The Cuetens first came from an empire that spanned all of western north africa and had colonies throughout the Mediterranean until the Almoravid Empire from the south came and destroyed them. The Almoravids, though, did not have a fleet and so the Cuetan colonies continued on until one by one they were taken over by neighbors. The last and most powerful colony is where the UCC is now. Many Cuetans migrated to this last Cuetan outpost and has thus overpowered many of the natives in the area.
There are still considerable Cuetan diaspora across the Mediterranean in almost every nation. Cuetan traders, operating under other banners, conduct much of the trade in the region. The Cuetan alphabet is also the basis for many languages in the Mediterranean, including the languages of the Iberian peninsula, OTL southern France, and has highly influenced Canfre (Canfre language is a sort of Latin-Cuetan hybrid).
