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 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.

Landscape
Poroma is entirely located on the !Casalian plate. The geography of the Poroman Archipelago and mainland are characterized by low lying mountains and valleys. The mountains were formed as a result of an orogenic period between Casalia and Tiridinia roughly 300 million years ago. There are several minor rivers throughout Poroma, most of them flowing only seasonally. Poroma's bedrock is primarily composed of limestones and sandstones, leading to a topography shaped acutely by the water cycle. Poroma has many caves and cliffs due to erosion, along with some sandy beaches. The island of Magananyatia was formed volcanically, and consists of two inactive volcanoes. This island has a vastly different landscape to the Poroman Archipelago and Casalian mainland, with basaltic and granitic rocks being the most abundant. While the island is highly protected by Poroma's laws and customs, satellite imagery and permitted research expeditions have described it as a fairly typical tropical island.

Plant life in Poroma consists mainly of fruit trees, shrubs, and grasses. On Magananyatia, due to the vastly different climate, there are more tropical plants. The sea life around Poroma consists of kelp forests, corals, small fish, jellyfish, sharks, and occasionally, cetaceans. The seas near the nation were once a breeding ground for humpback whales, prior to their extinction. The corals that exist in Poroma are not members of true coral reefs, as the water is simply too cold for reefs to form. Instead, they are technically a form of deep-water corals that have adapted to the shallower regions off the coast of Poroma. These corals have long been culturally important to the people of Poroma, but due to climate change causing waters to warm and industrial pollution, these corals are at high risk of bleaching events. Despite this, the Poroman cold-water corals are some of the best maintained and most protected in the world.

Climate
The Poroman Archipelago and mainland's climate consists of mainly of coastal chaparral. Magananyatia, being located within the tropics, has a tropical rainforest climate. This is characterized by year round warmth and rainfall. The Poroman Archipelago and mainland have dry summers and wet winters. This climate is especially conducive to the growth of pomegranate trees, along with many other fruit trees and nuts. Due to climate change, Poroma has experienced especially dry and hot summers in recent years, along with less stable rainfall. From 1997 to 2006, Poroma experienced an exceptional period of drought, with approximately 40% of the typical rainfall falling during this time. While exceptional drought conditions have since ceased, rainfall remains less regular than pre-1997. In fact, the driest year on record was in 2015, when Poroma received an average of 80mm across the mainland and archipelago, but this lack of rainfall was blunted by an especially wet winter the previous year.

Legislature
The National Congress is the main governing body in Poroma. Representatives for each municipality are elected by referendum of the people in the municipality that they represent, serving terms of one year. They can also be replaced by referendum. The body consists of two representatives from each municipality, which alternate being "surveyors" and legislators, trading jobs every six months. The job of the surveyor is to travel throughout their municipality, speaking to people to generate an understanding of the needs of their community. They are then expected to work toward those needs as a legislator, whether those needs be resources, market alterations, infrastructure, or inter-municipality land/resource disputes (water being a key issue, especially in the mainland municipalities).

The legislation process itself is based on consensus among the legislators. While there is a head of government who is elected by the legislators, the head of government does not possess any special governing powers and simply acts as a legislator. The head of government's unique job is to represent Poroma on the international scene. Legislators do carry more say in writing and enacting legislation depending on their municipality and length of service, but this is largely customary.

Tagazhicha (Travelers)
The Tagazhicha are a non-governing body of representatives in Poroma, with one representing each municipality. While the National Congress deals with legislation, the Tagazhicha convene with the Tunubitunya on the sacred island of Magananyatia and are largely religious figures. The Tagazhicha are appointed by their municipalities' current Tagazhicha upon their retirement. To become the new Tagazhicha, this candidate must make the journey to Maganayatia. They may travel between their municipality and Magananyatia at will, with their duty being to ask the Tunubitunya to assist their municipality with the issues they are facing and to serve the Tunubitunya. The Tunubitunya themselves are appointed by the Tagazhicha upon the death of the previous Tunubitunya, and they are seen as a sort of god in the traditional Poroman religion (Umunatu). While the Tunubitunya is the head of state, they tend to stay secluded on Magananyatia, only travelling away for rare events and making their will known through the Tagazhicha.

Economy
The Poroman economy reflects the small size and population, with a nominal GDP of just under Ꝟ620 million as of 2019. This economy is made up primarily of agriculture, tugboat and diving equipment production in Musurakuma, and a small but growing tourism sector. Poroma’s imports are limited in order to protect the fishing, agriculture, and shipbuilding industries. Some plant products are difficult or impossible to cultivate due to the climate of the nation and water resource restrictions, so these are generally allowed for import. The majority of imported resources concentrate in and around Musurakuma, where the vast majority of modern industry in the nation exists. Pharmaceuticals and medical equipment are notable exceptions to this, being distributed throughout the nation.

The low per capita income is largely due to the nation's small economy and lack of development, with many transactions being unrecorded or taking place without the use of money (through bartering). Rural areas are especially poor, with many relying on subsistence farming and local community support.

Population
Poroma's population has varied throughout its history, with notable times of upheaval being during the campaigns of Tagazhi Tenesa ya Masabea, when the nation's borders were established, the Age of Exploration, when goods from Agar traders allowed regions of the nation to become wealthy, the subsequent territorial loss and deaths from Agar colonialism, and more recently, with the advent of industry and greater trade causing a population boom. Poroma's population has grown from roughly 160,000 in 1950 to 243,895 as of 2019. By municipality, the most populous and most densely populated is Musurakuma, with a population of 76,213, and the least is Magananyatia, with only 27 (exclusively the Tunubitunya and Tagazhica). The mainland is the most populous region as well as the fastest growing region, totaling slightly over 70% of the nation's population. Anukari is the most populous island in the nation, and Ganatu is the second most populous.

Language
The only official language in Poroma is Tsafea, a language likely descending directly from the original travelers to the land that is now Poroma. It is closely related to other native languages in the region, and is spoken by the vast majority of residents. Manuak is also spoken by a minority of residents, mostly concentrated in Musurakuma and other mainland communities. Modern Tsafea became the nation's official language during the campaigns of Tagazhi Tenesa ya Masabea, when the language and writing system were standardized. Tsafea has an abugida, where each syllable has a unique symbol, and is written top to bottom, then left to right.

Religion
The largest religious faith in Poroma is known as Umunatu, with H'Ejrad being the next largest. Umunatu has in many ways been influenced by H'Ejrad since the age of Agar colonialism, though the practices of the Tunubitunya and Tagazhicha are Umunatu in origin. Umunatu is predicated on humanity being a single element of six that constitute nature or the universe. The six elements in Umunatu are Humanity, Animals, Plants, The Sky/Heavens, The Land, and The Sea. These elements are in all times in a balancing act with one another - the plants and animals rely on the heavens, land, and sea, humanity manages the health of the land, sea, plants, and animals, etc. Humanity is constituted by all humans, but the Tunubitunya has the special ability to convene with the other elements. The religion does not believe in a true "afterlife", but instead in the cycling of elements in balance with one another. Once a person dies, they are returned to the land. As a part of the land, they will eventually become the plants with help from the rain from the heavens. It is humanity's duty to live in harmony with the other elements of nature, which can be seen in the Poroman's history of sustainable managing of corals, local plants and animals and water resources. In recent times, especially since the nation began to industrialize, this practice of sustainability has substantially degraded in some areas. Most notable is Musurakuma, which has grown faster than any other part of the country, with many new jobs in industry and manufacturing. This region is also among the least Umunatu, with H'Ejrad being the most popular religion in the area. Umunatu has been declining nationwide especially since industrialization spread to Poroma, and H'Ejrad has been becoming more popular.

Education
Poroman educational attainment is generally very low. The nation does have a system of education for students roughly aged 5-14, which teaches skills such as reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and practical skills such as fishing, farming, culinary, and sex ed, but this system is not well supported and is implemented with varied success. Children may be homeschooled, and while school attendance is not mandatory, it is socially encouraged. Poroma does not have a national system of higher education, but does have two private institutions located in Masabea and Musurakuma. These schools focus on philosophy, mathematics, literature, and political science.

Art and Warada Ikorama
Some common forms of art in Poroma are in textiles, coral jewelry, and stone working. Crafting jewelry from coral is an especially important tradition in Poroma, as it is one of the most popular uses of coral gathered in Warada Ikorama. The practice of Warada Ikorama, literally "coral diving", dates back millennia in Poroman culture. The relatively shallow water between the archipelago and the mainland, generally no deeper than 50 meters, allows for trained divers to scour the sea floor for corals that can be harvested without damaging the health of the marine ecosystem. Climate change threatens this practice today, along with chemicals introduced into the ocean near Poroma from agricultural runoff and personal products like sunscreen which cause corals to bleach.

Cuisine
Poroman cuisine surrounds native fruits and nuts, with seafood being another major component. There are some native land fauna hunted for meat, but this is a far less common source of protein than nuts and fish. Citrons, pomegranates, and aloe are among the most popular food crops cultivated in Poroma, though these each have alternate uses as well. For instance, wine making in Poroma dates back at least 1500 years, with wines typically made from fermented pomegranate. This has a tart, dry, acidic taste, and is typically less alcoholic than grape wine. Juices from citrons may be added to the pomegranate wine, though this tends to be far too acidic for the palette of non-natives. Seafood plays an important role in Poroman cuisine. Salmon historically come as far north as Poroma, where they spawn in large numbers. This has been declining in recent decades, though salmon is still considered a core part of the Poroman diet. A traditional Poroman dish includes baked salmon with walnuts crusted on top, often served with a citrus fruit. Sea vegetables, such as kelp, are often served as side dishes with main courses of fish, nuts, and fruit. These may also be mixed together into a kind of salad, though this practice is more recent and reflects the decline of fresh ingredients in favor of cheaper imported/store bought ingredients. It is thought that the diet of Poromans may contribute to their long lives, especially when child mortality is controlled for.

Another common practice in Poroma is that of the "wet breakfast", in which the first meal of the day is entirely liquid. This is usually water, but may also be a fruit juice. Breakfast may also consist of a fruit or some nuts, but tends to not get any larger than this. These small breakfasts stand in stark contrast to Poroman dinners, which are traditionally late at night, beginning after sunset, and lasting for multiple hours. This is time spent eating and conversing with family and other community members, and it is when the majority of the food eaten in the day. Dinner may consist of multiple courses, in which each entrée is served and shared, accompanied by sides and drinks. Once one has been eaten, the next set will be prepared while the family socializes. Poroman restaurants abroad, though few in number, typically cater to this same eating pattern, with many courses being served as part of the meal. These meals are prepared for families, so are not suited well for individuals. This means that Poroman restaurants abroad are typically seen as a "fancy" place to eat out, as the style is antithetical to grab and go/takeout meals. All of that being said, Poroman fast food restaurants do exist, though the cuisine tends to be heavily adjusted toward the nation of their operation.

Sports
The most popular game originating in Poroma, traced back at least 1200 years, is called Satsu. Satsu is typically played by two players, but variants exist for up to six at once. The game consists of a board and six tiles, called Sacucha. Satsu is played in turns, with each player moving one tile to an adjacent location on the board simultaneously. Depending on the outcome of these movements, tiles may be moved again or scored for points. Though the standard number of turns is 36, the players may agree on any number of turns. After the conclusion of each turn, players' scores are updated. One point is gained for each tile that the player has in the middle circle at the end of a turn. Once the game has ended, the player with the highest point total wins.

Satsu is a game appreciated and played by people of all background in Poroma. It is seen as both a mark of wit and good fortune to be a skilled Satsu player. The tradition of playing Satsu has persisted and remains a part of Poroman cultural identity to this day. While Satsu competitions do occur, the game is usually played as either a one on one between friends or as a team building exercise with young people.