Malu'i

Malu'i ( 만리), formerly known as Malli ( 만리) or the Mallinese Isles, is an located in the eastern Western Ocean, along the region's border with the Southern Ocean. The closest landmasses to the Mallinese isles are Namju to the south-west and Thrumbo to the north. The Mallinese Isles proper consist of 121 islands, the largest of which being the island of Tele'laumei. All together, the sovereign terrestrial territory of Mallu'i consists of approximately 11786.12 km2 (4550.60 square miles). The nation is politically divided into 10 major regions, 6 of which are administrative divisions of Tele'laumei alone.

Human settlement of Malu'i dates back to as early as 1,800 BCE following the arrival of likely from what is modern day Thrumbo. According to traditional Mallinese mythos the first settlement of the region was carried out by several legendary clans from which a majority of modern-day clans claim lineage to. The site of the city of Fale'umi is believed to one of the oldest, long-term settlements on the islands. Recovered in both Matobo and continental Namju alludes the existence of a 'Mallinese Kingdom' as early as 900 ACE, referring to a council of chieftains and a people who were renowned for their ability to  the Western Ocean. Official records of trade and negotiations between Mallinese chieftains and Matobese nobles reaffirm this, with records dating as early as 1310 ACE.

Encounters with Mallinese merchants and sailors were recorded well throughout the 14th and 15th centuries by peoples in the Western and Southern Oceans, with accounts reaching as far east as Kealakekua. It is unclear whether other sea-fareing people's had an accurate idea of the location of the Mallinese isles. First contact with Sinjuese explorers occurred around the late early 18th century, with the arrival of Jeongmian explorer Admiral Ju Won-Shik in 1705. Malu'i would serve as an important point for Sinjuese explorers in the early 18th century, later becoming an important regional stop for explorers,, fishermen, and merchants. The islands were gradually absorbed into the Jeongmian colonial empire, becoming a point of strategic interest during the exploration and race to colonize Namju.

The 1782 Treaty of Dosan saw Malu'i formally acquired as a Jeongmian colonial asset, though other Sinjuese nations were permitted access to its waters during subsequent treaties. The Treaty of Hwaseong in 1812 saw Malu'i's status shift in the Jeongmian colonial empire, granting it a degree of as a territory of the newly formed Namjuan Confederation. Malu'i played a role in the Eulhae War, sending troops abroad to fight in the Sinju Theatre as well as in the colonial theatre in modern-day Matobo. The islands were granted full independence following the Mallinese Referendum of 1982, wherein 57% of the population voted to secede from the Namjuan Confederation and become a sovereign nation.

Today, Malu'i is considered a with a growing  and one of the most well  (with the exception of Namju) in the Southern Ocean. Patterns of emigration have seen the Mallinese grows to a size (2.8 million) which rivals the population of the nation of Malu'i itself. Malu'i is a competitive exporter of amd.

Etymology
Malu'i translates to haven islands, believed to be a reference to the paradisiacal beaches and weather patterns of the island.

Namjuan Malu'i
Main Article: Mallinese Isles (Namjuan territory) The distinction between the end of 'Jeongmian' and the start of 'Namjuan' rule is often considered to be blurred and indistinct on account of the patchwork nature of the administration of the Mallinese Isles. The signing of the Treaty of Hwaseong in 1812 saw Malu'i reorganized into a department of Namju, seeing an end to the de-facto military rule of Jeongmian colonial forces and the introduction of local administrative offices which reported to Wongyeong directly. The growing pro-autonomy Taula faction was largely responsible for the preservation of traditional Mallinese institutions, such as the societal hierachy of the matagi and regional Pāpā as well as the organization of the island into traditional divisions known as Itūmālō. Eun Chin-Hwa would serve as the first Governor of Malu'i following appointment in 1814, serving as the first time in nearly a century where the Mallinese Isles were administered under a civilian government.

The Act of Administrative Reorganization in 1815 would see the island's political institutions reorganized, the goal of the governate being to establish Sinju-centric institutions which would mirror administration in mainland Namju. The Battle of Vailua would occur in response, led by a group of pro-independence revolutionaries known as the Tau'moaga. Sporadic uprisings and demonstrations would occur throughout the isles for much of the early half of the 19th century, eventually dying down following the deployment of the Namjuan military to the island. Educational reform under Eun Chin-Hwa led the way for a process known as 'Sinjufication', which saw assimilation prioritized in most schools around the islands. Encouraging Jeongmian literacy became a well documented goal of the early governate. Infrastructural development on the island occurred concentric to the sugar and tobacco plantation system, seeing the development of new in-roads on the interior of the island as well as a dedicated rail system. The Homestead Act of 1835 saw priority status given to Namjuan immigrants, of Sinju ancestry, to the island over foreigners with the hope that they'd further invest or develop the expanding plantation system. Tax policy and land reform tended to favor Namjuan ownership of most until the partial repeal of the Homestead Act in 1851.

The Home Rule policy of Governor Bak Chul-Moo, elected in 1849, oversaw more radical changes in landownership and political involvement of the native population. Redistributive policy was enacted in an attempt to lower tensions between Namjuan land-owners and the native labor force. was encouraged on some plantations, though the majority remained either partially or wholly owned by Namjuan landowners. Certain political and social recognition was reafforded to the regional and clans of the islands as well. Bak Chul-Moo introduced the Revised Civic Examination policy at the end of his tenure, seeking to increase 'civic literacy' among the population to allow for more native involvement in the governate's bureaucracy. By 1868 the isles would have their first native born governor, Pu'a Tauaalo, and over half of the regional legislative body would be filled by Mallinese natives.

The Great Famine of 1882, brought on by a series of deadly, would set back most investment efforts on the island for at least a decade, and would see larger scale emigration to the Namjuan mainland. With growing tensions abroad and the rising status of the Namjuan state in the southern hemisphere, Malu'i proved to be an important strategic asset. It became a priority of the governate to pursue and industrial expansion in the late 1910s. The Eun Chin-Hwa Naval Base, the largest naval base on the island, was constructed in 1905.

Geography and Climate
Main Article: Geography of Malu'i The Mallinese Islands are a cluster of two major islands, Tele'laumei and Susulu'i, and 112, , and minor islands located on the eastern border of the Western Ocean. The isles lay south of Thrumbo and Gara and north-east of Namju. The south-western portion of Tele'laumei is home to the nation's only mountain chain and its highest point (Mt. Ulia, 4,169 m). The rest of the main island consists of lowlands and, however over the past two centuries has resulted in a decrease of Malu'i's forest stock. The majority of the nation's major settlements lie on the north-eastern shore of the island in the Faititili region. The nation's two largest cities, the capital of Tele Talita (1.1 million) and Vailua (350,000), are located in the Faititili region and are home to the majority of the nation's population.

Malu'i is a popular destination for, with numerous sites located on the Great Southern Green Trail. Fale'manulele Park, Mt. Ulia, and Pāpā Totao Memorial Park are three of the most visited natural heritage sites in the nation, with Pāpā Totao Memorial Park being one of the most visited tourist sites in the southern hemisphere alone. Tele Talita National Zoo is also a popular tourist destination, as it houses numerous examples of the incredibly diverse wildlife on the island.