Nation/Tembe

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The Republic of Tembe
MottoFollow your faith, but keep your powder dry
AnthemAnthem of Tembe
Official languages Tembean
Ethnic groups (2014) Unknown
Demonym Tembean
Government Republic
 -  President Laurent Kibki
Currency Tembean Dime
Date format dd-mm-yyyy
Calling code +371
Internet TLD .mk

Tembe (Tem-bay), officially the Republic of Tembe, is a nation lying just south of the tropic of Capricorn. It consists of two main islands and numerous smaller ones.

The people of Tembe were hunter-gatherers until around two thousand years ago, when several tribal populations migrated and settled permanently in the southern parts of the country. The official language is Tembean, which is spoken by almost all, although nearly ten percent of the population (primiarly made up of slaves and former slaves) speak a variety of tribal languages as either a first or second tongue. The current president is Laurent Kibiki.

Tembe has a mixed climate. The temperate in the lowland areas near the coast is warm and dry with malaria and other mosquito born diseases rampant in these regions. The central areas of both islands are dominated by the cool, temperate Tembe highlands. Areas of arid and semi-arid lands with near-desert landscapes contrast with fertile wildlife rich valleys and ice capped peaks.

Tembe has been an Imperial Monarchy for most of its history. The title of Emperor dates back to the first Empire on the islands, created from the Tembe military campaigns of Aesop, then a tribal ruler which unified the various warring tribes with the title remaining in use throughout the nations history.

Several dynasties have ruled over the nation broken by periods of intermittent republicanism. The Monarchy was last overthrown with outside support in the mid 20th century with the then Royal Family fleeing overseas, where they still live. They retain strong support among some elements of the people for their restoration. The period since then has been marked by intermittent conflicts, most recently a civil war.

The majority of the population follow the Logas faith, a logic based faith historically and culturally intertwined with Tembe. Other religions do have a significant following. Religious descrimination and conflicts are not uncommon.

Tembe has undergone a series of famines from the 1980s until today, exacerbated by an adverse geopolitical situaton and intermittant and ongoing civil wars.


Etymology

The name "Tembe" derives from the Tembean name for themselves. It is thought to relate to an old Tembean word meaning "Highlanders". The name was mistakenly marked on early navigation charts as "Tem Bay" or "Tam Bay" and has remained written as such in several languages.

History

Antiquity

Aesopmiskitu.jpg
Mutato.jpg
Yohannes.jpg
Telyke.jpg
Haile.jpg
Kwame.jpg
Malikmiskitu.jpg
Kibiki.jpg

The people of Tembe were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when several tribal populations migrated to the southern parts of the country. Around the 3rd century BC, a kingdom was established on the southern Tembe islands. Its capital was around the current town of Kibi, the kingdom was short lived and the tribes fractured after only several generations. After the fall the islands came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms, until the rise of one of these kingdoms during the 1st century AD, now referred to as the second Tembe Kingdom. The Tembe established bases on the northern highlands and from there expanded southward.

By around 500 AD sailors from the north, trading with the Tembes brought Christianity to the nation and it began slowly spreading through the nation. The Kingdom lasted until 659 AD at which time disputes and fractures within the royal family ultimately led to its collapse with the various competing family members forming smaller tribal kingdoms.

Middle Ages

From the 11th to 17th century the lands were part of a far greater Kingdom, centered on Sodan, known as the Greater Tembe Kindom (also called the third Tembe Kingdom)

The Kingdom was formed by the tribal chief Yohannes, a blood thirsty warrior who is thought to have massacred almost half the Tembe tribes as he reunified the nation. His son Yohannes II completed the conquest of the islands and extended his power to the mainland. Despite its beginning this era was known as the golden age for Tembe civilization. They was relative peace in the Kingdom, few enemies and trade flourished.

Despite its apparent strengths, the Kingdom was built on a shaky foundation. It relied almost entirely on good and supplies from the new territories to supply the Tembe homeland. In 1671 AD a series of rebellions on the mainland territories forced the Tembes to withdraw to their homeland islands. The army rebelled against the Royal family and the commander Telyke assumed command of the nation.

Telyke Sultanate

The Telyke Sultanate succeeded the Kingdom. Having overthrown the Greater Empire, Telyke declared an Islamic Sultanante. Therein began a period of isolation, the Sultanate was far more focused on internal affairs then external and began to try and institute Islamic law. However the Muslims were by far in the minority in the nation, with only about 5% of the people accepting the faith. Religious tensions almost tore the nation apart and despite a bloodthirsty reign by Telyke his power crumpled and with it the nation.

The Fourth Kingdom

Tribal divisions lasted until 1714 when a treaty united the various factions. Abbas was declared the High King of the Tembe Tribes and ended Tembe isolationism. Upon his ascent, he began modernizing Tembe and recentralizing power in the King, and Tembe began to take part in world affairs once again.

But Abbas suffered several rebellions inside his Kingdom, as was so often the way he turned to repression and put down these uprisings by force. It is though almost 50,000 people died before the Kingdom was fully united. Upon completing this feat, Abbas declared himself Emperor and took the name Yohannes V after the Kings of the third Kingdom.

At the same time there were also advances in road construction, electricity and education, development of a central taxation system, and the foundation and building of the city of the modern Sodan. The Great Tembe Famine of 1911 to 1924 cost it roughly one-third of its population. The fourth Kingdom lasted until 1948 when the Great Powers caused its collapse.

The Modern Era

Following the collapse of the Empire in 1948 there has been little stable government in Tembe. The nation has gone through periods of republic (1848 -1956, 1969 – 1973, 1989 – 1994, 2007 - present), military rule (1956 – 1969, 1981 – 1984, 1994 - 2007), socialist (1973 – 1981, 1984 – 1989).

There was a civil war raging from 1994 – 2007 which has cost many lives and is still on-going in smaller pockets around Tembe today. This was inspired by the different ideologies and regional alliances which has also seen the collapse of numerous governments.

This has coupled with a famine from the 1980 till today which has devastated the nation’s health, agriculture and coupled with the accompanying diseases has crippled the nation.

The current is Laurent Kibiki who has held power since 2007.




























Economy

Maize represents one of the larger cash crop industries
Most agriculture is small scale family based

For decades, Tembe's economy suffered from devastating economic policies and instability, leaving Tembe as one of the world's poorest countries. The economy of Tembe is largely based on agriculture, which accounts for 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of total employment. Its economy is fast growing however , despite some reforms, poorly structured and subject to mass corruption and inefficiencies.

Almost 50% of Tembe's population is under the age of 18, and even though education enrollment at primary and tertiary level has increased significantly, job creation has not caught up with the increased output from educational institutes. Production is overwhelmingly by small-scale farmers and enterprises and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small agricultural cash-crop sector. The country must create hundreds of thousands of jobs every year just to keep up with population growth.

The Temben constitution defines the right to own land as belonging only to "the state and the people", but citizens may only lease land (up to 99 years), and are unable to mortgage, sell, or own it. Various groups and political parties have sought for full privatization of land, while others are against privatization and favor communal ownership.

Since the fall of the Monarchy the government has embarked on a modest program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. Despite this, agricultural productivity remains low, and frequent droughts still beset the country. While the process is still ongoing, the reforms have begun to attract much-needed foreign investment.

Tembe has a large diaspora who contribute enormously economic growth through remittances and other investments (especially property). However Tembe still relies massively on aid and humanitarian agencies for much of its funds.

Growth has not always led to poverty reduction. Despite an improving average annual rate, poverty levels have increased simultaneously. Urban and especially rural poverty remains an issue in the country. With an exploding population Tembe remains one of the poorest nations in the world.

The life expectancy of men is reported to be 56 years and for women 59 years.

Primary sector

There is little automation in the farming industry
Women and children are often used on the farms
Deforestation is a major problem facing Tembe
Fishing is generally limted to small commuity operations
Mining is one of the most dangerous sectors
Tourism could represent a significant gowth area

Agriculture

The economy of Tembe is based on agriculture, which accounts for 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of total employment. Tembe's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, high levels of taxation and poor infrastructure (making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market). Yet agriculture is the country's most promising resource. A potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Many other economic activities depend on agriculture, including marketing, processing, and export of agricultural products. Production is overwhelmingly of a subsistence nature, and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small agricultural cash-crop sector. Principal crops include coffee, pulses (e.g., beans), oilseeds, cereals, potatoes, sugarcane, and vegetables. Exports are almost entirely agricultural commodities, with coffee as the largest foreign exchange earner, and its flower industry becoming a new source of revenue. Tembe's livestock contributed to 20% of total GDP.

Traditionally most land has been divided into small family run plots however recently land has been concentrated by both large international companies and richer nations for food production and export. This has raised fears of food being exported to more prosperous countries while the local population faces its own shortage.

Up to 20% of the population need food assistance annually.

Forestry

At the beginning of the 20th century around half of Tembe's land was covered by trees but recent research indicates that forest cover is now approximately 12% of the area. This forest destruction has been largely unplanned and generated little long time income. As the forests are removed the soils became less fertile and crop growth potential is limited. Most land has been cleared for further expansion of the coffee industry.

Fishing

Despite its extensive coastline, due to the heat and disease from mosquitoes the majority of the Tembe population lives in the highlands. Fishing has traditionally been a limited economic activity limited to several small coastal communities. Efforts have been made to expand this sector and include licensing several large international fishing operations which in turn have contributed to the growth of shore based local industries.

Secondary sector

Manufacturing

This sector constitutes about 5 percent of the overall economy, although it has shown some growth and diversification in recent years. Much of it is concentrated in Sodan. Food and beverages constitute some 40 percent of the sector, but textiles and leather are also important, the latter especially for the export market. A program to privatize state-owned enterprises has been underway since the fall of the monarchy.

Minerals and Mining

The mining sector is small but offers huge potentail in Tembe. The country has deposits of coal, opal, gemstones, kaolin, iron ore, soda ash, and gold, but only diamonds are mined in significant quantities. It is estimated that there is significant potential for future development of the diamond mining sector but is so far limited to local companies who agreed deals for the mines following the collapse of the Monarchy. Salt extraction is only of internal importance and only a negligible amount is exported. Mining is considered one of the most dangerous industries in Tembe with little automation of the sector.

Tertiary sector

Travel and tourism continue to become extremely important and aside from wholesale and retail trade, transportation, and communications, the services sector consists almost entirely of tourism.

Developed over the past century under the Monarchy growth has been constrained by the lack of suitable hotels and other infrastructure. A significant investment was made in this area however the droughts of the 1980's onwards caused the industry to crash. Many hotels and restaurants now sit empty and in ruin. At the time this created huge anti-monarchist sentiment and was in part contributed to their fall. The majority of tourists entering the country today are Tembean visiting from abroad.

Given the abundence of wildlife there is significant potentail for future growth should the ongoing infasture concerns be solved. Some reports credit tourism as the future of Tembe. Local and international companies have begun to tap into this sector but to date have been limited by a profound lack of government commitment to upgrading national facilities.

The banking and insurance sectors performed are extremely limited and protected by national regulations which has limited the potential for growth through foreign development.

External trade

Coffee Traders control 20% of Tembe's foreign exchange earnings
Pastoral Trading represent more then 80% of external trade

The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing about 40% of Tembe'sGDP. Coffee is critical to the Temben economy. More than a third of the population derive their livelihood from the coffee sector.

Other exports include live animals, maize, leather and leather products, chemicals, gold, pulses, oilseeds, flowers, fruits and vegetables and khat (or qat), a leafy shrub which has psychotropic qualities when chewed.

Additional small-scale export products include cereals, pulses, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes and hides. The country also has large mineral resources including diamonds and gold as well as oil potential in some of the less inhabited regions. Hydroelectric and geothermal power production represents an area of potential future development. However political instability and corruption has inhibited development.

Cross-border trade by pastoralists is often informal and beyond state control and regulation.. This unregulated trade in livestock is thought to represent more then 80% of all imports and exports to the nation. This trade helps lower food prices, increase food security and relieve border tension. However, there are also risks as the unregulated and undocumented nature of this trade runs risks, such as allowing disease to spread more easily across national borders. Furthermore, the government of Tembe is purportedly unhappy with lost tax revenue and foreign exchange revenues. Recent initiatives have sought to document and regulate this trade.

Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil, Tembe lacks sufficient foreign exchange. Since the overthrow of the monarchy the government has been notably financially conservative government has taken measures to solve this problem, including stringent import controls and sharply reduced subsidies on retail gasoline prices. Nevertheless, the largely subsistence economy is incapable of supporting high military expenditures, drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil; it therefore depends on foreign assistance.

Transportation

Train in Sodan, Tembe

Available modes of transport are by road, sea, and air although most are in poor condition. Tembe has 681 km of railway and trains represent the most popular form of transport for both goods and people however trains are antiquated, dangerously overcrowded and slow with a poor safety record.

Less then ten percent of the roads are paved and those that are are in the hands of private toll companies. Many unpaved roards are little more then cattle paths and are unusable in poor weather. Per capita private car ownership is extremly low in rural areas and mainly concentrated in cities where numerous older vehicles contribute to poor air quality. Driving standards are poor and enforcement of the traffic regulations virtually non existant.

Several regional airports are liked to Sodan International, a modern International airport linking Tembe to numerous other nations.

Communications

Mobile use is rare in rural areas

Tembe Telecom is a monopoly in the control of telecommunications and Internet connections on the islands.

As of 2010, 3.2 million cellular phones and 200,000 main line phones were in use, however the vast majority of these are in the cities. There are an estimated 150,000 Internet users, one of the lowest rates in the world. Tembe's country code is .mk.

The average rural inhabitant of Tembe has to walk 40 kilometers to the nearest phone. The government has announced a plan to reduce this to ten kilometers however little work has begun to achieve this goal.

The telecommunication network is frequently out of work or overloaded, callers using both the landlines and mobile network are unable to connect, the situation is made worse by inclement weather.

Energy

Geothermal Power Station

Hydropower accounts for the bulk of Tembe's electric power generating capacity and output which currently stands at 80% of the nations supply.

In 2010 less than 10% of Tembean had access to electricity and the country was plagued by power outages. In order to overcome this situation, the government has embarked on an ambitious dam building program. With massive water resources in its high plains, Tembe has the capacity to generate up to 45,000MW of hydropower, although current production stands at around 2,000 MW mainly due to poor construction, inefficiencies and financial costs. However, Tembe's heavy reliance upon hydropower to supply its electric power has made the country vulnerable to lengthy droughts and climate change has made such reliance on one resource risky.

As such Tembe’s ambitious growth and diversification plan, which started in 2010, aims to increase the existing 2,000 MW generated by geothermal power production at least fourfold.

Although Tembe has few proven hydrocarbon reserves, it is estimated to have considerable potential for oil and gas exploration.

Poverty

Tembe Slum, Tembe

Tembe is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 40 percent of the population living on less than $1 a day. Despite making some progress in reducing the countrywide poverty it remains deep-rooted in the country’s rural areas, which are home to more than 85 per cent of people.

Women's poverty

People in rural areas of Tembe depend on farming as the main source of income and 90 per cent of all rural women work in the agricultural sector. In addition to agricultural work, rural women also have the responsibility of caretaking within their families. The average woman spends 9 hours a day on domestic tasks, such as preparing food and clothing, fetching water and firewood, and caring for the elderly, the sick as well as orphans. As such, women on average work longer hours than men, between 12 and 18 hours per day, as compared to men, who work between 8 and 10 hours a day.

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Family Poverty

To supplement their income, rural women may engage in small-scale entrepreneurial activities such as rearing and selling local breeds of animals. Nonetheless, because of their heavy workload, they have little time for these income-generating activities. The poor cannot support their children at school and in most cases, girls drop out of school to help out in domestic work or to get married. Other girls engage in sex work. As a result, young women tend to have older and more sexually experienced partners and this puts women at a disproportionate risk of getting affected by HIV, accounting for about 57 per cent of all adults living with HIV.

Gender inequality is a main hindrance to reducing women’s poverty. Women must submit to an overall lower social status than men. For many women, this reduces their power to act independently, participate in community life, become educated and escape reliance upon abusive men.

Human rights

Poverty in Tembe

There are many areas which continue to attract concern when it comes to human rights in Tembe.

Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebels and the government. Unofficial reports have accused rebels of "appalling brutality". The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture continues to be a widespread practice amongst security organizations. Attacks on political freedom in the country, including the arrest and beating of opposition Members of Parliament, have led to international criticism.

Homosexuality itself is not technically illegal in Tembe, but there is a strong social bias against homosexuality. Gays and lesbians face discrimination and harassment at the hands of the media, police, teachers and other groups. Also a number of other gays and lesbians are missing and are believed to have been murdered.

Health

Tembe medical care

Tembe has only 1 medical doctor per 100,000 people. Globalization is said to affect the country, with many educated professionals leaving Tembe for a better economic opportunity in the West.

Tembe’s main problems are caused by poor sanitation and malnutrition. These problems are exacerbated by the shortage of trained manpower and health facilities.

Health is much greater in the cities. Birth rates, infant mortality rates, and death rates are lower in the city than in rural areas owing to better access to education and hospitals. Life expectancy is higher at 53, compared to 48 in rural areas. Despite sanitation being a problem, use of improved water sources is also greater; 81% in cities compared to 11% in rural areas. This encourages more people to migrate to the cities in hopes of better living conditions.

Check up

There are 24 hospitals and 112 health centers in Tembe. Tembe has a relatively low average life expectancy of 58 years. Infant mortality rates are relatively very high, as over 16% of infants die during or shortly after childbirth while birth-related complications affect many of the nation's women.

The other major health problem in Tembe is spread of AIDS. AIDS has mainly affected poor communities and women, due to lack of health education, empowerment, awareness and lack of social well-being. There is a general belief that sexual transmitted diseases are caused by bad spirits and supernatural causes. Others believe that eating the reproductive organs of a black goat will help expel the diseases from those same organ in their body. Tembe has high infant and maternal mortality rate. Only a minority are born in hospitals; most of them are born in rural households. Those who are expected to give birth at home have elderly women serve as midwives assist with the delivery.

The low availability of health care professionals with modern medical training, together with lack of funds for medical services, leads to the preponderancy of less reliable traditional healers that use home-based therapies to heal common ailments

Education

Students in Tembe

Illiteracy is common in Tembe, particularly amongst females. Public spending on education is at 5 % of the GDP. Much public education in primary. Although some primary education is compulsory under law, in many rural communities this is not observed as many families feel they cannot afford costs such as uniforms and equipment. State schools are usually run by the Church and are built on land owned as such. In primary education, children sit exams at the end of each academic year in order to discern whether they are to progress to the next class; this leads to some classes which include a large range of ages. Many children from poorer rural communities will return to their families for subsistence farming at age 12. Secondary education is focused mainly in larger cities, with boarding optional. Children are usually presented with an equipment list which they are to obtain at the beginning of their time at secondary school. This list classically includes items such as writing equipment, toilet roll and cleaning brushes, all of which the student must have upon admission to school.

Foreign relations

Alliances

None

Trade Agreements

None

Culture & National Indentity

National Anthem

National Flag & Crest

National Currency

National Stamps

Cuisine

The national dish of pancake bread

The best-known Tembean cuisine consists of various vegetable or meat side dishes and entrées, usually a thick stew, served atop a large sourdough flatbread made of flour. One does not eat with utensils. It is also very common to eat from the same dish in the center of the table with a group of people.

Sport

The main sports in Tembe are athletics and football and bull fighting.

Games involving the Tembe national football team usually attract large crowds from all walks of life. The Tembe Super League is the top division of Tembe football contested by 16 clubs from across the country; it was created in 1968 . Football is played all over Tembe especially by children in schools and young people on a variety of pitch surfaces.

Bullfighting in Tembe

Tembe athletes have completed at numerous track and field events across the globe with some success especially in the longer distance running events.

Bull fights attract huge crowds accross the nation and the bull has become a national symbol, unlike some forms of bull fighting, the bulls are not killed in the ring.

Cricket has experienced some growth in Tembe, as well as rallying, hockey and rugby.

Government & Authority

Administration

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Sodan City Governor, Andrzej Niculescu

Sodan is governed by the Governor of Sodan who is elected once every four years. The current City Governor is Andrzej Niculescu. Under the Constitution of the Deceptiion Isles there are no term limits and Niculesu is currently serving his third terms,originally being elected in 2003. During his 11-year term, Niculesu has committed himself to protecting international interests and the ensuring the safety of the diplomatic quarter. The city outside of this singe district has seen seady decline in infastructure which was poor even to begin with. He is widely believed to be in the pay of various international companies and local gang leaders whose activities have long been ingored. He has accumulated a significant property portfolio outside accross the region.

The latest elections took place on 10 May 2011. Only 21% of voters participated, just above the required 20% turnout, although the figures and the result are widely suspected of being rigged. The next scheduled election will be in 2015. Niculesu enjoys the support of the National Governor and with few opponants there seems to be little doubt he will continue in his role for the foreseeable future.

Local government

The municipality in its totality elects a city Governor, who then appoints district Governors to each of the districts/towns/communes. In total 18 district governors are appointed. They deal more locally with administrative matters and manage the district council who they have full authority over. In addition they meet once a month as a group to discuss matters relating to the city as a whole.

The City Governor technically reports to the house of Governors, a national body comprising all the City/Regional Governors however in actually since Sodan is the home of the government the City Governor normally reports directly to the Minister of the Interior.

Law enforcement

Law enforcement in both the city of Sodan and the surrounding districts is carried out by the Sodan Metropolitan Police Service. The organization suffers from a cronic lack of manpower and resources mainly due to ongoing funding issues. The service has a very poor reputation and is often openly courting bribes. Many believe that large portions of the service are openly in the service of criminal elements. As a result crime is a huge problem. Street violance, robbery, murder and other crimes are commonplace as are riots and clashes with street fights with the police.

In essence the Service is primiarly concerned with the safety of the Diplomatic quarter, which is moderately safe. Other areas are seriously neglected.

Government Buildings in Sodan

Politics

The politics of Tembe takes place in a framework, whereby the President is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. The Judiciary is completely independent of the executive and the legislature. The current realities of this provision are questioned.

According to the several International reports, Tembe is an "authoritarian regime" with almost all power vested in the President. These reports indicate the regime's crackdown on opposition activities, media and civil society has made Tembe a de facto one-party state.

Governance

Riots in 2009

The election of Tembe's 547-member constituent assembly was held in June 2007 following the overthrow of the socialist state. This assembly adopted the constitution of the Dominion of The Tembe Coast. President Kibiki has held power since then.

Under the present government, some fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press, are circumscribed. Citizens have little access to media other than the state-owned networks, and most private newspapers struggle to remain open and suffer periodic harassment from the government. At least 21 journalists who had written articles critical of the government were arrested. The government uses press laws governing libel to intimidate journalists who are critical of its policies.

Tembean police are said to have massacred 193 protesters during an anti-government rally in 2009.

Military

Please see the article Tembe Armed Forces

Tourism

Travel Warning WARNING: Travel to Tembe is not advised due to the deteriorating security situation and personal safety concerns. There have been many incidents of their citizens visiting there having their belongings stolen as well as some citizens killed, or kidnapped for ransom. Tourists are advised to try to blend in with the population and use common sense. The majority of the people are friendly but you should always stay in the main areas and guides, preferably prearranged by a rebutable agency are strongly advised. Gangs and armed groups are persistant and constant threat..
Safari tourism


Tembe is a nation blighted by numerous problems including the lack of piped water, absence of sewage pipes in most areas, overcrowding, poor quality housing and lack of central heating. Crime rates including gang violance, tribal unrest and street crimes remain staggeringly high. Many governments do not recommend travel to Tembe unless absolutely necessary.

The main travellers here are international advisors, humanitarian personnel, returning expatriots as well as a small bbut growing number of naturalists and safari tourists drawn by the unique climate, natural landscape and wildlife.

Demographics

Ethnic Makeup of Sodan
Race
Percentage
Caucasian
  
0.5%
Negroid
  
98%
Mongolian
  
0.5%
Mixed Race
  
1%

Ethnic groups

Due to its island location the population of Tembe does not show much diversity. It is estimated that 90% of the people are of direct Tembe descent, with the balance mainly made up of slaves from the islands historical Imperial past which involved slave trading. Their decendents are heavily descriminated aganist today. While most people are Tembean there is some division between the various Tembean tribes and their villages or towns. Dispite this there exists a strong sence of national pride and unity.

Population Centres

Highrise city centres are surrounded by vast shanty towns

Population growth, migration, and urbanization are all straining both governments' and ecosystems' capacity to provide people with basic services. Urbanization has steadily been increasing in Tembe with rural populations migrating to urban centers seeking work and better living conditions. Land reform programs instituted by the government provide incentives for people to stay in rural areas have slowed this process but it continues today. As people moved from rural areas to the cities, there were fewer people to grow food for the population. Sodan is the capital city of the Tembe and as such is home to all major government offices and foreign embassies. It is also home of the national courts and the residence of the Governor. Furthermore it is the nations primary industrial, financial and trading centre as well as its largest city. Located along the Kassite River, it was founded in AD 781. Sodan has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life. Today it is heavily polluted and overcrowded, crime is rampant and police corruption is rampant.

While the skyscrappers and lights of the CBD gross over the cities many issues the truth is that rapid pollution growth has limited any attempts to improve facilities for the majority of the city. Open sewers run in the streets, pest control issues plague the city and food and water stortages are frequent. Dispite the fact that only 25% of the city has electric connections (higher then the national average of 10%) power cuts are frequent and government provided education or recreational services rare. Poor water quality contributes to the spread of illness through unhealthy water.

Other major centres include Tanaga and the adricultural hearthland of Jima.

Rural village

Rural Life

In rural areas daily life is a struggle to survive. A fifth of the population in Tembe are living on less than 1 dollar per day and only half of all rural households in Tembe consume minimum standard of food per day with at least half of all young children being underweight. Most poor families share their sleeping quarters with livestock, and half of children sleep on the floor, where nighttime temperatures average 5 degrees Celsius in the cold season. The average family size is six or seven, living in a small mud and thatch hut, with less than two hectares of land to cultivate. Since the landholdings are so small, farmers cannot allow the land to lie fallow, which reduces soil fertility. This land degradation reduces the production of fodder for livestock, which causes low milk yields. Since the community burns livestock manure as fuel, rather than plowing the nutrients back into the land, the crop production is reduced. The low productivity of agriculture leads to inadequate incomes for farmers, hunger, malnutrition and disease. These unhealthy farmers have a hard time working the land and the productivity drops further.


Cities and towns by populations

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Sogan
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Jima

Settlement Population

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Kibi
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Songa

1 Sodan 7,040,740
2 Tanaga 4,273,601
3 Jima 3,271,562
4 Adma 2,212,665
5 Kibi 2,191,015
6 Eboue 1,147,592
7 Manasa 1,126,373
7 Songa 974,982















Religion

Religion in Sodan
Religion
Percentage
Logos
  
42.3%
Christianity
  
27.6%
Atheism
  
11.9%
Islam
  
4.2%
Hinduism
  
3.1%
Buddism
  
3%
Judaism
  
2.4%
Other
  
5.5%
Traditional Logos church in circular style
Refugees flee Tembe by boat

Main article: Logos

According to the census of 2007, Logos practicioners made up about 42.5% of the Tembean population. The next most reported religion is Christianity, with a significant percentage claiming atheist or non religious status. Traditional tribal beliefs are practiced in some rural areas and are sometimes blended with or practiced alongside other larger faiths.

Logos is a religious school of wisdom philosophy and spiritual guidance, which is the indigenous, pantheistic, spirituality of Tembe. Its name comes from an old Tembe word meaning logic or wisdom. Due to its long association with the Tembe people, it has to a large degree influenced the cultural development of the nation, which shares many Logos traditions and cultural heritages. Its followers, called Logi, believe that the universe has its own physis, a divine energy which connects and binds all living beings and that a life can only achieve true meaning and happiness when in accord with Nature - their god, through the use of reason and logic. Logos generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. Logos adheres to a naturalist philosophy and believe that Nature is governed by laws which are immutable, that is, they are unchanging, unbending and unyielding.

Immigration

Tembe has a long history of cross border tribal population movements. Most of these settled and adopted the culture and language of the native Tembean.

For the past few decades there has been a outpouring of Tembean leaving the nation and emigrating abroad. The political situation, ongoing tribal violence and famine have created a dangerous situation especially when combined with the exploding population. Hundred of thousands leave each year and represent a vital source of funds for families in Tembe with remittances now contributing significantly to national GDP. These expatiates are generally of a high standard of education creating somewhat of a brain drain in Tembe. There have been problems settling into their new communities for many expatiates creating some political tensions.

While many people leave legally, the process can be very expensive with many people ending up exploited. Thousands of men end up as unpaid laborers while women and girls can end up in the sex trade industry. Others have spent their life savings to organize their move legally or otherwise. The other side of the coin is the thousands who attempt to flee the nation illegally each year mostly by boat. Hundreds die in there attempts each year.

Few people move to Tembe save some businesses and humanitarian groups.