Orixtal Sea

Orixtal Sea
Location	Northern Ocean of Cathay
Type	Sea
River sources	Blue River, Rio Platino
Ocean/sea sources	Cathay
Catchment area	6,400,000 square kilometres (2,500,000 sq mi)
Basin countries	Alstin Ceylonia Pankara Porlos Sarolasta Tierrador Ulaga
Surface area	3,610,000 square kilometres (1,390,000 sq mi)
Average depth	2,541 metres (8,337 ft)
Max. depth	8,454 metres (27,736 ft)
Water volume	4,700,000 cubic kilometres (1,100,000 cu mi)
Residence time	95-130 years
Max. temperature	32 °C (90 °F)
Min. temperature	10 °C (50 °F)
Islands	2600+
Settlements	Alstin Dalton Pressley Lyleon Karrichas Wheatley Cuzco Prisamarina Porvaos Topatopaski Puerto Rosario Anders Santa Marina Pacuí

The Orixtal Sea is a body of water situated along the coast of southern Crona and the Alstinian Isles. It borders its parent ocean, the Cathay, along most of its western border and meets with the Polynesian Sea to the southeast depending on the defining boundary one uses. The Orixtal has played a key role in the early and recent history of Cronan civilization. Many historical trade routes from the Occident and the Alshari-Audonian world administrated by global powers such as Burgundie and Urcea ran through the Orixtal Sea, to Cronan civilizations such as the Qabóri Empire and the first Alstinian states. Eventually, as these civilizations grew apart from the Occident over the years, they began taking over the already-established trade routes. Companies such as the Qabóri Trade Company (now VTBC), South Cronan Trading Company, OTAC, Alstinian Trade Company, and the Trans-Cathay Trading Company help these countries to dominate the trade scenes on the Orixtal Sea and the surrounding Ocean of Cathay.

The Orixtal Sea takes up a total area of 3.61 million square kilometers, or 1.39 million square miles, making it one of the largest water bodies in the world, and taking up about 0.9% of all water area throughout the world. It is unclear where the bounds of the sea are, however, most geologists agree to use the 23rd parallel as the southern border between the Orixtal Sea and the Ocean of Cathay. The Orixtal Sea also encompasses a large number of islands, approximately 2,641 to be exact, ranging from tiny barrier islands to the vast Alstinian Isles on the western portion of the sea.

The Orixtal Sea has an average depth of 2,541 meters, or 8,337 feet, and the deepest recorded point was 8,454 meters, or 27,736 feet in the southern point of the sea, known as the Owalaana Point, about 243 miles south of the Tierradorian island region of Sonaxa. The water temperatures are mild in winter and warm in summer and give name to the Orixtal climate type due to the majority of precipitation falling in the cooler months. Its southern and eastern coastlines are lined with hot deserts not far inland, but the immediate coastline on all sides of the Orixtal tends to have strong maritime moderation.

The countries surrounding the Orixtal Sea in are Alstin, Tierrador, Ceylonia, Porlos, Pankara, and Ulaga. In addition, Sarolasta and Seváronsa, two overseas territories of Kiravia, along with Solemia and Lotoa, overseas territories of Cartadania, are scattered throughout the vicinity of the Orixtal Sea. The drainage basin encompasses a large number of other countries. The Orixtal Sea also serves as the inflow for several rivers, the longest being the Blue River, which runs through Tierrador and Ceylonia.

Human Use

The Orixtal Sea is a significantly important body of water in a geopolitical sense. The sea has historically been an important trade route between Tierrador, Alstin, southern Crona, and going to Sarpedon and the Occident. Numerous amounts of shipwrecks of trading ships that lie on the sea's ocean floor attest to a thriving trade dating back several centuries. Several historic trade ships carrying ceramics dating back to the 5th century until the 20th century were excavated under Tierradorian engineers as part of the Orixtal Historic Recovery Program (OHRP). In the 21st century, the sea is mostly dominated by Tierrador and Alstin as one of their biggest trading routes. The majority of the Orixtal Sea's eastern portion is dominated by the Tierradorian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while the rest is either claimed as Alstin's EEZ or it goes unclaimed.

Fishing and Biodiversity

The Orixtal Sea one of the most biodiverse water bodies in the world. Many unique species such as the Wheatley salmon, the Sonaxa saltwater crocodile, and the Porvaos blue crab are rampant throughout the entire sea. The sea is also home to many coral reefs along the coasts of South Crona and the Alstinian Isles. The fishing industry is mostly dominated by Alstin and Tierrador, though a number of disputes have occurred with other nations throughout Crona and the Occidental world. One of the most notable disputes over the Orixtal Sea were the Salmon Wars, which occurred from 1993 to 2003 and involved Burgoignesc fishing ships illegally fishing and exploiting the abundant marine resources, leaving thousands of Tierradorian fishermen with little catches during the season. Eventually, with the development and implementation of more advanced radar technology along with the rising number of arrests made by the Tierradorian MDA, representatives from both nations eventually agreed on the Burgo-Tierradorian EEZ Exploitation Settlement in 2003, which let to heavy compensation for Tierradorian fishermen and the outlawing of Burgoignesc and other foreign fishing ships on the Orixtal Sea.

Shipping

Not only is the Orixtal Sea rich in natural resources, such as petroleum and natural gas, it also serves as one of the largest trade routes in the world. The sea primarily serves as the main trade route between Tierrador, Alstin, and Ceylonia, however many other nations from the Occidental world are included in the various Orixtal trading communities.