Malaena

Malaena is a peninsula on the continent populated by ethnic Malaenic peoples who speak Noulaenic languages. There are four major historical cultural regions within Malaena; the eastern plain of Calbaena, the norther plain of Sobaena, the hilly west coastal region of Siardara, and the central valley region of Bindaela. Steep and sparsely hills surround Bindaela, separating it from the other regions.

## Etymology

Malaena comes from Proto-noulaenic *mail* (god(s')) and *laen* (country)

## Geography

Malaena is surrounded on three sides by water, with the Pinakloos sea to the west, the straight of Carusour to the north, and the Faslula Sea to the east. A ridge of low mountains (the Binnar range) runs north-to-south from the straight along the west coast, defining the edge of the Siardara region. The central region of the peninsula is primarily dominated by a high plateau which features steep and rocky hills except along the Sarabal river floodplain region known as Bindaela.

The two large plains of Calbaena and Sobaena are filled with rich silt from the hills and are broad and flat with fertile soil. These regions have historically been the most densely populated areas of Malaena.

## Government

Malaena was ruled by the first and second Noulaenic empires for most of the time from 1 NE until the collapse of the empire in Malaena in the 21st century NE. It is now ruled by a patchwork of rival agrarian feudal kingdoms. The population has become more rural and government considerably less centralized as a result. The largest kingdoms are Sianbaena in Calbaena and Sarenbala in Sobaena, with many smaller kingdoms in those regions owing fealty to them. The largest kingdom in Bindaela is generally known as the Kingdom of Sarenmen, which controls Noulian and refers to itself as the Western Noulaenic Empire. That name is rarely used outside of the Sarenmen court itself, however.

## Important cities

Malaena is home to the historically important city of Noulian in Bindaela, although the largest city in modern Bindaela is Sarenmen. Siardara is sparsely populated but the historical Noulaenic port city-state of Darafalis remains properous and has a population of roughly 100,000. Sarenbalaen and Concian are the two main metropolises of Sobaena, with the former city of 150,000 situated just above the start of the Sarenbal river delta and the latter city of 130,000 situated on a harbor in the Faslula sea. Elcarafalis, located at the highest navigable point of the Sarabal river, is the largest city in Calbaena with a population of just under 300,000 and the capital of the influential Kingdom of Sianbaena.

## Climate

Malaena is just south of the equator and has a warm tropical climate. Siardara is considerably cooler than the rest of the peninsula due to trade winds and has a considerably milder climate. Summer winds push warm, moist air across the region from the east which are forced up and into the cooler Pinakloosi winds along the Binnar range, which leads to a strong summer monsoon season across the center of the peninsula. The seasonal flooding of the rivers flowing from the central regions, especially the Sarenbal and Sarabal rivers, is critical to agriculture in the coastal plain regions along the north and east coast of the peninsula.