Van Diemens World

Van Diemen's World was a minor Terran world colonized in the late 21st century

Location

Located in the Gilesse 181 star system, Van Diemen's World is to the north of Sol and is the third object to orbit a mid-stage yellow sun that has thirteen orbital bodies.  The gas giant Hyperion has sixteen major moons and another fifteen minor moons but Van Diemen's World has no moon of its own.

Climate

Van Diemen's World was a rocky, barely inhabitable planet when first scouted in the 21st century.  It was terraformed in the early 22nd century and has an average Terran style climate, with highs in the summer of about 25 degrees and lows in the winter of about -20 degrees.
Van Diemen's World has very little natural surface water but there is an underground ocean, referred to as the Serpentine, which feeds much of the planet's aquafers.

Colonization

Van Diemen's World was scouted in the year 2075 and thought to be too remote and too hostile to be a worthy prospect for colonization.  However, the Federation military wanted an outpost to observe the Vatu border so set up a small colony on Van Diemen's World in 2087.
The colony was expanded after successful terraforming and the colony expanded fairly rapidly after that.  The discovery of several rich mining beds in the asteroid belt and the moons of Hyperion made the system far more viable, though the colony on Van Diemen's World has never become a very large one.

Demographics

As of 2540, Van Diemen's World is home to 66,831,000 people.  The demographic breakdown is:

• 58,831,000 Terrans
• 8,000,000 Indirians
• 3,700 AIs
• 1,100 other aliens

Government

Van Diemen's World was a military outpost for its first hundred or so years with a governor appointed by the Federation government.  There was a very strong push from the planet's political class to establish its own government and it was granted a colonial legislature in 2185 and allowed to elect its own governor by 2205.
Van Diemen's World has a rich democratic tradition and the colonial legislature has a lot of power, with the governor only really holding veto power and the power to appoint top judges.  Otherwise the colonial legislature generally holds most of the planet's power.
Under the Terran Empire, Van Diemen's World was the fief of House Yardley, who worked with the legislature where possible.  When the Empire fell, the planet returned to its democratic roots.

Partisan Politics

Generally speaking, Van Diemen's World's electorate have a centre-left lean.  Support for justice and the rule of law are very important issues and the planet's electorate respond very poorly to aggressive overreach or totalitarianism.

Van Diemen's World and Wider Terran Politics

Van Diemen's World was a part of the Federation, the Confederate Union, the Federated States and the Terran Empire.  Van Diemen's World was initially part of the The Antares Federation before joining the The Terran Republic 
Major Sites

Oxbow City

Oxbow City was founded after the planet was terraformed and is the largest city on the planet, built around a cluster of very pure aquafers.  Oxbow City is a centrally planned city and has a well regulated grid structure.
Oxbow City is home to three million people and is the planetary capital. It is home to the government quarter, which is built atop of Beacon-Hill, with government work the largest single employer in the city.
Oxbow City has a very low crime rate thanks to superb planning, a strong city government and a robust social-welfare safety net.
Oxbow City is home to McKinlay College, a highly regarded government and law college.

Port Kavanaugh

The first major city settled on Van Diemen's World was, until the terraforming completed, the only major settlement.  A rough and tumble collection of buildings, many cut into the rock of Mount Hastings, Port Kavanaugh is still the site of the largest downport on the planet.
Port Kavanaugh is home to around 2 million people and its a much more jumbled, organic looking colony and the Harbor-Side markets are famous for their esoteric and exotic goods available.
Port Kavanaugh has had issues with crime, with pirates, smugglers and the Black Dragon Yakuza present.  However the well funded police, working hand in hand with Van Diemen's World's excellent Import Dept have stopped the crime rate getting too high.
Port Kavanaugh is home to Heavenbee College, a liberal arts college and a bastion of left-wing values on the planet

Rutger City

Rutger City is the newest city on the planet, planned and built in the 24th century after a major expansion to the planets population.  Another centrally planned city, Rutger is very well organized and some feel, a bit soulless.
Rutger City is home to around 4 million people, most of whom live in large, comfortable houses or apartments.  Much of the population are working or middle class, involved in the mining and construction industries.  This gives the city a much more "earthy", blue collar feel than Oxbow City.
Rutger City has had issues with crime with the Black Dragon Yakuza able to get a foothold in the city.  Still with excellent social-welfare and a good job market, the crime rate is generally kept under control.
Rutger City is home to several major Hansa bases, with EDN a major investor in the city.  Rochefort College is a major business college and is funded in part by EDN.

Hyperion and its Moons

Hyperion is a major gas giant, the fifth body in the star-system.  It has sixteen major moons, many of which are suitable for mining and almost all of which have rich seams of heavy metals and other rare minerals.  Mining Hyperion's moons is the primary trade in the star-system.
Hyperion itself is a fairly dangerous planet, putting out a fairly powerful radiation field and mining ships must be well shielded to have any chance of surviving the journey to the surface of one of the moons.

by Viktor Hanh

Type

Planet