Fijral Volcano

File:Fijral.png

The southern flank of the volcano

The Fijral Volcano (pronounced /'ði.ʑəl/, in Vyvlander: Volkan Fijral) is a large dormant volcano located in central Vyvland, on the border between Pegerm and Plains provinces. Due to its prominence, it has been a notable feature for many years, while its nearby fertile soils have attracted settlers for generations; Vyvland's ancient and modern capitals, Pegerms and Lorence, lie on the volcano's flanks. The Fijral area was Vyvland's second national park.

Geography

The volcano rises sharply out of the central plains of Vyvland, to a height of 990 metres. As such, it is highly prominent, and contains many diverse ecosystems on its protected flanks, the majority of which are part of the Fijral National Park.

Geologically, much of the volcano is composed of hardened lava flows, which are generally newer the closer to the surface they are. Although the volcano has not erupted for 800 years, some lava flows still clearly exist in the volcano's south and west; most notably that which destroyed ancient Pegerms in 1037.

History

The volcano has been a focal point for people from ancient times until the modern day. The prominence of the peak, and its central position, meant that it was a natural focus for inter-tribal affairs, and as such, the city of Pegerms became the de facto capital of Vyvland as the point where the Old Confederacy tribes met. However, upon the volcano's eruption in 1037, Pegerms and its cultural prominence were destroyed. However, the de facto capital city gradually drifted to Lorence, on the northwestern side of the volcano, which remained a semi-independent city-state for much of its existence, and was known, similarly to Pegerms before it, as a great centre of culture and learning.

The volcano itself was viewed as a holy site in the middle ages, and was prevented from human habitation or influence. As such, it remained unfarmed and a pristine natural wilderness, with 90% of the National Park area remaining ancient woodland.

Uses

The volcano is visited by millions of domestic and international tourists each year, while sites around it, such as ancient Pegerms, are well known tourist spots. The thermal springs caused by the volcanic activity are used to heat the water of many public bathhouses round the volcano.