Haromszeki Regions

From Scandia

Folklore and cultural traditions play a larger role in defining Haromszeki (Hz) Regions than any official designations. In fact, official boundaries in Haromszek run the risk of being disregarded unless they correspond to the popular view.

Contents 1 Popular Regions of Haromszek 1.1 The Lower Villemrieka 1.2 The Coastal Ports 1.3 The Forested North 1.4 The Granary 1.5 The River District 1.6 Bajostat Shores 1.7 Kopcovity Hill Country, or just the Hill Country 1.8 Pilovity Horskaa 1.9 Sedyvici Horskaa 1.10 The Old Duchies 1.11 The Average Corner, or The Prumerno Kresny Navel 2 More minor "named" areas 2.1 Ruined Third 2.2 Fall Line 2.3 Monument Valley 2.4 Stinky County 2.5 The Sock Capital of Niveria 2.6 The Scrub Wilds 2.7 The Park District 2.8 Ochre Basin, Claston, Ankobargh, and Ingodachiv Valley ski areas 2.9 Storm Band 2.10 Oldbrethren Hills 2.11 Ochladitse Height

Popular Regions of Haromszek

These are areas sharing other characteristics than mere territorial-republic borders. The names and definitions are popular rather than official.

The Lower Villemrieka

Industrialized, densest population, most mixed ethnically. Some pollution problems. Generally high standard of living, though the lowest-paid factory workers have a hard time getting by. Most political and economic regimes in the area are socially oriented, forestalling excesses both of the bosses and of labor. Good transportation and liberal citizenship rules make for a mobile population, hence few businesses would last long if they exploited their workers. Other than the Rail Union, no organization spans enough political entities to permit monopolistic behavior.

The Coastal Ports

Designated "coastal" because the three major Haromszeki river systems are navigable far upstream, with plentiful riverine ports as well. The Cisteuvian coast has a string of trade- and manufacturing-dependent large cities, interspersed with smaller fishing and livestock communities. The manufacturing done along the coast tends to be lighter or higher-technology than that of the Lower Villemrieka. Processed foods and beverages, import and export goods.

The Forested North

Timber products, and a wide range of other resource production. Cities wider scattered, more mixed-economy. Some count this as only north of the Jurajrieka, others consider the extensive managed forests of Basse-Georges and Northern Szombartathy to be the same region.

The Granary

North and south of the Jakobrieka lie the most productive agricultural land. Grain, cotton, flax, dairy cattle, some timber - more hardwoods than the North. Here too lie the best CHzS coalfields -- deep-tunnel anthracite, pit and strip bitumenous. Cities are widely scattered and smaller than elsewhere in Haromszek.

The River District

Broader than just the republic of the same name. Trade and finance, manufacturing, light industries, technological, transport suppliers. "The" river being the lower Jakobrieka, that portion from Lake Bajostat to the Cisteuvian. Stretches of a hundred kilometers at a time could count as single cities, the built-up areas crowd the banks so.

Bajostat Shores

Governance (Cerbesti), tourism, fishing, transport. Widespread modest-sized shipyards. Produce, tree-fruits, nuts. A bit of a common accent across many of the national languages.

Kopcovity Hill Country, or just the Hill Country

Mountains, really - only minor in comparison with the Pilovity Horskaa and Sedyvici Horskaa. Melons, peanuts, Yerba Mate, soybeans, grapes, chestnuts, sheep. Hydroelectric power, tin and zinc mining, former stone quarrying. Smelters, copper and brassworks. Pigs, chickens, emus, goats. Race-sports (cars, motocross, cycles). Zîrkæn borderlands.

Pilovity Horskaa

Sapmi-bordering mountains. Fair bit of population, farming in valleys, hard-rock mining. Fewer canals, more roads. Many small-community linguistic enclaves, largest concentrations of Mongral among trhe CHzS, least of Loirisiens.

Sedyvici Horskaa

Eastern mountains - wilder, less-peopled, conservative. Much mining, some timber. Trade route to the east for a millenium. Vacation playground for Bajostat's millions. Definite separated tourist areas versus played-out mines and ex-forests. Noble-gas production. Mostly in Vrcholsce.

The Old Duchies

Loads of history, quaint architecture, rustic farms. Somewhat manufacturing-poor, transport-scarce. A tourism favorite. Outdoor sport - fishing, hunting, geocaching, hiking ("rambling"). Center of Hz horsemanship, though the biggest races are in The Granary to the east. Excellent clay equals many pottery-makers, even a few high-tech ceramic producers. A favorite retirement and telecommuting location. Life is stereotypically slow and laid-back. Western edge of Stary Vevodstvi, over into Vietre et Moseaux.

The Average Corner, or The Prumerno Kresny Navel

Insultingly: "as interesting as belly-button lint". Stereotyped as having a bit of everything from across the Haromszeks - and none of it exceptional. Some farming, some industry. A mix of all the ethnic groups and languages. Modest cost of living and modest income. A few mediocre recording artists, painters, writers. Politicians from the Navel do only okay nationally, seldom advancing beyond Jeanissin office. Weather is moderate. Cities are modest, adequately prosperous with few run-down areas. Boringly normal. In northern Jeanissin.

More minor "named" areas

Ruined Third

One third of the old Zsufoslo Duchy, where strip-forestry (clearcutting) to support mines plus smelter gassing denuded several hundred square kilometers leading to horrific erosion. Used occasionally as a movie set for science fiction other worlds, and as military training ground, but as little else. In northern Hrebenisc, in Pilovity Horskaa foothills.

Fall Line

One-time location of early industrial revolution's waterpowered industry. North edge of the lower Villemrieka valley. Newer cities are closer to the river's transport. Hundreds of old mills, still some hydroelectric power for Libreville, Nouvelle Racine, Domio.

Monument Valley

High-grade marble quarries providing building stone, tombstones. Monument Valley marble faces beautiful buildings across Niveria. In Hrebenisc.

Stinky County

More than one county, actually. Unfortunate joining of paper mills with industrial sulfur production. Residents complain about neighboring communities' hog farms -- go figure. In western Hrebenisc.

The Sock Capital of Niveria

Hosiery mills in three adjacent towns, where they really DO make more socks than anywhere else on the continent, exporting by the trainload. Wool, cottion, or synthetic. Plain, argyle, paisley. Short, knee-length, or full pantyhose. Currently recovering from the "next fashion fad" that didn't happen - toe socks. Which there are whole warehouses full of.

The Scrub Wilds

Scrub-pine thin-soil barrens, not good for much since used as refuge of bandits in the 1200s. The part in Csepjakab is protected wildlife habitat. That in Vietre et Moseaux is systematically being logged for pulpwood. Kasbej Mills Town is a notorious polluter of the Gnarlera River, tributary of the Jakobrieka. Fish harvests in the bay and offshore of Shopricti have declined steadily since 1490. A few turpentine distilleries and a canned-meat company tries to make a good thing via marketing, of the strong taste of the area's wild turkeys are the extent of the Csepjakab business in the Wilds.

The Park District

Astride the Szegelynorge/Hrebenisc border are a string of Royal, National, Provincial, and local Parks and private wildlife preserves. Wilderness until 1500, they are slowly being developed for recreation and tourism. Motoji Mineral Line Railway is promoting ScenicVista trains of glass-topped observation cars.

Ochre Basin, Claston, Ankobargh, and Ingodachiv Valley ski areas

Vrcholsce, in the Sedyvici Horskaa. Close enough to Reichstadt to attract weekend tourists even in summer. Some have adopted breakneck temporary-construction roller coasters that drop as much as 700 meters, as summer attractions. Liability waivers required, though not too many fatalities per year.

Storm Band

No precisely defined area with some huge number of tornados, just a popular stereotype as "here you get lots of twisters". Probably average twice as many as neighboring plains areas. Agricultural areas suffer as many human casualties as the urban zones, since migrant workers tend to live in trailers. Stretches across Basse-Georges, Szombartathy, and Plochytc. Storm damages (not just tornados) can top billions of Skana per year, both in property damage in and lost crops.

Oldbrethren Hills

Immaculately tended farms, oxen instead of horses or motorized draft transport, and a rich tradition of woodwork from cabinetry to cartwheels to timberframed barns. Migrant workers from here travel across neighboring Hz States as carpenters. Brethren Oak is not a species of tree, but a way of making use of every branch and board. Family recipes even use the leaves to produce stains from near-midnight black to a rust-orange. Brethren Brown is a typical paint color across Niveria -- somewhat lighter than burnt umber. Area spans southern Tarej and spreads a bit into Vysocina.

Ochladitse Height

Plateau above the Fall Line area. Resort communities from a hundred and more years ago, where wealthy industrialists from the valley below spent summers. At fifteen degrees cooler than cities next to the Villemrieka, it's still a nice retreat, though all but the occasional Vzletnychateau are now shabby. Dleskohaus is an exception -- a hundred and sixty palatial suites, liveried servitors, three four-crown restaurants. Visitors are now as often media moguls, politicians, sports stars, and pop musicians, as old-wealth factory owners.