Introduction ::The Confederacy of Independent Socialist Republics
Background:
Founded in the 11th century when the Qaraurda clan gained dominance over the local farming population and the neighbouring nomadic herding clans, the realms of the Qaraurda continued to expand for over 800 years until the two revolutions of 1840. After a failed liberal-backed revolution in July, the communists made an attempt later in the year that would prove more successful. A brutal civil war was interrupted by multiple foreign interventions, which led to the population coming together to support the communists against the imperialist invaders. Despite the socialist nature of their developing society, the CISR tended to be quite socially conservative until the 1960s. These new ideals of openness and an even stronger emphasis on decentralization revitalized the economy and drove the CISR's development. Over a span of more than four decades, the economy has achieved steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Geography ::The Confederacy of Independent Socialist Republics
Location:
The cold and frostbitten north.
Area:
total: 8,724,900 sq km
land: 8,099,700 sq km
water: 625,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
roughly 85% the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 12,185 km
border countries: Yasashii, Rustonia, Grandais, Kazmatistan
Coastline:
12,034 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate:
ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of west; subarctic to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Verkamor coast to frigid in far north; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain:
mostly vast flat steppe, vast coniferous forest and tundra in the north, much marshland and flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills in the west and north west, ancient mountains and hills to the southwest and extreme northern and eastern regions
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Verkamor -25m
highest point: Qan Goktangiri 6,995 m
Natural resources:
wide natural resource base including major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium, tungsten, timber, peat deposits, granite, potash, diamonds, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay, and many other strategic minerals, arable land, hydropower, reserves of rare earth elements
Land use:
arable land: 8.28%
permanent crops: 0.15%
other: 91.57% (2005)
Irrigated land:
35,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3,645 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 320 cu km/yr (17%/47%/34%)
per capita: 1,160 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Dolgastan and the western parts of the country, earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Verkastan
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides
Geography - note:
large country in terms of area but unfavourably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture
