Anirniq

Anirniq

The island as seen approaching from the east
Geography
Location	Winivere Bay
Area	30.43 km2 (11.75 sq mi)
Length	9.42 km (5.853 mi)
Width	3.23 km (2.007 mi)
Highest elevation	452 m (1,483 ft)
Highest point	Si'aati'shaa
Administration
Confederated Terrories of Awasin
Demographics
Population	42 (2021) Population consists of semi-permanent researchers and ecologists.

Anirniq (/ænjɪrnjiːk/) is an island in Winivere Bay and the only island territory held by Awasin. It is believed to have been discovered by Kaal'ga Jaad explorers in the ninth century and was inhabited by Ch'iyakem peoples from the tenth through the fourteenth centuries. Its name is a loanword from a northern language family term of the same name. Though mapped in 1696, it was not officially recognized as Awasi territory until 1886.

Due to its location within the bay and distance from the mainland the island was the site of a permanently-manned military installation from 1887 to 1963. It was demilitarized by 1965 and converted to its present state as a nature reserve, though various corporations and private interests have attempted to lobby for mining and whaling rights. As of 2021 the sole settlement on the island is a government research station on the island's western cliffs.

History

Remnants from unknown settlement

Blackhand Manor, Sdal'aan

Anirniq was discovered and inhabited sequentially by multiple coastal peoples from modern-day Awasin, forming the Daag'niaa culture. Remnants of seasonal settlements and deep-water canoes have been found in a cave dating to 1230-1570 CE. The Jaad name for the island is Jai'itt'agahdaw, which means 'island of cold rock.' Early Umbier explorer Coenraad Thanhoren sighted the island on his second expedition in the bay. Further exploration followed in 1699 and 1701 with much consideration given to the rich population of seabirds and southernly seals. From the early eighteenth century it was used as a base for fishing expeditions and seal hunts. Eggs of seabirds were harvested on regular bases until 1951.

Several settlements were constructed on the island in the 1750s, though none lasted longer than two winters owing to a lack of funding and declining availability of natural resources. The largest of these, Siiskutla, remains well-preserved on the beach of a northwestern inlet. Political upheaval and military presence on the mainland caused interest in Anirniq to dwindle until the newly-formed nation of Awasin declared the island an important strategic asset. Construction on a military base began in 1900, and by 1925 the island was home to just over 300 personnel.

Environmental treaties and protection acts signed in the late 1950s prompted a transitioning of many permanent outposts to research duties, and in 1963 Anirniq was declared a transitionary zone to be made a nature reserve. The island was mostly depopulated and removed of military equipment by 1965 though a small contingent of researchers and officers remained to protect the area in the interim until economic interest could be safely rebuffed. The base and surrounding village was converted to a research station, Sdal'aan, which is today the only populated region on the island. The station contains landing platforms for use by government helicopters and private ecological groups. It is recognized as a unique example of Awasi fusion architecture with numerous buildings in a distinctly Arthuristan style.

Multiple post-secondary trips and climatological studies are carried out on a biyearly basis. Amateur radio operators have conducted private expeditions in recent summers.

Geography

Hydrography

Awasi government agencies have conducted hydrographic surveys of waters around Anirniq throughout the 20th century. These were conducted first by the Moh'toya'omakawakin in 1922 and its successor, the Awasi Hydrographic Institute, from 1968 on. Water depths near the island and to the south and east do not generally exceed 90 meters (295 ft), but become much greater to the west, and especially 45 kilometers (24 nautical miles) to the north, where the shelf of the bay slopes off into much deeper water.

The island lowland contains only two freshwater lakes covering about 4 square kilometers (1.5 sq mi) in all. Several streams flow into the ocean, with multiple waterfalls along the northwestern coast. The northern third of the island is home to multiple small glaciers.