Endless Snows

This region, including all nearby major islands, comprises nearly one-third of the total land mass of the continent. It is a panoply of various geoclimatic regions from Boreal forests in the south, Aspen parkland in the southwest, eventually becoming ice in the northern arctic regions. There are many volcanoes in the eastern half of the region divided into two distinct volcanic belts, one running north to southeast and the other running almost directly west to east along the Iron Mountains.

While the area may be inhospitable it is rich in many natural resources, which means that even the most difficult place to live will find small settlements. There are large deposits of iron, nickel, zinc, silver, copper, gold, tin, magnesium, manganese, and lead reserves. Large diamond concentrations are also known to be found in the northeast, but the land it is so difficult to survive that little as been mined.

Temperature vary not only north to south, but east to west as well. The southwest is the warmest region with winter temperatures average -5 to 10°F and summer averaging 70 to 80°F. While the northeast, the coldest area, has winter temperatures averaging -25 to -20°F with summer temperatures rarely getting above 50°F. These numbers do not take into effect the strong arctic winds that sweep across the land from the north to the southwest. These winds can drop the temperature another 15 to 20 degrees.

The weather is dominated by two large jet streams. The first runs from south to north along the nearly the entire western coastline of Miran. This brings with it warm air that moderates the temperature and enough rain during the summer months. The boreal forests found in this area are teeming with life and can sustain a moderate amount of agriculture.

The arctic jet stream is dry and bitterly cold, pushing from the north and continuing across the land in a southeasterly direction. These lands do not experience intense snowfalls because the air is not yet heavy with water, but instead are locked in year round ice (north) to snow (south). Only those areas that border the White Sea see any significant yearly precipitation.

The boreal forests (see taiga) that comprise the area along two-thirds of the western shoreline starting at the foot of the Iron Mountains is the most livable area. This very heavily forested region stretches along the Iron Mountains for several miles after the Gate of the Gods and then stretching like a crescent moon through the center and along the western shoreline until it reaches Leviathan Bay. The land in this forest is rocky and criss-crossed with large ridges, sharp valleys, and cold rivers.

North of the taiga is a vast tundra that stretches along the northern and most of the eastern coastline reaching nearly a third of the way towards the center of this region. Unlike the heavily forested areas to the south this area is nearly devoid of trees instead comprised of permafrost soil with mostly scrub, grasses, mosses, and lichen for vegetation. Very little life is found in this are and those that make this area home survival is a constant struggle.

The smallest sub-region is the area that borders the White Sea along the eastern shoreline. The White Sea and volcanic belts moderate the temperature and rainfall, but not enough to sustain large forests. The land is comprised mostly of volcanic ash which yields rich soil for agriculture and ranching, but the short summer season limits the area to mostly seasonal crops, cattle, and sheep.