Geographical NotesThe border between Arransia and Brunswick mostly follows the watershed through hilly, wooded country which historically has provided a useful defensive barrier. The exception is the low-lying, boggy expanse of the Laithby Marishes south of Stainton, into which several small rivers drain. In the past, these were even more impenetrable than the hills, and there is more than one example of an invading army losing its baggage train and guns in the mire. They were home to the tight-knit community of the Marishmen who knew the secret paths through the swamp and existed on a diet consisting mainly of eels. Much of the area has now been drained and converted to fertile farmland, but enough remains to give some idea of its former character, although it is now overshadowed by three giant coal-fired power stations. The main A6 road and railway between Ynysforgan and Stainton run beside the Marishes, the area providing a particularly dreary and unpromising introduction to Arransia. Off the north-west coast of Arransia is the mostly low-lying Verne Island, which is about 35 miles long. Its west side has some magnificent beaches, along which a number of holiday resorts have grown up, the biggest being Fleetby with its antique trams running along the promenade. The capital of Verne Island, however, is the small inland city of Kirkbride, which is still surrounded by a moat and a complete set of mediaeval walls and has been declared a World Heritage Site. Verne Island is connected to the mainland by a mile-long bridge carrying a two-lane toll road and a single-track railway. This has a lifting section which is opened up to 10 times a day to accommodate coastal shipping movements. The rather spindly bridge is also vulnerable to strikes from shipping, and on average about once every two years has to be closed for several weeks for major repairs. At holiday times, Verne Island is a very popular destination and there are enormous tailbacks of traffic trying to cross the bridge. The toll, usually 50p for a car, is doubled at weekends from April to October, and every day in July and August. There are plans to build either a high-level suspension bridge or an immersed tube tunnel, but the cost of either option is seen as prohibitive, as traffic is very light in the winter. A pair of ancient coal-fired paddle ferry boats are kept in reserve for when the bridge is closed due to shipping strikes, and are also pressed into service to provide some relief on summer weekends. In 2004 the summer tourist trade was largely ruined when the bridge was closed for three weeks in July and August at a time when the island was enjoying a heatwave. Arransia's highest mountain is Rawfell Pike which is south of Ferndale near the Brunswickian border. Its height is officially given as 3,007 feet, but some foreign surveyors claim it is only 2,994 feet. In 1899 a steam-powered rack railway was opened to the summit which, as you might expect, houses a pub. There are magnificent views from the top, especially to the north-west towards the sea and Verne Island. The majority of Brunswickian tourists tend to visit Arransia to see the steam trains, which mostly operate in the hilly coal-mining areas in the north-west, and therefore form an opinion that the country is somewhat grim and grotty, which isn't entirely fair. The capital, Danby, is a surprisingly attractive city with elegant houses lining the quays of the River Esk, overlooked by the turrets of Danby Castle on its rocky outcrop which doubles as the royal palace. The industrial and port area to the south was heavily bombed during the Great War, but the historic core survived surprisingly intact. Danby does, however, suffer from a notoriously confusing and congested road network and lacks a proper ring road. In the south and east of the country are extensive areas of fertile agricultural land with some pretty villages and pleasant market towns, often containing many old half-timbered houses, most notably in the southernmost county of Marchwood and the Bain valley which separates it from Bucklow, an area that is often referred to as the "Garden of Arransia". On the other hand, Headlam, the deep-water port for Danby, is a very unprepossessing place, as it is surrounded by large expanses of oil refineries, chemical works and container depots. Arransia is divided into twelve counties, plus Danby which is a County of a City in its own right. The counties vary dramatically in size from Verne, which just covers Verne Island, to the large and rural Edirn in the north-east. The counties with their administrative seats are as follows:
¶ South Holburn was officially transferred from Brunswick to Arransia with effect from Friday 24th February 2006. See The Counties of Arransia for a detailed description of each. Most of the administrative seats are the largest or second largest towns in their respective counties, the main exception being Pentrich, whose 38,000 people are dwarfed by Hebburn's half a million plus. The City of Danby has a population of about 1,500,000, and together with its environs outside the county boundary, the conurbation exceeds 2,000,000. Stainton has a population of about 900,000 and the Hebburn/Gosforth conurbation in Pentmark has about 600,000. Holborough, Petersburgh and Howick all have between 150,000 and 200,000, but no other town or city in the country has a population over 100,000. The population density of Arransia is not much more than half that of England. Over 3.5 million people live in three major conurbations, and its towns tend to be fairly compact, with high densities in their centres and four-storey tenement-type housing common even in towns of under 50,000 population. This means that the rural areas do feel genuinely rural, and often surprisingly remote. Apart from the environs of Danby and the stretch south-west of Stainton, there is no impression of creeping suburbia as is often found in England. Climate Situated at the north-eastern corner of the continent of Sabrantia, Arransia has the least favourable climate of the five countries. However, the warming current that gives Serenity Island an amazingly balmy climate, given its northerly latitude, extends as far as Arransia's north-western coast, in particular making the Verne Island resorts and Cleave on the mainland very warm in summer. The current seems to expend itself around Broxa Head, and east of there the climate is less benign. In the extreme south of the country, Marchwood, and the southern part of Bucklow, also have a very gentle climate, helped by being in the rain shadow of the moors to the west. This allows extensive fruit growing, and the area is known as the "Garden of Arransia". In recent years a few vineyards have been planted in Marchwood. Elsewhere, the climate tends to be cool and windy. Typical maximum summer temperatures in places like Golsingby and Marske do not exceed 19° C, and Danby rarely gets above 22°. However, given the influence of the sea, severe frosts are rare. The highest parts of the Western Moors and the Black Mountains have snow cover from December to April, but in lower-lying areas it is rare for snow to lie more than a couple of days. Average annual rainfall is about 29 inches, although in some areas on the East Coast this falls to 24 inches or less, and there are extensive stretches of arid sand dunes. Still conditions, especially in winter and summer, can lead to fogbanks building up from the Sleeve which then roll in over the land, sometimes reaching as far as Danby and the Esk Valley. Wildlife Arransia's national animal is the badger, whose determination and tenacity are felt to reflect the national character (although the uncharitable might describe those qualities as stubborn stupidity), and the supporters of the royal coat of arms are a badger and a wild cat. The Arransian wild cat is a byword for cunning and ferocity, but in reality is a shy, nocturnal animal that is very rarely seen, helped by its dark tabby-striped coat which provides excellent camouflage in Arransia's gloomy forests. Unlike wild cats in other parts of the world, it cannot interbreed with domestic cats, which has preserved the purity of the species. Wild cats are common throughout the country and have even begun to invade the major cities. There are also some small lynx populations in the Western Wolds, although these are more common in Brunswick. Arransia retains extensive areas of wilderness in the hilly country on the Brunswickian border, which is home to red deer, bears, wolves and wild boar. The Brunswickians often complain about incursions by Arransian wildlife, but of course the animals do not recognise national boundaries. Although considered to be of the common brown bear species, Arransian bears are noticeably smaller and lazier than their counterparts in other countries. Apart from on the mountain tops, there is no permanent snow cover in winter, and they do not hibernate. Beavers are also found in some of the wooded upland areas. Another distinctive indigenous wild animal is the Arransian Brown Squirrel which seems to be resisting the advance of the grey squirrel better than the red squirrels found in northern parts of Brunswick, and is honoured by appearing on the Arransian one penny coin. Foxes are common in Arransia and the country has a strong fox-hunting tradition. There is no pressure to have the sport banned apart from some small fringe groups. The "ceremonial" form of wolf-hunting has now largely died out except in parts of Edirn, possibly because of the much higher risk involved, and where necessary wolf populations are controlled by shooting. The rangy, shaggy Arransian Wolfhound is, however, a popular domestic breed. National Parks Although often perceived in Brunswick as a predominantly industrial country, Arransia has substantial areas of wild and remote countryside and has six national parks covering over 4,000 square miles. They were set up in 1970 under the Rostron government, although the creation of national parks had been in both main parties’ manifestoes in the 1969 election. There was a widespread feeling in the 1960s that the spread of development and the rise of car travel were starting to have an effect on Arransia’s wilder areas, and there was particular concern about the development of a huge limestone quarry in the flanks of Rush Tor near Rushbury in Hanwold, which was a rather blatant eyesore. It was also felt that more needed to be done to promote tourism in Arransia, which at this time was at a low ebb, as Arransians were increasingly taking package holidays in places were sunshine could be guaranteed, while the influx of Brunswickians to see the steam trains was still only a trickle. The six parks that were set up are:
Four of them fall entirely within a single county, the exceptions being the Black Mountains, which is shared between Holburn, Teviot, Stainland and Pentmark, and the Edirn Moors, which is mostly in Edirn, but just spills over into Stainland. They are not wholly wilderness, all including substantial areas of farmland, and towns and villages with populations of up to about 5,000. Each park has a planning board which contains representatives of local government and nature conservancy bodies. While these boards impose more strict curbs on farming practices, building and industrial and commercial development than apply elsewhere, there is by no means a complete ban on development, and the extension of quarrying and the creation of woodland holiday parks in National Parks has been a source of controversy. A primary purpose of the National Parks outlined in the legislation is to promote tourism in rural areas, and therefore they have a slightly different focus to similar areas in other countries, which are usually aimed predominantly at nature and wildlife conservation. This has also led to what many environmentalists feel is an excess of retail development such as farm and craft shops. Fisheries Arransia has a major fishing industry, with Marske on the east coast being the leading port, followed by Bouth and Lemingore. Although it has declined in recent years with the fall-off in fish stocks, Marske is still home to over 40 distant water trawlers. Most coastal towns have a fair-sized fishing fleet operating in home waters. Arransians typically eat a high proportion of fish in their diet. Arransia has a strict 200-mile fishing limit which is enforced by a squadron of fast and powerful fishery protection cutters operating mainly out of Lemingore in Edirn, working together with the R-16 reconnaissance aircraft. This was introduced in the 1970s and caused a short-lived "cod war" with fishermen from Denhulme who had previously operated in Arransian waters. Brunswick, with her own long coastline, has never felt the need to fish in Arransian waters. Maintenance of fish stocks is the responsibility of the Fisheries Conservation Board, which has at times been at odds with Arransia's fishermen, but have certainly been successful in protecting fish numbers and also keeping a sizeable fishing fleet in employment. To the disgust of many Brunswickians, Arransia continues to engage in commercial whaling. The whaling fleet is based at Golsingby at the extreme north of the country, but every winter goes to the Southern Hemisphere (where it is summer) to carry out whaling operations. Whaling is a very hard trade, but financially lucrative, and the annual return of the whaling fleet is accompanied by several days of bacchanalian celebrations in Golsingby, which anti-whaling protesters, or indeed anyone of a sensitive disposition, are advised to steer well clear of. In 1997, Brunswickian animal activists staged a major protest to attempt to prevent the whaling fleet leaving Golsingby. This resulted in a pitched battle which the police were unable to stop, and some of the protesters ended up being badly beaten by the whalers, which provoked a minor diplomatic incident. The whole episode reflected badly on both countries. The protesters went on to attempt to disrupt whaling operations in the Southern Ocean, and the Arransian Navy despatched a frigate, HMS Roebuck and a pair of flying boats to help maintain order. In the end, this proved to be a damp squib, as the remoteness of the area made effective protest very difficult, but one of the protesters' boats was boarded by the Navy and the crew brought back to Arransia to be put on trial before being deported. The commander made the point that the naval presence was as much to protect the protesters as to prevent disruption of whaling. Power Generation Arransia has a solitary nuclear power station, at Thurness on the east coast near Barcaldine, but due to its extensive reserves of coal decided not to build any more. Over 90% of electricity is generated by coal-fired power stations, the remainder coming from nuclear and hydro. The power stations are concentrated in the coalfield area around Stainton and Holborough, and most of them, particularly the three overlooking the Laithby Marishes, are close to the Brunswickian border. There are, however, also a couple by the Esk estuary south of Danby, which were originally intended to be supplied by sea, but now in fact get most of their coal by train. People living just over the border complain about the potential for pollution, but in fact, as the prevailing wind is westerly, most of it blows across Arransia. The Arransians claim that their power stations have state-of-the-art emission control scrubbers, but not everyone is wholly convinced. Arransian coal is generally of fairly poor quality and has the potential to produce high levels of pollution. Ironically, Arransia’s steam locomotives use high-quality imported steam coal from Brunswick, as do most of the dwindling number of coal-fired ships. Arransia claims to have over 300 years of coal reserves at current production levels, and indeed at present exports over 10 million tons of coal a year out of the ports of Howick and Hebburn. The University of Holborough have been at the forefront of developing coal-to-oil technology, and a pilot plant on the outskirts of the city is currently reaching unprecedented levels of efficiency. The major power stations are generally kept supplied by electrically-hauled merry-go-round trains, although one or two are sufficiently close to collieries to be able to use hoppers on an overhead cableway, the longest of which runs for 1½ miles and crosses the A61 Expressway near Kilburn. Power generation is mainly carried out by the National Power Corporation, which was formerly the entirely state-owned National Power Authority, but in the early 1980s became a characteristically Arransian part-public, part-private body. Private companies can generate electricity for their own use, but any surpluses must be sold via the NPC. Retail distribution of electricity is via County Electricity Boards. Some of the larger cities in the North developed the use of coal gas in the late 19th century, but Arransia does not have a national gas supply system, and most homes either use coal-fired central heating or electric storage heaters. Domestic electricity prices in Arransia are over 25% lower than those in Brunswick. Verne Island is not connected to the national electricity grid and has its own coal-fired power station at Hauxley next to the bridge, which is supplied by sea. The colliers supplying the power station are reckoned to be responsible for over 50% of the bridge strikes. The two smaller offshore islands of Inchmay and Craig Holm also have their own coal-fired stations. Many people in Brunswick tend to think there is a generic “Arransian accent”, but in reality there is a wide variety of accents within the country. There is a fairly clear north-south divide, with the counties of Hanwold, Bucklow, Danby, Byrness and Lunan using a “southern” accent, and Teviot, Holburn, Verne, Pentmark, Stainland and Edirn using a “northern” accent, with the divide roughly running through the middle of Laithe. To an Arransian, these two accents are distinctively different, but to Brunswickians they often seem hard to distinguish. This is similar to the distinction between Lancashire and Yorkshire in the UK, which is very obvious to residents of the two counties, but far less so to southerners. Edirn, while clearly “northern”, has a different accent from areas further west, with flatter vowels and a more lilting delivery which has echoes of the Skanian language. Ironically, the mining town of Northcotes, which was part of Brunswick from 1949 to 2006, is often considered to have the most pronounced Northern Arransian accent, and during the 2006 sovereignty referendum, TV viewers in Aubourg often struggled to understand what Northcoters were saying in vox pop interviews. It is difficult to draw comparisons with the UK, but the Arransian accent is somewhat comparable to a mixture of Teesside and East Coast Lowland Scots, but definitely without the sing-song character of “Geordie”. There is no “Received Pronunciation” in Arransia, and even upper-class speakers vary clearly between “Northern” and “Southern”. Lorna Bradshaw and Edward Douglas, the two most recent Chancellors of Arransia, both display a good example of educated Northern speech. In fact, of the eleven post-war Chancellors of Arransia, only Robert Knox had an identifiably “Southern” accent, although Charles Ormonde, the Chancellor during the Great War, did so too, and for that particular generation of Brunswickians defined an Arransian tone of voice. Ormonde, whatever his other faults, was a very accomplished speaker. The Royal Family have always been definitely “Southern” in their speech. In 1953, when he became Chancellor, many Brunswickians heard Patrick Scullion speak for the first time, and were somewhat shocked to find he didn’t sound like an Arransian at all, and more like an educated Brunswickian from the Tri-Cities area. Marchwood was never part of the historic pre-1326 Duchy of Arransia and even now retains a competely separate accent that is much more like that spoken in the western part of Brunswick. Again, this varies depending on the speaker’s class and level of education, but even the Earl of Marchwood speaks with a accent that is definitely Marchwood and different from that of educated Danbeians. The Marchwood accent has something more of a languid drawl than other Arransian accents and is easy to stereotype as either upper-class or yokelish. Some of the more rural parts of Marchwood (and southern Hanwold and Bucklow) have some of Sabrantia’s most distinctive and impenetrable accents. In contrast, Scullion was always recognised as an exceptionally clear speaker. Across Arransia as a whole, strong local accents tend to survive in out-of-the-way rural areas, the inland “hollows” of Edirn and and the extreme south-west of Teviot around Crook and Barkwith being some of the best-known examples. A “thick” Arransian accent continues to be widely regarded in Brunswick as an indicator of stupidity and living in the past. However, while the Arransians are accused of many faults, duplicitousness is rarely one of them, and ironically articulate Arransian voices have come to be viewed as trustworthy in call centres. Indeed the general perception of Arransians in Brunswick is of stubborn people who will drive a hard bargain but will not cheat you.
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