Shanuk Island was by far the largest island on the planet Altiria/Anarris. It was located approximately midway between the planet's only two continents. The island was home to structures that had been razed and rebuilt again and again, along with a harbor and a landing field where starships could take off and land. The island used to be covered with lush tropical jungles. Shanuk Island became a blasted wasteland because of its strategic importance for two rival species, the Altiri and the Anarrian. The Altiri and the Anarrian had waged countless battles on the shores of Shanuk Island, and ownership of the island passed back and forth often. The claims over Shanuk Island were so heavily contested that it had never been held by one government for more than a few years at a time.