Geography
The Otterbear river and its principal tributaries, the Otter and Bear rivers, receive water from the eastern third of the Whitewood Valley, north of the Northern Barrier Mountains. The watershed includes parts of the West Shuizu State and the Shanbei Province, with the Otter and Bear rivers forming part of the historic borders of these regions. The river opens into the Otterbear Bay at Apana Town, the administrative center of the region and a major northern port.
Northwest of Apana Town rises the Northern Divide, a cliff that divides the highlands of Yongganguo from the cold peatbogs of Nitan State and the West Shuizu State.
Transport and Economy
The Otterbear river is important to the economy of the region, both for trade, fishing, and various riparian products. The river system brings products to Apana town, where they are loaded onto oceangoing ships for the North Sea trade (including sometimes transport to Beigang, bound for the central heartland and Ba Sing Se via the Grand Canal.) The Otterbear river system is linked to overland transit by the Ba Sing Se Highway, which crosses the mountains to Manbao and the Astringent River system opening into the Third Sister Bay. At Wangshi, the Bear River Road connects the Otterbear river system with the Far West River system, providing a trade link to the north of the Five Grains Province and an additional connection to the Grand Canal to Ba Sing Se.
The Bear River Road, which runs alongside the Bear River, is nowadays somewhat redundant as the river is navigable from Wangshi year round thanks to the building of a dam at Wangshi. However, in the past, during dry years the river would not be navigable southeast of Gubao, or, in extraordinary dry seasons, of the confluence with the Perpetual Peace River, a tributary between Gubao and Nancun and originating in the mountains of the same name.
Economy of the region is predominantly agricultural. Crops are grown in the fertile river valley, and although it is too cold for rice, many typical crops of northern landraces thrive there. The wooly riverpigs is raised for food, and the assgoat as a work and dairy animal. Tamed giant badgermoles, and domesticated members of the Shanbei Forest Badgermole breed, are used as work animals and for dairy products by the Yonggan minority. There is some mining activity, of coal and metal-bearing ore minerals, in the vicinity of Wangshi and the more mountainous parts of the area. Peat is commonly used in the north of the region, near Apana town, where it can be cut nearby. However, upriver, coal and wood are favored as they can be sent downriver.
The watershed is heavily wooded and market hunting and trapping is economically significant. Both fur and meat are important. The otterbear is treasured for its warm and waterproof fur, but has become difficult to find since the introduction of foothold traps from Temene Town, which made them much easier to take than with the traditional methods of hunting with spears and bending.
Politics
The region is part of the Earth Kingdom, however, central control is not strong here. The notorious warlord General Yi makes his headquarters in Apana town, and the population generally pays taxes to him rather than Ba Sing Se. Wangshi is a notable exception on the Bear River, and some Yonggan villages in the West are also resistive. That being said, some of the towns do have appointed earth kingdom officials, who have maintained their administrative positions (and stipends) by supporting General Yi's work.
Most of the population is not politically engaged. General Yi is resented for his conscription (particularly of earthbenders and military-age young men) but his military administrative structure has actually been, if not less financially demanding, more predictable and consistent in its demands than the prior structures of power. The elimination of these informally corrupt structures, and the inflow of spoils and tax money from General Yi's activities outside the region, has produced a modest increase in material prosperity.
Apana Town is under blockade by the Fire Nation, who seek to deny the North Sea trade to General Yi. The general's Northern Army has a small navy, manned partly with Shuizu waterbenders local to the region, but they are too small to break the blockade openly and have been mostly engaged in nighttime raids on the blockading vessels.
Settlements
Bear River
Wangshi.
Dongcun.
Huangcun.
Gubao.
Nancun.
Beicun.
Otter River