Matobo

Matobo, officially the Republic of Matobo (Matobwe: Nyika yeMatobo) is a located in southeast Miju. Its territory also includes the island of Nduri. It is surrounded by the Meskuswe Sea to the south and east, Lu'Wavzo Mountains to the west, and the Kupenya River to the north. It shares a land border with Tsongtiko. Covering over 3.75 million square kilometers, Matobo is the largest country in Miju and the fifth largest country in the world by area. Its population of 168,951,244 is made up of 184 distinct recognized ethnic groups. Matobwe national identity is grounded in the historic and contemporary roles of Islam, Davidzi, and indigenous Matobwe religion; its history as the Zadwabi Empire; and the nation's resistance to foreign rule.

Some of the oldest skeletal evidence for s has been found in Matobo. It is widely considered the region from which modern humans first set out into other parts Miju, Yoju, and beyond. Matobo was a monarchy for most of its history, and traces its roots to the 2nd millennium BCE with the formation of the Kingdom of Changara. The Zadwabi Empire, formed by Emperor Hondo I in 46 BCE, consolidated the various kingdoms and city-states of the Kupenya River into a single state that emerged as a leading cultural, political, and religious center. A period known as Kutanga kwaZadwabi, generally accepted to span 13 AD - 286 AD, ushered in a period of hegemonic stability in Miju that saw the empire's influence extend deep into the continent. The empire's stability and influence waned in the following centuries, sparked by economic crisis, rapid cultural tensions, and nomadic invasions. In 405 AD, the warlord Kugenda the Great led an army of nomads from the Likwende Plateau to conquer the Zadwabi capital of Indiluku. Kugenda declared himself emperor, enacted many social, political, and economic reforms, and established the yeLekubo Dynasty that ruled until the Tsibonga Crisis of the 9th century AD. The succeeding yeBondo Dynasty looked sought to expand their influence across the sea, and established trade with states in Yoju, Namju, and Jungju.

In 1621, the Zadwabi Empire entered a period of isolationism in response to increased pressure for exclusive trade with Sinjunese states. This resulted in the Doma War, in which Viet forces seized three major cities in the northern parts of the empire and gained exclusive access to Zadwabi trade. By 1840, many Sinjunese states had used to force trade with the Zadwabi, and held indirect power over the empire through. The untimely death of Mambokadzi Anenyasha in 1864 sparked the Mashona Rebellion, a massive civil war that saw wanton destruction of foreign embassies, mass executions of foreigners, and the deaths of over 20 million Matobwe people. By the end of the war in 1872, the Republic of Matobo had been established and the Sinjunese grip had been weakened. Matobo fought a series of wars against foreign imperials, whose colonial operations had already been withering through the late 19th century, and by 1920 most foreign powers had been expelled from the country. Matobo joined the Eulhae War as a means of expanding its own influence and expelling foreign nations from other parts of southern Miju.

Today, Matobo is a regional power with a strong economy and infrastructure. It is one of the founding members of the Pan-Miju Conference and a member of the Congress of Nations. Matobo maintains a policy of intervention regarding the well-being of other Mijunese nations, which has earned it a reputation of being the "Miju police." Matobo is renowned for its beaches and is a major tourist destination.

Etymology
The word Matobo is derived from 7th century, literally meaning "bald-headed ones." The word, originally used to refer to an arid range of mountains in the greater Lu'Wavzo Mountains, was increasingly used to describe people from the western portions of the Zadwabi Empire. As the yeBondo Dynasty began to supersede the yeLekubo Dynasty and the empire underwent cultural shift, the name became a de facto term for the country.

Prehistory
The northern regions of Matobo and the surrounding area are at the forefront of paleontology. The oldest hominid to date was found in the North Likwende region in 1991. The most well known hominid discovery, the Cheguta Man, was discovered in the Cheguta valley region in 1975. It is one of the most complete and best reserved examples of early hominids, and is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago.

Matobo is also considered one of the earliest sites of the emergence of anatomically modern humans,. The oldest of these fossil finds, the Arar remains, were discovered in the Lower Arar region and date back to around 300,000 years ago. Additionally, skeletons of were found in the upper Kupenya River valley. Dated to approximately 160,000 years ago, they may represent a distinct subspecies of Homo sapiens, or the immediate ancestors to anatomically modern humans.

In 2016, archaeologists discovered a 30,000 year old Middle Stone Age rock shelter in the Lu'Wavzo Mountains. This dwelling is the earliest case of humans dwelling at high altitude ever discovered. Thousands of animal bones, hundreds of stone tools, and ancient fireplaces were discovered.

Evidence of some of the earliest stone-tipped projectile weapons were discovered in the East Likwende region in 2011 and date to around 279,000 years ago. They are believed to be the tips of spears or javelins.

Ancient Matobo
By 5,000 BCE humans had settled along the fertile Sahezi river as far north as the Likwende Plateau. Two major civilizations developed in this region: the Mbembe civilization of the Sahezi River delta (4,000 BCE - 3,300 BCE) and the Lewomzi civilization of the central plateau (3,500 BCE - 2,800 BCE). These civilizations both possessed writing. The Lewomzi gradually absorbed the Mbembe, but collapsed violently around 2,800 BCE, most likely due to a wave of migrations by people known only as the River People, who probably originated in the savannas north of the Likwende Plateau and quickly swept south in canoes. This ushered in a period known as the Matobwe Dark Age, from which records are absent.

By 2,000 BCE, small kingdoms had been reestablished in the Sahezi delta, the most notable of which included the Chomanimana and Mutabe kingdoms.

Geography
Matobo is the largest country in Miju and the fifth largest country in the world; its total area is 3,757,318. Most of Matobo's expansion occurred in the 16th century during the reign of Mambo Gondai yeBondo VI, at a time when competing duchies in northern Matobo began to band together in rebellion against the state. Gondai mustered an army, conquered the rebellious kingdoms, and incorporated them into the empire proper.

Matobo makes up the majority of the South Miju region, and is bordered to the north by Tsongtiko, to the south by the Southern Ocean, and to the east by the X Sea. It shares a maritime boundary with Ambemaribu. Matobo's territory also includes Nduri Island.

Over one third of Matobo is located on the Likwende Plateau, which spans the center of the country and measures mostly between 1000 and 15000 meters in elevation. Despite its size, only 27% of the nation's population lives on the plateau, and those who do mostly live in cities near the Kupenya River. By contrast, most of Matobo's population lives in densely-populated urban areas on the coasts of the Leskuswe Bay and Southern Ocean. The western portion of Matobo is made up of the Lu'Wavzo Mountains and Selukwe Desert, and is scarcely populated.

Matobo's highest point is Mt. Mbalobala in the Lu'Wavzo Mountains, with an altitude of 5,148 meters. The Lu'Wavzo range is famous for its deposits of gold, silver, and iron.

Climate
Matobo generally has a subtropical climate, especially along the southern coast. These coastal regions experience a wet season between October and March and a dry season between April and September. Cyclones are common during the wet season. The central part of the country on the Likwende Plateau has a semi-arid to arid climate, experiencing much less rainfall due to being in the rain shadow of the Lu'Wavzo Mountains.