Civilitas Factbook, old

AL Hakimah is a city in the Central Province on the Southern Island of Civilitas. The Al-Hakimah metropolitan area is the largest in the Central Province, and the city is the financial, educational, and cultural center of the Central Province and indeed much of the Southern Island. People from Al-Hakimah are called Hakimans or Hakimis.


History
The city was founded in the mid-nineteenth century by Bengali Muslim indentured servants who had been brought to Civilitas by British colonists. For several decades, small numbers of Bengalis had gathered together in the area north of the British settlement of New Birmingham upon the termination of their indenture contracts; after the abolition of indentured servitude in 1890, thousands of Bengalis from across the islands came to the settlement, where they could preserve their freedom, their Bengali language, and their Islamic religion.

The settlement was originally to be named New Dhaka, but a small number of Arab traders and clerics convinced the citizens to rename the city after its inhabitants gave them exceptionally good advice (on what is not generally remembered and the story may be apocryphal).

Later, large numbers of Arab immigrants came to Civilitas fleeing various upheavals, notably after the 1967 (and to a lesser extent, 1948) wars in Palestine, and the Lebanese Civil War in the late 1970s and early 1980s; a vast number of people arrived in this time relative to the size of the city, and combined with a small trickle of peacetime immigration and natural population growth, Arabs became the second-largest ethnic group in Civilitas.

The city also attracted Russians; the Russian neighborhood of Novoe Vladivistok was created gradually and only became known by its current name in the early 1910s. Italians and Japanese from Garit, Al-Hakimah's port, settled across the city in the middle of the 20th century.

By 1930, Al-Hakimah was so large that it had completely surrounded New Birmingham; the former British settlement was annexed in 1942.

Districts

The city of Al-Hakimah is divided into five districts:
Al-Hakimah Center: The beating cultural and political heart of the city of Al-Hakimah, it contains both the Old City and the second-largest accumulation of large buildings (if not skyscrapers than skyscraperesque) in the city (the largest being in the Financial District). Ethnically, it contains mostly Indians, but the majority-Arab neighborhood of Madinat al-Ashgar (the City of the Trees), from which Lockesdonkey hails, is in there as well. The University of Al-Hakimah is at the west end of the Old City (right at the border with Novoe Vladivostok); City Hall, the Great Mosque, and the Library of Al-Hakimah are also in the Old City. The Old City is noted for the many artists and intellectuals residing in it, somewhat bemused with the politicians who come into the Old City from across town to meet in City Hall and the various government buildings scattered across it.

Al-Hakimah Souq: While named after the old souq (or open market) that developed when the City Council banished it from the Old City (it brought crime and nasty smells too close to the halls of government for the Mayor's taste), the market has mostly been overtaken by the Financial District to its north. The largest concentration of Japanese is in this northeastern section of the city, mostly working in the energetic financial sector.

Al-Hakimah West—Novoe Vladivostok: As its name implies, most of Al-Hakimah's Russian population lives here. It is the industrial center of the town, with a large number of factories and many of its citizens being industrial workers. It is one of the most recent CSP pickups in the city, having been a Socialist seat for most of the colonial era. However, Vladimir Dmitriov, the previous representative, was involved in a scandal, and combined with a recent small but significant influx of CSP-loyalist Bengalis resulted in the election of The Yankee by a respectable margin.

Al-Hakimah South: Al-Hakimah South was also an industrial sector, and historically shunted between the PLP and the Socialists, with CSP candidates occasionally taking second place. However, the region experienced a degree of gentrification when high-tech industry came to it, and in the penultimate elections to the Colonial Parliament, downtown took the seat for the CSP in one of the largest election upsets in recent memory. The district is predominantly Indian, but the British neighborhood of New Birmingham has a substantial influence on the general attitude of the district.

Al-Hakimah—New City: New City is a heavily-planned ring around the city as it stood until about 1988. It contains most of the Italian population of the city. Not much can be said about it at this time, however, on account of its youth. At one point, the only Christian Democratic Party member of the Civilitas Parliament was from Al-Hakimah—New City, and the area still has strong Christian Democratic leanings. However, the last parliamentary elections (which were a sweep for the CSP, as indicated), meant that the old representative, Gabriele Pavone of the CDP, lost by a .2% margin.

Economy
The economy of the city of Al-Hakimah is centered on finance and industry; in general, the eastern section of the city (the Financial District) holds the Al-Hakimah Stock Exchange and the headquarters of several banks, while the west and south are the main loci of industry.

Education and Culture
The Bengalis, used to diversity, attracted educated persons at first from across the Muslim world, then from elsewhere. The first institution of higher education in the city was the School of the Great Mosque of Al-Hakimah, founded by Hanafi and Shafi`i Islamic scholars from India and the Middle East almost as soon as the Mosque was built in 1877. Members of the Russian Social Democratic and other radical parties arrived in Al-Hakimah in the late nineteenth century, founding the University of Al-Hakimah, the city's first secular institution of higher learning, on Russian lines in 1892.

Approximately 60% of the city of Al-Hakimah's population is Muslim; most of the remainder is Christian, with the exception of the Japanese neighborhoods of Little Osaka and Kimizu (sorry...I'm no good with Japanese. Characters are 木水, "Treewater"). Some districts, such as Novoe Vladivostok, are actually majority-Christian.

The Great Mosque of Al-Hakimah, in the Old City, is a more modern edifice than most other religious buildings in the city. The original mosque was built in stages in the Indian style, the first stage (a relatively small building just large enough to warrant a school annex) being completed in 1877; the most recent stage had been completed in 1940. The old mosque was damaged during riots in 1969: Russians and Italians, enraged by some uncharacteristically racist statements made by Mayor Ali Chowdhury, attacked the mosque when their attempt to torch City Hall was thwarted; rather than rebuild the damaged edifice, the city seized the opportunity to build a new mosque.

The second-largest religious building is the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, whom it is said visited Civilitas late in life and vowed to spread the faith if he lived. The church was originally simply the Church of St. John, of ambiguous patronage (it was something of an official secret, for unknown reasons), but when John of Shanghai and San Francisco was canonized in 1994, the Cathedral immediately changed its name. The Cathedral, which by special agreement services both Russian and Arab Eastern Orthodox Christians, is in Novoe Vladivostok.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Thomas is in the Old City; it is frequented mostly by Italians. There have been rumors that it will be abandoned or repurposed with the movement of many Italians to New City.

The Eastern Catholic Cathedral is also important. It is situated in the Old City.

Politics and government
Al-Hakimah is governed by a parliamentary-style system. The Mayor and the City Commission (similar to a cabinet) are elected from a 25-member City Council, elected by closed party-list proportional representation every four years barring premature dissolution.

Al-Hakimah City Council election, 2006

• Common Sense Party: 32.4%-8 seats Leader: Anthony "Tony" Black
• 
  Conservative Party: 17.6%-5 seats Leader: Adam Ali
• Justice and Development Party: 12.1%-3 seats Leader: Mahmoud ibn Abdallah Naguib
• Progressive Libertarian Party: 12.0%-3 seats Leader: Farhan Ahmed
• Socialist Party: 8.0%-2 seats Leader: Boris Ivanovich Rudenko
• Christian Democratic Party: 7.9%-2 seats Leader: Alessandro Gerardopiero Adorno (no relation to Theodor)
• Libertarian Republican Party: 10.0%-2 seats Leader: Muhammad Rabindranath Ahmad

The city is a major stronghold of the Common Sense Party, with the diversity of the city encouraging the secular center (though the local moderate Islamic Justice and Development Party is popular among some Muslim businesspeople). The city also plays host to a strong Christian Democratic Party (typically in alliance with the Conservatives) and for most of history the Central Province's Party of the Democratic Left (PDL, democratic socialist) had seats on the Council; its absence from the current Council is likely because of its association with the same scandal that brought down Socialist leader Vladimir Dmitriov in 2004.

The City Commission
Mayor: Anthony "Tony" Black, Common Sense Party. The first person of British descent to hold this prestigious post.
Vice-Mayor and City Commissioner for Finance: Mahmoud ibn Abdallah Naguib, Justice and Development Party
City Commissioner for Works: Farhan Ahmed, Progressive Libertarian Party
City Commissioner for Public Safety: Farroukh Chowdhury, Common Sense Party
City Commissioner for Health and Education: Tommaso Milanese, Common Sense Party
City Commissioner for Transport: Omar ibn Ra'ouf Khalifah, Common Sense Party

Grew off of Russian immigrant farming population on the piece of land separating that Lake from that River. Formed into a town in 1841. Saw a rise in industrial activity and immigration from Germany, England, Holland, and Belgium, along with smaller populations from elsewhere towards the end of the century. Became the place for people who wanted to farm, as the soil was some of the best one could find, and as the population grew, produce and meats were sold throughout Civilitas, fueling growth elsewhere.

Factories sprouted up, and a distinct boundary between the farmland and industrial areas formed. Products of many types were being made using resources of neighboring cities, and exported far and abroad. From World War I to the 50's, the population grew ever more, as refuges from war and oppression found they could continue their lives here as farmers, and during the 20's on, workers and peasants found more pleasure in their work wasn't being forced upon them, since they decided to control the means of production themselves. The town mostly housed Russians, but other nationalities trickled occasionally in.

The town now is a gently growing area, with a town center fueled by powered industry, suburbs illuminated by small commercial businesses, and beyond them the farms that help feed a nation. Tourism is popular as the dam and the lake is seen as a beautiful to relax at, and Kaddy is the closest place to buy things for vacation and find entertainment. Religions in the area reflect the various peoples, although it should be noted that even though most of the Russians were Russian Orthodox, there were a number of Jewish people as well.

Kaddy was the center, and later example for, workers rights, specifically factory workers. Civil and women's rights had been given in some amount earlier than most cities, but actual legally recognized equality came to be about the time as others. Its peak growth was during the 1920's and since the 1980's has subsided, even in the early 1990's shrinking slightly, but today is doing well and growing, though not as nearly as much as it witnessed in the early parts of the last century.

MP's of Marijak:

-Pick a section
-Try to come up with a better name for your district
-Write a brief backstory in which you say what your district does (industry, history, etc.) Roughness is fine, and it doesn't have to be pretty. In fact, a bulleted list will work.

Keep in mind that Marijak is a fairly large city, and as such we need things a fairly large city would have (hospital(s), college(s), jail, etc.)

Revised map: Area in red composes the original land of the Marijak tribe (for reference).


West (Rigarmata): mangxema
North:
NE (Chenghua): Hitti-Litti
East (Kyi Yatswa Ta): nc-1701
SE:
South:
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Rigarmata District (MP: mangxema)

The original Marijak nation was centered along the *** river. The main settlement was at the intersection of the three rivers, located on a virtual island. This is now referred to as the Rigarmata District of the city of Marijak. While the Marijak elders were pleased with the improvement to infrastructure that the Russians provided, they insisted that they have a say over what was being built on their ancestral lands. In addition, they protested the strange concept of ownership the Russians were **promoting?**. The Russians, however, were not about to let them control the whole area, for the ancestral lands covered virtually the entire river area. Eventually, the two parties reached a compromise: The Russians would give the Marijak tribe official ownership of the eastern portion of the small island in exchange for the Marijak dropping the subject for good. The Marijak would then have local authority in the sense that they could choose who they sold their land to, or choose not to sell it at all.

For a time, the Marijak were perfectly content to keep the land as it was, and it became a sort of protected reservation for the tribe. However, as the city expanded, new developments were deflected around the reservation, which posed organizational problems for the city government. It became clear that the reservation could not last forever without severely hampering the growth of the city. As the pressure mounted to sell off some of the land, the Marijak elders decided that it would be in the tribes best interest to learn the basics of real estate so that they would not be swindled by the Russians.

**At some point,** the elders created the <Zakeriazor Orkan Marijakan>, also known as the Zomari Company, to manage their properties. As the city grew, the Zomari Company grew wealthy due to property sales and developments. Today, they own several building in the city, and are one of the primary contributors to the Civilitan Historical Society.

As a result of the unique circumstances of the area, the eastern Rigarmata District has a distinct feel to it, as the elders (and the council that succeeded them) have made a deliberate effort to maintain aspects of Marijak culture. The Rigarmata District today is largely commercial, particularly in the area of finance, with some cultural institutions as well. Most of the land has been developed, so there are few visible signs of the old settlement aside from some historical markers. However, the National Museum of Civilitan History houses numerous artifacts retrieved from excavations over the years.

TBD: The Western area... ports and shipping industries

East District also known as the Kyi Yitswa Ta District is represented by MP nc-1701.

This area of the city was left virtually un developed by the Marijak, or Russians... The bluffs overlooking the river (Tess?), high and not suited to growing crops or building towns, so it was not populated by more than a few wanderers untill gold was discovered in 1923. After a short gold rush, however the golod mines petered out in 1928, and abandoned mines, and shantytowns were all that was left.
In 1946 Kyi Yitswa Ta immigrated as the leader of a number of Imperial Japanese loyalists fleeing dishonor in their defeat. In all about 486 people immigrated in the first wave, where the ignored the surrounding culture, and went back to basics, trainning their minds and bodies in the way of the warrior, while turning the goldmining tunnels into a kind of fortress monastary.
Starting in 1951 over 10,000 people immigrated into the district from Japan, Korea, and China, in search of the teachings of what would be known as the Kyi Yitswa Ta monks.
Then in 1971 a new vein of gold was discovered, the monks whos population was no longer homogenous, and consisted of about 35,000 people roughly half Caucasien, and half Asian, and who had been granted almost complete autonomy by the government quickly made sure they had complete control of the gold deposits. they then mined them, and quickly ammassed great wealth which was invested in expanding the mines, and building huge structures in a great construction boom.
By 1990 the central government became upset about this state of affaris east Marijak was wealthy, and powerfull, sporting a great goldmining industry. Producing vast amounts of gold jewelry which was sold overseas, and investing in a financial boom. Large banks were built, and operated tax free, because the government had no control here, but things had to change. In 1992 the government decided to make East Marjirak pay taxes, and be assimilated into the rest of the nation, but the Monks who ran the government refused. For two years intermittant clashes between the warrior monks, and police left several hundred dead, but solved nothing. In 1994 a temporary truce was agreed upon, and then in 1995 a deal was made that fully integrated East Marjirak into the rest of the city, and nation.
East Marjirak is now home to about 650,000 people, of whom only bout 69,000 are decendants of the original monks, or otherwise part of the warrior monk clan. But the citizens respect their traditions, and power realizing they are far better rulers, and far less corrupted than those in the rest of the city, and nation. For this reason they maintain political power in the district, as well as a sizeable highly trained militia, and police force (Part of the 1995 deal). Which patrols the streets, gathers intelligence, and makes the East district of Marijak the safest place in the nation. Sporting one of the lowest crime rates in the world, as well as a strong financial economy, combined with a weakened, but still powerfull jewelry making, and entertainment based economy. Many Hollywood films have used the temples built her in the '50s as backdrops for movies about Samuri, and martial arts.

Demographics:

Population (2007 Census): 269,224
District Land Area: 15,924 Square Kilometres
Ethnicity: Caucasian: 82.4%
Of Which: 78% British
12% Dutch
7% German
3% Other (Mostly French, Polish and Russian)
African: 6.5%
Of Which: 92% Sub-Saharan
8% Central African
Asian: 3.1%
Of Which: 55.6% Chinese
34.4% Japanese
10% Vietnamese
Arab: 2%

District Capital: New Gorgie
Population: 124,663

Other Large Towns/Settlements:
Leith: Population: 42,312
Cheshire: Population: 28,985
Dem Hague: Population: 21, 222
Green Rapids: Population: 18,989
New Hanover: Population: 6,678

Total Town Population: 242, 849

Rural Population (Single Homes, Hamlets and Villages): 26,374

Geography:

New Gorgie is situated along the river Thames (named by the British citizens of the region, the name eventually stuck and overtook the previous Russian name as the official language of Civilitas became English). The area is the only flatland region in central Civilitas and as a result can hold a large population for such a rural location. The large plains on either side of the river vanish quickly into slopes which are heavily forested. The region is made especially beautiful as it is surrounding by large snow capped peaks on both sides of the valley. Most of the population is situated along the central plains with some minor settlements on the hillside to provide for the grape growing, timber farming and tourism industries.

History:

The town of New Gorgie was first settled in 1923 by groups of British traders who had originally arrived in the Northern British settlement of Portsborough. New Gorgie was chosen as a region to be able to supply the towns of Glavan Gluboko and Marijak down the river with adequate supplies of timber from the heavily forested terrain.

The population of the region was later supplemented with a small population of African’s who had chosen to reside in the area as a source of cheap labour. It also became clear by the middle of the 20th century that the waters of the Northern Thames River had to be dammed and the water collected in reservoirs to provide a clean drinking supply to these two cities that lacked clean water themselves because of the heavy industrial presence on portions of their own rivers.

By 1950 the environmental impact of the huge areas of felled forest began to hit the region of New Gorgie, having a huge effect on the local economy. Firstly, as a result, timber production stopped and this caused economic problems for the huge timber industry in the region and stunted growth in Marijak and Glavan Gluboko. Secondly, the flooding and silting of the river as a result of the stripped hillsides resulted in pollution of the water supply, which cost hundreds of jobs and cut a vital source of income. As a result an influx of jobs and reparation of the environmental damage was required. The lands around New Gorgie had never been farmed because of the poor soil on the sloped terrain surrounding the flood plain (which was mainly used for homes and industry because of the flat land and the access to the river for trade). However, the residents of the region took to farming grapes which could be grown on the slopes as well as timber farming. This change in industry prevented the soil degradation of the previous eighty years from the timber cutting that had so devastated the economy.

As World War Two arrived New Gorgie again suffered as conscription caused a lack of labour in a region where heavy labour was the main staple of the economy.

Following the end of the Second World War New Gorgie was finally transformed as those of Civilitas began to realise the beauty of the mountains and forests. Ever since the tourist industry has boomed with a large history and lots of different summer and winter sports.

Economy:

The economy of New Gorgie is based around timber, farming, grape growing and wine production and supplying fresh water to much of the Western regions of Civilitas. Secondary industries include a large bottled water industry and wood manufacturing – although secondary industries are rather rare in the region. Tertiary industry is the main staple of the modern economy with a huge tourism industry as well as a large finance center for mining located in the New Gorgie town itself.

Politics:

New Gorgie has returned a Libertarian Republican candidate to the parliament for almost fifty years. Now that Civilitas has gained independence the people of New Gorgie have returned a Libertarian Republican to the new fully fledged parliament.

Portsborough is a city on the Some River, in the southern bay of Cook Island. It is the industrial heart of Civilitas.

There are four districts within Portsborough,

The Portside area, where the city first grew up and used to be home to some of the worlds biggest docks.
Now much of it has been redeveloped and now sites new modern, but inexpensive housing and much of the new hi tech industry that has grown up in Portsborough over the last ten years.

Keel, the main inner city area surrounding the Portside. Used to be home to rows of terreace housing, now partially replaced by modern flats to take all the students in the nearby Portsborough University.

Riverside/Some. The area that takes much of the river banks in the city, this part of the city is home to Portsborough UTD ground.

Fairfield. Grew up during the sixties and also holds alot of the new industry.

Industrial Revolution
The city of Portsborough was founded amidst the industrial revolution, due to the high amounts of easily accessible coal and iron in the mountains nearby, allowing a huge steel industry to grow up.
It became one of the most industrious cities in the British Empire, outside the British Isles themselves.
This attracted a lot of migrant workers from all over the Empire, mostly from Britain itself.

World War One

Portsborough gave a vital effort during WW1, building much important supplies, machinery and ingots as well as producing coal and steel, and acted as a base for British warships hunting German raiders in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Revolution!

The outbreak of the Russian Revolution had a deep impact on the people of Portsborough, after the war ended, many people wanted to get the better life, however as the government in London failed to deliver, the socialist movement grew and reach a height when the miners followed by other industry workers went on strike over pay and living conditions within the city. This led to huge clashes between the workers and the police, resulting in the infamous night of Sept 23 1923, known in Portsborough as the “Some Bridge massacre”, where a pitched battle raged on the main bridge over the Some River and in other areas surrounding the bridge, in which 15 people died and many others injured.

In this period many of the wealthier members moved away, mostly to the new and fast growing city of North Shore. This caused the very intense rivilary between the two cities.

Boom Times!

This period of turmoil was replaced by boom times in which the living conditions of the city improved and heavy industry was to peak production in 1928, only for it to decline slowly over the next 50 years.

A conflict with some right wing citizens caused a migration of political undesirables to North Shore, which happened to outgrow Portsborough prior to WW2.


The Great Depression.

Britain and the empire were one of the last nations to suffer from the depression but when hit it was one badly hit, this was true of Civilitas and Portsborough. It reignited the socialist movement which had declined during the boom times and yet again riots and civil unrest were to become part of everyday life, but never on the scale in 1923.
At the height of the depression, unemployment reached an unheard 30%. Many people were forced to queue up for soup and bread everyday. 1929 was the last year that a conservative MP was elected in the city of Portsborough, since then, Portsborough as been the socialist stronghold within Civilitas.


World War 2

World War 2 saw the invasion by the Japanese of Civilitas. Portsborough and Cook Island were the last to fall and the Japanese never got the support of the local population, thanks in part to the rumors of mistreated civilians in labor camp. Portsborough became the centre of resistance within Civilitas and when the Americans came to retake the islands, the people of Portsborough and other people in cities all over Cook Island, rose up against the Japanese, forcing them out of the city, saving it from being destroyed if the Americans would have had to capture the city from the Japanese.

The Aftermath

Portsborough came out of the war relatively untouched, however cheaper, mass produced products flooded in from America and many of the companies based in Portsborough were outcompeted and this increased the decline in industry.


The 60s

The sixties led to the biggest population boom in Portsborough since the 1800s. The youth were taking by Sex, Drugs and of course Rock and Roll! Portsborough became the popular culture centre of Civilitas, with many music and other artists coming out of the terrace housing of Portsboroughs inner city. This decade was marked by redevelopment of the inner city and saw optimism in the city. This city seemed to be alive and well, despite quite high unemployment, which by now had been accepted as a fact of city life.
However this period was not to last and Portsborough was to become the city everyone tried to forget in the next 20 years.

The 70s

The 60s and all the glamour fell apart in 1973 as Civilitas and Britain both suffered from higher oil prices. The already dying heavy industry in Portsborough suffered very badly, with the highest unemployment rate since the 30s. This decade saw a rapid increase in crime throughout the city as many people just didn’t have anything else to survive on. The problem was constantly ignored by the London government and officials in Civilitas.

The 80s.

The 80s were one of the darkest decades in Portsborough, while other parts of Civilitas seem to benefit from Thatcher’s policies; this was the final blow to the heavy industry in the city.
Unemployment, which had declined slowly as the 70s went on, the 80s saw the highest unemployment rate seen, a massive 33%. Thatcher’s policies saw the end of the coal mining and steel production and saw the rapid decline in other industries.

The conservatives never have put forward a candidate up for election since 1984, after getting only 3% of the vote.

The only real thing that the population had to celebrate was the success of the football team (soccer to all you Americans), Portsborough UTD, who won the Civilitas League 5 times, in 1980, 81, 82 (first team to win three times in a row) 85, 88 and won the CFA Cup (Civilitas Football Association Cup) 3 times in 81, 83, 87. The team came to symbolize the difference between the residents of Portsborough and the rest of the country who were during very well at this time particularly the city of North Shore, and rivalry between the two cities was very intense, often resulting in violence when the two sides met.
Portsborough UTD were formidable at home in front of their fans in the Farley Stand, named after the famous captain who led Portsborough to there first league win back in 1921, he was one of those killed in Some Bridge massacre.

90s-independence

The 90s started as the 80s ended, up until 97, with the election of New Labour.
Despite the mistrust surrounded New Labour, because they started to take the middle ground on the political spectrum, Portsborough started to come out of the dark of the two decades of high unemployment. New hi tech industry sprung up all over the city. The city soon became the epicentre of Civilitas new growth under the New Labour. Calls for independence however grew, especially once the invasion of Iraq and the mistrust in the government started to return and Cook Island and Portsborough had the highest percentage of people voting for independence in the elections conducted in March 2007.

Meunmil (population 539,074 – 2005 census) is a small city, located in the subtropical Southern Highlands, in the picturesque Little Muskrat Valley, on the Tarran River. It is the administration and commercial hub of the Meunmil (population 812,000).

Meunmil is well known for its hot springs and the old Tarran forests; part of the renowned Meunmil National Park, home of many endangered species. To the northeast is the famous Mt. Alasdair. Tourists are attracted by the friendly, small-town atmosphere, the precious cultural heritage, and of course the gambling venues at nearby Casino Park. The people are generally laid-back, friendly and hospitable. They take pride in their hometown. Meunmil sporting teams are known for their skill sportsmanship.

History:
The Meunmil district were originally populated by the Funijak tribe. They were described by early European explorers as “creative, enthusiastic, argumentative, and very determined to rip you off.” The Funijaks were urbanised to an extent and today the old Funijak city of Beicharik still stands near Meunmil, testament to the achievements of the Funijak civilisation.

Today the descendants of the Funijaks still live in Meunmil, and they are very proud of their culture and very successful financially. They owned “The Palace” at Casino Park, for Christ sakes! You don’t get any more successful than that! (The Palace of course is the largest, most successful gambling/entertainment value in New Fanatica and arguably the entire Pacific Ocean).

However, back in the 1800s the Funijak were facing an uncertain future. The Europeans have arrived, and were grabbing Funijak lands. They have also brought new diseases which killed the tribesmen by the thousands. Not willing to submit to white man’s rule, the Funijak revolted in 1835. They fought the Dutch and Germans in the area to a stalemate.

In 1846, Donald Meunmil, head of the Scottish Meunmil Clan, arrived in the Muskrat Valley looking for a place to settle. Having been given permission to settle from van Hardenkamp and Gottlieb Karmel, he founded the city which would bare his name in 1848. They joined the Southern Civilitas Free State soon after, along with Karmel and Fort Hardenkamp.

Donald Meunmil made peace with the Funijaks, who settled nearby north of Meunmil at Mirilaki. The city steadily grew in size, helped by immigration from Scotland and also from other parts of Europe. There was a small gold rush in the 1880s, which saw the arrival of many European, South American and Asian migrants, but the population of Meunmil stabilised by 1900. Meunmil settled down and gained a reputation for being one of the most peaceful and relaxed city in Civilitas. At the end of the 19th century, the Three Great Bandits, a kind of Civilitan Robin Hood, operated in the area. They were captured, but were pardoned and became part of the local folklore.

At the end of the First World War, the Free State was incorporated into the British colony. The Meunmillers just shrugged and go on with their lives. In the 1920s Meunmil experienced a sort of economic boom, with many successful corporations being formed, including many of the casinos which Meunmil would later be famous for. Meunmil also became a centre of the film industry. The legendary 1935 film “Mountain Wind” was filmed in and around Meunmil and produced by the Meunmil Archer Studio.

The Great Depression hit Meunmil hard, but many of the businesses managed to weather through the period. Around this time, socialist and fascist groups gained strength. There were racial and political tensions in Meunmil and New Fanatica in general. In the late 1930s the Communist Party became the predominant political party in the Meunmil district.

The Japanese invaded in 1941, overrunning Civilitas. Meunmillers initially did not resist, but then Japanese repression became worse, and the Communists rose up in revolt and fortified Meunmil. The Japanese lay siege to the city and sacked it on 12 March 1942. The city were placed under strict military control and Communist rebels along with many civilians were taken to Marshall Hill SE of the city and summarily executed. Today a monument stands at the Hill to commemorate the brave freedom fighters.

Later in 1942 the Americans invaded. The Second Siege of Meunmil ensued as the Japanese and Americans fought over the city. Meunmil was finally liberated on 20 January 1943.

Post-war reconstruction was achieved at remarkable speed. There was an economic boom in the 1950s, together with migrant influx, mostly from Asia and South America. Meunmillian businesses were, and is, very successful. Starting in the 1960s a civil rights movement take hold in Meunmil. Meunmillers campaigned for racial equality and against the war in Vietnam, and were active in bringing about British decolonisation and, eventually, independence.

Demographics:
Total population: 812,000
Europeans: 45%
Funijaks: 20%
Mixed race: 15%
Asians: 10%
South Americans: 5%
Others: 5%

Economy:
Major industries: information technology, manufacturing, mining, agriculture, tourism.
Many corporations have their headquarters in Meunmil.