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Geography

Topographic map of Chanda:

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  3500-4000 meters

  3000-3500 meters

  2500-3000 meters

  2000-2500 meters

  1500-2000 meters

  1000-1500 meters

  500-1000 meters

  250-500 meters

Chanda's geography is dominated by the western Shalegho mountain ranges in the southeast and the east, with elevated highlands covering the majority of the country. To the northwest, the foothills of the Shalegho mountains mark the border between Ajahadya and Chanda. To the southeast, the mountains generally divide Chanda from Xiaodong, although several large valleys cut through it. In between, is the large Chandan Plateau, after which the country's exonym is derived.

The country can be divided into four distinct geographical regions, the lowlands, the Chandan Plateau, the Chandan Highlands, and the Southern Slopes. The Lowlands consist of hilly terrain lying less than a kilometer above sea level. Despite the lower elevations less than a quarter of Chandans live in this region. The Lowlands and the Plateau are separated by the Chandan Ridge, a relatively steep mountain face. Despite its name, the Plateau is not flat, with its average elevation between 1 kilometers and 2 kilometers above sea level. The plateau itself is a steppe with rolling hills and small lakes interspersed with mountain ranges that generally run parallel to the Shalegho and Biafo ranges. The Plateau makes up the majority of the country and is where most of Chanda's population lives.

The Highlands consist of the two main mountain ranges in the country; the Shalegho Mountains in the east and the smaller Biafo Mountains to the west. It contains the country's highest point, at 5,621 meters above seal level. The mountain divide traditionally marks the boundary between South Coius and Satria. The mountains also mark the southern boundary of the Bashurat River Basin; the headwaters of the Dakia, Kaa, and Skai river originate in the highlands. Due to the high altitude few Chandans live in this region. Dividing the Shalegho and Biafo mountains is a wide valley known as the Gurkhan Pass, at only 1633 meters above sea level. Geographically considered part of South Coius, the region of South Chanda is isolated from the rest of Chanda by the mountain ranges. Unlike the Plateau, the region has a relatively steep mountain slope and largely consists of ridges and valleys leading away from the mountains. Around one-third of Chandans live in this region, largely from the Tog Aholisi minority.

Climate

Climate map of Chanda

Chanda's climate is largely determined by elevation. In the Lowlands, with the border with Ajahadya, the climate is a hot semi-arid climate. In the Plateau, which covers a majority of the country, it is a cool semi-arid climate. In the Highlands there are a Solarian climates and various humid continental climates. In the mountain peaks, there is a icy mountain climate, with snow almost year round. In the South Region on the mountain slopes, there is a more mild oceanic and humid subtropical climates. However eventually gives way to more cool semi-arid climates.

The majority of precipitation arrives between from December to June as the remnants of storms from Ajahadya. Most of the precipitation from these storms falls in the mountains as snow. Temperatures across most of Chanda swing wildly throughout the year, with cold temperatures in winter due to its elevation, and hot summers. The only exceptions are in the mountain areas and high mountain valleys where it remains consistently cold or the southern slopes of the mountains at lower elevation which experiences more moderate temperatures.

Biodiversity

Corsac fox

Manoel

Coian lynx

Snow leopard

Argali

Goitered gazelle

Despite its largely dry climate, Chanda is home to diverse floral and fauna, espeically within the mountainous regions. There are ten nature reserves and nine national parks in Chanda that provide safe haven for many rare and endangered plants and animals. Chanda is commonly divided into into the Plateau biome and the Mountain biome, although each biome can be easily divided into a number of different biotic zones.

The Plateau biome is characterised by a semi-arid steppe that is generally considered to cover the Plateau itself and the Lowlands. Grassland and shrubland covers a majority of the biome as well as some desert vegetation, although some hardy trees make up sparse forests. The grassland steppe is a defining characteristic of the biome and the country's ecosystem as a whole. Due to the dry conditions the region, wildlife is most commonly found around the rivers that flow from the mountains into the Bashurat River Basin in the north. Common wildlife in this area include foxes, gazelle, deer,and the manoel cat.

The Mountain biome is characterised by colder and wetter weather with most of the precipitation falling as snow. As a result, the region forms the southern watershed for the Bashurat River Basin. Furthermore the rain shadow of the Shalegho causes the southern slope of the mountain to be warmer and drier. The biome is covered by forests at the lower elevations before the trees eventually give way to an subalpine zone. Above the tree line, is an alpine tundra devoid of large vegitation because of its elevation. Common wildlife in the region are suited to the mountainous terrain, which include the Snow Leopard, the Coian Lynx, and Argali.