Wale
Democratic Republic of Walé Jamhuriyar Demokradiyyar Walé | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital and | Jarumi |
| Official languages | |
| Recognised national languages | |
| Religion | |
| Government | Federal semi-presidential republic |
• President | Siisi Nsiah |
• Vice-President | Hadiza Jatau |
• Prime Minister | Alheri Harouna |
| Legislature | National Congress |
| Senate | |
| House of Assembly | |
| Population | |
• 2018 census | 29,586,340 |
Wale or Walé, officially the Democratic Republic of Walé (Mai: Jamhuriyar Demokradiyyar Walé), is a country in Northern Bahia. The population of Wale is 29.5 million. Its capital and largest city is Jarumi. Wale consists of 29 states and its borders in the west reach deep into the middle of the Hamada Desert, while the country's eastern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Walé and Rawaya rivers. The country's economy is centred on agriculture and mining, with some of its prominent natural resources including gold, it being the largest producer of gold in Bahia. It borders Djedet to the west, Habasha to the south, and the Coast of Bahia to the east.
Present-day Wale was once part of four North Bahian empires that controlled trans-Hamadan trade: the Sefouwa Empire, the Sorko Empire, and the Gwarzi Kingdom, and the short-lived Dauda Empire. The area became a protectorate of Estmere in 1846 and was consolidated as a Estmerish colony in 1895. It achieved independence in 1948.
Wale is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with strong executive power vested in its president. Through its strong mining industry, the country was an economic powerhouse in North Bahia during the 1950s and 1960s, though it went through an economic crisis in the 1970s, contributing to a period of political and social upheaval.
The co-official languages of the republic are Estmerish and Mai, with local indigenous languages also being widely used that include Osebo, Sorko, !Nubian, x, and y. In total, there are around 54 different languages spoken in Walé. The country has large populations of Irfanics, Sotirians (primarily Amendists), and various indigenous religions.