Gazetteer : Sansterre
Sansterre
(OI-0702,
A87A943-C)
is the Clusters’ only water world. Most inhabitants live in undersea domed cities, although many still cling to the nomadic seafaring life of their ancestors. Most of the world’s nations are rich democracies. Interstellar affairs and the space navy are controlled by the World Federation, a loose union of most of Sansterre’s independent countries.
Sansterre’s people are some of the most educated, open-minded and liberal in the Clusters. They are renowned for their civilization and sophistication. It can therefore be a shock for the traveller to discover that chattel slavery is still legal in some of Sansterre’s most backward jurisdictions.
Physical
| Asteroid Belt | - |
| Gravity | 0.9 |
| Atmosphere | Tainted (low oxygen) |
| Oceans | 99% water |
| Climate | Warm: 16..21°C |
| Day Length | 25 hours |
| Year Length | 408 days (gas giant moon) |
| Flora | Weed and corals are abundant in Sansterre’s ocean. The few islands are used mainly for cities and parks, where Earth or Amondiagian plants are grown. Sansterre’s only native land flora were algae, most of which are now extinct. |
| Fauna | Extensive sea life. Sansterrian life is exclusively cold-blooded, as the seas are so warm. A few rare worm-like creatures inhabit the world’s sparse island chains, but they are far from able to compete with Earth and Amondiagian species that were introduced by the colonists. There are no native flying creatures. |
People
| Population | 1,310m |
| Language | French |
| Religion | Humanist & Christian (Roman Catholic) |
| Government | World Federation. A loose federation of Sansterre’s most important nations, all of which are democracies. The Federal President is selected by a qualified-majority vote by member states. He has responsibility for interstellar relations and control of the Federal military. The Federal Congress is directly elected, but wields only limited powers of oversight. |
| Capital | Les Perles |
| Tourist Sights | St. Marie starport - artificial island, Clusters’ biggest stadium. Les Montagnes - Sansterre’s tallest buildings, 800m above sea level. Vulcan city, Mondiale - huge undersea dome, classic architecture, museums, cafés, watersports. |
| Exports | Protective clothing, sensor systems, clothing, specialist foods |
| Imports | Food, vehicles, polymers. |
| Industries | Sub-surface mineral extraction, fishing, fashion & architectural design, data processing |
Historical
| Exploration ship | Voyageur |
| Exploration date | 4658AD |
| Colonised from | Amondiage |
| Colony ship | Infinité |
| Colony date | 5067AD |