Maruguay

Maraguay is a county and former imperial state on the Northern coast of Kijana.
After many years of fighting a uprising in one of their colony, Cyrene, They drew the attentions of their three larger neighbors and were invaded and divided amongst them.

## History

The region around the Maruguay estuary was sparsely inhabited during the 1500s. In 1579, the territory was claimed as a colony by Antargentine explorer Claudio Valmarez, citing "Terra Nullius" as his justification for the claim.

Settlement, however, proceed very slowly. By 1700, Maruguay had a population of only 5,000, most of whom worked in the agricultural trade. The "native" population was probably not much in excess of this, perhaps numbering only 10,000. Settlement picked up in the early 1700s, however, as the Antargentine planter class invited hired labor from neighboring countries. In 1755, a rebellion among Orsettan hired agricultural labourers resulted in them being expelled from the country; most went to neighboring Coriol.

In 1760, the discovery of gold across the mountains led a large number of settlers to cross the passes, claiming the territory under the name "Cyrene" (a reference to an ancient Reman legend about a land filled with gold). The rumors of untold riches, however, proved illusory.

As the region developed, it became more and more independent from it's theoretical master of Antargentina. In 1816, Maruguay declared their independence from Antargentina. An attempt by the Antargentine government to re-establish control of the country led to a five-year guerrilla war in the interior of the country. The Antargentines held the major cities of Bueno Rico, San Carlos Agua, and Santa Carla, while the independent government dominated the countryside. Antargentine authority finally evaporated in 1821 with an ackowledgement of the Republica de Maruguay.

Beginning in 1870, the Ousmanou tribe from southern Kijana (a sub-group of the Waki) migrated into Cyrene. The Ousmanou conduct long migrations, and had not visited Cyrene since 1760. The Ousmanou established foothold in Cyrene by 1882. Initially welcomed as a source of potential labour, the relationship turned sour and the Maruguayan government attempted to eject them in 1896. This failed, and a settlement with the main group of the Ngudu was reached in 1899. A splinter group, the Ngudu Ousmanou, continue operating as bandits in the Cyrene region. Due to concerns about border tensions with Orsetto, the Maruguayan government has been unable to deploy enough troops to fully control the problem, although they have scored several minor victories in recent years.

## Demographics and Goverment

Seventy percent of Maruguay's population lives on the northern side of the mountains, in towns constructed on the Maruguay River estuary; the eastern bank of this estuary comprises the national border with Orsetto.

The government is a presidential republic with a bicameral legislature, composed of a Senate and a National Assembly. Senators are selected by lots for three-year terms, with all interested parties (if they can produce a hundred signatures) putting their applications in a box and drawing until the senate is filled. The National Assembly is elected for four-year terms, and is responsible for electing the President, who is limited to a single six-year term.

Individual towns practice direct democracy, with mass-meetings in town squares for things ranging from selecting Assembly members to picking the color for the town hall.

Maruguay has traditionally supported - at least vocally - resistance to imperialism, although their small size and limited industrial base means they are themselves dependent on foreign imports. They remain quite nervous of their larger neighbors, who often view Maruguayans as part of the imperialists, even though they are a mutt of vaguely Antargentine-flavored groups from around the Cerulean Sea.