Meridian Islands

Confederation of the Meridian Islands Te Wakaminenga o ngā Iwi o Te-Kupenga-a-Tūmatauenga
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata The people, the people, the people
Anthem: Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi Line up together, People
Capital and largest city	Kōuranui
Official languages	Te Reo Haukāinga Gaullican
Ethnic groups	Hau Kāinga 70% Tauiwi 23% Senrian 4% Other 3%
Government
• Ariki Tapairu	Te Moungaroa
• Premier	Hinepekia Duvallier
Legislature	Rūnanga
Independence from Gaullica
• Kaitangata Accord	28 June 1763
• Fall of the Gaullican Empire	1935
• Independence	16 May 1940
Population
• 2019 census	100,972
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$1.2 billion
• Per capita	$12,082
HDI (2019)	0.764 high
Currency	Meridian Denier (MID)
Internet TLD	.mi

The Confederation of the Meridian Islands (Te Reo Haukāinga: Te Wakaminenga o ngā Iwi o Te-Kupenga-a-Tūmatauenga, Gaullican: La Confédération des Iles méridiennes), more commonly referred to as the Meridian Islands and sometimes Te-Kupenga-a-Tūmatauenga, is a sovereign island country bordered by the Federation of Sublustria to the west. It has a population of around 100,000, making it the smallest sovereign state in Kylaris, as well as the smallest by land area. It is divided into four Takiwā. The capital city is Kōuranui, which with 40,000 inhabitants is also the largest city in the nation.

Archaeological traces put the settlement of the Meridian Islands to the early eighth century BCE by !Austroasiatic settlers from eastern Coius. These peoples would form small tribal groupings centred on the Marae, a type of communal settlement that doubled as a religious centre. These would eventually develop into Pā, fortified Marae. There was no development of a communal identity, instead people identified with their Hapū and Template:Iwi, larger confederations of Hapū based upon geneology and alliances. Euclean contact began in the 17th century and would continue, first on a basis of trade before progressing towards more overt domination by traders. Seeing this as a threat, the Iwi leaders convened at Kōuranui Pā to decide upon a united plan. They opted to elect a leader, the Ariki Tapairu, who would represent them in their dealings with Eucleans. The first Ariki Tapairu was Tamatea of Ngāti Mahuta, who opted to sign an agreement of protection with Gaullica. Under the Kaitangata Accord, named after the village of Kaitangata which was the site of negotiations, Gaullican merchants would be granted exclusive access to the islands in return for a recognition of the authority and guardianship of the natives and for protection against other Euclean powers. This agreement led to Gaullican permanent settlement of the islands, which were called the Meridian Islands by the Eucleans. While relations between the natives and Eucleans started in good faith, the Eucleans would eventually begin to exert more direct control over land and resources. During the functionalist era, the Kaitangata Accord was almost completely ignored. Following the great war, the Meridian Islands were granted as a mandate territory of Werania. Independence was led by Maxime Arutanga, an educated native lawyer, who presented the case that under the Kaitangata Accord, the Meridian Islands had been a dominion of the Gaullican crown and with it's abolition they were independent. Independence was achieved in 1940. While Meridian representatives were present at the Congress of Sublustria, due to political differences surrounding the roles of traditional nobility the Meridian Islands would never join the Federation of Sublustria. In the modern era, Te-Kupenga-a-Tūmatauenga is a developing nation. It has strong ties with Euclea and Asteria, though local corruption and nepotism in politics have held back economic development. The Rangatiratanga Party has dominated politics since independence, with the current Premier being a member.

Demographics

Religion

A Te-Awa-a-Ihumaui church in Omakere.

The Meridian Islands are officially secular, with the constitution declaring that no religion shall recieve official recognition as the nation's religion. Despite this, the nation is predominantly Sotirian and this religion predominates public morality and policy. Sotirianity was brought to the islands in the eighteenth century by Euclean missionaries, primarily from the Solarian Catholic Church but also several Amendist groups who established missions in the islands. These groups gained ground, especially following the Kaitangata Accord which granted the Catholic church a strong advantage over its rivals due to Gaullican patronage. Following Meridian independence, several Evangelical Amendist groups have begun missions in the Meridian Islands, attracting conversions away from Catholicism which was seen as an accessory to Gaullican rule. Nowadays, Catholics count for 39% of the population and Amendists 32%.

During the nineteenth century, a syncretic form of Sotirianity emerged called Te-Awa-a-Ihumaui, which merged elements of Sotirianity with those of Hau Kāinga traditional religion. For example, it amalgamates Io Matua Kore and God, and considers Maui and Jesus Sotiras to be the same person. The faith was repressed in the Functionalist era, but maintained a strong following. After independence, the religion experienced a period of growth as Hau Kāinga saw it as a way to express their new identity, before declining slightly in the modern age as Evangelical ministers began to target it as a heresy. In the last census, Te-Awa-a-Ihumaui counted 24% of the population as its followers.

Other religions include Tenkyou, which is practiced by the Senrian population, and a small community who practice the Hau Kāinga traditional religion. Badi has seen a small community of converts, as has Irfan due to missions funded by Zorasan. Irreligion is rare and atheists are distrusted.