User:Alcardens/Sandbox

Heavenly Diarchy of Synchrosis (Xismo) Tiòrchìrin Fríná ro Sfchriósis (Romni) Tepurena Ferio Saeglioso (Tilennan) Diarchie Céleste de Sinchrose (Ovancian)
Flag Xismian Knot
Motto: "Taù Sfán í Mnaurá" (Xismo) "Càneirèla Melaerí" (Tilennan) "Scintillant en Liberté" (Ovancian) "Shimmering in Freedom"
Anthem: Frína í Lána Feria Loní Ciel dans l'Océan Heaven in the Ocean
Sfchriósis      East Tethys      Anterra
Location	East Tethys
Capital and largest city	Xàlmni 9°14'N, 116°38'W
Official languages	Xismo
Recognised national languages	Xismo, Tilennan, Ovancian
Ethnic groups (2018) TIS	East Tethian, Tilennan, West Artemian, West Tethian, Other
Religion (2018) TIS	Lonàkae, Catholic Christianity
Demonym	Sfchriósi, Synchrosian
Government	Unitary Elected Diarchy (Xfúris)
• Monarch (Xfúris)	Saumno Tfíri Kchirú Mniòra
• High Astrologer	Liochna Àris
Legislature	Astrological Council
• Upper house	Celestial Realm
• Lower house	Earthly Realm
Independence
• Insennian Claim	24 May 1563
• Tilennan Reunification	24 December 1744
• Ovancian Recolonisation	12 March 1862
• Liberation	2 November 1923
• Independence from Tilenno	4 October 1952
Area
• total	1,233.44 km2 (476.23 sq mi) (128th)
• Water (%)	0.12
Population
• 2020 estimate	134,720 (100th)
• Density	109.26/km2 (283.0/sq mi) (57th)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$0.720 Billion (100th)
• Per capita	$5,342 (100th)
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$0.532 Billion (100th)
• Per capita	$3,949 (100th)
Gini (2020)	53 TIS high · 100th
HDI (2019)	0.765 TIS high · 100th
Currency	Tilennan Jewel (TLQ)
Time zone	UTC-8:00 (ETT)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+612
ISO 3166 code	SX
Internet TLD	.sx
In Anglic both Sfchriósis and Synchrosis are correct terms to refer to the islands, however Sfchriósis is preferred by the national government

Sfchriósis (Xismo: Sfxriósis [sɸxr˩˥ɪɔs˧ɪs] (listen); Tilennan: Saeglioses [sɑiɣliosɛs] (listen); Ovancian: Sinchrose [sɛ̃.kʁɔz] (listen)), formally known as the Heavenly Diarchy of Sfchriósis (Xismo: Tiòrchìrin Fríná ro Sfchriósis [t˥˩ɪɔrx˥˩ɪr˧ɪn ɸr˩˥ɪn˩˥ɑ r˧ɔ sɸxr˩˥ɪɔs˧ɪs] (listen); Tilennan: Tepurena Ferio Saeglioso [teːpʏːʀeːnɑ feːʀiɔ sɑiɣliosɔ] (listen); Ovancian: Diarchie Céleste de Sinchrose [djaʁ.ʃi se.lɛst də sɛ̃.kʁɔz] (listen)), sometimes also referred to as Synchrosis or Saeglioses is an sovereign island nation located in the East Tethys. It shares a maritime border with the Yarovan territory of Latanga to the North and Tilenno to the East. Sfchriósis covers a land area of 1,233 km² making it Anterra's 128th largest nation by area. The islands are home to approximately 134,720 people, making it the 98th largest nation by population. Sfchriósis is organised as a unitary state with at its head a diarchy of two Xfurís. The nation is divided into 6 regions, which are further subdivided into townships. Sfchriósis' largest city and capital is the city of Xàlmni, located on the second-largest island Fchasó in the region of Fchasìrin. Other notable towns include Mnìrcho, Tichnú and Fòrachmnísu.

Humans have inhabited the Synchrosian islands from as far back as the 2nd millenium BCE. The first people to arrive there sailed West from North Avalonia, mainly coming from what's now Tilenno. Over the centuries the islands fell in and out of control by mainland Perellan kingdoms and states. Their culture has therefore been largely influenced by that of Perella. At the beginning of the Artemian age of exploration, Sfchríosis was an independent kingdom. It refused the offer to join the Tilennan Royal Confederacy to avoid drawing unwanted attention and trouble. Yet, in 1563 the islands got claimed by Insennia, but being an far flung territory without any strategical benefit, Insennian influence was very minimal and large scale settlement remained out. After Tilenno won their colonial war with Ovancia and got reunified, it lay claim on the Synchrosian islands as rightfully part of the Tilennan world. Insennia, who didn't want to risk a fiasco like Ovancia, sold the islands to the Tilennan Confederacy. However during the late 19th century Artemian influence in the Tethys started to rise and suddenly the islands had strategic importance. That's why in 1862 Ovancia took control of Sfchriósis after winning against the Tilennan navy. This occupation lasted until the Grand Campaigns in which Tilenno took advantage of the Artemian chaos to reclaim the islands. However Sfchríosis was not happy with this situation and after some protests they decided they wanted independence via a referendum in which 58% voted yes. The islands have remained independent and largely neutral on the international front since.

Sfchriósis has a relatively small economy with a GDP (PPP) of only $720 million, approximately $5,342 per capita. It is mostly reliant on tourism and fisheries as a main source of income. Their largest export is Synchrosian honey, which is very popular in East Kesh. In the last decade the islands have also seen an increase in remote service jobs in the Tilennan telecommunication and customer service industry. Sfchriósis' main trading partner is Tilenno with almost 80% of imports coming from there, followed by Brigantica, Yarova and Osorra. The standard of living is nevertheless quite high, mainly due to foreign aid from North Avalonian nations.

Etymology

Accurate representation of the East Tethys island formation according to Synchrosian mythology

The term Sfchriósis was first mentioned in a Tilennan book from the 2nd century BCE which featured a simple map of the trade connections from Làgora to the East Tethian Isles. The islands were labelled 'Sifachi Feriles', which is believed to be a poor Tilennan interpretation of the actual name, which would likely have been Sfachi Frilosis at the time.

Sfchriósis is believed to be a contraction of the words sfchí, meaning rocks and fríosa, to fall. The name for the islands would simply translate to fallen rocks. This is in reference to the origin myth of the islands. During the war between the god of the Sun (Kió) and the godess of the Ocean (Lìna), Kió's son, Kìrno, god of the land, volcanos and fire, found himself in a fight against Fúlnis. In a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand, he dug deep into the earth and threw red hot rocks at his opponent, temporarily blinding her. Some of the rocks missed and flew far into the Tethys ocean, creating the East Tethian isles. The hole he dug, got filled with the tears of Fúlnis, creating the Lake of Gantes in Tilenno.

Some people like to point out the similarity between the Ovancian name Sinchrose and the Christian saints, Chrysostomos, Chrysanthus, Christina or Christopher. However this is a mere coincedence as the native term is noticeably different and has existed before the Ovancian claim. This hasn't stopped the name Saint Chrysostomos Islands and other variations from popping up on Artemian maps over the centuries.

Another misconception is that the name would be Helinikan in origin. Often it gets retroactively constructed from the particle συv-, meaning with and the word χρυσος, meaning gold. The name of the islands could therefore be interpreted as land with gold or simply as rich lands. However this is often just stated as a fun fact, with no real experts backing up this explanation.

Sfchriósis' name across different language can vary quite a bit. This is often due to the hard to pronounce cluster of /sfxr/ at the beginning, leading other languages to opt for a simpler alternative that fits the phonology of their language. For example the Tilennan name is Saegliosis, which moved some sounds around as the language has a distinct lack of clusters, except for a few. The Ovancian name Sinchrose came about as the actual name got misheard as Sichriosis, which over time morphed into Sinchrose, which in turn inspired the Anglic Synchrosis.

History

Pre-colonial History (... - 1563)

Early Migration

Migration paths of the early Tethian settlers

Traditional boats used by the early Tethian sailors

It is estimated that the first people arrived on the Synchrosian Isles around 2000 BCE. Pottery and art from around this time have been found back on numerous locations across the nation. These people are believed to be a mix of different Perellan people groups, as can be seen by the presence of the typical Tilennan white hair gene mutation found in a decent percentage of the population. Sfchriósis was a jumping board for further expansion across the East and South Tethian islands by early settlers, although it is still unknown in which order Latanga and Sfchriósis were reached.

These sailors used a variety of different orientation techniques to find their way across the vast seas. Most commonly they utilised the stars and constellations from Shudaraina, like the cross of Bàja, to orientate themselves. By finding the distinguishing star Bàja α and the other 3 centre stars, they drew a cross between these 4 stars and took the intersection point to find the polar north. Another method for orientation was relying on the sun's rising and setting pattern for when the stars weren't visible. Some really extraordinary navigators could even triangulate their approximate position in the later ages before the compass. Other methods like swell and bird spotting were used as well. Navigators were therefore well versed in multiple aspects.

These early people utilised a local tribal system to divide the little resources they had, similar to the palace economies of the mainland. By the first millennium BCE, the population of the islands is estimated to have risen to 10,000 people. Contact with the larger dynasties of the mainland let to the development of trade, of which the islands were often used as a hub to the rest of the East Tethys. The islands themselves offered exotic products like sugar, pineapples and spices.

Geography

Typical landscape of the Synchrosian islands near Làsio, Lauchfíris in the South

Sfchriósis is an archipelago not far West from the North Avalonian coast. It lies at roughly 10 degrees North and 115 degrees West. It is one of the few sovereign nations completely located on the far side of Anterra at more than 90 degrees from the prime meridian. The archipelago covers an area of roughly 240,000 km², of which only 0.5% is dry land, it also spans a distance of 500 km North to South and 850 km East to West.

It total Sfchriósis covers a land area 1,233 km², which consists of approximately 300 islands. Most of these islands are located in one of the 10 main atolls of the nation. However the largest islands are located outside of these atolls. These are Safntisú, on which the town of Salfimnió is located, Fchasí, home to the capital of Xalmní, and Tichnú with the eponymous town of Tichnú. Safntisú and Fchas;i are both located in the region of Fchasìrin, making it the largest region by land area with 30% of all land located there.

The nation is in general very low-lying, with the highest point only rising 34 m above sea level in Atchís Point on Safntisú. There exist no real rivers, except from a couple small semi-permanent creeks on the larger islands.

Atolls

The predominant type of island found in Sfchriósis are atolls. They formed due to the presence of the converging plate boundary that runs along the Tethys Ocean. Due to this most islands are small low-lying. Coral can be found on the shelves of the majority of the islands. Sfchriósis only features atolls with semi-enclosed lagoons that contain brackisch water. While the islands were formed by volcanic activity, the nation doesn't have any active volcanoes anymore and is tectonically stable.

There are 10 main atolls in Sfchriósis. They are spread across the entire nation. Only the region of Fchasìrin doesn't have any. The largest atoll is the Lauchfíris atoll which makes up the entire landmass of the region of Lauchfíris. In a similar way the second largest atoll, Nàmirís, is its own region as well. Both these atoll are inhabited, while the third largest atoll, Fausmníris atoll in the region of Sórfsìrin, is for the most part uninhabited, except for a couple resorts. Both the region of Sórfsìrin and Xiòfstìrin tie for most atolls as they both have three. Fiosúmnìrin only has two, while the last two regions completly exist out of one atoll.

Lauchfíris Atoll, largest atoll of the Synchrosian Isles, located in the south of the nation

Area Rank	Name	Region	Area (km²)	Land Area (km²)	Largest Town	Population
1	Lauchfíris Atoll	Lauchfíris	1,767	74	Làsio	6,210
2	Nàmíris Atoll	Nàmíris	1,542	93	Mnìrcho	16,450
3	Fausmníris Atoll	Sórfsìrin	824	78	Kúris	120
4	Tichníris Atoll	Xiòfstìrin	792	62	Tichnú	12,540
5	Sàlfoníris Atoll	Xiòfstìrin	785	46	Málmnso	80
6	Fòrachmíris Atoll	Sórfsìrin	589	44	Fòrachmnísu	8,430
7	Xniòtíris Atoll	Xiòfstìrin	471	47	Xniòta	1,620
8	Kchòmíris Atoll	Fiosúmnìrin	452	32	Sfàrino	160
9	Atriolíris Atoll	Fiosúmnìrin	314	28	Sàfchrilo	870
10	Mílimníris Atoll	Sórfsìrin	48	11	Mílimna	20

Biodiversity

Mangroves on the Synchrosian Isles

Sfchriósis has a varied and unique natural landscape. It features a high variety of plant species that hail from different parts of Anterra. Most species are shared with North Avalonia, like the Tilennan berry palm and the lysiloma. But species from other continents like South Avalonia, Artemia and Kesh can be found there too, most notably mangroves and pineapple plants.

The islands also feature a vast array of different animal species. However the nation completely lacks any native mammalian species, although pigs, rabbits, dogs and cats have been introduced over the centuries. Most species found on land are bird species, over 100 different species can be found. Most notably the orange-bellied parrot occurs there during the winter months. In addition to birds, some reptiles and amphibians also call Sfchriósis their home, like the tokay gecko and the poison dart frog.

The marine ecosystem of Sfchriósis is very intricate as well. Due to the large amount of atolls, many coral reefs exist across the islands in which a plethora of tropical fish species live as well as some larger sea animals like sharks and dolphins. On the beaches sea turtles can be found laying their eggs. However due to ongoing climate change and pollution many of the coral reefs have become endangered and are dying off at an alarming rate.

Climate

Sfchriósis has a stable tropical rainforest climate with warm temperatures and high rainfall year round. There isn't a large difference between the summer and winter months allowing many species to thrive there year round. Daily maximum temperatures vary between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius on average, while minimum temperatures fall between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature ever recorded on the islands being 37 degrees Celsius, while the lowest was only 15 degrees Celsius. Tropical storms occur regularly, but extreme cyclones are rare, only happening once every decade or so.

In recent decades climate change has become more observable in Sfchriósis, Due to its low-lying coral islands, many islands are shrinking at a fast pace. The rise in ocean temperatures and pollution also causes the coral reefs along the coasts to suffer and die off. Scientist predict that half of the Synchrosian Isles will be completely submerged by 2100, with some already threatening to disappear as soon as 2040. The government has already made international agreements with nations like Tilenno and Ovancia to relocate climate refugees in case of a complete devastation of the islands.

Politics

Administrative Divisions

Map of teh administrative divisions of the Synchrosian isles

Economy

Tourism

Tourism slogan: "In sync with Synchrosis"

Culture

Idea list

- Annual Tree Stabbing Contest

- Mílimníris Atoll Festival

- Literally cancelling life on misfortunate days

- Multiple layers of never-ending Vendetta

- King/Queen killing ceremonies

- Being gay is not fine here, unless you are a tourist

- Literally tourists can do whatever if they pay enough, the nation is very corrupt

- Psychedelics and heroin are a national past-time

- Preserving dried food in honey making everything horribly sweet

- I hope you like salty fish soup with chicken legs and if you are lucky some type of fresh anything, it's all you will get.

- Tallest building is some ugly-ass hotel from the 60's that everyone hates, but the cost of destruction is so high its not worth it so it's just used as social housing.

- Highest form of art are sea-life sculptures made of of wood pulp and tree sap and then painted in horrible neon colours to attract the attention of the sea gods

- Everyone is part of a volleyball team, literally not a choice, school makes it mandatory and everyone at work will hate you if you don't join the company team.

- The nations top level domain is a very popular choice for porn sites as .sx sounds like sex

- Some weird obsession with harps, the anthem is literally only a harp. Playing the harp is a mandatory requirement to graduate high school. In stead of singing the anthem, sports teams play harp instead, it looks very weird at international sports competitions. Luckily they rarely participate.

- There was some serial killer in the 80's and when they finally caught them he was tied to a pole and anything you wanted to do to him was legal. The people liked it so much that they started demanding the punishment more, but eventually it got so out of hand that it had to be banned. Only in very rare cases the practice is still used, but only for a select group of chosen people instead of whomever.

- Some guy blew up an Yarovan cruise ship in the 70s as a protest against Artemian pollution of the environment and military activity in the region. It was like Titanic but not as bad cause the water was warm at least. Anyway a statue was erected for this guy and Yarova couldn't really do anything because it was like one crazy guy.