Sotsial

Territory of Sotsial そうシアル
Flag
Country	United Republic
Capital	Anjiro
Largest City	Anjiro
Population	TBA
Governor	TBA
Legislature	TBA
Official languages	Template:English, Sotsilian
Recognised languages
Postal Abbreviation	SO
Time Zone

Sotsial, officially the Territory of Sotsial is an overseas incorporated territory of the United Republic, located in the Shauku Archipelago east mainland Alshar bordering Burgoignesc Iles Evangeline to the north.

Geography

Sotsial is situated at the southern edge of the Shauku Archipelago, surrounded on three sides by the Sea of Capelan, the Sea of St. John, and the Great Expanse, and shares a land border with Burgoigensc Iles Evangeline, as well as a maritime border with Oyashima. Its climate is characterized as being amix tropical wet and tropical dry, similar to much of the neighboring Iles Evangeline.

History

Early Oyashima settlement

Light Oyashiman settlement since roughly 200 BC

Burgoignesc colonial rule

Main article: Oyashima#Early_modern_era

The Far East Colony was established by the Ularien Trading Company in 1638 to put pressure on the northern flank of the Myanga Ayil Khanate. The original colonial effort was a series of military outposts in the lands of the various factions along the border of the Myanga Ayil Khanate from where they made incursions. Using their diplomatic prowess, the colonial administrators gained more and more land through protectorates, doctrine of lapse, buying titles and bribing officials as they worked their way inland.

In 1817, facing financial difficulties at home and a series of peasant rebellions that decimated the profitability of the spice trade in the colonies, the Duchy of Marialanus sold the Far East Colony back to Oyashima.

Varshan conquest

Conquest in the 1850's during Tezomoc expedition by Varshan, naval victory over Republic of Mutsutori makes continued hold of islands unfeasible

Administration by the United Republic

A joint naval invasion by Alstinian and Daxian forces pushed Varshan's forces from the islands and brought an end to its rule there. A period of popular resistance driven by Arzalist priests followed, though this was short-lived.

Government

Sotsial is an incorporated territory of the United Republic. Its governmental structure and fundamental law are prescribed by the Sotsial Territorial Charter, promulgated by President Benjamin Ryder and validated by Parliament in late 2024. The Governor of Sotsial is elected by the residents of Sotsial, and is prescribed a four-year term by the Charter, though a Governor may be replaced or recalled at any point in their term. The territorial legislative body is known as the Sotsial Territorial Assembly. It is a part-time body that meets once annually at for a period of 32 weeks. The Assembly comprises of 150 seats, apportioned according to population, with a guaranteed minimum of two seats per precinct. Sotsial sends a single non-voting Delegate to the National Council.

Culture and Society

Contemporary Sotsialian culture, with its roots in Mutsutorine culture, combines influences from Audomia, Levantia, and Crona. Traditional Sotsialian arts include crafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls; performances of bunraku, kabuki, noh, dance, and rakugo; and other practices, the tea ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha and games. With substantial assistance from the United Republic government, Sotsial has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangible Cultural Properties and National Treasures, with seventeen sites having been inscribed on the LoN World Heritage List; thirteen of which are of cultural significance.

In terms of ethnic breakdown, according to the 2030 census 64.3% of Sotsilians identified as Mutsutorine, 19.2% Oyashi, 7.4% Varshani, 4.6% Occidental, and 4.5% other or multi-ethnic. Of the Occidentals residing in Sotsial, about 42% are of Burgoigniac-descent, and 40% are recent Alstinian arrivals. In terms of religious adherence, 83% of Sotsilians are religious, with 72% of the total population practicing Shinto, 7% professing Confucianism, and 6% are Christian, of those 48% are of the Mercantile Reform Protestant denomination, 39% Chantric, and 13% other Christian demoninations. The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a cultural tradition remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year for the Shinto. Confucianism from Daxia has also influenced some Sotsilan beliefs and customs. Arzalism, having been an import from Varshan, has declined significantly following the end of the Varshani War and the subsequent exodus of ethnic Varshani residents from Sotsial.

Economy

Sotsial benefits from its trading relationship with the federal government of the United Republic and cheap trained labor from Alshar. Historically, the Sotsialian economy has relied on tourism, mostly from East Alshar, on the garment manufacturing sector, and on the mining sector, due to the prevalence of copper, lithium and other minerals. Since 2022, however, efforts have been made to further develop the territorial economy through capital investments and federal infrastructure projects. Such projects include renovation of Sotsial's nearly 500 kilometers of paved roads, expansion of both the Port of Anjiro and Anjiro International Airport, and the establishment of a Marine Highway ferry system to connect the islands together with Iles Evangeline and Oyashima.

Agricultural production, primarily of tapioca, cattle, coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes and melons, exists, but is relatively unimportant in the economy, representing only 3% of its GDP as of 2024.