Almuzahara

Almuzahara was initially settled in the mid-sixteenth century, largely by religious and ethnic minorities expelled from a faraway caliphate. Initially colonial for its first few centuries of existence, ties weakened over time due to political unrest back home, and the collapse of the caliphate saw a wave of refugees that drastically altered the nation’s demographics and geopolitics, something that caused great tension in Almuzahara. After decades of turmoil, a republic that rapidly descended into a military dictatorship was established. More recently, a religious socialist militia led by Said Benhaddou overthrew the government and established an Islamic republic which has held strong to this day. Politically, Almuzahara is known for the combination of socialist economic policies, including a universal basic income, and adherence to Islamic traditionalist views.

The country is majority Ibadi, with other sects of Islam and Sufi mysticism also enjoying relative freedom of religion, and Arabic-speaking, although some regions do emphasize their Iberian ethnic roots stronger than others. While the government is strongly religious and socially conservative, they subscribe to a relatively moderate belief system; for instance, while LGBTQ+ rights are virtually nonexistent, women have enjoyed greater de jure rights (although not defended particularly zealously, especially in the nation’s interior) compared to previous regimes. This also means that while alcohol will be incredibly difficult to procure or consume publicly, it is not strictly illegal in Almuzahara and customs will likely look the other way if fans or players try to bring their own. Geographically, the hotter, drier coastal plains rapidly give way to the dense, humid forest interior as one moves to the south, although significant deforestation since the initial settlement has opened up significant amounts of space for agriculture.