Coonic Islands

Republic of the Coonic Islands
Flag
Capital and largest city	Malloe
Government
• President	Vejas Sukaitis
Population
• 2024 estimate	724,300
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy

The Republic of the Coonic Islands, most commonly known as the Coonic Islands, is an archipalegic nation located in the northern Samson Ocean, separated from the mainland of Nortua by the Vyking Sea. The islands have a population of around 724,000 people, with around half concentrated in the capital and largest city of Malloe, and the remaining population scattered across remote fishing towns like Lórshavn and Lúsarn. The terrain of the islands are rugged, and the subpolar oceanic climate is windy, wet, cloudy, and cool. Despite the northerly climate, the temperatures are moderated by warm ocean currents and average above freezing throughout the year, hovering around 12 °C (54 °F) in summer and 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. As a result of its northerly latitude, the islands experience perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days.

Geography

The Coonic Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands (and a total of 779 islands, islets, and skerries) about 655 kilometres (407 mi) off the coast of Northwestern Nortua, between the Vyking Sea and the North Samson Ocean. Its closest mainland neighbors are Great Alescoll and Styrae. The islands cover an area of 4,399 square kilometres and have small lakes and rivers, but no major ones. There are 4,117 kilometres of coastline. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs.

Climate

The climate is classed as subpolar oceanic climate according to the Köppen climate classification: Cfc, with areas having a tundra climate, especially in the mountains, although some coastal or low-lying areas may have very mild-winter versions of a tundra climate. The overall character of the climate of the islands is influenced by the strong warming influence of the Samson Ocean, which produces the North Samson Current. This, together with the remoteness of any source of landmass-induced warm or cold airflows, ensures that winters are mild (mean temperature 3.0 to 4.0 °C or 37 to 39 °F) while summers are cool (mean temperature 9.5 to 10.5 °C or 49 to 51 °F).

The islands are windy, cloudy, and cool throughout the year with an average of 210 rainy or snowy days per year. The islands lie in the path of depressions moving northeast, making strong winds and heavy rain possible at all times of the year. Sunny days are rare and overcast days are common.

An oceanside village with different weather in the distance

The climate varies greatly over small distances, due to the altitude, ocean currents, topography, and winds. Precipitation varies considerably throughout the archipelago. In some highland areas, snow cover may last for months with snowfalls possible for the greater part of the year (on the highest peaks, summer snowfall is by no means rare), while in some sheltered coastal locations, several years pass without any snowfall whatsoever. The capital of Malloe receives frosts more often than other areas just a short distance to the south. Snow also is seen at a much higher frequency than on outlying islands nearby.

Flora and fauna

The natural vegetation of the Coonic Islands is dominated by arctic-alpine plants, wildflowers, grasses, moss, and lichen. Most of the lowland area is grassland and some is heath, dominated by shrubby heathers.

The bird fauna of the Coonic Islands is dominated by seabirds and birds attracted to open land such as heather, probably because of the lack of woodland and other suitable habitats. Many species have developed special Coonic sub-species such as the common eider, common starling, Nortuan wren, and black guillemot. The pied raven, a colour morph of the North Samson subspecies of the common raven, was endemic to the Coonic Islands, but now has become extinct; the ordinary, all-black morph remains fairly widespread in the archipelago.

Only a few species of wild land mammals are found in the Coonic Islands today, all introduced by humans. Three species are thriving on the islands today: mountain hare (Lepus timidus), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and the house mouse (Mus musculus). Apart from these, there is a local domestic sheep breed, the Coonic sheep , and there once was a variety of feral sheep.

Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are common around the shorelines away from human habitations. Several species of cetacea live in the waters around the Coonic Islands. Best known are the long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melaena), which still are hunted by the islanders in accordance with longstanding local tradition. Orcas (Orcinus orca) are regular visitors around the islands.

The domestic animals of the Coonic Islands are a result of 1,200 years of isolated breeding. As a result, many of the islands' domestic animals are found nowhere else in the world. Coonic domestic breeds include Coonic pony, Coonic cow, Coonic sheep, Coonic goose, and Coonic duck.

Economy

A typical fishing town in the Coonic Islands

Economic troubles caused by a collapse of the Coonic fishing industry in the early 1990s brought high unemployment rates of 10 to 15% by the mid-1990s. Unemployment decreased in the later 1990s, down to about 6% at the end of 1998. By June 2008 unemployment had declined to 1.1%. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing and fish farming means that the economy remains vulnerable. The biggest private companies of the Coonic Islands is the salmon farming company Connifrost, one of the biggest in the world.