Asidama

Asidama, formally the Kingdom of Asidama, is an island country straddling the continents of Skephon and Osamia. It is situated in the Kunichi Sea, and bordered on its south by Gemurtrak and Mitruhmoer to its south across the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait and Shemia to its west. The nation itself spans an archipelago containing hundreds of volcanic islands of thousands of square kilometers of sea, but has four primary islands: Nui in the north, Chikasi to the west, Baisu to the south, and the main island of Kuguni, by far the largest of the four and home to most of the nation's population. Asidama is a, boasting a line of rulers stretching back more than a millennium.

The first inhabitants of the islands are believed to have arrived around 14,000 BCE, although successive waves of migration occurred around 3,000 and 1,000 BCE. The islands birthed several tiny trader kingdoms which coalesced into the four major kingdoms of Duya, Hingu, Uchi, and Aya by the 4th century CE. By the 9th century, Hingu emerged victorious and united what is now Asidama under one flag. Expanding outward, Dama traders sailed as far north as Salia, as far west as Haksarad, and as far south as Tákjaana. By the 11th century, the Dama had established itself as a premier commercial and maritime power in the region, controlling passage through key straits to its north and south as well as itself serving as a major center of trade. However, due to internal stress and increasing encroachment by Salian traders, the kingdom withdrew from its previous position as a regional power and entered a period of isolation for nearly two centuries. The period was ended by the monarch known as Myamunu the Great, who was instrumental in the re-opening of the country as well as its industrial and political modernization. Asidama continued to grow and develop, remaining neutral during the World Wars and becoming a prominent member of the international community.

Asidama has left a profound cultural, architectural, and linguistic influence across the world. It is a developed country with high living standards but increasingly glaring inequality of income. It ranks highly in stability, social progress, prosperity, and peacefulness, although it has drawn some criticisms due to instances of state censorship of the press. A member of the World Forum and Southern Prosperity League, Asidama enjoys good diplomatic relationships with its neighbors and the wider world.

Etymology
The name Asidama comes from the Dama for "rain mountain" (asi for rain, dama for mountain). The name first came into use around the 9th century with the unification of the islands under the Hingu Kingdom. Use of the term was spread by the Dama Treasure Fleets, which sailed across the hemisphere, bringing goods and ideas as well as the new etymology for the collective region within the Kunitchi Sea.

History
Humans first migrated to what is now Asidama around 14,000 BCE. These early inhabitants followed a semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Rice is introduced in the third millennium BCE following a subsequent wave of migrations. Ideal agricultural conditions, the introduction of rice, and the subsequent mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the third millennium BCE allowed large populations to grow into villages and towns by the thirteenth century BCE. The island’s strategic sea-lane position fostered the transfer of new crops, animals, people, and tools. Metalworking was introduced to the island around 1000 BCE, as well as new styles of pottery. Asidama's hot and even temperature, abundant rain and volcanic soil were perfect for wet rice cultivation. Such agriculture required a well-organized society, leading to the rise of various Rice Kings on the island. The Rice Kings warned frequently with one another and tapped into their massive labor reserves to construct massive monuments to their reigns. Eventually, however, power shifted to the island's coastal kingdoms as trade increased with neighboring peoples. The kingdoms' main exports initially included silver, copper, and iron ore, but soon its coastal port cities became hubs of trade in their own rights. To match, the islands' trade kingdoms developed powerful navies to defend against pirates and protect their assets.

Antiquity
Eventually the island settled into four primary kingdoms of varying size. These four eventually coalesce into two. One is larger but poorer, while the other is smaller and more developed. The developed one wins, and the island is united by the end of the medieval age. Eventually it gets slimmed down to Duya and Hingu. Two engage one another in three wars - the Pearl War, over sea trade routes, the Jade War, over inland territorial disputes, and finally the Obsidian War. In each conflict the Hingu are victorious, securing their dominance before finally becoming the undisputed rulers of the island.
 * Duya - largest kingdom in terms of land mass - large levies of peasant soldiers.
 * Hingu - wealthy thanks to trade with the outside world, and a powerful navy. Many mercenaries in their ranks, some foreign.
 * Uchi - detailed system of law and governance, mixing ancient caste system/shamanistic rituals with new ones.
 * Aya - smallest of the kingdoms, itself a confederacy of chiefdoms in the Sagi valley. The valley and surrounding regions are rich in iron ore, making the export of iron tools and weapons one of the kingdom's chief industries.  Eventually absorbed as a client state of Hingu.

Middle ages
Dama traders, in lavish trade fleets financed by the crown, establish trading posts/colonies across the known world. The Dama Treasure Fleets reach as far north as Salia, as far west as Haksarad, and as far south as Dayan. The kingdom allies with Mitru in its defense against the Gemurtrakian invasion, providing arms, ships, and supplies. The kingdom hopes to dispute Gemutrakian dominance over the straits by aiding Mitru. When Gemurtrak dissolved into civil war shortly after, the Dama were quick to step in and assume proprietorship over the old trade routes and shipping lanes. With Asidama at the crossroads of not one, but two major trade lanes (mouth to Abayadi Sea, Osamia), their wealth grows as the world grows more connected. With each successful mission, the wealth and prestige of the kingdom grows. Art, culture, and sciences enjoy a golden age thanks to these resources. However, it was not to last. Growing Salian influence in the region comes at the expense of the Dama. Indeed, Salian traders are successfully able to pit some Dama merchant missions against one another, allying with one and swooping in at the end for the lion’s share. These aggressive practices and the inability of the Dama merchant class to unite as effectively as the Salians leads to a sharp economic downturn, compounded by a tsunami in YEAR that destroys much of OLDCAPITAL. This begins a rapid period of decline in Dama society, marked by self-imposed isolation and rampant xenophobia.

Modern era
A few kings come and go before Myamunu the Great decides that Asidama has pouted enough, He lifts the restrictions on trade and transportation, declaring that his kingdom must step out from the shadows. Asidama is now half a century behind its rivals in terms of technology and trade, but a combination of careful diplomacy and some ample opportunities return the Dama to their place of former glory. King Myamunu I invites numerous foreign scholars and artists to his court at his capital of Yan, encouraging them to teach as much as they can. Many foreign books are transliterated into the Dama language for the first time in this period. Figures such as diplomat Naama Uyataga are instrumental in the evolution of Dama society as this juncture. Although he struggles with the conservative nobility, Myamunu I is able to successfully balance the interests of various groups for the most part. In a pattern repeated elsewhere in the region, the opening of the nation’s ports allowed for rapid industrialization at the expense of growing foreign influence (particularly that of Salian traders and the Huenarnoan Import Company). To minimize these effects, wise leaders played foreigners against one another; Ventorans, Edurans, Haksars, Salians, and others. The nation’s government underwent a period of reform at this time, with the establishment of a quadricameral legislature (commoners, tradesmen, merchants, nobility) which was later shored up to be only tricameral (bye bye artisans) and then bicameral (bye merchants). Asidama attempts to help prevent the overthrow of the Gemurtrakian monarchy but is unsuccessful. When the Gemurtrakian royal family flees the country, the Dama monarchy hosts them. Second World War – aligned with Concert Powers but remains neutral out of the desire to avoid being curb stomped. Allows Concert vessels to dock/refuel. It later plays a pivotal role in the restoration of the Gemurtrakian monarchy. More political reforms that more or less put it where it is now. The nation escapes the era of world wars relatively unscathed, placing it in an optimal place to develop into a regional power. It develops a heavily export-dependent economy, with major exports including computers, cars, electrical appliances, rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, and jewelry. Today Asidama stands as a proud and ancient nation, with vibrant culture and history marking every street.

Geography
The land consisting of the Kingdom of Asidama consists of 176 islands, with a combined area of of 105,336.69 km2. The main island, known as Kuguni, makes up the vast majority of this area. The Locufaric Ocean lies to the east, the Salian Sea to the north, and the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait to the south. The body of water surrounding the nation itself is typically referred to as Kunichi, or the Kunichi Sea. Smaller islands include the island of Nui in the north, Baisu in the south, and the sacred island of Muni to the south-east.

The main island of Kuguni was formed through Mesozoic accretion of micro-continental fragments, ophiolite terranes, and island arc crust onto a Paleozoic continental core. At the beginning of the Cenozoic Kuguini formed a promontory which was separated from the Skephon mainland by the proto-Kunichi Sea. Today, Kunichi contains four terrestrial ecoregions: Northern monsoon rainforest, Southern tropical savanna, Subtropical evergreen highlands, and Highland humid subtropical forest. The eastern mountains are heavily forested and home to a diverse range of wildlife, while land use in the western and southern lowlands is intensive. Due to its proximity to several fault lines, there is a heavy volcanic presence in the region as well, with many submarine volcanoes as well as volcanic islands.

Climate
The vast majority of Asidama's islands and population lie just south of the equator. The northern and central-western regions of the island enjoy a tropical monsoon climate, whereas the south has a tropical savanna climate, and the mountainous east boasts a more temperate humid subtropical climate. The average rainfall is nearly 4,000 mm per year for the island proper. The rainy season is concurrent with the onset of the summer in May and June. The entire island experiences hot, humid weather from June through September. During the winter, the northern half of the island experiences steady rain, while the southern parts are mostly sunny.

Biodiversity and conservation
The Kuguni rainforest is estimated to be nearly 140 million years old, making it among the oldest in the world. It is the center of the evolution and distribution of many endemic species of plants and animals, including the REDACTED. Mangrove swamp forests cover much of the northern and eastern coastline of Kuguni. While its soil is comparatively infertile, it is known to be home to countless species of plants, birds, mammals, and fish. The fauna and flora of Kuguni as well as the minor islands are endangered by human activity. Since the arrival of humans more than 16,000 years ago, the islands are believed to have lost some 90 percent of its original forest. This forest loss is largely fueled by traditional slash and burn agricultural practices imported by migrants about 5,000 years ago. Dama farmers embrace the practice not only for its practical benefits as an agricultural technique, but for its cultural associations with prosperity, health, and venerated ancestral custom. As human population density rose on the island, deforestation accelerated beginning around 1,400 BCE. By the beginning of the modern era, the central highlands had been largely cleared of their original forests. Beginning in the 17th century, authorities on the island began taking measures to preserve the remaining wild places on the island. Today, the government of Asidama maintains a robust network of preserves, zoos, and other protected areas to "guard the biological inheritance of our children and legacy of our forebears."

Politics
Asidama is a unitary state and parliamentary constitutional monarchy, in which the power of the King is limited to a largely ceremonial role. Executive power is instead wielded by the Viceroy of Asidama, an elected executive whose role today largely resembles that of a President in other systems. Asidama's legislative organ is the National Presidium, a bicameral parliament consisting of a lower Peoples Chamber and an upper Nobles Chamber. There is universal suffrage for all adults 22 years old and over, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The Prime Minister is the head of government, appoints and dismisses Ministers of State, and is appointed by the King upon the advice of the Viceroy. The National Presidium consists of more than a dozen political parties, but the two dominant parties are the ruling buff Constitutionalist Party and the light-blue Majority Community Party.

Historically most heavily influenced by its neighbors to the south, the Dama legal system developed largely independently followed the self imposition of isolation centuries ago. Even with the lifting of this curtain, the Dama legal system largely reflects a continuation of previous legal and political traditions going back centuries. The Constitution of Asidama, adopted in 1896, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world. Statutory law originates in the legislature, and the constitution requires that the Viceroy, on behalf of the King, promulgate legislation passed by the Presidium without giving him the power to oppose legislation. The main body of Dama statutory law is called the Seven Codes. Asidama's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.

Foreign relations
A member state of the World Forum since its founding in 1958, Asidama has been noted as being highly willing to partake in international cooperation, despite its conservative leanings. Asidama is also a member of the Southern Prosperity League, and enjoys particularly close political, economic, social, and cultural ties with its southern neighbors Gemurtrak and Mitruhmoer. As it sits at the convergence of two key global sea lanes, Asidama enjoys strong diplomatic relations with other nations not particularly close to it geographically. These include Ventora, Huenarno, and Vircazihm.

Military
Asidama's Armed Forces include the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The army has about 97,000 active duty personnel. Defense spending in the national budget was 0.7% of GDP in 2019. The Armed Forces as they exist today were formed in the response to the First World War. Although Asidama did not directly participate, its leaders saw the need for a modern, reformed military to maintain domestic stability and deter foreign threats. Although it began as an institution dominated by nobility in high offices, it has since become a less classist institution to a degree with focus instead placed on merit.

Economy
Asidama has a mixed economy in which the private and public sectors alike play vital roles. Services are the economy's largest sector and account for 43.4% of the GDP, followed by industry (39.7%) and agriculture (12.8%). Since 1990, the Services sector has employed more people than others, accounting for 47.7% of the labor force, followed by agriculture (30.2%) and industry (21.9%). Over time, the structure of the economy has changed considerably. Historically, Asidama's economy has been weighed heavily towards agriculture and trade. A gradual process of industrialization and urbanization began following the end of its cultural isolation and accelerated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This development, guided closely by the hand of the Dama state, continued well into the mid 20th century until the 1950 Dama Financial Crisis. Following a series of reforms and a reduction in trade barriers, the nation's economy became more globally integrated and recovered from this shock.

Steady inflation rates and an increase in GDP have contributed to strong economic growth in recent years. From 2008 to 2020, annual growth has accelerated between 4% and 6% as a result of improvement in the banking sector and domestic consumption. As of 2021, 6.8% of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line, and the official unemployment rate was is 5.28%. Asidama has abundant natural resources such as coal, tin, copper, gold, and nickel, while agriculture produces rice, palm oil, tea, coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices, and rubber. These commodities make up a large portion of the country's exports, with palm oil and coal briquettes as the leading export commodities. In addition to refined petroleum products as the primary imports, telephones, vehicle parts and foodstuffs (mainly corn and wheat) cover the majority of additional imports. Gemurtrak, Mitruhmoer, Tákjaana, and Yuchvan are the nation's principal export markets and import partners.

Manufacturing
The economy of Asidama relies heavily upon its export sector, despite recent rapid growth in the services sector. Major exports include computers, electrical appliances, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, and jewelry. Substantial industries include electric appliances, components, computer components, and computers. Along with these industries, Asidama has a burgeoning video game industry with its roots in the 1990s. Perhaps the most notable example is the Rise and Fall series of strategy games.

Tourism
Tourism makes up a small but fast-growing part of the nation's economy. Tourists from neighboring Osamia and Skephon primarily visit Asidama for its historical, natural, and cultural sights. These include a great many fortresses, temples, gardens, and nature preserves. Tourists from outside the immediate region, notably Salia and Edury, are also known to visit these locales, but generally prefer the island nation's beaches. The more mountainous inland is a popular destination for hikers and adventure travel with its diverse communities and forested mountains. To accommodate foreign visitors and promote further growth, a separate tourism police force has been set up by Asidama's government, with offices placed in major tourist areas and an emergency phone number made specially for their services.

Demographics
As of 2022, Asidama has a population of 24,332,775. Its population is largely rural, concentrated in the rice-growing areas of inland part of the nation. However, the nation's urban population is rapidly growing at 45.7% of the nation's population, and is expected to overtake rural population by 2060. The Dama government's state-sponsored family planning programs, started in the 1960s, have resulted in a stabilization of population growth from 3.1% in 1960 to 0.6% today. In 1970, an average of 7.7 people lived in a Dama household. By 2020, the average Dama household size was 4.2 people.

People from the broader Dama ethnic group make up the majority of Asidama's population, estimated at 87%. The next largest group are members of the Greater Trakmir Group (GTG), making up only 5%, and many of whom had ancestors who migrated to Asidama following Gemurtrak's 1907 Revolution. The remaining population are mostly from surrounding regions (6%), with about 2% of the population consisting of other peoples. According to the Royal Dama Government's 2021 Country Report to the WF Committee responsible for the International Concordat for the Elimination of Racial Biases and Discrimination, 32 ethnic sub-communities are officially recognized within the larger Dama group.

Society
The "national character" of Asidama has been written about since the nation's unification in the 9th century CE. Today, such character is discussed and writer about under the term xxxxx, literally "theories/discussions about the Dama people" and referring to texts on matters that are normally the concerns of sociology, psychology, history, linguistics, and philosophy, but emphasizing the authors' assumptions or perceptions of Dama exceptionalism; these are predominantly written in the Dama language by Dama scholars, though noted examples have also been written by foreign residents, journalists, and even scholars. The specific theses of the field are as follows: Many have criticized this philosophy as xenophobic and exclusionary of other groups. Although it remains officially espoused by the Dama monarchy and state, public declarations of support for the school have waned following the end of the World Wars.
 * The Dama people are a unique isola, itself the product of the peculiar circumstances of living in an island country and being cut off from the cross-currents of continental history.
 * The island nation in turn enjoys a unique climate whose particular rhythms color its peoples' thinking and behavior.
 * The Dama language has a unique grammatical structure and lexical corpus whose idiosyncratic syntax and connotations condition the Dama to think in unique patterns, unparalleled in other languages.
 * Dama psychology, influenced by the language, is defined by a particular cast of dependency wishes or desires that conduce to a unique form of interpersonal relationships, in which clearly defined boundaries between self and other are ambiguous and fluid. This in turn leads to a psychomental and social idea of the fusion of ego and alter.
 * Dama social structures consistently remold human associations in terms of a family or household model characterized by vertical relations, clan, and parent-child patterns. As a result, the individual cannot exist alone, since groupism will always prevail.

Religion
Asidama's constitution guarantees full religious freedom for all residents. Its state religion is Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami, translated as The Great Faith of Celestial Balance. Upper estimates suggest that 74-86 percent of the Dama population subscribe to the national faith. However, these estimates are based on individuals affiliated with a temple rather than the number of true believers. Many Dama people practice it alongside another faith; they can either identify with both religions or describe themselves as nonreligious or spiritual. The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a cultural tradition remains high, especially during festivals, Adherents engage in practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, and taking part in large public ceremonies. Many have noted similarities between the faith and the Owkuga faith of neighboring Gemurtrak, especially in that they are headed by their nations' respective monarchies.

Education
In 2016, Asidama's youth literacy rate was 99.1%. Education is provided by a well-organized school system of kindergartens, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools, numerous vocational colleges, and universities. Education is compulsory up to and including age 18, raised from age 14 in 1954. The establishment of a centralized, reliable, and coherent curriculum for its primary and secondary schools has drastically improved conditions in recent decades. The country is also one of the few that still mandates uniform up to the university years, which is still a subject of ongoing debate. Thanks to grants from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, thousands of schools in the nation's inland rural areas have received high-speed internet in the past five years. However, students in rural inland areas score consistently lower in standardized national tests, likely due to unequal allocation of educational resources, weak teacher training, and overall poverty. The private sector of education is well-developed and significantly contributes to the overall provision of education, especially for children of high-income families.

Culture
Contemporary Dama culture combines influences from neighboring Osamia and Skephon with its own, more traditional ways. Traditional Dama arts include crafts such as textiles, dolls, and ceramics; performances of various dances; calligraphy; and various games. Asidama has a developed system for the protection of both tangible and intangible cultural properties and national treasures under the Royal Agency for Cultural Affairs. The traditional focuses of Dama culture are based on harmony, integrity, and humility, in which family and community values are highly regarded. The people of Asidama revere a number of key cultural symbols, such as the ox, turtle, and octopus. Many Dama also believe in the supernatural and spiritualism, where illness can be brought on by a curse or sorcery, or caused by non-observance of a religious ethic. Traditional medical practitioners, amulets and other forms of spiritual protection and religious practices may be employed to treat the ill person. In the modern era, the cultural life of Asidama has been deeply influenced by state-promoted media and cultural programs. For many centuries, foreign cultural influences, especially those of Alutran origin, were shunned. But since its reformation and re-opening to the world, Asidama has seen a greater exposure to neighboring cultures as well as ones from across the world.

Music
Traditional Dama music varies between the country's northern and southern regions. Northern classical music is the nation's oldest music form and is traditionally seen as being more formal. The origins of Dama classical music can be traced to the 13th century, with writings of operatic troupes operating in some of the region's northern port cities. Throughout its history, the nation's port cities have been the centers of innovation and invention in the musical world, with its products gradually percolating into the countryside and being assimilated into existing folk traditions. Various types of royal court music and theater can be seen, as well as ones meant to invoke ancestral spirits during religious ceremonies. More modern forms of folk music arose in the 1950s, particularly in the south. There are a wide range of instruments, including the zither, fiddle, and lute which are utilized. In recent times, there have been some efforts at mixing Dama traditional music—especially folk music—with modern music to revive and promote national music in the modern context and educate the younger generations about the nation's traditional musical instruments and singing styles.

Literature
Dama literature has centuries-deep history, with a rich tradition of folk literature based on a typical six-to-eight verse poetic form which usually focuses on family ancestors and heroes. Written language can been found dating back to the 10th century BCE, with many notable ancient writers. Some literary genres play an important role in theatrical performance. Some poetic guilds have been formed in Asidama, a tradition going back centuries. Dama folk literature is an intermingling of many forms. It is not only an oral tradition, but a mixing of three media: hidden (only retained in the memory of folk authors), fixed (written), and shown (performed). Folk literature usually exists in many versions, passed down orally, and has unknown authors. Myths consist of stories about supernatural beings, heroes, creator gods and reflect the viewpoint of ancient people about human life. They consist of creation stories, stories about their origins, and those of cultural or familial heroes.

Architecture
Architecture is the preeminent medium of Asidama's cultural legacies, reflecting both the challenges of living in its sometimes extreme climate as well as the importance of architecture to the Dama people's sense of community and faith. Significant regional variation within its vernacular and religious buildings can also be observed between the north, south, and inland regions.

Cuisine
Traditionally, Dama cuisine is based upon five fundamental "pillars": spicy, sour, savory, sweet, and bitter. Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, rice, and fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Dama recipes commonly call for garlic, ginger, mint, chilis, basil, lemongrass, and cinnamon for seasoning. Traditional Dama cuisine is known for its fresh ingredients and reliance on herbs and vegetables. For this reason, it is regarded by some as among the healthiest worldwide. Historically, the use of meats such as pork, beef, and chicken were relatively limited (and indeed often restricted to nobility). Instead, fish (both fresh and saltwater), crustaceans, and molluscs became widely used. Asidama has a strong street food culture in both rural and urban areas. Beverages in Asidama are typically served chilled or with ice when possible. Some basic Dama drinks include salted pickled lime juice, sugarcane juice, palm juice, tea, rice wine, and more recently, coffee.