Hirae = Home
an intro to the island nation of Hirae
Native Name Hiraengisae
Land Area approx. 12,000 sq. km
General Location Pacific Ocean, East of Japan
Capital Seoleon
Official Languages Hiraen, Japanese, Korean, English
Population approx. 100,000
.....Density 9/sq.km
Currency Nunum (0.5 USD), abbreviated as HGN
Government Council of Elders + Youth Representatives
Demonym Hiraen
ISO 3166 Code HG
Flag
Hirae’s flag was designed by the national artist Rusushik Tunkyu in 1973, with the completed flag being unveiled in 1974.
The flag consists of 2 elements in 3 colors.
2 elements
The flower depicted is the national flower, the Yeulisa, which represents perseverance due to its ability to bloom even in winter. 2. The three outer petals in purple represent the 3 ethnic groups who call Hirae home: the Hikui, Eoraen, and Rangi.
3 colors
Blue • the color of the sea and sky that surrounds the island, also represents Hirae’s values of peace and tranquility
Purple • the first color of dawn and the last color of dusk, representing a nation that cares for its past and its future
White • represents purity of heart and mind, also humility
Map + Administrative Divisions
The nation is divided into 7 inhabited municipalities, with Seoleon serving as the capital.
The other 6 municipalities are each associated with a particular ethnic group within Hirae.
Hikui 𖦹 descended from Japanese sailors who were blown into what is now Iksuzaki. They've since spread southwards to Namawa and Silhae.
Eoraen 𖦹 descended from Korean and Mongolian ancestors, they first arrived at Jeoha and expanded their territory to include Nuksam. They're credited with introducing horses and horseback archery to Hirae as a form of defense along their beaches.
Rangi 𖦹 the first people believed to have settled on Hirae, thought to be of northern Chinese descent, but has shown extensive genetic relationships with Pacific Islands and some of Southeast Asia
Physical Features
Hirae has a generally hilly terrain, but overall still on the flatter side save for the Jengho mountain range to the northeast. Atop it sits the Jengho Glacier, is the highest point in the country. It is debated what the name Jengho means, but might come from the Rangi terms jeng 'celebration' and hyo 'day'.
The Jengho also the source of the Alashokan aka 'Crystal River', known for its vibrant blue hue. Both spring and summer glacial melts and cold springs near the mountain's base flow into the Alashokan as it passes through the Ransaegi municipality before ending at the sea.
Hirae's other main river begins in the middle of the Sukentu Forest, at the aptly named Sukentu Spring. This river, the Munyaksae, which means 'water food place', splits into tributaries and runs through Seoleon and Namawa before emptying out into Seoleon's Lake Mitikaga, meaning 'smooth flow', and into the ocean in the Namawan delta.
It's no surprise that the sources of Hirae's two main rivers give way to an abundance of plant life. This is especially prominent in spring, where both areas explode with color and life. As such, Sukentu Spring and the Jengho mountains have both been dubbed as 'Rainbow's Ends', referencing the springtime vibrance.
To the west of the country sits the JeoNuk Bay, a hotspot for coastal farming due to its inland protection from storms and strong waves.
History
The island of Hirae was created following years of high volcanic and seismic activity off the southwest coast of Japan. Eventually, however, the volcanoes went extinct, leaving behind the island filled with fertile soil, and a towering mountain range that would later be named Jengho.
The first people to settle were the Rangi people, believed to come from the northern coasts of China and possibly Russia. Fearing the possibility of others finding the island, the Rangi went into hiding by traversing the Jengho mountains and settling in present day Ransaegi. Because they willingly isolated themselves from the rest of the island, their primary trade partners were found in the Pacific Ocean, with some reaching as far as the eastern-most edge of Southeast Asia.
The next two groups to arrive were the Eoraens and the Hikui, both coming within only a century or two from another. Majority of these people were fleeing their countries of origin due to conflict in that area of East Asia at the time. So, different factions within the two groups each set up base around the island, leading to disputes that would last many years.
The three groups only met when a group of Rangi delegates were sent out to the different clans to try and form alliances to ensure the safety of the outnumbered Rangi people. They proposed a peace treaty. According to consistent historical accounts from all sides, the Rangis reasoned that 'island small, island fragile. if people fight, island resources wasted. pointless. let's all be friends' and it worked.
Thus, the area where they all met became the foundations of Seoleon, a neutral ground that connected to all 3 groups' settlements. The name comes from the Rangi words *yikaseo* 'peace' and *kuleon* 'forever', a reminder of their promise to live in peace with one another. The name of their new nation was subsequently named *Hiraengisae*, which is just short for 'Hikui-Eoraen-Rangi place' (*sae* means 'location' in Rangi).
Hirae's government was established as a council of elders over a single leader. The system they used back then is the basis of what we have today, consisting of different wise leaders from each faction coming together to represent and give voice to the different clans.
The country and its sovereignty was recognized first in the early 1600s by their regular trading partners in the Pacific, as well as the Dutch, who were also trading with Japan.
The administrative divisions were proposed in 1800s to decentralise the government, leading to the creation of the municipalities we see today. The 1800s was also when the Jengho mountains and Sukentu forests were declared protected sites.
Over the years, there have been many attempts by foreign influence to Westernize the nation, disguising the whole thing as 'modernization'. Famously, the respected diplomat, orator and writer Sekruta Getugungu, made a statement while asked on a diplomatic mission why Hirae refused to 'modernize'. She simply said:
"Western modernity doesn't even allow me to vote on the same level as a man, much less be a leader respected as much as a man. You talk like the clocks in Hirae have not moved since the 1500s. It's very much 1906 on our calendars too."
The acceptance of new technologies was gradual and done in small doses. Industrialization was largely rejected despite its popularity amongst neighboring countries, because machine-created goods were not personalized enough for the individual, especially in the realm of clothing and homeware. Even today, there are no largely machine-operated factories except for the ones in Seoleon, which are dedicated almost exclusively for manufacturing for the medical field.
One thing that was utterly despised in particular in Hirae was the concept of private automobiles. In an island like Hirae, the people were simply not willing to transform their home to accomodate more transport routes when trains, horses and bicycles were more than satisfactory.
Even today, while modern technology is a part of everyday life, it's always implemented in ways that don't seem to take over the space.
Part II coming soon! (next topic: the municipalities of Hirae)
fun fact of the post: Rusushik Tunkyu's name translates to 'Sharp Mind Blacksmith' while Sekruta Getugungu's name translates to 'White Flower Fresh Leaf'
