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Mars has been successfully terraformed, and has a population of 800m - Only the depths of the Mariner Valleys currently have a high enough air pressure for breathable atmosphere.
Over the centuries, Mars has attracted disaffected people from Earth. They come to homestead, often in the highlands. Life is tough, but freedom is sweet. Mars is governed by the Martian Terraforming Authority (MTA) - an agency of the Earth Union. The colonial authorities have a very hands-off policy. Everything is permitted, unless it's definitely going to cause trouble. Regional government is allowed free-reign within their own areas, so populous cities usually have a higher law-level than L4 - L7 is common but L9 is imposed in some places. Up in the highlands, most places are a law unto themselves. The authorities make some effort to control unauthorised spaceship use, and try to restrict weapons import or manufacture, but aside from that...
Much of the population are Earth peons, or outcasts. Travel to Mars was historically much cheaper than purchasing passage on an interstellar colony slow boat, so many chose it, even though conditions on Mars were harsh. Much of Mars' terraforming was paid for by immigration fees. Typically, colonists would either homestead, or work in mines - extracting salts or fluorite to drive the terraforming process. Many died. Those who thrived were able to afford to move to the lowlands, and join the burgeoning middle classes.
In the immediate aftermath of the Coup, Gentle hom Mario Landis Wang, the Director of the MTA declared that the MTA did not acknowledge the legitimacy of the new Earth Union administration. He called for the matter to be referred to the World Court. Three months later, the Alpha Corps mounted a botched assault on the MTA's central administration dome. The intent was clearly to use esper operatives to quietly take control, and "persuade" the MTA's top management to declare in favour of the new regime. Instead, many of the espers were captured and spirited away to a secret wilderness location. Guarded by remote controlled drones, they were unable to use their hex powers to escape their predicament. Wang made a show of turning them over to the colonial courts for a show trial. Five days later, the MTA dome was bombarded from orbit and EU jump troops violently seized the levers of power. Wang remains at large, now the leader of the Mars Resistance. Nothing has been heard from the detainees for years. It is widely assumed that the Resistance has them in stasis, somewhere.
Tharsis Region
Mars has been warmed by addition of CFCs and ammonia to the atmosphere. This has increased the atmospheric pressure sufficiently that pressure suits are no longer required. Manufacture of CFCs is a significant local industry. A genetically engineered ecosystem of lichens and algae have been introduced, which have darkened the surface, and given it a green tinge - particularly in low lying areas. A series of engineered comet impacts have increased the amount of water sufficiently that there are a few small, very salty seas - extremophile cyanobacteria have been introduced, and are in the process of generating an oxygen atmosphere. Orbiting mirrors are speeding this process, as well as helping to drive local water cycles.
http://webgis2.wr.usgs.gov/Mars_Global_GIS/
Extremely cold and dry. The atmosphere is too thin to breath. Dust storms are less frequent than they used to be (due to organic matter beginning to bind soils together) but they are still fierce when they do happen. The dust is poisonous, so filter/compression masks are required. Settlement is very sparse - buildings tend to be squat, pressurised concrete affairs, with most of the usable space underground.
A network of intersecting canyons whose sheer sides rise up 3-6km. The atmosphere is still too thin to breath, but periodic rainfall has removed most of the atmospheric dust. Hardy desert plants are thriving. Cacti and grasses. There is a regular, seasonal water flow. Settlement is still sparse, but buildings no longer need to be underground - simple blower/filter units are sufficient to provide breathable atmosphere. Glasshouses are very common, both for living space, and for farming. There is one town at the mouth of the Labyrinth - Night City (pop=100k).
A very dry canyon, with cliffs 5km high. Atmosphere is thin, but breathable for short periods of up to 5 minutes. Tithonium is mostly an industrial area. There are industrial parks and factory units strung out along the canyon. A maglev railway serves the various businesses.
Ius Chasma has air like Tithonium, but is much more moist and humid, often cloudy. Open water starts to flow here, much of it falling as rain in the valley's micro-climate. More moisture condenses on the high, cold canyon tops and flows down the side valleys into the headwaters of the River Mariner. The boggy surface is home to several hardy species - marsh grasses, horsetails, and the like, as well as many insects. The maglev, and a road, run along the Eastern half of the valley, before climbing to follow the Calydon Fossa up to Night City. There is not much settlement. The cliffs have a large number of luxury homes and apartment buildings - situated to take advantage of the spectacular views. These dwellings are serviced by a network of roads that wind their way across the plains above, although the wealthy tend to use flyers, as the surface journey can be quite long and arduous.
The air in these canyons is still very thin, but is breathable. Alpine heathers, grasses, herbs and wildflowers grow in abundance. In the lower areas, fir trees grow, albeit sparsely. There are many farms, under miles and miles of glass, and scattered small towns. Snow falls on the 8km-high canyon-side slopes, and the area is popular with skiers and hikers.
A very pleasant upland climate. It is heavily wooded, mostly with firs, but some broad leaf trees are also present. Farms abound, many of them under glass, but not all... sheep and goats are herded in small numbers. Millions of humans live here, mostly in arcologies that cling to the 10km-high canyon-sides. The nearby high plains are dotted with industry - much of it directly accessible from the arcologies via maglevs.