Shortform name: Yucahua
Long/native name: Yukéhu
Real life culture influence: Taino, Lucayan
Real life culture of former colonizer: Korean
Population: 1,272,312
GDP (PPP) per capita: $21,308
GDP (nominal) per capita: $11,645
Military manpower (active/reserve): 4,000 / 0
Language(s): Lucayan, other Taino languages
Nation description:
Yucahua is an island country located in the Salma Sea, comprised of three major islands: Mariguana in the west, Guanahaní in the center, and Ayraguey in the east along with numerous smaller islands and islets. The nation boasts a warm, tropical climate and is renowned for its extensive coral reefs teeming with marine life. Its picturesque weather and pristine white-sand beaches have positioned Yucahua as a prominent tourism destination in recent years.
The ancestors of the Yucahuan people are believed to have originated from continental Cheongju. Archeological evidence suggests that early Arawakan pottery-making farmers set out in canoes from the north-eastern coast of Cheongju around 2,500 years ago and island-hopped across to the Yucahuan islands. The early Yucahuan developed a sophisticated political structure around confederations of settlements and small polities called kassiquan, ruled by tribal chieftains called kasike. Despite the constant state of war between the kassiquan, none of the chiefdoms were able to establish dominance over the region due to the shifting network of alliances. By the late 15th century, the islands were divided into 6 chiefdoms in near-constant conflict with one another.
The first Sinjuan contact with the Yucahuan peoples occured during this period, with positive interactions between arriving Jeongmian explorers and the local chiefdoms. Despite the discovery, the Yucahuan islands were initially of little interest to Jeongmi except as a source of slave labour. While not directly colonised in this period, trade between Jeongmi and the islands brought Sinjuan technologies and ideas. It was not until the 18th century that significant external influence reshaped Yucahua.
In 1752, the ambitious warrior and kasike Agüeybaná sought to unify the Yucahuan islands and form a centralised kingdom. Obtaining Sinjuan muskets and cannons, the brutal War of Unification lasted 10 years until the islands were fully unified under his rule. This unification ended the warring period that had lasted since antiquity and marked the first time the islands were governed by a singular ruler. Agüeybaná forged strong ties to Sinjuan merchants, exchanging slaves for advanced weaponry, whilst also allowing Sinjuans to settle in large numbers and establish plantations across the island.
In 1768, Agüeybaná, seeking to establish a modern, Sinjuan-style kingdom, adopted Buddhism under the influence of a Jeongmian merchant. He declared Yucahua a Sinjuan-style kingdom, attempted to emulate the Jeongmian court system and establish a Confucian bureaucracy, limited the power of the chiefs and propagated Buddhism. While the islands had previously already been part of the Jeongmian sphere of influence, settlement and trade with the islands had largely been through private ventures and individual merchants. Agüeybaná sought Jeongmian protection and the islands became a protected state of Jeongmi. The kingdom retained its de jure independence until it was formally annexed in 1843 as a colony of Jeongmi. During this period, the Yucahuan nobility were reduced to ceremonial figures and colonisation discouraged the Yucahuan language, banned local customs, and thousands of Jeongmians settled the islands and established plantations.
The island's independence was restored in 1972, following a local independence movement centred around restoring the monarchy that gained traction following the Eulhae War. Since independence, Yucahua has developed from a low-income economy based on agriculture to a middle-income diversified economy with much of this economic growth being the result of the expansion of the tourism sector. Yucahua was mainly dependent on the sugar industry; as world sugar prices declined, the government decided to expand the tourist industry and protect the island's natural environment. Today, Yucahua welcomes tourists from Sinju and beyond, attracted by its diverse population consisting of native Yucahuans, Sinjuans, and descendants of indentured laborers. The blend of cultures, coupled with the tropical climate and abundance of recreational activities, continues to position Yucahua as a sought-after destination for travelers worldwide.
Are you willing to drastically alter your nation in order to fit with Tiandi canon?: yes
Main/puppet/NPC: Puppet
User (Wiki profile, Discord username, or NS nation): Sharkrain
Link to map claim (optional): Three yellow islands on the left currently part of Yaxcaba plot
How did you find out about Tiandi?: Member
