Hazāka

The Hazāka is a region of coastal plains in southeastern Tuysáfa, about 100 km wide and about 600 km east to west. To the south and southwest, the land slopes steeply up to the high peaks of the Tidika mountains, two spurs of which roughly define the northwestern border (with the extensive Wēhata plain) and eastern border (with Gōki). The Hazāka meets the large Tagimī Bay to the north, and the Kukōha inlet splits it into two unequal parts - Zdigi Hazāka in the west, and Zēgi Hazāka in the east. Around 0 YP it is inhabited by the Katapaki, and all names in this article except "Tuysáfa" are derived from their language Kataputi.

Between the sea and the feet of the mountains, the land is fertile and mainly flat, and watered by a large number of north-flowing streams and rivers. There are few substantial hills or rises and the rest of the land is liable to flooding. Originally the land was probably covered by mixed forest and swamp but over many centuries the inhabitants cleared most of the lowlands for rice paddies and other agricultural purposes; forest persisted in the more sparsely inhabited areas of the Tidika, though the introduction of terraced fields from Jouki increased the rate of clearing.

A humid subtropical climate prevails across the region, with warm, wet summers and cool winters. (A good terrestrial analogue would be the Atlantic coast of Georgia or South Carolina.) The warm ocean waters southeast of Tuysáfa are an active cyclone basin, often with several hurricanes forming each year – hurricane season runs through summer and autumn – but the Hazāka proper is sheltered from southerlies by the Tidika range, so despite experiencing high and unpredictable rainfall it is rarely subject to the severe winds that batter the south of the peninsula. Rain also occurs throughout the rest of the year but is less heavy in the winter and spring. Most winters experience frost and hail, although snow is rare.

Although tides in the Tagimī are not especially strong, the gently shelving coastline gives rise to extensive tidal flats. These have considerable economic importance to the inhabitants, as they are rich in food such as birds and shellfish; the shallow waters have also encouraged the development of small rowing and sailing boats for travel.