The Geography Of Sargossa

Sargossa is made up of a number of islands but the ‘big six’ are . . .

Sargosso
The largest of the islands that form the archipelago and the seat of the nation’s government. Sargosso was the first island discovered (although how they missed the others is anyone’s guess) and subsequently colonised. It, like the nation itself, takes its name from Luca Sargo De Santa, the man credited (regardless of motives) with effectively founding the nation.

For the first 40 years of Sargossan independence the individual islands formed their own ruling bodies and there was little coordination, not to mention agreement, between them. It was decided, after no little bloodshed, that a central seat of power was required. Sargosso with its historical significance and centralised location was the obvious choice and a suitable area was found towards the island’s centre for the founding of the new national capital. And so Soluca was born and has grown gradually into the sprawling metropolis it is today.

Sargosso is a hub for shipping with three of the nation’s largest ports (Porto Alegro, Daroca and Cordova) located along its southern shore and it’s noted for the busyness of its surrounding waters. There is a large iron and bauxite mining operation in the north east of the island. And the western resort city of Dunas is a popular entertainment and holiday destination for locals and foreign visitors alike.

Cormino
There has long existed feelings of deep mistrust if not outright hostility between the residents of Cormino and bigger neighbour Sargosso. Corminites believe they often get a raw deal from the national government and a large number believe they shouldn’t be taking instructions from Soluca at all. Goza, Cormino’s principal city is the largest and most populous in the archipelago and consequently the locals don’t believe they should be playing second fiddle to anyone. Indeed there’s a groundswell of opinion suggesting maybe the island would be better off going it alone entirely.

On one notorious occasion they tried just that but their attempted breakaway was met with swift and bloody reprisals from Soluca, with a brutality not seen since the Unification Wars. Most of the island’s settlements threw in the towel quickly but Goza, newly proclaimed capital of an independent Cormino held out. Naturally the harshest treatment was reserved for Goza itself where hundreds died in bitter clashes between civilians and the Sargossan army. It proved to be no contest and the uprising lasted a mere week before all Cormino was dragged back into line. Since then the government in Soluca has viewed Cormino in general and Goza in particular with deep suspicion.

Aside from revolution and troublemakers Cormino is also home to, among many other things obviously, Sargossa’s most popular cricket and rugby leagues and the archipelago’s largest Nethertopian community, based in the southern town of Roseau.

Midea
The most northern of Sargossa's major islands is noted particularly for being home to the Tropica Corporation’s vast cigar enterprise. Both the tobacco plantations and the factories are based on the island and are shipped all over the world from the port of Jucaro. A significant percentage of the Midean population are employed in the tobacco fields and over time the islands inhabitants have come to be regarded as, well, a bit thick by the rest of the nation due to that agricultural background. Although it clearly hasn’t put off visitors, as the coastal resort town of Vina Del Mar is regularly voted the nation’s most pleasant holiday destination.

Inca
The western island of Inca is known for its lush jungles and the tall peaks of the Chalaco mountain range. It’s also home to well maintained ruins of a civilisation that called the island home hundreds of years prior to Luca Sargo’s cronies got their greedy hands on it. The presence of these ruins all around the island attracted swarms of academics to Inca and today the island is regarded as being home to Sargossa’s finest minds. The principal city of Torreón is not only the nations’ highest, perched as it is high up in the Chalacos, but also the site of the archipelago’s oldest and most prestigious university.

The discovery of large offshore oil and gas deposits has also led to Inca becoming the centre of the both the nation’s petrol (based in Mercada) and energy (Puerto Lempira) industries. Making Inca a curious blend of breath taking natural beauty and fume belching refineries and rigs.

Quella
Not a lot to say about Quella really. It is the nation’s second largest island. That’s something I suppose. Oh, and Maturín is the third largest city. Aside from being home to a whole load of particularly fertile farmland, including the sugar plantations that help produce Sargossa’s famous spiced rum, that’s about it.

Larissa
The southernmost main island of the Sargossan Archipelago. Larissa’s principal contribution to Sargossan life is meat, well beef technically. Larissan beef is regarded as being just that slightly bit better than all the alternatives and is one of the nation’s biggest exports.

Sargossa’s fastest growing city can also be found on the southern tip of the Silva Peninsula. Attracted by the similar Hispanic culture, that and the higher average wage and lower tax rate, San Silva became home to large numbers of people emigrating from the Canderlarias. Often wrongly referred to as the ‘Candelarian Diaspora’ (the vast majority are actually Marquezian) by the government in Soluca, they form the largest immigrant population in Sargossa. In fact so many took a shine to San Silva and made a home there that the city started to be referred to as San Marquez, a name change that has stuck.