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| ==Overview==
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| ===Astronomical features===
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| Arcadia is a tropical planet orbiting the star [[Procyon]],{{Ref/Reuse|enc298}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P50}}. Slightly larger in size than [[Earth]], the planet has a diameter of 13,019 kilometers (8,090 miles). Arcadia has an approximated gravity of 1.02 G, with an average surface temperature varying from 3 °C to 37 °C (37 °F to 98.6 °F).{{Ref/Reuse|vis}} Regarded as atmospherically tropical,{{Ref/Reuse|enc298}} Arcadia's [[oxygen]]-[[Wikipedia:Nitrogen|nitrogen]] atmosphere had an atmospheric pressure of 1.3 atm.{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}
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| ===Environmental features===
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| [[File:HW Risk Arcadia Map.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A map of Arcadia and its various locations.]]
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| Arcadia's landmasses were divided into six designated continents: [[Eire]], [[Pacifica]], [[Mu]], [[Caledonia]], [[Lemuria]], and [[Avalon]]. Even before [[human]]s colonized the planet, Arcadia already maintained environments and natural resources suitable for human habitation, requiring no aggressive [[terraforming]] measures.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} Arcadia's surface was largely unexplored beyond the colony's limited settlements and tourist zones, preventing the discovery of the [[Forerunner]] [[Arcadia Forerunner ruins|ruins]] on the planet for a long period of time.{{Ref/Reuse|enc298}}
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| ===Ecology===
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| Arcadia was once famed for its dense, lush forests and jungles that covered most of the world's surface. Some of its wild plant species included small palms, ferns, low-growing grasses, and various tropical broadleaf plants. Many are visually similar to Earth species such as date palms and banana plants.
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| The swampy regions of Arcadia feature water-adapted trees with pneumatophore root structures, orange flowering plants, densely-clustered reeds, plentiful low-growing wiry undergrowth, and aerial moss. Orange-capped fungi have been observed. Many buildings in the wilds of Arcadia, both human and Forerunner, exhibit cryptogam growth.
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| [[Arcadia City]] included vibrant flora as part of its landscaping, some of which may have been Earth-transplants, including various palm species, columnar conifers, white flowering plants, decorative hedges, ferns, and various tropical broadleaf plants.
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| A species of fauna known as [[drymander]]s are native to the planet, and resided in the gardens of [[Arcadia City]].{{Ref/Reuse|Hippo}} Frequent insect and bird calls can be heard in the wilds of Arcadia.
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| The [[water]] in the jungles of Arcadia likely contains many bacteria and protists that cause disease; [[Cadmon Lasky]] contracted diarrhea after drinking a mouthful of river water.{{Ref/Reuse|p2}}
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| After the planet was [[Glassing|glassed]] by the [[Covenant]] in [[2549#September|September 2549]], Arcadia's once-lush surface was reduced to ashen-gray slag. There were no pockets of color on the planet as the Covenant had been especially zealous in glassing the colony,{{Ref/Reuse|sas71}} taking care to burn every vital part of Arcadia.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} A pale blue atmospheric ring circled the planet, creating a spectral glow that contrasted with Arcadia's gray surface.{{Ref/Reuse|sas71}}
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