Volkia: Difference between revisions

Volkia is situated on the western half of the continent of [[Itur]], providing an extensive coastline with numerous bays, inlets, and straits. Mountains are plentiful in northern and northeastern Volkia, made up of the Sigyachov Mountain Range. The highest point can be found in this mountain range; [[Vysoki Mountain]] is 14,002 ft (4,268 m) above sea level. The number of islets and islands are estimated to be some 5,712 (including those in lakes). Two of the largest islands in Volkia are [[Shimanovsk Island|Shimanovsk]] and [[Khorovstrov Island|Khorovstrov]], which make up [[Shimanovsk Oblast]].

Volkia has over 1,300 lakes. Most of them are very small, with the largest being Lake Chisvoda in the north of the country. There are also many rivers. The longest of them are the Volk River, Degot, and Sosna. Numerous {{wp|fens}} and {{wp|bogs}} populate the northern half of the country, while the south holds most of the country's cultivated land.

[[File:Gray Wolf in northern Volkia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The {{wp|gray wolf}}, Volkia's national animal]]

===Biodiversity ===

[[File:Golden Eagle on shore.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The {{wp|golden eagle}}, Volkia's national bird]]

The vast majority of Volkia falls under two ecoregions: the Iturian boreal and Yekarian mixed forests. Volkia's north is mostly covered by boreal forests from the northern regions of southern provinces to the north of [[Kologorsk Oblast]]. On the southern coast and within some of the interior, forests are generally characterized by mixed forests. In the extreme north, notably [[Norindzhik Oblast]] and [[Kurilsk Oblast]] see Volkian Montane Birch forests near the treeline and Mahigan Sea.

Volkia also has an extensive and diverse range of fauna. There are at least 70 native {{wp|mammal|mammalian}} species, 250 breeding bird species, over 75 fish species, and 15 reptile and frog species present today. Many of these species have migrated from neighboring countries thousands of years ago. Large and widely recognized mammal species found in Volkia are the {{wp|gray wolf|gray wolf}} (the national animal), {{wp|brown bear}}, {{wp|moose}}, and {{wp|wolverine}}. Some of the more striking birds include the {{wp|golden eagle}}, which is the national bird of Volkia, the {{wp|snowy owl}}, and the {{wp|gray heron}}. Of the more than 75 fish species, the {{wp|northern pike}}, {{wp|perch}}, {{wp|trout}}, and others are plentiful in Volkia's rivers and lakes. Fish present along the coast include {{wp|cod}}, {{wp|flounder}}, {{wp|turbot}}, and numerous others. {{wp|Atlantic salmon|Iturian salmon}} remains a favorite of {{wp|fly rod}} enthusiasts.

Winters in southern Volkia (when mean daily temperature remains below 0 °C or 32 °F) are usually about 100 days long, and in the inland the snow typically covers the land from about late November to April, and on the coastal areas such as [[Izmurud]], snow often covers the land from late December to late March. Even in the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to −30 °C (−22 °F) although on coastal areas like Izmurud, temperatures below −30 °C (−22 °F) are very rare. Climatic summers (when mean daily temperature remains above 10 °C or 50 °F) in southern Volkia last from about late May to mid-September, and in the inland, the warmest days of July can reach over 35 °C (95 °F). Although much of Volkia lies on the {{wp|taiga}} belt, the southernmost coastal regions are sometimes classified as hemiboreal.

In northern Volkia, particularly in [[Kologorsk Oblast|Kologorsk]], the winters are long and cold, while the summers are relatively warm but short. The most severe winter days in Kologorsk can see the temperature fall down to −45 °C (−49 °F). The winter of the north lasts for about 200 days with permanent snow cover from about mid-October to early May. Summers in the north are quite short, only two to three months, but can still see maximum daily temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) during heat waves. Norindzhik Oblast and Kurilsk Oblast have a tundra climate.

The Volkian climate is suitable for cereal farming in the southern regions, while the northern regions are suitable for {{wp|animal husbandry}}.

[[File:Izmurod2.jpg|thumb|left|Izmurud is a major shipping port of Volkia.|link=Special:FilePath/Izmurod2.jpg]]