The NI Crossword
No. 12 by Axe

CRYPTIC

Across
 1    The main direction for the country with endless capital (5,5,3)
10     Her Majesty in first American land-link (7)
11     Tough-acting doctor ahead of dehydration situation (7)
12     No end to funny obstruction (4)
13    In Italy, river flowing out of Napoli backs around to Mediterranean at first (5)
14     Elementary constituent the last company is lacking (4)
17     Previously in navy, returns to Armenian location (7)
18     Plant gorse variety out east and lead to stink (7)
19     Yemeni feature from 8 or Ascot re-run (7)
22     Type of algae – source of inner dread (7)
24     Yorkshire dale about to have first-class introduction (4)
25     Those dreadful manners (5)
26    1 feature of Barbarossa (4)
29    Arab with degree in UN aid works (7)
30    Reg about to go round French lake – one frozen mass… (7)
31    …French mass – Anjou naturism convention (4,9)

Down
 2    It stands outside, furthest from the bull’s eye – 51 entered (7)
 3    Meat dumped at Ghanaian port (4)
 4    Feature of 1 snake I found in tin (7)
 5    Inhabitants of East and West help Ulster back North over South (7)
 6    Australia’s corruption returns – kept within confines of upstate Victoria for 1 feature (4)
 7    Glen routed by one quiet Sassenach (7)
 8    Chain of compromise between US and Japan in 1942? (6,7)
 9    On location at a more tranquil-sounding place before due at South American hot spot… (7,6)
15    …Argentinian swallowed up half-a-dozen (5)
16,28 I visit hinterland of Persia, and half of Java with a bird – starting at western New Guinea (5,4)
20    Vehicle you say you carry African tribe in to see reindeer (7)
21    Last three characters of 5 change and leave Texas town to the merchant (7)
22    Weapon from model in old Japanese (7)
23    Noise or other agent of deterioration (7)
27    Capital of old USSR state – a platform with which to start (4)
28    See 16

QUICK

Across
 1    Area of water bounded by Hainan, Taiwan and the Philippines (5,5,3)
10    Neck of land – Panama, for instance (7)
11    A cause of aridity (7)
12    Dam or barrier (4)
13    Premier city of Lombardy (5)
14    Brittle blue-white element, atomic number 30 (4)
17    Capital of Armenia (7)
18    Great millet or Guinea corn (7)
19    Yemeni island off the Horn of Africa which dominates the Gulf of Aden (7)
22    Prolific algae, used for food, toothpaste, ice cream and glass – among other things (7)
24    Yorkshire dale which gives its name to a breed of terrier (4)
25    Beliefs or morality (5)
26    Old Scottish county and Antarctic sea (4)
29    Citizen of the UAE (7)
30    Name borne by national parks in Alaska and Canada (7)
31    Franco-Swiss mountain range giving name to the Geological Period between 213 and 144 million BC (4,9)

Down
 2    A rogue statistic or a younger rock formation isolated amongst older rocks (7)
 3    Port of Ghana – Africa’s largest harbour (4)
 4    The world’s largest lake – but not called so! (7)
 5    Inhabitants of the sub-continent (7)
 6    Sea separated from the Black Sea by Crimea (4)
 7    Medium of communication spoken by over 300 million natives (7)
 8    Pacific atoll group, scene of a decisive sea battle in 1942 (6,7)
 9    Geographical feature that runs approximately 1,000 kilometres north-south in South America (7,6)
15    Diminuitive first name of South American dictator’s wife (5)
16,28 Part of New Guinea swallowed up by Indonesia in 1969 (5,4)
20    Reindeer of North America (7)
21    San ———-, site of the Alamo (7)
22    Smooth-bore gun used at short range (7)
23    Glacial, pluvial, fluvial or aeolian? (7)
27    Baltic capital (4)
28    See 16

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