Haixiao

The Federal Democratic Republic of Haixiao (Hǎixiào Liánbāng Mínguó) or simply Haixiao is a country located in East Artopa, situated in the far eastern region of the continent. It consists of twenty-one states and two federal territories. It is the 15th largest country in the world with a total area of around 1,892,352 square kilometers and hosts three of East Artopa's largest cities. It borders the states of Surovia to the north and Ke-Atsung to the east. The national capital is Tongnan, situated in the Lixuo Delta, and its twin city, Baochang, is the largest city in the country.

Etymology
Haixiao is a Hainese translation from the name the Prisnites gave the area when they conquered it, literally translating to "land of typhoons." The terrain was particularly treacherous to invading armies during peak typhoon season, although the locals seemed to handle the terrain particularly well, leading the Prisnites to call the Hainese "people of the typhoons." The term Haixiao originally only applied to the area now known as the Hainese Heartland, encompassing the Lixuo Delta area and surrounding coastal regions. The name was later used in this capacity when the Kingdom of Haixiao was formed towards end of the decay of the Prisnite Union and has persisted to the present day. Similarly, Hainese is now collectively used to refer to all peoples living in Haixiao, with distinctions made for the various ethnicities in Haixiao, even though the Liuyu Hainese are closest to the ancient Hainese in relation to culture, origin and language.

Geography
The twenty-one states and two federal island territories of Haixiao occupy a combined total area of around 1,892,352 square kilometers. This land is bisected by the Baiming Mountains, which runs from the west of the country to the east. South of the Baiming Mountains the climate is mostly temperate giving way to rainforests and tropical wet climates towards the coast. The majority of arable land in Haixiao is concentrated here. The Lixuo Delta area is especially important to the nation as it is a primary component of the Hainese Heartland and is the most populous region in the nation. North of the Baiming Mountains, moist air from the coast is prevented from moving northward, creating a massive cold desert. Haixiao borders two lakes, the Fujin Lakes to the east and Lake Zuanshi to the west, in addition to four rivers running various parts of the country.