Horizont

Horizont is the name of a new boom-town that is situated on the northern coast of the Eastern State of Shops Island. It was founded in late 2015 after exploratory drilling discovered oil in the areas surrounding where Horizont is now located. For such a small town, it is very rich and has a stranglehold over much of the profits made from oil extraction in the area.

History
In mid-2015, Shopper oil-drilling companies were exploring the northern regions of Shops Island, hoping to get lucky to strike oil. Many Antarctic countries have large oil deposits on their northern coast, including Calada, Rusca and Snoss Yow. These prospectors struck oil on the seas off the northern coast, as well as striking smaller deposits on the northern shore of the mainland. Many companies, including Penguin Miners Co., placed bids to start drilling. These grants were easily given by the Shopper government and were personally approved by Lavender.

Within weeks, companies were sending equipment and workers up north to set up bases and start work as soon as possible. The Shopper government and the oil companies also realized that transportation of the oil would be an important issue: Trans-Antarctic Pipelines was once again hired by the Shopper government to quickly and effectively build a pipeline to refineries in Penguin City and Yuri102212 City.

As soon as the pipeline was under construction and oil was being pumped, profits began flowing like water. The government of Shops Island, eager to get a share of the profits, incorporated a town where many of the workers worked and lived named Horizont, the word Horizon in German. Since then, the small oil town has boomed and continues to grow at an exponential rate.

Economy
The economy of Horizont, as stated above, is made entirely of oil extraction, refining and transportation. Most people who live in Horizont are oil workers who spend their days on oil rigs and platforms either on the coast or out at sea. Much of this profit stays in the town, although lots of money also goes back to workers' families and to the Shopper government through taxes. Horizont has the highest GDP per capita (~55,000 WB$) of any place in Shops Island and its empire.

Two of Antarctica's largest construction companies, Penguin Miners Co. and Trans-Antarctic Pipelines both have large stakes in Horizont. These two companies are also sworn rivals, which means tensions between these workers are high. The Shopper government has extra police forces in Horizont to stave off any potential violence. Police forces are also there to discourage theft, fraud and money laundering by oil workers.

Environment
The area on which Horizont was built was considered to be pristine tundra and wetlands that were meant to stay as nature's domain and not fall victim to industrialization. While oil drilling in the area has been heavily scrutinized throughout Antarctica, the Shopper government remains firm in their commitment to keeping the new town of Horizont open for business indefinitely.

Locations

 * Horizontal Place - The main town square in Horizont. It hosts the local government, as well as the local headquarters for most oil and mining companies invested in Horizont.
 * Fair Haven - The name of the western half of oil fields located along the northern Shopper coast; Although nobody lives here, it is still considered within the jurisdiction of Horizont.
 * Firmament - The name of the eastern half of Horizont's oil fields along the coast. There are less oil wells here than in Fair Haven.
 * Port Horizon - The port located in the heart of Horizont. Although most of Horizontal oil travels south through pipelines, lots of Horizont's oil is also loaded onto tankers and shipped out of Shops Island to go to international buyers.