Nyiki swe

Nyiki swe is an autonomous region located south of the Borzhkasu peninsula near the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait and is owned by Gemurtrak. The island is overseen by the state of Suzhya but is governed independently from the rest of the state and nation. About 374,000 people inhabit the island with a majority having some form of Salian descent, making the island one of the only areas in Osamia with a dominant non-Osamian population which has made the island particularly unique in its administration and culture. About four islands are administrated by the autonomous government with the largest (bearing the namesake) holding the majority of the population and the regional capital of Zedywer.

Originally settled as far back as 20,000 BCE, the island has been under numerous mainland and foreign powers generally trading between Gemurtrak and powers ranging from the Southern Empire, Mitruhmoer in the 13th century, and Salia after 1667. Salia would be the most influential, changing the ethnic makeup radically to a majority East-Alutran populace overseeing the wider Southern Import Company. The island would remain with Salia until 1914 following the Osamian revolution where it was occupied and transfered to the Osamian Federation who would initiate efforts to remove and replace Salian influence with limited success and immense criticism and warning from international governments. Relations would lighten exceptionally following the end of the Osamian War, however demands grew over the years for greater representation and eventually total autonomy due to a cultural and political disconnect. The Gemurtrak federal government would begin formal talks in the 1970's to a proactive resolution, culminating in the 1976 Nyiki swe autonomous administration act.

Nyiki swe has seen maintained and even expanded its autonomous privileges which has led the region to be radically different to most other parts of Osamia. It stands as the only political region on the continent with a non-Osamian official language and a notable tourist site for Gemurtrakians and international visitors alike.

Etymology
The earliest notations of the name of the island come from stone etchings dating around 1900 BCE. The etchings, believed to have been used to record taxes, denote the area as ‘Nyiki swe’ (literally meaning little land) and only possessed a small population of about 2000, all localized in the singular noted town of Zedywer where the tablet was found.

Pre-colonial period
Prior to the 1700’s, the island held a small population of native Trakians largely protected from mainland issues across the centuries. The island only experienced 3 periods of strife, these being the collapse of the Gaddram empire, the Southern Empires raider period, and the invasion of the western mainlanders. Starting as a small settlement in the north of the island, the settlers of the area willingly swore themselves to the city state of Ornpyat, the closest major city to Nyiki swe. During the Age of Raiders, the island would be raided on multiple occasions and being annexed just as many times. Large swaths of the island were later given to members of the [MERCENARY GROUP 17] as compensation for their service as the conflict drew on.

The island would remain solitary from the events following the next 200 years until the series of invasions from the western mainland, occupying the island uninterrupted for almost 50 years before its reclamation in the Battle of Nyiki swe, a large amphibious battle during the later stages of the final set of conflicts during the western invasion. The occupation by [Country] drastically raised the infrastructure on the island with many former forts and settlements repurposed by the local population as prisons for any [country] soldiers stuck on the island. They were later reverted to their original purposes, used by the growing population.

Salian occupation
Following the conclusions of the First Trakian-Salian trade dispute, the island was placed into full control under the Salian government along with the territory surrounding and including Metenrasyet as stipulated in the Treaty of Metenrasyet. The island became a place of administration for the Osamian colonial management of Salia, housing influential political figures, members of military command, and a general safe haven region for the functions of the colony. This caused a rapid development of the island and a spike in population growth, particularly relating to the immigration of Salians brought over to administer the region.

Unlike other parts of Gemurtrak under Salia, Nyiki swe was largely unexploited excluding the native population on the island which was often used as slave or vastly underpaid laborers to construct the housing for new arrivals from the North. The island became a secure location to enjoy Osamia as many parts were made exclusive for non-Trakians who would come from the occupied cities of Ornpyat or Metenrasyet to enjoy the bustling nightlife of the island without the fear of crime which was heavily apparent on the mainland. The night districts of Zedywer were often regarded as some of the finest (and most expensive) sources of southern culture at the time.

The near presence of a military garrison, coupled with generals remaining active on the island at all times, allowed for rapid response against any actions committed against Salia at the time. Their proximity also allowed for the high security conditions that made the island one of the safest in the region. Signs of rebellion would be reported in the morning and would quickly be quashed with immense amounts of force before the conclusion of the day. The island became notorious among Trakian civilians with many influential figures being taken away to the island to ensure their inability to act on their words. The prisons on the island were commonly overcrowded and were likely the starting place for numerous infectious outbreaks during the late 1700’s when the situation was at its peak.

Control on the island, and the larger colony as a whole, began to deteriorate beginning in the early 1800’s following [event]...

The situation was further exacerbated after a successful escape by numerous political and influential members from the [location] Prison. One of them, Mazkwat, half-brother to the vassal queen of Gemurtrak and a known aggressor to the Osamian colonial management, was left behind but later escaped a week later following a second breakout attempt. He would go off to create a unified effort against Salia before declaring himself emperor and reclaiming the lost territory of Gemurtrak in the Fury War.

Post colonial
With the direction the Fury War was heading towards during its three year campaign, many saw the fall of Nyiki swe as an inevitability and surrendered to Gemurtrak shortly following the reclamation of Metenrasyet on the grounds that they were left unharmed following the island's return. Mazkwat, wishing to keep the post war conflicts at a minimum, obliged the request of the Salian citizenry on the island and left it unharmed during the transition. Strict rules were issued however due to the anti-Salian opinions of many Trakians. This existed in the form of inability to live anywhere else in Gemurtrak, and the requirement to add an additional surname used exclusively for the Salian populace.

While these pushes for cultural integration proved worrying, the central government kept their promise and issued the region as a demilitarized zone following numerous incidents of Trakian military members assaulting Salian citizens. The foreign population continued to remain thanks to their generally positive state of treatment, with many Salians within the few remaining Legations on the mainland moving to Nyiki swe for the more positive conditions.

Autonomy
With the growth of parties such as the Party of National Solidarity and Monarchist Interest Party, the public treatment of Salians grew more embittered with many protective regulations towards the island removed such as the re-militarization of the island, harsher segregation practices including increased taxation on major goods and services, and the refusal to grant access to education facilities. By the 1940’s Salians were banned from leaving the island no matter the reason under the excuse of ‘national security’. Problems later spiraled following the beginning of the Second Great War when treatment reached abysmal conditions with famine like conditions being common on the island despite the excess of food on the mainland and positive food security for much of the war.

Gemurtrak's defeat in the war led to extensive changes to the treatment and management of the island. Iconic of these being the implementation of an autonomous government headed by the Salian community alongside an autonomous board representing the native Trakian population. The region was again demilitarized and all policies to de-Salianize the region were removed, allowing Salian as a speakable language before becoming the official language in 1952. The Nagsenur house of Sarya was officially recognized as equal to all other houses and thus granted freedom of movement for the members of the house, of which all Salians were already under. Autonomy was officially given in August 12 1950 and the first meeting of the autonomous boards commencing on January 2 1951

Government
The island of Nyiki swe and the neighboring islands deemed a part of its administration, are governed as stipulated in the 1976 Nyiki swe autonomous administration act. The document ensures the autonomy of the island and restricts numerous actions the central government of Gemurtrak, it's dependent, can act upon in the region. It also allows the island and its people to hold their own separate government and determine its own laws, as long as they do not overrule any laws within the act or the Unity Edicts.

Nyiki swe has its own executive and legislative branches, while judicial authority and the enforcement of law is overseen by the Suzhyan federal authority which adjoins Nyiki swe criminal cases with those of the Ornpyat courts. The executive government is led by a premier who is the head of the leading party of the Chamber of Executives. While Nyiki swe is exempt from some federal policy, such as taxation except when it's for essential services used by the island such as the national universal healthcare program, most decisions by the federal government are automatically enforced onto the island unless a challenge is raised by the chamber of executives, whereupon it's voted on within. Policy introduced under the pretense of a national emergency cannot go through this process.

Most public services are overseen by the island government including the education system, postal service and emergency services. Some functions, however, are still held by the mainland, in particular the management of Nagsenurs which is entirely managed by mainland authority as demanded by the Unity Edicts.

Districts
Nyiki Swe is separated into eight districts, seven on Nyiki swe and one encompassing the smaller islands north eastwards.

Ethnicity
Unlike the rest of Gemurtrak, Nyiki swe is the only region with a majority non-Osamian population. Around 70% of island inhabitants identify as having some form of Salian ancestry, the vast majority of this being ethnically mixed Sarya-Gemurtrakians. The Gemurtrak federal government formally recognizes this group as part of the Greater Trakmir Group and are therefore legally permitted to immediately obtain Gemurtrakian citizenship under the claim of citizen by blood regardless of their place of birth so long as one direct relative is of Sarya-Gemurtrakian descent. The remaining 30% primarily comprise of other Gemurtrakians with a small population of Mudruvese. Nyiki swe also has the highest number of bilingual people per capita, with most people on the island having a competant grasp on both Trakian and Salian.

Education
The Nyikian education board oversees all functions of the local education system, encompassing primary, secondary, and tertiary with 37 schools of primary/secondary focus across the island and a singular university located in the capital of Zedywer. The education board is administrated in a similar nature to the mainland education system following the same course requirements as the rest of the country but is independent to the rest of the state education authority. Nyikian schools are also the only ones that provide classes in Salian with a select few schools providing. While the mainland schooling system requires an additional year of schooling following the conclusion of secondary for Militia Army Training (MAT), the Nyikian education system fundamentally bans the implementation of MAT due to section 7 of the autonomous administration act. Students instead are offered either the option to travel to the mainland to perform their MAT or a vocational training year. The training year grants numerous options in basic vocational fields such as hospitality, business, IT, and creative industries, which can be concluded at the end of the year for a D Qualification certificate or can continue for the remainder of the course if they wish to achieve a higher qualification. It is also optional to skip either choice and instead immediately enter the workforce or tertiary education following the conclusion of secondary education.

Religion
Despite a large percentage of the islands inhabitants having some form of Alutran ancestry, most do not practice any type of Alutran faith. About 60% of the population consider themselves as Owkugan to some extent and around 17% not practicing any form of religion. Ayekism is the largest Alutran faith on the island with only 10% claiming to follow the religion. Because of the dramatic difference in religious practice within just over a century, many structures built for Ayekist practice have been converted into Owkugan temples or preserved as tourist destinations.

Culture
Nyiki swe harbors a fascinating cultural combination, being one of the only locations of cultural intermingling between Eastern Alutran and Osamian culture that is still strong and active to this day. Since its occupation, the ideas of the two separate groups in all facets of life melded together slowly initially following the large Salian presence on the island and later entered an environment more welcome to the co-living of the two differing cultures after agreements of the islands treatment in the end of the Fury War.