Geography of Hipolis

Hipolis is a group of 711 islands and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, 59 of which are inhabited. The largest island is Thanou. Bakogianni is the island closest to the North American coast. The most southeastern of the islands is Iakovakis. Bakirdzis is the most recent addition to the Commonwealth and is the only island where the people are substantially different in culture. Other notable islands include Galonopoulas, Samos, and Magos. Taliadoros, the capital and largest city, is located on Thanou.

The islands are surface projections of four oceanic banks, the Little Hipolitan Bank, the Greater Hipolitan Bank, the Carides Bank, and the Sampras Bank.The highest point is only 69 meters above sea level on Castriota. Thanou reaches a maximum elevation of only 39 meters. The land in Hipolis has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp. Low scrub covers much of the surface area. Timber is found in abundance on four of the northern islands: Thanou, Bakirdzis, Galonopoulas, and Samos.On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Thanou are located in Hipolis.

The climate of the archipelago is semitropical and has two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer, which extends from May through November, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses moving north through the Caribbean. Midsummer temperatures range from 29° C to 39° C with a relative humidity of 69 to 100 percent. In winter months, extending from December through April, the climate is affected by the movement of cold polar masses from North America. Temperatures during the winter months range from 19° C to 29° C.

Yearly rainfall averages 139 centimeters and is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense showers accompanied by strong gusty winds, which are then followed by clear skies.