Tynic Sea
 Map of the Tynic Sea | |
| Location | Northern Nordania |
| Type | Sea |
| Primary inflows | Kongeelven, Dau River, Mies River, Götenselven, Witten River |
| Primary outflows | Great Sjealandic Belt |
| Catchment area | 3,283,120 km2 |
| Basin countries | Coastal: Sjealand, Swastria, Eibenland Non-Coastal: Pohjoinen Maa |
| Max. length | 2,130 km |
| Max. width | 1,1500 km |
| Surface area | 1,630,000 km2 |
| Average depth | 93m |
| Max. depth | 803m |
| Water volume | 132,100 km3 |
| Residence time | 21 years |
| Shore length1 | 15,631km |
| Islands | Largest: Orø, Jegindø, Vejrø, Föhr, Usedom, Langeneß, Slotø, Hjelm, Langeoog, Scharhörn, Skjoldø, Austvågøya, Børøya |
| Settlements | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The Tynic Sea is a mediterranean sea connected to the Voragic Ocean, surrounded by the Great Nordanian Basin and almost entirely enclosed by land: on the north by the Sjealandic Peninsula, on the east by mainland Nordania, on the south and west by the Great Zaminthar Peninsula. Although it is officially considered a part of the Voragic Ocean along with the nearby Sea of Njord, it is primarily considered as a separate body of water politically and culturally. The sea was created around 5.3 million years ago, as the Nordanian and Abenaki plates collided, forming the existing body of water, with the sea re-uniting with the voragic ocean after the end of the last ice-age, when the sea was re-filled by the Abeniean Flood as the sea-level rose.
The Tynic covers an approximate area of 1,630,000 km2 and is typically counted as ending in the Gyldensund Sound of the Great Sjealandic Belt, where the belt reaches its narrowest, at 31 kilometers. The Great Sjealandic Belt is a 230 kilometer long narrow part of the Tynic and Voragic, where the Great Zaminthar and Sjealandic peninsulas meet, creating a region of the sea with high amounts of traffic.
The Tynic Sea is a notably shallow sea, with an average depth of 93m and its deepest point, the Holver Deep, only just reaching 803m. Because of this the sea has generally seen a large amount of marine life, easy to catch thanks to the low depths. The sea was an important route for merchants and travellers of ancient times that allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region. The history of the Tynic region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies especially in Nordania, and relating to the Trans-voragic trade.
Definitions
Administration
The Treaty of Marine respect and law concerning the Tynic Sea, signed by Eibenland, Sjealand and Swastria in 1992, established the legal end of the Tynic Sea as a straight line extending south-east from the Erø island in the Gyldensund to Point Dergal in the Zaminthar Peninsula though generally the entirety of the Great Belt is included as the Tynic Sea, extending towards and included the Skjoldøerne (Shield Islands) archipelago of Sjealand. However the Gyldensund line is the one used by the Tynic Commission as their line of authority, limiting themselves and all Tynic Administration to the areas bound by this line.
In addition the Tynic Sea can also be divided into two basins, the northern and the southern basins. Generally these two are considered as connected by the Raterennothaohneka Strait, with the official boundaries between them remaining blurry.
Traffic History
Historically the Archkingdom of Sjealand, the dominant trade and maritime power in the region controlled the entrance to the Tynic Sea, and could at some times fully close off the Sea to outsiders or people from inside the sea. Additionally at some points in history the Sjealanders collected sound dues from passing ships in the Gyldensund, via the control of strategic fortresses on both sides of the sound, and with the strategic positioning of fleets in the area. The largest of these strongholds Gyldenborg still stands.
Oceanography
Geographers widely agree with the official legal borders, stating that the preferred physical border of the Tynic is a line drawn across the Gyldensund at its narrowest and shallowest. This is in part because of the Gyldensund representing the part of the Great Sjealandic Belts that is both narrowest and shallowest, like a small crest of hills separating the deepers parts of the belt from joining together. By this definition the actual Great Belt is left behind, with Gyldensund being part of the entrance, but the Little Belt part of the Tynic. This also leaves the large Bay of Erikshavn outside of the Tynic Sea, even though it historically was considered a part of he sea.
Hydrography and biology
Biology wise the preferred boundaries of the Tynic Sea have generally been of the Greater Tynic variant. Citing the extent of fertile and rich marine enviroments from all of the Tynic all the way out to the outer Skjoldøerne islands. Outside of this area the sea-floor gradually and generally deepens, leading to a different marine enviroment with more open water species in the water, distinct from those in the Tynic. If one does not include this part the Tynic generally has an abrubt stop in its marine life, rather than a gradual change as it approaches to Voragic.
Etymology
The first recorded use of the name Tynic Sea was by celtic cartographers encountering the sea and in the 1000's CE, referring to it as Mhuir na Tynnhair, named so because of the Tynic People who at the time inhavited all of the eastern coast from Holversahn to the entrance of the Tynic Sea. As a result the large amounts of Tynic People would have influenced early cartographers into referring to it specifically as the Sea of the Tynics. The name was likely adopted by Sjealandic cartographers as a replacement for the earlier Søndersø partly as a propaganda-move to imply Tynic supremacy in the region, with the name slowly spreading across the sea itself thanks to the large Sjealandic naval presence. The name Tynic (Tynsk in Tynic) itself is believed to have originated from the Proto Haemaslandic þiudiskaz meaning of the people, with the Tynic Sea thus meaning Sea of the People, there is archeological evidence that suggests that this was actually an old name for the sea and that the Proto and Old Haemaslanders referred to the Tynic Sea as the Sea of the People, because of their maritime culture.