Crown of the World

Perhaps the least populated of Golarion's continents, the Crown of the World is certainly not the least traveled. Covered in glacial ice, the landmass sits atop the world and serves as a passage from Tian Xia to Avistan, the most well-known of which is called the Path of Aganhei. Traders and explorers frequently brave the harsh cold to reach the other side of the world via this shortest route.

Geography

The Crown of the World is roughly divided into three geographical zones based on climate and distance from the North Pole. From south to north, they are the subarctic Outer Rim, which borders the more southerly continents, the polar ice cap known as the High Ice, and the cold desert surrounding the pole known as the Boreal Expanse. The continent's southern borders are the Rimethirst Mountains, over which lie Avistan, and the Wall of Heaven Mountains, which separate it from Tian Xia; cold seas separate the Crown from Casmaron and Arcadia. Despite its reputation as a frozen wasteland, the Crown hosts a vast expanse of rivers, mountains, wetlands, forests, and other biomes.

Nations		Independent settlements
Almhult Hasanaliat Khorkii Clans Osman Confederation Ulaagor Clans Urjuk Yumyzyl Zavaten Gura		Iqaliat Ul-Angorn Unaimo

Geographical features

Arctic Circle North Pole Polar aurora Forests Domagalki Forest, or the Wood of Winter's Deadly Roar White Wood of Malarkhan, or the Roaring Forest, or the Hills of Screaming Trees Ice shelves Tashen Yakuta Thremyr's Shield Mountains and hills Alabastrine Peaks Alasek Ridge Gaarjuk Hills Hellrung Mountains Hills of Mournful Calling Lustral Spires Rimethirst Mountains Stained Peaks Wall of Heaven		Other landforms Altan Zuud, or the Golden Pass, or the Last Pass Cape Almhult Hoarwell March Koumssa Gap Ovorikheer Pass Paradise Ridge Trelheim Point Turnback Pass Whitefang Peninsula		Seas Banuk Bay Cholpod Gulf Gulf of Khorkii Gulf of Svallmundr Ivory Sea Shining Sea Songil Sea Steaming Sea Ulaagor Bay Whitefang Bay Sites Baruun's Breath Dead Man's Dome Faded Hall of Lorngrim Glacial Rift of the Dragon Mantarin Nameless Spires Uqtaal Necropolis Zunderwal Hold Trade routes Path of Aganhei		Waterways Bearleg Lakes Espinar River Hazalin Marshes Jorma River Kluani River Lake Buriyiim Lake Espinar Lake Nallishoot Lake Yamunaq Maganis River Moraghiin River Niiran River Niiset River Qopuk Ford Ruun Uvas, the Saltsea Lake Serech Ford Steaming Pits of Gheit Taraska River Witch-Fen of Azra Sahota Wood of Mired Crowns

Inhabitants

Despite its inhospitable conditions, the Crown of the World contains numerous thriving cultures, most notably the Erutaki humans and Ilverani elves. The light furred Mitzenki catfolk are also found primarily across the Crown of the World. Most of the Crown's people live in isolated communities or tribal confederations; the only centralized nation on the continent is the dwarven kingdom of Zavaten Gura.

Monsters such as white dragons, frost giants, wendigos, and remorhazes also inhabit the frigid continent. Furthermore, the ice holds the ruins of a highly advanced city built by the saumen kar known as the Nameless Spires, built to contain a great evil beneath the ice. Many miles below the Nameless Spires lies another mysterious city, whose inhabitants and founders are unknown, which once sat on the surface of Golarion but is now only accessible through the tunnels of Sekamina.

Legend tells of the White Legion, an army of frost wights gathered in the Crown of the World. Their purpose is unknown, but there are fears that they are in league with Baba Yaga and her witch daughters.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.