Copan Federation
The Confederation of Copán La Confederaćion de Copán
| |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Union, Libertad,y Valor" "Union, Liberty, and Honor" | |
| Capital | Ume Crucés |
| Largest city | Santa Miguel |
| Official languages | Alpanian
Copanian |
| Ethnic groups | Commixtus - 53.8% Copanian- 20.6% Alpanian- 12.5% Tapatean- 6.8% Hellenic- 6.5% Other- 1.1% |
| Religion | Alpanian Catholic- 57.7% Duelno- 41.1% Other- 1.1% |
| Demonym(s) | Copanian |
| Government | Parliamentary Monarchy Hereditary Monarchy |
| Hazelia VII | |
| Legislature | Diet of Copa |
| College of Commons College of Chiefs | |
| College of Elders College of the Cities | |
| Population | |
• 1936 estimate | 6,000,000 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | 90 billion USD 1960 |
• Per capita | 600 per capita |
| Currency | Aureus, Sestertius, Denarius |
| Driving side | right |
Etymology
The name Copán (Kō-pán) derives from the name of the Copatan Empire, a once prosperous empire that dominated the entirety of what is now the Copán Federation, as well as the Southern portion of Vespera and parts of Northern Aestia. The name Copatan refers to the collective native name for the sky deity (Cupataino), the most important god in the native plethora of gods and goddesses. The Copatan Empire, which according to legend, was founded by a child of Cupataino and a mortal woman, and it was believed that the rulers who came after it were entitled by divine right to rule, with some even claiming to be the reincarnation of Cupataino himself. Linguistic shortcuts gradually shortened the name to be what it is today, with the literal translation being “The Sun People”.
History
Early Settlement(10,000-3,000 BC)
Archeological evidence points to humans living in the area of the Copán Federation at least, in 10,000 BC. These people are noted for the first initial use of obsidian as a mainstay implement to their tools, as well as the carving of simple rafts and canoes to take advantage of the ample reserves of fish stock in the region. These Proto-Maizan peoples have been identified, based on genetic testing, to have originally discovered the territory as part of an expedition from a seafaring people that existed sometime around this period. This is evidenced by the creation myth of said people, which mentions a floating island out at sea from whence the first humans were crafted and set to sea by the gods. The distance of the expeditions, as well as the number of them, ensured the Proto-Maizen people developed a distinct cultural identity and made communication with their relatives much, much harder. There is evidence that trade between the Proto-Maizen people and their seafaring brethren occurred, but on a limited scale. Not much else is known about the Proto-Maizec people or their culture, as most structures and artifacts made by them did not survive the test of time. We do know that they buried their dead in burial mounds, distinguished presumably by family names, along with their material possessions.
Maizec Period (3,000-1,000 BC)
This period saw the first organized tribes begin to form. This coincided with the discovery of agriculture, which enabled populations to settle around arable lands. This period is hallmarked by the domestication of animals and plants, as well as the first usages of copper and other metals, though it mainly played a religious role, with the casting of statues. The Maizec People, the successors of the Proto-Maizec, are credited with the development of sophisticated obsidian tools, as well as the development of complex tribe structures. While the written language wasn’t invented at the time, scribes used an intricate system of recording beads to meticulously record many aspects of the kingdoms, including auspicious dates, transactions, and other bureaucratic systems. Religion and Philosophy in the Maizec period remained mostly under the grip of what can be the considered the clerical caste, which was surprisingly progressive in comparison to other regions of the world around the time: women were considered equal to men, though slavery was a common occurrence in the Maizec kingdoms, even in the most progressive of these kingdoms. More often than not, slavery wasn’t generational and often slaves bought their freedom, freeing them from acquired debts: they were indentured servants, in practice, and considered part of the nuclear family. Great philosophers at the time, such as Cuscok the Wise, wandered around the Maizec Kingdoms telling oral stories both for entertainment value, and to provide advice for the less fortunate in the region. The Maizec period however, was a period of consolidation of power, and a complex web of foreign relations between the kingdoms sprang up from it. However, this was tempered by occasional conferences held in a neutral and symbolic territory: in what is now modern day Ilopango, the various chiefs of these kingdoms would meet whenever conflict would begin to flare up and bring up issues concerning the involved parties. Large scale conflicts happened fairly rarely, but when they did, the fighting was often done by warrior families and conscripted militias. Professional Standing armies were non existent all throughout this period, but war consisted mostly of raiding border villages, not attacking cities.