14-12-2003, 11:29
Maraka
Government Summary
Official Name: Islamic Sultanate of Maraka.
Government Style: Parliamentary system (veto power in reguards to
executive branch), with strong executive (held by royal sultanate).
Capital City: Maraka City.
Region: Dar Al Islam (Northern Africa, south of Egypt and north of
Ethiopia, bordered in the east by the Red Sea.
Flag: A proclomation in white Arabic lettering above a horizontal white sword against a green background.
Current Head of State: Sultan Abu Zani
Current Head of Government: Sultan Abu Zani.
Dominions: None (Several hundred Space Colonies employed in terrestrial, lunar, and martian orbit)
Currency
The "Double Dinar."
U.S Equivelant: 1 Dollar = .25 Double Dinars
Natural resources
Primary resource: Uranium.
Secondary Resources: Silicon, Oil, Iron, cattle, and Bronze.
Exports
Materials - Steel Alloys
Technology - Cell Phones, Laptops
Services - Information Technology, mined Uranium, and beef.
Imports
Aluminium; Silicon; Fertilizer; some base metals; textiles, abundant cash crops.
Major Local Corporations/Non-government organizations
The Skaven Clans (A race of humanoid rats, or perhaps rat-like men, the Skaven are newly arrived immigrants to Maraka. Their society is dominated by various "Clans," which are bound together by relation, each Clan operating as a criminal empire in control of a certain district in one of Maraka's east-coast cities.)
The Federated Wakyambi Tribes (In the dense jungles of Maraka's south live a unique subspecies of Elf called the Wakyambi. This aboreal race live in primitive tribal societies. However, their communities are considered autonomous from Maraka's government, and they are allowed to live in seclusion. The 'Federated Tribes' refers to their overall organization, although it is a misleading title as few of the despirate Wakyambi communities have anything to do with each other.)
The Utuchekulu Protectorates (In Maraka's center lie a chain of squat mountains. In the heart of these mountains live the Utuchekulu, a subrace of Dwarves distinct to Africa. The Utuchekulu are much more advanced then the primeval Wakyambi, possessing the arts of forgery and agriculture. Their society is highly xenophobic, and they prefer to be left alone. The Marakan government has no reason to disturb the Utuchekulu, so they are granted autonomy like the Wakyambi.)
Robots have existed for decades in Maraka. For the most part, they live in their own communities (ghettoes, really), and quietly produce textiles for the rest of the country. Robots are notoriously law-abiding and even-tempered, and for this reason they are usually given little respect. Robots outside their communities are generally treated as second class citizens. Whether they even recognize this treatment as abuse is debatable, as there are no documented cases of Robots taking offence to anything but personal threat.
Because of strong anti-trust laws, no single corporation can legally dominate any of Maraka's major industries. Therefore, many of these minor corporations form unofficial conglomerates for mutual profit, operating under the Sultan's nose. Zani cracks down on these illegal alliances but rarely, as many are the corrupt officials who can be "coaxed," to look the other way.
Environment
It is not totally inacurate to say that Maraka is like two separate countries. In the north is arid desert, infertile and harsh land. In the south lies steaming jungle, vast and trackless. Between these two lands lie a chain of mountains. In the valleys between these mountains lie the fertile valleys where the bulk of Marakan agriculture occurs. Little thought is given by the government towards the environment, and protections are few. Hundreds of acres of jungle disappear each day, but the territory is so vast that the supply is hardly dwindling.
Political Structure
In ancient times, the Sultan was the absolute ruler of the nation. However, the hereditary monarch now shares power with a Parliement, which can veto any of his decisions. Parliement does not have the power to create its own laws, although "suggestions," to the Sultan are common. While some might be lead to believe that the Sultan is little more then a figurehead, the ugly truth is that the Parliement lives at the Monarch's mercy. Abu Zani's Capitalist Party has secured the majority of seats, giving him near total power.
In addition to the Parliement are the five Viziers. Drawn exclusively from the ranks of the Arab aristocracy, these men are the Sultan's advisors. Each one is given the title, 'Vizier of,' something. What he is Vizier of depends on his specialty and education. Naturally, there are five areas:
-War (Vizier of War is also known as the Grand Sheikh)
-Finance
-Theocracy (Vizier of Theocracy is also known as The Ayatollah)
-Media
-Commerce
When determining a Federal Measure, all of this ruling body is given a say. Each of the 12 Parliement members, the four Viziers, and the Sultan himself are given votes. Not all men get the same number of votes. In relation to the Viziers, the Vizier with the most votes is the one who's specialty the issue pertains to. For example, when drafting a Federal Measure on Military Spending, the Minister of War gets 2 votes and his fellows all get 1. The breakdown of Parliement's votes is discussed below. The Sultan always gets 2 votes on any issue.
Parliament
Unlike the Sultanate, Parliement members are elected. There are 12 spots open on the Council, and they are drawn from various parts of Society. Eight come from the eight different Federal Districts (States) of Maraka, and are elected by that District's populace in a local vote. Councilmen drawn from Districts with a higher population and a better local economy always get more votes. Two are drawn from the ranks of the Clergy, and are prominent Imams. While ostensibly voted for by all licensed clergymen, these two Imams are inevitably handpicked by the Vizier of Theocracy. They both recieve 2 votes concerning Federal Measures pertaining to religion, The remaining two are a Skaven and a Robot, representing both of these two inhuman minorities in Maraka. Both get 1 vote in any decision.
For ages, the Arab minority in Maraka has dominated the African majority. Under the Old Sultan's reign, Africans began to take a firmer hand in government, and some Africans were transplanted onto the Parliement. However, with Abu Zani's instatement, things have gone back to the old ways. Now, high-ranking government officials come exclusively from the Arab elite.
Church
State religion: Sunni Islam
It is important to understand that Islam does not function like a normal religion as Westerners concieve of it. There is no Church, with its beurocracy of Bishops and Cardinals. Islam functions at a much more personal level, the community level. There are local Prayer-Leaders, also called Imams. Because of the personal nature of Islam, there are various interpretations of the Qu'ran's writings and Shariac Law running around. However, all Imams recognize the Ayatollah as being the Personal Imam for the Sultan and therefore the nation.
Although this Islam is the sole religion amongst the Arab aristocracy, some 15% of the population, the Africans are split. Although a majority of natives are converted Sunnis, there are still tribes that stubbornly cling to their native beliefs. More still practice a melding of the two, the imported Islam and their natural Animism. The Wakyambi practice a vague ancestor-worship, although religion matters little to them, and attempts to bring Islam to this Elven subspecies have met with failure. While many Skaven claim publically to be converted Muslims, most still practice their own beliefs in secret, the worship of a beastial deity they call the Horned Rat. The Robots, who immegrated to Maraka by spaceship decades ago, are Mahayana Buddhists for the most part. What practices belong to the Utuchekulu are unknown, as they keep to themselves and despise interlopers in their mountain realms.
Military
.....................
Alliances
Assorted nations, by treaty or mutual understanding.
Former alliances:
Historical Background of the Sultanate
Maraka was first colonized by Arab settlers in the 15th Century. Establishing ports on the Red Sea, the Arabs at first traded peacably with the African population. Over time, they gradually moved westward as they multiplied, establishing grand cities. At the time, Arabia was under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire. After a vicious war of independance, the Arabs of Maraka liberated themselves from Ottoman rule, and retreated deep into the heart of the Sahara Desert. There, they established a Sultanate that has existed unbroken to the present day.
In 1711, Sultan Sala-ibn-Fazi declared a Jihad against the Africans in the south. A brief war brought the dozens of different African tribes together under Arab rule. Thus, the Sultanate existed for a century more. In the 19th Century, Maraka was claimed by England for whatever resources she was worth. Set up as an English Colony, fierce resistence brought Anglo domination to an end by 1910. The English departed from Maraka, and any stragglers were massacred. Further, any signs of their presence---English-style homes, English clothes, English literature---was totally destroyed. This excepts the valuable English factories and mines, which the Marakans now claimed for themselves.
Right up until the Second World War, various Colonial Powers expressed interest in taking the African Sultanate as theirs. All were driven back by the fierce Marakan fighters, who had adopted a Western style of fighting. This defensive outlook has given Maraka an introverted mindset, keeping it from being involved in international affairs until very recently.
Government Summary
Official Name: Islamic Sultanate of Maraka.
Government Style: Parliamentary system (veto power in reguards to
executive branch), with strong executive (held by royal sultanate).
Capital City: Maraka City.
Region: Dar Al Islam (Northern Africa, south of Egypt and north of
Ethiopia, bordered in the east by the Red Sea.
Flag: A proclomation in white Arabic lettering above a horizontal white sword against a green background.
Current Head of State: Sultan Abu Zani
Current Head of Government: Sultan Abu Zani.
Dominions: None (Several hundred Space Colonies employed in terrestrial, lunar, and martian orbit)
Currency
The "Double Dinar."
U.S Equivelant: 1 Dollar = .25 Double Dinars
Natural resources
Primary resource: Uranium.
Secondary Resources: Silicon, Oil, Iron, cattle, and Bronze.
Exports
Materials - Steel Alloys
Technology - Cell Phones, Laptops
Services - Information Technology, mined Uranium, and beef.
Imports
Aluminium; Silicon; Fertilizer; some base metals; textiles, abundant cash crops.
Major Local Corporations/Non-government organizations
The Skaven Clans (A race of humanoid rats, or perhaps rat-like men, the Skaven are newly arrived immigrants to Maraka. Their society is dominated by various "Clans," which are bound together by relation, each Clan operating as a criminal empire in control of a certain district in one of Maraka's east-coast cities.)
The Federated Wakyambi Tribes (In the dense jungles of Maraka's south live a unique subspecies of Elf called the Wakyambi. This aboreal race live in primitive tribal societies. However, their communities are considered autonomous from Maraka's government, and they are allowed to live in seclusion. The 'Federated Tribes' refers to their overall organization, although it is a misleading title as few of the despirate Wakyambi communities have anything to do with each other.)
The Utuchekulu Protectorates (In Maraka's center lie a chain of squat mountains. In the heart of these mountains live the Utuchekulu, a subrace of Dwarves distinct to Africa. The Utuchekulu are much more advanced then the primeval Wakyambi, possessing the arts of forgery and agriculture. Their society is highly xenophobic, and they prefer to be left alone. The Marakan government has no reason to disturb the Utuchekulu, so they are granted autonomy like the Wakyambi.)
Robots have existed for decades in Maraka. For the most part, they live in their own communities (ghettoes, really), and quietly produce textiles for the rest of the country. Robots are notoriously law-abiding and even-tempered, and for this reason they are usually given little respect. Robots outside their communities are generally treated as second class citizens. Whether they even recognize this treatment as abuse is debatable, as there are no documented cases of Robots taking offence to anything but personal threat.
Because of strong anti-trust laws, no single corporation can legally dominate any of Maraka's major industries. Therefore, many of these minor corporations form unofficial conglomerates for mutual profit, operating under the Sultan's nose. Zani cracks down on these illegal alliances but rarely, as many are the corrupt officials who can be "coaxed," to look the other way.
Environment
It is not totally inacurate to say that Maraka is like two separate countries. In the north is arid desert, infertile and harsh land. In the south lies steaming jungle, vast and trackless. Between these two lands lie a chain of mountains. In the valleys between these mountains lie the fertile valleys where the bulk of Marakan agriculture occurs. Little thought is given by the government towards the environment, and protections are few. Hundreds of acres of jungle disappear each day, but the territory is so vast that the supply is hardly dwindling.
Political Structure
In ancient times, the Sultan was the absolute ruler of the nation. However, the hereditary monarch now shares power with a Parliement, which can veto any of his decisions. Parliement does not have the power to create its own laws, although "suggestions," to the Sultan are common. While some might be lead to believe that the Sultan is little more then a figurehead, the ugly truth is that the Parliement lives at the Monarch's mercy. Abu Zani's Capitalist Party has secured the majority of seats, giving him near total power.
In addition to the Parliement are the five Viziers. Drawn exclusively from the ranks of the Arab aristocracy, these men are the Sultan's advisors. Each one is given the title, 'Vizier of,' something. What he is Vizier of depends on his specialty and education. Naturally, there are five areas:
-War (Vizier of War is also known as the Grand Sheikh)
-Finance
-Theocracy (Vizier of Theocracy is also known as The Ayatollah)
-Media
-Commerce
When determining a Federal Measure, all of this ruling body is given a say. Each of the 12 Parliement members, the four Viziers, and the Sultan himself are given votes. Not all men get the same number of votes. In relation to the Viziers, the Vizier with the most votes is the one who's specialty the issue pertains to. For example, when drafting a Federal Measure on Military Spending, the Minister of War gets 2 votes and his fellows all get 1. The breakdown of Parliement's votes is discussed below. The Sultan always gets 2 votes on any issue.
Parliament
Unlike the Sultanate, Parliement members are elected. There are 12 spots open on the Council, and they are drawn from various parts of Society. Eight come from the eight different Federal Districts (States) of Maraka, and are elected by that District's populace in a local vote. Councilmen drawn from Districts with a higher population and a better local economy always get more votes. Two are drawn from the ranks of the Clergy, and are prominent Imams. While ostensibly voted for by all licensed clergymen, these two Imams are inevitably handpicked by the Vizier of Theocracy. They both recieve 2 votes concerning Federal Measures pertaining to religion, The remaining two are a Skaven and a Robot, representing both of these two inhuman minorities in Maraka. Both get 1 vote in any decision.
For ages, the Arab minority in Maraka has dominated the African majority. Under the Old Sultan's reign, Africans began to take a firmer hand in government, and some Africans were transplanted onto the Parliement. However, with Abu Zani's instatement, things have gone back to the old ways. Now, high-ranking government officials come exclusively from the Arab elite.
Church
State religion: Sunni Islam
It is important to understand that Islam does not function like a normal religion as Westerners concieve of it. There is no Church, with its beurocracy of Bishops and Cardinals. Islam functions at a much more personal level, the community level. There are local Prayer-Leaders, also called Imams. Because of the personal nature of Islam, there are various interpretations of the Qu'ran's writings and Shariac Law running around. However, all Imams recognize the Ayatollah as being the Personal Imam for the Sultan and therefore the nation.
Although this Islam is the sole religion amongst the Arab aristocracy, some 15% of the population, the Africans are split. Although a majority of natives are converted Sunnis, there are still tribes that stubbornly cling to their native beliefs. More still practice a melding of the two, the imported Islam and their natural Animism. The Wakyambi practice a vague ancestor-worship, although religion matters little to them, and attempts to bring Islam to this Elven subspecies have met with failure. While many Skaven claim publically to be converted Muslims, most still practice their own beliefs in secret, the worship of a beastial deity they call the Horned Rat. The Robots, who immegrated to Maraka by spaceship decades ago, are Mahayana Buddhists for the most part. What practices belong to the Utuchekulu are unknown, as they keep to themselves and despise interlopers in their mountain realms.
Military
.....................
Alliances
Assorted nations, by treaty or mutual understanding.
Former alliances:
Historical Background of the Sultanate
Maraka was first colonized by Arab settlers in the 15th Century. Establishing ports on the Red Sea, the Arabs at first traded peacably with the African population. Over time, they gradually moved westward as they multiplied, establishing grand cities. At the time, Arabia was under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire. After a vicious war of independance, the Arabs of Maraka liberated themselves from Ottoman rule, and retreated deep into the heart of the Sahara Desert. There, they established a Sultanate that has existed unbroken to the present day.
In 1711, Sultan Sala-ibn-Fazi declared a Jihad against the Africans in the south. A brief war brought the dozens of different African tribes together under Arab rule. Thus, the Sultanate existed for a century more. In the 19th Century, Maraka was claimed by England for whatever resources she was worth. Set up as an English Colony, fierce resistence brought Anglo domination to an end by 1910. The English departed from Maraka, and any stragglers were massacred. Further, any signs of their presence---English-style homes, English clothes, English literature---was totally destroyed. This excepts the valuable English factories and mines, which the Marakans now claimed for themselves.
Right up until the Second World War, various Colonial Powers expressed interest in taking the African Sultanate as theirs. All were driven back by the fierce Marakan fighters, who had adopted a Western style of fighting. This defensive outlook has given Maraka an introverted mindset, keeping it from being involved in international affairs until very recently.