Thule
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Crown Territory of Thule
Kroyn Teritorye fun Thule | |
|---|---|
| Country | Belhavia |
| Capital | North's End |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Shimon Asher |
| • President of the Territorial Senate (unicameral) | Rochel Eisenpress |
| • Mayor of North's End | Chanie Weissman |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 5,033 |
| • Rank | 35 |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic composition | Belhavian Jews: 71.6% Estovnians: 20.1% Yakimese: 8.3% |
Thule, more formally known as the Crown Territory of Thule, is a populated arctic high island in the Arctic Ocean. It is the northern-most Belhavian colonial territory, as well as the most northern settlement with a permanent civilian population in the world. The closest landmass is uninhabited Arctica, approximately 536 miles north of the island. The next closest landmasses (both inhabited), are the tip of northeast Estovnia approximately 2840 miles southwest and the northern-most tip of Belhavia proper, approximately 3525 miles southwest.
The island was first taken into use as a whaling base in the 18th century. Coal mining started at the beginning of the 20th century, and several new settlements were expanded from existing permanent communities. The 1946 Act of Good Will established Thule as a free economic zone and a demilitarized zone for twenty years. Several mining companies, including Northern Expedition Company and Gray Mineral Exploits LLC, maintain operations on the island. Research and tourism have become important supplementary industries, with the Imperial Provisa University in Thule (IPUT) and the Almania Arctic Research Center playing critical roles. Roads connect the southern-most settlements, while snowmobiles, aircraft, ice roads, and boats serve inter-community transport to and around the north of the island. North's End Airport serves as the main aerial gateway for civilian craft, while Eisenpress Imperial Air Force Base handles military flights.
The island and its surrounding islets feature an Arctic climate, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The flora take advantage of the long period of midnight sun to compensate for the polar night. Thule is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer, the Arctic fox, and certain marine mammals. The island feature many mountains and fjords.
Geography and climate
Thule is classified as the island, islets, and skerries within Thule's territorial waters. All settlements are located on Thule itself, except the meteorological outposts on Simcha's Rock, an islet off the northwest coast.
Since Thule is located north of the Arctic Circle, it experiences midnight sun in summer and polar night in winter.
Glacial ice covers 60% of the island; 30% is barren rock while 10% is vegetated. The landforms of the island were created through repeated ice ages, when glaciers cut the former plateau into fjords, valleys and mountains.
The island has permafrost and tundra, with both low, middle and high Arctic vegetation. 237 species of plants have been found on the island and islets. Only those areas which defrost in the summer have vegetations, which accounts for about 10% of the island.
While there is little precipitation, giving the island a steppe climate, plants still have good access to water because the cold climate reduces evaporation. The growing season is very short, lasting about 1-3 months at the most.
Wildlife
In addition to humans, three primarily terrestrial mammalian species inhabit the archipelago: the Arctic fox, the reindeer, and the Northern voles. There are fifteen to eighteen types of marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, seals, orcas, walruses, and polar bears.
About twenty species of bird are found on Thule, most of which are migratory.
History
Discovery and early settlement
Role in trans-Arctic routes
19th century colonial tensions with Estovnia
1934 Yakimese plot
Great War
Cold War
Post-Cold War
Demographics
Ethnically, 3604 Thuleans are Belhavian Jews, 1012 are Estovnians, and 412 are Yakimese, with 8 residents being classified as "Other."
Nearly 80%, or over 4,050, of the population lives in North's End or the nearby southern settlements.
Government and politics
The crown territory is a quasi-self-governing colony, with its Governor appointed by the Imperial Crown but its voters elect their local representatives, including a 9-member unicameral Territorial Senate that serves as both the territory's legislative and judicial body as well as North's End city council functions. Each settlement, including North's End, elects its own mayor.
The incumbent governor is Shimon Asher and the President of the Territorial Senate is Rochel Eisenpress; both are Tories, while the Mayor of North's End, Chanie Weissman, is a Liberal Democrat.
With a population of just over 5,000, local politics has been described as close-knit and "personality-driven." However, partisanship is also relevant, as the territory is a Conservative stronghold.
Military
North's End, Thule, serves as the headquarters of the Imperial Belhavian Navy's 6th Fleet (Arctic Command). The armed icecutters HIM Icecap and Ice Trekker, both of the Icecap-class, are stationed at the island, as is the Vallant-class guided-missile destroyer HIM Arctic Night. A detachment of the Imperial Marines, the 44th Light Marine Rifles 'Northern Lights' Company is deployed to the island as a garrison.
Law enforcement
There are 15 law enforcement officers on the island. The DISE has a small field office in North's End with two permanent Imperial agents. There are three rotating sheriffs who patrol the northern villages and mining towns. North's End has a chief of police and 9 deputies in the south.
Out of administrative ease and by convention, the North's End police chief is the highest-ranking police official for local and territorial law enforcement on the island.
Economy
Media
Transport
Thule serves as a final destination for Imperial Continental Airways' Arctic Express line, which runs a twice-weekly "Thule to Esperamos Illa" Route with a stopover in Rejnystaðyr, Estovnia. The airline, which has three small commuter jets, has regular flights on Sundays and Wednesdays on its trans-Arctic flight to Esperamos Illa. Arctic Express also has twice-weekly flights to Port Farfroyren, Belhavia, and Niva, Estovnia, for connecting flights to larger airlines.
The main roadway, Route 1, totals about 47 miles of pavement before giving way to seasonal ice roads.
The island's northern-most settlement, Totemo Samui (a fishing village, research center, and mining refinery), has an air strip for small private planes to make cross-island flights as weather permits.