Ban Pho

Ban Pho (Phok: บ้านโพธิ์), officially called the Workers' State of Ban Pho (Phok: แรงงานรัฐบ้านโพธิ์) is a, ruled by Pasat Yongjaiyut. It was founded after a revolution against the Jeongmian Empire which gave Ban Pho it's independence. The Ta Kem river runs through Ban Pho, splitting the country in half. Ban Pho is located in southern Jungju. It shares a nautical border to Barujaya in the south, and also shares land borders with Myaar'tway to the east. Ban Pho's name originate from Phi which is Ancient Phok for fish. Ban Pho has a fledgling fishing industry and about 105,000 citizens work in the vast fishing fleets.

Scientists say that the first inhabitants came to present day Ban Pho some hundred thousand years ago. In the 3rd century the Phok people established the Ta Kem Kingdom, named after the river, and remains of the Ta Kem Kingdom can be found in the northern provinces of Ban Pho, in the shape of old burial sites and ancient temples. The Ta Kem Kingdom would eventually collapse 300 years later, due to causes such as civil war and domestic troubles.

The government of Ban Pho, which is ruled by the National Patriotic Movement, has developed policies through the years of their rule. The average number of visitors surpasses about 2,000 each year. The north of Ban Pho is covered with tourist attracting mountain ranges, while the south is covered with peaceful rice farms. Even though Ban Pho has all of these possibilities, many tourists avoids Ban Pho because of it's government. Internet connection is widely available, but all websites but the government one has been prohibited. The state-owned company Dugong-Go is the biggest phone manufacturer in Ban Pho.

Ta Kem Kingdom
The first civilizations in Ban Pho arose around 300 BC in the shape of small rice kingdoms. During the 3rd century minor wars covered the unstable region, and Ban Pho was divided into several competing .The city-state which would later become the largest of thrm all was the Ta Kem kingdom. The Ta Kem kingdom would eventually conquer smaller city-states through the deadly combination of war elephants and infantry. The Ta Kem kingdom grew to become the largest kingdom in the region and during its greatest exstent, the Ta Kem Kingdom covered an area larger than modern day Ban Pho, and then they established the capital of Ban Pho, Kon Pin, and to this day it's the oldest city in Ban Pho. It is speculated that the downfall of the Ta Kem kingdom was through civili war or domestic troubles. Less likely cases include famine, natural disaster and drought.

The only proof we have that such a civilization ever existed is the decaying temples and large buddha statues dotting northern Ban Pho.

Jeongmian Ban Pho
The first Jeongmian colonizers arrived by sea and the curious locals where happy to provide a significant labor force. At the time, 10% of the Phok population was slaves or had been in the past, so the influential Phok leaders didn't hesitate to give some of them away to the newly arrived strangers. As a thank the Jeongmian colonizers gave the Phok people lots of gifts. But in the end of the 19th century relations began to cool and strikes among the workers became more and more common. The Jeongmian colonizers responded to these strikes with military power. The strikers would then be lined up in a row and then, they would be executed by a firing squad.

In the early 1950s the rebellious thoughts of the Phok people grew. In 1951 a bomb exploded at a railway. The bomb was set by a group of workers who had gotten their hands on explosive devices. Jeongmian officers later found out that the bombs where taken from a local coal mine. The two workers where executed. The following months, aggression rose amongst the Phok, and just a few months later the Phok rebellion started.

Demographics
Ethnic Phok are the dominant ethnic group in Ban Pho, comprising 92.6% of the population in the 2015 census. Indigenous minorities include the Ta Kem people who are close to extinction.

Language
The modern Phok is a successor of ancient Phok which shares small similarities with the modern Phok language. Only a small number of the ethnic Phoks are ancient Phok speakers. At schools in Ban Pho, Korean is educated, as a way to communicate with the rest of the world, Japanese is also teached, but to a minor extent.

Architecture
Phok architecture is characterized by concrete boxes, but these are usually seen in bigger cities such as Phom Kaen, and Kon Pin. Smaller traditional houses are extremely common in rural communities. Northern Ban Pho is dotted with medieval mountain castles built by the Phok some centuries before the Jeongmian invasion. These castles proved useful in the Phok revolution, and where successfully used as launchpoints for convoy attacks.

In the early 80s, the construction of a odd looking town began, the project was called Project Nightjar. The idea behind the project was to create an utopian city, suitable for everyone, to show what socialism could accomplish. The "utopian city" is located just outside Kon Pin, and can be reached by bike, although entrance has been prohibited. Project Nightjar was cancelled two years later, in 1983, due to worker strikes, and has since fallen victim to.