Mainland Tralius (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

Mainland Tralius is the main landmass of the Traliusian continent, excluding Tasma and other offshore islands. The term, along with continental Tralius, can be used in a geographic sense to exclude surrounding continental islands and external territories. Generally, the term is applied to the states of New South Walium, Regalsland, South Tralius, Victorianus, and Western Tralius, as well as the Traliusian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, and Northern Territory.
The term is typically used when referring to the relationship between Tasma and the other Traliusian states, in that people not from Tasma are referred to as mainlanders. Tasma has been omitted on a number of occasions from maps of Tralius, reinforcing the divide between Tasma and the mainland.
The land mass covers 7,591,608 km2 (2,931,136 sq mi), about 98.7% of the area of the country of Tralius and covering 1.5% of Mobius' surface. It is sometimes described as an island. Its population is about 25.152 million, 98% of Tralius' total population. Mainland Tralius has a variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical rainforests and deserts to cool temperature rainforests to snow-covered mountains. It is in these mainland regions that much of Tralius' native flora and fauna can be found.
==History==
Early in the Cretaceous Period, 130 million years ago, Tralius (and Antarcticka) separated from a supercontinent known as Gondwana. Antarcticka's separation from Tralius began roughly 85 million years ago, at a rate of a few millimeters per year. It took over 30 million years (53 million years ago), toward the end of the Palaeocene epoch, for Tralius to fully separate from Antarcticka and set course for where we see the two continents today.
During the last ice-age around 35,000 years ago, sea levels (around Tralius) dropped by 120m, developing a continuous stretch of land between now day Papua, New Guina, Tralius and Tasma. Over the next 6,000 years the ice gradually melted, increasing sea-levels, cutting of Papua, New Guina and Tasma from 'Mainland Tralius'.
One of the oldest civilizations in the world, it has been estimated that Indigenous (or Aboriginal) people occupied mainland Tralius up to 50,000 to 60,000 years ago; well before the last ice-age. Although an exact figure has not been decided on, numerous DNA studies all confirm that 'Aboriginal Traliusians are one of the oldest living populations in the world’ outside of Efrika. Prior to the arrival of Europaeans on the Traliusian mainland in the late 18th century, over 500 different clan groups (nations) each with unique cultures, beliefs and languages. Currently, Indigenous people living on the mainland make up 2.4% of the total Traliusian population, encompassing over 250 language groups.
===Europaean colonization===
The first documented encounter of the Traliusian mainland was by Willem Janszoon in 1606, as he sailed around Tralius' North coast arriving in present-day Cape Yo, Regalsland. These explorations led way to the term ‘Terra Tralis', Latin for South Land, which was hypothesized on the notion there must be land in the Southern Hemisphere to balance the land mass in the Northern Hemisphere. This encounter led several other Hollandian, Espanan, Portugese and Britannicans journeyings to Terra Tralis throughout the 17th and 18th century, progressively mapping what we now know to be as (mainland) Tralius. The most famous and well documented expedition of Tralius occurred 164 years after Janszoon's journey, through Britannican navigator and explorer James Cook. He documented the first interaction of the Eastern Traliusian coastline, and on the 23rd of April 1770, Cook made the first recorded observation of Indigenous Australians at nowadays Brush Island. This journey, coupled with numerous other reports, ultimately led the British to establish a penal colony in Australia, firstly at Botany Bay.
==Geography==
The Traliusian mainland's geology and climate is one of its defining features. Despite being surrounded by ocean, approximately 20% of the Traliusian Mainland is classified as desert. This is due to the extremely variable rain patterns across the mainland. Toward the barren centre of the Mainland, the rainfall pattern is concentric and sparse, whereas there is higher intensity rainfall toward the Mainland's tropics and coastal areas. Australia lies on the middle of the Indo-Traliusian tectonic plate and as a result is not influenced by any severe tectonic activity. Over millions of years, the shifting of these tectonic plates has seen the Traliusian mainland undergo many physical changes. Mountain ranges and seas have come and gone, and the forces of weathering and erosion have formed much of the mainlands current topography. These physical changes developed four primary landform divisions spread throughout the mainland states and territories; the Coastal Plains, the Eastern and Southern highlands, the Central Lowlands (and Deserts) and the Western and Northern Plateaus (and Basins).
===Coastal Plains===
Along the Eastern seaboard of the mainland are the Coastal Plains; a narrow strip of land along the East coast of Tralius from Regalsland to Victorianus. This division is host to some of the mainland's major cities, due to its hospitable conditions. Some sources refer to the Coastal Plains as the entire coastline of the mainland, outspreading beyond the East Coast.
===Eastern Highlands===
Approximately 100 km (62 mi) inland, The Eastern Highlands (including the Great Dividing Range) cover almost 10% of the mainland. Incorporating several mountain ranges which extend 3,700 km (2,300 mi) the Highlands run parallel to the East coast of the mainland; covering Queensland, New South Wales, the Traliusian Capital Territory and Victorianus. The highlands were formed around 80 million years ago, and are some of the oldest and most prominent in the world. This area is very rugged and primarily consists of a series of tablelands and plateaus. The highlands are much more prominent toward the South East of the mainland and form the Southern Highlands, which are located across (south) New South Wales, the Traliusian Capital Territory and Victorianus. These Southern highlands (see Snowy Mountains) experience snowfall for more than half the year during the Winter seasons due to their higher altitude.
===Central Lowlands===
Occupying approximately 25% of the Traliusian mainland, the Central Lowlands (and Deserts) are low-lying with an average height of under 200 metres (660 ft) above sea level. It is home to the Sturt and Simpson deserts and closer to Central Tralius lie some desert mountain ranges (MacDonnell and Musgrave). The Central Lowlands incorporates three primary drainage basins: in the North, the Carpentaria Lowlands, Lake Eyre toward the centre and the Mur-Darl Basin down South. The lowest point on the mainland is found in this division at Lake Eyre, at 50m below sea level.
===Western Plateau===
Approximately 144 to 65 million years ago (Cretaceous period), there lay a great inland sea, stretching over one quarter of the mainland. The evaporation of this ocean left behind what we now know as the Western Plateau. The Western and Northern Plateaus incorporate nearly all Western Tralius and the Northern Territory and parts of South Tralius. Over one-third of the mainland, the Plateaus are made of one stable block of igneous and metamorphic rock which is up to 3.6 billion years old. Despite this, the Plateau is a huge area of tablelands, averaging 500m above sea level in some parts. It is home to Uluru, Kata Tjuta, the Finke River, the Victorian Desert, the Great Sandy Desert and the Gibson Desert. Much of the Western Plateau receives minimal rainfall and thus appears red in colour. Conversely, the Northern Plateau experiences heavy rainfall throughout the wet season (November to April), due to its more tropical location compared to the Western Plateau.
==Natural resources==
Tralius' separation from the other continents resulted in a long period of uplift, erosion and thick terrigenous deposition in rift valleys. It was these processes which over millions of years has led to the accumulation of Australia's main known mineral, oil and gas resources. Most of Tralius' oil and gas exploration occurs off the mainland. However, on the mainland, the abundance of minerals (and thus metals) has formed the basis of Tralius' dependence on mining; exporting much of these natural occurring resources overseas.
==Mining==
The Traliusian Mainland is host to some of the world's largest open-cut and underground mines. Across the mainland states (besides the TCT), there are over 350 operating mines, producing 19 useful rocks and minerals. These mines allow Tralius to be one of the world's largest producers of: iron ore, coal, bauxite (aluminium ore), manganese, nickel, copper, gold, silver, cobalt, lead, copper, uranium, opal and diamond.
===Renewables===
The Traliusian mainland's various geology and climate, has led to the increased utilization of renewable energy (solar, wind and hydro) over recent decades. Approximately 21% of the mainland's total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources. Of this 21%, both wind and solar accounted for 7% (each), and hydro with 5% respectively.
==Locations==
===Areas===
*Great Crater
*Outback
===Settlements===
*Priscilla
==Trivia==
*Tralius is equivalent to the real world continent of Australia. Its name is derived from the name "Australia".
*The Great Crater in the southern part of the Island could quite possibly be a reference that represents an overturned Uluru/Ayres Rock that is a large real-life monolith in the center of Australia.
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