Oceania

The Planet

Physical

Oceania is an old human colony world, 26.53 parsecs from Earth. It is almost as large as Earth, and is covered in a shallow global ocean, punctuated only by numerous small islands. Oceania's sun is the G4 V star Aldabra.

Oceania's atmosphere is a naturally humid nitrogen-oxygen mixture, suitable for humans. The median ocean depth is only a couple of hundred metres, and the islands are generally surrounded by large expanses of tidal flats. The largest island is just over 30 kilometres across at high tide, but nearly 50 kilometres wide at low tide. It also contains the highest peak on the planet, some 46 metres above high tide level.

Oceania's tides are languid affairs, caused by a medium sized moon orbiting just a little slower than the planet's rotation rate. A complete tidal cycle takes 27 Earth days.

Biological

Oceania's abundant marine plankton make the ocean a green-brown colour. The native life never evolved beyond this stage, however.

Humans and Larrokites have imported many species from their home worlds, particularly aquatic ones.

Civilisation

Oceania's islands support a population of 650 million humans and a substantial number of aliens. Although the islands are small, there are tens of thousands of them, and most of the larger ones are inhabited. Most islands have been extended by reclaiming and walling off parts of the tidal flats from the sea or by raising the land with rocks mined from the sea floor. Some floating arcology cities also exist. Nonetheless, urban life on Oceania is invariably crowded.

Several Larrokite cities exist on tidal flats or partially submerged in the shallows.

Economy

Oceania produces vast quantities of seafood, much of which is exported. It also attracts tourists, drawn to the idyllic island paradises which exist amongst the more remote and untouched islands. Oceania also has a reputation for academic excellence, and its universities do a good business educating the children of wealthy families from offworld.

With little land area, mining is difficult on Oceania, and many metals and machinery are imported. It is also one of the few planets to buy rock, which is used to build up and extend islands. The price is not high, but if you are headed to Oceania with any otherwise empty cargo space, fill it with rock and you can make a little cash.

Politics

Oceania has no planetary government to speak of. The islands like to think of themselves as independent entities, and govern themselves in something like a civic council manner. Laws are generally loose and enforcement lax. Most islands resemble a barely coherent anarchy, but because this is the way the natives like it.

Some islands have fallen under the authoritarian rule of a despot from time to time, but coups and revolutions generally see these leaders deposed before they can do any real damage.

For the sake of apparent unity on interstellar councils, Oceanian citizens occasionally elect a few global representatives, but these people speak with very little real authority for their planet. Oceanian delegates have been known to promise one thing, only to have the whims of their planet produce a completely different outcome.

At present there is a strong inter-island political movement endorsing emigration from Oceania, for the sake of the planet's already overcrowded land area. However, leaving one's homeworld is always difficult and few people are going.

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