Federal States of Lemuria

Lemuria (officially The Federal States of Lemuria or The Super-Duper Federal States of Awesome Lemuria ) is a parliamentary republic and constitutional monarchy composed of 27 states on the continent of North Lemuria. It is bordered to the north by Elphonia, to the east by the Pacified Sea, to the south by Guacca, Trairre and Zirvai, and to the west by the Atlantean Ocean. The territories cover eight time-zones and many different climate zones. It is the second largest country by area and the fifth most populous.

Prehistory
Settlement in North Lemuria dates back to 1500 B.C.E. Archeological finds have found an early connection between the first settlers and prehistorical horses; they are often buried together, and there exist many cave paintings depicting humans riding on top of horses, often herding or chasing after cattle.

The first known written mention of settlers in North Lemuria is Broman in origin. The Broman historian Tacitae mentions a tribe of people she names the iuvencii vaccarum, or coo-bouys in their own language. She describes them as 'a loud, well-grown people, which wears wide helmets made out of cloth, and leather boots. They ride their horses across the plains with wild shouts, and drive their cattle before them.'

Coo-bouyan Kingdoms
In the early 9th century C.E the coo-bouy people had formed into smaller tribes which each controlled a more or less defined area of land and treated each other's lands as foreign territory. Until then, due to their simple lifestyle, much of the continent of North Lemuria had remained wild and uncultivated. Primitive settlements called fortes were built mainly at trading posts, crossroads and fords, but there were few other permanent settlements save ranchees. The larger tribes however began building larger fortes which soon grew into villages and towns. These became vital strategical and administrative points and made way for greater concentration of power, although towns were rarely big enough and lawlessness ran rampant.

The coo-boyan states, also called kingdoms of Lemuria, were founded on the territories of the original tribes, in most cases as the result of a successive centralization and/or wars with other tribes that forced greater unity within the tribrs. Some kingdoms were made up of two or more former tribes, often with one tribe becoming the leading one. The formation of the kingdoms led to more efficient law enforcement, especially in the growing urban areas. However, the kingdoms were frequently at war with each other over border territories, succession issues, control of trade routes and minor disagreements over escaped cattle.

Unification of Lemuria
In the 18th century, the five mid-western kingdoms of Lemuria joined together in an alliance called the Coolest States Union to gain greater leverage towards larger and richer kingdoms such as those of the north. The alliance was an enormous success. To avoid giving one kingdom more influence than the others, the kings and queens of the CSU established a joint court which was constantly on the move, spending as much time in each of the five kingdoms. The entire court was mounted on horseback, with furniture and tents loaded on covered wagons. As such, they could appear at short notice anywhere along their borders where a conflict arose with other kingdoms. This impressed their neighbours so greatly that several other kingdoms soon asked to join the CSU. The CSU were at first opposed to the idea, then decided to accept only those who were cool enough to impress them.

By the end of the 19th century all of the coo-boyan kingdoms had united to the Federal States of Lemuria. Sally-Ann 'Lucky Sally' Mcn'Cheese of Crimson Neck State became the first queen of Lemuria.

Politics
The Federal States of Lemuria is a constitutional monarchy since 1887, with the monarch as head of state but with no real power, while the president as head of government holds power while subjected to the confidence of the parliament. The current monarch is Sherman 'Hopalong' Mcn'Cheese and the current president is Jebedebediah XI Morris.

Culture
Culture in the Federal States of Lemuria vary considerably between states, but is generally characterized by a casual approach to traditions, a strong belief in freedom and individualism, and an outgoing, social disposition. According to scientific studies Lemurians tend to be enthusiastic, optimistic and a little naive compared to people of other cultures.

Lemuria isn't home to many great works of art, mainly due to their laid-back approach to all artistic pursuits. Lemurian authors, artists, filmmakers and creators of classical music tend to focus on accessibility and enjoyment, something which is often scoffed at by critics - but very popular with the general population. Lemurian culture has a strong influence on the cultures of other countries.

Cuisine
Lemurian cuisine is influenced by the nomadic lifestyle of the original kingdoms, in that it can be prepared in a very short time and is easy to eat while on the move, for example while on horseback. Common foods like these are hamburgers, served with fries, hot dogs, thick pizza slices, burritos and sandwiches. Restaurants scattered along main travel routes have been common since at least the time of the CSU. The ride-ins or drive-ins, where travellers can order and recieve their food without having to dismount their horses or climb out of their wagon, are still common features in busier areas and nowadays also support cars.

Dress
The Lemurian code of dress is generally casual. Jeans are extremely popular, often combined with a T-shirt, a tank top, or more formal clothes such as a blazer.