IJzerland (Eisarneland - litt. 'iron land') is a country in the north east of Thalassa, bordering Sevosetia (Swaifþiudos) in the north west and Histairja (Þiudoland) in the south east. The population depends primarily on agriculture and fishing. In some corners of the country a certain amount of industry is however possible, because of the presence of some small mines, which are probably almost exhausted.

The largest city of the country is Miklabaurgs. Thanks to the metalic industry, breathable healthy air is scarse in this overpopulated city and diseases are common. The city is however enormously popular among people from the countryside, who migrate to the city to look for jobs, that aren't there. The result is a city full of poor, not very social citizens living closely to each other. They tend to quarrel and fight with each other often. Miklabaurgs is called 'the Blotch of IJzerland'. Needless to say that the IJzerland government has chosen another place as their residence: the city of Badacho.

In Badacho one would almost forget that the country has industrial knowledge whatsoever; the same applies for the rest of the country. Houses made out of loam, wood and stone look quite idyllic and picturesk. The city has few high buildings - the Churches of Ba form a small, though impressive skyline - and occupies several square miles in all directions. The city of Badacho is more than one thousand years old and possibly the oldest city in IJzerland. In Ba's year 7023 (332 ante B.C.) the city was chosen by bope Adrachnē as the new secular centre of Baism, after the religion was chased from its original capital, the Dardan city of Bapylon, eleven years earlier. The inner city is divided in three parts: the centre (Alþeis Staþs); chaotic little houses around the city square, which also borders the town hall. The Reikewaldufneis Staþs - the government buildings - is located west of the centre, and the north eastern part of the city is called Skolos Staþs; here one finds the only university of IJzerland. Bordering Badacho (and part of what one could call 'Greater Badacho') is the city of Batikanobaurgs. This is the actual residence of Baism, consisting of several smaller and larger churches, the palaces of the bope and the bachanals and a lot of buildings used for administrative purposes.

IJzerland is divided in three regions (Landa, singular Land), which can be subdivided in provinces (Gauja, sing. Gawi). There are also six autonomous provinces. The north western coast forms the region of Gaurþaland, capital of which is Miklabaurgs. This region is rather small and the eastern border is formed naturally by the Wende Bairgahei. The south western lowlands, spits of land and peninsulas belong to the region of Þraubbjus (capital Badacho) and in the east is the region of Numuland, with its capital Kiulisþaurp.

The six autonomous provinces are: the free city of Þeihwonohaims in the south, Fagurna in the north east, Hrosaland in the centre of the country (capital is Skaunjos Garuneis), Alþibaurgs lies in the utter east, bordering Histairja, Kagqizeinshaims or Qăănqjse is formed by most of the islands in the south west, and Waddjeland or Võtõmõ is the very large province in the far north; its capital is Waddjestaþs or Võtõčewbindži.

The country's largest ethnical group are the IJzerlandic people; they speak the Teutonic (Germanic) language of IJzerlandic, that looks an awful lot like earth's extinct Gothic language, but isn't entirely the same. The other two groups recognized by the IJzerlandic government are the Sambeke, who live mostly in Kagqizeinshaims, and the Votes, a mostly nomadic tribe that live in Waddjeland. The Votic language could be related to Finnish and Estonian if it was spoken on earth - in fact, there is a language on earth which has the same name, but is a lot different than Thalassan Votic. Sambeke has no relations with any other language. Other, non-recognized ethnic groups and languages are the Sloiwoncians, the Wendes and small groups of Dardans that never left after the independence in 7500.

The IJzerland Calender
The Calender of Ba is observed in IJzerland, beginning at the moment at which Ba expells all other gods from heaven and puts them as humans on earth. According to tradition this occurred almost 8000 years ago. There are more countries around the Thalassa that use this calender. On these pages the Baerlian years are added between brackets after the years of Ba; 'ante B.C.' (ante Baerlem Conditam) = before Baerle was founded; 'A.B.C.' (A Baerle Condita) = after Baerle was founded.

In the IJzerland variant of the Calender of Ba, a year is divided in sixteen months, with an extra leap month every three years. The names of the months are based on ancient Dardan gods as well as on several important bopes. The remaining five months are derived from Dardan (= Greek) cardinal numbers: Babaks (25 days), Aiforma (24), Histaurs (24), Iugks (25), Sisura (24), Þalassa (24), Pur (25), Gaipauna (25), Rapsoidia (24), Raiþumia (24), Skandala (25), Þeosebeia (24), Treskadaika (24), Tesrskadaika (25), Pegkadaika (24) and Hekkadaika (24). The leap month is called Heptakadaika (24 days).

The Thalassan year consists of 398.33 days. An IJzerlandic week lasts six days. One Thalassan days lasts 25 earth hours, 4 minutes and 41 seconds. In IJzerland a day is divided in 21 hours.

(Note: in order to avoid boredom the Thalassa participants decided to speed up the time of the project a bit, in relation to the time on earth. The Thalassan people don't know this of course, nor has this any influence on their age or any other things. The first day of the year 7990 took place on the first day of January 2007, exactly at midnight. On 31 December 2008 the year 7996 took off; on 26 August 2009 the year 7998 started, etc.)

Faurawaurd
Eisarneland ist ain land in þa norþostin Þalassos, þatei Swaifþiudos in þa norþwestin jah Þiudoland in þa soþostin markjiþ. Þai inbauands trauan sins frumist þamma huga jah þizai fiskeinai. In ainahaim waihstam þis landis ist aþþan aina suma mitadjo tojis mahteig, bi þa andwairþja sumaizo leitlaizo grobo, þozei triggwba biju frawisan sin.

Bumjuqŏŏ
Sjdĕĕrj am tăjjqen dv maqtinaatălsĕ Faalăs ŏ văqjmenĕ bu Rŏŏsterj dv maqtirŏŏsts ŏ bu Slagjn dv băssenaatăls. Mărqŏdruus am qĕqeŭmjzes q qjarsjde buu tăjjqenejraani ŏ tŭntăsmotjrĕs. Dv soqnew hevvaŏqt tăjjqens sjdet qŭmĕrjndedv qoldĭw am seq jadjztes, baarjhem hĭrmeensa soqnew soida grobăŏ, tăs-jedjsă am amjad arjdiqt buuwĕjqqeq.

Esipiše
Rewdamõ un mõ koiļisessë Salassan, joga reunuzu Loupmõļa liuzessë ja Šizdermõļa kõkossa. Azigasligi edipãsë ribi mõnviljelïa ja kalazduzea. Erreossë nirõssa mõn un mita mašdoļiës warma mãrë teoļisuzea, viušši lësnëwlona erreoden lïšïzeoden miņeoden, jowad todennëgöistë un lëšes ubinided.

The river Agqeida, north of Weihaneþaurp

Somewhere in Waddjeland

the Walidaize Hus

© Bernard van Dulmen Krumpelman 2007 - 2010. Most of the pictures on these pages have been made by me. Those that aren't I found on the internet. When you encounter a photo or picture that belongs to you and you are not amused by me using them here, please contact me via e-mail.