Talk:Atlantic Islands

I stole the basic idea from a Google Group soc.history.what-if thread. http://groups.google.com/group/soc.history.what-if/browse_frm/thread/39ca382a93013185/1153c0580feb791f#1153c0580feb791f

The folks on that group are usually very good but the format is such that ideas pop up and then are never seen again. It seemed to me that the answer to the "What if" depends a lot on exactly where the new islands were located. What the heck; I own a copy of Photoshop and was bored, so I looked at some maps of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, pushed up some sea mounts and see ridges up in elevation so they became islands and made a new map. AirshipArmada 07:23, 15 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Hmm, not so much butterflies as albatrosses in this case, I think. When exactly did these islands appear *there*? --Sikulu 13:22, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
 * P.S. I happen to be one of the folks on that group (I call myself Analytical Engine on the google groups, if you should ever see me around there.) --Sikulu 13:24, 15 January 2007 (UTC)


 * The islands drawn are where sea mounts exist in OTL, some of which come very close to the surface. Deep sea currents should be the same as in OTL but surface currents may be altered (at least effected) and so on. This could arguably effect the shape of shore lines and weather. Also fish populations would be effected. Of course, for the islands to exist at all there would need to have been greater volcanic action in areas, which would also spawn butterflies, or albatrosses, of its own. So this timeline can not be accurately mapped (as if any ALT is ever really accurately mapped!) but it still may be fun to explore.
 * To proceed I'll assume that currents, weather, and geography is the same as OTL with the exception of the new Islands themselves.
 * In OTL the Canary Islands didn't effect the course of history until relatively late, and the Azores Islands even later. The islands in this ATL factor in sooner because: the Ampere Islands are well place for early use, and the Greater Azores Islands would be discovered sooner (because they are more numerous and because the Amperes could be used as stepping stones). AirshipArmada 17:57, 15 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Out of curiousity, when you say "very close to the surface" do you mean to the point that you could easily build a platform on it (such as the one built by the japanese and british during WW2) or "very close" relative to the sea bed ? If the former, could make for another althistory where a nation decide to *build* itself some "oversea colonies" --Marcpasquin 02:55, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Idirisids & Berbers
Don't forget Morroco. Easy access to North America might involve the Berbers and lead to a Muslim North America by the 13th Century.