Draft:Testimonia (fictional country)

Testimonia is a fictional country created by Naman Vivek Puri, Vihan Bharatwal and Shikhar Thakur. It is an island nation in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska. It was created as a project between the three friends after inventing a constructed language, Testimonia. The country gained independence from Russia on 29 December 1781, after nearly 100 years of occupation as a Russian Oblast. The country is culturally and religiously diverse, with many languages and ethnicities. The country is mostly comprised of snowy taigas and tundras, with 2 mountain ranges, and also a few smaller islands and beaches. The main river, the Holmer, is the lifeline of the entire nation. The current king is Majd Osman, with his son Ahmed being the president.

History
In the fictional world, the first inhabitants of the island came from Russia almost 12,000 years ago during the Palaeolithic period, when the Bering Land Bridge was submerging. The inhabitants soon started to adapt to their new environment, and developed a unique culture.

The Testimonian Muslims believe that Prophet Yunus (A.S) was released by the whale on the island of Ank. But, historical records suggest that during the year 1348, the first Muslim Traders brought the Holy Quran with them, which led to many natives converting into Islam. The first Christian Missionaries arrived in Testimonia from Russia, and many settled there.

The Testimonian Hindus believe that during the year 1006 AD, the Hindu community lived in Alaska. They used the sun’s energy for heating, which disrupted the environment and led to the ice melting. They believe that Goddess Saraswat i got angry, and flooded the entire settlement. Manu the Great then built an ark, and took the remaining survivors of the flood and the settlement and arrived on Testimonia.

On the year 1629, the Tsardom of Russia hoisted an invasion of Testimonia, capturing the western part of the nation. By the year 1643, the entire mainland Testimonia was converted into an oblast. Russia used Testimonia as a tool to occupy Alaska. Testimonia was also full of resources, so for Russia, Testimonia was one of their economic hubs.

On 4th February 1666, protesters rioted in front of Fort Rok against the destruction of their homes, which were then given to Russian settlers. This led to the 1666 Revolt, in which Testimonians and Russians fought, leading to the death of around 15,000 people, including 274 Russian troops.

On 30th January 1674, a blessed fox named Alopus called the people of the small village of Karovaville, and led them to Alopusville (known by the Russians as “Сосновая Деревня” which means “pine forest”). They resided there, gathering materials to retaliate. Finally, on 29 September 1781, the villagers and Alopus retaliated and fought a war for 2 months, which led to the independence of Testimonia on 29 December 1781.

Geography
Testimonia is mainly comprised of taiga, with lots of pine and Solysa trees. The most northern part of the nation is made up of the tundra. The east coast is rather warmer than the other parts of the country, with beaches predominantly existing in the state of Div. There are 4 major islands. Ank is the only island which is a state and which has a volcano, Mount Kit.

The south-west portion is mostly comprised of grassy plateaus, and the north-west having a mountain range (the Holmer) and a desert (Maskay desert). The river Holmer flows from Mount Holmer and empties into the Testimonian Sea. The area surrounding the river is grassland. Mount Alopus is the highest peak, located in the Alopus Mountain Range, in Alopustan. The mountain has a height of approximately 3,224 metres. The mountain also houses the Temple of Alopus, the main pilgrimage site for Alopists.

The average minimum temperature in mainland Testimonia is-20 degrees Celsius or -4 degrees Fahrenheit. The average maximum temperature is around 27 degrees Celsius or 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowfall mainly starts during late October and ends in April.

Ethnic Groups
The people of Testimonia belong to various different ethnic groups, with the majority of them being native Testimonians. Testimonians comprise of 54% of the total population, Russians making up 16%, Arabs making 10%, mainly Lebanese and Palestinians, Indians being 8%, 2% Kityazyks, 5% Tatars, 3% Dragomirs and 2% Kastrovic.

Religion
Testimonia is religiously diverse. Islam and Hinduism are both the majorities, both having a share of 37% of the total population. Shia Islam makes up 60% of the total Muslim population, Sunni being 39% and Ahmadiyya being 1%. In Hinduism, Shaivism makes up 50%, predominantly in the tundra region, and Vaishnavism making up 50%, being spread throughout the country. Christianity makes up 20% of the total population, with Russian Orthodoxy being the major kind of Christianity. Alopusism makes up 3%, Judaism makes up 0.5%, Sikhism makes up 0.5%, Buddhism makes up 0.5%, Omashuism makes up 1% and the rest being traditional folk religions.