The Archipelago is the group of islands stretching from the western shore of Atla to the Eastern edge of Feron, located primarily in the northern quarter of the globe. Thousands of islands and millions of people call the Archipelago home. In fact, nearly one third of the world’s population lives on one of the many islands. The farthest island to the north sits in the Arctic Circle and the farthest island to the south is parallel to FreePort City on Atla.
The Archipelago has been slowly growing for thousands of years. Most of the islands are a direct result of continental subduction between the subducting Terminus Plate under the Atlan Plate. Massive islands like Peretos and Mogadash are not a result of the plate collisions however, but are actually part of the Atlan Plate landmass.
Notable locations in the Archipelago include the two mini-continents of Peretos and Mogadash, which are the first and second largest and most populated islands respectively, Zion, the holy island and primary source of the War Against Hatred, the Western Reach and the Inner Ring.
The Archipelago is believed to have been inhabited almost as long as Feron. Shortly after the first upright walking humans emerged on the southwestern tip of Feron, they migrated north. Around the time of the great migration eastward in approximately 65,000PM, small bands of early humans sailed north in their primitive ships. While it is unclear exactly which islands were inhabited first, bone and tool records suggest Vos or Whey were among the first, as well as Black Peak and Red Mountain of the Inner Ring. Over the next 15,000 years the population slowly spread to almost all major islands. Today, at least 100 people inhabit 75% of all the islands in the Archipelago. The remaining islands are too small, desolate or isolated to support life.
Few of the islands in the Archipelago are united under a single governing body. The rest of the islands are independent countries or provinces, self ruled and regulated. Despite this diversity, many of the most advanced and industrious nations are members of the TTC and willingly adhere to the rules of global trade and commerce. 55% of the islands are active in the global stock exchange, or World Market.
Much of the world’s precious metals, gems and stone are found across the many islands of the Archipelago. The Inner Ring is noted for its gems including rubies, sapphires and diamonds. Gold and silver have been found in select veins on both Peretos and Mogadash. In addition, large deposits of borax are mined on a few of the southernmost islands prone to seasonal flooding and drying.
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