Ogdalen

State of Ogdalen; Ogdalen
	Flag
	Motto:; "Libertas Maxime (Liberty Above All)"
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Constituent state of	Federal States
Capital; and largest city	Adamsville
Official languages	Ingerish
Demonym	Ogdalenite, Ogdalenian
Government
• Governor	Jacob Skinner
• Lt. Governor	Casey Adams
	Area
• Total	19,642 sq mi
	Population
• Estimate	3,524,316
• Density	180/sq mi
HDI (2020)	0.903; very high
Timezone	WUT +10

Ogdalen (/oʊg'dɑlɪn/), officialy the State of Ogdalen, is a state in the Northeastern Federal States. With a population of 2,896,348 as of 2020, it is the __ largest state by population in the nation. It is bordered by Eustacia to the east, Connessee to the south, Michisaukee to the west, and Randalia to the north. Its capital and largest city is Adamsville. Other major cities include Graggville, Morganton, and Casper. It is one of the poorest, but most culturally rich states.

In pre-colonial times, Ogdalen was inhabited by several indigenous groups, including the Cherokees. In the ___s, it was settled by the Ingerish, however, due to its backcountry location, it was never settled to the extent as the coast. When the colonies became independent, Ogdalen was part of Eustacia, however on _____, it gained statehood, becoming one of the first new states formed after independence. Historically, Ogdalen's economy was based on agriculture, however, after slavery was abolished, it became a hub for manufacturing, especially automobiles, and it became the most industrialized northeastern state. Today, food production is also a major industry. Ogdalen has been influential on the development of several different music genres, including country, jazz, blues, and rock.

Ogdalen has diverse geography. In the north, along the border with Randalia, are the Toolegadah mountains, which are a heavily eroded and forested mountain range. In the west are the ___ mountains, which are part of the (Eastern Mountain Range), which consist of alternating ridges and valleys. This area has many plateaus with karst geology, with many caves, canyons, and waterfalls.

Biggest Cities in Ogdalen
Rank	Name	Population
1	Adamsville	354,575
2	Graggville	152,320
3	Morganton	105,664
4	Casper	78,405
5	Mentone	69,134
6	Summit	46,235

Etymology

The name of Ogdalen derives from the Cherokee village of ᎣᏓᎸ (o-da-lv), meaning something along the lines of mountain, which most likely referred to a village near present day Graggville, on the Cholotka River. The name was first found on maps around 1720, but was used to refer to the whole area around 1750. In 1765, the Ogdalen County was created in eastern Eustacia, and in 1771, the Ogdalen territory was created from the eastern part of Eustacia.

History

Precolonization

Exploration & Colonization

The first Ulethan expeditions into what is now Ogdalen were by Castellanese explorers from coastal settlements in what is now Laine and Elway in the late 15th century. During the late 1500s, Ingerish explorers and fur traders also explored the area, but made no attempts at settlement. In the early 1600s, the Castellanese mapped the area, and constructed some backcountry forts, however also made no attempts at settlement, leading to Ingerish settlers from the colonies to the south settling the region. The Castellanese colonial government, which was isolated from the primary Castellanese colonies in western Asperia, were very permissive to these settlers provided they pay taxes. These settlers mainly had an agrarian lifestyle, growing cash crops such as cotton and even importing slaves from Central Archanta. The area that is now Ogdalen became part of the Eustacia Colony, however in the backcountry, the government had little influence.

Independence War

Following a war with the Ingerish against the Valonians, the Castellanese tightened their grip on their east coast colonies, which had previously been free to do what they wanted, and increased taxes, especially on Ingerish settlers, which had previously been low. This angered the colonists, and many started to agree with the Ingerish colonists to the south with the idea of independence. Following even more efforts against the Valonians, the colonial government continued to increase taxes, leading to the Castellanese colonies declaring independence along with the Ingerish colonies in 1757.

Due to its backcountry location, fighting in what is now Ogdalen was minimal, however there were many small skirmishes between militias. Due to the colony's majority Ingerish population, support against the Castellanese was almost unanimous, but opinions on the Ingerish were much more divided. Many Ingerish families who had lived in the region for generations had no experience with the Ingerish government and thought of it neutrally or even positively, which made it difficult to organize militias against the Ingerish.

Post Independence and Statehood

When the Federal States was formed, it was part of Eustacia, however the lifestyle and opinions of the backcountry farmers were very different from the coastal elite of Eustacia, who controlled the government, and a statehood movement originated. In 1765, the Ogdalen county, which comprised the modern day borders of Ogdalen, was formed, with a high degree of autonomy, however residents still vouched for statehood, and in 1771, the Ogdalen Territory was formed out of the Ogdalen County, followed 2 years later by statehood. Morganton was originally made capital, however in 1802 it was moved to the rapidly growing city of Adamsville, which was now the largest city in the state.

After the independence war, many immigrants from Europe, especially from countries like Kalm, Lentia, and Westmandy, forming the unique culture of Ogdalen.

At first, Ogdalen's economy continued to be based on agriculture and slavery, with slaves were imported from central Archanta. When slavery was abolished, Ogdalen was one of the states to resist the strongest. After it was banned, natives were often forced to become sharecroppers and work in slavery-like conditions.

However, this changed in 1836, when a textile mill was constructed in Adamsville. Following this, a railroad was constructed from Huntington to Adamsville, and Ogdalen began to industrialize. Many factories were constructed, and Ogdalen became the most industrialized Northeastern state.

Geography

Geographical Regions

The Cholotka River downstream of Middle Falls

Bearpen Falls in Shelton

A topographic map of Ogdalen

Ogdalen is bordered by Eustacia to the east, Connessee to the south, Michisaukee to the west, and the Randalian provinces of Gelesia, Kovaire, and Midian to the north. It is in the northeastern region of the Federal States.

Ogdalen consists of 3 major geographical regions: the Piedmont in the southeast, taking up most of the state, the Ridge and Valley to the west, and the Toolegadah mountains to the north. The latter two are part of the Eastern Mountain Range.

Carnaby Canyon, near Casper

The Piedmont contains gently rolling hills suitable for agriculture, with some larger hills, foothills of the Eastern Mountains. The vast majority of the state's 2.9 million people live here, especially in and around Adamsville, Graggville, and Morganton, which are all located on or near the Cholotka River. The Cholotka river is the longest river in the state, with a length of approximately ___ miles. It flows from the extreme north of Ogdalen in the mountains to Lake Fisher, creating a flat valley where more than half of the state's population lives. It is navigable from Lake Fisher up to Adamsville by small craft. The areas around Lake Fisher are the flattest in the state, and several areas close to the lake's shore are wet and swampy. Several small mountain ranges can be found in the piedmont, that were once part of the Eastern Mountains but have long since been eroded away, including the Lone Mountains, Gragg Mountains, and Crow Creek Mountains.

In the southwest of the state, along the border with Michisaukee, is the Ridge and Valley region. It consists of many long and narrow ridges with long valleys between. The most notable of these is Sherwood Mountain, a flat plateau about 5 miles wide with many deep canyons carved into it, including Carnaby Canyon. The Ridge and Valley region starts in the east with barely noticeable ridges that only rise a few dozen feet above the surrounding terrain, but soon rise into long ridges hundreds of feet tall. The largest city in the region is Casper, with 78,405 inhabitants.

Ridges in Pittsburg County

The tallest mountains in the state can be found in the north, along the border with Randalia, in the Toolegadah mountains. These mountains contain some of the tallest mountains east of the Alormen River, with the tallest exceeding 6,000 feet in elevation. The tallest mountain in the state is Mount Russell, at an elevation of 6,782 feet. The mountain's height gives it a climate comparable to the far northern Federal States or Ardencia. There are several subranges in the Toolegadah mountains, including the Shelton Balsams, which contain 18 out of 21 of the peaks over 6,000 feet in Ogdalen, The Heath Balsams, which contain 2 peaks over 6,000 feet, the Timber Mountains, the Great Cherokee Mountains, and the Rowland Mountains, which contain the other peak over 6,000 feet. Due to orographic lift, the mountains get the most rain of any place in the eastern Federal States - over 90 inches per year in some places. Much of the Tooledagah Mountains are protected by Balsam State Forest, and the Land Of The Sky Parkway traverses them from the Michisaukee Border to the Eustacia Border. The Tooledagah Mountains contain many waterfalls, of which a majority are located in the Shelton Balsams or along the Tooledagah Escarpment, the southeastern edge of the mountains where they dramatically rise from the piedmont below.

Cultural Regions

Ogdalen is home to several diverse cultural regions. In the southeast of the state, surrounding its eponymous lake, is the Lake Fisher region. The culture of this region is heavily influenced by Lake Fisher, along with the military base Fort Hampton in Morganton, and the agricultural industry of the region, which due to its flat and swampy terrain is able to grow crops that aren't possible in the rest of Ogdalen. North of it, surrounding the city of Adamsville, is the Midlands, which is heavily influenced by Adamsville, the capitol of the state. The Midlands are the originator of many cultural icons of Ogdalen, including the state dish, chicken and dumplings, and the state drink, sweet tea. In the southwest of the state is the aptly named Southwest region, centered on the city of Casper. This region contains most of the ridge and valley mountains and is considered the birthplace of country music. In the northwest of the state is the Northwest region, also called the Mountain region, although it doesn't encompass the entirety of the Toolegadah mountains. This region contains the highest peaks in Ogdalen, and is a center for tourism. Southeast of it is the Foothills region. Although geographically, the foothills can refer to the hills that straddle the edge of the Toolegadah mountains, culturally it refers to the region of Ogdalen stretching from Denton to Chesterboro, centered on the city of Graggville. This region is the fastest growing in Ogdalen. In the north of Ogdalen, in the upper reaches of the Cholotka River Valley, is the North Country, which contains the northern parts of the Toolegadah Mountains.

Climate

Köppen climate types of Ogdalen

The vast majority of Ogdalen has a humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa), with hot and humid summers and cool winters, with some small areas in the mountains having an oceanic (Cfb) climate, which is similar but cooler and more mild. A very small area in the highest peaks of the Shelton Balsams, around Mount Russell, has a humid continental (Dfb) climate, similar to the northern Federal States. Most of the state receives abundant amounts of rainfall, with Adamsville receiving about 50 inches.

Snowfall is possible in the entire state, however is somewhat rare in the southeast of the state, with Adamsville receiving an average of 0.8 inches of snow annually. Higher elevation parts of the piedmont receive more snow, such as Graggville which averages 3 inches annually, and the mountains in the north receive the most, with Shelton receiving an average of 25 inches.

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monthly average high and low temperatures (Fahrenheit) for various Ogdalen cities.
Adamsville	90/70	88/67	83/63	74/50	63/40	55/34	51/32	58/35	65/41	74/50	80/57	87/67
Graggville	88/69	87/66	82/61	73/49	62/39	53/32	50/30	57/33	63/39	72/47	79/56	86/64
Casper
Holbrook
Aston
Shelton	75/56	73/55	68/49	60/39	50/30	42/24	40/21	44/23	51/29	61/37	66/45	72/53

Extreme Weather

In the summer, evening thunderstorms are common, bringing most of the rain during the season. These usually cause little damage, but in extreme cases can cause damaging winds, hail, tornadoes, and flash-flooding. These can be especially dangerous in the Toolegadah Mountains in the north, where rain can easily sweep through the narrow mountain valleys, causing flooding that can be devastating to rural valley communities. Tornadoes are relatively common during the spring months in the piedmont of Ogdalen. Most of them are weak; however, the strongest of them have been rated at EF4 strength.

Large snow events are relatively uncommon due to the state's subtropical climate, especially outside of the mountains; however, when they do occur, they can cause extreme damage and be life-threatening due to a lack of available infrastructure and preparedness.

Population Centers

Largest Metropolitan Areas in Ogdalen
Rank	Metropolitan Area	Population	Counties
1	Adamsville-Mentone-Summit, OG MSA	1,583,352	Adams, Northlake, Colsex, Hartley, Middle, Holston, Davis
2	Graggville, OG MSA	552,653	Graggville,
3	Morganton, OG MSA	224,029	Morgan, Fisher, Fairfax
4	Casper-Holiday, OG MSA	144,317	Pittsburg, Glen

Largest Cities in Ogdalen (List incomplete)
Rank	Name	Population	County
1	Adamsville	354,575	Adams
2	Graggville	152,320	Graggville
3	Morganton	105,664	Morgan
4	Casper	78,405	Pittsburg
5	Mentone	69,134	Hartley
6	Summit	46,235	Northlake
7	Ashton	36,912	Argent
8	Chesterboro	35,139	Pendleton
9	Denton	31,328	Crow
10	Rosedale	28,671	Farmington
11	Floyd	26,429	Waites
12	Tripps	25,806	Gragg
13	Lambert	25,438	Davis
14	Crockerville	24,032	Colsex
15	Game Parlor	22,163	Gragg
16	West Adamsville	21,745	Adams
17	Xylopolis	21,059	Northlake
18	Madison	20,735	Pinefield
19	Wedgewood	18,072	Adams

Demographics

Economy and Infrastructure

As of 2020, Ogdalen's GDP was $139.9 billion, making it the __ largest in the Federal States by GDP and giving it a GDP per capita of $49,314.

Major industrial outputs include automobiles, textiles, chemical products, and machinery. Major agricultural products are tobacco, poultry, cattle, cotton, dairy products, hay, and soybeans.

Adamsville is the center of the country music industry, and is home to many record labels, including Archantan Records, which is one of the largest in the Federal States. In recent years, a technology industry has started to blossom in Adamsville, with many companies choosing to relocate there to its favorable economic conditions, and many startups emerging in the city. Adamsville is home to the headquarters of Crosswinds, a software development company. In historic times, Adamsville was a major center for textile manufacturing.

Graggville is a minor banking center, being the headquarters for the northeast-wide Alliance Bank and the local Foothills Bank, along with regional offices for Tokkin.

In the Tooledagah mountains in the north, tourism is a major industry. The region is home to Balsam State Forest, which provides plentiful hiking, camping, biking, and other recreational opportunities. Several resort towns are located in the mountains, such as Shelton. Tourism in the region has brought the mountains, which have traditionally been one of the most economically lagging areas in the state, many economic opportunities, but have also drove up costs of living and caused negative impacts on the environment. In the mountains, Timber is also a major industry. The Tooledagah mountain region is centered by Aston, which is a major tourist destination alongside having a thriving local brewing scene and a unique music scene.