Hurian Federation

The Mandinka Federation, or just Mankinda, is a nation located in West Africa. It is made up of the majority of the said region, made up of the former nations Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and Burinka Faso, along with parts of southwestern Nigeria and southern Mali. Mandinka has a population of 167 million citizens, giving it the second largest population on the continent, just behind Nigeria (which ironically enough, it is currently invading). It's capital is Yamoussoukro, located in former Côte d'Ivoire. It's current President is Maurice Williams, who leads a Totalitarian Dictatorship.

Pre-Colonial History
The first settlers of what today is known as Mandinka, arrived sometime around 12,000 BCE. Though little remains of those people and their society, it is largely believed that agriculture developed in the region developed during that period of time. The development of the region's economy allowed more centralized states to form, one of the first being the Ghana Empire. The Ghana Empire prospered for for 400 years, until it was sacked by the Almoravids, and simply declined and fragmented years later. It was succeded by the Mali Empire, which survived for yet another 400 years, until rebellions in the eastern province of Gao led it's collapse, and reformation into the Songhai Empire, which survived up until 1591, and was general recognized as the last great trade empire in the region, replaced by dozens of smaller kingdoms which never lived up to the glory of the last three.

Colonization
Following the Songhai Empire's collapse, it was replaced by numerous smaller kingdoms, each vying for control of the region. It was during this time that Europeans made contact with the local inhabitants. The Portuguese became the first significant European force in West Africa, establishing a trading post at Arguin Island off the coast of present-day coast of Senegal. By 1475, the Portuguese had made it as far as the Bight of Benin. Shortly after the Portuguese' arrivial, the African slave trade followed suit almost immediately, the Portuguese taking hundreds of slaves back to their home country, and later on, to their overseas colonies. However, the scale of slave trading did not reach it's until Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas, and the subsequent demand for cheap labour there. As the demand for slaves rose, some African rulers sought to supply the demand by constant war against their neighbors, resulting in fresh captives.

The region was severally depopulated as a result of the following centuries of wars and enslavement that followed in the wake of the slave trade. The trade of firearms helped the then slave trade-economies of the African states continue the practice. American governments passed legislation prohibiting the Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century, though slavery in the Americas persisted in some capacity through the century in the Americas; the last country to abolish the institution was Brazil in 1888. The months of May through August were declared months of mourning by the Williams administration, in rememberance of the suffering and pain of the nation's ancestors during that time. Today, descendants of West Africans make up large and important segments of the population in Brazil, the Caribbean, the United States, and throughout the New World.

Growth
Following the series of wars and waves of colonization throughout the region, most of West Africa was eventually subjugated by the Europeans. Ghana and Sierra Leone fell under the control of the British Empire, while the vast majority of the region came under the control of France. While the region was under the European bootheel, certain tribes rose up in the attempt to fight back. The Ashanti Empire fought three successive wars with the British Empire, until they were defeated in 1874, and placed under the British as a protectorate. The region was thoroughly pacified by the time of World War I, and the process of building the region economically finally moved underway. European governemnts did not generally view the colonies there were particular interest or importance, but did spend some revenue on their growth.

Economic growth throughout West Africa was swift, and generally welcomed, as the natives learned the language of their overseers, joined the businesses started in the region by the Europeans, and worked to develop transportation, such as railways and paved roads. Literacy was increasing as education became mandatory, and poverty began to decline in the cities. Advanced farming techniques helped to combat stavation in certain parts of the area, and the overall influx of money helped to increase the standard of living for the locals. When World War II began in 1939, and France was defeated, the sub-Saharan colonies in West Africa were left to their own devices. Aware that they could not depend on France or Britain forever, moves to increase self-suffience were made on the part of the Africans.

The education system was strengthen in that local languages where now taught, allowing the people to keep their own tongue, and not learn another, increasing the speed in which they could be taught. The overall literacy of the region was about 70%, and most of the inhabitants had some form of primary education, making them employable in the cities where the real money was. Investment back into their home communities helped to increase the local economy. The demand for more goods led to increased production and output in cities such as Abidjan and Accra. Liberia's economy grew exponentially, as the Allies used the country as a naval base and primary rubber supplier. The investment and construction of roads helped modernize the industry and transportation system greatly. Political stability and a strong economy hepled make West Africa one of the richest regions in the world.

Independence of West African States
Though economic growth and industrial prosperity bloomed in the region, protests against European rule following World War II sprung up across West Africa. Ghana was the first nation to achieve independence peacefully under Kwame Nkrumah in 1957, followed by French West Africa, which voted for autonomy in a 1958 referendum in France. The British colonies gained independence the following decade, ending nearly a century and a half of European rule. It was during this time that the region would experience most of it's economical, military, and political growth. Such figures as Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, led the region into a form of prosperity unmatched by most of the rest of Africa. The two aforementioned nations became economic powerhouses, while others such as Mali and Guinea became industrial juggernauts.

Liberia experienced some political turmoil in the 1970s. though a deal was struck between the minority-led True Wig Party that had controlled the country even since it's independence in 1847, and the native Grebo and Kru gaining a say in the running of the government. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was founded shortly after in 1987, and a small jointly-led and commanded security force known as the Quick Reactionary Defence Force (QRDF), was created the same year. It was made up of a small, 10,000-man army, armed with weapons weapon purchased from the United States and Britian. It was put to use in when Sierra Leone was placed in a dire situtation in 1991, when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), attempted to wrestle power from the government under Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. The QRDF was deployed immediately, and in the short but decisive war, the unit defeated the poorly-equipped and trained rebel force.

The QDRF was expanded to 70,000 men, and renamed the United West African Army (UWAA), and became the chief military arm of the ECOWAS. It participated in a number of conflicts that would have destabilized the region, such as the Tuareg Uprising in 1997 in Mali. Though the ECOWAS won the conflict, it ended peacefully, with the Tuareg people being grant independence, and the formation of the State of Azawad. The new nation turned down the invitation to join the economic community, but joined as an observer. The GDP of the region was estimated at around $860 billion dollars, as oil and natural gas explotation went underway. Industrial manufacturing of cars, planes, and replacement parts for military vehicles became part of the economic backbone of the region. The mining and lumber industries were growing, as well as the service industry.

Formation
On May 5, 2001, the Mandinka Federation was formed out of the members of the ECOWAS, following the agreement on the part of the leaders that their economies and industries had grown interdependet on each other. The state was recognized by the United nations and it's members, and soon grew to surpass the achievements of the independent states that preceded it.

Mandinka was the brainchild of Maurice Williams, an African-American national a generation removed from the region by way of his mother, a native of Guinea. He moved to Côte d'Ivoire in 1997, seeking to join the economic barons in the region. He however, was interested in united the nations upon seeing the untapped potential of the region. He spent years getting in contact with politicans, civilian officials, and military commanders, building a name for himself, and getting in touch with the people. He built confiadence in his leadership by gaining the position of Minister of Finance in 1999 in Côte d'Ivoire, and wiping in clean of it's foreign debt. He was able to gain the trust of many of the region's head of state, who he convinced to give him complete control of their economies. While the request came as a shock to some, his credentials and reputation as a trustworthy businessman, led to a general concensus as to his qualification for the job. He was able to reform the economy and pegged the currencies of the ECOWAS members to the US Dollar, a move that helped the region greatly economy wise.

As the heads of states celebrated "their" success, Maurice was able to convince them once more to allow him to led a series of programs that would benefit everyone. They gave him the green light, and placing himself as the face of the reforms, Maurice was able to publically declare himself the man behind the progressive reforms. By late 2000, he had the full support of the people, the military, and the ECOWAS, and held great sway over the political decisions made by the members nations. By early 2001, he was the de facto head of state of the entirety of West Africa, with the exceptions of Nigeria and Togo, and on May 5th, simply declared himself President of the Mandinka Federation, with little to no protest from supporters. While France did denouce him for indifinately suspending elections, there was no outrage to the move. He was generally comended by the rest of the world, and even lauded by the President of Senegal.

Under the new government, reforms were made to the religious, economic, and social blocs of Mandinka. Islam, the once predominate religion in the region, was covertly attacked by the government. Mandinka officials faked attacks on the people, and blamed it on the Muslim community. Mosques were raided, and weapon stashes, not there before, were "discovered" by the military. To avoid persecution, Muslims quickly converted to any other religion, most chose Chrisitianity, which was placed by the government as the only "safe" religion, on that would not be targeted by the government due to a "mutual understanding of local security". Soon, women were attacked by the government. Foreign media depicted women in shows and cartoons usually as morally and mentally superior to men, something that the male-dominated government under President Williams saw as a threat to their power. Movements were quickly made to stomp out feminist movements in the country, and put women "back in their place". Women were not allowed to run for high-ranking positions in politics or the military, though the latter was soon overturned.

It wasn't long until the LGBT community was targeted by the government as well. As the region had witnessed, nations like Uganda and Rwanda were attempting to pass bills that make homosexuality illegal. This was countered by the U.S. and Europe by threatening to withhold vital monterary aid and food shipments to the countries, unless they refuse to pass bills the majority of their country wanted. It disgusted the Mandinka government, and the people, not dependent on foreign aid, saught to do the world one better, and "deal" with the gay issue. Maurice Williams and his government passed the Morality Bill in March 6, 2002, which gave the population and the military the right to end the life of anyone found to be gay. This was be the first nail in the coffin for the Mandinka foreign reputation. France and Britian publically denouced the move, and the United States called Maurice Williams a bigot and genocidal maniac. However, no words or sanctions could prevent the genocide of the LGBT coummunity in the later months. Over the course of nine months, the Mandinka military and citizenry hunted down and murdered 900,000 homosexual Mandinka. It is believed that only 23,000 native Mandinka who were openly gay survived that purge. Needless to say, this act tainted the new administation.

Culture
The Mandinka Federation has a population of 167 million people as of January 1st, 2012. The official languages of Mandinka are English, French, and Mande. English is spoken in the major cities of Mandinka, while French is the day-to-day language. Mande is spoken mainly in the rural areas of the country. All Mande-related languages are recognized by the government, and adaption of the Vai script for the entire nation completed in August of 2009. Christianity is the state religion, having surpassed Islam as the chief religion in the region. No other religion is recognized by the state, and all religious institutions and places of worship have been closed, and banned from Mandinka.

Racism is generally looked down upon by the government, and acts of racially-fuelled hate crimes are illegal. The death penalty is defended by law, and openly used in the streets by the military, who's officiers wield the power of judge, jury, and executioner. For that reason, crime is generally low in the industrialized parts of Mandinka. Men have full rights in the nation, while women have fewer. They do not recieve equal pay, and are not allowed to vote, though they are occasionally allowed to run for a local office, while higher government position are usually if not always filled by men. Abortion is outlawed all across the country, with abortionists hunted down by the state police, and executed in the streets. Rape victims who seek an abortion are put in "maternity prison", where they are held in custody for the entirety of their pregnacy, and executed for attempted murder once they have given birth. The child is then handed over to the next of kin, or kept by the government if a suitable family cannot be found.

Firearms are permitted for civilian use, though tight gun laws prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Only men may purchase weapons, while women must secure permission from the government to buy one. Men of any age may procure a weapons license. Guns are an important part of Mandinka life, and a symbol of defiance and independence. Most of the population possess celluar phones, and most households have a computer and access to the internet. Though the government keeps an eye on it's usage, it does not restrict access to it. Nearly 70-75% of the population have access to cars. Sports are of particular importance to the Mandinka people, with soccer being a major sport. Basketball was recently introduced following the nation's African-American leader's establishing the first national basketball league in 2003. Music and media are regulated, to ensure that pornographic movies are not allowed in the general media, though such videos and icons are allowed to flow on the market.

Religion
The Mandinka Federation is a secular state, with a clear division between the chruch and state. However, the President of Mandinka's personal religious views have interfered with that division. There is no constitutionally protected religious rights, and no freedom of religion. Only Christianity is recognized by the state, with all other religions outlawed. 80% of the population see themselves as Christian, while the other 20% cling to other religions, or no religion at all. This is allowed, as the government does not forbid the practice of a religion in the privacy of one's own home. However, religious gatherings are forbidden. Since the Mandinka Reforms in 2001, Islam was beaten back, with the once overwhelming Muslim majority making up 90% of the population. That number has since fallen to 10%.

Economy
Mandinka's legal tender is known as the Dollar. It is a highly popular reserve currency, as it has a high exchange rate, and reassuring backing by the Mandika government. Mandinka has no national debt, having payed off it's creditors shortly after President Williams took over in 2001. His learning of economic science did the nation wonders in it's early years. As of 2003, all regulation of the economy is the responsibility of the Department of Revenue.

The Mandinka GDP is estimated for 2012 at $1.21 trillion, and is one of the fastest growing in the world. Economic analysis of the Mandinka economy has stated that for the size of the population, and the amount of resources in the country, the GDP should be much higher than it is currently. This may be attributed to the fact that the industry has only been developed for the past 80 years, and has yet to reach it's full potential. The monetary system is backed by a strong gold reserve, and foreign investement. Platinum, silver, and diamonds are also forms of backing in the country. $900 billion is in circulation as paper currency and coin money. Following Maurice's economic reforms, the Mandinka dollar is now printed in $1, $5, $10, $50, $100, and in rare cases, $1000 bills. Coins come in 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent worth, and in larger cities $1. Maurice ordered the penny's usage in the new monatery outlawed, seeing the coin's use a wasteful and generally pointless. The printing of money is handled by the National Minting Department, a brand of the Department of Revenue.

Since Maurice's economic reforms, Mandinka's economy is largely technology-based. Banking and heavy industry are also major players in the reformed economy. Products such as weapons, ammunition, vehicles, robotics, industrial equipment, and high-tech wares are popular exports of the country. Fruits and raw minerals are are addition exports the drive the economy of Mandinka, and diamond mining and oil exploration help provide additional funds for the government. Several South American countries import Mandinka oil, and other nations in the Middle East import Mandinka goods following the blockades by the Allied States of America. This has made Mandinka a political and economical enemy of the ASA. Stocks for numerous companies and businesses can be found in the country. The Lagos Stock Exchange (LSE) is the primary broker for investors, while the Abidjan Stock Exchange (ASE), handles the domestic market.

Taxes
Taxes are based on a six-class system. The Class F taxpayers (alien residents), have 7% of their income taxed. Class E taxpayers (lower class citizens), have 8% of their income taxed, as they make less than $19,000 a year. The middle class, or Class D, have 15% of their $27,000 to $31,000 income taxed, while the Class A, B, and C (government workers, upper class, and upper middle class in that order), have 35%, 25%, and 20% of their income taxed, respectively. No citizen goes untaxed, save those serving in the President's cabinet, and even then, it only covers government allowences, not personal income.

Technology
In technological terms, Mandinka is one of the most advanced nations on the planet. Having ridded the country of human rights, government interfernce, and corporate bickering, technological advancement has been aided by the country's President. Companies such as the Maendeleo Corporation provide Mandinka with all the science and hardware needed to keep up with the rest of the world. Mandinka's fear of the "military adventurism" of the Union of Everett and the Allied States of America, have lead to it developing technologices that have been declared inhumane by other nations worldwide.

Aware that the oil supply would not run forever, Mandinka has been developing non-oil alternatives for transportation. Electrically-powered vehicles and aeroplanes haves have been produced in vast quantities, and new bio-fuels and solar-powered devices are on the market. Development of such alternately powered machinery has extended to factories throughout the country, as Mandinka strives to modernizes it's industrial base. Automotive companies have been forced by the government to either work up to new government fuel policies or develop new vehicles for the market, and threatened with the shutdown of their plants, and withdrawal of all government investment in the case that they fail to follow through with the modernization projects. Railways and highways are being contructed all across Mandinka, and bullet train rails built and exported from the East Asian Federation have been laid down from Monrovia, to Abidjan, to Lagos, and another one connecting Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in under construction.

The defense industry is of considerable importantance to the government and the country, as the military is in need of a constant flow of high-tech wares to keep up the country's campaigns of conquest in the region. Deterrence is key factor in the government's defensive policies toward potential aggressors, and thus, requires powerful weapons and technologies to suppliment it's large military. Defensive installations are located all across the country, equipped with powerful laser arrays to defend against the possiblity of nuclear attacks. Radars and satillites are on constant guard against foreign invaders, and need round-the-clock maintaince and upkeep by skilled crews trained in the lastest tech and gadgetry aviliable to Mandinka. Studies into the threats posed by EMP attacks and cyberwarfare have lead to the Mandinka developing newer ways to counter such attacks against them. Military installations have EMP protection, and counter-hacker teams are stationed all across the country to protect the nations data networks.

Military
The Mandinka Federation has two military forces. The first is the Armed Forces of the Mandinka Federation (or just the Armed Forces of Mandinka or AFM), and the second being the Mandinka Expansionary Forces (MEF). The former is divided into three main branches, the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each is further broken down into additional branches, each tasked with handling a specific field of combat. The MEF is the larger of the two militaries, and is made up of moderately-equipped and trained soldiers, charged with expanding the borders of the country.

The Armed Forces of Mandinka are divided into the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The AFM consists of some three million troops, with another two million in reserve. It is the largest branch of military, and service compulsory for both men and women. The Army is divided into the Federal Security Forces (general combat), Marine Corps, and Territorial Defence Force. The FSF is made up of some 800,000 men and women, trained to protect and serve the people of the homeland, and keep the populace in line with the government's strict rules of conduct. It is the best equipped and trained of the entire military, and is the last last of defense of Mandinka. The Territorial Defence Force (TDF), is the largest of all the branches, with 1,500,000 troops. It is charged with keeping newly conquered territories in line, and generally serving as auxiliries to the main fighting force.

The Navy is made up of some 300,000 men and women, and some 172 vessels. The Mandinka navy is amoungst one of the strongest in the world, with a large variety of warships ranging from everything from battleships and carriers to frigates and destroyers. It is a largely modern navy, with the vast majority of the warships purchased from aging navies around the world, and retrofitted in Mandinka, and home-built warships equipped with the lastest weapons technology available. To supplement it's fighting forces, seven hospital ships where purchased by the government, though three of them have been delivered already. A few of the Mandinka battleships are equipped with railguns and laser defences as part of the navy's modernization program. The navy currently possesses three supercarriers, each stationed in parts of the world where the nation has major interests. Mandinka has no coast guard, as that function is filled by the smaller warships in the country's navy.

The Mandinka Air Force is by far the prestigeous branch of the military, and the most advanced. It possesses 400,000 men and women, and some 3,000 aircraft. Utilizing such air superiority fighters such as the MC-47 Vulture and MC-83 Condor, have helped the air force keep a tight reign on the flow of air traffic through Mandinka air space. The Air Force also keeps a check on the nation's burgeoning nuclear warhead arsenal. Some 130 nuclear warheads are maintained by the MAF. Following a series of aerial attacks on Mandinka fusion plants, the MAF has been striving to keep up with their rival's air force weaponry, developing new weapons to counter the larger and superior Everetti air force. The air force maintains some 147 bases of varying sizes throughout the country.

The Mandinka Expansionary Forces is the personal army of the President of the Mandinka Federation. Whereas the AFM does answer to the President during times of war, it is mainly a defensive force. The MEF is the offensive arm of the government, spearheading invasions, launching raids, and conducting special missions for the President, though no where as good as the special forces of the regular military. They are not the best equipped army of Mandinka (that honor going to the FSF), but they are easily the largest. There are an estimated four million active men and women in the MEF, paid less than $20 a month. They are the vargabonds, criminals, and the poor, all given an alternative to the mandatory death penalty. They get to do as they please during combat, and are given weaponry as that is capable of doing the job. They recieve little respect from the rest of the military, but are capable of fighting just as well with inferior weaponry.