Muluwheyo, The African dream that could have been....



This is going to be a short 1 page article. The POD is that colonial rule worked in part of Africa. What would have a nation been like if the British Empire (and maybe the French Empire as well) had held out much longer, like say until 1972...

Stats

 * Size- 3,020 sq mi (7,823 km2).
 * Colony established-1845.
 * Population (2010)- 285,576.
 * Capital city- Muluwheyo City.
 * Former colonial power- The UK.
 * Official language- English and Ovambo.
 * Other Languages- Herero, Bushman, Darama, Afrikaans, German, Chewa, Ovimbundu, Namaqua and a few Greek and Portuguese speakers.
 * Currency- UK £ (official), RSA Rand and Namibian Rand (unofficaly).
 * Ethic groups- 64% Ovambo, 12% White (8% British, 2.5% Afrikaners, 1% Rhodesian Whites, 0.5% Greek), 8% Coloureds, 5% Darama, 4% Herero, 3% Ovimbundu, 1.5% Bushmen, 1% Chewa , 1% Namaqua and 0.5% Tswana.
 * Religion- Protestant 64%, 33% Animist and 3% Roman Catholic.
 * Top exports- Tin, tin plate, coal, coke, sand, glass and cassava.
 * Top imports- Oil, processed food, spare parts, plastics, wire, furniture, building materials, electrical macheiary and Land Rovers.
 * Top allies- UK, Namibia, S. Africa and Barbados.
 * Top enemies- Germany and Zimbabwe.
 * Capital-Muluweyo.
 * Biggest city-Muluweyo (115,000 in the city proper and 10,000 in the suburbs).
 * Other cities/towns-Point Portugal (65,000), Port [Tony] Smith (17,000), New Dartford (15,550), Boerburg (15,500) and New Warwick (15,450),
 * President- Nomzamo Sarah N’ktarvi of the LDP.
 * Regime- Semi-presidential republic.

History


Bushmen first arrived in about 4,000 BC, who appear to have flourished until about 1,000 BC, as depicted in a series of rock paintings near Boerburg and Port Eric, which date from about 6,000-5,000 years ago. The Bushmen were replaced as the dominant by the Namaqua in circa 500AD.

Archaeological evidence points to a brief trade in Arab pottery and local gemstones in Muluwheyo bay during the mid-14th century.

The Chewa people came to the south of the country in about 1400AD and remained the ruling tribe until the arrival of the Portuguese slave traders came 200 years later. The Chewa had mastered the use of metal, unlike the tribes they were to conquer, so making up for lack of Chewa numbers. Sadly none of the tribes would be able to stop the Portuguese slave traders.

The (OTL) Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão reached Point Portugal, to the north of the Muluwheyo bay, in 1485. BaKongo traders from the nearby (OTL) Kongo Empire would briefly trade with the people of Muluwheyo bay during the mid to late 15th century.

The (OTL) Portuguese slave traders would pillage the (ATL) enclave for slaves from between roughly 1545 to 1745, taking approximately 500 over to Brazil in that time. A few British, Dutch and French slave traders would also take a lesser number, in the late 17th century, from what would become the nation's Costal Region.

As a result of the destruction of the native Chewa state, the power vacuum was filled by the various newly arrived Herero in the 17th century, but the Portuguese would soon bring their civilization to an end. Eventfully, the region fell in to chaos, which only ended by the gradual take over by migrating Ovimbundu and Ovambo tribes in the early to mid-18th century. The town of Klenunga was founded by a Portuguese Catholic missionary in 1790, and became the first outpost of Christianity in the nation. The local industry was diamond mining, but this only lasted for about 10 years and was never very prospers. The French pastor and humanitarian Henri Boule

British traders first arrived in 1835, then French Catholic missionaries arrived in 1845, and finally Prussian Lutheran missionaries arrived in 1875. Christianity began to make heavy inroads into the local religions, with most conversions to Christianity happening among the Ovambo in 1872, 1873 and 1887.

British rule was over the territory guaranteed when Prussia, the Britain, France and Portugal singed the London Accords of 1845 and 1846. France retained control of Boule Island until 1851, when it was sold off to the UK.

An unforeseen smallpox then plague killed 60 (about 10%) of the Bushmen and 150 (about 10%) Ovambo in 1867. It was in the wake of this sad event that the British colonial authorities tried and succeeded in improving the locals lives with improved farming techniques, the peaceable ending of the Ovambo-Chewa war and a literacy campaign in the Far Northern and Point Portugal counties.

A revolt by Afrikaners in the newly founded town of Boerburg in 1894, was brutally suppressed by British troops and their loyal Ovambo militia men.

Urban and rural settlements were enlarged as irrigation, sewage and water supplies were improved trough out the enclave between 1895 and 1908 by a small band of Christian British and Swedish philanthropists in order to fight malaria and cholera. The farming of Cassava around Boerburg, Point Portugal, Keizerberg, and Koliki would gradually rise between 1909 and 1918. Subsequently the population began to grow rapidly until the late 1960's. Some more Afrikaners and a few Tswana would migrate in to the south of the country in the 1920's

In World War 1 it was briefly attacked by a 2,000 strong Prussian army advancing westward from the interior. A brief battle took place near Koliki, in which (ATL) Lt Tony Smith numerically inferior, but tacitly superior 500 strong colonial garrison forces, along with some 250 native levies, just managed to defeat the advancing Prussians after 2 hours of bitter hand to hand fighting in the scorching savannah lands.

Little happen over the next 50 years exit for the Great Depression closing one of the 2 coal mine near Koliki for 10 years, 6 people (5 British and 1 Ovambo) volunteering to join the British forces fighting Rommel in North Africa and the 1st tin mine opening in 1947, thus creating Tin City. The UK also welcomed it's first Muluwheyo ex-colonial graduate at Cambridge in 1952.

A second tin mine opened, near Tin City, in 1964 and then a third in 1968, bringing much wealth, prestige and industrialisation (as well as 1,000 British, 80 White Rhodesian and 50 Greek immigrants) to the enclave. As part of the plan to redevelop the enclave and make it ready for independence, the 2 1/2 year long building of Port [Tony] Smith, just south of the old port at Point Portugal in 1968. As time passed power was transferred to the strong Oxford-Cambridge-Sandhurst collage trained western social elite.

Independence to Today
Independence occurred peacefully in 1972, Under the Liberal Democratic President, Nicklaus Rolihlahla N’ktarvi, with monitory union continuing in to the present day. Nicklaus' daughter, Nomzamo, would become president in 2008.

A minor lead mine opened near Tin City in 1979, bringing more prosperity and 60 ethnic-German Namibian migrant Labours to the nation.

The first coal-fired powered powerstation was biult in Muluwheyo city in 1972 and the scond was biulit in Boerburg during 1982.

Later both (OTL) SWAPO and (OTL) SWANU were to prove a major problem as Namibia fought against South Africa in the 1980s, with a low level rural insurgency in 1982 and a brief anti-white letter-bombing campaign in 1983. The vast bulk of the populous was not swayed by the Marxist-Leninist SWANU ideology and rejected it out of hand in favour of their native verity of Anglophile-Liberal Democracy.

In 1989, South Africa made a mutual defence treaty with Muluwheyo. Niger, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique agreed to similar treaties in the next few years. The tiny nation joined NATO in 1999. These treaties were made in the wake of a brief set of (ATL) UNITA attacks on the (ATL) pro-MPLA village of Tonytown in Northern Region.

The national parliament
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The country got self-rule in 1966 and independence in 1972.

Counties
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Voting system
It uses the first past the post system to elect a 44 strong parliament, 10 strong county councils and a preseident for 4 years. Polling is noted for being exceptionally free and fair. Election related violence is rare apart from during the brief military Junta of the 1990s.

Religion
Protestant 64%, 33% Animist and 3% Roman Catholic.

Literacy
98% for whites, 97% for Ovambo/coloureds, 95% Darama, 87% for Chewa and 72% of Bushmen.

Life expectancy
72 For non-Bushmen and 67 for Bushmen.

The infant mortality rate stands at 10.12 deaths per 1,000 live births for all races (2009).

Honour killings and arranged marriages were outlawed in 2008.

Poverty and jobs
Between 1994 and 2006, average annual GDP growth was approximately 8%, however, the desrt interior of the country remains one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in places in Africa.

Housing
The number of homes without air-con and/or a private bathroom is 18.5% (2009).

Animals
A bad foot and mouth outbreak also hit the republic in 2001, in which 100 (75%) of all cattle were put down and incinerated in the local power station.

List of major towns and other settlements

 * 1) Muluwheyo City, Muluwheyo City (115,000),
 * 2) Point Portugal town, Point Portugal town (65,000),
 * 3) Port [Tony] Smith, Port [Tony] Smith (17,000),
 * 4) New Dartford, New Kent (15,550),
 * 5) Boerburg, Southern (15,500),
 * 6) New Warwick, New Warwick (15,450),
 * 7) Outer Muluwheyo, Outer Muluwheyo (10,000)
 * 8) Lupatulaika, Lupatulaika (7,500),
 * 9) Port Corfe, Port Corfe (6,000),
 * 10) Koliki, Koliki (1,275),
 * 11) Tin City, Tin City (4,200),
 * 12) Karonga, Karonga-Tengeru (3,000),
 * 13) Tengeru, Karonga-Tengeru (2,000),
 * 14) Port Blair, Far Northern (1,890),
 * 15) New Brent, New Brent (1,550),
 * 16) Aputa, Eastern (1,500),
 * 17) Klenunga, Klenunga (3,576),
 * 18) Kaloknieh, Central (1,000),
 * 19) Molulu, Mulluo-Molulu (950),
 * 20) Kallikal, Central (500),
 * 21) Keizerberg, Southern (500),
 * 22) Mulluo, Mulluo-Molulu (450),
 * 23) Port Brackley, Costal (275),
 * 24) Fort Ian, Costal (250),
 * 25) Fort Ewan, Mulluo-Molulu (150),
 * 26) New Daventry, New Warwick (105),
 * 27) Port Arthur, Costal (102),
 * 28) Port Eric, Costal (101),
 * 29) Port Peach, Southern (100),
 * 30) Polly, Western, (100),
 * 31) Boule, Northern (100),
 * 32) New Barnet, Northern (100),
 * 33) Tonytown, Northern (100).

Air Force
There is a small local air force of 12 fighters, 2 transports, 2 helicopters, 2 light bombers and 1 Hawkeye spy plane. There are also 9 British fighters and 2 British reconnaissance aircraft, 10 American fighters, 2 American bombers and 2 S. African fighter-bombers.

The only major military airfield is at Tony Smith Air force Base.

Navy
There is a small navy of 2 Frigates, 1 corvette, 1 minelayer, 1 minesweeper, 3 patrol boats and 2 Sea King helicopters.

Army
The national army has 3 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, 6 Centurion tanks (1 is in storage due to damage caused in the war with SWAPO and SWANU.), 1 Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé APC, 5 Chieftain, 10 M30 107 mm (4.2 inch Mortar) heavy mortars and 5 Land Rover ‘defenders’.

There are 6 British Land Rover ‘defenders’, 10 American M113 armoured personnel carriers, 2 CH-47 American Chinook helicopters, 8 S. African Leopard 2 A4 Main Battle Tanks and 2 Namibian Centurion tanks.

Coast guard
The tiny coast guard consists of 3 ex-UK police Fast Response Targa 31 boats and 3 Sea King helicopters.

Border Patrol
It has 6 Land Rover ‘defenders’ and 2 CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Special forces
It has 5 Land Rover ‘defenders’ and 2 CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Treaties with Namibia, Angola, Niger, Mozambique, NATO and S. Africa
The UK and USA have had a small standing army in the nation due to tensions with both Namibia's SWANU rebels and the Angolan civil war. This force fell slightly after 1992.

South Africa made a mutual defence treaty with Muluwheyo. Similar treaties were made with Niger (1992), Angola (1993), Namibia (1994), Botswana (1995) and Mozambique (1995) agreed to in the next few years. The tiny nation joined NATO in 1999. These treaties were made in the wake of a brief set of UNITA attacks on the pro-MPLA village of Tonytown in Northern County.

National parks
The 6.5km2 Kingstonland National Park is in the east of Outer Muluwheyo county and the far west of Northern County.

Media
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Culture
Modern music painting and poetry are pretty much a mixture of Angolan, Namibian and English styles.

Their are many Bushman paintings depicting a once great civilization, which flourished from about 6,000-5,000 years ago.

The older Chewa women enjoying their rich oral tradition of lengthy story telling. Many recall the first contact between the Chewa and the Portuguese in the 1550's. Others focus on the First World war and the often poor relations with the Boers in Victorian times.

Sports
Muluwheyo has had a national football team since 1972, a cricket team since 1973 and a Rugby team since 1975.

The legal system
Racism and sexism were outlawed by the colonial regime in 1968. Honour killings and arranged marriages were outlawed in 2008.

Prisons
It has only 1 prison in the capital, with only 26 inmates in it.

Death penalty
It was never formally legalised, but was used to terminate the lives of 2 SWANU terrorists, a Colombian drugs smuggler and a native bank robber on an ad-hock basis in 1982.