Difference between revisions of "Gwlad Teg"

Revision as of 11:57, 14 August 2007

Gwlad Teg is one of Bettia's six provinces and lies to the north of the country, with land borders with Northern Bettia and Nedalia, along with a small coastline to the northeast. Literally translated as 'The Beautiful Land', Gwlad Teg is notable for its stunning scenery and dramatic landscapes. Wide-ranging mountains and moors covered in a distinctive yellow heather punctuate the landscape of this region, and provides an inspiration for walkers, artists and sightseers.

Apart from Banastra, Gwlad Teg is the most rural of Bettia's provinces with almost 70% of its people living in towns or villages with a population of 2500 or less. The largest urban centres are Huwbridge and the Glyn Nabi (located on the northwest outskirts of Gabalfa), the Pen-yr-Heol / Porthbalfa / Anyuna conurbation, and the provincial capital Ceffinton.

Subdivisions

Gwlad Teg is divided into a number of counties, each with its own administrative capital (or County Town), listed as follows in alphabetical order:

Geography & Environment

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<div style="border:0;max-width:A view of the Gwlad Teg highlands
showing large strips of yellow heather;">A view of the Gwlad Teg highlands

Gwlad Teg is a highly mountainous region, with the highest peak, Mynydd Fawr, reaching an altitude of almost 7000 metres. Other major peaks are Drygarn Fawr (5247 m), Carnedd Nefyn (4636 m), Cader Idris (4153 m) and Bryn Du (3998 m). All of these mountains are found in the Ucheldir (Highlands) region at the far north of the province, which unsurprisingly is the most sparsely populated area in the entire nation. Being at such a high altitude, the higher parts of Gwlad Teg are noticably colder when compared to the rest of Bettia, with an average summer temperature of just 15 degrees celsius - indeed, this is usually the only part of the country which gets any snow.

The topography of the land drops down at irregular gradients before plateauing at an average altitude of 600 metres above sea level. It is in this intermediate region where a number of major rivers, including the River Balfa and River Layla are sourced. These rivers follow a series of thin narrow valleys which were carved into the landscape by glaciers during the last ice age. The soils within this area are particularly well-suited to grazing, thanks to the steady rainfall and temperatures found in this area. Large tracts of ancient forests (most probably outlying parts of the Banastra rainforest cut off by the formation of the Balfa valley below) are found in this area, from where the landscape drops downwards once again to the south and east.

Many parts of Gwlad Teg are protected areas due to their outstanding natural beauty. The largest of these is the Bren-Brooks Wildlife Reserve, which is located on the western fringes of the province.

Industries

At present, the industrial sector of Gwlad Teg is dominated by two major sources of income - tourism and agriculture.

Tourism

The tourism industry has undergone something of a boom in recent years, and employs just over 10% of the province's workforce. The region benefits from its transport links from Gabalfa, (in particular from Gabalfa International Airport) and Porthbalfa, which allows easy access from abroad via these portals.

The mountainous landscape attracts large numbers of winter sports, with the slopes of Cader Idris being particularly popular with skiers and snowboarders in the winter. During summer months, walkers flock to these areas to take in the landscape, whilsts followers of outdoor sports such as mountaineering, hiking and cycling come to tackle the rugged terrain. The fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers prove popular with kayakers and canoists, and the mixture of hills and forests provide an ideal stage for orienteering and other such cross-country events.

The quieter parts attract large numbers of wildlife enthusiasts, all hoping to see wildlife such as aroras and eagles in their natural habitat, and also artists who are attracted by the stunning landscapes.

Agriculture

Thanks to its regular and plentiful rainfall, Gwlad Teg has a fertile soil which is particularly suited to grazing, so naturally the raising and sale of livestock is a long-established and thriving industry.

Sheep are the most common form of livestock raised here, and are kept for both meat and wool. The Ceffinton Gwyn is a breed which is prized for its thick wool, although its small body size makes it unsuitable for meat farming, whereas the Bryn Du Black is an excellent meat sheep. Sheep farming is very common in the Balfa Valley bordering Banastra, and also in the more rural counties of Argaen, Sîrfforest and Ffingogledd, whose rolling hilly landscapes make managing such livestock easier.

To a lesser extent, cows are also raised in these areas for their milk.

Mining

Although this is something of a dying industry, the mining of coal, iron, tin and other basic materials has been a mainstay of the province's industry for many centuries. The more industrialised areas surrounding Ceffinton were particularly rich in these materials - coupled with the transport links between Gabalfa and Porthbalfa, this led to many centuries of prosperity for this area. Mining brought similar wealth to the town of Huwbridge and its surrounding area.

Mining nowadays is heavily regulated due to industrial concerns. Open cast mining is strictly forbidden, and special regulations are enforced for the use of chemicals and the management of waste products.

Places of Interest

Some of the major attractions within this region include the following:

Bren-Brooks Wildlife Reserve

A huge wildlife reserve straddling the border between Bettia and Nedalia, named after the presidents of the two countries. It was set up as a place where animals such as lions and aroras can roam free away from the prying eyes of zoo visitors (although the thousands of visitors can still see them courtesy of special safari expeditions).

Pen-y-Bydd

Can either be literally translated as 'top of the world' or 'end of the world'. This is the highest town in Bettia, situated at an altitude of over 5000 metres. Pen-y-Bydd was founded by a bizarre doomsday cult who believed that this would be the site of the second coming of the Great Arora. The supposed Day of Judgment came and went, and the cult was ridiculed out of existance. The locals are devout Muslims, and keep the memory of the town's founding alive as a lesson for those who fancy subscribing to extreme sects.