The Vatuvu

The Vatuvu (from the Vatavu river), indigenously known as Abuvixè, is a small country on the continent of Dihara. It is borded on the East by the sea of Azad, and surrouded by the Xabéritchi mountains.

Etymology
Adwa’s name is believed to come from the old Mahitseni word adwar, meaning plateau. The term was once only used to describe the southeast region of the country, but began to be used to refer to the empire as a whole sometime around the beginning of the Abera Dynasty in 944 AC.

Prehistory
Several key finds have launched Adwa to the forefront of paleontology, with the oldest hominid discovered to date being the 4 million year old Aregawe site remains discovered by a joint Ichorian-Adwan team in 1585 AC. Adwa is also considered one of the earliest sites of the emergence of anatomically modern humans, homo themys. The oldest of the local finds, the Negassi remains, were excavated in the eastern area of the same name and have been dated to the Middle Paleolithic, around 200,000 years ago. According to linguists, the first proto-Oriya groups arrived in the region during the ensuing Neolithic era from the family’s proposed original homeland either from the south or southwest. In 1610, archaeologists discovered a 30,000 year old Stone Age rock shelter in the Kibe Mountain range in southeast Adwa at an elevation of nearly 1,200 meters above sea level.

Evidence of some of the earliest known stone-tipped projectile weapons, the stone tips of javelins or throwing spears, were discovered in 1605 at the Mottagad site, dated around 279,000 years ago. Further evidence of Middle Stone Age complex projectile weapons were found at the Mudam site in 1608, dated 100,000-80,000 years ago. Around the year 1115 BC, proto-Adwan people from what is now northern Estradia migrated eastward due to climatic shifts and eventually arrived in Adwa. These Pan-Diharan Estradian groups fought with the native Proto-Oriya, culminating in their forcing them from much of their original range and settling there instead.

Antiquity
Around the 8th century BC, the Irenya Kingdom conquered much of what is now Adwa, centering itself in the country’s southeast. The Irenya Kingdom’s history is generally divided into two periods, the Agdo period from 790-640 BC, and the Dejen period from 640-426 BC. The Yarim, especially in the Dejen period, were a cosmopolitan kingdom, known for inviting merchants from foreign lands to trade. Most modern historians consider the Irenya Kingdom to be the first native Adwan civilization, albeit one influenced by cultures to the east in Abayad and Tayara.

After the collapse of the Irenya Kingdom in 426 BC, Adwa came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms, the largest two being the Kingdom of Yarim in the southeast and the Kingdom of Amlak in the northeast. Eventually, King Amlak IV, later renamed Amlak the Great, led a force that conquered Yarim and most of the smaller kingdoms in a campaign ending in 5 AC. Upon his victory, Amlak organized the nation’s communities and soldiers into subdivisions called spears, granting them permanent parcels of land and a vested interest in the empire’s success. He also retained the title of King of both kingdoms post-conquest, adopting the title of King of Kings as his official title over the whole of Adwa. The Adwan Empire was born.

The Amlak Dynasty named in his honor would be the longest-ruling and most popular one in the nation’s history. They promoted trade with outside groups while relegating it to certain cities, preserving Adwa’s cultural identities and independence, while emphasizing the idea of a singular Adwan identity and empire over ones of individual cultural or linguistic groups. They were so successful in uniting Adwa, that every dynasty that followed worked to emulate it to some extent. However, tensions rose during this period between the crown and the nation’s temples, culminating in the Holy Wars and the victory of Theocratic forces in 541 AD.

The era of Theocratic Rule under the region’s temples lasted from 541-782, with a Sacred Council of High Priests appointing members of noble families to rule as symbolic monarchs called Sacred Protectors while they retained the real power. All foreign trade was forbidden at this time, with strict laws punishing behavior considered abhorrent by the temples. Political struggles between the composite temples erupted in violence on numerous occasions, but never to the extent of civil war. By 782, the ruling clergy elected to invite a descendant of the previous Amlak emperors to return to the throne and restore the dynasty’s rule over Adwa to prevent further instability or war between the temples. This event was referred to as the Silken Restoration across Adwa, and was celebrated for the loosening of restrictions on social mores.

Middle ages and early modern era
The period following the Silken Restoration in 782 AC is referred to as the Amlak Restoration, and represented an era of cultural rebirth in Adwa. New works of literature, art, and music were made across the empire, while reignited trade introduced new goods, inventions, and ideas to the nation. To prove her dedication to tradition, Empress Tefari Amlak, the first of the Restoration era, kept the capital in Kedala as a sign of respect to the priesthood. The last Amlak ruler of the Restoration period died in 944 with no heirs to succeed him. The Abera and Yaredi noble houses were the two largest and most well positioned, prompting them to fight a four-year war of succession. Mirroring the previous Divided Kingdoms era, the Abera fought from the southeast while the Yaredi fought from the northeast. However, unlike the Divided Kingdoms era, the conflict ended in victory for the southeastern power, and the Abera ascended to the throne after their victory in 948.

The Abera were viewed as half-foreign by many Adwans due to partial foreign heritage, requiring them to earn the admiration of the Adwan people through their rule. Their adoption of Aranism in the 10th century as a state religion supplanting the former temples was not an unpopular one, but it only furthered this reputation in the eyes of some. Regent Wokeneh Abera in particular is remembered for his political and diplomatic skills. The last Abera, Empress Ifa Abera, was the most popular of the dynasty. Remembered partially as a tragic figure, she promoted tolerance of the increasingly large minority group of Ichorian settlers in the southeast, and even declared the existence of a four-house Imperial Parliament to help begin facilitation of democracy in Adwa. However, she was overthrown in 1346 AC in a coup led by the nobleman Salih backed by various Ichorian merchants and corporations, ending the Abera dynasty and forcing Ifa to live out the rest of her days in prison.

Modern era
Although the Salihs ruled as emperors during this period, his main base being Ichorian merchants and settlers signalled to the world that Adwa would now essentially function as an asset for those who had backed his coup. Despite the dynasty’s unpopularity, the Salihs used much of the wealth generated by the burgeoning Ichorian merchant class to modernize parts of the nation’s infrastructure in programs focused largely on the southeast and the northeast’s population centers. Land grants were given to Ichorian companies to use the land to grow sugar, coffee, cotton, tobacco, and bananas, with labor provided by new vagrancy laws allowing the companies to conscript labor from the very peasants who’d been displaced by said grants. A colonial creole class developed at this time, with many serving either in the Ichorian trade companies or even as civil servants. Vayonism enjoyed its peak in popularity at this time, although it never neared a majority. Additionally, once Ichorian control was solidified, backlash against the practice in the home territories pressured for the emancipation of the Adwa’s peasants, which allowed for some upward mobility. The Second Imperial Parliament was also formed by the Salihs, although it primarily served the interests of the merchant class.

With Adwan soldiers serving in Ichorian armies during both Great Wars, combined with increased dissatisfaction with Adwa’s nobility in the growing wealth and power of the merchants eclipsing their own, public dissatisfaction reached all-time highs. This culminated in the Adwan Revolution, with multiple groups rising up in opposition to the ruling Salihs. With the last Salih monarch fleeing to Dhamila in 1534 AC, the nobleman Zara who led the monarchist faction declared himself Emperor. However, the Republican faction in the southeast and Social Republican Oriya faction in the north remained resolute, causing the country to immediately slide into a Civil War that would not end until 1545 AC. Emperor Zara, founder of the Zara Dynasty, was the unequivocal ruler of Adwa. After the war’s end, Zara held the first elections for Adwa’s Third Imperial Parliament before setting about on a campaign of land reform to help promote food production. He blamed the nation’s problems on “collaborators” within the nobility and clergy who had supported and enabled the puppet monarchy, deftly sidestepping issues of ethnicity and faith by claiming that his struggle was for, “all Adwans, of all faiths and colors.” It was from this framework that Adwa developed into the modern, federal constitutional monarchy it is today, home to countless cultures, tongues, and faiths.

Geography
Adwa occupies a large area along the eastern coast of Dihara, including much of the continent’s interior. It also encompasses a number of oceanic archipelagos, most of which are found along the nation’s northeastern coastline. Its size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Adwa very geographically diverse.

Adwa is the largest country in Dihara, with a total area of 1,649,404 square kilometers, as well as 636,670 square kilometers of water. Spanning four time zones, Adwa is among the only countries in the world that contain both the equator and Tropic of Capricorn running through it. Adwan topography is diverse, including hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of the terrain lies between 200 meters and 800 meters in elevation. The largest upland area occupies the southeastern plateau, while the north and northwestern parts of the country consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills.

Adwa’s southeast is more rugged than the rest of the nation, with a complex mass or ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to 1,200 meters. These ranges include Kibe, Adwa’s highest point at 3,128 meters, as well as the Befitneti and Biri mountain ranges. In the northeast, the Aremene Highlands form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the Rabati Basin from rivers emptying into other systems.

Adwa has a dense and complex system of rivers, among the most extensive in the world, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Sea of Azad. Major rivers include the Rabati (among the world’s longest and largest in terms of volume of water), the Asa and its major tributary the Ishilati, the Tikuri, Saint Metifo, Yayina, Weyini, and Mekisesi rivers.

Climate
The climate of Adwa comprises a wide range of weather conditions across its large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical. The nation hosts six major climatic subtypes: desert, equatorial, tropical, semiarid, oceanic, and subtropical. The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from equatorial rainforests in the north and northwest to semiarid scrub in the central-east, to temperate warm summer forests in the southeast, to tropical savannahs in the central part of the country. Many regions contain even further microclimates.

Much of northern Adwa is characterized by the Rabati basin and its equatorial climate. There is no real dry season, but there are some variations in the time of year when the most rain falls. Temperatures average 25 degrees celsius (77 F), with more significant temperature variation between daytime and night than between seasons.

Over central Adwa rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of its savannah climate. This region is as extensive as the Rabati Basin, but has a very different climate, as it lies father south and at a higher altitude. In the interior southwest, a small pocket of rainforest can be found surrounded by savannah due to the drop in altitude.

The semiarid scrub region of the center-east of Adwa generally receives less than 800 mm (31.5) inches of rain a year, falling in a period of three to five months or less. The region is no stranger to long periods of drought, with the worst stretching from 1467 to 68, causing an estimated half a million deaths. A similarly devastating drought occurred in 1505, and again in 1563, although death tolls for both were significantly lower.

The country’s southeast enjoys a subtropical climate, wth cool winters and average annual temperatures rarely exceeding 18 C (64.4 F); winter frosts and snowfall are irregular but known in the highest areas of this region.



Environment
Adwa’s sprawling territories comprise various different ecosystems, such as the Rabati rainforest, recognized as having among the greatest amounts of biological diversity in the world. The southeastern forests and central savannahs contain a great deal of biodiversity as well, with pine trees even growing in some of the higher areas of the southeastern plateau. The nation’s rich wildlife reflect its variety of natural habitats, with biologists estimating that the total number of plant and animal species in Adwa could exceed four million, mostly consisting of invertebrates.

Larger mammals include carnivorous leopards, Diharan wild dogs, lions, hyenas, and servals, and herbivorous elephants, gorillas, giraffes, zebras, and okapi. Antelope are plentiful in the central and southern parts of the country, and many species of Old World monkeys are found in the northern rainforests, as is the Adwan forest elephant, among the rarest species of elephant in the world. Adwa’s Rabati basin is home to an extremely diverse array of fish, as well as a species of rare freshwater dolphin.

Concern for the environment has grown in response to global interest in environmental issues. From 1593 to 1601, compared to all other countries, Adwa had the largest decline in annual forest loss, indicated in a study using high-resolution satellite maps showing global forest changes. The annual loss of forest cover has decreased from a 1593 record high of over 40,000 square kilometers to a 1601 low of under 20,000.

The majority of loss of forest cover in modern times occurred either under the Ichorian-backed Salih regime, or under the reign of the first two Zara monarchs, Zara and Merhanu. Under the Salih, Ichorian companies were granted large parcels of land, which were used to develop plantations to grow coffee, sugar, cotton, bananas, and tobacco. Later, Emperors Zara and Merhanu promoted policies of development and increased small-scale agriculture to help alleviate food shortages at the cost of the nation’s forests. However, since the coronation of Meti Zara as Empress in 1582, rates have gradually reduced thanks to policies promoted by her and her governments since. Speaking before an international assembly on climate, Empress Meti Zara emphasized the importance of preserving not only Adwa’s, but all of Themys’ rainforests.

“The time has come to link ecology to economic and human development. When you have seen one insect, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all. What is happening to the rainforests of Adwa and of the world will affect us all.”

According to a 1605 environmental study of Adwa, the country’s natural heritage is still somewhat threatened by cattle ranching and agriculture, logging, mining, resettlement, oil and gas extraction, overfishing, wildlife trade, dams and infrastructure, water pollution, climate change, fires and invasive species, in spite of recent measures to reverse said damages. In many areas of the country the environment is threatened by development, with the construction of highways and new rail lines opening up previously remote areas for agriculture and settlement. Dams have flooded valleys and inundated several habitats, with mines polluting the landscape as key minerals like bauxite are extracted. At least 40 dams are currently in the planning stages for the Rabati region, including the controversial Rabati Dam. Measures to ban fracking were introduced in 1609 after water quality dramatically worsened due to measures taken in the country’s southeast.

Politics
Adwa is a constitutional monarchy, with numerous offices over the empire’s lands vested into its King-of-Kings or Queen-of-Kings. Meti Zara is the current queen-of-queens (normally simply called emperor or empress) and head of state of Adwa, as well as technically having titles such as Queen of Yarim, Queen of Amlak, and Hierophant of the Imperial Temple, among others. The entirety of Adwa is referred to as the Imperial Realm, but technically consists of numerous composite kingdoms, duchies, bishophorics, marches, and more. The monarch has the right to appoint Popular Tribunes and their cabinet, and serves as the Commander in Chief of the military as well as Chief Diplomat to foreign states. Adwa’s current Constitution was adopted in 1534 after the overthrow of the puppet Salih monarchy and the ascent of the Zara Dynasty. The Constitution may only be reformed by the Popular Chamber of the Legislature at the proposal of a People’s Deputy or the monarch.

Government
Adwa has a parliamentary government divided into two chambers: an elected Popular Chamber and an upper chamber consisting of high level nobility and clergy called the Nobles’ Chamber. All bills passed by the Parliament must be approved by the monarch before becoming law.

The position of Popular Tribune, Adwa’s head of government, belongs to the elected official commanding a majority of the Popular Chamber, normally the party leader or leader of a coalition of parties. The Popular Tribune chooses a cabinet, although they and their cabinet’s members are technically both appointed by the monarch to form the Government. Technically, the monarch may select any elected official from the Popular Chamber to serve as Popular Tribune, but the majority leader has almost always been the one selected.

The cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Popular Tribune’s party or coalition, drawing heavily from the Popular Chamber but always from both chambers, the cabinet being responsible for both. Some executive power is exercised by the Popular Tribune and their cabinet, all of whom form the Imperial Small Council and become Imperial Counselors. The current Popular Tribune is Menele Yared, member and leader of the National Party. For elections in the Popular Chamber, Adwa is divided into 26 Electoral Districts, each electing a number of People's Deputies based on population. General elections are called by the monarch, normally at the advice of the Popular Tribune. As of 1601, the monarch is legally required to call an election at least once every five years.

The Adwan National Party, the People’s Liberation Party, and the Prosperity Party are considered Adwa’s three major parties, representing Adwa’s conservative, progressive, and liberal bodies, respectively. However, the People’s Unity Front is a growing center left movement in the northern part of the country, and has consistently gained seats at the expense of the PLP. Most remaining seats are won by parties that seriously participate in one or few parts of the country. In accordance with party policy, no elected members of the Socialist Front Party have ever attended the Popular Chamber to speak on behalf of their constituents, due to the requirement to take an oath of allegiance to the monarch and their office.

Devolved Administration
The Kingdoms of Yarim and Amlak, as well as the various Free Marches and Duchies not under a kingdom have their own governments, led by an elected First Tribune alongside hereditary nobility. Both kingdoms have unicameral legislatures, with smaller elected councils in Free Marches and Duchies. The Yarim and Amlak Parliaments as well as these councils have wide-ranging powers over any matter not specifically preserved for the Imperial Parliament, including education, healthcare, municipal laws, and local government. The Free Councils have limited powers than the National Parliaments of Yarim and Amlak, but may still generally legislate on issues not specifically reserved by the Imperial Parliament.

Prior to the adoption of the 1534 Constitution, Adwa had no codified constitution. Constitutional matters are not among the powers devolved to non-Imperial governments, and under the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, the Imperial Parliament may technically abolish any lower form of itself. Indeed, in 1562, several Free March governments were prorogued in Adwa’s northwest following unrest by the aboriginal Oriya peoples there, setting precedent relevant to contemporary institutions. In practice, it would be politically difficult to abolish the governments of either of Adwa’s kingdoms, given that the majority of the population live there and would find it unfavorable to do so.

Law
Adwan law is based on the civil law legal system, and civil law concepts prevail over common law in practice. Most Adwan law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part. Court decisions are meant to set out interpretive guidelines and are rarely binding on other specific cases. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influences in the creation of law and in legal cases, but are themselves persuasive and nonbinding as well.

The legal system is based on the 1534 Constitution, which serves as the fundamental law of Adwa. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules. As of 1597, there have been 67 amendments made to the Adwan Constitution. Devolutions from the Imperial Government have Organic Law, which act in a similar way to the Constitution on the national scale. Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in specific circumstances the judiciary and executive bodies may enact their own interpretations of existing law or legal norms. Jurisdiction is administered by judiciary entities, although in rare situations the 1534 Constitution allows for the Imperial Parliament to issue legal rulings. There are also specialized military, clerical, and labor courts. The highest court is the Imperial Supreme Court. The Adwan legal system has been criticized over the past few decades for the slow pace of decision making. Lawsuits on appeal often take several years to resolve, and in some cases more than a decade elapses before definitive rulings are handed down.

Military
Adwa’s armed forces are among the largest in Dihara by active personnel. It consists of the Imperial Adwan Army (including the Imperial Army Aviation Command), the Imperial Adwan Navy (including the Marine Corps and Naval Aviation), and the Adwan Air Force. Adwa’s conscription policy gives it one of the world’s largest military forces, estimated at more than 900,000 reservists annually. Numbering close to 133,000 active personnel, the Adwan Army is unique for its large, elite forces specializing in unconventional missions. These include the Adwan Special Operations Command, and the versatile Imperial Strategic Rapid Action Force, made up of the highly mobilized and prepared Special Operations Brigade, the Imperial Infantry Brigade Parachutist, the 1st Jungle Infantry Battalion, and the 12th Brigade Light Infantry. These groups are able to act anywhere around the country on short notice in order to counter aggression that is external or internal. The Imperial Military Police and the Military Firefighters Corps are described as ancillary forces of the Imperial Army by the Constitution, but are under the control of each Devolved regional government. Adwa’s navy is a green water force, with a group of specialized elite forces trained in retaking ships and naval facilities.

Adwa’s last conflict was the Colonial War, starting in 1526 and ending in 1534, also called the Adwan War of Independence. However, it has maintained a powerful military since as a means of maintaining internal security as well as discouraging other nations from taking advantage of any perceived weakness.

Foreign Policy
Adwa’s international relations are based on the words of the 1534 Constitution, which establish “nonintervention, self determination, international cooperation, and mutual aid between Diharan nations,” as guiding principles in its relationship with other countries and multilateral organizations. According to the Constitution, the monarch and the Popular Tribune’s cabinet have ultimate authority over foreign policy, while Parliament is tasked with reviewing and considering all diplomatic appointments and international treaties, as well as passing legislation relating to Adwan foreign policy. Adwa’s foreign policy is a byproduct of the country’s position as a regional power and former colony, as well as a leader among developing Diharan countries.

Demographics
The population of Adwa was recorded by the 1598 census as being approximately 118 million, with a ratio of men to women of 0.95:1 and 73.75% of the population defined as urban. The population is heavily concentrated in the Southeastern region, home to nearly 50 million people, almost half of the nation’s total population. The Northeastern part of the country is home to around 28% of the population, or 33 million people, while the Central and Western Regions that together make up almost ⅔ of the nation’s territory have a total of only around 17 million inhabitants.

The first census conducted in Adwa was in 676 AC by the then-ruling Theocratic Regime, wishing to take an accurate assessment of population and projected revenue from taxes and tithes. Although it was mostly conducted in the southeast, the tradition continued for once every fifty years until 1462, when it was announced that they would be conducted each decade. The 1602 Census showed that Adwa’s population grew at an average annual rate of 2.6% between 1582 and 1602, down from 2.8% during the period between 1562-1582. Currently, Adwa’s growth rate is among the highest in the world, with the population forecast to grow to nearly 180 million by 1650. According to World Concordat estimations, life expectancy has improved substantially in recent years with male life expectancy reported to be 56 years and for women 60.

Ethnicity
Adwa’s population is highly diverse, containing over 70 different ethnic groups. According to the 1592 Census, the Adwa Yarim are the largest ethnic group in Adwa, at 34.4% of the nation’s population. The Adwa Amhala represent 27% of the country’s inhabitants, while Mudaan and Pula represent 6.2% and 6.1% of the population, respectively. The indigenous Oriya make up 4% of the population, concentrated in the rural north. Other prominent groups include: Kimi (2.5%), Deheneti (2.3%), Ruki (1.7%), Dinchi (1.7%), Seweta (1.5%), and numerous groups originating from elsewhere. Individuals of at least partial Ichorian descent make up 6.8% of the population, while individuals of Abayadi descent make up 4.2% of the population, reflecting Adwa’s long history as a hub of trade. The remaining 1.6% of the population are divided between various other small groups either from Adwa or abroad.

During the rule of the Ichorian-controlled Salih Dynasty, land grants were given to tens of thousands of Ichorians, mostly men but some family parcels as well. After independence, Adwa’s Ichorian population largely remained after receiving full pardons from Emperor Zara, as he saw them as an opportunity to continue modernization efforts. Many Ichorian companies continue operating in Adwa today, although Zhenian firms are the fastest growing ones presently.

Language
The largest linguistic group in Adwa are from the Trans-Diharan Estradian family, with the vast majority of Adwans speaking a language or dialect belonging to this group. However, there are large communities that speak either Ichorian Elyrian or some dialect of Imbu as a first or second language as well.

Religion
According to the 1592 Census, worshippers of the Imperial Adwan Conformist Aramist Temple make up 74.5% of Adwa’s population (with another 5.7% subscribing to one of the many Nonconformist Diharan Rite Temples), while Ecumenical Vayonists make up 12.5% of the population. Tarsic Rite Aranists make up 4% of the population, in contrast with the overwhelming majority being Diharan Rite Aranists. Practitioners of traditional local faiths make up 2.3% of the population concentrated in rural areas, while the remaining 1% is divided between other nonnative faiths. Virtually all Vayonists in Adwa follow Ichorian traditions, with many practicing a syncretic form of the religion that incorporates elements from the nation’s Temples as well as local traditions. Virtually all Vayonists in Adwa live in the southeast.

The Imperial Adwan Conformist Aranist Temple is the officially state religion of Adwa. It retains representation in the Imperial Parliament and the nation’s monarch is its Hierophant. Both of the composite kingdoms of Adwa recognize the Imperial Temple as their national religious as well. The Temple is subject to the control of the monarch, but rarely will the monarch directly intervene in its affairs. Rather, they commonly delegate duties to the various clerics of the Temple’s composite regional divisions to manage its everyday affairs. The Imperial Temple is a member of the wider Diharan Rite, and is distinguished as being Conformist due to its adherence to the Holy Proclamation of 1534 that not only reaffirmed the monarch as the Temple’s spiritual head, but also stipulated that all High Priests of the Temple were subservient to the monarch in practical terms as well. Those clerics and temples who refused to align with the Proclamation declared themselves to be Nonconformists and the true successors of the faith, although both groups retain this claim.

Health
The 1596 World Concordat Health Report gives a figure of approximately 260,000 physicians, which comes to 2.2 per 1,000. Globalization has been reported to affect the country, with educated professionals commonly leaving for better economic opportunities elsewhere. Adwa’s main health problems are reported to be communicable diseases worsened by poor sanitation and malnutrition. Over 47 million people (around 40% of the population) do not have reliable access to clean water. These problems are exacerbated by a shortage of trained doctors, nurses, and health facilities. Infant mortality rates are relatively high, as 41 infants die per 1,000 live births. Adwa has been able to reduce under-five mortality by two-third since 1580. Although this is a dramatic increase, birth-related complications still affect many of the nation’s women. Although Adwa did not meet the global target of reducing maternal morality rate by two-thirds in 1605, there were improvements nonetheless. For instance, the contraception prevalence rate increased from 18.1% to 51.8% in 1604, and antenatal care service coverage increased from 39% to an astounding 98.3% in the same period. Currently, the maternal mortality rate stands at 380 per 100,000 live births. A growing number of Adwans are born in hospitals, with those who give birth at home (typically in rural areas) have elderly women serve as midwives who assist with the delivery. The low availability of healthcare professionals with modern medical training, together with lack of funds for medical services, leads to the preponderance of less reliable traditional healers that use home-based therapies to heal common ailments.

The state of public health is considerably better than in cities. Birth rates, infant mortality rates, and death rates are lower in cities than in rural areas thanks to access to education, medicine, and hospitals. Life expectancy is better in cities than in rural areas, but there have been significant improvements witnessed throughout the country in recent years. Despite sanitation being a problem, use of improved water sources is also on the rise; 81% in cities versus 11% in rural areas.

The National Mental Health Platform, published in 1602 and spearheaded by the Empress, introduced the development of policy designed to improve mental healthcare in Adwa. This strategy was designed to integrate mental health services into the primary healthcare system in the country. However, success has been limited, with the burden of depression increasing an estimated 34.4% from 1597 to 1607. Furthermore, prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes, inadequate coordination efforts, and lack of mental health awareness in the general population remain as obstacles to successful mental healthcare.

Education
The 1534 Constitution and laws of Adwa’s composite devolutions determine that each subdivision under the national level must manage and organize their respective education systems. Each of these public educational systems is responsible for its own maintenance, and must manage funds as well as the mechanisms for acquiring funding and resources. The constitution reserves at least 10% of the state budget and 10% of taxes on the national and devolution level for education.

According to international sampling and studies, 71.1% of Adwa’s population is literate. This means that 28.9% of Adwans, or 34,223,380 people, are illiterate. Illiteracy is highest in the inland north and northwest, where it is much higher than the national average.

Adwa’s private institutions tend to be more exclusive and offer better quality education, attended by Adwa’s middle class that can afford them but cannot afford to send their children abroad. This has resulted in a somewhat segregated educational system that reflects income disparities that are often extreme, and serves to reinforce social inequality. However, efforts to revitalize public education and increase accessibility of successful private institution to poor children through state grants have made some impacts.

Media
The Adwan press was born officially in Bedin in 1398 with the creation of the Imperial Printing Press for the purpose of publishing news from the monarch. The Bedin Gazette, the first paper regularly published in the country, began circulating in 1398 later that year thanks to an imperial monopoly granted by the crown to the owners. The largest Adwan papers in circulation today are the Kedala Fountain, Superior Notice, and Bedin Affairs. Radio broadcasting in Adwa began in 1552 as part of a royal audience, leading to a small explosion in popularity.

Television in Adwa began officially in 1548 with the founding of TV Mudaan. Since then, television has brown as a medium in the country, with the creation of large commercial broadcast networks facilitating its consumption. In the developed southeast, accessibility to it is among the most important factors of popular culture in Adwan society. Television is less accessible outside the southeast, but has grown in popularity in recent years.

Economy
Adwa is among Dihara’s largest economies according to 1608 estimates. It has a mixed economy with abundant natural resources, and enjoyed decades of rapid growth after the beginning of the Zara Dynasty in 1534.

Its gross domestic product per capita was $23,859 in 1607, with active agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors. Adwa has a labor force of 60,394,200 and an unemployment rate of 6.2%. It has been expanding its presence in international financial and commodities markets, and has been a leading producer of coffee, sugar, soybeans, bananas, cotton, and tobacco.

The Meselali Dam on the Asa River is the largest dam in the country and among the largest in the world, constructed with the help of contractors from the nation of Zhenia. A growing percentage of Adwa’s electricity comes from hydropower in an attempt to become energy independent.

Adwa’s economy revolves primarily around agriculture, also including substantial sectors of industry and a wide range of services. Agriculture and connected sectors such as forestry, logging, and fishing account for 40.5% of its gdp. Adwa also has a large cooperative sector in its Freehold system, providing 70% of food consumed domestically.

Corruption costs Adwa almost $60 billion a year, with 75.5% of the country’s private firms identifying the issue as a major constraint in successfully entering the modern global market. Local corruption is so prevalent that citizens often perceive it as a problem only if it surpasses certain levels. Initiatives to exposure corruption, and strengthen awareness of the issue have been introduced, with mixed results. Adwa’s purchasing power is eroded by this corruption, which has discouraged foreign investment in the past.

Energy
Adwa is among the largest producers of renewable energy in the developing world, particularly hydroelectricity and ethanol; the Rabati Dam is among the world’s largest hydroelectric plants by energy generation. The first car with an ethanol engine produced by Kilalurak was made in partnership with the Adwan government, the fuel grown and produced right in Adwa.

Recent oil discoveries in the pre-salt layer in the northeast have opened the door for an increase in oil production, but low prices from neighboring Abayad mean that prospects in the near future for the development of these reserves is unlikely.

Culture
Adwan culture is diverse and generally structured around ethnolinguistic lines. The nation’s Trans-Diharan Estradian speaking majority adhere to an amalgamation of traditions that were developed independently and through interacting with neighboring cultures. By contrast, the nation’s aboriginal communities and other ethnolinguistic minorities tend to practice customs more closely linked with southern Dihara. Among other influences, Ichorian merchants and settlers introduced their language as well as their faith. Abayadi immigrants also arrived in large numbers in the second half of the 15th century during and after the Abayadi Revolution. Aboriginal peoples influenced the Adwan language and cuisine a great deal, while the dominant Trans-Diharan Estradian cultural family had a more dominant role in language, cuisine, music, dance, and religion.

Adwans were among the first major civilizations to incorporate standard design elements into their art and architecture. Adwan blue (calcium copper silicate) is a pigment that has been used by Adwans for thousands of years, and was a signature color of the Amlak Dynasty. Ancient Adwan civilization is renowned for its use of mastabas as tombs for their leaders. Adwan art experienced a burst of development beginning in its colonial era beginning in the 14th century, developing the Adwan Colonial style from Ichorian influences. Today, the nation's tallest building is the Hawilti Tower in the capital of Kedala.



Naming
Adwans use a naming system typical of Trans-Diharan Estradian cultures. At the beginning of the name is an ordinal telling what order the individual was born into their family, useful in situations with large families (often with similar or identical first names among children) or in ones where an inheritance is in question. Children are given their father’s name as a surname, and are given the patriarch of the family’s name as a middle name. The middle name is subject to change or being dropped entirely if the old one dies; either the new patriarch’s name becomes one’s middle name, or, if the new patriarch is one’s father, then the middle name is simply dropped. For compatibility purposes, as is done with passports, individuals’ given names and surnames are the only ones recorded, as middle names are subject to potentially frequent change. Individuals are addressed by their given name. In official situations, prefixes exist for unmarried men, married men, unmarried women, and married women.



Calendar
The civil calendar used by Adwa is the basic Trans-Diharan Estradian calendar, which is a solar calendar with a 365-day year, with some modifications. The year consists of three seasons with 120 days each, plus an intercalary month of five epagomenal days treated as being outside the year proper. Each season is divided into four months of 30 days. These twelve months were originally numbered within each season, but came to be known by the names of their principal festivals. Each month is divided into three 10-day weeks, with the last two days of the week reserved for rest from work.

Because the calendrical year is almost a quarter day shorter than the solar year, the Trans-Diharan Estradian calendar loses about one day every four years relative to the Auroran calendar. It was referred to historically as the wandering year by Auroran nations, as its months rotate about one day through the solar year every four years. Emperor Amlak III attempted to correct this through the introduction of a sixth epagomenal day every four years, but the proposal was resisted by the clergy and public and abandoned until the establishment of the New Adwan Calendar under Emperor Abera IV.

The civil calendar runs concurrently with the Adwan lunar religious calendar, used by both the Imperial Adwan Conformist Temple and Nonconformist Temples for religious rituals and festivals. Popular holidays include Tebaba-Tiyake Day.

Time
In Adwa as in many other Trans-Diharan Estradian-influenced countries, time is counted differently than elsewhere in the world. The day is reckoned as beginning at 6:00 as opposed to 0:00, coinciding with sunrise throughout the year. Converting between this time and regular time on blocks requires one to add (or subtract) six hours to the standard time. For example, 02:00 local Bedin time is called “8 at night” in Adwa, while 20:00 is “2 in the evening.”

Cuisine


Adwan cuisine varies greatly by region, reflecting its varying mix of aboriginal, historical, and immigrant populations, creating a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences. One example is ulali, a broad category of cuisine consisting of various types of thick meat stews and vegetables atop a large piece of sourdough flatbread or cornbread crepe. This is not eaten with utensils customarily, but instead with pieces of the flatbread to scoop up entrees and side dishes. Other than ulali, a typical meal consists mostly of rice and beans, sometimes with beef, fried potatoes, or a fried egg. Fried potatoes, fried cassava, fried banana, and fried cheese are often eaten at lunchtime and are served in most cafes and restaurants. Mashila is another popular dish served at lunchtime, consisting of pasta or rice spiced with cumin, cardamom, cloves, and sage. The diffused use of pasta comes from Ichorian influences, although it is presented with heavier stews that conventional pasta sauces. As with rice, dishes that incorporate pasta are normally served with a banana that has been prepared in some way.

According to some sources, drinking of coffee (kodi) is likely to have originated in Adwa. Serving as Adwa's official beverage, it is an important part of local commerce as well as cuisine. The coffee ceremony is the traditional serving of coffee, usually after a big meal. It often involves the use of a clay coffee pot in which the coffee is boiled. The preparer roasts the coffee beans in front of guests, then walks around wafting the smoke throughout the room so participants may sample the scent of coffee. Then the preparer grinds the coffee beans using traditional tools. The coffee is put into the clay pot, boiled with water, and then served in small cups. Coffee is usually served with a small addition of sugar or butter, but is also served with salt in many parts of the country. Snacks, such as popcorn or toasted barley, are often served with the coffee. In most homes, a dedicated coffee area is surrounded by fresh grass, with special furniture for the coffee maker. A complete and more formal version of the ceremony has three rounds of coffee and is accompanied by the burning of frankincense.

In addition to coffee, there are numerous traditional alcoholic drinks consumed in Adwa, many of which are made at home using ingredients from their surrounding environment. Honey wine, palm wine, and barley beer are the three most common varieties of alcoholic beverage found in Adwa.



Music
Adwan music is an incredibly diverse field, with each of the country’s myriad ethnic groups benign associated with their own unique sounds. Trans-Diharan Estradian music uses a distinct pentatonic modal system, with characteristically long intervals between certain notes. As with many other aspects of Adwan culture and tradition, tastes in music and lyrics are strongly linked with those in nations with similar cultures, notably Estradia. Traditional singing in Adwa presents diverse styles of polyphony (heterophony, drone, imitation, and counterpoint). Traditionally, lyricism in Adwan songwriting is strongly associated with romance and friendship, as well as patriotism and national pride.

Sport
The main sports in Adwa are track and field (particularly long distance running) and kindi. Kindi is a full contact ball game played with teams where players must get the ball through the opposing team’s wickets placed throughout the court. The Abayadi game of alabu is popular as well, especially in the coastal southeast. Adwan athletes have won many medals internationally for their performances, notably Adwan runners.