Serramal: Difference between revisions

The area that would become mainland Serramal was initially populated by a variety of lutryne Ābwhala tribes, while human migrants from elsewhere in Gondwana settled on the island of Marago. The area remained largely disunited until being incorporated into the [[Tretrid|Tretridian]] colony of [[Tretridian Southwest Gondwana|Southwest Gondwana]] during the eighteenth century. The use of the two human ethnic groups, the Sana and the Amara, in colonial bureaucracy led to increasing disparities between human and lutryne groups, and the area exploded into civil war almost immediately upon achieving independence after the Tretridian withdrawal in 1921. The resulting conflict would end in 1926 with the Ābwhala population largely pushed north, and sporadic conflicts would continue for decades, gradually limiting the lutrynes to the Bandu Hills.

The discovery of rich copper deposits by the Ellesborg Mining Cooperative in 1975 would lead to renewed civil conflict. Proposed plans for copper mines involved seizing Sana land and mining activities would have greatly damaged the riverways that they relied on. Thus, the Sana eventually allied with their former Ābwhala enemies against the Amara dominated government, which ultimately prevailed after a bloody war due to external funding and support from the EMC.

Serramal is located in Southwest Gondwana, with a humid continental climate. The country consists of a mainland territory which borders Ryza and Balnakia in the north, as well as the small island of Marago across the Serramal Strait, which is home to the capital of the same name. Much of the mainland is dominated by an extensive river network known as the Serramal Delta, which runs down from the Bandu Hills in the north. The exploitation of rich copper deposits has extensively disrupted the nation's ecosystem. The impact of mining activities has badly poisoned the Delta, causing mass deaths among local wildlife.

The Rahar family and the Amara tribe as a whole has dominated Serramal since its independence. During their century long rule, they have shown little tolerance for opposition. While the country is nominally a multiparty democracy, its elections have generally been considered a sham, with the President's National Unity Party winning overwhelmingly each time. The dictatorship has used the wealth generated by the copper boom along with its victory in the Civil War to further entrench and enrich itself, and it is estimated that nearly a dozen coups have been attempted since 1976, though all have failed. The regime is widely considered to be among the most kleptocratic in the world.

Serramal is a member of both the [[Council of Gondwana]] and the [[International Forum]]. The nation also maintains close connections to the Ellesborg Mining Cooperative and the [[Cryria|Cryrian]] [[Ellesborg|Mandate of Ellesborg]]. Many Serramali have migrated to Cryria on Special Labor Visas, and they also form a significant portion of the Cryrian Foreign Legion, which offers a straightfoward path to full citizenship.

Serramal is a developing economy with a deeply impoverished population. Historically, much of the population relied on a subsistence lifestyle as farmers or fishermen. The beginning of copper mining caused a complete realignment of the national economy, however. Ecological damage forced many families to abandon their traditional practices and caused massive displacement and dislocation across the mainland. This would eventually trigger a significant diaspora from the country.

Serramal has historically been dominated by three ethnic groups. The Amara humans predominantly resided in the far south, particularly around Iratura and Marago. Meanwhile, the Sana humans dominate the remainder of the mainland. The Ābwhala lutrynes once resided in the north of the country, however, ethnic conflicts and warfare between lutrynes and humans have seen the former largely killed or expelled from Serramal. Today, the Amara continue to hold most of the levers of power in Serramal, and largely dominate the government and the presidency.