Pukara

The Directorial Republic of Pukara is a located on the Pukara peninsula on the far west of the Paracas Coast. It's only land border is with Terres Riveraines which it borders to the north-east.

It was founded in 1935, as a client state of SiWallqanqa. Having existed since 1916 as a dependency of SiWallqanqa following the Pukarese Purchase, serving as the western base for their influence over the western Paracas states following the South Avalonian War.

History
First named the Cape of Heady Sails by Vallisian explorer Jean-Paul Satracé, later renamed Cape Conway during a Tiplansk surveying mission, after Governor Jan Conway of the Port Hope Colony. In 1845, it was again renamed, this time to the Shipwreck Cape to honour the several dozen ships that had perished sailing past it.

Colonisation
Colonisation began early in Pukara, as early as 1640, the peninsula was a excellent point to base whaling outposts upon, and served as a point of private investment from business owners in the Kingdom of Merandy, soon after missionaries descended upon the land to proselytize the native peoples. Within a century, a thriving series of coastal communities had developed, catering to the ships that would take leave before continuing their journey.

In 1725 a large outbreak of leprosy affected the settlers and numerous leper colonies were established by the Christian orders, the last of these leper colonies operated until 1948.

In 1822 Pukara was declared an official colony of the Commonwealth of Merandy and Curgovina, as a western point to base whaling operations from.

Following a change in the financial situation at home, the decision was made to sell Pukara to SiWallqanqa for about 8 million Paraci of silver (close to 250 billion Paraci at modern inflation).

Pukara was active during the South Avalonia War, fighting for SiWallqanqa and saw almost 15% of its population die in the fighting.

In 1935 it was made an independent nation, under a thinly veiled puppet government loyal to SiWallqanqa. Its modern government is much more independent from SiWallqanqan control, due to the various agreements made using the ECOMsAD parliamentary apparatus.

Military
The military of Pukara is known as the Armed Forces of Pukara and was founded in 1927. Its main headquarters is located in Korya Korya. The military of Pukara also functions as the police force.

Pukara has a National Service requirement, demanding at least 2 years service by all able-bodied people. This accomadates the AFP's disproportionately large size, with 44,400 active personnel, accounting for 7.4% of the total population.

The Pukara Royal Regiment (also known as the "Kamparanoj") is the elite fighting force of the AFP, operating with around 1,400 personnel (~300 combat troops).

Military Education
The Gendarmerie Criminal Investigations Academy and the Army Officers Academy are located on the outskirts of the town of Crawford in the Pundiya Department. The Gendarmerie Criminal Investigations Academy provides for the Gendarmerie as well as providing specialised training for investigations,,  and  to educate the investigative aspect of the Gendarmerie as well as ECOMsAD investigative police forces. The Naval & Air Force Officers Academy is located on the outskirts of Bear Trap, a small town on the outskirts of Korya Korya.

Flora and Fauna
Pukara is home to wide variety of plant and animal life, primarily concentrated on the littoral regions or the inland seasonal rainforests. Notable examples of coastal wildlife are:, petrels, , , , sea-lions, southern right whales, humpback whales and killer whales.

Notable inland and rainforest-bound bird species are:, a wide variety of parrots, cockatoos and herons. Pukara is also home to various owls such as the:, , (which is the national animal of Pukara) and. Notable land species include possums, wombats, echidnas, pangolins and introduced.

Geography
Much of the inland is covered either by dry grasslands, temperate rainforest or dry eucalyptus forest. The western coastline is predominately short jagged cliffs. With the sheltered south and eastern coast having long sandy beaches and coastal wetlands. Within the Mundie National Park, a single mountain overlooking the city of Korya Korya rises, Bensch Mountain. Bensch Mountain is a very young volcano, rising 856m above sea level. It is a non-active, whose last eruption was around 30,000 years ago.

Departments
Pukara is divided into four departments, overseen by local governments.
 * Conway - western peninsula
 * Pundiya - south-western peninsula
 * Korya Korya - the eastern coast and capital city
 * Mundie National Park - the central rainforest regions

Languages
The main languages spoken in Pukara, are:

With the following being common amongst international and ECOMsAD soldiers stationed in Pukara:

Tourism
Whale watching. Surfing on the western coasts, beach holidays on the eastern and southern. Sailing and fishing. Nature tours in the rainforests. SCUBA diving and salvaging the hundreds of wrecked ships on the western coast. Visiting the Dawson Owl Sanctuary, the largest wildlife sanctuary dedicated to birds of prey on Avalonia (each year it takes on several dozen international veterinarian students and eco-tourists for contracts working and contributing to their conservation efforts. It is popular amongst international students, mainly Vallis)

War Memorials
Pukara has the highest density of war memorials in the entire southern hemisphere, the main one being the Shrine of the Soldiers Sacrifice dedicated to every unknown soldier and warrior to have died in either colonial wars or modern wars, it serves as the centrepoint of the Reconciliation Day celebration, marking the end of the South Avalonian War.

There are memorials (graveyards, statues, pillars, gardens, monuments and shrines) dedicated to many wars and causes there: the colonial conflicts of Avalonia, the period of violence from 1890-1920, the South Avalonian War, south Avalonian involvement in the Grand Campaigns and the Kesh War, the Quechuan War, the Eurekan War and the recent SiWallqanqan Civil War.

This high density of memorials, in part honours the tens of thousands who fell in some of the bloodiest fighting of the South Avalonian War.

The, is a road following the Southern coastline of Pukara, and is commemorated as the largest war memorial in the southern hemisphere. It passes several tourist destinations and coastal features, and is a well-known tourist destination. At every kilometer a marker is set, inscribed with the names of a fallen soldier.