Mansuriyyah

Mansuriyyah is a nation located in the continent of Siduri in Tyran. It borders Ruvelka on the North, Allamunika on the East, and Mubata on the South

Geography

Located in Western Siduri, Mansuriyyah host a wide range of different climates and topography. The West has a humid Mediterranean climate, becoming increasingly arid towards the interior. The North is mostly mountainous with temperate climate, transitioning into a continental climate towards the Northeast.

Climate

Western Mansuriyyah's weather is mostly of the Mediterranean type with an average rainfall of over 1,000 millimeters near the coast and on Qartaba mountains' western slope. It becomes increasingly drier east of the mountains, where rainfall average drops to 250mm. Weather is milder and rain more abundant along the coastal plains and the Juwayiq gulf.

Northern Mansuriyyah is broadly divided in two weather areas with the western part shows typical characteristics of Mediterranean climate, while the more mountainous areas are affected by Continental climate. The region has very hot and dry summers and cold and often snowy winters. Weather is drier along the Azraq river valley.

The Northeast is rugged country with higher elevations, a more severe climate, and greater precipitation than on the North. Due the distance from the sea and high altitude it has a harsh continental climate with long winters and short summers. During the winter, it is very cold and snowy, during summer the weather is cool in the highlands and warm in the lowlands. The region has the lowest average temperature of all Mansuri regions, with -25 °C. Although it can get below -40 °C. The summer average is about 20 °C.

To the East, the Barad mountains experience lower temperatures, severe winters with below zero average daily temperatures and heavy snowfall. The eastern and central basins are arid, with less than 250mm of rain, and have occasional deserts.

Water

With large swathes of Mansuri territory being semi-arid steppes or desert, water sources are of vital importance. The main rivers are the Shabb, running on the South and marking most of the border with Mubata, while the Azraq river, born from the Jibal al-Barad, and crisscrossing Mansuriyyah from the Southeast until the Northwest, where it flows into the Juwayqi Gulf. A number of smaller watercourses flow down from the Matras mountains into the Azraq basin. A number of lakes exist in the Qafqaz highlands in the Northeast. The arid deserts of central Mansuriyyah contain a number of oases but lack permanent water courses, as the few rivers that flow eastward from the Qartaba mountains empty into small swamps and lakes in the semi-arid plateaus of Badiyat al-Hawram. Eastern Mansuriyyah lack any major river, but a number of minor rivers and streams flow eastward from the Barad mountains.

Demographics

Peoples

Mansuriyyah has an ethnically diverse population. It is a majority-minority country, in which no ethnic group forms a majority by itself. Most of the population is concentrated in a broad arch encompassing the coastal areas, fertile northern plains along the Azraq River basin, and industrialized areas on the eastern slopes of the Barad mountains. The country's easternmost regions as well as the central area are largely depopulated deserts, save for some nomadic populations and small settlements on oases.

The main ethnic group are Arabs, which predominate in the Western and central regions of Mansuriyyah, and comprise some 40% of the total population. They're followed by Persians, which occupy the Eastern provinces and total almost 25% of the population. The third major ethnic group are the Kurds, which predominate in the northeast but are also found throughout the north and along the Barad mountains. Chechens are just some 5% of the total population but are the majority in the Qafqaz province in the northeast, but also can be found in scattered villages in the West. Another 5% of the Mansuri population are Turkic, which aren't the majority in any province, but can be found in large numbers in the Northwest and Northeast. Another native group to Mansuriyyah are the Kan'ani, which in the classical time used to populate the Western and Northern regions, but were assimilated to the dominant Arab culture following the spread of Islam. They comprise almost 5% of the population, almost all of them adhering to Christianity. Mubatan peoples can be found along the border, most of them intermixed with local Arabs.

Languages

Arabic is the official national language, as well as the lingua franca among different ethnic groups. It's spoken by over 90% of the population, and is the native language of some 40%. Persian, Kurdish and Chechen are recognized as official regional languages. A number of minority languages share a special, recognized status in districts with large number of native speakers, or due to their cultural or religious significance.

All languages (besides Arabic) are written using a modified Arabic script, with the exception of Kan'ani and Hebrew, which use their own scripts.

Religion

Islam is the most followed religion in Mansuriyyah, with 86% of the population declaring themselves Muslim. Next is Christianity, with roughly 10%, followed by Judaism, with 4%. Other religions aren't officially recognized, and are usually followed by expats.

Religion plays a central role in the lives of many Mansuris. Religious commitment researches show that 92% of Mansuris say religion is very important in their lives. The most prevalent madhab (school of law) is the Shafii, closely followed by the Hanafi. Maliki and Hanbali followers are limited to pockets scattered across the country. The practice of Sufism is also very popular. Some 18% are formally associated with a Sufi brotherhood, but the number of those informally connected is much higher. Sufi ethos is deeply ingrained in Mansuri culture. The Naqshbandi brotherhood has the most number of formal followers, distributed along a number of derivative branches, and had fundamental participation in the building of the modern Mansuri state.

Economy

Mansuriyyah has a well-developed industrial economy, and is considered a capitalist mixed economy. The country is among Tyran’s leading producers of textiles, motor vehicles, chemicals, construction materials, machinery and machine tools, electronics and home appliances. Oil, natural gas and fuels also play a pivoting role in Mansuri economy, contributing to 12% of the GDP, while also being an emerging knowledge economy. Since the 1990s some Mansuri companies have gained multinational status, often expanding their activities in culturally close nations. Economy reforms in the 80s brought in a new wave of foreign investment, fueled by a strong export policy and a qualified yet inexpensive work force.