NationStates

Basic Facts:
Nation - Urthigsville / Utigisase
Demonym - Urthigian / Utigi
Sentient Species - Human
Capital City (And Largest City) - Urthigsville / Utigihasho
Official Language - Urthigian / Utiginako
Motto - Never Alone In The Company Of The World / Nus'Konfome Wese Etemu Basu Gigamu
National Anthem - None
Government - Unlimited-Party Democracy, Voting Optional
Current President - Irikaso Bosi
Ruling Party - Modern Socialist Union / Asi Baritato Hasiti Kajoro, ABHK.
Land Area - 5,002km²
Population - 1,786,491
GDP - 45,020M USD
GDP Per Capita - 25,200 USD
HDI - 0.841
Currency - Nesalu (UNS)
Internet TLD - .ug
Drives On The - Left

Geography:
The nation of Urthigsville consists of the main island of Amuti, as well as the considerably smaller islands of Desomi, Gejero, Asatitu, Hetere, and the uninhabited islands of Siko and Sasote. Except for the northern half of Amuti, all of this area has a semi-arid climate, with low rainfall, hot summers and somewhat cold winters. The northern part of Amuti is devoid of all life, including humanity. It is a vast desert of varying sand and small, loose rocks, which reeks of sulfur. Traditional Urthigian belief is that this area is an ancient battlefield in the great war of the gods, cursed by the victorious deity, Hurako, so that none shall wake the souls of the losing gods that are buried in this land. The Urthigian government has persistently refused to grant permission for scientific researchers to enter this area, although recently there has been growing support for scientific examination of this area, known as the Eternal Graveyard, or Hatoro Safatiru. The seas surrounding the islands are generally very calm, and the beaches of the Genami and Rosutu bays are often considered among the best in the world. There is no volcanic activity in Urthigsville, though earthquakes aren’t unheard of.

The two halves of Amuti are divided by the Kesa mountains, which stretch from one end of the island to the other. Significant rivers that flow from the mountains include the Peferi, Dasa, Kesemitu, Faremo, Kisaneru, Etali, Jafi, and Koreliku. The Peferi and Faremo rivers mark the western and eastern ends of the border between the Hatoro Safatiru and the hospitable part of the island, respectively. The city of Urthigsville is located on the coastline within the delta of the Kisaneru river. Bosa lake, the only significant lake in the country, is located in the foothills of the Kesa mountains, in the area between the Kisaneru and Etali rivers known as the Esimalo plains. The highest point in Urthigsville is mount Kemirona, standing 2,833m high, within the Kesa mountains.

The Semata islands, comprising of Desomi, Asatitu and Gejero, are a cluster of three smaller islands near the western end of Amuti. They are almost completely flat, and have no rivers or streams. They mostly consist of horticultural farmland, with a few towns. As the only fresh water on any of these islands is limited to one or two small lakes, most water supplied to residents of these islands comes from desalinisation plants, of which there is one on each island.

Sasote island lies to the north of Amuti, and is considered a part of Hatoro Safatiru. It consists of a rocky, sulfurous desert, identical to the deserts of mainland Hatoro Safatiru. There is strong geological evidence that the island was once a peninsula of Amuti, which seperated over a million years ago.

Siko island is a tiny island, south-east of Kekera point. Like Sasote, it was once a part of the mainland, although it became detached much earlier. It is incapable of supporting much life, and as such no attempt has been made for humans to inhabit it.

Hetere island is a rather large island to the south of Amuti. It experiences more rainfall than the rest of Urthigsville, and forests there are much denser and consist primarily of palm trees and other tropical plants. It has one major river, the Bilanikaru, which is the main source of fresh water on the island. Toursim is a thriving business on Hetere, and regular ferries are scheduled between it and Urthigsville City. There have been rumours of the island’s desire to become an independent nation, as it earns so much money through tourism only to have it all go to people from the mainland; however, local authorities have consistently denied such intentions.

Fauna consists mainly of a variety of mammals and reptiles as well as several species of small, fast-flying birds. Insect life is mainly limited to creatures such as flies, bees and wasps, with small populations of harmless varieties of black ant. There are no known spiders anywhere on these islands. The national animal of Urthigsville is the Yellow Moose (Jakero in the Urthigian language), which is not actually a moose, but bears many similarities. Its fur is a sandy-yellow colour. Fauna of the island of Hetere also includes some tropical birds, as well as a number of species of amphibian.

Flora on Amuti, as well as Siko and the Semata islands, is primarily various types of long grass, interspersed with occasional clusters of large deciduous trees, including varieties of oak as well as trees native to the islands. Cacti, mainly of the prickly pear variety, are not uncommon. Recent governments have attempted, with limited success, to plant larger forests of a broader variety of trees, especially coniferous trees, in parts of Amuti. Geserano, a small, lavender-coloured flower, is very common in these islands, to which it is native. The Kesa mountains are mostly covered in tussock grasses. The flora of Hetere is completely different, with dense tropical forests with palm trees and other, similar trees. Many tropical fruits, particularly limes, bananas and pineapples, grow in abundance here.

Most major facilities in the country are located in Urthigsville City, with some services also on the tourist island of Hetere. The UICAS (Urthigsville International Combined Airport and Seaport) is located within the Kisaneru delta, to the east of Urthigsville City. There is a small airfield on Hetere, although most visitors travel to the island by sea. Ferries are the only method of transport to and from the other inhabited islands. UCNH (Urthigsville City National Hospital) is the primary hospital in the country, although a smaller hospital, HIH (Hetere Island Hospital) is located in the town of Kosari. A well-maintained motorway system connects all important towns on Amuti, with equally smooth roads traversing other islands. The nation’s only place of tertiary education, GUP (Great Urthigian Polytechnic) is located on the outskirts of Urthigsville City, although schools for primary and secondary, as well as preschool education, are present in most major towns on all islands. Crime is generally low, although there is a notable presence of thieves on the island of Hetere, taking advantage of wealthy tourists.

With a population of almost 1.2 million, Urthigsville City contains most of the country’s workforce. As industry in Urthigsville is mostly light, goods are seldom manufactured in the country. Most of the nation’s economy is based on natural resources, tourism, and administration and public services. Natural resources include cattle and sheep domestication, cereal crop farming near some rivers, freshwater fishing in most rivers as well as Bosa lake, offshore fisheries in Rosutu Bay, limited iron mining in the Kesa mountains, and tropical fruit plantations on Hetere island. Tourism, as stated before, is centered around Hetere, and most non-tourism-related businesses are based in Urthigsville City. Manufactured goods are imported from a variety of places. The state has partial control of both the national airline, U-Air, and the national shipping and ferry company, Urthigian Maritime, or UM. A popular joke is that if the national airline is called U-Air, surely the national shipping company should be called U-Boats! Electricity on Amuti is obtained mainly from wind turbines on the Kesa mountains, on other islands as well as parts of Amuti it comes from tidal turbines. There has been speculation the seas around Urthigsville could contain oil, the government is considering surveying some areas, but has not yet taken any action.