Geography of Norstham

Map of the Duchies of Norstham

Map of Norstham

Overview

Norstham is mainly made up of one large island, though there are several small outlying islands. Being located in the far north of the Isles, the climate in Norstham is cold, with temperatures in winter going below -20°c. The terrain in Norstham is fairly mountainous, with two major ranges, the Mesder Range in the south and the Klaji Mountains as you go further north. The two ranges are separated by a plateau, and north of the Klajis is where the most densely populated area lie.

Geology and seismicity

Norstham is a volcanic island, characterised by a mountainous region in the interior of the country. There are multiple active volcanoes in this region. The island was formed as a result of a continental plate being uplifted as it subducts an oceanic plate offshore.

The subduction zone has lead to Norstham experiencing large, megathrust earthquakes throughout history, and as a result, geological hazards are fairly frequent in Norstham, with destructive earthquakes occurring at fairly regular intervals in different parts of the country. These earthquakes have generated tsunamis that have devastated the heavily populated coastal areas over the centuries. However, as Norstham is so prone to earthquakes (tremors of magnitude 5 occur several times a week), strict building regulations have lead to all but the largest earthquakes causing little damage. On average, a small, local tsunami will occur at least once every 5 years. Tsunamis have presented a great challenge to residents of Norstham for centuries; as the coastal areas are very densely populated and many towns have relied on the fishing industry for decades.

Norstham harbours multiple active volcanoes, though a major eruption has not occurred since the 1980s. Eruptions do not present a threat to the vast majority of the population, as the central areas where volcanoes are found are not densely populated. However, an eruption could cripple air travel.

Cities

The Norsan population is fairly highly urbanised, with 16,651,286 people (according to the 2010 census) living in the 10 largest cities. The largest city and capital is Norðurhavn, whilst other large cities include Austrabýur, Abhircaol, Fir Chliscnoc, Anair and Fors'nai.

Largest Cities

Rank	City	Metro area population
1	Norðurhavn	5,000,000
2	Austrabýur	3,500,000
3	Fir Chliscnoc	2,200,000
4	Anair	1,156,200
5	Abhircaol	1,003,400
6	Fors'nai	944,672
7	Løkuruachdar	839,233
8	St. Reimar	719,290
9	Sotana	710,202
10	Súla Klettur	578,289

Climate

The climate in Norstham is generally quite cold, owing to the country's high latitude. Temperatures in winter regularly drop well below freezing in the north during winter, and rarely get above 15°c in summer

Climate table (°c)

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Record High	7.6	9.2	13	16.5	19.7	20.1	25.9	23.2	19.1	17.8	13.2	7.2
Record Low	−26	−25.3	−15.3	−11	−2	4	4.5	4	3.2	−11.3	−16.9	−22.4
Average High	−3	−2.9	4.7	5.4	8.2	13.2	15.3	15	12.3	7.4	3.4	−2.3
Average Low	−7	−5.6	−3	0.1	3	4.4	7.6	8.2	5.3	3	−5.8	−8.8

Flora and Fauna

A wide variety of animals and plants of various species can be found across Norstham, from the mountains in the centre of the country, to the coasts and cities of the north. Due to Norstham's geographical isolation, many plants and animals were introduced at some point in history.

The Norsan Bear is the most common of the two bear species found in Norstham, and is one of the only large mammals to be native to Norstham. It is thought that it is closely related to the Eurasian Brown Bear. The Norsan Bear is brown, though on some areas of the body the fur can be yellow, red of very dark brown. Adult Males are usually between 250kg and 300kg, though specimens larger than this have been recorded. There is a healthy population of the Bear in Norstham (there are thought to be over 6000), and they can be found all over the country, though the largest populations are found in the Mesder and Klaji mountains.