Ila

Ila Protectorate Sherbro
Protectorate
Flag Coat of Arms
Nickname(s):  Sherry
Motto:  Ubi dubium, ibi libertas (English: "Where there is doubt, there is freedom")
Location of the Ila Protectorate
Sovereign state	Liberta
Libertan settlement	743
Protectorate status	819
Autonomy	May 16th, 1707
Founded by	Hadrian the Great
Government	Protectorate
• Governor	Layemin Augustus
• Vice Governor	Asi Icarus
Legislature	Sherbro Grand Hall of Decision
Area
• Total	600 km2 (230 sq mi) (2nd)
• Water (%)	negligible
Elevation	6 m (20 ft)
Population
• 2022 estimate	205,448 (1st)
• 2020 census	202,234
• Density	342.413/km2 (886.8/sq mi)
Currency	Libertan Dollar (LRD)
Time zone	UTC-1 (UTC)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+38
ISO 3166 code	LE-2
Website	ila.gov.le

The Ila Protectorate (Libertan English: /aɪlɒ/), often shortened to just Ila, and also colloquially known as Sherbro, is a protectorate of Liberta. It encompasses the entirety of Ila Island and is situated on the coast of Sierra Leone. Several smaller skerries surrounding the island are also part of the Protectorate. It is the largest and most populous of the Libertan protectorates. Ila has a population of roughly 200,000 and maintains a high degree of autonomy. The judicial capital of Ila is Malacia, situated on the eastern coast, whilst the largest city, the economic and cultural capital, is Acta-Calet on the southeastern shore of the island.

Inhabited before and since the arrival of Libertans, the Sherbro people were the first inhabitants of Ila. Archaeological evidence suggests they lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Libertans arrived in the 700s, looking to expand their agricultural production. Upon their arrival, Libertans employed the local population in voluntary work camps, deeming colonization by force to be too dangerous. In 819 the colony was granted protectorate status, and the military instead spearheaded the operation. Libertan settlers looking to work the land arrived in waves during the 14th and 15th centuries, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was granted autonomy on May 16th, 1707. The industrial revolution swept across the island, and in the 20th century, the protectorate was further modernized. Beginning in the 1950s, the infrastructure allowed the tourism industry to flourish. During the Sierra Leonean Civil War, the strategic military importance of the protectorate allowed for it to act as a base for British, UNAMSIL, ECOMOG and Libertan troops. Since the cusp of the 21st century, Ila has been a firmly interconnected part of Liberta.

As the largest domestic producer of agricultural products, excluding olives, by a considerable margin, the Ilan government has been able to leverage a considerable amount of autonomy compared to other protectorates. Maintaining a strong agrarian culture, the main economic sectors have historically been centered around farming and ranching, especially in the central regions. In modern times, this has largely been superseded by manufacturing and a growing domestic tourism industry.

The historic isolation, differing climate and proximity to other ethnic groups has resulted in a unique Ilan culture. Though initially frowned upon by mainland Libertans as "low culture", the Ilan culture is today frequently celebrated and embraced in both the media and in general as a unique aspect of Libertan culture. Often likened with Australian culture, Ilan people are frequently portrayed as relaxed and familiar with nature. Following the gradual ousting of native Africans in the 14th and 15th century, Ila is today a largely homogeneous country. Though a small minority of native Sherbro remain in the northwestern regions of the island, they constitute less than 5% of the total population of the island.

Etymology

The origin of the name Ila is unknown, but was used since the Libertan discovery of the island, as shown in texts from the eight century documenting the exploration of the island. Some historical linguistic evidence points to the word likely originating in the Classical Latin word īnsula, meaning "island".

Sherbro is the name used to denote both the native African people of the island, as well as the island itself. The Sherbro people have historically inhabited the island until their ousting in the 14th and 15th century. The nickname Sherry is also derived from the name.

History

Before Libertan arrival

Not much is known about the island before Libertan arrival, due to the absence of written history. Modern archaeology suggests that the Sherbro people have inhabited the island for at least a thousand years. Though little is known about their style of life, it was likely similar to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of nearby tribes. The Sherbro maintained a fishing based economy and traded by boat with neighboring villages along the coast. Swamp-rice cultivation was the main farming activity on the island.

Arrival of Libertan explorers (743–819)

File:Abstract painting of ships approaching a beach.jpg

Ancient fresco depicting the approach of Libertan ships to the shores of Ila

The overcrowding and lack of resources of the impoverished Liberta sparked an interest in exploration and a search for new lands which could be used for farming and resources. In the spring of 743, the Libertan convoy of Pristinus and Aequor, led by Hadrian the Great departed from Liberta proper. They traveled along the coast of Morocco, stopping by Agadir where the crew took great interest in the town of Imsouane. However, unable to purchase the town outright, they continued to venture south. Following stops in Gambia and Ghana, but without coastal contact with the wealthy Ghana Empire, the crew relied on trade with local tribes along the coast. By the late summer of 743, the convoy arrived at Ila. Hadrian, yet to have yielded any major success in trading nor in finding a good location for a colony, promptly established the colony on the second day of anchorage. Scouting of the area proved that what was initially believed to be a peninsula was instead an island. The locals proved to be friendly, but Hadrian documented that he was nonetheless disappointed by their "primitive way of life." Half of the crew were left on the island, before Pristinus and Aequor departed for Liberta.

It is widely believed that Hadrian and the remaining crew widely oversold the resources of the island to the government, as they were granted a considerable amount of material and men to return to the island to establish a colony. After securing funding and permission from the military, the crew returned to the island by the winter of 743. Skilled laborers, architects, planners, fishermen totaling in excess of 150 were brought along. Two companies were sent to assist and to protect the Libertans. As the initial crew left on the island comprised solely of men, Hadrian was disappointed to see that many of them had taken a liking to the local women, many becoming parents by the arrival of reinforcement. Learning the ways to cultivate swamp rice, the first Libertan farmers were taught basic agriculture. Lieutenant colonel Petronius deemed a subjugation by force to be too dangerous, leading to the establishment of a voluntary work camp. Maintaining an alcohol monopoly, the local workers were paid in wine. Food was promptly exported to Liberta, whilst tree plantations were set up across the island. Workers were also taught to speak and to write Vulgar Latin, whilst the native language was discouraged though not expressly forbidden according to Petronius himself.

Initial doubts were raised by senators, in 743 at the discussion of resource allocation for explorations, senator Vergil of Garana stated "there is considerable uncertainty whether it will be an island of more than mere barbarism [...] I for one, am doubtful of it". The colony proved itself to be more prosperous than anticipated, and by the year 800 logs show that it exported nearly 60 thousand tonnes of rice per season. The fertility of the soil and the abundance of wood made the island an excellent provider of food. Any geographical advantage was instead largely overshadowed by the importance of securing its resources. By 819 this concern had grown so great, as for the government of Liberta to officially grant Protectorate status for the island, and replaced the civil leadership with a solely military one.

Early history as a Protectorate (819–1000)

As the military took control of the island and its production, the few civilian and Ilan born Libertans became subject to military restrictions. They could no longer receive or purchase alcohol, flirt with the local women, nor could they trade with the local tribes. This caused many to flee into the deep marshes of the northwestern part of Ila, where they lived as outlaws. As they were by that point considered to have rescinded their allegiance to Liberta, any found outlaws were to be killed on sight. Under the hand of the Libertan Navy, production increased further and was greatly expanded in scale. However, despite the increase in numbers, mainland Libertan attention had largely steered away from Ila onto other protectorates. As a visitor, di-consul Cassian the Benevolent, upon his return, described the island as "lost in time's trenches." Despite relations with the local women being a criminal offense, this was a popular past time with the soldiers. Whenever a colored baby was born, the responsible soldier had to claim the baby in a process nicknamed "the claim of shame", such a claim resulted in a dishonorable discharge. By the year 988, roughly three quarters of soldiers who were stationed ended their stay by being dishonorably discharged for illegally impregnating a local.

Libertan Imperial Era (1000–1600)

After decades of military rule, the strict control of the Naval government was relaxed, and by the 14th century, mainland Liberta was increasingly internationalized. A greater public knowledge and increased curiosity in the foreign, brought attention back to the isolated protectorates. This eventually spread to Ila, when the government of Liberta proclaimed and subsequently ordered that settlement of the island was to be initiated. Men and women, most of them impoverished, joined the journey on the hundreds of boats heading for the island. A few struck it well, many struck it fine, but most struck little to no luck at all, and ended up as either domestic workers or sharecroppers on the new estates of the island. Mass anger ensued, as many had been promised a better life, when most returned to similar arrangements as back home. Still, even those who were farmhands, the least prestigious occupation, lived under significantly better circumstances than those with equivalent jobs in mainland Liberta. All farms were still required to export all food that was not consumed to the Libertan mainland.

The lot system was introduced in 1366, early on in the settlement efforts, and its purpose was to maintain societal order. The entire island, excluding the Sherbro marshes in the northwest, was split up into thousands of lots. The system worked on a first come, first served basis. On a total area of 550 square kilometers, two thousand lots were established, allotting roughly a quarter square kilometer per family. Since roughly 10,000 settlers arrived before the settlement effort was shut down, only a fraction of the families and people received their own lot. By 1380 the system had effectively disintegrated, as through purchases and agreements, the number of lots had shrunk to 600. Most were bought out by early settlers, who transformed their lots into massive estates, some covering tens of square kilometers.

Sherbro expulsion

Anticipating the large number of settlers, the Navy began a gradual and complete expulsion of the native Sherbro population, the majority of which now spoke Latin, and could read and write. The expulsion occurred under the threat of violence, though no records indicate that deaths occurred. Those who could not speak fluent Latin were ousted to the neighboring mainland. Those proficient in Latin were sent to the islands of the strait, or to the Imsouane protectorate as laborers. Those who could also read and write in Latin were sent to the marshes of the northwestern part of the island and were granted land to farm on.

Townships

The lot system proved to initially isolate farmers, and many chose to sell their lots to estates to move into villages. These villages grew quickly becoming quite large, and the Naval government took notice of this growth. In 1420 it introduced a system wherein several lots (or estates, or both) combined to administratively become a county, with a town seat. This made administrating the protectorate easier, and by 1430 eight counties existed. These were initially massive entities, for example, Ardus County controlled most of the western half of the island, placing over 200 square kilometers under its jurisdiction. Towns became the cultural and educational centers of the island, hosting a small number of schools, theaters, and libraries.

Distinct culture

By 1560 the population of the island is estimated to have been over 30,000. Following many generations who had now lived their entire lives on the island, a distinct culture began to emerge around the cusp of the 1600's, according to several anthropologists. The isolation from mainland Liberta sparked one of the first examples of Ilan separatism, though most of the landed gentry of the island had a deep allegiance with Liberta. As the island lacked both universities, advanced medical care, and other luxuries of the Libertan mainland, most of elite the island traveled to Liberta to become educated, before returning to their estates. This led to the island trailing in virtually all fields of knowledge, excluding agriculture. Still under military rule, there was no room for any serious attempts at separatism to occur.

Autonomy, second wave of settlers and slave trade (1600–1830)

Whilst Liberta experienced the Age of Enlightenment, Ila became an important center for the Atlantic slave trade. Though few if any slaves were boarded from the island itself, many ships waited in the deep harbors of Ila, waiting to cross the Atlantic ocean. Following the Treaty of Tordesillas, Portugal had a near complete monopoly over west African slaves, and Portuguese ships frequently resupplied at Ila. By the 1690's the Royal African Company, Dutch West India Company, and the South Sea Company were all operating from or using Ila as a transfer point. As Liberta could take a small amount of tax for each ships' guaranteed safety, the Libertan central government acquired significant wealth from this arrangement. Little of this however, was ever used in Ila. This continued to nurture local resentment toward the Libertan mainland. At the same time, the countless interactions and agreements with both the Kingdom of England and the Dutch Republic fostered a golden era of diplomacy with Europe, solidifying Liberta as a European actor. Liberta, not formally engaged with any European conflicts, took great advantage of its political neutrality, as Ila welcomed English (later British), Dutch, Portuguese, and French ships. The geographic location of Ila was also close to the quickest route to Dutch Brazil, and it therefore served as the last stopping point before the ships transatlantic journeys, where vessels stocked up on supplies.

Self-rule

Following the Great Reform of 1707 and the establishment of the modern Libertan Republic, all protectorates were granted autonomy and by extension, self-rule. On May 16th 1707, the Naval government was officially disbanded and replaced with the Government of Ila, which was a democratically elected leadership. Several new parties gathered, though two parties were particularly popular, the Loyalists and the Republicans, in total controlling 37 of the 41 seats. The Loyalists wanted to maintain and in some aspects increase the relations with mainland Liberta, they were in that aspect loyal to the Libertan central government. Meanwhile, the Republicans advocated for further self-rule, and its most radical group, for complete independence. The popularity of these two political lines and increasing polarization between them, evident by the violent brawls outside of the Great Hall of Decision, was indicative of a greater split in Ilan society. Most of the landed gentry and elite were Loyalists, who favored close ties to Liberta proper, whilst the underprivileged and impoverished favored further autonomy.

Second wave of settlers

A renewed interest in Ila occurred in the 18th century, following its newly granted autonomy. As a way to increase economic output and to effectivize the agriculture of the island, the Ilan government initiated a series of campaigns to get settlers from Liberta proper to emigrate to Ila. This proved immensely successful, and by 1870 the population of the island reached 89,000. Most of the new settlers moved to the towns, rather than to settle as farmers. This, in turn, prevented a collapse of the preexisting lot-system. Though unpopular with the Republicans, many of which claimed that the entire campaign was an attempt to import more Loyalist voters, it saw the economic output increase up to tenfold in some counties. Along with increased labor, the settlers brought with them the industrial revolution. As Ila industrialized, factories in the now bustling Malacia transformed the raw resources of the island into processed goods, which could be exported at a higher price. Additionally, food preservation increased the amount of fresh produce that could be exported to Liberta.

The end of harboring slave ships

By 1807, both British and American efforts to ban slavery had succeeded. Liberta, wanting to maintain good diplomatic ties with the newly created United States, and especially its now close political partner the United Kingdom, effectively outlawed any slave ships from using any of its ports the same year. It was expected of the protectorates to institute similar bans, not because they were legally bound to do so, but as a show of unity. All of its protectorates followed suit, except for Ila. Whilst the question to outlaw slave ships was a rather trivial question in other protectorates, it was conversely a highly important economical issue in Ila. The Ilan government had, following its autonomy, built large parts of its wealth on taxing the slave ships using the island's harbor. In an act of defiance, the Republican-held Ilan government instead relaxed the taxes on the slave ships, effectively encouraging more slave ships to stop by. This initiated the Ilan crisis, after three separate requests by the Libertan central government to follow suit and outlaw slave ship harboring, and before diplomatic relations with the US and UK could sour, the government of consul Lux Vitus initiated a military intervention. On April 22nd, 1808, a fleet of twenty corvettes and ten ship of the lines arrived to the island, this was among the largest shows of force the Libertan Navy had done. After three days of deliberation, no agreement could be reached, and Fleet Admiral Viator Deodatus declared to open fire along the shoreline. Libertan troops made landfall along the southern and southwestern beaches of the island. The Battle of Ila lasted only for two days and six hours before a peace treaty was signed. The Ilan government outlawed slave ships from entering its waters, and the Libertan government agreed to transfer the 2023 equivalent of $550 million dollars as compensation for the lost future income from slave vessels.