Poroma

Poroma, officially the Republic of Poroma, is a located on the west coast of the continent of Casalia. It is bordered to the north by [AGARAD FORMER COLONY] and to the south and west by the Casalian coastal range. The Poroman Archipelago consists of 31 islands located roughly 50 kilometers off of the Casalian mainland, along with four small islands closer to the mainland. The island of Magananyatia is by far Poroma's furthest removed territory geographically, being over 1000km northwest from the rest of the nation, it is considered a part of the nation's "core" due to its cultural and spiritual significance.

The country is a representative democracy, established circa 1400 by the campaigns of Tagazhi Tenesa ya Masabea. Its capital city, Masabea, is located on the largest island of the Poroman Archipelago, Anukari. The largest city and economic hub, Musurakuma, is located on the mainland. The current head of government, Kana ya Kavalu, was first elected by the National Congress in 2015, and has been reelected each year. The head of state, Tunubitunya Barudji ya Ganatu, has been Tunubitunya since 2009, when the previous Tunubitunya stepped down and he was appointed.

Poroma, while isolationist and poor on paper, is a flourishing nation in its own way. The Sawucha have never enjoyed a standard of living as high as they do in the modern day, and most indicators point toward the continuation of the nation’s good fortune. The people live happy, social, and spiritual lives despite their hardships.

Etymology
The name "Poroma" comes from the Tsafea word "poro", meaning pomegranate, and the suffix -ma, a past participle. Poroma, therefore, means "pomegranated", or more loosely translated, "land of pomegranates". The pomegranate holds significance in Sawuchan culture - it appears on the flag in a simplified design, and it features in many traditional dishes and cultural practices.

History
It appears from archeological and historical records that the region was originally settled in 70,000 to 65,000 years ago by hunter-gatherers that migrated from Jimmada along the northern coast of Casalia. While there is no written history of this time, it is believed based on genetic and anthropological research that the modern day Sawucha (the largest ethnic group living in Poroma) are descended, at least in part, from these early settlers. The Sawucha lived the traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle for many thousands of years, subsisting on native plants and animals. Small settlements arose during this time, though they often competed between one another over plant and animal resources.

The first evidence of permanent settlement on the island of Kavalu, one of the smaller islands that constitutes modern day Poroma, dates to roughly 45,000 years ago. The site likely contained three small homes situated around a central square, along with a staircase leading down to a rocky shoreline. There were an additional two buildings that have been almost entirely destroyed closer to the shoreline, it is unknown what the purpose of these buildings could have been. While there is some evidence of visits to islands off the mainland prior to this, it remains the earliest evidence of permanent habitation. Roughly during the same time period from 50,000 to 45,000 years ago, the practice of coral diving, or "Warada Ikorama", was developed. While the practice has managed to be done in a sustainable fashion to this day, the impacts of human harvesting of corals are clearly visible in the rock record of the region. The modern practice, along with how it is described in written records, involves diving several tens of meters below the surface of the ocean to gather corals, which are used for jewelry, medicine, and decoration. It is also during this time that fish and ocean vegetables became integrated into the diet of the Sawucha. Permanent settlements across the Poroman Archipelago continued to pop up in the following millennia, with many of these settlements surviving to the modern day.

Written records date back to approximately 7,000 years ago, though many of these early writings remain partially undeciphered. The language structure is similar to modern Tsafea (the language spoken by the Sawucha), but much of the vocabulary is altered and the script is entirely different. The date of the first journey to the island of Magananyatia is unknown, with local records not dating back far enough and Poroma not allowing foreign investigation on the island. It is known that the practice of travelling to Magananyatia as a spiritual journey dates to prior to the first writing, as the writing describes the tradition.

The islands and coastal settlements that together formed the Poroman civilization went through several periods of unification and balkanization, though they always remained culturally similar. Around the year 1400, the modern nation of Poroma came into existence. This was spurred by the unification campaign of the large town of Masabea, the modern capital, led by Tagazhi Tenesa ya Masabea. The unification campaign first united the island of Anukari, the largest island of the archipelago, then standardized the currency of the island and developed a system of governance of the island where each municipality was to democratically elect two representatives. These representatives would take turns representing their municipality at Masabea, where they would discuss local problems and work with other representatives to determine how to best help each other through distribution of resources and aid. This system of governance has continued through to the modern nation. Following this unification, the island grew significantly wealthier and more powerful relative to the other nearby islands and mainland region. The nation began incorporating surrounding islands and mainland communities over the following years.

This effort was at first aided by the Age of Exploration, a time in which nations around the world were beginning to explore and establish global trade routes. For Poroma, this meant trading its natural resources, such as fish, fruit, nuts, aloe, and corals, for Agar goods, including weapons and new technologies. The goods that Poroma traded during the time were valuable for the long journeys that Agars were often taking. Long lasting protein and Vitamin C rich foods like nuts and dried fruits allowed the sailors to battle malnutrition and scurvy. Poroma's standard of living generally improved during this time (especially near its core), and it became a wealthy nation by the standards of the time, though this good fortune could not last forever. Agarad began to become aggressive in spreading its religion and influence during the 18th century, annexing land along the Casalian coast and further inland. Poroma's wealth generated over the centuries of stable trade allowed it to escape with some territory intact, but many of its lands and people were lost to colonialism during this time.

During this period of colonization, Poroma only managed to hold onto the lands that constitute its modern borders, losing much of its northern lands. The traditional sailing route to Magananyatia was cut off by the newly formed Casalian colonies, though the nation has since managed to negotiate rights to travel along the historic route. Despite the colonial powers now on its doorstep, Poroman society continued to exist much as it had for tens of thousands of years. It did not become involved in the world wars, remaining neutral. Since the 1980’s, Poroma has joined the World Forum and opened its borders somewhat to trade, though it remains largely isolationist. The nation now exports some surplus fishing stock and agricultural products such as nuts, aloe, fruit, and ocean vegetables. These products may also be packaged or processed for export within the nation. The modern economic capital, Musurakuma, is the most open to foreign trade, and thus has the highest wealth concentration in the country, though this wealth is distributed unevenly even within the municipality. Musurakuma’s economy centers around shipbuilding and the manufacturing of diving equipment. The municipality contributes to water stress in the mainland, as the demand has outstripped the natural supply. Modern medical practices have begun to permeate the nation, dropping the infant mortality rate significantly and extending the life and improving the health of residents.