West Atoll

The West Atoll is a Subcontinent located in the South-West part of Heterocera Continent. The name is unofficial, but it is commonly used by many residents. SLGI team gave it the transitory name **B042**.

## History

The subcontinent was built and finished around 2005, when Heterocera itself was being built. In the beginning, three official names existed:

* *Hellingzonnige* - the South West plain
* *Hieronder* - coast sims in South
* *Dekant* - West coast sims.

However, these names were forgotten soon after they were proposed. Official names proposed for Heterocera were found to be more complicated, unfamiliar and easier to forget then the names used for Sansara.

An important change came with the construction of West Atoll Railroad (WARR), a private-owned railway that allowed rail access to the South-West of the continent. Even if the railway actually crossed the South-West part of the atoll, it gave people an important orientation spot for many residents.

At some point, SLGI team proposed two subcontinents within the area:

* South-West Atoll Subcontinent
* West Atoll Subcontinent.

However, a close Geographic analysis shows that both subcontinent share many common features, like rivers and terraces, common infrastructure and similar landscapes.

## Structure

The West Atoll is the largest subcontinent of Heterocera. From East to West, it measures 14 sims, while from South to North, it is 15 sims long. It covers roughly 91 sims. It is, on the longest part, bordered by Mountains Of Heterocera Subcontinent. The border is made by Robin Loop road, a line roughly following the altitude of 115 m and road 3A. The subcontinent is also separated to East and North by sim borders.

The subcontinent is very long, but narrow. It is at maximum 6 sims wide.

## Geography

The altitude map clearly shows that altitude gradually increases from the shores towards the mountains. At a close examination, one will find the existence of a few plateaus and terraces. There are coastal waterways, sometimes hosting islands. Close to the shore, there is a large plain, where altitudes are around 32 m. As one gets deeper inside the continent, will find three terraces, separated by slopes. Please note that, over time, the land has been altered through repeated terraforming, so that, at present, terraces are a bit difficult to identify. The first two terraces are more similar, small and crossed by rivers that flow towards the coast. There are no rivers flowing through the third terrace. Also, there are almost no roads and no road connections through the third terrace.

### Internal Waters

A dominant feature that anyone can see within the area is the presence of rivers. The rivers are not long, but have amazing waterfalls. Part of their waterways is Protected Land and can be used for navigation for a limited length, while part is not. There are 6 rivers. In addition, there also is a big lake.

*Grote River* originates from Grote Lake. Most of the river is private-owned, but in most cases residents are friendly and even allow other people to rezz boats. There is a dam on the river. Upstream, water altitude is 50 m. Grote River has two tributaries and is crossed by one bridge.

*Tethea River* forms in a group of ponds in Tethea sim. It has a tributary coming from Pruni sim. Both rivers run dry before merging and falling into the sea. Water altitude in Pruni is 35 m. However, in Tethea, water level is 65 m. There is a dam built that takes advantage of the altitude difference. There are two bridges over this river. Unconnected lakes exist within the area, in Or and Sesia sims.

*Siona River* is crossed by two bridges. The upper part of the river is placed at an altitude of 40 m. Only a small sector, along the bridges, is protected land. An interesting feature is that, upstream, the river tend to form a pond. Also, residents have tried to extend the river upstream.

*Emmelia River* is crossed by a single bridge. The sector downstream the river is navigable and protected land. Upstream, the river has a waterfall, falling from 60 to 20 m.

*Togata River* is crossed by two bridges and two waterfalls. The river falls from 60 to 35 and then to 20 m high. Upstream, a dried valley continues for 120 m.

*Lathoe Lake* is a surprisingly big endorheic lake, covering most of Lathoe sim and further extending East into Hector. The lake does not have parcels of Protected Land. Its surface is located at an altitude of 60 m. The deepest point is at an altitude of 37 m (maximum water depth is 23 m). The lake can be easily visited from nearby roads.

### The Coast

There are 37 coastal sims. All of them have access to protected waterways. Some sims host large surfaces of water, which is Inhabited Land. While some residents decided to build artificial islands, others built underwater structures. There are a few islands:

* Parce
* Tecta
* Lebeda (connected with a bridge)
* Sylvina
* Crameri
* Humuli (4 islands)
* Jota.

Islands are low places, never hosting hills or mountains. They are smaller then a sim and always private-owned. Also, along the coast, landscape is that of a plain. Ground texture is that of coral reef.

Unlike other continents, Heterocera does not have large coastal waterways. There is a long strip of protected land along the coast, that can be used for boats and ships. It is narrow and sometimes shallow. Not many boats follow this waterway. To South-East, the waterway is continued with the ANWR Channel, which allows access to Sansara. To North, the waterway ends at Togata.

### Terraces

A general feature of Heterocera is the presence of terraces.

* *Coastal Plain* covers a significant area of land near the coast. Average altitude is 32 m. Small slopes can be found, especially if the area is crossed by rivers or dry valleys.
* *Terrace 1* has altitudes of 40 to 50 m. It is crossed by a few rivers. Usually, in this area, water is placed at a higher elevation then sea level.
* *Terrace 2* is located at an average of 65 m high. This is the source of all rivers flowing in the area.
* *Terrace 3* or *Mountain Terrace* has altitudes above 100 m and is part of Mountains Of Heterocera Subcontinent.

Roads cross the coastal plain and the first two terraces without problems. There is no road connection between terraces 2 and 3. This lack of connections allowed SLGI team to draw a better line between the mountain area and West Atoll subcontinent.

## Access

The subcontinent has a large network of roads and waterways, plus limited railway connections.

A highly developed network of roads cross the area, allowing for an easy access. From 91 that compose the subcontinent, only 3 have no road access. Almost all roads are paved. While in South the pavement appears to be made of granite, in North, pavement stones are more colored. The road network is complex and there are many alternative roads to follow. The only exception is Emmelia Bridge. There is only one road through the area. In addition to this, the former WARR land can be used as a road, as it is now Linden-owned. There is also an off-road sector, not shown on most maps.

There are 37 coastal sims, that share a common waterway. There is a narrow protected waterway along the coast, sometimes with small branches surrounding islands. The lower part of Emmelia River is also a protected waterway. There are no major waterways. Big ships would find this place difficult, both narrow and sometimes shallow. To South, other navigation routes allow access to Sansara, to Inner Delta, Outer Lagoon or to the East Coast. To North, navigation is limited at Togata sim. In addition, a few rivers and lakes can be used for navigation if land owners allow.

The subcontinent had its own private-owned railway, *West Atoll Railroad* or WARR, which crossed a large area, connecting many sims, from Neumoegen to Elpenor on the West coast. Currently, the former WARR land is Protected Land and can be used as a rail trail. There were plans to rebuild the railway. However, construction stopped soon and connected only three sims.

The YavaScript pods offer regular tours along all the roads within the area. There are roads which they service in only one way. The SLGI Trains cross the area at some altitude, trying connect the former railway stations of the WARR and flying further North to Yucca railway terminal.

## Land

Land on the coast and nearby has a texture that resembles coral reefs. Most of land has grass texture. As a sign of high altitude, above the elevation of 100 m, land texture changes.

Rental corporations are present on the area, but their holdings are not too large. Inhabited Land is usually owned directly by residents or by small groups. There are parcels of Abandoned Land, especially at the border of third terrace.

Protected Land is in the form of access routes. There are no sim-sized parcels of protected land, protected parks or infohubs.

## See Also

* Second Life Geography
* List Of Subcontinents
* Heterocera