relatively distant location of the state meant it was never impacted that significantly by major wars throughout the world.
Linguistically, I intend for all of the region to be based around a conlang that reflects the mobile culture, with some use of loanwords evident throughout time as brought in by contact with distant cultures. I would likely choose a heavily case-based language system (similar to Basque) and have quirks such as "having 20 words for road". However, as I want to dedicate a lot of effort into mapping natural features, developing the language in detail will not be a huge priority. I would be interested in discussing conlangs with neighbouring mappers to be able to create some relationships with the languages on their territories, as I believe there should be significant historical mixing between them.
 | Past mapping |
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| To support your request provide links to areas of OGF mapping which showcase your mapping skill. Mapping relevant to the requested theme & geography is especially useful | |
| The {{coord}} template can optionally be used to link to the OGF map - it results in a nice formatted link. Or you can paste in a URL. |
What I have mapped on OGF is all in this area:
Miticonce Valley Area I have mapped
I have also done significant mapping on paper in my free time, however it would take me some time to find them as they are mostly filed away at the moment.
| Username & date |
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| Sign and date the application by typing four tildes like this: ~~~~ |
Qhfreddy (talk) 04:38, 15 November 2024 (UTC)
 | Discussion |
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| Discussion for clarification & decision |
Hi Qhfreddy, and thank you for your comprehensive application.
I don't have a lot to add:
- Country names - OSM has different tags for those. You may add name:Itarnar (that will be rendered on the map), official_name:Treèb Itarnar and, official_name:en:Republic of Itarnar. Only the former is mandatory as it's rendered as the territory's name.
- AN152f, though reasonably vast (291,216km2), isn't as large as the real world Nordic countries. 15 million inhabitants might be above what the territory may sustain, especially if your project considers it sparsely populated with large ice fields.
- Speaking of dimensions, here is some info regarding AN152f:
- N-S distance: ~960km
- E-W distance: ~1080km
- Diagonal between extreme points: ~1100km
- Relative locations of AN152f IRL. The one south of Africa being the actual location, the other being approximate (I have limited tools to draft such maps). That may give you additional information/inspiration for your territory biomes.
AN152f is yours, --Aiki (talk) 01:23, 17 November 2024 (UTC)
Thanks Aiki for the quick response on this, the scaled maps are quite useful for reference, I will take those into account. The population estimate was on the high end, I expect it will probably end up in the range of 5-9 million as a lot of the northern area will still be medium to low density.
I wanted to ask about possible coastline changes, namely that I would like to straighten the north-west coast and remove the three islands there or reduce their size significantly. This would somewhat change the shape in the overview map, but the total land area would remain around the same. Proposed new coastline would follow approximately the purple line.
I have changed the name of the border multipolygon, would you or another admin be able to confirm that I did this correctly?
Cheers, Qhfreddy (talk) 08:20, 17 November 2024 (UTC)
Hello Qhfreddy,
It seems that the link you provided (Proposed new coastline would follow approximately the purple line.) doesn't work. As for the multipolygon name, I assume you did it right, but I'm no admin.
Cheers, Petons (talk) 8:49, 17 November 2023 (UTC)
Thanks for the heads up, fixed. Qhfreddy (talk) 10:36, 17 November 2024 (UTC)
@Qhfreddy,
You updated the right relation (type:boundary). The other is only used for area calculations (includes internal waters, lakes, so that the percentage of water is calculable) and does not render. The proposed new coastline seems fine. For other sea-related topics, you may have a look at this Help Page. Instead of deleting the old coastline completely, you may choose to reuse sections of it for the new one (maybe reduced or enlarged in size) or for other purposes (e.g. rivers). That way, the server will keep exiting nodes id with new coordinates. Happy mapping,
--Aiki (talk) 23:25, 17 November 2024 (UTC)
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Territory application approved |
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| --Aiki (talk) 01:23, 17 November 2024 (UTC) | |
| As you develop your territory, be sure to keep it realistic. Here are some resources you may find useful for starting out: Help:Portal, Help:Making realistic countries, Help:Making realistic cities and OpenGeofiction:Site policies |