Wascanastan

Ok time to think what I need for Wascanastan (my imaginary nation subbing for the 2nd afghan war).


Geography
Wasacanastan is a independent state Northeast of Peshawar vaguely in the same area as Chitral and Gilgit.  There is a British Imperial polical and commercial interests, requring a residency.


Obviously it's a mountainous country with some swift running rivers and some lakes.  We tend to think of this area as being arid semi desert but Wikipedia articles show that there's some forests and greener pastures in the mountains (Peiwar Kotal was fought in a forest for instance).  The GWR (greater Wascanastan Railway) poerates but the mountains and lakes require a steamboat to reach teh residency. My model here is as follows.

This is Waterton Lake Alberta, no where near the Northwest Frontier but part of the Nowest Territories 100 years ago!  A big long lake in high mountains close up on arid foothills in the middle of a large continent - sounds familiar doesn't it.  The far end of the lake is in Montana and there was a steamboat that used to run rich Yankees up to a very post hotel from a Great Northern Railway station the other side of the border.