User:Vivaporius/USA (Viva)/II

The Sovereign Republic of Azania...

Etymology
The usage of the name Azania can be traced back to, to and his mention of the "Azanian Sea", which began somewhere in the vicinity of ancient  in modern-day. The region of Azania (: Ἀζανία, Azanía), was believed to have extended from Adulis all the way down to the southern coast of, as described in the ancient Greek text known as the . Though there existed and still exist today some dispute as to the starting point of the region, most modern scholars agree to some extent that "Azania" described in part or in whole, some part of eastern Africa, though the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea never mentions the dark-skinned, whom the Greeks had full knowledge of and knew resided in the region. Other beliefs regarding Azania was its existence as an ancient continent by modern geologists, who believed that the continent of Azania may have existed in the region of, existing in the area as part of a greater part of that island nation some 850 million years ago. Over several million years, the continent may have collided with mainland Africa, resulting in the formation of the East Africa Orogeny, which split off in time to form the Malagasy Orogeny.

The modern use of the name Azania, however, dates back to the 1880s, with the first sparks of in the  (perhaps 1840s Australia). Seeking a name to rally behind during the growth of the movement, there were many proposals levied by members of the black nationalist movement. Some suggested names such as "New Afrika" and "Liberia", though the first was deemed to reactionary and the latter already adopted by the in 1821. Azania was selected by TBD, one of the first black historians of the early state, as the name of the planned black nation, after referencing the ancient history of the term. "Azania" was selected as the name of the potential country during the First Black Nationalist Convention in 18XX, and immediately came to define the movement and its supporters. In 18XX, when the independence of the country was secured, the Constitution of Azania stated within the first few sentences of its text, that "Azania" would be known as the name of the country, and "Azanians" for its citizens, solidifying the name of the country in the constitution.

Notable speeches

 * First President of Azania (Traditionalist/Nationalist) – 18XX Speech to the Legislature/People
 * "''There are those who foolishly remain defiant in their dogmatic desire to demand that the old transgressions of the white man continue to define the people of this great nation. They cannot and will not move on from the hurt of the past, and seek only to relive the pain of that great injustice known as slavery. Rather than move on from these only most recently healed wounds, they wish to return to them and tear them asunder, and recall to memory all of the problems of our forefathers, and wallow in despair at the suffering of the black man and woman. I can only say this to that most odious of fellows. Stop wallowing in the pain of the past, and forge the future you wish to have for yourselves and for your offspring. If you wish to remain in that pit of despair, then you must do so on your own, for this nation of black men and women shall never anchor themselves to the transgressions of the whites. We fought for the future we wished to define by the merits of our own minds, hearts, and souls, and we threw off the shackles of our past and the slavery to those more powerful than ourselves. We defined our future by our own sweat, blood, and tears. Rather than looking to the past to 'find our roots', we had the rare privilege of planting new roots in a new land with a new outlook on life, not bound by the ignorance of the old Africans of white colonialism. Though we may have lost our culture to slavery, we have the rare opportunity to craft a new one. Rather than look to the past for our future, we have the power to look to the future to define our past. We possess the means to mold the future our children will look upon with pride and admiration. We can define our own traditions, our own laws, our own language, our own dress, and our own cuisine and our own music. We have been handed a golden opportunity which many a people could have only fancied in that most whimsical of ways. We have the chance to start anew." -- President TBD, 18XX