Physical Environment: Donovia
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Over 200,000 square miles comprise the Caucasus, a mountainous region located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The Caucasus includes Atropia, Limaria, and Gorgas, as well as parts of Ariana, Donovia, and Kalaria. The Caucasus Mountains, consisting of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges, traditionally form the separation between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus region contains two major parts—the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus—that are divided by the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The North Caucasus region is contained entirely within Donovia, while the South Caucasus contains Gorgas, Limaria, Atropia, and parts of Ariana and Kalaria.
Contents
Terrain
Donovia possesses 604,200 square miles of territory and lies in the very easternmost part of Europe. It shares 5,980 miles of border with six different countries, including both Gorgas (449 miles) and Atropia (176 miles) to the south, and three bodies of water. The country contains varied terrain to include mountains, hills, plains, forests, and uplands. As the country’s physical environment is large and varied, this variable focuses on its North Caucasus region.
The republics of Keldrag, Barbodrag, Armavir, North Ostremek, Gamrun, Badgir, Failaq, and Gilan make up Donovia’s North Caucasus region. The region contains 107,765 square miles of land area and shares the aforementioned borders with Gorgas and Atropia to the south. The Caspian Sea borders the region to the east, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea to the west, and the rest of Donovia stretches to the north. The Greater Caucasus Mountains run along the North Caucasus’ southern border and give way to the steppes and plains of the Kuban-Azov lowland (west), the Barbodrag upland (central), and the Ostremek plain (east) as one moves northward, finally ending at the Kuma- Manich depression. The Caspian lowland lies in the far northeast portion of the region and borders the Caspian Sea. While the greater part of the region lies below 1,640 feet, the North Caucasus also holds Mount Elbrus, which lies 18,510 feet above sea level and is the highest point in both Donovia and all of Europe.
Bodies of Water
The North Caucasus possesses multiple rivers that mainly originate in the Greater Caucasus Mountains and run almost without exception to the bordering Azov, Black, or Caspian Seas. Major rivers include the navigable Don, Manich, and Kuban in the west, and the Kuma, Terek, and Sulak – the latter used for hydroelectric power – in the east. The mountains and Azov seacoast contain many small lakes, but the region’s only sizeable lake is the Krasnodar Reservoir on the Kuban River in the west. The Barbodrag canal system also supplies water to the central part of the country.
Mobility Classification
Movement in the North Caucasus region is less restricted in the northern steppes and plains than in the southern mountains. Heavy snows and icy conditions seriously hamper troop movement in the mountains during winter months, while flooding causes mobility problems in spring and summer. The presence of dense forests in and near the mountains increases difficulties and provides cover for enemy forces and smugglers, while multiple rivers and streams challenge mechanized and motorized movement. Air operation impediments include tall mountains, thick forests, steep valleys and gorges, strong winds and sudden wind direction changes, low clouds, dense mist and fog, and dust storms. Donovia actively uses landmines in the region, especially in the Gamrun Republic and in the Greater Caucasus Mountains along the border with Gorgas.
Natural Hazards
Similar to its southern neighbors, Donovia’s North Caucasus region experiences natural disasters that include floods, land/mudslides, and earthquakes. Record heavy rains created flooding and landslides in the region in 1993, leaving more than 230 people dead and totally destroying over 20,000 homes, with the total number of people affected in the hundreds of thousands. The region has also experienced major earthquakes, including one in 2008 that measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and left 13 people dead. Lower-magnitude events are frequent, with over 35 magnitude 3.0-3.9 earthquakes occurring last year.
Subterranean Environment
Donovia, well aware of the advanced surveillance capabilities of its enemies, has developed a significant subterranean environment to combat this capability. This environment likely includes networks, tunnels, and facilities that support government-regulated, primarily military, activities and illicit criminal activities.
The underground facilities (UGFs) managed by the Donovian government support national missile and nuclear enrichment and development programs. Due to the sensitivity of these programs, much of the activity associated with them is conducted in the UGFs to provide protection from enemy detection and destruction.
In Southern Donovia, along the border of Atropia, there is a network of tunnels used by the Donovian-supported insurgent group Bilasuvar Freedom Brigade (BFB). The network of tunnels is used by this group to facilitate access into Atropia. It is believed that these tunnels support the movement of personnel and supplies for the BFB’s operations.
The criminal network in Donovia also makes significant use of underground tunnel systems. Donovia has become a hotbed for the black market that deals in human trafficking, drug trafficking, and weapons trade. It is believed that the Al Iksir Cartel, the local criminal gang, has created a significant tunnel network in southern Donovia and northern Atropia to facilitate its operations.
Vegetation
Land Cover
In the North Caucasus region, forests cover a considerable portion of the mountainous area in the southern foothills. Lower-elevation forests normally have broadleaf trees—namely oak, beech, hornbeam, maple, and ash—while those at higher elevations usually consist of conifers such as spruce, pine, and fir. These give way to subalpine and alpine meadows as elevation increases. Great portions of the steppes and plains are devoted to agriculture. Those that are not and the dryer, semi- desert areas in the northeast are covered by cereal vegetation, flowering plants, grasses, and sagebrush.\
Agriculture
Donovian agricultural pursuits employ 20% of the labor force and produce 4% of the national GDP, with the North Caucasus region playing a very important role in this sector. While the country possesses only 12% arable land overall, half to two-thirds of the North Caucasus is arable and most of the remainder is either used for pasture or covered with forests. Agricultural production mainly occurs in the western lowlands and the central plateau, and crops produced include wheat, corn, millet, barley, oats, sunflowers, sugar beets, hemp, tea, potatoes, vegetables, melons, and other fruit and vines. The vast majority (70-90%) of available land is used for cereal or fodder crops, with the remainder dedicated to potatoes, vegetables, melons, and industrial crops such as sunflower and hemp. In addition to the presence of many rivers and reasonable rainfall—20-28 inches annually in agricultural areas—a canal system that provides irrigation is present in the north central part of the region.
Climate
The North Caucasus region mainly experiences a continental climate, while the Black Sea coastal region is subtropical and the far northeast, near the Caspian Sea, is subarid. Summers are long and warm, while temperatures in winter are subfreezing. The mountains experience cooler temperatures year-round as compared to the steppes and plains, as well as heavy snow in the winter. Precipitation levels peak in June, are higher in the mountains than in the plains, and decrease from west to east.
Seasons
| Country/Season | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
| Ariana | Dec – Feb | Mar – May | Jun – Aug | Sep – Nov |
| Atropia | Jan – Mar | Mar – End May | Jun – Oct | Mid Oct – Dec |
| Gorgas | Dec – Feb | Mar – May | Jun – Aug | Sep – Nov |
| Limaria | Nov – Mar | Mar – May | Jun – Sep | End Sep – Nov |
| North Caucasus (Donovia) | Dec – Mar | Apr – May | Jun – Sep | Oct – Nov |
Weather
Precipitation
Precipitation in the North Caucasus region varies by location and elevation, with amounts usually decreasing as one moves north and east. The mountainous areas receive up to 125 inches annually in the sub-tropical west, but only 24-31 inches in the east. The plains and steppes average from 14 to 28 inches of precipitation per year, and the semi-arid regions in the northeast receive 8-16 inches annually. Rains usually peak in the summer, and snow falls heavily in the mountains during winter. Flooding can occur in the lower elevations in spring and summer due to both rain and snow runoff from the mountains.
Temperature-Heat Index
Temperatures vary with elevation in the North Caucasus region, with July and August being the hottest months. Average highs in the mountains reach only 70-75°F in July as compared to 87°F in the plains/steppes and 82°F on the coasts.
Relative Humidity
As with other elements of weather in the North Caucasus, relative humidity varies by elevation and location. The southern and western parts of the region experience high humidity, which decreases as one moves north and east. The central part of the North Caucasus has low humidity, while the driest areas lie to the far northeast.
Wind
One of the winds the North Caucasus region experiences is bora, meaning a very strong gust of cold wind. More common in the winter, cold air trapped in the western Greater Caucasus foothills reaches sufficient altitude to flow through the mountain pass and northwest along the Black Sea coast. Lasting several days at a time, temperatures can drop 35°F while wind speed may exceed 130mph.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are the fens, or warm, dry winds. These winds may raise temperatures 25°F, reach 45 mph, and can change direction twice within a 24-hour period. They usually occur in the mountains and foothills, and their effects are exacerbated in valleys and gorges.
Dust storms also occur in the region. They peak in May and August, and are more common during droughts. One such storm, in 1970, lasted for 200 hours and blew away several inches of topsoil.
Threats to operations from these wind types are multiple. In addition to sudden extreme temperature and wind speed changes, ice presents a serious danger to operations during boras. Wind direction changes endanger airborne operations during fens, and dust storms can damage both machinery and equipment as well as limit visibility.
Summary
The Caucasus region, containing the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, forms the traditional division between Europe and Asia. All countries contain different weather and terrain, and soldiers must prepare for seasonal extremes—winter and summer. Areas with flat plains and valleys, such as coastal plains, will favor troop mechanized movement. The mountainous regions, especially in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, will compound vehicle and equipment breakdowns. Numerous roads, already in poor conditions in most of the countries, will become inaccessible for vehicular traffic because of winter snow. Military planners will need to anticipate the closure of mountain passes for up to six months a year due to snow.