Sohar

Republic of Sohar Rahelian: جمهورية صحار
Flag Emblem
Motto:  العدل والوئام والازدهار Justice, Harmony, Prosperity
Anthem:  أغنية لوطننا Song to My Homeland
Capital and largest city	Sanafir
Official languages	Rahelian
Ethnic groups (2019)	Rahelian (67%) Amazigh (26%) Anniserian (3%) Atudite (3%) Other (1%)
Religion (2019)	Irfan (97%) Atudism (2%) Other (1%)
Demonym(s)	Soharan
Government	Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential republic
• President	Husani Kanaan
• Deputy President	Maged Sayegh
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	People's Council
• Lower house	National Assembly
Establishment
• Independence from Estmere	9 September 1948
• Admission to the Community of Nations	14 October 1950
• Current Constitution	15 June 1987
Area
• Total	1,534,132.2 km2 (592,331.8 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.2%
Population
• 2021 estimate	40,159,042
• 2019 census	38,753,475
• Density	26.2/km2 (67.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Total	$596 billion
• Per capita	$14,864
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$164 billion
• Per capita	$4,103
Gini (2018)	32.4 medium
HDI (2019)	0.728 high
Currency	Soharan Dinar (SHD)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy (AD)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+103
Internet TLD	.sh

Sohar (Rahelian: صحار), officially the Republic of Sohar (Rahelian: جمهورية صحار), is a country on the Erythrean Coast of northern Rahelia. With a population of over 40 million as of 2021, it is the 15th most populous nation in Coius. It is bordered by the Gulf of Assonaire to the north, Nise and Tsabara to the southwest, Behera to the south, and xx to the east. Sohar is a primarily arid country, with most of the population living in the fertile coastal areas west of the Adras mountain range and around the eastern city of Almina, while east of the mountains is thinly populated. Sanafir is the country’s capital and largest city, and is home to over 2.5 million people.

Sohar was one of the first areas in Rahelia to be inhabited by humans, with the earliest human settlements in the region dating back to the Neolithic. The earliest inhabitants of the region were Amazighs who settled in the interior, while Demiscians began to establish city-states on the coast of Sohar in the 1100s BCE. The most powerful of these city-states was Ahiram, which emerged as a major mercantile and naval power, dominating trade in the Gulf of Assonaire. Beginning in the third century BCE, Irfan began to spread into the region, culminating in the destruction of Ahiram by the Second Heavenly Dominion in 103 CE. As the Second Heavenly Dominion's influence in Sohar began to wane in the 10th century, Amazigh leaders in the interior began to increase theirs. By the 1000s, Sohar was dominated by two large Amazigh states: the Ammarid Dynasty in the north and the Muharamite Confederation in the south. During the Middle Ages, northern Sohar saw the rise and fall of several notable Irfanic dynasties, the most notable being the Basharids, Rahamids, and Awanites. Meanwhile, southern Sohar was dominated by Beheran states, notably the Amassinids and Usemids.

In the early 16th century, the Khalji Sultanate established control over the region, establishing the Regency of Sahira. The Regency’s autonomy varied throughout its existence, though it generally had a high degree of independence from the Khalji and at times was recognized by the latter as independent. Piracy, which had been an issue in the region since medieval times, dramatically increased throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, with Euclean merchant ships in the Gulf of Assonaire under constant threat. In 1804, the Burdale Incident led to Estmere invading Sohar, deposing Shayk Khalid Seif and ending Khalji influence in the region. Estmerish influence in Sohar continued to grow through the 19th century, culminating in the establishment of the Protectorate of Sohar in 1903 following an anti-Estmere uprising in Almina. Growing nationalist sentiment led Estmere to grant Sohar independence as the Sultanate of Sohar in 1948. Opposition to continued Estmerish influence in Sohar manifested itself in the form of a communist revolution in 1951, with the country becoming a military dictatorship led by General Haisam Salib. Discontent with Salib's authoritarian rule began to grow following Sohar's defeat by Nise in the Anniserian War of 1963-1967, resulting in a military coup led by Marwan Awad and the ratification of a new constitution two years later.

Since 1977, Sohar has been a unitary presidential republic. The current president, Husani Kanaan, has governed the country since 1990, when previous president Marwan Awad died. International watchdogs such as the International Council for Democracy have long condemned Kanaan’s rule as authoritarian, with elections in the country widely regarded as neither free nor fair, and human rights abuses being rampant and well-documented. Sohar’s economy is dominated by the oil and gas industry, and its reserves of oil and gas are among the largest in the world. The country is considered a regional power in Rahelia, and a middle power on the global stage. Under Kanaan’s rule, the country has developed close ties with the Union of Zorasani Irfanic Republics, and the two countries often closely cooperate on regional affairs. Like all internationally recognized states, Sohar holds membership in the Community of Nations, as well as the Bank for United Development and the Irfanic Cooperative Conference.

Etymology

Sohar takes its name from the Rahelian صَحِرَ (ṣaḥira), meaning "tawny" or "light brown" in reference to the arid geography of what is now southern Sohar. The earliest usage of the term is in a document from the Second Heavenly Dominion dating to around 475, which mentions repeated uprisings from Amazigh tribes in the area. The term was subsequently widely used by Rahelians to broadly refer to the arid regions of northern Coius, only becoming specifically associated with modern-day Sohar with the establishment of the Regency of Sahira in the early 16th century. The modern term "Sohar" is believed to be of n origin, presumably the result of an inaccurate transcription of "sahira," and became widespread in the early 19th century with the Estmerish conquest of the region.

Geography

With an area of 1,534,132 square kilometers, Sohar is the Xth largest nation in Coius and the XXth largest nation in the world. The largest geographic feature in the country is the Adras mountain range, which dominates western Sohar, stretching northward from the Beheran border in the southwest until declining in the Gamasa foothills in the north. The Adras range divides Sohar into four main geographic regions: the mountains themselves, the fertile and densely populated northwestern coastal plain in the northwest, which borders the Gulf of Assonaire and is home to nearly 70% of the country’s population, the Urí Margidda Valley in the southwest near the borders with Behera, Nise, and Tsabara, and the Eastern Plains, which is hot and arid due to the rain shadow of the Adras range and is home to less than a quarter of Sohar’s population despite covering nearly two-thirds of the country’s land area.

The northwestern coastal plain has long been the core of Sohar. While the plain itself only stretches from the Bay of Nise to the Adras mountains, this region is often extended to include the entire Soharan coast, which is climatically similar. The region’s Solarian climate provides it with mild winters and hot summers and makes the region well-suited for large-scale agricultural operations. The Hurghada Islands off the north coast of Sohar are generally included in this region due to their strong geographic similarities. Almost all of Sohar's major cities are located in the northwestern coastal plain, including the capital of Sanafir. Rapid urbanization in recent decades have made these cities among the fastest-growing in the world, with Sanafir averaging a 20% population growth rate in the decades since independence. This trend has accelerated even further due to the increasing desertification of Sohar, which has devastated the local economies of agriculture-dependent rural communities and caused growing numbers of rural Soharans to leave their homes for the cities in search of jobs. This has been especially notable on the north coast of Sohar around the city of Almina, which has averaged population growth rates of nearly 35% a decade.

Southwestern Sohar is dominated by the Urí Margidda Valley and the namesake river, which flows from northern Behera through western Sohar, forming much of the country’s western border with Nise before flowing into the Bay of Nise. This area was historically Sohar’s main oil-producing region, but the discovery of new deposits in the southeast have led to a decline in the region’s oil industry. Historical animosities between Nise and Sohar, as well as the region’s oil deposits in the region make southwestern Sohar one of the most politically contentious areas in northern Rahelia, and tensions between the two countries over their disputed border have resulted in multiple conflicts. Since the outbreak of the Tsabaran Civil War in 2019, an estimated 80,000 Tsabaran refugees have fled into Sohar, further worsening an already tense situation.

The Adras mountains are the most dominant geographic feature in Sohar and divide the country both climatically and culturally. Owing to the rugged terrain that is poorly suited for agriculture, the mountains are thinly populated with the exception of a handful of nomadic Amazigh tribes. In recent years, the government has promoted the mountains as a tourist destination in an attempt to diversify the national economy, and in 2004 they became home to Sohar’s first ski resort. Land travel across the mountains is difficult with the exception of a handful of mountain passes, though construction is underway on a road tunnel that will better connect east and western Sohar.

The Eastern Plains covers nearly two-thirds of Sohar’s land area, and is by far the hottest and driest region of the country. Most of the area has a hot semi-arid climate, transforming into desert in the southeast. In climate and ethnicity it is more similar to northern Behera than the rest of Sohar, and a major divide between the two regions, exemplified by the Adras mountains, has existed for millennia. The area is thinly populated and predominantly rural, with most of the population living in small farming communities, though a handful of groups still practice traditional nomadic lifestyles. Most of the population lives on the

Since the 1940s, the Eastern Plains have been a hotbed of communist activity in Sohar, and the Soharan Democratic Liberation Front continues to wage an insurgency here. In the 1990s, the discovery of large oil reserves in the area allowed it to supplant the Urí Margidda Valley as Sohar’s primary oil-producing region. The rapid expansion of foreign oil companies into the region has resulted in multiple conflicts between locals and private military contractors hired by the oil firms. Climate change has created further instability in the region, with increasing water scarcity and food shortages helping to fuel conflicts and driving migration to the urbanized northwest.

Government and politics

Husani Kanaan, President of Sohar since 1991.

Under Sohar’s constitution, the country is a unitary and multi-party presidential republic. In practice however, most government institutions have little power, which is primarily concentrated in the hands of President Husani Kanaan and his close allies, particularly in the military. Since 2009, when Husani suffered a stroke and his health began to deteriorate, his son Teremun Kanaan has become increasingly influential in Sohar’s politics. Teremun enrolled in Basyoun Military Academy in 2010, rapidly rising through the ranks to achieve the rank of colonel in 2015. This was quickly followed by Husani pushing several old-line military commanders into retirement and replacing them with younger officers with strong loyalties to Teremun. This action was widely seen as the ailing Husani preparing his son to take over as leader of the country, which was further validated in 2019 when Teremun was made Minister of Defense.

The President of Sohar serves as the country’s head of state and head of government and is elected to five-year terms. The president is the commander-in-chief of the Soharan Armed Forces and appoints the members of the Council of Ministers, as well as a third of the members of the National Council. Since the 2001 constitutional reforms, there have been no term limits, and Husani Kanaan has served continuously as President since 1991, when he was elected by Parliament to replace the late Abasi Salib. Since then, he has been re-elected six times, most recently in 2017.

Sohar has a bicameral Parliament, with the National Assembly being the lower house and the People’s Council being the upper house. The National Assembly has 291 members, elected every four years in single-member districts through a two-round system. Of the 81 members in the Peoples’ Council, 54 are directly elected on the same cycle as the National Assembly, with each of Sohar’s 18 provinces electing three members through block voting. The remaining 27 members are appointed by the president and serve for five-year terms which coincide with the presidential term. In the most recent legislative elections, held in 2019, the National Preservation Party, which has governed Sohar continuously since its formation in 1992, won 241 of the 291 seats in the National Assembly and 50 of the 54 elected seats in the Peoples’ Council. In practice, Parliament is little more than a rubber stamp, with the vast majority of political power being vested in the president and the military.

Elections in Sohar are widely regarded as neither free nor fair. The most recent nationwide election in 2019 was condemned by the International Council for Democracy as “fraudulent on every level,” with widespread reports of intimidation and harassment of opposition candidates, vote buying, and ballot stuffing. The widespread fraud by the ruling National Preservation Party was a major factor in the 2019-20 Soharan protests. Presidential elections are even less fair, with President Husani Kanaan winning six consecutive elections since 1992, each with over 90% of the vote. Due to little confidence in the conduct of elections by Soharan citizens, voter turnout is very low, usually around 40%.

Military

Main article: Soharan Armed Forces

The Soharan Armed Forces have been the dominant force in Sohar’s politics since independence. It is widely considered to be the most powerful institution in the country, and largely acts independently of the national government. Since the 1954 coup, every Soharan leader has been from a military background.

The President of Sohar serves as Supreme Commander of the SAF, while the Minister of Defensee serves as commander-in-chief. Day-to-day military affairs are primarily handled by Chief of the General Staff, who answers to the Armed Forces Council. The Soharan Armed Forces consist of four major branches: the Soharan National Army, Soharan Navy, Soharan Air Force, and the Soharan Domestic Security Force. The final branch acts as Sohar’s gendarmerie and is largely a paramilitary force. 2019 estimates put the total number of active-duty personnel at X, with an additional X in reserve.

Sohar enforces conscription: all males 18-30 are required to perform 1-3 years of military service, depending on educational backgrounds, job location, culture, etc. Service is delayed for students until they finish their studies, though they are forbidden from traveling abroad without a permit from the Ministry of Defense.

Since independence, the SAF has largely been dependent on imported equipment. Under communist rule, Sohar largely purchased military equipment from Kirenia and other communist nations, and since the fall of communism the country has worked to replace aging Kirenian equipment with more modern hardware from Soravia and Zorasan.

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Sohar

Sohar's human rights record has long been a source of domestic and international criticism. While human rights are guaranteed by the Constitution of Sohar and the country is a signitary to the Declaration of Universal Natural Rights, these rights are frequently ignored in practice. Soharan law prohibits public criticism of the president, and critics of the government are frequently subject to harassment, imprisonment, and in some cases forced disappearance and torture. In 2018 President Husani Kanaan signed a bill that criminalized the "use of technology to spread misinformation" which has been frequently used to hand out prison sentences as long as 10 years to Soharans criticizing the government on social media. Freedom of the press is similarly limited, with most major media outlets being owned either by the government or by close allies of Kanaan. Beginning in the 2010s, internet censorship has become increasingly pervasive, with international media outlets such as the Coian Monitor and Le Monde, as while as social media outlets like Chirpr being subject to intermittent blocking.

Only Irfan, Sotirianity, and Atudism are recognized as official religions by the Soharan government. Followers of other religions and nonbelievers are subject to widespread discrimination at every level, with public expression of atheism notably being banned under anti-blasphemy laws. Homosexuality is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and LGBT Soharans are often subject to extrajudicial punishment by vigilante groups.

In 2007, Kanaan sought to address concern over Sohar's human rights record by establishing the Soharan Human Rights Council, a supposedly independent organisation that would be tasked with monitoring and reporting on human rights issues in the country. Since its inception, the organisation has been widely criticised by human rights activists domestically and abroad, who have argued that it is simply a propaganda tool used by the government to whitewash its human rights violations. In addition, the OPHRS' claims of being an independent organisation have been widely criticised, as it is wholly owned and funded by the Soharan government.

Administrative divisions

Sohar is divided into eighteen administrative provinces. Two of the provinces, the capital of Sanafir and the city of Almina are designated as "metropolitan provinces," though there is no legal distinction. Each province is administered by a governor appointed by the President, and by a directly elected provincial council. Provinces are divided into urban and rural districts; rural districts are divided into villages and some of the larger urban districts are divided into wards. The two metropolitan provinces are not divided into districts, only into wards.

Map	Province	Capital	Population
Almina Balat Benha El Sahil Faraskur Ganoubi Gamasa Helwan Kerdasa Lahun Masra Mashtul Menouf Naqada Qaha Sanafir Tirsa Saqultah Tsabara Behera Nise Gulf of Assonaire	Almina Metropolitan Province		TBA
	Balat	El Qasr	TBA
	Benha	Benha	TBA
	El Sahil	Belqas	TBA
	Faraskur	Faraskur	TBA
	Ganoubi	El Marj	TBA
	Gamasa	Gamasa	TBA
	Helwan	Helwan	TBA
	Kerdasa	Kerdasa	TBA
	Lahun	El Lahun	TBA
	Masra	Dishna	TBA
	Mashtul	Mashtul	TBA
	Menouf	Menouf	TBA
	Naqada	Naqada	TBA
	Qaha	Qaha	TBA
	Sanafir Metropolitan Province		TBA
	Tirsa	Basyoun	TBA
	Saqultah	Saqultah	TBA