Pepper Atoll
Canton of Pepper Atoll jasiiradaha sumurud | |
|---|---|
|
Flag | |
| Capital | St Joseph |
| Official languages | Peppur, English |
| Ethnic groups (2015) | 65.2% Black Peppur 26.2% White Peppur 5.1% Arabic 2.4% Other |
| Demonym(s) | Peppur |
| Government | |
• Eorl | Undecided |
• Manaagnwe Militia leader (rebel) | Colonel Cutuu |
| Establishment | |
• Kingdom of Peppur founded | 4th(?) June 1702 |
• Protectorate of the Brytisc Crown | 5th September 1812 |
• Democratic Republic proclaimed | 19th July 1911 |
• Canton of Pepper Atoll established | 26th September 2015 |
| Population | |
• 2015 census | 340,119 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | ??? |
• Per capita | ??? |
| HDI (2015) |  0.364low |
| Time zone | UTC+10 (RMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+11 (RST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +76 |
| Internet TLD | .bry |
Pepper Atoll, or jasiiradaha sumurud (Emerald isles) in Peppur, is canton of Brytene located an archipelago of islands. It is by far the newest Canton of Brytene, as well as being the lowest in terms of population. Currently the Manaagnwe Militia, headed by Colonel Cutuu, hold much of the territory under their direct or indirect control.
Etymology and terminology
Jasiiradaha sumurud means 'Emerald Islands' in the local Peppur tongue, whilst the English name comes from the vast amounts of pepper grown on the isles, which is also where the demonym for the inhabitants of the island arose.
History
Jasiiradaha sumurud was originally uninhabited, its dense forests feared by the sailors of Brytene and avoided out of superstition, but by the mid 14th century an unknown tribe of hunter-gatherers had managed to establish themselves there.
In the 17th century, rogue pirates from across the globe began to use it as a shipping destination and base of operations, resulting in a highly international mix. The term 'Peppur' became common to describe a resident of the informal and highly anarchic settlements along the Peppur coast, as no other demonym was applicable. A self-proclaimed Pirate Court was established in 1702, with leadership rotating on an alarmingly regular basis as kings, captains, and merchants engaged in intrigues, politics, and backstabbing. The Pirate Court was eradicated in 1775 when, weakened by years of infighting and the increasingly powerful and well-organised shipping routes that led to less and less available prey, they were attacked by an invasion force from Mairland who set up
In 1812, the Confederate Brytisc Fleet determined to conquer the Atoll and attacked the port at St Joseph, leading to the Battle of Hueslam in which the small Mairish garrison was defeated by the first battalion of the 7th Northern Foot. The Atoll was officially ruled as a Protectorate of the Brytisc Crown until 1911, when an independence treaty was signed in the wake of the First Great War.
A local nationalist uprising led to the first and second battles of St Joseph, in which the city was taken by Zhenyan troops before being recaptured by the Brytisc Fleet. The Protectorate was officially dissolved following the end of the war, and the Republic of Peppur was formed.
In the intervening decades, no single President has proven capable of managing the mismatched and riotous population of Pepper Atoll. The Manaagnwe Militia, first formed in 1966, have haunted the jungles and mountains of Pepper Atoll for decades, and under the lax and corrupt rule of President Bataya have managed to seize several key towns and locations.
Pepper Atoll Intervention
On January 6th 1986, the Manaagnwe Militia captured the capital of St Joseph, killing and capturing much of the government there and killing upwards of an estimated 4,000 civilians during the sack of the city. The Confederate Brytisc Fleet was mobilised in response to these war crimes and deployed a task force to the island chain.
Over the course of the next few years, a combined sea and land offensive drove the Militia away from the major population centres, with the Nortymba Regiment under Colonel Richard Blunte leading the ground offensive and recapturing St Joseph in the Battle of St Joseph (1986). The intervention officially ended in 1992, although the Manaagnwe Miltia were not entirely eradicated and violence has recurred several times since.
2015 annexation
In the early summer of 2015, routine international aid programmes in the capital of St Joseph were attacked by Manaagnwe Militia, resulting in the deaths of peacekeeping personnel from several nations including Brytene, the Staatenbunde, and Sde Dov. The survivors rallied in the market square of St Joseph, where they were reinforced by a multi-national task force led by the Brytisc Fleet. Following three days of intense urban combat, the Militia were driven from the city. In the light of Carsodonian encroachment, President Bataya invited the Brytisc to extend protectorate status to the islands. Following Bataya's assassination by suspected Militia gunmen, the Brytisc Rede elected to permanently annex Pepper Atoll. A referendum held in late summer gave a 56% support rate for the move, with a turnout of 28% of the island population, primarily in St Joseph.
Geography
Pepper Atoll is a series of islands covered mostly with tropical growth and lined with sandy beaches, set amongst azure seas. With a total landmass of 28,521 square kilometers, the archipelago is quite shallow, with the highest point is Ariso Point at 420m above sea level.
Climate
Pepper Atoll has a hot and humid climate, with temperatures soaring to up to 43°C in summer whilst winter can be as low as 10°C. Rainfall is frequent and as a coastal area it is moderately windy at times.
Ecology
Pepper Atoll has a range of tropical birds, small reptiles, crocodiles and a population of approximately 40 jaguars on the largest island. The seas are rich in fish, cockles and the like.
Manaagnwe Militia
The Manaagnwe Militia, led by the brutal Colonel Cutuu, are a violent armed group based in the hills north of St Joseph. Claiming to be dedicated to removing foreign interests from Pepper Atoll, they are in fact a criminal cartel reliant on the income from various criminal activities. Their propaganda is mostly spread through effective radio stations and they practise extremely brutal methods of subjugation on those who do not conform to their beliefs or who oppose them. They are listed as a terrorist organization by the Sde Dovian government. They name their enemies 'collabs' or 'pigbeasts'.
Economy
The Pepper Atoll economy is largely underdeveloped, and relies mostly on the black market trade brought in by smugglers and pirates, as well as a fledgling tourist industry bouyed by several well-guarded all-inclusive resorts. Pepper Atoll also receives substantial humanitarian aid from mainland Brytene.
Pepper Atoll, as its name suggests, is a primary source of pepper for Atlas, and the Carlossan firm Admiral Tenders sources much of its pepper from the islands.
Transport
Pepper Atoll relies mostly on small watercraft and light aircraft for transport, whilst there is effectively no public transport system other than a basic and inefficient bus network based in St Joseph.