Grand Zavira

The island of Grand Zavira is shared by the Republic of Barkalor and the Kingdom of Tir Zavira. The local name for Grand Zavira, is Mêr Zavira in Tira, and Mar Sawira in Barkalor; Mêr and Mar both meaning Great. The term Grand Zavira refers to the main island Zavira and all the smaller islands around it. Grand Zavira is also the largest island in the world by area.

## History

### Prehistory

The island was uninhabited till c. 8000 BC, when a few hunter-gatherer tribes crossed the land bridge between Grand Zavira and the Ukes supercontinent. The land bridge existed until at least 4000 BC when it probably sank into the ocean due to rising sea levels. The natives on this island, now isolated from the supercontinent, remained a hunter-gatherer society until around 500 AD. The first contact with the natives of Grand Zavira by people from the supercontinent of Ukes in 4000 years happened between the tribes at the southeast of the island and merchants from the kingdom of Barri. Through this, the tribe greatly modernized and started adopting farming and the keeping of livestock. Due to the great influx of food, the population boomed. The first cities on the island started on the east coast, where most of the trading took place.

### The Early Middle Ages

The island had been disunited in city-states for 200 years when in 712 AD the city-states are united under a single city-state of Tamanon, whose king Gazaíd was elected high king by the council of kings and queens. The position of High King was only meant to be the head of their religion, but Gazaid changed this position to also include political power over the other tribes and city-states. This united state would ultimately fall apart 745, shortly after the beginning of the Cold Infant Era, which destroyed a lot of the crops on the island. During the Cold Infant Era, the city-states of Grand Zavira had become more and more secluded from outsiders. The worst of the Cold Infant Era had passed at around 800 AD, but the population wouldn't reach the same level until around 1100 AD.

### The Middle Ages

The system of High Kings or Queens became institutionalised in 877 AD. Between 877 AD and 1367 AD Grand Zavira was stable and calm, the country had grown prosperous. But between 1367 and 1408 AD the island was affected by the Malechor plague, which killed about a quarter of the population. Due to the plague, the council of kings and queens elected 8 high kings and queens. This era would be known in Zaviran history as the period of punishment, as they believed it was caused by their god, who had lost faith in them. In 1409 the council elected another high king, who put the island on the road to prosperity but ultimately failed to spread this prosperity to the northeastern part of the island. In 1422 the council elected a high king and queen, with a 50/50 split. So in 1422, the kingdom of Barkalor formed on the island with the high king at its head. The kingdom of Tir Zavira was ruled by the high queen. After the death of the high queen in 1456, the council would again be split 50/50 between the king of Barkalor and the king of Tamanon, thus cementing the divide between the two. The council officially split into the council of Barkalor and the council of Tir Zavira in 1474.

## Geography

The term Grand Zavira is used for the island of Grand Zavira and for the collection of islands around it. The terrain in Grand Zavira consists of flatlands and hills in the interior of the island. Grand Zavira's northern and eastern coast lie on the Sea of Kamana, while its southwestern coast lies on the gulf of Zavira.