Arcél Terrain
From Almeopedia
 Historical Atlas of Arcél | 
|  Arcél -8000 |
There are three major climatic zones on Arcél. Each of these has a distinct flora and fauna which doesn’t thrive in the other zones; we may say the same for the native human cultures.
- Most of this zone was originally covered with rain forest. There’s a dry season, corresponding with the temperate winter, ending with monsoon rains (the łɛ̀); the rest of the year has intermittent rainfall. Generally two crops are possible during the growing season that starts with the łɛ̀. Periodically the łɛ̀ is delayed or doesn’t come and there’s disaster, especially as most equatorial plants have evolved to germinate only when flooded.
- Ecologically, the zone extends eastward into Ȟaibalai, Kereminth, and northern Neinuoi. Most of the flora and fauna are found in both areas or have been spread there.
- The temperate zone on the southern half, including Uytai and Fananak; its climate is comparable to Europe.
- There is regular rainfall, but the central coast— Uytai— tends to be rather dry and windy. In earliest times the highlands were covered by rich forest, but this was ecologically fragile.
- Southern Neinuoi and parts of the Island Sea are also temperate, but the ocean gap is large enough that these have developed their own biota, and a different set of agricultural crops. (The easy sea routes to Neinuoi pass through the equatorial zone.)
- The mountain zone in between them; the inhabitants are largely elcari and múrtani as well as human nomads. This zone is much smaller than the corresponding region of Ereláe, and the horse (till recently) was absent; the nomads are therefore less of a factor, though by no means negligible.
- The center of this zone— the highlands of Uytai— now comprises some of the most valuable real estate on the planet, being the sole source of tea.
In addition there are two notable micro-zones:
- The rift valleys in the eastern mountains, with lakes filling the deep valleys. The lower hillsides are temperate and heavily forested, but separated from the main temperate zone by the mountains, which makes each of them protected ecological habitats. Two of them are occupied by non-human races: one by the elcari, one by the rifters, a species found nowhere else.
- The Mnese peninsula and part of Trund, which approach arctic conditions.
| Historical Atlas of Arcél |
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