The Chon Delta

Geography

Measuring 32.000 km² in size, the Chon Delta is the largest river delta in the known world and home to some of the largest cities in Meravia. It is of note, that there are practically no hills in the Delta region, with the exception of some artificial mounds serving mostly religious purposes. To the east, the Delta is enclosed by the Erkalean mountain range, which, by all accounts is almost impassable, barring for a few select routes during summer time. To the south, the river Chon flows into the Castegian ocean, providing ample space for ports and fishing. To the west, there is a natural barrier colloquially known as the "Swamp Land", which in fact is not really a swamp, but rather a combination of rough terrain, smaller swamps and a plentitude of cliffs and mesas. It too provides an effective barrier to any attempt to enter the Delta from the west. In the north, the offshoot of the Erkalean mountain range, while still hindering movement, is, for the most part, easily traversable and serves as the only land-based entry point to the Delta. For exactly that reason, it is heavily fortified and more akin to a giant fortress, than a regular landscape. It is one of the few cooperative projects of Richardia and Uphratus. The Delta is also home to Richardia and Uphratus, two of the largest cities of the known world and hubs of international trade, industry, finance, art, and politics. They and the thousands of small villages and towns otherwise found in the Delta make it one of the most densely populated areas in the world, by itself outnumbering entire continents.

Fauna & Flora

The Chon Delta has been settled for more than two thousand years by civilized people. Thus, there is little left in the way of natural vegetation. The once great forests are now cleared in favor of large parks, agricultural areas and many small villages, as well as two of the worlds largest cities. Many of the trees now growing in the Delta are not even original to the continent but were instead imported during the time of the Richardian empire and the subsequent city-states. In terms of fauna, the basic scenario is basically the same. There is practically no wildlife left in the Delta, the only exception being game for hunts in a few forests grown for exactly that purpose. However, there is a plentitude of domesticated animals living in the Delta, both as pets, as well as livestock. Most prominent among them are the Lases, the Herreks and the

Natural Resources

The Delta is home to one of the most fertile farmlands in the entirety of Meravia, able to grow practically all "temperate fruit" and even some more tropical ones. Due to its rich farmland and population to match the needs of the evergrowing agricultural industry, the Chon Delta produces around twelve percent of all agricultural products in the entire world. This has proven both curse and blessing, as it has given the inhabitants a constant source of wealth and sustenance, allowing them to focus on expanding their power, as their own well-being was always guaranteed. It also has proven to be a curse by attracting many a raider and adventurer to take some of this wealth for themselves. While the greatest time of this peril is now over, thanks to a prolonged period of peace between the two great rivaling powers of the region, allowing them to focus on outside threats, pirates and raiders still are potential risks, especially for the more coastal inhabitants. However, the natural riches of the Chon Delta are not limited to crops and livestock, it also houses some very impressive deposits of copper, iron, coal, as well as the occasional gold and silver mine, with a few gems sprinkled in for good measure. These were mined for the last two thousand years and while they too have provided riches to the inhabitants, their more substantial contribution to the development of the local civilization was in guaranteeing a constant flow of war materials, making anyone who controls the Chon Delta able to wage war for an indefinite amount of time. However, these two thousand years have taken a toll and many of the mines are being close to being exhausted, with the exception of the iron and coal deposits. But, as many economists of Richardia will tell you, the trade flowing in and out of the Delta is more than enough to compensate these losses.

Alternative Name(s)

The Breadbasket of the World, Empires Dawn, Richards' Grovel

Type

Bay

Included Locations