Satamurta

The Federation of Seven States ( ⵜⵎⵣⴷⵢⵜ ન ⵙ ⵜⵎⵓⵔⵜ lit. Community of Seven Tribes) commonly referred to as sa-Tamurt or Satamurta is a located in Anterra. sa-Tamurt is the xx largest state at **size**. It is the second-most northern sovereign state of Kesh. It is bordered to the north by Jungastia, to the west by the Iapetus Ocean, and to the south Aftarestan. Notable for its expansive deserts in the west, much of the urban population live in coastal regions. sa-Tamurta is also known for the lake known as ⵎⴻⵇⵇⵡⵔⵏⵜⵉⵙⴻⵏⵜⵎⵏ (lit "Great salt water"), a salt lake of more than 25,000 square km.

sa-Tamurta's multiple levels of elected monarchy, developed as a result of the nation's federalisation from seven independent states have led to ceremony being a key part of sa-Tamurtan culture, with music playing a fundamental part. **Foreign** influence has led to a number of international music varieties intertwining with traditional music, with big band fusion becoming one of the most popular styles played in sa-Tamurta.

sa-Tamurta's predominant religion is Plenism, a polytheistic traditional nomadic religion notable for its polytheistic pantheon and unique funerary rights. Practiced for millennia, the religion is also worshipped in large parts of south Jungastia.

Geography
sa-Tamurta has a coast by the Eurybian Sea. Six small islands lie northwest of mainland sa-Tamurta, variously claimed by Qurac, Jungastia and sa-Tamurt.

The geography of sa-Tamura spans from the Eurybian Sea, to cold desert plateaus in the south west, to a minor mountain range in the north marking the border with Jungastia. The Anti-Doce Mountain Range, named after the larger Range north of the border in Jungastia, is mainly inhabited by nomadic Berber tribes.

The Great Salt Lake
The great salt lake is a 12,725 square kilometre saltwater basin in eastern sa-Tamurta. Locally known as ⴰⵎⴻⵇⵇⵡⵔⴰⵏ ⵜⵉⵙⴻⵏⵜ ⴰⵎⴰⵏ (lit. Great Salt Water), its shores are 240.2 metres below sea level - making it the lowest elevation in Anterra. AT more than 320 m deep, it is also the deepest hypersaline lake in Anterra, as well as the saliest body of water at just over 10 times the salinity of the Eurybian Sea. The lake has a salinity of 402 g/kg (40.2%), making swimming similar to simply floating.

Having attracted visitors from around Northern Kesh for thousands of years, it holds the record as one of Anterra's first health resorts.

Economy
sa-Tamurta has a with a skilled labour force, low corruption, and moderate levels of innovation. The service sector of the economy contributes approximately 63% of the national GDP, industry 32%, and agriculture 5% as measured in the National Statistics Agency's 2019 economy report.

Manufacturing is a key part of the sa-Tamurtan economy. Unusually, sa-Tamurta hosts an above-average number of railway rolling stock manufacturers, although significant numbers of smaller manufacturers produce equipment associated with railway infrastructure, making the wider sector one of sa-Tamurta's chief exports.

Agricultural research and development also forms an integral part of the sa-Tamurtan economy. In 2020 sa-Tamurta ranked xxth in terms of the number of agricultural research papers published, and despite the desert climate produces significant portions of food for export.

Tourism
Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the sa-Tamurtan economy. Well-developed with a strong industry focused on the country's culture and geography (in particular the Great Salt Lake), more than 22 million tourists visited sa-Tamurta in 2020. Heavy investment in tourism development has led to the industry becoming one of the largest foreign exchange earners in the country.

Agriculture
Agriculture in sa-Tamurta employs around 1.3% of the national workforce, predominantly in oasis regions where heavily-mechanised farming takes place. Oases areas are the predominant locations for food growth, as less than 3% of sa-Tamurta is considered as arable land. sa-Tamurta imports the majority of its own food requirements as a result.

Livestock are traditionally reared by nomadic populations, although industrial livestock farming has gained traction and has become more widespread since the economic reforms of the 1970's. Desertification due to overgrazing is becoming a problem, however, and legislation was recently enacted to impose restrictions on grazing areas.

Railways
The period after the Great Kesh War saw a significant boom in infrastructure building in sa-Tamurta, and the country quickly gained a significant expertise in railway infrastructure. A joint agreement with neighbouring Jungastia led to the creation of the Northern Kesh gauge, offering one of the largest railway gauges in Anterra. Significant incentivisation programs led to the creation of a number of rolling stock manufacturers who now export across the world, and the sa-Tamurtan railway infrastructure industry now constitutes a significant proportion of the manufacturing sector.

Transportation
sa-Tamurta's transport policies have fostered a significant growth in public transport infrastructure, although cars are more common in the remote parts of the country, particularly among nomadic populations that no longer rely on camels.

National Railways sa-Tamurta operates a network of high-speed lines serving major cities and destinations in neighbouring Jungastia, with speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph). The network is notable for its unique Northern Kesh gauge trains - developed in conjunction with Jungastia and one of the largest loading gauges in Anterra.

Culture
sa-Tamurta's rich culture and heritage has developed from from its centuries of contact with the wider world, combining its Berber cultural heritage with external influences including that of Jungastia to the north.

Each region of sa-Tamurta possesses its own unique specificities, with cultural preservation rating as one of the top priorities of the national government. In 2017, the incumbent government created the Office for Cultural Preservation, tasked with recording all aspects of national culture for preservation (a challenging task considering the number of oral traditions in Tamuran nomadic culture).