Betlands

"The Betlands" is a term referring to the region of Alstin on the Cronan Mainland located along the continent's southwestern coast, bounded by the Porlosi Gap to the north, the Pankaran Highlands along its northwestern limits, and the Gamboa River at its eastern edge. The region is administratively divided into the province of Equetus and the territories of Ante Magnum, Arsyra, Beclia, and Vertannia, and has a collective population of approximately 21 million according to 2028 estimates.

Etymology
The origin of the region's name to believed to have been derived from William Bet, an 17th century Alstinian explorer who surveyed much of the region beyond its coastline. As the region began to be settled, it initially known as William Bet's Lands, before being shortened with the passage of time to its current denomination.

Geography
The Betlands is a vast region bounded by the Porlosi Gap to the north, the Pankaran Plateau to the northeast, the Gamboa River to the east, and the Sea of Orixtal to the south and west. As a result, the region encompasses a wide range of climates, from the humid Mediterranean and subtropical climates of the coast, to the humid contintental climate of the southern interior, to the arid mountainous and highland of the Velyrian Uplands and the Panakra Plateau respectively.

The topography of the Betlands has been described as being akin to a "bent horseshoe" or a "cracked egg", as the defining feature in the central portion of the Betlands, a mountainous region known as the Velyrian Uplands, is nearly surrounded by the fertile expanse of the Bettish Plains, with the Pankaran Plateau connecting with the Velyrian Uplands from the north. Additionally, the region is inundated with rivers, many of which that separately flow into the Orixtal from sources in the Velyrian Uplands, the Pankaran Plateau and the Discosian Range. This multitude of rivers, collectively known as the Bettish Watershed system, combined with favorable climatic conditions and the ease of traversal on most these waterways, have contributed to the Betlands' reputation as one of the most abundantly fertile regions in Crona, as well as concentrating much the Bettish population across the coast and along the rivers.

History
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Economy
The Betlands have long been an agricultural powerhouse, accounting for 39% of all Alstinian agricultural output in 2030, with particular dominance in the domestic growing of corn, wheat and rye; This in turn has garnered the Betlands with the reputation of being the "Breadbasket of the Republic". In addition, the region is also a major producer of vegatables, bananas, oranges, sunflowers, cotton, tobacco, and indigo, with much of what is grown exported to either the Alstinian Isles or other countries in southern Crona, such as Asteria, Pankara, Porlos and Tierrador.

Aside from agriculture, the Betlands has a strong mining industry located predominantly in eastern Arsyra and northeast Equetus, a significant fishing and shipbuilding industry in Ante Magnum and Beclia, and a robust manufacturing and transportation sectors in both Equetus and Vertannia. Moreover, the service-oriented sectors are among the fastest growing in the region, with tourism, retail trade, insurance, banking and financial services spearheading much of the growth both in this sector, and the regional economy as a whole.

Culture
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