Caalgen

Caalgen (CALL-gen) was an IU member island in the northern hemisphere.

History
Historically, only the northern part of Caalgen was inhabited. There was an annual journey of a small number of people to the south of the island to acquire coal for fuel, but the south of the island was otherwise unoccupied.

Caalgen and Bhalua had been in contact since at least -700. There was fairly constant trade (except during the worst of the storm season), and members of prominent families would sometimes marry into families from the other island as a means of cementing their alliance.

In -20, a fleet from the fledgling Island Union landed on the southern tip of the island, and thought it to be uninhabited. They discovered reserves of coal in the mountains, and began work towards extracting it. However, as they began to do so, it became apparent that the island was in fact inhabited. Negotiations over access to the coal failed and conflict broke out in -14, with Bhalua lending aid to Caalgen. This conflict came to be known as the First Great War.

When the war ended in -10, it was agreed that a portion of the mountains would be protected and that mining would happen elsewhere. Caalgen and Bhalua were then incorporated into the growing alliance of nations.

Caalgen remained neutral in the Representation Incident (289-304).

In the 370s, the area that had been protected in the treaty of -10 was declared a national park. A history museum was built in the northernmost part of that land, but the rest of it remained largely unused. It is rumored that there were unauthorized scientific experiments or military bases in the rest of the park, but those claims were unsubstantiated.

Government
Caalgen had a single elected executive official know and an elected legislative body. High-ranking government positions were appointed by elected officials. Matters relating to the export of coal were primarily under the oversight of the IU.

Culture and Values
Going to the national park and museum at least once in your life was an important part of Caalgen cultural identity. It was thought that even though technology and culture had gone in a different direction, the past represented by that park was important to understand.

Language
Cosprak was the official language of Caalgen, and Caalgenese was essentially a dead language. People would occasionally learn it if they were particularly interested in language or in Caalgenese history. IU Sign Language (IUSL) was used by the Caalgenese Deaf community.

Notable People and Places

 * Espaldi, the capital city of Caalgen, located near the northern coast
 * The University of Caalgen, (UCaal) the local university on Caalgen, located on the outskirts of the capital.