Itza

Kingdom of Itza Kaan Itza
Flag
Capital	Itzal
Official languages	Itzan
Ethnic groups	90% Itzan 8% Winikal (mixed Itzan and White) 2% Other
Demonym(s)	Itza Itzan
Government	Unitary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
• K'inich	Itzamna IX
• Prime Minister	Kaan Xiu
Area
•	344,600 km2 (133,100 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	39,629,000
• 2020 census	38,761,957
• Density	115/km2 (297.8/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Per capita	$9,592
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$194 billion
• Per capita	$4,897
Gini	46.2 high
HDI (2023)	0.705 high
Currency	Itzan quetzal (ʠ)
Time zone	UTC-4 (IST)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.itz

Itza, formally the Kingdom of Itza (Itzan: Kaan Itza) is a sovereign nation in Alharu on Eurth. It is situated in the Mesothalassa subcontinent on western edge of the Tapatepetli Mountains. It is touched to the north by the Synthe Sea and to the south by the Typhon Sea. Distant neighbors include Pecario to the west, Mesothalasa to the east, Montedica and Kertosono to the north and Advocatius and the Pretanic Isles to the south. Itzal is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Tapatan, Yaxa, and Kayochtal.

With an estimated population of around 39.6 million and a total land area of 344,600 square kilometers (133,100 square miles), Itza is one of the most populous countries in Alharu and the largest in Mesothalassa. The unitary semi-constitutional monarchy is divided into thirteen historical provinces with executive power centralized in the capital Itzal province. The population is composed primarily of ethnic Itzans descended from the original habitants of the region with a small but growing Winikal community.

Itza is rated as a developing country.

History

Prehistory

Archaeological evidence suggests that Itza had been inhabited by humans as early as 11,000 BC. Obsidian and pyrite arrowheads indicate that inhabitants were primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers migrating between the Alharu and Aurelia continents. The earliest known settlements in the region were discovered near the base of the Tapatepetli Mountains and have been dated to approximately 3000 BC. Agricultural evidence indicates early farmers primarily grew subsistence crops like maize, beans, and squash utilizing companion planting.

Classical to post-classical era

The classical era saw the formation of larger settlements and ceremonial centers. Terraced architecture and housing segregation indicated increasing societal and political complexity. Sophisticated arts, astronomy, mathematics and writing also arose during this period. Stone pyramids, palaces, ball courts and plazas were constructed across the region while intricate hieroglyphic script recorded historic events. It was during this period that the first iterations of the Itzan calendar were used and codified, a variation of which was in use by modern Itza until the early 19th century.

By 900 AD, powerful city-states controlled trade routes and vied for dominance with expansive kingdoms. Wars were common and territorial borders shifted with each dynastic change in leadership. When the king of Itza, a small city-state centered around lake Itzam, died with no heir in 1203 a power vacuum formed. Local lords took up arms against each other and civil war engulfed the region. One of the local nobility vying for control, Chac Itzamna, persuaded a neighboring city-state to form an alliance with him in return for marriage to one of his daughters. The combined armies managed to overwhelm the other factions and Chac Itzamna quickly solidifed power.

Now crowned the king of Itza, Chac Itzamna lauched a war of expansion to exact revenge on the neighboring city-states that had opposed him or took advantage of the civil war to take Itzan slaves and land. He hired mercenaries from western Mesothalassa and quickly expanded east towards the Tapatepetli Mountains over the next 15 years. Some city-states pledged fealty while others became tributaries that eventually faced annexation. By 1210, Chac Itzamna had increased the lands of the Itza tenfold. In 1218, he was declared K'inich ti' K'inicho'ob, roughly translated as "king of kings" in a ceremony at the base of Mount Tzekam and the Itza Empire was formed.