As can be seen the origional resource map shows a strong interconnection between areas exporting fur (almost all the northern realms with the exception of Blackmoor and the Snow Barbarians. The same is reasonably true regarding cloth production and export.
Fur in this case can be guessed at as referring to heavy winter furs rather than the inclusion of pelts, skins or hides.
Cloth production and especially exportation seems much more questionable. It is so widespread that it makes me wonder who is buying the exports?
Reviewing the Gazetteer, the areas that Jason colored yellow all export platinum.
This was helpful for my new Sea Princes campaign because the Hold only exports food according the "gold box" World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting. (The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer added slaves as a pre-Brotherhood export.) For the historical resonance, I had imagined adding cotton to the Sea Princes' exports. Regarding food, pineapples, rice, and sugar immediately come to mind, along with other subtropical fruits.
The various regions probably export cloth to each other, because different areas produce different kinds of cloth.
Different plants used for cloth grow best in different climates. For instance, flax (used to make linen) grows best in cool, moist, cloudy environments, while cotton grows best in hot, humid climates.
The various regions probably export cloth to each other, because different areas produce different kinds of cloth.
Different plants used for cloth grow best in different climates. For instance, flax (used to make linen) grows best in cool, moist, cloudy environments, while cotton grows best in hot, humid climates.
And, naturally, the people growing the flax in the cool, moist, cloudy environments prefer warm cotton clothes while those growing cotton in the hot, humid climates prefer to wear clothes made of linen.
I actually think crash is on to something. Remember cloth is used for more than just clothing.
The peasantry wouldn't be wearing a lot of imported cloth. They'd make clothing from local sources. Middle class tradesmen, merchants, and the aristocracy would be the largest markets for different types of cloth, because different types of cloth are used for a variety of clothing types. A chemise would probably be linen, but other garments worn by women (which the more complicated they get require more and more cloth) would be made of silk, cotton, linen, wool, leather, and so on.
Plus, cloth is needed for tablecloths, curtains, napkins, flags, tents and so on.
Tents were often canvas (heavy duty cotton) painted for waterproofing. Packs were also. Sails are cloth.
I think we underestimate how many different uses for cloth there are.
The best wool weaving was done in Flanders. They bought most of their wool from England ... this is why enclosure was such a big deal for peasant farmers.
Also, cloth production can be regional. The Great Kingdom can have cotton as a major export but have most of that cotton produced in the South Province (which has the right climate while the North Province doesn't). A good parallel: The United States. The South was a major cotton producer for the world (Cotton is King!) but the cotton producing regions were a fairly small part of the United States at the time (primarily South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi).
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