Geography of Cashar

Cashar is typically divided into six loosely defined topographic zones: the Cashari Desert, the Ramat Plains, the Marzjan and Walstret Mountains, the Sinka Oasis, the Pesodyna Mesas, and the Monran Coast. The largest of these areas are the Cashari Desert. The terrain in the Cashari Desert is quite flat and subject to areas of quicksand and brackish salt flats. The Ramat Plains are cut by the Oros River. Lake Sinka occupies much of the Sinka Oasis, making the areas around it quite rich in fertile soil suitable for agricultural development and pursuits. The next topographical area covers the Marzjan and Walstet mountain ranges stretching from the west and from the east respectively. The highest peak belongs to Mount Lazez in the Marzjan Mountains at 3,488 m. Northwest of the Marzjan Mountain range is the Pesodyna Mesas, an area of rocky hills and flat-top plateaus. Finally, there's the coastline which extends to about 3000 kilometers.

The beaches are well-maintained, white sandy shores with beautiful crystal-clear waters. Cashar takes a lot of pride in its pristine environment. Tourism and animal trade is such a big industry in Cashar that economic interests lie heavily in ensuring the environment remains clean. The highest point is at an elevation of 3,488 m, and the lowest point is at sea level. It typically faces temperature extremes and has two distinct seasons. The winter months bring comfortable daytime temperatures while summer months are dominated by the heat. Annually, Cashar receives anywhere from 76 to 500 mm of rainfall per year.

Topographic Zones

Cashari Desert

The Cashari Desert is by far the largest area occupying Cashar. It can be found in every state; though, it is excluded from areas such as the Marjan Mountains, Walstet Mountains, and the smaller Ramat Plains. It can be considered partly a subtropical desert and partly an arid rain-shadow desert due to the location of the Marjan and Walstet mountain ranges. Sand dunes and sand seas make up only a minor part of the desert as it is mostly characterized by salt flats, dry fields, and dry lakes. The Cashari Desert also consists of scattered shrubland which can generally be found around the coastal areas, the Oros River, and the Sinka Oasis; though, occasionally due to small amounts of rainfall, it can be found elsewhere. The Cashari Desert is a modernized, international name for the desert. Locally, it is referred to as the Ramaras Desert. Ramaras is a Ketek word that can be broken into two parts: "ram" which is the word for "sand" and "aras" which is the word for "many spirits."

Sinka Oasis

The Sinka Oasis.

The Sinka Oasis is a unique geographical feature and part of the Cashari Desert proper. It is located in the state of Danir. The oasis is centered around Lake Sinka, a freshwater lake which is about twenty-two square kilometers wide and 1,108 feet deep. The lake is thought to have formed as the result of an impact crater millions of years ago. The lake is largely fed by a natural underground aquifer. The Sinka Oasis gets its name from the Ketek word "sinka." It can be split into two parts: "sin" meaning "chest" and "ka" meaning "love." Roughly translated, it means "love chest" or "love in chest." It is generally meant to refer to a feeling of euphoria.

Ramat Plains

The Ramat Plains are a flat expanse of somewhat fertile land with very few trees. They are located primarily in the states of Shakel and Nykel. The plains are cut by the Oros River, which is largely responsible for the reason the plains exist in the first place. The word "ramort" is a Ketek word which can be split into two parts: "ram" meaning "sand" and "at" meaning "finished" or "end." Roughly translated, it means "sand end." This is referring to the fact that the Ramat Plains is one of very few places in Cashar that is not desert.

The Auros River.

Oros River

The Oros River is a singular river which exists in Cashar and stretches to 1,125 kilometers. It cuts through the Ramort Plains which are itself nourished by the river and through the states of Sostynak, Shakel, and Nykel, and ending in Krona. It is home to nearly 50 species of fish with about 20% being endemic. The Cashari people draw about 2 million cubic meters of water from this river each year as it is a major source of fresh water. The river gets its name from the Amiran word for "spirit" likely referencing the beliefs of Tabrodists especially given the Tree of Stones nearby.

Marjan Mountains

The Marjan Mountains are a mountain range which exist in southwestern Cashar. The range is mostly located in the state of Bitkan, but some of it stretches to the bottom tip of the state of Qindrak. The highest peak of the mountain is Mount Lazez which stands at 3,488 m. The mountain range gets its name from the Ketek word "marjan" which can be broken into two parts: "mar" meaning "stop" and "jan" meaning "wonder." It is generally taken to mean "wonder stop" referring to a place that is awe-inspiring. Mount Lazez gets its name from the Ketek word "lazez" which can be broken into two parts: "laz" meaning "birth" and "ez" meaning "from." It is generally taken to mean "from birth" which may refer to a Tabroda belief about the world and the Spirit of Stone.

Walstet Mountains

The Walstet Mountains are a mountain range which exist in northeastern Cashar. The range is located in the eastern portion of Shakel and Nykel and the southern portions of Krona and Drakam. The mountains are smaller, elevation-wise, compared to the Marjan Mountain range. The Walstet Mountains are home to an extensive network of caverns - one of which is the famous Almret Caverns, known for its cave paintings from early humans in Alharu. The mountains get their name from the Ketek word "walstet" which can be broken into two parts: "wal" meaning "tall" and stet meaning "proud." It is often taken to mean "proudly tall."

Pesodyna Mesas

The Pesodyna Mesas.

The Pesodyna Mesas are a unique geographical feature and part of the Cashari Desert proper. This area is known for its isolated, tabletop hills of varying sizes with the smallest coming in at .5 km and the largest coming in at 330 km. They lie primarily in the region of northwestern Bitkan and southern Qindrak. The Pesodyna Mesas get their name from the nearby city of Pesodyna, but in ancient times, they were also referred to as tabroda on proto-Madronian tablets.

Monran Coast

The Monran Coast is the coastline of Cashar which stretches to about 3,000 km. It is home to over 400 separate beaches which are kept pristine for tourists. The coastline is also where a majority of cities and towns congregate in Cashar due to much of the rest of Cashar being desert. It is not only an important part of the tourism economy in Cashar but also a valuable part of the ecosystem as it is home to several kinds of wildlife. One beach, in particular, is known as Javelina Beach for the rampant number of wild desert pigs who wander the beach and swim in the waters. The Monran Coast gets its name from the Monran Bight, which itself has origins in Ketek. The word "monran" can be split into two distinct parts "mon" meaning "wet" and "ran" meaning "slow." Roughly translated, it means "slow wet." It refers to the slow and rhythmic way in which water laps at the shore.

Fauna and Flora

Fauna

Cashar is known for being biodiverse due to its unique habitats, especially around the areas of the Monran Coast, the Sinka Oasis, the Oros River and Ramat Plains. The Cashari Desert is harsh and difficult to live in, but much smaller oases can occasionally be found and help the various animals thrive. Other animals are well-adapted to the Cashari Desert. Currently in Cashar, there are 87 mammal species, 548 species of birds (including 12 of which have been introduced by humans), 120 species of reptiles (mostly snakes and lizards with half of snakes being venomous), and somewhere around 12,000 to 17,000 species of insects. Domesticated animals include camels, sheep, goats, and chickens.

Mammals of Cashar

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  Desert Hare

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  Lion

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  Sand Cat

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  Camel

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  Gazelle

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  Hyrax

Birds of Cashar

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  Desert Magpie

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  Vulture

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  Hoopoe

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  Ramat Plains Sunbird

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  Crane

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  Secretary Bird

Reptiles of Cashar

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  Fan-footed Gecko

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  Agama

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  Sand Racer

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  Sand Boa

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  Desert Horned Viper

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  Cashari Tortoise

Insects of Cashar

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  Scarab

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  Jeweled Scarab

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  Leopard Butterfly

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  Desert Fritillary

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  Desert Flower Mantis

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  Oasis Bee

Flora

The Oros River and the Sinka Oasis are critical to Cashar's success as a habitable country. Crops grown in the Ramat Plains and in the Sinka Oasis include cotton, grains, legumes, olives, sorghum, carob, dates, figs, root vegetables, lemons, limes, cherry tomatoes, and peppers. Papyrus reeds are restricted to the far south of the Oros River. Other plants native to the area include acacia trees, palms, succulents, spiny shrubs, cacti, and grasses. In the coastal areas, condensation from clouds sometimes allow for the proliferation of mosses and lichen.

Plants of Cashar

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  Date Palm

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  Papyrus Reeds

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  A Type of Cacti in Cashar

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  Desert Grass

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  Agave - A Spiny Shrub.

Natural Disasters

Sandstorms

Sandstorms are common in Cashar as a result of the large amount of desert. These storms tend to carry large volumes of sand suddenly and unexpectedly. The main problems with sandstorms are their effect on agricultural, the ability to spread disease, and the fact that prolonged exposure can cause problems with the respiratory system. It is uncommon for sandstorms to cause physical damage to buildings; however, sandstorms can effect electrical equipment if the items are not properly covered. This effect can be more pronounced with bigger desert storms such as with haboobs which are a more intense sandstorm created by collapsed thunderstorms.

Earthquakes

Cashar is in a seismically active area as a result of the Thalassan and Alharun plates sliding against each other. Every ten years, it can be expected to have an earthquake that registers a 7 on the Richter scale.