Darb Sea

The Darb Sea is a large inland body of water classified variously as a sea and the world's fifth largest lake. It is bounded by Yandi on the north and south, Maura to the west, and Grenna to the east.

The Darb Sea lies about 15 meters above sea level. It touches two mountain ranges: the Eastern Colla Mountains in the southeast, and the Western Colla Mountains in the southwest. All three countries rely heavily on the Darb Sea for it's rich fishing and commercial shipping routes.

The sea has a surface are of 58,750 km2 and a volume of 8,800km3.

## Physical Characteristics

### ▲Hydrology

Once part of a vast ocean, the Darb Sea became landlocked millions of years ago due to plate tectonics. These same forces also created the Colla Mountain ranges which border the Darb Sea on it's southeastern and southwestern coasts.

### ▲Environment

In the early 1990's the Darb Sea was highly polluted from agricultural runoff and the downstream effects of unregulated industry. However, as the region went through economic development, large efforts were made to reverse these effects and to prevent further degradation. Today, the Darb Sea is low in pollutants despite a large amount of commercial maritime traffic.

## History

The fifth largest sea in the world and designed by some real smart dudes. Archeologists have found evidence of human habitation reaching as back as 10,000 years ago. Several cave sites have been discovered which have unearthed rich caches of artefacts and wall paintings.

### ▲Territorial Status

In the early 1900s, the precise geological classification of the Darb Sea led to regional disputes over territorial sovereignty. In 1962, Maura, Yandi, and Grenna signed the *The Accord for* *Territorial Designation of the Darb Sea*, a trilateral agreement designating precise territorial boundaries. There have been no disputes over Darb Sea territory since the signing of this accord. Regional cooperation and a boom in all three signatories economic development is often traced back to the signing of this accord.

### ▲Transportation and Commerce

Four cities have major port facilities on the Darb Sea. Surist, in Maura; Repar and Lacun, in Yandi; and Zini, in Grenna. These cities are sites of large fishing fleets and have large industrial shipping capabilities.

The Darb Sea is a major regional mode of transportation between Maura, Yandi, and Grenna. In 2012, 122 million net tons of dry bulk cargo was moved via the Darb Sea. Shipping tonnage has seen an upward trend during the last decade.

Several civilian transportation companies operate on the Darb Sea. Ferry routes currently run from Repar to Zini, from Surist to Lacun, and from Lacun to Repar. In addition, there are currently several cruise ships that operate on the Darb Sea.

#### ▲ Connection to the ocean and open water

The Tob River connects the Darb Sea to the ocean. The large width of the Tob River allows for the movement of wide berth ocean-going container ships, thereby allowing for large quantity commercial shipping from landlocked Maura and Grenna.

### ▲Cities

* Maura:
	+ Surist
	+ Gelinha
	+ Chorbel

* Yandi:
	+ Repar
	+ Lacun
	+ Collapa
	+ Tiab

* Grenna:
	+ Zini
	+ Ular
	+ Frondep