Jinju
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Jinju Island 진주도 | |
|---|---|
Possession of Metzetta | |
 Flag | |
| Possession | Metzetta |
| Capital and largest city | Bului Dosi |
| Official languages | Metzi |
| Ethnic groups |
|
| Religion | Chulcheo |
| Government | |
• General Secretary | Dong Mami |
| Area | |
• Total | 23,698 km2 (9,150 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 2,438,662 |
| Currency | Metzettan Won (₩) (MZW) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Mains electricity | 230V 50Hz |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | X |
Jinju Island, usually referred to simply as Jinju, is a colonial possession of the Empire of Metzetta in the Ocean of Cathay in Australis. Indigenous peoples arrived on the island at an uncertain point in prehistory; the first Metzettan vessels arrived in 1590. The local populace was decimated by the invaders from Audonia and became a subject of the Metzettan Emperor. Today the island is an important shipping hub between Metzetta and Peratra, and is a member of the Polynesian Pact due to ongoing international pressure to improve the living conditions of native Polynesians.
The capital is located in Builui Dosi and local transactions are carried out in Metzettan Won. The island is directly governed by the General Secretary of Jinju, who answers to the Metzettan government on the mainland; currently this position is filled by Dong Mami. The island is an important source of precious metals used by Metzetta in the manufacture of electronic goods and historically Metzetta's favoured origin of slave labour.
Etymology
Jinju is known in Metzi as Jinju-do (진주도) which translates literally as "Pearl Island;" the island itself was considered the ultimate pearl in the Emperor's crown, and pearls from the coast were shipped back to Metzetta in large quantities. The island had at least three former names depending on which native tribe was being asked, known names are Fukoroko, Rin Kippo and Matoroki with more almost certainly lost during Metzetta's cultural purge.
History
Prehistory
The prehistory of Jinju is poorly studied and little academic research is ongoing. Items such as arrowheads are occasionally unearthed but the lives of the natives before Metzettans arrived is ill-understood. The chances of uncovering their languages and culture are virtually nil; however two written scripts have been uncovered at various sites, indicating a rich tapestry that may never be explored. A tall wooden idol found buried on the island suggests an indigenous religion existed at one time.
Arrival of Metzettans
Emperor Ingun sent the scholar Jaenan Sungho to explore Polynesia in the late 1500's; in 1590 he arrived with a small fleet of vessels in Jinju, the first piece of land they had seen since leaving Ankae. The travellers erected a few buildings while they stopped there and studied the locals, building supplies for the journey ahead. Jaenan instructed one vessel and crew to stay on the island while he went on to Peratra and eventually the Loa Republic, where he met Fulvio Pisani. The Jinju crew mercilessly slaughtered a tribe of roughly 200 individuals to secure land for their settlement, describing them as muscular and heavily tattooed. Interestingly, tattoos are not a cultural feature of any existing Jinju tribes, so it is assumed a unique subculture was eliminated in this quick battle. Word was soon returned to the Emperor that a new territory had been located and could be secured with little manpower thanks to the primitive nature of the indigenous peoples. Ingun was keen to expand his empire and gladly sent more ships, soldiers and settlers, who expanded the initial landing point base into what would become Bului Dosi; literally, "The City of Fire," in reference to the technique of setting alight the thatch huts of locals to expand the Metzettan territory which allowed for the building of the new city. One local man was caged and sent back to Metzetta for study, however he did not survive the journey and his body was dumped overboard. By this time Metzettan men had started taking local wives, creating the Metzettan-Polynesian mixed race that now dominates the island.
Colonial Jinju
By the time of Emperor Wawae's coronation in 1610 the local tribes had been all but wiped out; the empire's stranglehold on the island was absolute. Naturally this caused a degree of tension between the Polynesians and the Audonian aggressors. Determined not to lose his grip on the territory Wawae paid a bounty to Metzettans in return for killing natives, with larger sums given for more confirmed deaths. The bounty policy was largely successful, with only a small number of tribes remaining by 1630. As the Emperor himself could not leave Metzetta as the journey was far too great and he was needed at home, a local leader was installed who sent occasional reports home; this post would eventually become the General Secretary of Jinju, the first of whom was Mongsang Jiang who became known on the island as a cruel and fearsome warlord even by the standards of his Metzettan peers.
Jinju's climate was excellent for growing exotic fruits and crops which would not necessarily thrive in Metzetta, therefore the remaining tribesmen were put to work on orchards and the like to supply the imperial family and noblemen with delicacies such as coconuts and durians. Metzettta sold many tribesmen to the South Seas Development Company for use in the Southern Slave Trade beginning in the 1690's, with these simple islanders being sent to Sarpedon to perform back-breaking manual labour. The profits from these transactions were used to open mines at the turn of the century. The Metzettan families who emigrated to Jinju to deal in slaves and exotic goods started to become exceedingly rich around this time and large private companies in the homeland began to take notice. A race soon emerged between the Norogen Clan and the newly established Jinju Exotic Trading Concern (a joint venture by select noble members of the Apsu and Migyung Clans) to siphon the most possible profits from the island back to the mainland and bolster their respective owners' standings in high society; not only was the money itself a display of power but the unusual wares and foodstuffs that could be shown off were rapidly becoming tremendously en vogue.
Miner's strike
Beginning in the early 1700s a prodigious number of mines were opened on Jinju to extract precious ores to be sent back to the mainland. Almost none of the coal and iron found was kept on the island, and the number of deaths in the unsafe conditions enforced by the Metzettan government was far in excess of what would be expected for the time. These mines would set the precedent into the current day where precious metals are still exported back to the mainland for use in electronic goods and batteries. In August of 1749 the miners downed tools and refused to continue work until safety conditions improved. Physical punishment by Metzettan officials proved ineffective in restarting progress for 3 days before it was decided that mining teams would be permitted to construct additional buttresses to prevent collapses at the cost of slowing down ore extraction; canaries were also provided in place of Jinju natives who were too old to wield a pickaxe.
A promising deposit of gold was unearthed in 1768 in a Norogen mine provoking a short-lived gold rush however this vein proved to be a rare exception on the island and very little additional gold could be located to the dismay of officials hoping to impress Emperor Hissano.
Polynesian Uprising
The year 1895 saw the greatest upheaval on Jinju since the initial arrival of the Metzettans; native residents had grown tired of their overseers and the government had grown complacent after seeing little resistance to their rule. A band of around 20 rebels known as the Jinju Freedom Fighters made plans to assassinate incumbent General Secretary Salma Kang; on February 11th they did so while Salma dined at an expensive restaurant with his wife. This brazen and public act gained support from a silent majority of polynesian citizens and incited an island-wide riot which raged for 3 weeks until the mainland government was able to react by installing a new General Secretary; Heulin Oh. Heulin's so-called "Heavy Police" adopted a zero-tolerance approach to any and all crime and arrived with the backing of many mainland soldiers borrowed from the Metzettan army. A strict curfew was introduced for residents with immediate effect and members of the JFF were systematically hunted, tortured for information and publicly executed to stifle copycat insurrectionists. By mid-1896 the resistance was considered entirely crushed but Heulin remained to continue his oppressive reign until he was eventually called on to become the first leader of Metzetta's newly formed air force after the First Great War. He was replaced by Chuyin Kitae who refused to lift the curfew for his entire administration due in part to the Second Great War.
Second Great War
During the Second Great War, Chuyin Kitae instituted a one-child policy for native Polynesians to prevent the possibility of further insurrection. Jinju proved to be an invaluable base of operations for the Metzettans in naval and air battles, as well as a useful stopping point for forces allied to Metzetta.
Modern history
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In modern times life for the people of Jinju has improved markedly since the days of early Metzettan settlement, but compared to their mainland counterparts they remain second-class citizens. In 1992 the island was allowed to field its own team in the Istroyan Games for the first time, and from then Metzetta has slowly permitted the natives greater freedoms, presumably due to the small percentage of the total population of the island they now represent.
In 2028 Jinju signed the cultural agreements of the Polynesian Pact. Critics of the government considered this a shrewd move to gain public support without actually delegating any substantial powers to the island, however it was generally a well-received decision.
Geography
Jinju has no land borders, being surrounded on all sides by the Ocean of Cathay; it allows for Metzetta to share a maritime border with Peratra however. Jinju has an area of 9150 square miles. Jinju is not considered a province of Metzetta Proper; it is a distinct entity, albeit one with no power independent of the Metzettan Imperial Family under the banner of The Empire of Metzetta. Jinju enjoys a tropical climate and hosts many interesting endemic species, examples of which have routinely been sent back to Metzetta's mainland for study and display in museums.
Politics
While Jinju is part of the Empire of Metzetta, it is not part of the country of Metzetta, and thus is administered separately. Jinju is split into six counties (gun) and each county is divided into prefectures (hyeon). The counties of Jinju are Yugolgun, Dongsanggun, Gyeongwagun, Gwangsangun, Hanggugun and Deowigun.
Governance
The government of Metzetta directly install the leaders of Jinju. The highest authority on Jinju is the General Secretary of Jinju, who is subordinate to the Emperor. Unlike on mainland Metzetta there are no local elections; all government positions are hand-picked by the Emperor and his inferiors; this is to ensure Metzetta retains control of the natives and avoids the risk of losing the territory. Ethnic Metzettans universally receive government posts in favour of Polynesians; if no suitable locals can be sourced, one will be shipped from Audonia. Since 2019 the general secretary has been Dong Mami. The local government is housed in the Yeoldo Ministerial Complex.
Law
Metzettans are permitted to move to Jinju, however residents of Jinju must apply to move to Metzetta. For some time Polynesians were subject to a one-child policy however this law was repealed due to a lack of success and a desire for good PR. In response to growing international accusations of mistreatment of the natives, Metzetta allowed Jinju to sign the cultural section of the Polynesian Pact in 2028. Through Metzetta, Jinju enjoys some of the benefits of being an ACSEC member which boosts trade opportunities with Zhijun.
Military
Metzetta maintains a sizeable military presence on Jinju with both naval and air force bases. Naval exercises are common on the island and new recruits often are sent there for training; it is believed these exercises are a deliberate reminder by the Metzettan government of their presence on the island to both natives and countries sharing a maritime border with the territory.
Native interests
Historically the "natives vs invaders" narrative has dominated Jinju's political landscape, with the local government essentially taking the form of a dictatorship which attempts to drown out the desires of native inhabitants in favour of practices which benefit the central government on the mainland. While there is no democracy on Jinju and therefore no votes to win, officials find offering small concessions to the natives effective in preventing strikes, uprisings and coup d'états. This delicate balance has proved a struggle for many of Jinju's General Secretaries and the post is considered one of the Metzettan government's trickiest jobs.
Metzettans made almost no effort to catalogue the various tribes and the cultures they had built up over centuries however a scant few journal entries and some miraculously surviving oral traditions suggest there were 3 major tribes on the island and numerous smaller tribes, each with its own chief and most with unique languages.
Demographics
Religious affiliations in Jinju (2025)
Ethnic Metzettans outnumber Polynesians by around a factor of 10 on paper, however in reality most of the population are mixed-race Metzettan-Polynesians with only a very small number of pure Metzettans or Polynesians living on the island. The decision to identify as one or the other is mostly a political stance. One university exists on the island; Bului Dosi National University; Polynesian applications are almost never successful. All native languages were virtually extinguished in antiquity in order to bring Metzi to the land; it remains the dominant tongue. The few remaining native words known to the modern day have been carefully preserved and revived by rebellious natives. Schoolchildren on the island are taught Daxian as well as their native Metzettan resulting in high rates of bilingualism although many allow this skill to fade away following their mandatory schooling.
Native religions were extinguished in antiquity in order to bring Chulcheo to the land; it remains the dominant faith on the island. Catholic and Moravian missionaries have occasionally attempted to coax the population into joining Christianity with somewhat limited success, though churches can indeed be found in most major settlements. Bului Dosi contains the island's only cathedral, Saint Brendan's Cathedral, named in honour of the patron saint of sailors in thanks to making the long journey by boat to the island.
Economy
The Metzettan Won is the official currency of Jinju. Hyansae cars are popular on the island, and at one time so was the SCPV. Exotic fruits are grown on the island for export to mainland Metzetta. Since the advent of air travel Jinju has been a popular holiday destination for middle-class Metzettans, who appreciate the convenience of already speaking the language and not needing to convert currency. Jinju is often used as a shipping hub between Australis and Metzetta; large numbers of shipping containers are stored on the island and almost all cargo between Metzetta and Peratra passes through Jinju. Trade between the Metzettan and Daxian colonies of Jinju and Zhijun is bolstered through membership of ACSEC.
Infrastructure
Jinju's train tracks use the 3 foot six inch gauge found on some narrow-gauge railways in Metzetta, rather than the full-sized Metzettan five foot three inch gauge. Trains are not built on the island and must be shipped in from the mainland, historically engines deemed unfit to run on Metzetta were handed down to Jinju; Class 4 locomotives, a diesel design dating back to the 50's, were running on the island well into the new millenium.
Most of the Jinju Highway System in its modern form was installed by Shorad Hwo labourers shipped from Audonia. Only two civilian airports and one major military airport exist on the island, in addition to numerous smaller air bases. The island's largest port remains at roughly the same point at which Metzettans first arrived on the island at Bului Dosi.
Jinju is largely nuclear-powered, though in recent times renewable energy has been increasingly generated on the island. In the past Jinju was a coal-powered island and the fuel needed for these plants was mined by Polynesian slaves.
Amateur radio enthusiasts on Jinju broadcast using the callsign prefix MZ60. Jinju has been assigned a second-level domain name, .jn.mz for websites relating directly to Jinju-based matters.
Culture
Metzetta has allowed a small resurgence in native art, literature and music in an effort to appear more likeable without making any major concessions to the local populace. Local art fairs are popular with tourists, allowing them to take home a handmade exotic souvenir while providing some much needed income to the relatively poor populace.
Metzetta permitted Jinju to send their own separate team to the Istroyan Games starting with the Holchester 1992 Winter Games; prior to this the small number of athletes from Jinju who participated did so as part of the Metzettan team. Jinju is able to compete in Metzettan national sports leagues but does not always field teams due to lack of funding to cover travel. Instead, the people of Jinju often host their own smaller leagues locally.
Cuisine in Jinju features seafood much more heavily than traditional Metzettan dishes due to the high availability of fish and small amount of grazing land available. Most dishes from the homeland are available but Polynesian tastes have subtly changed many dishes and Metzettans visiting the island for the first time are often surprised by how much spicier the Jinju variants of familiar dishes are; some of the worlds hottest chilli peppers have been grown on Jinju and challenges for visitors are offered at several restaurants allowing customers to take on extremely spicy dishes without a drink for the chance of winning a free meal or a t-shirt.