ForestBoard

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NOTE: Before asking questions about the map, please read the entire section below titled How to Get on the Map. If you don't find answers to your questions here, please telegram the cartographer, Bruination, instead of asking on the regional message board (RMB).

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Introduction Forest's regional map is one of the largest on NationStates and differs from most in a few key ways. It is not an opt-in map on which nations must request inclusion. Nations are automatically added as long as they meet certain criteria based on the nation's participation in the region. Forest's map has two main functions: Firstly, it uniquely serves as a timeline of when each nation first arrived in Forest, with the earliest arrivals positioned to the west and the latest to the east. Secondly, it illustrates every nation's relative population, with more populous nations occupying more land area. The land and coastline evolve with each new update, as nations arrive, grow, or depart. The map is not primarily a role-play tool, although it can be used as one. History The original map series of Forest was begun by Santa Joanna in February 2012 and continued until September 2014. After a year with no further updates, Bruination began work on reviving the regional map with a new layout and style, while honoring the traditions set by Santa Joanna of using the map as both a timeline and a representation of population size. The first edition of Bruination's series was released in November 2015. By June 2016, the map had grown to depict 151 nations, the highest number on any known regional map on NationStates at the time.

Contents Introduction The Latest Map Thematic Maps How to Get on the Map How the Map Works Map Animation Archive of Past Maps

How to Get on the Map

Please read this entire section before asking questions about the map.

If you don't find answers to your questions here, please telegram the cartographer, Bruination, instead of asking on the regional message board (RMB).

Every nation that moves to Forest has the opportunity to be automatically added to the map. Asking to be put on the map is not the way to get on it. The map eligibility criteria is designed to reward and encourage active participation and longevity with inclusion on the map, meaning nations that move to the region and remain inactive are unlikely to be included.

Map Eligibility

After joining Forest and remaining in the region for 30 consecutive days, a nation will be evaluated for map eligibility based on the following:

At the time of evaluation, the nation must have signed in within the last 15 days AND meet one or more of the following criteria:
1) It is a WA member and has endorsed the regional delegate; OR
2) It has contributed to discussions* on the regional message board (RMB) in the last 30 days; OR
3) It has registered for the off-site forum and has posted at least once in the last 30 days; OR
4) It has at least 1 billion citizens and has addressed at least 12 issues in the last 6 days.

* This is the most subjective of the criteria. Generally it means RMB posts with content and value. One good post may have enough, whereas a dozen posts of little substance may not. Spam is highly discouraged.

Once a nation is determined to be eligible, it will be marked for inclusion in the next map update, which may occur some weeks later. (Map update frequency currently ranges from about 4 to 8 weeks.)

During the wait to be included on the map, take some time to read Forest's newspaper, the Forest News Leaf, or even write an article! Contact Forest's publicist, Frieden-und Freudenland, for more details.

Second & Third Chances

A nation will immediately be given a second 30-day waiting period, followed by a second evaluation, IF:
1) It fails to meet any of the above criteria at the time of its first evaluation; OR
2) It departs or ceases to exist (CTEs) for any amount of time during its first 30-day waiting period and then returns.

A nation will immediately be given a third 30-day waiting period, followed by a third and final evaluation, IF:
1) It reaches 1 billion citizens after it failed its second chance; OR
2) It requests a third chance (but not a fourth) by sending a convincing telegram to the cartographer.

If a nation fails its third and final evaluation or departs or CTEs during its third waiting period, it forfeits its opportunity to get on the map.

Removal from the Map

Once a nation is already on the map, future changes to the above criteria will not affect it. A nation will usually only be removed from the map for one or more of the following reasons:
1) It ceases-to-exist (CTEs) and does not return within 60 days; OR
2) It departs Forest for another region and does not return within 10 days; OR
3) It requests removal.

A nation that has been removed from the map for CTEing or departing is treated as a new arrival if it returns to Forest, with a new set of three chances to become eligible again. However, at the cartographer's discretion, a nation that has been added and removed repeatedly may run out of chances to be re-added again in the future.

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How the Map Works

In order to leave much up to the imagination, there is no reference to an exact scale or latitude. The scale in the bottom left corner does not specify a unit of length and is purely decorative. The position of an equator and/or polar circle(s) can be imagined anywhere on the map or not at all. An individual nation can be considered large or small; hot, cold, humid, arid, or highly varied. Features such as mountains, rivers, small lakes, cities, and transportation networks are also left absent for this same purpose.

As a Timeline

The relative longitude (east–west position) of a nation is determined by the date of its oldest known activity in the region. The exact point used to arrange each nation is its westernmost point. In the example image to the right, the 3 vertical lines represent the longitude of the westernmost points of nations A, B, and C. Nation B was in the region before nation A, and nation C arrived after both. The timeline is not to scale, however. It only shows the relative order. While nations A and B have westernmost points closer together than nations B and C, that does not necessarily mean the dates of their arrival are closer in time. Note that there are a few nations that are slightly out of order due to requests for a landlocked or island position that made it difficult to put them at the right longitude.

As a Measure of Population

The table on the right serves as a general guide for how a nation's population determines the size of its land area. After a nation's population reaches the next category in the table, an attempt will be made to increase its land area to fit within the next land area category. This is the trickiest part of updating the map, as it requires reshaping nations and their surroundings. The feasibility of increasing the land area of a nation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. At times this may require waiting a while for the surroundings to better favor expansion, such as when a nearby nation departs the region. At other times, nations may be expanded onto water or into nations that are large enough to lose a bit of land without falling out of its land area category shown in the table.

* Land Area units: Since the image is drawn as a vector graphic (SVG), these numbers don't represent a specific unit until the image is given a fixed scale, i.e. converted to a raster graphic (PNG). At the scale at which the map is currently uploaded, 1 unit equals 49 square pixels.

What Can Be Requested

Size and longitude are determined by the above described functions of the map and cannot usually be requested. The only requests for size that may be granted are for a nation to be represented smaller than it otherwise would be. However, there are still a number of other things a resident can request for their nation: relative latitude (north–south position), general shape, whether it's landlocked or coastal. Examples of specific features that can be requested include a bay, peninsula, cape, isthmus, lake shore, island(s), etc. All ideas about a nation's context and shape and any existing maps of a nation are welcome to be shared with the cartographer, Bruination, to guide him in shaping it. In the absence of any specific requests, the position and shape of a nation will be up to the cartographer's discretion.

Archive of Past Maps

Bruination Series(2015–Present)

11th Edition, September 23, 2016	164 Nations	Changes Added (14): Bad hair day zombies, Mesa Golden, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, Tremessim, Zwangzug, The Half Moon Mountains, Perdox Nia, Draught, Ruinenlust, Mimisbrunnr, Terumbrae, Distant Winds, Ursus Arctos, Atlxianu Expanded (17): Navell, Communal Ecotopia, Bearadise, Asghef, La Rana Toro, The Mockingbird, Sethian, Aifur, Dogon, Baiana, Alpine Republics, Us harpies, Treepublic, Forceana, Unhuman Reserves, Venca, Night Vale Landia Removed (12): Romanax, Mastralos, Galapagos Preservation, DarkLife, Murmuria, Rakuencia, Udippia Other: Some nations that have ceased-to-exist (CTEd) have now been memorialized as Regional Preserves as an alternative to returning them to the sea.
10th Edition, August 4, 2016	157 Nations	Changes Added (18): Composted Orange Peels, John Senat, MariannaLand, Eryndlynd, Tomathinia, Caelestra, Plantaelia, Unhuman Reserves, Tsuga Canadensis, Venca, Night Vale Landia, Montmorencia, Turtlesturtlesturtles, Naasseners, Pacaraima, Paxadentia, Belgianadia, Yuumura Kirika Expanded (23): Idryll, Errinundera, Dogon, Baiana, Zephyr Grove, Frieden-und Freudenland, Prettycity, Doxovia, Flooby Nooby, Lebowskiberg, Woodland Partisans, Khromanapolis, Okefenokee Swamp, The kingdom of Jewelland, Bruination, Beauty of Nature, The Haunted Woods, Dazed Butterflies, Elfendel, Murflonia, Daior, Discordiae, Crasterram Removed (12): Eco2k, Aiadis, Socialist Bohemoravia, Sungreen, Huakahako, Avaridor, Eco darwinists, Guman, Skogens vrede, Port Peyton, Gansolandia, Beaverriver
9th Edition, June 12, 2016	151 Nations	Changes Added (17): Awazi, Beauty of Nature, Romanax, New Lvsitania, Nimros, Doxovia, Us harpies, Treepublic, Prettycity, The Hippy Union, Calenmor, Forceana, Crasterram, Khromanapolis, Body and Soul, Discordiae, Galapagos Preservation Expanded (18): Walquiria, Icalli, Yeland, DarkLife, Tremarctos, Yern, Nation of Eurasia, Mastralos, Leafapolis, Maple Hollow, Sethian, Aifur, The Vegan Commune, The Socialist Pure Land, Oecos, Mount Seymour, European Social Republic, Reconquered Spain Removed (5): Special Circumstances, The Hill, Diplocaulus, Altruismia, Kung Fu Penguin
8th Edition, May 16, 2016	139 Nations	Changes Added (9): Chan Island, Special Circumstances, Alpine Republics, Murmuria, Woodland Partisans, Zephyr Grove, Flooby Nooby, Okefenokee Swamp, Lebowskiberg Expanded (7): La Rana Toro, Memeplex, Mag Meall, Democratic Republic of Europa, Morgrim, Tribe Ravenclaw, Earth Worshippers Removed (2): Nordanland, Laelendell
7th Edition, April 30, 2016	132 Nations	Changes Added (20): Yeland, Mastralos, Idryll, DarkLife, Sethian, Gansolandia, The Haunted Woods, Illiniana, Yoshi, Byzonaea, Aifur, Port Peyton, Mount Seymour, Oecos, Beaverriver, Aengloland, Dogon, Shilmesta, Baiana, Brellach Expanded (15): The Mirshism Cult, Bearadise, Caracasus, The Vegan Commune, The Socialist Pure Land, Guman, European Social Republic, Reconquered Spain, Topaia, Ventus Aeternam, Stereotypia, Ulfstead, Bemberna, Chula, Latusgardd Removed (12): Oberonn, Metroqolia, Catalasa, Vivatrex, Sinaasappelsap, The Elba, Bearsendland, Anarchist Resistance, Regional Cartographer Office, Hollietopia, The Brink of Extinction, Eastcorner Other: Conoistre & Yern relocated to islands; Corrected spelling of Ventus Aeternam.
6th Edition, March 24, 2016	124 Nations	Changes Added (14): La Rana Toro, Huakahako, Elfendel, The Mockingbird, Basella, Aiadis, New Internationalists, Sungreen, The Socialist Pure Land, European Social Republic, Reconquered Spain, Nation of Eurasia, Leafapolis, Walquiria Expanded (12): Shalotte, Sam I am, Yern, Taco Respublic, Eco2k, Maple Hollow, Tremarctos, Wise Witches, CoolDayna, Asghef, Araneidae, Ashrah Removed (14): Republic of blaine, The Ash Tree, Wolvenia, The Ecological Right, Psychedelic zebras, Malzur, The laid back hippies, Iliocostallis, Msitu Kongwe, Zephyr Grove, Splawslandia, Faunastia, Blue DG, Peameal Other: More bodies of water named after prominent former members: Bay of Splawslandia, Teufel Hunden Sea, Sea of Basking Turtles, & Lake Gub Kur Gana Dadag.
5th Edition, February 19, 2016	124 Nations	Changes Added (4): My Comfortable Bed, Daior, The Hill, Icalli Expanded (12): New Chechovenia, Ironic Remarks, Bruination, Eco darwinists, Froenburg, Dazed Butterflies, Kegars, Hollietopia, Altruismia, Rakuencia, Mag Meall, Democratic Republic of Europa Removed (5): Great Lakes Metropoleis, Goopsy, Hyastick, Lexbourg, Aurum Mundum Other: Gulf of Dawn Tiger changed to Dawn Tiger Straits and several more bodies of water named after prominent former members: Gulf of Tree Nation, Goopsy Bight, Gulf of Chaoeos, Iievius Bay, Gulf of Sacred Sequoia Trees, Outubro Bay, & Sea of the Aura Guardians.
4th Edition, January 31, 2016	125 Nations	Changes Added (15): Yern, Rakuencia, Eco2k, Great Lakes Metropoleis, Avaridor, Maple Hollow, Bearsendland, Laelendell, Tremarctos, Mag Meall, Land o Birds, Democratic Republic of Europa, Guman, The Vegan Commune, Sam I am Expanded (9): Socialist Bohemoravia, Free Bears in the Wood, Nordanland, Topaia, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ventus Aeternam, Catalasa, Stereotypia, Ulfstead Removed (5): Eco-terrorists, Mars Base One, Centaurs, Janlandia, Redwood Wood Wood Other: Several other nations changed shape as their neighbors disappeared or expanded.
3rd Edition, December 28, 2015	115 Nations	Changes Added (8): Agadin, Island Number Nine, Oberonn, Altruismia, Iliocostallis, Anarchist Resistance, Skogens vrede, Msitu Kongwe Expanded (14): The night garden, Zephyr Grove, Ransium, Kawastyselir, Autonomousness, Belinos, Blue DG, Wise Witches, Regional Cartographer Office, Asghef, Family Bear, Siberian Taiga, GRO-Environment, Bearadise Removed (7): Wayonn, The Apes, Venhova, Spectre land, Caloviso, Aokigahara Forest, Forest Swamp Other: Map expanded eastward. Aurum Mundum repositioned after typo led to initial placement too far east.
2nd Edition, December 3, 2015	114 Nations	Changes Added (12): Morgrim, Wolvenia, Regional Cartographer Office, The Brink of Extinction, Malzur, Asghef, Catalasa, Stereotypia, Kung Fu Penguin, Ulfstead, The Ecological Right, Socialist Bohemoravia Expanded (0): none Removed (1): The Yogic Nation of Muchkarmanow Other: Southeast coast reshaped
1st Edition, November 23, 2015	103 Nations	Changes This was the first in the series, so everything was new.

Thematic Maps:

The "Subregions" of Forest, September 24, 2016 —Credit: Mount Seymour
Choropleth: Ransium's "Greenness" Index, August 20, 2016 —Credit: Mount Seymour, data collected by Doxovia

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Santa Joanna Series(2012–2014)

September 5, 2014

December 27, 2013

August 12, 2013 —Credit: Basking Turtles

June 14, 2013

June 7, 2013

January 19, 2013

December 23, 2012

November 17, 2012

September 26, 2012

August 7, 2012

April 30, 2012

April 19, 2012

April 5, 2012

March 11, 2012

February 7, 2012 —The Oldest Map of Forest

Thematic Maps:

Choropleth: Defense Forces, September 20, 2014

Choropleth: Economy, December 29, 2013

Choropleth: Lifespan, December 27, 2013 —Credit: Basking Turtles

WA Nations, June 7, 2013

Commemorative 100 Nation Map, March 31, 2013 —Credit: Ransium

Forest from the Air (3D Map), March 4, 2013 —Credit: Hesperika

Choropleth: Eco-Friendliness, August 24, 2012 —Credit: Naturesocialistic Aryaland

Choropleth: Safety from Crime, August 7, 2012

Choropleth: Religiousness, August 3, 2012