This is only a very brief statement and a larger, more comprehensive description is in preperation. Where an English name is in common use, it is used with the Nowan name in parentheses.
Pan is the largest island on Earth, with an area of nearly 1,500,000 square miles. It is roughly rectangular, with its long axis running east and west. Jutting off the rectangle are a series of large penninsulas. To the northeast lies Nordland. This pennsinsula is itself a trilobed with the easternmost of these being name LaPerouseland. Much of the east coast is cut by deep bays and it terminates in Cook's Bay on the penninsula known as the Cape of Storms. The southern coast runs westward from the Cape of Storms in a more or less straight line, finally arriving at the Humm Penninsula. The rectangular shape of Pan narrows to the west, reaching its most westward point at West Cape. From West Cape, the coast angles back up to the top of the 'rectangle' and follows it back to the base of Nordland.
Pan consists of 2 cratons, the largest of which was once attached to South America. Over 10's of millions of years, it slowly moved northwards, alternating between an independent existence and attachment to one or the other of the Americas. The smaller, now western craton was apparently attached to North America, near what is now Alaska. The conveyor system that broke it off and moved it into what is a relatively stable area of the North Pacific also brought the larger craton to the same area where they eventually joined. The suture is now known as the Moonsmoke Mountains (q.v. below.)
Pan has 4 major mountain ranges. The largest and most
impressive are the Snowwind Mountains (He.ro.wi) which
begin at the base of Nordland and finally peter out in the Cape
of Storms. The range includes hundreds of mountains over 5000
meters, nearly 100 over 6000 meters, some 20 over 7000 meters and
2 that top 8000 meters. These last two, Mt. Longshadow
(he.tt'�.ph�.r�), 8005 meters or
26,256
ft. and Mt. Touch-the-Sky
(he.t�.ngum.m�r) (8020 meters or 26305 ft.)
are the only 8000-ers outside of Asia and the 16th and 14th
highest mountains in the world.
North of the Snowwinds are the Beartooth Mountains
(he.ku.dt�). This range is the smallest of the
four
major ranges but also the youngest. It rises steeply out of the
surrounding tundra, only a few miles from the Gulf of Alaska.
Its sharp granitic peaks are heavily glaciated and subject to
horrible weather that can only be compared to the Patagonian
Andes. Its tallest peaks are barely over 3000 meters.
At the southern edge of the Steppes rises Pan's oldest
large mountain range, the Round
Mountains(he.bh�.ge.��n). These old,
gently rolling peaks are granite and quartzite to the north,
giving way to sedimentary rock and basalts along their southern
edges. The highest summits are only about 2000 meters. Their
axis is east and west.
The last of the major ranges are the Moonsmoke Mountains
(he.p'�.le). Like the Snowwinds, this range runs
north and south. Its highest peaks are somewhat under 6000
meters and most are far lower. This range is largely composed of
sedimentary rock types but there are intrusions of various types.
One minor range must be mentioned, also located in Nordland.
This is the Fire Range, (he.p'�.ka). Located over
a
very active 'hot spot' in the Earth's crust, nearly 20 active or
dormant volcanos are packed into a relatively small group, some
20 miles long and 10 miles wide. They reach upto 3000 meters and
the range averages one eruption per year.
The Steppes dominate the island's center. Stretching westwards from the Snowwinds, this area of high, relatively dry plains and grasslands covers over half the entire area of the island. To the north, the steppes drop off into the coast which is dominated by temperate rainforest like environments. To the west, it abruptly drops into the Great Central Valley which is bordered on its own west, by the Moonsmokes. West of the Moonsmokes was a gently sloping area that was formerly dominated by hardwood forests but is now mostly cleared for farms. The Humm Penninsula is high and very dry, the closest thing Pan has to a true desert. Most of the southern coast is of the climate type referred to as Mediterranean, dominated by warm weather, sunshine, and very gentle winters. The Cape of Storms is still largely covered by a neotropical rainforest. The east coast is dominated by large cedar forests near the coast but farther inland, near the rainshadow of the Snowwinds, lies a long band of grasslands, usually referred to as the Eastern Steppes. The cedar forest continue on into Nordland's LaPerouseland. The central part of Nordland consists of a high, cold tundra area. The northern and western coasts are largely wetlands and bogs.
A few interesting features might be mentioned. Pan has one of
the best preserved large meteor craters in the world, the 5000
meter wide Hidden Crater. The crater lies at the northern edge
of the Great Central Valley, in an area where there is only a
very thin layer of soil over the quartzitic bedrock. Edged by a
sharp, 500-800 meter high rim, it has a 600 meter tall peak in
its center which in turn is surrounded by a narrow ring lake, fed
both by springs and collected precipitation. Most unique, this
crater, taboo to most neighboring tribes, was used by the Suki as
base of operations. They terraced the inner area of the crater
for fields, hollowed out chambers in the central peak and
generally built a thriving small city there.
No.wa.ka, Nowapan's capital city is also associated
with a crater of sorts. It is built on the southern coast in
what is left of ancient volcano caldera. A series of crescent
hills each end abruptly in the ocean which has half submerged
the eroded caldera.
Pan has several large lakes. The largest, the Lake of Kings,
is the most interesting. In ancient times this was a former arm
of the sea which was cut off by a massive lava flow. To this
day, it maintains a diverse set of life forms which managed to
make the gradual adaptation to fresh water existence. It is also
immensely deep, extending to a depth of 1000 meters. On the
widest extent of the Eastern Steppes, just south of Nordland, lie
the 2nd and 3rd largest lakes, Great and Little Reed Lake
respectively. Both are shallow and home to immense variety of
waterfowl.