Harafora Islands (haɾaˈfaɾa ˈaɪ̯ləndz)
"When I landed in Kara, I was fascinated by the diversity I encountered. I counted sixteen different languages in use before I even left the docks, and more when I ventured into the city proper. I had heard that the Harafora Islands were where the peoples of the South and West came together, but I never imagined how much variation could coexist in one place." - Miyagi Yumeko, in a letter to her son.
The Harafora Islands are a group of islands that make up the easternmost portion of the Mangimoi Archipelago. They are famously diverse, with more cultures in close proximity than anywhere else in the world. Mu'o'a villages and Tāngata communities are side-by-side with populations of Mangimoi, Ngofangare, Naga, Tagápulo, and Phaṇin, among others. Over the centuries, the Harafora Islands have been repeatedly invaded and conquered from both the east and the west, which is partially responsible for the many cultures represented. But there is another element that has created the array. The god Tabarunai is believed to have drawn people to the Harafora islands deliberately, as they delight in having a variety of cultures to experience, and will go out of their way to find a place for every unique person or group they can entice to settle there.
Points of Interest
The major port in the region is Kara, on the island of Alok. It is commonly known as the gateway to the Mangimoi Archipelago, as ships coming west from Tauranga will almost always put in port here before continuing west. Kara is known for collecting odd items and people, and the specialty shops within the bazaar are filled with obscure items that can not be easily found elsewhere.
Geography
The Harafora Islands consist of 95 low-lying islands in the eastern Mangimoi Archipelago. Most of these are inhabitated, although frequently only by a small community or two.
The Harafora Islands (sorted by size)
This table includes all those islands in the group with an area greater than one hundred square miles.| Name | Area (sq mi) | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Limosa | 829.73 | 4.84° South, 11.13° West |
| Bato | 665.25 | 4.7° South, 10.99° West |
| Gulipua | 665.25 | 4.43° South, 10.88° West |
| Sangaji | 619.3 | 4.11° South, 10.93° West |
| Alok | 456.4 | 3.45° South, 10.06° West |
| Saralamo | 153.67 | 4.48° South, 11.28° West |
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 4.15 degrees South
Longitude: 10.15 degrees West
Average Elevation: 23 ft
Highest Point: 931 ft
Lowest Point: -13 ft
Area: 3,519.39 sq mi
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