Sarigan
Federation of Aboriginal Tribes of Sarigan 아사구아니 사리간 Asaguani Sårigan | |
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 Flag | |
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Motto: Fu'una pulan i puluh Taotao God protect the islands of Our People | |
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Anthem: Tagalo' na Taotao Beautiful island of Our People  | |
 Location of Sarigan (in green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Papaungan |
| Official languages | Fino'tao |
| Demonym(s) | Sariganese |
| Government | Federal parlimentary elective monarchy |
| Mominasaria Na’yauyau | |
| Agua'lin Tai’asi | |
| Legislature | Tribal Assembly |
| Independence | |
• Self-government | 1969 |
• Independence | Iwol 22, 1976 |
| Area | |
• Total | 872 km2 (337 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 2.11% |
| Population | |
• 2015 census | 116,342 |
• Density | 184.6/km2 (478.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $710.9 million |
• Per capita | $6,111 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | $3.125 million |
• Per capita | $3,584 |
| Inequality (2013) |
40.1 medium |
| HDI (2019) |
 0.627medium |
| Currency | alas (TTA) |
| Time zone | +69 |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +69 |
| Internet TLD | .tt |
Sarigan (Fino'tao: 사리간 Sårigan pronounced: /ˈta.ʔoˈta.ʔo/), officially known as the Federation of Aboriginal Tribes of Sarigan (Fino'tao: 아사구아니 사리간 Asaguani Sårigan; lit. "the people of Sarigan band together") is a sovereign state and elective monarchy located on the Maok archipelago in the Great Southern Ocean. The country comprises of around 152 islands and islets, while its closest neighbours are the territory of Sojeongdo and Minbudo to the south, Lagaip to the west and Kealakekua to the east. Sarigan is a federalist elective monarchy consisting of twenty-three clans or tribes ("guma'") which serve as semi-independent monarchial subdivisons. The Federation of Tribes span 872 km2 (337 sq mi) and have a population of 116,342, making it one of the smallest countries by population in the world. The capital of Sarigan is the largest city, Papaungan, which is an important economic hub and cultural center. Papaungan is located on the island of Anatahan, the largest island of the archipelago and home to 78% of the entire country's population. Most of the populace resides on the island's coast, with the mountainous interior leaving it largely uninhabited.
The native Tao people first migrated to the islands around 2000 BCE from mainland Jungju beginning a caste-based society marked by strife and inter-tribal violence. Tao clans and tribes frequently warred with one another until the arrival of Jeongmi explorers in the 16th century who quickly brought the islands under the heel of Jeongmian colonialism. In the aftermath of the Eulhae War, power was gradually transferred from the colonial administration to the local peoples and Sarigan was given home-rule status as a protectorate of Jeongmi in 1943. With the empowerment of locals into positions of power in the leadership of the protectorate, calls for greater freedoms led to the independence of Sarigan in 1956 as a "sovereign state under free association with Jeongmi". Post-independence Sarigan was characterized by extreme violence between rival clans and a war for secession for the culturally distinct island of Maleolap during the brief Coconut War in mid-1959.
Today, Sarigan remains politically unstable with tensions and strife between tribes still a significant issue for the administration. Communal violence between the Ralik people and Tao on the island of Maleolap has resulted in multiple clashes in recent years. Freedom of the press and freedom of speech has been increasingly curtailed following a military coup by the paramilitary Confederal Police Reserve in 2014 brought tribal chieftess Mominasaria Na’yauyau of the Na’yauyau tribe to power. The Mominasaria regime has been accused of discriminatory policies aimed at empowering the Na’yauyau tribe, with government and military positions being increasingly filled by members of the tribe- the largest in Sarigan. Sarigan's economy remains extremely undeveloped while a large portion of the population remains under the poverty line while the country itself is mostly reliant on subsistence farming and fishing. A significant portion of Sarigan's gross national product (GNP) is derived from foreign aid from Jeongmi, whilst a significant portion of the economy relies on the presence of the Jeongmian military base on the islands.