Forum:Territory application/AN107 - São Laurenço and São Cristóvão Islands

Forums → Territory application → Territory application/AN107 - São Laurenço and São Cristóvão Islands

	Territory ID and proposed name
	The Territory ID (from OpenGeofiction:Territories, e.g. AR123a) and proposed name of the country

AN107^∈^⊾- São Lourenço and São Cristóvão

Hello! My name is Juan&don and I hope that I can acquire the territory of AN107. I chose the Name, São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands.

First of all, let me tell you about the inspiration. São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands are inspired by São Tomé and Principé, as well as Madeira, Mainland Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Azores.

	Physical geography
	An overview of climate, topography and landscape of the country. It is advised to also create a sketch, you can add a link to this (hosted on imgur or similar)

Topography - São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands are a tropical Portuguese-Atlantic Style Island Nation. São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands is divided into two main islands, São Lourenço, the larger of the two, and São Cristóvão, the smaller island.

São Lourenço is one big volcano, with the whole centre of the island being a dense jungle-covered Mountain. São Lourenço is an island with tons of waterfalls, scenic beaches, and beautiful landscapes that build its more tourism-based local economies, like in small towns and some cities, such as the Capital.

São Cristóvão is an island that is focused on agriculture because of its more flatter landscape, the highest evelations are only a few hills in the centre and to east, and the loads of farmland available makes São Cristóvão a way less populated island, with about half of the island being farmland. São Cristóvão is covered in lakes as well. In the south there is the Parque Nacional dos Lagos Vermelhos (Red Lakes National Park). This park is given its name for the apparent, almost twenty, reddish-orange lakes that dot the landscape, in-between these lakes are huge expanses of forests.

Minor Islands of the Nation include São Tiago Island, and Martinho Island which are small, rocky, jungle covered islands to the south near the border with AN108.

Climate - Both islands have about the same climate, so warm, humid, and a typical equatorial-Atlantic climate. Though, on the peak of São Lourenço Island, with the mountain (I don’t have a name yet) being colder and snow capped, surrounded by clouds almost every day of the year (inspired by Saint Kitts and Nevis).

	Human geography
	A brief description of the territory demographics, economic development, land occupation, infrastructure and mapping style

Cities - cities are interesting, as there is only 4 cities in the country. The capital, São Lourenço (city) is in the North east of São Lourenço island, and there is two other cities on São Lourenço Island with the capital. São Cristóvão though, has only one city, Porto da Coroa, a port city in the north. Every other town and village though, are way smaller (besides near the bigger cities). Most of the towns and Villages on São Cristóvão are agriculturally based, and have large farmland surrounding them. São Lourenço, on the other hand, has tons of port towns and only a few inland towns because of the vast expanse of the jungles and the volcano. Most towns, and villages on São Lourenço are tourism based, besides some towns in the southwest, which are more industrial with large coal mines and sulphur mines.

Economy - both islands are unique in their economies from each other.

São Lourenço is based in tourism and mining. São Lourenço is covered in natural splendor and beauty, something that is majorly profitable for São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands. Mining is also prevalent with sulphur, coal, manganese, cobalt, and gold all throughout the one island.

São Cristóvão is an agricultural powerhouse in the nation, with over half of the island being farmland. Tourism is also prevalent in the south with the national parks (there are going to be 3) and the old towns of both São Paolo, and Santo Dominó, two quite sizable towns on the island.

Road Network - there is a series of highways that go around both islands, as well as a few on the Minor islands of São Tiago Island and Martinho Island. Most roads through the centre of São Lourenço island are switch backs and are inspired by Madeira. Highways and notable roads are labeled with SL on São Lourenço, SC on São Cristóvão, and MI for São Tiago Island and Martinho Island.

Public Transport - Two major airports, on train line, from connecting almost every mine in the nation, are the major transportation services of São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands. Bus networks connecting the cities and towns, and ferries connecting all 4 islands to each other are smaller options of transport as well. There are also a handful of airports, which act as another option besides ferry to get from one island to another.

Provinces - there are 8 Provinces on São Lourenço Island, and 5 Provinces on São Cristóvão Island. There are also two Territorial Provinces, which are São Tiago Island and Martinho Island. Each province can elect 2 representatives.

	History & culture
	A brief description of the intended culture and language

History - São Lourenço and the São Cristóvão Islands (SLSC) is a former colony, of whatever Portugal is in OpenGeoFiction. (If you could answer what Portugal is, I would greatly Appreciate it). SLSC was discovered by a group of sailors looking for land to colonize in the Marginal Sea, and wanted to be apart of the colonization of this region. After they landed on São Lourenço, they founded São Martinho, the oldest town in the country. São Lourenço was a majorly profitable colony, as both gold and copper were discovered on the island, which boosted their profits. Around a month after São Martinho was founded, São Cristóvão was discovered and the soil was found to be perfect for agriculture, so the first major farms were founded on the island of São Cristóvão. In about four hundred years of colonial rule, SLSC declared independece and was granted it in a series of battles in which SLSC won. Major reforms occurred after their independence on May 18, which became the first federal holiday created after independence. A coup d’état in 2002 led to a new, Communist dictatorship and civil war on the island which was ended in 2006 by interventions by other nations (Federal States of Archanta) which led to a new democracy in SLSC.

Culture - Portuguese is the main culture of SLSC, with both the language and the people being Portuguese. SLSC has many diverse foods, regions, and many other things that can divide the nation into two cultures, North Islander, and South Islander. North Islanders live in more urban environments, while South Islanders live in more rural environments and communities.

Political System - SLSC is a democracy, in which you can vote for a representative for your Province. Each province gets 2 representatives. These representatives both represent their Province, but also can vote for a president. This president is elected only after a second vote, not by the representatives, but instead by the people of SLSC. Throughout SLSC’s history, they have voted more Conservative, and have strayed far from a left wing political party four almost two decades after the coup d’état in 2002. There are about ten political parties, they include a far-left party, a liberal party, a green party, a communist party, a conservative party, an agricultural party, a socialist party, a far-right party, a national party, and a nationalist party. A president can serve for only 4 years, and can be reelected only 1 more time (the coup established an amount of times a person can be president because of the incident).

Power Sources - Coal power plants are the main source of energy in SLSC, with 6 power plants being up and running providing power and electricity to the islands.

	Past mapping
	To support your request provide links to areas of OGF mapping which showcase your mapping skill. Mapping relevant to the requested theme & geography is especially useful
	The {{coord}} template can optionally be used to link to the OGF map - it results in a nice formatted link. Or you can paste in a URL.

I have mapped in BG24, Michisaukee (Lancaster), Il-Kalkara (Sirakuza), and Sainte-Agnès (Beliercourt and Saint-Marc-du-Jumelle). I have created mountains, forests, cities, towns, lakes, reservoirs, and many more.

	Username & date
	Sign and date the application by typing four tildes like this: ~~~~

This is probably my most detailed territory application, and I hope it pays off.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFm9iP-JMs/k4FeS-poWSTMviLoiYoDSQ/edit

Sincerely, --Juan&don (talk) 19:07, 26 June 2023 (UTC)

	Discussion
	Discussion for clarification & decision

Hi Juan&don and thank you for your application.

I have a few questions and remarks:

Territory ID and proposed name
- I have no objection on the name, but if you are to choose Portuguese as your mapping language, I would have the relation tagged as name:São Lourenço e São Cristóvão, with an optional name:en:São Lourenço and São Cristóvão. Only name is rendered on the map.
- Do you feel confident enough in Portuguese? Most of the names you used in your mapping, including BG24, are English or French-looking.
- This AN107 twin islands on the OSM map. You may see that they're about the same latitude as Rio de Janeiro (or ~Havana, Cuba for the Northern Hemisphere). Among the territories you cite, Saint Kitts and Nevis is likely to be the closest (17°N vs 22°S) in terms of landcover.
Physical geography
- AN107 islands are small: the larger island is ~429 km²/166 sq mi (Barbados is 430 km²), the smaller ~212 km²/166 sq mi (Saint Croix, USVI is 214 km²), for a total of roughly 640 km^2</sup>. This may give you some references for size of the territory and how it might be difficult to conceive the smaller island as being half-covered in farmland, lakes and "huge expanses of forests".
- If São Tiago and Martinho islands are to be added, they could be islets, given the short distances between each territory islands.
- For climate and its impact on natural landcover, agriculture; have a look at Cuba or Yucatán, both situated at equivalent latitudes to AN107 and on the same continental side.
- Snow-capped volcano: at these latitudes, the snowline is at 5,000-6,000m/16,400- 19,700ft. I'm rather unsure such a small island may such steep slopes and still be habitable.
Human geography
- As for physical geography, please consider the size and the location of these islands for anything dealing with population density, road network, public transport or administrative subdivisions, resources...
- As I'm not an expert, I'm unsure sulphur, coal, manganese, cobalt, and gold ore may occur in the same geological formation. Please have a look at real-world examples to ensure that such a precise list is possible.
History & culture
- Florenscenta is expected to be OGF Portugal. NB: Marginal Sea is just a generic term for unnamed bodies of salt water.
- For "Portuguese" colonisation history, you may want to contact User:BMSOUZA who owns lusophone territories a few hundreds kilometres east of AN107.
- For implication of other territories, e.g. the FSA, please collaborate with their owners or coordinators as this may differ from their views on their own territory.
Past mapping
- Could you please provide link to the past mapping you'd like to showcase for this application?

Thank you, --Aiki (talk) 20:44, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
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Thank you for respond Aiki. I will answer the questions you have.

The name, São Lourenço e São Cristóvão is fully in Portuguese, so I will use that.
- My Portuguese is not the best, but I know about 100-200 words, and if I need to, I will use Google Translate, or Use real world city and town names from Portugal, Brazil, Madeira, or the Azores for towns on the Islands. Also, I am from Ohio, I am not exposed to other languages like Portuguese often, and I can’t travel so I am not the greatest at other languages.
- I chose AN107 because I liked the location, and I wanted to see if I could get a Island Territory, and the amount of islands surrounding it reminds me of the Caribbean, so that is what I am going for in terms of Climate, and other geographic factors. I chose other places like Trinidad, Madeira, Portugal, and other places as inspiration for road layouts, natural features, and towns.
Physical Geography
- the smaller island, São Cristóvão is supposed to be very underpopulated and covered in farmland, with only small pond-sized lakes. The rest of the island would be covered in forests, i.e. the “huge expanses of forests” (maybe not so huge though).
- São Tiago e Martinho Islands can be islets instead of islands. (Though, I was thinking of the two islands as more like the Grenadine Islands, or the virgin Islands, where they are small islands.)
- Thank you for pointing out Cuba and the Yucatán for Inspiration.
- The snow-capped volcano is inspired by Nevis, in Saint Kitts and Nevis, which is around the same latitude, and is not the largest of Caribbean Islands, like what I was hoping for São Lourenço. The almost uninhabitable sheer cliffs and steep terrain, while it provides constraints, can offer for a Madeira inspired natural landscape.
Human Geography
- I will take into consideration the landscape, climate, and other geographic features into account if I get this territory when making towns, villages, roads, cities, public transport, and other infrastructure.
- Sulphur, I will take of the list because after further searches, I couldn’t find any sulphur in the Caribbean. Gold, is a mineral found throughout The Caribbean, and Manganese and Copper are also abundant throughout islands like Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, as well as the Yucatán, Costa Rica, and other Caribbean areas and countries. As for Cobalt and Coal, Cobalt is found all through out the windward Islands, Lesser Antilles, and the Greater Antilles. Coal though, in reality is only found on Anguilla in the Lesser Antilles, so its not out of the ball park, but I could probably drop coal from my list of natural resources. (Also, Anguilla is somewhat the size of Saint-Croix, so I could see coal maybe being on São Cristóvão Island instead of São Lourenço.
History & Culture
- Thank you for pointing out what OGF’s Portugal is. I had a feeling that Marginal Sea was just a filler and not permanent.
- Thank you for pointing put that user, I will definitely contact him if I do get this territory.
- Okay, I was just throwing out a name of a territory like the US, and the Coup I was thinking of could have resulted in a somewhat Grenada-like invasion from the FSA, and If not, I can just make a scenario where the people rise against their Dictator.
Past Mapping
- here are some of the links
- [1] (Sirakuża, Il-Kalkara)
- [2] (Lancaster, Michisaukee)
- [3] (Saint-Marc-du-Jumelle, Sainte-Agnès)
- [4] (Béliercourt, Sainte-Agnès)
- (you said you’ve already seen BG24, so no link for it.)

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Thank you for responding Aiki, this is the farthest i’ve gotten in a territory application, and I can’t wait for your response!

Sincerely, Juan&don (talk) 00:59, 29 June 2023 (UTC)
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Thank you for these elements.

Territory ID and proposed name
- You should refrain from using real world city and town names. Generic names such São Paulo are alright for a small town, for example, but less so for a major city. What I meant, with being confident in Portuguese, is being able to name streets or settlements with reasonable ease.
Physical geography
- São Cristóvão ponds are indeed better, given the 12x13 mi size of the island. For the forests, you may have a look at the Lesser Antilles (some of them): forests tend to remain on hills, mountains/volcanos flanks (where the steep slopes make it hard to live) or in coastal areas outside main settlements.
- As said, the distance between existing islands makes it hard to add large-size pieces of land.
- Nevis has no snow-capped volcano. From what I understand, Pico Duarte (the highest peak in the region), may experience, at best, frost.
Human geography
- I haven't found any mention of coal being extracted on Anguilla. Usually coal deposits are some 60 millions old, I'm unsure Anguilla was around then. If you really want to have any mining industry, please consider the size of the island (with real world examples, e.g. Nauru) for its impact on the landscape and output (how much the island can extract). NB: Saint Croix is twice the size of Anguilla.
Past mapping

Thank you for the links.

I've made a draft based on your description and our conversation. It may help you for design your country on the map.
AN107 is yours.Here are São Laurenço and São Cristóvão relations. Other useful relations have already been mentioned above. Happy mapping! --Aiki (talk) 17:46, 1 July 2023 (UTC)

	Territory application approved
	Request approved, please note that BG24 will be marked for withdrawal. --Aiki (talk) 17:46, 1 July 2023 (UTC)
	As you develop your territory, be sure to keep it realistic. Here are some resources you may find useful for starting out: Help:Portal, Help:Making realistic countries, Help:Making realistic cities and OpenGeofiction:Site policies

Thank you so much Aiki! I will take into consideration all of the points you’ve made and the map is splended, I will most certainly use that as a refrence!

Thank you, Juan&don (talk) 22:52, 1 July 2023 (UTC)