|7, 48.908, 158.588|
|Republic of Østermark|
|Largest city||Mynninghamn (1 million)|
|Official languages||New Scandic (Nyskandisk)|
|• Regional languages||Piyockeney|
|Nationalities||Østermark (89%), Piyockeney independents (7%), Duss (2%), Orinocan (1%), Other (1%)|
|• Estimate (2015)||3.87 million|
Østermark is a country in northeastern Uletha, located on the island of Newrick (New Scandic: Nyrike). Østermark takes up approximately 4/5th of the island; the northwestern tip of Newrick belongs to Dustmark. Originally occupied by the Piyockeney peoples, Scandmark whalers settled in the bay Blyertsbukten in the 14th century and by the 15th century, dominated the Piyockeney. With an extensive coastline and relatively mountainous and inhospitable interior with few natural resources other than lumber and fishing, Østermark is a maritime country, with much of the population on the south coast. The capital and largest city is Mynninghamn.
Cold ocean currents in the north mean Østermark’s southern coast is warmer and drier than its northern coast. Due to its maritime climate, summers are cooler than mainland areas at similar latitudes, and winters warmer; the north receives considerably more precipitation as well, particularly in the winter. Average temperatures in the south range from 12 to 21 c. in the summer and -2 to -13 c. in the winter; in the north, 7 to 16 c. in the summer and -7 to -19 in the winter. In the mountainous interior, it can get considerably colder in certain locations.
Østermark is the next easternmost of the five island nations that form the Scythe of Uletha in the far east of the continent. The extensive coastline is rugged, with numerous inlets, islands and skerries on the south coast, which is drier and rockier than the greener and chillier north coast. The south also includes four major barrier islands: Långøn, the largest; Ængarholmen, the next largest, and the somewhat smaller Sælø and Saxø. There are very few sand beaches on either coast. The central section of the southern coast is dominated by the enormous Blybukten bay, where a majority of the population lives. The interior is extremely rugged with thick forests and mountains, numerous small rivers, streams and lakes. Due to the rocky nature of the island and the thin, poor soil, there is little arable land. The easternmost quarter of the country is much lower and consists mainly of bogs and marshland.
Although archeological evidence shows that the island has been occupied by humans for at least 10,000 years, the Piyockeney are the earliest people who still live on the island today, albeit in fairly small numbers. Though they are not close geographically, they are most closely related to the Neyockeney people of northern Dustmark. Prior to colonization, the population is estimated to be 10,000 living in small settlements on the southern coast.
Scandic Colonization Era
Starting in the 13th century, various seafarers – pirates, explorers and merchants – made their way to the island. The first permanent colony was established by Kalm in 1277 on Storfågelhalvøn peninsula. Scandish pirates sacked the town they built in 1352 and regular incursions by pirates and then whalers from Scandmark doomed the Kalmish colony. The ruins of Gamla Kalmstan town are part of the Gamla Kalmstan Ruiner National Park, where you can still see some of the old roads. The year 1389 is traditionally given for the Scandish founding of the city of Mynninghamn – Ingerish: Minningham - on Blybukten bay, although undoubtedly it had first been a Piyockeney settlement, and probably even a Scandish settlement as well, long before then.
Over a period of 230 years, between 1692 and 1927, Vestenlandt and Østermark engaged in a long period of fighting for control over the island of Newrick. Although the Østermarkers dominated the island, Vestenlandt was a much richer and more powerful country. Although Mynninghamn was never occupied, the city of Gråklosters was sacked in 1702 and the Long Island (Långøn) and Seal Island (Sælø) were under control by Vestenlandt for long stretches, as well as the large town of Ørnviken. The conflict was finally settled with the Port Kløver Treaty, with Vestenlandt retaining the westernmost fifth of Newrick. Østermarkers refer to the Vestenlandt part of the island as Wæstermark and still consider it a "lost" part of their domain, Nyrike; the name Østermark remains a very politically loaded name.
Østermark is a republic with a unicameral legislature, the Folksting. In modern times, the country has been mostly ruled by right and center-right governments. Whaling and relations with Dustmark long have been dominant topics.
The Østermark economy has experienced periods of growth, but is currently weak. Export industries are primarily timber and fishing. As labor is cheap, several foreign manufacturers have plants in the country, mostly outside Mynninghamn.
There has been little recent immigration to Østermark, so most inhabitants are of New Scandic ethnicity, approximately 89 percent. Indigenous Piyockeney peoples make up some 7 percent, with the biggest immigrant group from Orinoco. Some 1 percent also consider themselves Duss, living mostly on the islands of Sælø and Långøn in the northern towns of Bottinge and Rimgarn and the surrounding villages.