Empire of Diamazura

Empire of Diamazura

Diamazura (Azuran: Biluedimand), also known as the Empire of Diamazura (Ompiora du Biluedimand) is a country in the Pearlonyx region of the East Pacific Ocean. The capital and largest city is Lihanniga, located on the southeastern side of the island nation. This sovereign state shares no land borders, but does, however, neighbor other nearby island nations of the same region. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, with a number of smaller other bodies of water on all sides, such as the Aura Bay to the northeast, the Blue Gulf and Sapphire Channel to the Northwest, the Strait of Lapis, Bay of Diamonds, and the Inlet of Azure to the south, and Onyx Bay, the Bay of Summits, and Gulf of Lihan to the east and southeast. It is a unitary democratic republic.The legislature consists of two houses: a parliament (Paerlimon) and a judiciary branch (Judiger), all whom elect a sultan who rules until they are eligible to give up the throne; however, they cannot rule for more than 30 years at time, at most.

Diamazura as it is known, today, first became its own empire when the previous one occupying it, the Gerdiman Empire, ceased to be in AD 789. It was established as a dominion amongst other nations since the Gerdiman's creation in 242 BC, but with the downfall of its parent state, Diamazura bittersweetly grew to be its own territory with relatively little to no effort. The country effectively adopted a new form of democratic government with influence from Greece, and wrote its first constitution in AD 793. It was declared a sovereign nation on March 17th, 794, and was recognized on April 29th of the same year, as word had eventually spread around. Diamazura is the founder of the region of Pearlonyx, which entirely became independent with the Gerdiman downfall, despite having been formed in the midst of its reign on May 21st, AD 431. Diamazura became a member of the World Assembly on June 4th of 1978. It also remains the leader of Pearlonyx, and because the region still has no delegate to represent, Diamazura remains the regional representative.

Etymology

The name Diamazura is an English name that was adopted by the dominant tribe of people, Azurans, in 1612, who were encountered by the English some 34 years prior. The name comes from the dead religion of Gemdoism, as the Azurans worshipped one of four goddesses who were described as women who emerged from diamonds. The Diamonds were associated with the colors of white, yellow, blue, and pink. Since the Azurans worshipped Blue Diamond, the name Diam (Diamond) Azura (Azure, blue) was created by the English-speaking settlers.

As for the Azuran name of the land, Biluedimand, the name of their nation was highly controversial for centuries, as three other tribes all debated on which diamond the island should be named after. The only reason that Blue would win was by population. Over time, the more Azurans who would migrate to other tribes in acts of diplomacy and trade, the more they influenced other tribes. The Azurans were the only people of the nation to do this. However, the dispute was recorded to have ended in AD 861, and thus the native people of Diamazura settled with Biluedimand. So to speak, in the modern era, the island's name is Biluedimand, and the nation that covers it is called Diamazura. History

History

First Colonization

The earliest recorded history of Diamazura was written by the first settlers from Gerdimina (present-day Brancaland, Germany, Marche Noir, France, and Belgium) in about 481 BC. They spoke of recent advances in ship-making and how they grew to sail to distant lands. It was from these first settlers that the Four Tribes of Diamazura emerged: the Blancans, Pyritans, Azurans, and Rosarians. Because of Greek influence and that of another tribe called the Quinamillenum, the four tribes developed a polytheistic religion known as Gemdoism, the idea that the Earth was made by 4 humanlike gemstones, and that each tribeman belongs to one of their 'courts.' There have been many recordings in which the people have actually seen these goddesses on Earth, but the legends have only faded with time. By 242 BC, the Gerdiman Empire came to be, and so the colonies in the Americas, on ex-nation Blisserena, and on Diamazura became states in its great regime. The population grew and so did tensions between tribes, but they halted at the turn of the Common Era. A new age of prosperity dawned, and this would be known as the Era of First Light.

Ages of Prosperity

Diamazura has gone through multiple golden ages in its rich history; from the Era of First Light in 111 BC to the First and Second Reconstruction eras following the Prime Civil War (504-511 AD) and the Beta Civil War (1734-1739). This also includes the post-Gerdiman era (789-846 AD), the Diamazuran Renaissance (1793-1867), and the Modern Era (1960-present). What defines these eras are typically notable inventions, movements, and other events that improved the nation in some way, as is with most other golden eras. These eras are peaceful and highly productive, and end with shifts into new eras, though they may not always necessarily be bad, per se. Golden ages tend to bring about many changes for Diamazura, and the most notable were the Reconstruction Eras following each civil war.

Post-Gerdiman Era

The Post-Gerdiman Era was a time following the fall of the Gerdiman Empire in 789 AD. Because of the fall, Diamazura became its own sovereign state on March 17th, 794 AD, and on April 29th, the world recognized it as the empire we know today. The first Emperor was Chemi Leumin I, who ruled with a fair hand and a nobility that regards him as one of the greatest rulers in Diamazuran history. During his rule, Chemi established the Pearlonyx Union Conference, wrote the first Constitution, established flourishing trade routes betwixt virtually all nations, and helped create the Global Diplomacy Organization and its corresponding Treaty of Utopian Diplomacy. This era was proof that Diamazura could function on its own, and even dominate, without a ruthless empire pulling the strings.

Diamazuran Civil Wars

Diamazura has had two civil wars in the entirety of its long history. They were fought over two separate issues, but they both ended the same: with many losses. The Prime Civil War was fought from May 13th, 504 AD to September 11th, 511 AD. It began when tensions between the people of the Diamazura and King Mauvi Schlarcon I grew so immense, that the people attempted to overthrow his government and form a new one. King Mauvi was one of the most brutal and totalian rulers in Diamazuran history, as he ruled with an iron fist with such strict laws and abrasive methods of punishment. His ideology carried over from the Gerdiman Empire, whose Emperor, Dessus Alles II, was the only superior of Mauvi's. Despite his influence, he was not considered the worst leader in the Gerdiman Empire's history, as Emperor Finir Beende was the one who caused the empire to fall in 789 AD. Mauvi's laws were so unfair that over half of all Diamazurans have attacked Mauvi's castle time and time again. The only people who sided with the king were the nobles, the rich, and Mauvi's expansive army. The battles were long, but come September 11th, Mauvi was overthrown, and the First Reconstruction began.

The Beta Civil War was fought over 1200 years after the Prime. The issue the war was fought over was slavery, much like the American Civil War; however, slavery was around for only a short time when the English introduced slaves in 1711. The slaves in particular were African in origin, as was the result of the triangular trade system. The Diamazuran tribes, now a unified collective of people, opposed slavery, and on January 3rd of 1734, the first attacks against the English were initiated. Slaves were often freed to either join and fight for their freedom or be capture to work all over again. It wasn't until February 14th, 1739 that the English surrendered to the Diamazurans, thus ending the war and emancipating the slaves all at once. Emperor Liberu Frehei III initiated a series of socially progressive movements that introduced laws to respect people disregarding their color, gender, religion, or orientation. These movements along with the amendments between Diamazurans and the English was known as the Second Reconstruction.

Recent History

The Modern Era of Diamazuran history wasn't recognized, officially, until 1960, following the Post-War Recession Era (1952-1959). After the victories following World War II, many nations around the world turned inward and practiced isolationism, thus leaving Diamazura and its economy for seven years. Because of this, 22% of Diamazurans grew unemployed, and the economy reached a level rating of about 13.5. The people were left struggling until the US, France, Germany, Norway, Italy, and Spain all established stronger trade systems to help Diamazura climb out of its depression. Though this era wasn't the worst depression in history, it is still held in high regard as a representation of unity between powerful nations at the era's end. The modern era introduced a boom in economic, cultural, and educational advances, increasing the empire's productivity twenty-fold. Following that, a surge in new socially-progressive movements towards other nations and their incoming migrants ushered in the Era of Immigrant Acceptance (1963-1968). Diamazura would later join the World Assembly council on June 4th, 1978. In the 1980's the Technology Movement led to many inventions that would increase the nation's overall intelligence and lifespan, improving the human lifestyle as a whole for the empire. From 1994-2002, Diamazura has held the Greenfield Movement, which increased awareness in protecting the environment and effectively taking care of the enire region of Pearlonyx. Since 2002, Diamazura has been ruled by current emperor Petonius Willimorre, one of the most highly regarded emperors in generations. His rule has foreseen many progressive events that would benefit all sects, from the environment to the economy, from education systems to cultural impacts. The Modern Era has seen a great benevolence like never before and will continue to move on as such. It is evident that Diamazura is at the highest point in its history.

Geography

Physical Geography

Diamazura covers a square that is 638,889 sq mi (1,654,715 sq km) in area, though 382,568 sq mi (990,847 sq km) is land. This covers only the primary bodies of water, discounting the lakes and rivers that would otherwise make the measurement more accurate. DIamazura is located in the region of Pearlonyx, in the East Pacific Ocean, between latitudes of 3 degrees S and 11 degrees N, and between the longitudes of 116 and 126 degrees W. Fellow nation Onymond lies southeast in the same region. It is separated from Diamazura by the Sea of Radiance, which has a width of 22 miles (35 km) between each coastline. Diamazura is an island with many peninsulas, even so in that some emerge off of others.

It is relatively flat with the exception of mountains such as the Eastern Range in the east-central province of Grandote, the lone Midway Pointe in the neighboring Centa Province of the central region, and the Blue Mountain and Twin Peaks of the southwestern Sommefal and Solie Provinces, respectively. The highest point is Blue Mountain, emerging at 6,989 ft (2,130 m), which is remarkable for its ocean-blue tinge in its rock.This is due to high traces of blue quartzite, dumortierite, sodalite, lapis lazuli, and cobalt in its content, though they have primarily been metamorphosized into sandstone-like elements. There aren't too many rivers on this island, though the North Summit River and its tributary, the Stream of the Plains, is considered the longest river at 647 miles (1041 km) in length. The island is quite rugged on all sides, mainly due to the 12 peninsulas that encompass the island's perimeter.

Diamazura is covered in many lush forests and is the most "environmentally beautiful" nation in Pearlonyx, with 812.55 lbs/sq mi (142.30 kg/sq km) of wildlife. As of November 13th, 2019, the nation ranks in the top 17th percentile for the most stunning environments in the world. Much of the native fauna includes calophyllum inophyllum (mastwood), guettarda speciosa (zebra wood), intsia bijuga (Pacific teak), rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), and pisonia grandis (devil's claw), which are all preserved for their chance to flourish, if endangered elsewhere. Many common trees, such as quercus alba (midwestern white oak), picea glauca densata (Black Hills white spruce), acer saccharum (sugar maple), prunus avium (sweet cherry tree), and carpinus caroliniana (blue beech) weren't introduced until the 1790s. Since then, the foreign species have adapted to their generally abnormal climate, and have begun interbreeding with some of the native species. The soil is quite fertile and ideal for agriculture, which occupies about 56% of the land. The agriculture does not interfere with preserved areas, and so biodiversity and space are not an issue, but rapidly improving.

Climate

Diamazura has a climate that is typical of the tropics, given its location. Temperatures and humidity, however, are less extreme than projected because of nearly-incessant trade winds that come from the east. Summer highs average at around 89 degrees fahrenheit (32 degrees celsius) in the day and 74 degrees fahrenheit (23 degrees celsius). The winter highs are typically at 84 degrees fahrenheit (29 degrees celsius) in the day and 67 degrees fahrenheit (19 degrees celsius) at night. Snow falls at an altitude of 14,200 ft (4328 m), but since the highest point barely reaches 6,989 ft (2,130 m), not one area in Diamazura receives any snowfall, though rainfall is plentiful throughout the rainy season. Annually, the Blue Mountain area receives about 432 inches (10,973 mm) of rain. Diamazura has a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season runs from October through April, and the dry season runs from May through September, similar to that of Hawaii.

The record high for Diamazura was hit on July 26th, 1935, with the temperature reaching 108 degrees fahrenheit (42 degrees celsius). The record low for Diamazura was observed on January 19th, 1956, hitting 29 degrees fahrenheit (-2 degrees celsius) from atop Blue Mountain. The climate does not vary so much anywhere on the island; it can mainly be divided into windward/leeward climates for mountainous regions, mediterranean cliff-faces in the three fjord regions, wetlands in the Mint Lagoon and Diamond Cove regions, and tropical prairies and forests anywhere else on Diamazura. Windward regions generally face cloud cover, as opposed, generally, to the rest of the island. Diamazura is also quite sunny most of the year. It receives 3,198 hours of sunlight annually, and is distributed widely at 137 square meters, making it one of the most sunny/best-weathered nations in the world, in the upper 13th percentile.

Politics

Government

Diamazura is a unitarian democratic republic, with an electoral system of government. The bicameral legislature consists of the Parliament (Paerlimon) and the Judiciary (Judiger), who create and interpret the laws, respectively. The executive power is a sultan who is elected by the people, and is the one who, along with the Parliament and Judiciary, passes laws by vote. The sultan has a little more power than the houses, but not so much that the sultan dictates the government. The sultan lives in the Palace of Azure, located in Lihanniga. The houses meet at the Leumin Chambers to conduct their business.

The sultan is able to be elected at age 25, though most who do get elected are in their 30s. The sultan is able to rule for, at most, 25 years. Elections are held at any time in the year, and the period between election and official rule is strictly three months. They are eligible to resign from their rule after the first year, and in doing so, the position must be re-elected into. The sultan may not be re-elected. Sultans are mainly figureheads in the system, but is entrusted with advice from the houses. Nepotism was highly evident in the first five centuries of the system's existence, but was completely outlawed in the year 1267 AD. The current sultan, Petonius Willimorre, was elected as the 62nd sultan in Diamazura's 1,230-year reign as an independent nation on July 4th, 2002.

Similar to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the Parliament takes four representatives from each province, and the Judiciary depends on a province's population. There are 52 members of the Parliament and 75 members in the Judiciary. Parliament members are voted into office by the provinces and are in office for 8 years. Judiciary members are also voted by the provinces and are in office for 6 years. There are a democratic and republican party that house members may identify with. Members don't have to be a part of a party; their sole purpose is to decide a bright path for the future of the nation. They run for office with the intent of bettering their home, not to represent a party that could potentially tear a nation apart.

International Organizations

Diamazura is a part of the Pearlonyx Union Conference (PUC), the Global Diplomacy Organization (GDO), and the World Assembly (WA). Diamazura established the PUC on October 23rd, 801 AD. It is a conference in which nations of Pearlonyx meet and discuss issues and what to do to improve their home, as well as new ways to recruit other nations and incorporate them to Pearlonyx. Diamazura was also one of the nations that spawned the GDO on April 6th, 810 AD. The GDO is an organization that advocates peace and well-being between all nations around the world. Their aim is to create a utopia and end all wars by intervening any and all war-causing debates and events and trying to resolve them, themselves. However, it should be noted this doesn't normally succeed, as even Diamazura has faced multiple wars in its time. Still, the GDO is always trying its best to achieve its dream, and in the modern era, it mostly seems to work. Diamazura is also a part of the WA. The WA was created on April 1st, 1908, and its online system was made 100 years later. Diamazura joined the WA on June 4th, 1978. It is currently the only Pearlonyxian representative, as there is currently no endorsed delegate.

Local Government

The Self-Determination Act of 1512 was enacted in order to counter the issue of a lack of local governments. Because the act was released, a multitude a local governments emerged, forming counties and provinces. There are 13 provinces that make up Diamazura, each with their own capital. They also contain numerous counties who also have their own county seats, much like the United States. There is also one federal district, the capital of Lihanniga. Below is a map of each province, capital, and major city found in Diamazura.