Saxalin Islands

The Colony of Saxalin is a Kiravian colony located on an archipelago of three large islands in the Absurian Ocean.

Geography
The Saxalin Islands have a diverse landscape harbouring numerous niche microclimates and unique ecosystems. Due to the isolation of the archipelago, much of its flora and fauna are.

History
The Saxalin Islands have no native population, remaining unpeopled for millennia due to their remoteness and the harsh conditions of the surrounding ocean.

The islands were officially discovered by the Kiravian navigator Magloir Korentin of Ilánova, one day before the vernal equinox of 1772 AD. Korentin authorised a landing party to make landfall on what would turn out to be the largest of the three main islands and claim it for the Marble Emperor.

They were first settled in [YEAR] by Coscivians from Kiravia and Sydona. These early Coscivian colonists made their living primarily by fishing, farming, and keeping sheep and goats until serious mineral prospecting and the promise of mineral wealth attracted more emigrants to the remote archipelago.

Sunderance Era
For the duration of Kirosocialist rule on the Kiravian mainland, the Saxalins would remain under the control of the Æonara-based Federalist government. The Kiravian Union had designs on capturing the archipelago by means of a naval assault from Sydona, but these plans never came to fruition, as the government had other priorities, but the threat of invasion was credible enough to force the Federalists to divert a substantial share of resources to provide for the islands' defence. Occasional interdiction of seaborne trade to and from the islands occurred until the stabilisation of relations between the Federalist and Kirosocialist governments in 211YY.

The Sunderance was a difficult time for the Sakhalin colonists. Although the Federalist government subsidised the colony and its population as heavily as it could reasonably afford to, its resources were limited. Many Sakhalinites emigrated during this time: Some sought better fortunes in the economic hubs of Sarolasta and Æonara, while others, especially those with backgrounds in the local mining and timbering trades, crossed to the other side of the world for new opportunities in Porfíria and Thýstara.

Society & Culture
Denizens of the Saxalin Islands are known as Saxalites in Ænglish.

The ethnic makeup of the Sakhalins is 91% Coscivian, 6% Celtic, and 3% other (including Pelians, Skithanawites, Érhuans, Thrakoslavs, and Daxians).

The largest individual Coscivian subgroups in the Sakhalins are Austral Coscivians from Sydona, Australic Coscivians from Koré'hetanùa, Kandan Coscivians, Eshavian Coscivians, Arnórian and Norborian Coscivians, West Coast Marine Coscivians, Kaltan and Phrydhian Coscivians, and Æonaran Coscivians. Vibrant communities of Sēoran Coscivians (Kāloatem, Vespâniem, Koralem, Ibuskem), Tenebric Coscivians (Iruktem, Kibirskem, Krôysanyem), and Caspoärian Coscivians (Stelanovians, Cervonians), Pineratem, and Túkluskans have settled in previously undeveloped rural areas in the interior of the islands, and in the mining communities.

Economy
The economy of the Saxalin Islands is built atop a strong. The two most important components of the primary sector are offshore oil and gas extraction and mining on [island]. Several other minor mineral deposits are also currently being mined.

A major impediment to the colony's economic further development is its remoteness. Distance from foreign markets acts as a damper on industrial development and export-oriented growth, and high transport costs are passed on to Saxalinite consumers, resulting in a high cost of living. Since the Restoration and the Kiravian economic recovery, prospects have improved thanks to advances in transportation and telecommunications, the reöpening of the mainland Kiravian market to Saxalin commodities, a larger federal aid budget, and the growth of the service sector.

Tourism is very important industry in the Sakhalins. The islands' stark remoteness and natural beauty draw adventurous travellers from other parts of Kiravia and from abroad. Sakhalin is a major stopping-off point for.

The most profitable agricultural venture in the Sakhalins is the raising of sheep for wool. Hogs, goats, and a small number of Highland Ginger cows are also reared. Crop farming on the islands is limited mostly to staple foods such as potato, cale, barley, and rye, as well as feed crops for livestock.

Renewable energy
The stormy circumpolar waters surrounding the Saxalins have been identified as a potentially lucrative source of renewable energy. The first attempt at harnassing the violent sea winds was made in 2004, when the Contiguous Zone Authority issued a licence to Xéulev-based ElectricSlide SAK to erect an on the semi-submerged Reseda Shoals. The project was abandoned in October 2006 after a storm destroyed most of the construction infrastructure and killed eleven workers, leaving the company bankrupted by sunk costs. Salvage operations, for which ElectricSlide was was liable under the aforementioned development licence, were covered by the project's insurer, Berengar Marine of Kérvoak, and carried out by a Burgundine contractor, Remarque & Emmenoit Marine Salvage Services.