Physical Environment: Torrike
Physical Environment
Torrike has an area of 347,395 square kilometers (km.2) bordering Norway to the north and west, Donovia, Otso and Bothnia to the northeast, Framland and the Baltic Sea to the east, Arnland to the south and the Skagerrak to the south west. Its capital is Tyr. It is in a strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas.
Having missed out on the oil boom for geographic reasons, Torrike has sought to gain access to other potential areas of interest and is deeply interested in gaining access to the Arctic. When Norway declared independence in 1905, the Empire had initially tried to retain northern Norway as this gave it an opening to the Norwegian Sea and an ice free outlet to the wider world. Skolkan was unable to sustain this claim, but it has not been forgotten. Torrike is desperate to benefit from what it believes will be a natural resources bonanza in the Arctic region. Currently physically blocked by Norway, Torrike may consider radical plans to guarantee access.
Although there is no tradition of hostility with Poland, there have been several disputes with regards to fishing rights, overfishing, and the exploitation of natural resources in the Baltic Sea during the last 20 years.
Table of Physical Environment Data
| Measure | Data | Remarks |
| Total Area (km.2) | 347,395 | Including inland bodies of water; lakes, streams, and rivers. |
| Water Area (km.2) | Torrike has thousands of lakes - Data pending | |
| Land Area (km.2) | Data pending | |
| Land Border (km.) | 2,365 | Arnland - 520 km., Bothnia - 157 km., Framland - 1,466, Otso - 222 |
| Coastline (km.) | 2,213 | Territorial sea boundary is 12 nautical miles. Continental shelf is 200m deep |
| Arable Land (%) | 6.4 | |
| Permanent Crops (%) | 0 | Permanent pasture 1.1% |
| Irrigated Land (km.2) | 1,640 | 2015 |
| Forested Land (%) | 60 | 50% is privately owned forests, 25% is state owned, and 25% is industrial private. Most Torrikan forests are part of the Boreal coniferous belt. |
Terrain
Most of Torrike has a relatively even topography and is less than 400m above sea level. In the northwest, the Scandinavian mountain range reaches heights of 1,000–2,000m above sea level, the highest peak of which is Kebnekaise at 2,111m. These mountain peaks are not forest‐covered. The timberline varies from 700m above sea level in the southern portion of the chain to 400m in its northerly portion. The country’s forest soils chiefly consist of moraines which were deposited when the inland ice cap melted 10,000 years ago.
One key element of Torrike's terrain is the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. With an area of just over 3,100 km.sq., it dominates the Baltic Sea shipping lanes and is located 330 km. from the Donovian enclave of Kaliningrad. The island languished during the days of the Skolkan Empire with little development of its infrastructure including roads, ports or military installations. Torrike is undertaking a development program for the island that its neighbors are labeling the activities as provocative.
Bodies of Water
Baltic Sea. The Baltic encompasses a large number of islands, shallow water and narrow channels; in the Tyr Archipelago alone, there are some 24,000 islands and islets.
Freshwater lakes. Torrike has thousands of lakes. In lakes and rivers, there are a total of 52 species of fresh water fish.
| Lake | Area | Lake | Depth (meters) | Lake | Volume |
| Vänern | 5,519 km.2 (2,131 sq. mi) | Hornavan | 228 | Vänern | 153 km.3 (37 cu mi) |
| Vattern | 1,886 km.2 (728 sq. mi) | Torneträsk | 168 | Vättern | 77.6 km.3 (18.6 cu mi) |
| Mälaren | 1,090 km.2 (420 sq. mi) | Vojmsjön | 145 | Torneträsk | 17.1 km.3 (4.1 cu mi) |
| Hjälmaren | 477 km.2 (184 sq. mi) | Stor-Blåsjön | 144 | Mälaren | 14.3 km.3 (3.4 cu mi) |
| Storsjön | 456 km.2 (176 sq. mi) | Stor-Rensjön | 140 | Hornavan | 11.9 km.3 (2.9 cu mi) |
| Torneträsk | 330 km.2 (130 sq. mi) | Virihaure | 138 | Siljan | 8.09 km.3 (1.94 cu mi) |
| Siljan | 292 km.2 (113 sq. mi) | Kallsjön | 134 | Storsjön | 8.02 km.3 (1.92 cu mi) |
| Hornavan | 262 km.2 (101 sq. mi) | Vastenjaure | 134 | Kallsjön | 6.14 km.3 (1.47 cu mi) |
| Akkajaure | 260 km.2 (100 sq. mi) | Siljan | 134 | Virihaure | 4.43 km.3 (1.06 cu mi) |
| Uddjaure | 249 km.2 (96 sq. mi) | Kultsjön | 130 | Storuman | 4.18 km.3 (1.00 cu mi) |
Natural Hazards
Ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
A high level of air pollution, mainly originating abroad, has resulted in widespread soil acidification due to the low buffering capacity of Torrikan forest soils. Leaching of mineral nutrients has thus reduced their level by half in recent decades. Critical loads are being exceeded, both in terms of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide deposits. Air pollution poses a serious threat to the forest ecosystem and to the growth of forests.
Baltic Sea pollution problems. Tens of millions of people live in countries around the Baltic Sea. All of these countries are heavily industrialized. Intensive agriculture and forestry also takes place to a greater or lesser extent. The Baltic Sea is surrounded by a significant number of cities and densely populated areas, including ones with ports where there is frequent ship traffic. Over‐fertilization, i.e. the “unnaturally” substantial addition of the natural nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorous, is one of the worst problems for the health of the Baltic Sea. Because the Baltic Sea is an enclosed inland sea and the water turnover is slow, over‐fertilization is a particularly great problem here. The people who live around the Baltic Sea produce organic waste that ends up in the sea sooner or later. The most important sources of over‐fertilization are agriculture, which represents nearly 50% of the nitrogen leakage into the Baltic Sea, but the traffic and discharge of waste water also contribute. Contaminants of non‐degradable organic substances, metals and oil strongly affect the Baltic Sea’s animal life. These come from industries, wastewater, pesticides in agriculture and forestry, traffic and energy production and through long‐haul air transportation of toxic substances. All in all, these contaminants may have contributed a very negative effect on the Baltic Sea’s ecosystem over decades. However, countries around the Baltic Sea cooperate in a common international plan to reduce the discharges. Torrike, Framland, Arnland, Bothnia and other Baltic Sea countries are cooperating in the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (BALCOM) in order to improve the situation. A common goal has been set up to protect and safeguard the marine environment in the Baltic Sea.
Subterranean Environment
Torrike has mines in 30 different towns primarily found in the central and northern regions of the country. Principle production is copper, iron and lead with new exploration of uranium deposits. The production of uranium ore is becoming increasingly important, with recognized deposits of some 140,000 tons of uranium, however, much of this may not be economically recoverable and actual mining is very limited at present. Iron ore products remain a significant export earner. Besides iron ore, other significant mineral resources were base metals (copper, lead, and zinc) and industrial minerals (dolomite, feldspar, granite, kaolin, limestone, and quartz).
Annual output of iron ore falls far short of the country’s industrial needs; thus Torrike imports large amounts of this material. The country also imports virtually all its requirements for manganese, chrome, and other ferro-alloys. Nonferrous metals, including copper, lead, zinc and tin, are mined in small quantities. To supplement the limited domestic production, Torrike imports substantial quantities of nonferrous metals from Olvana.
Torrike’s largest iron ore producer operates two underground iron ore mines that produce the bulk of the annual production of 17 million tons (MT) of iron ore products. Nearly 80% is exported. The Kiruna mine is the largest of its type in the world, with an ore body measuring 4km., 80m wide and lying at a depth of 2km.. Productivity has increased continuously, with better performance from modern mining equipment. The number of rigs has been kept low and availability is high.
Uranium production took place at Ranstad between 1965 and 1969 by mining of alum shale (kind of oil shale) deposits. The goal was to make Torrike self‐sufficient in uranium. The high operating costs of the pilot plant (heap leaching) due to the low concentration of uranium in the shale and the availability at that time of comparatively cheap uranium on the world market caused the mine to be closed. A much cheaper and more efficient leaching process, using sulfur-consuming bacteria, is now available and is a cause of renewed interest in economical production of uranium. In recent years there have been investigations on opening new uranium mines in Torrike.
| Mineral | Year | Production | Unit of measure | % Change from previous year |
| Iron ore | 2017 | 18,000 | Thousand metric tons | 1.2 |
| Lead | 2017 | 60,900 | Metric tons, lead content | 1.15 |
| Copper | 2017 | 58,260 | Metric tons | 1.2 |
Vegetation
Land Cover
Torrike has three specific zones of vegetation: (1) the alpine birch zone/bare mountain zone; (2) the northern coniferous forest zone, or the Taiga; and, (3) the southern coniferous forest zone.
Alpine-birch and bare mountain zones. The alpine-birch zone, in the Scandinavian mountains, depending on both latitude and altitude, is an area where only a smaller kind of birch (Betula pubescens or B.tortuosa) can grow. Where this vegetation zone ends no trees grow at all: the bare mountain zone.
Northern coniferous forest zone, or the Taiga. This is roughly between the mountains in the west and the border with Framland in the east. The northern coniferous forest zone begins north of the natural boundary of the oak. Of deciduous species the birch is the only one of significance. Pine and spruce are dominant, but the forests are slowly but surely more sparsely grown the farther towards the north it gets. In the extreme north is it difficult to state the trees forms true forests at all, due to the large distances between the trees.
Southern coniferous forest zone. Also known as the boreo-nemoral region, the southern coniferous forest zone, is delimited by the oak's northern natural limit (limes norrlandicus) and the Spruce's southern natural limit, between the southern deciduous zone and the Taiga farther north. In the southern parts of this zone the coniferous species are found, mainly spruce and pine, mixed with various deciduous trees. Birch grows largely everywhere. The beech's northern boundary crosses this zone. This is however not the case with oak and ash. Although in its natural area, also planted spruce are common, and such woods are very dense, as the spruces can grow very tight, especially in this vegetation zone's southern areas.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector is a major source of pressure on Europe's environment. As a result, the agricultural sector is responsible for a large share of the pollution of surface waters and seas by nutrients, for the loss of biodiversity, and for pesticide residues in groundwater. Reforms in the 1990s, and measures taken by the sector itself, have brought about some improvements, but more is needed to balance agricultural production, rural development, and the environment. Modern, intensive agriculture often has a negative impact through its use and pollution of air, water and soil. Geographically, Torrike is naturally well irrigated but further work is needed to reduce a decline in quality caused by salinization and land degradation. On the other hand, farming still plays a positive role in preserving Europe's landscapes and biodiversity.
Climate
Torrike extends from the southern Baltic Sea to north of the Arctic Circle. Despite its northerly location, the climate is fairly mild and temperate, due to the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream. The growing season lasts 240 days in the south and 100 days in the north.
The country can be divided into three types of climate; the southernmost part has an oceanic climate, the central part has a humid continental climate and the northernmost part has a subarctic climate. However, Torrike is much warmer and drier than other places at a similar latitude, and even somewhat farther south, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. For example, central and southern Torrike has much warmer winters than many parts of Donovia, Canada and the northern United States. Because of its high latitude, the length of daylight varies greatly. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for part of each summer, and it never rises for part of each winter. In the capital Tyr daylight lasts for more than 18 hours in late June but only around 6 hours in late December. Torrike receives between 1,100 to 1,900 hours of sunshine annually.
Seasons
Most of Torrike has a temperate climate, despite its northern latitude, with four distinct seasons and mild temperatures throughout the year. The winter in the far south is usually weak and is only manifested through some shorter periods with snow and sub-zero temperatures, autumn may well turn into spring there, without a distinct period of winter. The country can be divided into three types of climate: the southernmost part has an oceanic climate, the central part has a humid continental climate and the northernmost part has a subarctic climate. However, Torrike is much warmer and drier than other places at a similar latitude, and even somewhat farther south, mainly because of the combination of the Gulf Stream and the general west wind drift, caused by the direction of planet Earth's rotation.
| Season | Months | Remarks |
| Winter | November/December to February/March | Seasons can vary greatly dependent on region |
| Spring | March to April or May | |
| Summer | June to August | |
| Fall | September to October/November |
Weather
Precipitation
Annual precipitation varies from 1,500mm in the country’s western portions to 300mm in the eastern portions.
On average, most of Torrike receives between 500 and 800mm of precipitation each year, making it considerably drier than the global average. The southwestern part of the country receives more precipitation, between 1000mm and 1200mm, and some mountain areas in the north are estimated to receive up to 2000 mm. Despite northerly locations, southern and central Torrike tend to be virtually free of snow in some winters.
Temperature Range
Mean temperatures range from 14–17°C in July to between +1 and –14°C in January ‐ February. During July there is not much difference in temperature between the north and south of the country. With the exception of in the mountains, the whole country has a July-average temperature within the range of +15.0 C to + 17.5 C (a difference of 2.5 degrees), while the January-average temperatures vary from freezing point down to below −15 C along the border
Relative Humidity
Humidity in Torrike varies depending on which region is being studied. For the capital Tyr, the annual average is 75% with November as the most humid and May as the least humid.
Wind
Wind Data for Tyr Bromma Airport (2012-2017).
| Direction | Percentage |
| North | 10% |
| North East | 5% |
| East | 6% |
| South East | 12% |
| South | 19% |
| South West | 17% |
| West | 20% |
| North West | 11% |
| Month | Speed |
| January | 14.5 kph |
| February | 13.2 kph |
| March | 12.4 kph |
| April | 12.9 kph |
| May | 12.8 kph |
| June | 12.4 kph |
| July | 11.3 kph |
| August | 11.0 kph |
| September | 10.5 kph |
| October | 11.4 kph |
| November | 12.3 kph |
| December | 12.1 kph |
| Yearly Average | 12.2 kph |