Tabulu

Commonwealth Republic of the Tabulu Islands Ca'bua Ton Fa'tim Tabulu
Flag Seal
Motto: "Kea Mo Bea" "Beauty and Prosperity"
Anthem: O, Heavenly Tabulu
Capital and	Fort Ka'kua 03°15'S 157°12'W
Official languages	Tabuluan, Torvonese
Ethnic groups (2018)	93% Tabuluan 6% Torvonese 1% Other
Religion (2018)	84% Christian 11% Muslim 3% Tabuluan Narrative 2% Other
Demonym(s)	Tabuluan
Government	Federal Constitutional Presidential Republic
• President	Ocan T'fika
• Vice President	Hic'Moa Tavaka
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	Representative Assembly
• Lower house	Senatorial Assembly
Independence From Torvon
• Torvonese Exploration	1689
• Introduction as Crown Colony	October 19, 1842
• Partial Independence Granted	June 6, 1906
• Independence Granted	January 12, 1979
Area
•	812.3 km2 (313.6 sq mi)
• Water (%)	0.4
Population
• 2021 estimate	198,500
• 2018 census	195,312
• Density	240/km2 (621.6/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$416 Million
• Per capita	$34,312
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$318 Million
• Per capita	$29,899
Gini (2018)	0.293 low
HDI (2021)	0.682 medium
Currency	Tabuluan Dollar (TDR)
Time zone	UTC-10 UCT (Central Paisi Time)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy AD
Driving side	right
Calling code	+828
Internet TLD	.tbu

Tabulu, officially the Commonwealth Republic of the Tabulu Islands, is a Tabuhanouian island country consisting of 4 main islands (Ka'vaou, Matakaia, Ka'fua, and Ta'lohuaia), 10 smaller inhabited islands, and over 100 small, uninhabited islands. The capital of Tabulu is Fort Ka'kua on the island of Ka'fua. It is estimated that the original ancestors of the Tabuluans, the Tabouialan, migrated from Western Thaudia on a primitive outrigger boat. How they navigated the waters to the islands is unknown, although theories include celestial navigation and knowledge of the islands passed down via oral tradition.

In 1979, Tabulu gained official independence from Torvon. originally, it was formed as a unitary parlimentary republic, however, following the 1984 referendum the government switched to a federal constitutional presidential republic. Currently, Tabulu is a member of the Torvonese Commonwealth, and almost entirely reliant on funding from Torvon. However, due to the heavy funding, the quality of life in Tabulu is far higher than even some nations with a higher GDP, and Tabulu is a highly popular tourist location. Formerly, Tabulu was a colony of Torvon and still maintains highly friendly relations with them.

Etymology

The name Tabulu stems from the Tabuluan words Tabiaa and lou. Tabiaa itself is a portmanteau, of Tab and Ouia, "land" and "ocean" respectively, however taken in combination to mean island. Lou is a word that is used to refer to the fruits of the islands, such as bananas, coconuts and mangoes. A more literal translation is "sweetened dirt" which is likely in reference to the sweetness tasted in fruits.

History

Main article: History of Tabulu

Pre-Colonization

The first recorded peoples on Tabulu were the Tabouialan people, as indicated by both human remains and cave paintings. The Tabouialans sailed, as indicated in paintings, from Western Thaudia into the 4 modern Tabuluan islands. While disputes arise from where specifically in Torvon the people were estimated to have come from, the most widely accepted theory is that the Tabuluans migrated from modern-day Kilowatt during their migration.

Cave painting made by Early Tabouialans, roughly 1,800 BCE. It depicts a dance with some form of primitive maracas.

These people are assumed to have made basic straw houses built on wooden foundations, although the majority of wood was used for boats. Still, the Tabouialian were highly conservative with their materials, and had a high level of respect for the natural world.

It is estimated that near the year 1650, Tabuluans saw the first explorers from Thaudia. While no ships or men came close to the islands, there is definitive proof that these sailors existed, and would mark the transition into a new era for Tabulu, under colonial rule of Torvon.