ArcGIS World Fantasy Map

During our time at the GCSI, our research group focused on using the ArcGIS Pro software to create a "Fantasy Map" to increase our understanding and knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS), digital cartography, and geospatial data. Below is an interactive web map of our result created with ArcGIS Online and an associated static map layout.

Note: Header image above created by ChatGPT-4.

Lux Charmant, meaning “the light of the charming," originated from the large island of Zed. The tribes and subnations that inhabited the area came together in 1808 to form the nation. The Capital was Kiprus, a city near one of the main ports.  It existed peacefully and practiced isolationism until 1820, when it began trading with the small island nation of Vandalia. Through this trade, both nations became wealthy. In 1824, Zed and the leader of Vandalia agreed to become one nation in order to grow their trade. They formed the nation of Lux Charmant, which soon became a major trading power. In 1831, Lux Charmant acquired the island of Karg from the Hydration Nation. The tribes inhabiting the island were nomadic, so a lot of work was needed to bring the island up to speed. It soon became very valuable due to the amount of good building stone that could be exported to other nations. By 1838 the government realized they needed to expand their small railroad and highway system to better reach the northern areas and access the lumber and minerals. As more ports were being built along the coastline, the government decided to grow the military in order to protect trade ships from pirates. Also, they had recently lost two islands to the hydration nation in the Oceanic War of 1835.  In 1834, the Navy only had 35 total ships with an army that was mostly volunteers and thus underfunded. By 1841, the navy had grown to a size of about 500 ships of various types, and the army was a professional fighting force that was well known throughout the world. 

In the modern world, Lux Charmant is a thriving Social Democratic Republic, and a major trade destination across the lands. This nation provides exports on livestock, lumber, coal, iron, and stone, grain, and vegetables. Lux Charmant is a major militaristic power, holding the largest and most advanced army and navy. With a total land area of almost 500,000 square miles, the country has around 2 million people.  Together with Hydration Nation, they have set up a connection in trade and military alliance. Due to the Spud nation’s system of government, they do not have a close personal relationship with this nation.

The large Island of Zed is the main part of Lux Charmant. It has close to 70% of the land and population. The tribes who came together in 1808 developed the island as best they could using the resources available. The nation grew quickly, and in 1820 they began trading with the Island nation of Vandalia in order to get enough food for the population. Zed’s wealth grew and they were able to expand more and upgrade infrastructure including a small railway system that was used for transporting large amounts of goods and people. The country had no official military, but many citizens owned guns and many towns had volunteer militias. The island gained a lot by merging with Vandalia in 1824, including a navy and many expert shipbuilders that moved to Zed for more opportunity. The island houses the capital of Lux Charmant and many of its ports and military bases.

The island of Vandalia was its own nation that was formed in 1793. It was ruled by the dictator Steven Hiesmen until his death in 1816. After which, his son Charles took over until the creation of Lux Charmant. He remained in power as regional governor until his death in 1845. Their policies were largely the same and both cared deeply about the island and its success. Before becoming a nation, most of the people lived in small villages and were almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. When the central government was formed, Steven Hiesmen worked very hard to increase the wealth of the nation and its people. He worked out trade deals with many merchants and other nations and soon the small island became a trading hub for any kind of good imaginable. He also created a large naval force to defend the coasts from pirates. When Steven died and his son took over, Charles worked very hard to get a trade deal with Zed and eventually got one in 1820. The deal helped the island greatly as it allowed them to get resources from the main island much easier. Charles improved the infrastructure and even helped pay for it with his own money. When Lux Charmant was created Charles was prepared to step down, however, the Zedians asked him to stay in power as regional governor because he had done such a good job. The island remained an important part of Lux Charmant’s economy and trade influence.

Karg is a small island off the eastern coast of Zed. It is largely barren and had very few people; all of which were nomads. Lux Charmant acquired the island after the Oceanic War of 1835. During the war, Lux Charmant lost two islands near the northern part of the Hydration Nation. Lux Charmant initially used the island only for surveillance of the hydration nation, but they learned that the stone on the island was great for construction and it soon began exporting it to other nations. The only people who live there are those connected to the stone mining industry.

The island of “Loppado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­karabo­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon”, originated from Spud Haven, which broke off and drifted into the territory of Lux Charmant, hence acquiring this land. The island is characterized by flat plains of grasslands that has many small hills that stretch around a central lake named “Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaug”, providing fresh water. The island has a single village named “Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukaka­piki­manga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu” consists of 20 people who sustain themselves through fishing, farming, and raising small livestock. They have crops, grains, and root vegetables. A traditional dish is “cabilitudinitatinbus” which has the fermented fish named “humuhumunukunukuapua”. The villagers celebrate seasonal festivals marking harvests, changing seasons, and historical events.

To create our map, we used a software called “ArcGIS Pro” which is commercial and has a vast amount of features included. ArcGIS Pro allowed us to use many different tools to make the map unique. Games such as Dungeons and Dragons can make use of ArcGIS Pro and other geospatial software, such as QGIS, to generate maps. The layout is similar to Microsoft’s layout. Because this software is new to us, we did not know what to do. Because of this, we had help from Aaron Maxwell, a WVU professor. Since we had help to learn some things, we made a fantasy map. Some things we learned include how to use this software to display map data, this could help display patterns and trends to make complex data more understandable. It helps us understand how far/long it takes to go to a certain place from visibly anywhere and also be used to see changes over a period of time in forestry, land, etc. We used different layers to showcase the different aspects of our map. 

In 1841, Lydia Land, Oreland, Cola Island, and the Isles of Kreb unified, forming the Hydration Nation.  Rulers decided to use an oligarchy, meaning that each province had its own leader, forming the nation’s council.  Hydration Nation has an abundance of natural resources, including exotic fruits, oil, industrial products, ores, luxury products, and spices, which are traded within the nation.  Potatoes, lumber, coal, and iron are imported globally from Lux Charmant and Spud Haven.  The nation continues to collectively prosper thanks to its combined resources and cultures. 

ArcGIS Pro, a commerical software, allows users to develop and use maps from Earth (like states, countries, and the world) or fictional maps adapted from books, movies, plays, or more. The layout is similar to the Microsoft programs yet has different uses. ArcGIS Pro is confusing to use at first, but after you get the hang of it, it becomes a simple, useful, and understandable program. Given an hour to learn about it four days this past week allowed the GIS class to become familiar with its basic functionality enabled them to create a large and detailed fictional map in a short amount of time. Given that less than 15 high school students could create this in such a short amount of time, it is no surprise that professionals are able to create realistic and reliable real-world maps over a longer period of time using data taken from cameras/sensors mounted on drones or aircraft. As our map expresses, it is possible to show different points of interest on top of the land itself. For example, an interactive map of West Virginia could show and locate every hospital, fire department, or other public structure in the state. Alternatively, the software could be used to find the most optimal route from A-B in a given time, which allowed the students to understand how Google Maps works so efficiently.

Dr. Aaron Maxwell led the Geographic Information System (GIS) class and research group during the 2024 Governor's Computer Science Institute (GCSI). He inspired his research group to create a fantasy map, and once hearing this, Group Two (Lydia, Logan, Zeke, & Celia) immediately began drafting ideas, names, shape, layout, etc. for the nation. The group decided to split the map and drafted their section into four different parts. Logan took the middle main island (Oreland), Lydia formed the upper right island (Lydia Land), Zeke designed the upper left island (Cola Island), and Celia experimented with the lower section (Isles of Kreb). Together the team formed “Hydration Nation,” a refreshment-inspired country. The team struggled to understand the software, and were extremely grateful to Dr. Maxwell, who was able to lead them through the utilization of the program, and taught them all about ArcGIS Pro.

The team utilized many tools in order to create Hydration Nation. They mostly used the “Create” features which allowed manual input of drawings, modifications, etc. More can be seen when using the software.

Oreland, the third largest continent in the world, is a major part of the Hydration Nation, housing most of its industrial sectors. It uses many of the natural resources found on other islands of the country to produce heavy machinery and refined goods such as trains, steamships, and generators for wealthy consumers and foreign governments alike. In addition to industrial products, the land also has a booming natural resource extraction industry, consisting of extremely rich oil and coal fields near its southern coast (mirroring an ancient tropical rain forest) and more common minerals near the northern glaciers. The middle of the landmass has the correct climate for grains and other classic crops, and its expansive plains and relatively flat woodlands make it a prime place for farming.

While it is unknown how or when it was created originally, Oreland has a rich history. It was first colonized by settlers around 1429, near the northern tundras. This led to them discovering the rich ore deposits of the area giving the continent its name. Eventually however, the settlers came into contact with natives. Things were peaceful for a few hundred years after first contact, other than periodic minor disagreements, but it came to an end when a settler set a rain forest on fire to make room for farms in the South. It escalated into all out war around 1725, with the natives being pushed back into the Eastern Plains by the end of the war in 1760. At the conclusion of the war, it was decided that the natives should be given a reservation to live where they would be uninterrupted for the foreseeable future. 

During the Oceanic War of 1835, Oreland (while united with the Isles of Kreb and Lydialand) conquered Cola Island but lost the land of Karg to the country of Lux Charmant. Currently Cola Island is primarily used for mining, as they have even larger reserves of minerals than Oreland. Before the war Oreland was already largely industrialized, but the war accelerated progress, resulting in large rail networks and northern ports being assembled to aid in the war effort.

Shortly after the Oceanic War, Oreland, Cola Island, the Isles of Kreb, and Lydialand decided to group together and form the “Hydration Nation”. This country functions as an Oligarchy, with one ruler from every island sharing power with another equally. 

The Hydration Nation now functions as a strongly connected but semi-independent country which covers much of the eastern hemisphere. Each member contributes different crucial materials and knowledge to the country as a whole, benefiting everyone within. While Oreland produces advanced metals and industrial products, it does not make everything itself. It imports many raw materials such as lumber (primarily from Lux Charmant), Ore (Primarily from Cola Island), Potatoes (from Spud Haven), and tropical luxuries (from the Isles of Kreb). It uses these raw resources and creates many essential items from the modern age. Oil and petroleum products are produced from the southernmost part of the continent, while large furnaces smelt tons of metal and steel to manufacture all kinds of items; from trains to barrels, if you have something metal Oreland probably makes it somewhere.

The Isles of Kreb, emerging from the Colt Belt about 72 million years ago, expresses today’s most diverse culture of Hydration Nation. The isles are decorated with marshy swamp lands, flowing rivers, and majestic mountains. I implore you to ferment your knowledge of these islands as well as the entirety of Hydration Nation.

As stated, the isles were formed around 72 million years ago when the core of the world became unstable and tectonic plates merged differently (This is known as the coalescence). Death Mountain, a part of the Dr. Pepper Mountain Range, is the active volcano which formed the main two islands during the coalescence. It erupts every few centuries and hardly ever poses a threat to the isles. In fact, natives who live around the area believe it is seen as a cleansing of the bad part of the island.

Human origin can be traced back to 35 million years ago with remains preserved under parts of the volcano. This assisted scientists in determining the date remains easily. Entire cities have been discovered nested around the cliffs of the Dr. Pepper mountains and even earlier under the volcanic region. As of today, the remains are covered in rock due to the most recent volcanic eruption. With geologists predicting more eruptions to occur in the future, the site remains a historic park, yet will not be uncovered due to safety precautions. Most ancient history, however, can be found in the surrounding forests and marshlands for further exploration. In summary of pre-history records of the isles, humankind was first nomadic, following prey throughout the area, before settling down as a farming group. As technology advanced, more resources could be collected and thriving villages were formed.

With humans settling in different areas, cultural differences became prominent between islands. The isles were unable to trade with each other and often went to war over territory. However, peace soon settled as a revolutionary era settled in. Trade increased alongside fellowship and prosperity. With the invention of sailboats and seafaring, the isles began exploring, implementing trade networks with the mainland and to Spud Haven. They were still all an independent nation, however, until the early 1800s. When illness struck the isles, seafaring halted and trade ceased to exist. The individual cities dwindled to a few hundred each until explorers from Oreland helped bring the Isles of Kreb back to life. The Isles have never seen the same population since the pandemic.

Once war broke out between Oreland and Lux Charmant, the Isles joined forces with Oreland to return the favor they brought them years ago. After the war, the nation began to form as one, creating Hydration Nation. The nation decided on Oligarchy (a ruling of a nation under a council who decides the law) and has acquired Cola Island since the end of the war.

With the addition of land, a new culture emerged. Pirating became popular during the 1840s and is still a tradition today. As a result of this, the Governors of the Isles formed a strong navy, now today’s largest and fiercest in the world. There are many uncharted towns and villages the pirates call home. The government does not wish for pirating to continue and therefore has tried to put a stop to it since it began. 

Pirating also influenced the structure of modern day trade. Most trade is done on roads and railways, however seafaring is more prominent in the coastal regions and between islands. Trade exports include tobacco, rice, sugarcane, raw minerals, coffee, and cocoa beans. Imports include agricultural products, lumber, potatoes, and rare minerals not located in the Isles.

Zeke - Cola Island: In the year 1839 2 years after the war to gain the 2 northern islands the brave adventurer Hyde D. Nation set forth from Oreland with 2 ships with 100 people on each ship to go explore the new and dangerous land. Hyde landed his ship where present day Berry Bliss Bay; he and his people explored the island finding the island was full of beautiful woodland and a large tropical forest. As Hyde and his people moved their way to the other end of the island, they found a large mountain range on the coast of the island, and after roughly 2 years of discovering the mountain range they brought in the equipment to start mining there. From there on the island began to prosper; sadly at the age of 36 Hyde died from an unknown disease so his son Jack D. Nation took over the role of oligarch. 

Millions of years ago, the island of Lydia Land formed slowly from solidified magma.  In 1812, the island was incorporated by the nation of Lux Charmant but was later conquered by Lydia, the new leader and namesake of the island.  The island’s population grew slowly, but resources were scarce, leading to the famine of 1819.  Desperate for minerals, coal, and grain, the Island unified with Cola Island, The Isles of Kreb, and Oreland, forming an oligarchy and the Hydration Nation in 1841.  After Lydia’s death in 1845, her son, Lydrian, inherited the role of oligarch, which began the Jackson Dynasty.  The island is known for its vast, rich culture that was influenced by indigenous people and immigrants, representing almost every region of the world.  Railroad systems are used for trade within the island; they lead to ports, allowing international trade.  Lydia Land exports luxury items like cocoa, coffee, spices, and exotic fruits, and imports items such as lumber, coal, iron, and potatoes.  The physical geography has a multitude of rivers and lakes with a biodiverse ecosystem, including mountains, woodlands, badlands, marshes, and tropical biomes.  Both Lydia Land and the Hydration Nation continue to flourish, and their culture will continue to inspire other nations.  

The south section of this fantasy world used to be empty. However, some millions of years ago, tectonic activity caused the emergence of dry ground. These tiny patches of land eventually became connected, forming a large landmass now called Spud Haven.  Although the continent of Spud Haven contained much fertile farmland, it had no known indigenous peoples. The first settlers began to arrive from the lands to the north around 1705, searching for places where they could start a sustainable life. Finding the ground on the barren island suitable for farming, they began to plant potatoes in great numbers. This started a large land rush known as the Great Potato Rush that resulted in millions of men, women, and children moving to Spud Haven, causing rapid development of small settlements into large cities. The first legally established city was the port of Baked Bay, followed by the populating of the future capital, Spudopolis, not too far away. The island reached nationhood in 1739, and with the consensus of all the inhabitants, a country based on a communist government run by a leader with the title of Mr. Potato was founded. In this nation, the government would own all the land and the people would have to comply with the government's demands. In exchange, the people would receive protection. The respect and mutual trust that existed between the people of the new nation allowed it to thrive and prosper so well that it drew enormous numbers of immigrants. By 1759, the population of Spud Haven had already reached 24 million people, and it seemed as if the continued influx of people could seriously disrupt society. As a result, the serving Mr. Potato at that time decided that it would be necessary to slow the flow of immigrants into the country. He ordered the building of an artificial island to the north of the port of Russet Harbor, the main entrance into the country, to serve as an immigration island. This man-made island, called Potatogration and finished in 1771, was used to house potential immigrants while they underwent the immigration process, and the port city of Spudisle Gateway on the island became a symbol of hope around the world. The stricter immigration policies allowed the population of Spud Haven to stabilize and the nation to focus on industrializing, building numerous roads and railroads. Today, the nation of Spud Haven is still flourishing and has good relations with its neighbors to its north, Lux Charmant, the Hydration Nation, and Maxwelandia, conducting trade and exchanging information. Spud Haven’s advanced technology helps its agriculturally based economy to produce enough goods to be self-sufficient. A strong military and economic influence around the world also make it a world power to be respected.

The culture of the Spuds’ is what makes the nation of Spud Haven thrive. The mutual understanding that a humanistic approach is required for all governor operations allows the Spudtopians to focus on what's important: potato farming. All farmable land is government owned, thus allowing all eligible citizens to tend to the lands. If tending to a farm does not sound ideal to a particular person, then they may tend to the potato processing plants held in our major cities, such as Spudopolis. 

All Spudtopians live a happy, fulfilled life, of which they can thank their prosperous leader Mr. Potato for. To honor him, Spuds’ can be found chanting, “All Revere The Potato,” whilst waving the great flag, of which resembles Mr. Potato in the center. To ensure all Spuds’ follow this excellent tradition, and don’t commit any other potential acts against the great nation, the CPS was formed. CPS, or Centralized Potato Security, acts as the nation's protocol enforcers. Amongst the CPS, the PPS, or Potato Protection Services, protects the nation. The PPS handles all military related actions, including drafts and gathering of potato cannons, along with the protection of the great leader.

Every prosperous nation must have a successful trade sector. Spud Haven evokes this trade market excellently. Exporting all possible varieties of potatoes, the Spudtopians face no limits. Whilst the potato trade thrives, it is accepted that the Spudtopians must receive nutrients deriving from means other than starches. For this, they intake protein and nutrients from cows that fertilize their farmlands, and import the rest. 

Spud Haven's major imports include all varieties of ores from Lux Charmant. This runs the great nations major systems, such as the thriving rail system. In regards to nutrients, both Lux Charmant and the Hydration Nation supply grains, vegetables, and livestock. Delicacies such as fruit are received from the Hydration Nation. These excellent imports provide the Spudtopians with top-notch health and immune systems, thus increasing physical abilities to farm. 

We used the software “ArcGIS Pro” to make “Spud Haven”, a fantasy land created for our week-long project. Some of the challenges we faced were using new software that we had only just been exposed to. It was a learning experience for everyone involved. We had to adjust to using many different layers, all ranging from the continents that we created to the railroads, rivers, and roads winding through the land. We created a “POI” layer to show points of interest which included a wall, army bases, scenic looks, and more. We learned to change personal preferences to see the different layers on top of each other with ease. 

This would be implemented in our future by accurately and precisely planning layouts of man made applications. Our new found skills show that it is possible to precisely make maps of anything we want to. Now in the future it could be used to remap the United states and new found islands that have formed due to tectonic plate shifts and underwater volcanoes.

Scientists are currently using ArcGIS to map “Man Necessities,” which are detailed by forest fires, mud slides, flood plains, movement of glaciers, avalanches, and ice cap melt. Most of these factors can be found on various websites that update frequently. For example the floodplain map is used by various insurance companies for “100 year floods” for flood insurance.

The continent of Maxwelandia is one of the oldest landforms in the world.  Its native people lived in peace with each other for many years, trading with each other and remaining relatively isolated from the rest of the world.  However, very few technological advancements were made, so a leader named Aaron E. Maxwell fully united the people and pushed for reforms. This changed the entire continent from a traditionalist society into a modern country, bringing it onto the world stage. As a result of this stunning success, the entire continent was named after Sir Maxwell, and the nation became a fully established monarchy with rulers fully descending from the namesake of the country.

With its high mountains and cold climate, the region is not suitable for agriculture. However, the mountains provide many mines that contain rich deposits of precious metals and ores. The fishing industry is another vital part of the economy as it provides the inhabitants with food and brings in revenue from other countries.  The nation has a large tourism industry that benefits the economy heavily.  Because the land was incorporated recently, it’s still under development but has an extremely promising future.