Beelandia
| Beelandia | |
|
| |
| Subdivision type: | Moorland Antarctic Territory |
| Capital: | Bee Haven |
| Population: | 2,460 |
| Largest Cities: | Bee Haven |
|
| |
| Local Leadership Title: | Commissioner |
| Local Government: | Witan |
| Current leader: | Jodie Baker |
|
| |
| Local language: | East Moorland Dialect |
| Local Religion: | Church of the Holy Lance |
Beelandia, sometimes referred to as Beeland, is a small Antarctic territory located on the island of Hypernostria. It is part of the Moorland Antarctic Territory, a research colony established to conduct scientific studies on the island. With a population of just over two-thousand inhabitants, most of whom are concentrated in the capital of Bee Haven, it is one of the southmost permanently-occupied locations in the world.
History
The first recorded inhabitants of Beelandia, and indeed Hypernostria, were the Beebians, who founded a kingdom on the island around 1460 AN. The Beebians migrated from Corum, as the frozen wastes of Hypernostria were devoid of any indigenous population prior to their settlement. It has been suspected by historians that they left Corum due to the early wars that afflicted the continent, likely pushed out by the Korhali or Menelmacar when they colonized Jaiha. They survived the hostile climate by hunting whales, seals and by the art of beekeeping. In fact, beekeeping became such an important part of their sustenance and lifestyle that the population took the name of Beebland, later morphing into the modern form of Beelandia or Beeland.
Unfortunately for this early kingdom, the people were warlike and often in conflict with the powers on Corum. This boiled over with an invasion by Babkha and Menelmacar when they fought with Beebland and the United Secular States in what became known as the Misfit War. The conflict ended Beebland as a viable state and the lack of resources made the area undesirable for further colonization, although Menelmacar continued to hold onto it for several more years before it became abandoned outright.
The area was resettled by Riponia when they achieved the conquest of all Corum and began to spread beyond it borders. In an effort to attract colonists they named it Liiansaari, meaning Isle of Plenty. Riponia pushed a strong program to colonize the island, setting up several cities and shipping in colonists. But the viability of a large population in so bleak a landscape proved untenable, and by 1536 Riponia had abandoned the island. Except for a couple of transitory outposts, the island would remain devoid of any measurable population and governance until the arrival of the Moorlander fleet in Bee Haven harbor when they anchored in the summer of 1729; almost two-hundred years after the last Riponians had left.
The arrival of Moorland precipitated a series of negotiations with the local Beelandians, bringing the area under the protection of the kingdom as a semi-autonomous territory in exchange for significant investitures to the local infrastructure. The Apian Point Research Station was immediately commissioned in late 1729. Work began in earnest on infrastructural development in 1730, conducted in conjunction with ongoing conservation efforts. Environmental researchers worked with the government to designate the Apian Tundra Conservation Zone, placing roughly a third of the territory's land area under permanent protection. This was quickly followed by improvements to the port facilities in Bee Haven to support more vessels docking, allowing a greater quantity of goods to be imported from the mainland. Separate programs were initiated to improve roads, and to make upgrades to the local school and medical facility, with accessibility from rural communities being a key area of focus.
Between 1730 and 1736, the region saw investments from Moorland beginning to achieve fruition. Basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, wastewater treatment, and healthcare all saw large improvements. The Paddock Highway was widened, graded and repaved to allow for more traffic and larger vehicles such as tractor-trailer trucks. The Honey River Power Plant was also opened, which utilizes hydroelectric turbines on the river to generate power. This is a smaller power generator that will provide electricity while the larger Austral Wind facility is constructed offshore. Further, the Beeb Memorial Hospital was opened in Bee Haven, providing general and emergency healthcare to residents. Not only have these additions provided better services to locals, they have also increased the number of available jobs, increasing the workforce significantly and invigorating the local economy. Honey exports have also increased on the international market, especially to nearby Corum, Taktwinkel and the South Sea Islands.
Geography
Beelandia is situated along a northern promontory of Hypernostria, and has a tundra climate with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The southern portion of the territory is bounded by the Beelandia Highlands, an upland area that often remains under a blanket of snow throughout the year. The coast is dominated by the Apian Tundra, a large expanse of open plain that is dominated by tundra vegetation, such as short shrubs, herbs, grasses, and mosses. Glacial ice in the two mountains ranges - Mt Golda in the southwest, and the Dyvel Hills in the southeast, feed three freshwater rivers. The western coast is a smooth arching curve which continues the Apian Tundra known as the Arm of Ripon. The eastern end of the territory is dominated by the sharp peninsula called the Cape of Plenty, punctuated by East End Bay.
Roads are few and far between. The primary transportation route runs along the coast from roughly 5km west of Bee Haven and then east to the mouth of Clovervale River where the small village of Clovervale (population 75) sits. This road is known as the Paddock Highway. One southern access road runs from Bee Haven along the Honey River up to the highlands. This road used to extend to Dyvelsten and other inland towns but has since fallen into disuse and is only maintained as far as the edge of the highlands. Beelandia is also served by a small airport located 10km east of the town. Access to areas outside of the paved roads is typically only afforded via off-road vehicles.
While most of the population resides in Bee Haven, several small communities exist, mostly small fishing communities that are only accessible via all-terrain-vehicles. Clovervale, as previously mentioned, sits at the head of the Clovervale River. Other communities include Easton (population 82), located at the head of the Eastern River. Honeoye (population 113) is another small village located about 5km inland along the Honey River near the edge of the Beelandia Highlands. It serves as a last stop for many inland expeditions, offering provisions, fuel and other supplies. Snodgrass (population 96) is located to the west at the terminus of the Paddock Highway and is a small fishing and beekeeping community. Undine (population 46) is a small fishing village about 4km south of Easton. The remaining hundred or so residents live on large farms in between these areas, mostly within the Apian Tundra.
Economy
The Beelandian economy sustains itself mostly by subsistence farming and fishing. Elk were imported by early settlers from Keltia and have been successfully raised for meat, milk and hides. Sheep and cows have also been successfully grazed, but are limited due to the cold. The greatest difficulty is in finding building materials, since the country is south of the tree line. Some mining occurs, but is limited by the weather and small population. As such, a good deal of bartering happens between Beelandia and the neighboring islands of Murder and the South Sea Islands. Some trade also occurs with mainland Corum. For example, a lot of lumber is imported from Murder, mostly in exchange for milk and honey. SSI, which shares cultural and ethnolinguistics with Beelandia/Moorland, also does a fair amount of trade. Anything which can't be grown or manufactured on Hypernostria must be imported, thus driving prices up. So most residents opt to barter goods instead of using currency. Tourist revenue has also increased greatly in recent years, along with revenues generated by research.
Research
The arrival of the Moorland Antarctic Expedition in 1729 and the establishment of the Beelandia Protectorate and Moorland Antarctic Territory marked the start of serious research operations on Hypernostria. The Apian Point Research Station was built in VII.1729 about a half kilometer north of Bee Haven. The facility has its own pier to dock research vessels, several buildings to house staff and apparatus, and a weather station. The facility will be used to conduct studies on bee populations, including resiliency, lifecycles and colony activity. Other research will be on flora adaptation to a polar climate in connection with reforestation efforts in Burwood Forest.
Conservation
In late 1729, scientists from the MAE began delineation of conservation boundaries for protected areas. The first swath of land to be designated was the Apian Tundra Conservation Zone, which extends from the eastern banks of the Clovervale River to the western banks of the Eastern River. It extends north to the shore and south into the Dyvel Hills; protecting the headwaters of both rivers. The designation completely limits human activities in the protected area to research, even restricting tourism in order to safeguard honey bee populations.
