Sohainesia

The Kingdom of Semanesia (Semanesian: 소해타오, Sohaithao), commonly known as Semanesia, is a sovereign country off the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula. It includes one main island and several smaller islands. It is surrounded by the South China Sea.

Semanesia is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. The emperor is Amkim IV, reigning since 2012. Major cities include Brasapuosa, Kijulum, Tisuramut, Rithak, and Byaekkan.

Semanesia was ruled by Vietnam for a long time until France invaded Vietnam and made Semanesia a part of French Indochina. Semanesia was born when France was forced to recognize the independence due to a native uprising in Cochinchina in 1936. In 1962, the military seized power and changed Semanesia to a Marxist-Leninist communist state until 1975. A year later, the monarchy was restored as a constitutional monarchy, and held its first elections.

Semanesia is a developed country, and it is a member of ASEAN, OECD, United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, World Trade Organization, and International Monetary Fund.

Etymology
Semanesia's name comes from the Korean and Greek words for island, which are 섬 (seom) and νῆσος (nēsos) respectively. The The Semanesian name "Sohaithao" is a translation of Suhaidao, which is the official Chinese name of the island.

Early history
Taiwanese Aborginials migrated to Semanesia about 1000 BC, spreading Malayo-Polynesian culture to the island. Vietnamese people started to settle the island around 250 BC, when the relations between the Taiwanese Aborginials and Vietnamese were very positive.

Vietnamese rule (111 BC-1138 AD)
In 111 BC, the Han dynasty of China invaded Nam Viet, so people from Nam Viet fled to the eastern part of the island and colonized it, calling the island Suhaidao (蘇海島). Vietnam continued to rule the island until the Han and other successful Chinese dynasties agressively captured the island in response to the rebellion by the Trung sisters on 43 AD. China continued to occupy the island until Ngo Quyen defeated the forces of the Southern Han in 938.

During the golden ages of Dynastic Vietnam, the Vietnamese slowly started to expand into the western portion of the island, fully conquering the island at the beginning of the 12th century. However, Dai Viet was in a vulnerable position due to wars with neighbours, and Dai Viet refused to pay tribute to the Khmer Empire. This lead to a catastrophic series of wars lead by King Suryavarman.

Khmer rule (1138-1428)
As Dai Viet retreated from Semanesia, King Suryavarman started to conquer the entire portion of the island. During Khmer rule, the Semanesian language was born, which was heavily influenced by the Khmer language.

The Khmer Empire suffered a gradual decline at the beginning of the 14th century for several reasons, so much that they decided to leave the island. This left Semanesia unoccupied by a foriegn power for the first time since the beginning of Vietnamese rule on 111 BC.

Second period of Vietnamese rule (1428-1862)
Vietnam regained control of Semanesia after its independence was restored in 1428.

As part of the Age of Exploration, the Portugese became the first Europeans to land on the island in 1533, spreading Christianity to Semanesia. However, the Portugese were forced to leave several years later due to violence. The Dutch East India Company and British East India Company attempted to trade at the beginning of the 17th century, but they were forced to leave.

As the Vietnamese started to be hostile to Christianization activities, the French Navy recieved approval to erode Vietnam's soverignty in 1843 for being hostile to Christian missionaries, but they only started to invade Vietnam in 1858. The country became a part of French Indochina in 1862, calling the island Semanesia (French: Semenesié).

French rule (1862-1936)
Semanesia was originally part of Cochinchina until it was seperated in 1884. The colonial government also made French the sole official language of the country, and introduced a French-style education system to the country. In addition, they decriminalized Christianity and made it the state religion.

Like Vietnam, the French developed a plantation economy promote the export of tobacco, tea, indigo, and rice. However, they opposed hostiles towards Christianity and the increased demands for civil liberties and independence, so much that Semanesian nationalism started to emerge.

The Semanesian Uprising of 1935 by the Semanesian Nationalist Party ultimately resulted in the Franco-Semanesian treaty, which would give independence to the country a year later.

Independence (1936-1961)
On January 1, 1936, Semanesia became fully independent as an absolute monarchy and Amkim I (1887-1971) became the emperor of Semanesia.

During World War II, Semanesia remained neutral to protect itself from instability, but the French wanted to protect Semanesia due to fears over Japanese invasion. The Semanesian government refused, leading to a French invasion of the country that ultimately led to a Semanesian victory in 1946.

Amkim II (1914-1992) became emperor when his father abdicated to participate in politics on 1952. He would change the country to a constitutional monarchy, hosting its first ever elections in 1954. This was between the National Democratic Party and the Liberal Conservative Party, although it was deeply flawed due to vote rigging. Unfortunately, the communists were angry over not winning elections, so a military coup d'etat by Kim Nal-sil of the Communist Party occured on November 22, 1962.

Communust regime (1962-1975)
The coup d'etat would prove to be successful, so it changed the country to a Marxist-Leninist one-party state. They forced Amkim II to abdicate, and it changed its official name to the People's Republic of Semanesia. During communist rule, a period of political violence (Red Terror) occured against indigenous people and anti-communist activists, forcing the indigenous population to migrate to the mountains in the north. Privately-owned media was outlawed. This caused the population to drop from 3,147,384 in 1961 to 2,284,293 by 1970. Religion was prosecuted so much that 80% of all Bhuddist temples were destroyed. French declined from an official language of the country to a language spoken by the elite due to the communists' enforcement of Semanesian, Cantonese, and Vietnamese as the official languages for politics and education. The Communist Party also attempted to revert the country's infrastructure to the pre-colonial era, by destroying everything considered Western.

In 1973, a civil war between the Communist Party and pro-democracy activists occured. This resulted in a victory for the pro-democracy activists in 1974, returning Semanesia to a constitutional monarchy.

Contemporary era (1975-present)
The monarchy was restored in 1975, returning Semanesia to democratic rule. All political parties were restored, the Communist Party ceased to exist, and it held its first ever elections since 1960. Amkim III (1936-2012) was crowned emperor of Semanesia.

In the late 1970s, a period of record growth suddenly occured. This economic success led to an accepted invitation to the OECD in 1986. However, the economic growth started to slow down at the end of the Cold War, and Semanesia eventually suffered from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Economic growth eventually returned to normal levels in 2003.

Amkim III died on May 18, 2012. His succesor, Amkim IV (born 1963) was crowned Emperor of Semanesia, and still reigns up until today. On August 8, 2013, a devastating earthquake affected the western portion of the island. By the end of 2020, there were 3,509 cases and 3 deaths due to COVID-19.

Geography
Semanesia is an island located southwest of Vietnam. It has 3 regions, 26 prefectures, and is part of the Indochinese Peninsula. The main island comprises about 80% of the total land area, measuring 22,327 miles, and is seperated from Vietnam by the Gulf of Thailand.

Geology
The island was seperated from Indochina 1 million years ago, and it is part of the Eurasian plate. Semanesia experiences about 300 earthquakes per year, but only about 16 are noticed by people. The most catastrophic earthquake in terms of fatalities was the magnitude-7.5 earthquake at the western portion of the island in 2013, killing 900 people.

Terrain
The terrain is divided into two parts: the heavily mountainous parts in the north, and the flat plains in the south. The north has three mountain ranges, running from southwest to southeast. Mount Savakuu is located in the northern part of the island and is the tallest mountain in the country, at 3023 metres tall. The average elevation is 1042 meters. Indigenous people mostly reside in the mountains as a result of the political violence during the communist era.

Climate
Semanesia's climate is a mix of a humid subtropical climate and a tropical rainforest climate. The rainy season lasts from July to November, the winter season lasts from December to mid-February, and the summer season lasts from mid-April to July. Winter and summer are transitional seasons, Most of the tropical cyclones that affect Semanesia start in the South China Sea and move north to the country. On average, 3-4 cyclones affect Semanesia per year.

Resources and land use

 * Arable land: 12.78%
 * Permanent crops: 8.39%
 * Other: 78.33%
 * Renewable water resources: 57006 km^3
 * Freshwater withdrawal: 1205 km^3 (2.11381258113)

Environmental hazards

 * Natural hazards: earthquakes, occasional typhoons
 * Droughts
 * Air pollution
 * Deforestation
 * Forbidden hunting

Economics
Prior to the Economic Miracle, the Semanesian economy relied heavily on agriculture, especially before the pre-colonial era. After the overthrough of the Narassira regime, the Semanesian economy rapidly grew, until the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit the country and the economic growth slowed down. However, the economy recovered in 2003, and was one of several countries to have its GDP increase during the Great Recession.

Semanesia's leading export markets are Thailand and Tseng, while its leading import sources are Taiwan and Japan.

Currency
The official currency of Semanesia is the Semanesian yuan (SWY), used since its independence from French Indochina. It is pegged to 1000 Vietnamese dong, as Vietnam ruled the country for several centuries. Coins are worth 1, 5, 10, and 50 fen, and banknotes are worth 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, and 1000 yuan.

Government
Semanesia is a constitutional monarchy operated as a parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is the head of government, while the Emperor is the head of state. The Prime Minister is appointed by the legislature and exercises executive power.

The legislature consists of a lower house that contains 262 seats, and a upper house that consists of 483 seats. Semanesia's judiciary is independent and based on the Supreme Court and 4 levels of lower courts. The three main political parties in Semanesia are the National Democratic Party (conservative), Liberal Conservative party (liberal-conservative) and Liberal Party (liberal).

Administrative divisions
Semanesia is divided into 3 regions and 25 prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor and legislature. The size of the legislature depends on the population.

East

 * Xangkaita (캉개다) (相海) (1)
 * Tisuramut (디수라묻) (海環) (2)
 * Akanem (아가넴) (赤沼) (3)
 * Iktul (익들) (陸他) (4)
 * Thaibo (태보) (大部) (5)
 * Akahlai (아갛래) (赤海) (6)
 * Ekuxob (에구캅) (大陸) (7)
 * Keneubo (게느버) (大新) (8)
 * Pixanka (피칸가) (浦高) (9)

Central

 * Brasapōsa (ㅂ라사퍼사) (院京) (10)
 * Kijulum (기즈ㅿ룸) (金洛) (11)
 * Rithak (리탁) (利東) (12)
 * Nuharul (누하룰) (新春) (13)
 * Xangchū (캉츠) (相中) (14)
 * Taibatang (대바당) (大灣) (15)
 * Kantai (간대) (環趾) (16)
 * Kasbang (갓방) (相喬) (17)
 * Tuxakui (두카귀) (豪場) (18)

West

 * Byaekkan (볘깐) (本陕) (19)
 * Atiyo (아디여) (青津) (20)
 * Kenkuōi (겐긐이) (吉國) (21)
 * Tinglok (딩ㅿ록) (院陸) (22)
 * Keneubō (게느버) (草花) (23)
 * Xanglik (캉ㅿ릭) (相建) (24)
 * Thamchū (탐츠) (天南) (25)

Foreign relations
The foriegn relations of Semanesia are handled by the Ministry of Foriegn Affairs. It is a member of and it is a member of ASEAN, OECD, United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, and International Monetary Fund.

Relations with France have been strained during Semanesia's early days of independence. The relations have eased after France agreed to pay SW¥ 10,000,000 in 1980 to compensate for the damage during French rule. Semanesia has diplomatic relations with all other UN members and Taiwan, and is the only member of the UN to recognize both China and Taiwan as seperate countries.

Military
Semanesia had a military until December 31, 1989, when the Constitution of 1975 was revised to abolish the military. However, it has a police force. Until its abolition, the Armed Forces of Semanesia consisted of the Semanesian Navy, Army, and Air Force.

Land
Highway 93 is the busiest highway, stretching from Thamcheu to Kijulum. Highway numbers are randomly assigned from 1-999, but odd-numbered highways go west-east, and even-numbered highways go north-south.

Railways were first introduced on to the island during the French colonial era, as part of an effort to industrialize the island. The railway network rapidly grew until it stagnated when Semanesia became a military dictatorship. The web of railroads in Semanesia are called Semanesian State Airways.

Semanesia recorded a total of 446 traffic-related deaths in 2019, a rate of 4.69 deaths per 100,000 people. The maximum speed limit is 130 km/h regardless of urban/rural location.

Air
Semanesia had 63 airports in 2019. Major international airports are:


 * Akanem Airport (IATA: AKZ: ICAO: VSAK)
 * Atiyo Airport (IATA: AYE, ICAO: VSAT)
 * Brasapuosa Airport (IATA: BPU, ICAO: VSBP)
 * Byaikkan Airport (IATA: PYX: ICAO: VSPY)
 * Iktul Airport (IATA: IKX: ICAO: VSIK)
 * Kijulum Airport (IATA: KJL, ICAO: VSKJ)
 * Kenkuxi Airport (IATA: KXI, ICAO: VSKX)
 * Nuharul Airport (IATA: NUZ: ICAO: VSNU)
 * Rithak Airport (IATA: RIT, ICAO: VSRT)
 * Thaibo Airport (IATA: BAO: ICAO: VSBA)
 * Tisuramut Airport (IATA: DSU, ICAO: VSDL)

Sea
Rivers are major transportation artery, with a diverse range of vehicles including boats and express lines. Ferry service between the two main islands are available, and there are a lot of international ferries. The largest port is Brasapuosa Harbor, located in the capital.

Population
Semanesia had a population of 9,512,508 in 2020. Semanesia's urban population has rapidly increased, from 62.39% in 1990 to 87.12% in 2020. Out of those, 4,985,701 (52.41%) are female, and 4,526,807 (47.59%) are male. The average household size is 4.76 people.

Ethnic groups
Even though Austronesian people live in Semanesia, the country is ethnically homogenous. 91.59% of the population identify themselves as ethnic Semanesians, making the country one of the least diverse countries in the world.

Languages
The Semanesian language is the native and official language of Semanesia. It is part of the Austroasiatic language family. Cantonese and Vietnamese are also official languages. Even though Semanesia was a French colony from 1863 to 1936, French loanwords have been abolished and only 0.77% of the population are fluent in French, due to the promotion of Semanesian nationalism during the communist era.

Religion
There is no state religion since the beginning of communist rule in 1961. 63.1% identify themselves as Bhuddist, 30.2% as irreligious, and the remaining 6.7% of the population are affiliated with other religions. Semanesia has a large irreligious population only due to the Communist's Parties ban on religion.

Education
Education is mandatory for children aged 6 and up, and the education system is divided into 3 parts: lower (grades 1-6), middle (grades 7-9) and upper (grades 10-12). Tertiary education is optional. Unlike most other countries, the summer break does not end/begin a school year. Instead, the school year starts on the last week of February in order so people could end the school year with Chinese New Year.

Media
Television was introduced in 1963. During the communist era, privately-owned media was outlawed, making Semanesia's state owned public broadcaster Semanesian National Broadcasting Corporation (Semanesian: 갈작새치빅캄, Cantonese: 國民放送) the only broadcasting company in Semanesia. However, privately-owned media was legalized at the end of communist rule. The oldest privately-owned media outlet is the Austroasiatic Broadcasting Corporation, signing on in 1976.

Culture
The culture of Semanesia is influenced by Vietnamese and Khmer cultures, as it was ruled by Vietnam and Cambodia for several centuries.

Under communist rule, the now-dissolved Communist Party promoted Semanesian nationalism, by eliminating everything considered western, especialy French culture that was introduced when France seized the island from Vietnam.

Cuisine
Semanesian cuisine is extremely similar to other countries in mainland Southeast Asia. Recently, foods that are often ate in Eastern Asia have been popular, such as beef noodle soup, kimchi, or ramen. Fusions of East and Southeast Asian food are popular.

Sport
Football (chungkyeu) is the most popular sport in Semanesia. The Semanesian Football Association is the professional football league, comprising of 32 teams. Other popular sports include golf, tennis, cricket, badminton, boxing, rugby, martial arts, and volleyball.

Naming
The vast majority of Semanesians have a one-syllable family name in the front, and a two-syllable given name in the back, like Chinese names.

Holidays
There are public holidays in Semanesia. The table below lists the public holidays in Semanesia.