The Continent of Incognitia
This map is part of Earth 98, an alternate geography timeline made by DeFlame on Deviantart, which I have been graciously included in. The other complete maps can be found
here,
here, and
here.
Lying in one of the most remote regions of the world, directly on the South Pole, the continent of Incognitia has mystified explorers for centuries. Isolated from the rest of globe, the continent has developed all manner of unique life, including taxons found nowhere else on Earth such as litopterns Macrauchenia and Theosodon, notoungulates Toxodon and Mesotherium, sparassodont Aliotigris, megalonychid Megalonyx, glyptodont Doedicurus, and phorusrhacid Cheimoniatikos. Thanks to its far-off location, polar seasons, and stormy seas, Incognitia was the last continent to be discovered by humans, with the first indigenous people arriving from Meridia and Oceania around 1000 AD. These first migrants would give rise to two major native groups. First are the Makash, descendants of the indigenous people of Meridia found primarily in Wulaia, Magellania, and Akilpartan, having traveled across the Drake Passage around 1000 AD. Soon afterwards came the navally skilled Paporo, descendants of the Maori who sailed southwards and quickly colonized much of the continent around 1200 AD. While sightings of the island of Wulaia was sighted several times during the 17th and 18th centuries, European explorers would not reach the mainland of the continent until the early 19th century. As the naval powers of Europe sent expedition after expedition to document the strange new land, treaties were signed, carving the continent up between powers and leaving many native peoples subject to foreign rule. However, the climate of the continent and harsh polar seasons restricted colonization of the continent, and European settlement was largely unfeasible even a short distance inland. Even today, the continent only maintains a population of 15 million people, primarily restricted to the northern coastlines, leaving the interior as a vast, open wilderness home to flora and fauna the likes of which both terrify and fascinate scientists from across the world.
Nations of Incognitia
The State of Wulaia:
While most of Incognitia has been decolonized by the present day, the state of Wulaia, part of the United States of Meridia across the Drake Passage. Home of the northernmost Makash tribes, the island was sighted by sailors as early as the 17th century, but wasn't fully mapped until 1842. While remnants of these indigenous peoples still exist, the island is not primarily inhabited by Lusophone Meridians, and most population centers exist along the coasts.
The Republic of Mercatorton:
Named for American explorer Mercator Cooper, the island nation of Mercatorton was a United States colony from its discovery all the way to 1978, when an independence referendum allowed them to become the final independent nation on the continent. Today, the small country remains close ties to its former colonizer, and its economy is primarily based on the abundant whales and seals of the Weddell Sea.
The Republic of Magellania:
After the unification of the United States of Meridia in the 1840s, the new regional power sought to flex its muscles on the world stage. As news traveled of British expeditions to a fantastic land known as Terra Incognita spread, Meridian authorities began to once again examine their claims to the southern island of Wulaia. In 1851 the first Meridian expedition south from Wulaia was sent, and soon a massive wave of settlers had flooded to the brand new colony of Magellania. Over the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the new Magellanian people developed their own local identity, a blend of Portuguese and Makash traditions which continues today. In 1932, the government of Meridia allowed their Incognitian colony to become an independent nation via referendum, and today the two retain close ties as the only Lusophone nations in the New World.
The Viceroyalty of Akilpartan:
As the Meridians moved South into the continent, so too did their old colonizer, Portugal. In 1857 the Portuguese Incognitian Expedition landed on the island of Akilpartan, establishing trade relations with the native people and fending off attacks from the Meridian Navy. In exchange for their defense against Meridia and a high degree of autonomy, the native tribes of the island pledged loyalty to the Portuguese crown. Today, the small nation is still technically a Portuguese viceroyalty, however the viceroy has become become a local elected position not unlike a prime minister, and Portuguese influence is virtually non-existent.
The Commonwealth of Cookby:
First found by Captain James Cook in the 1830s, stories of the nation of Cookby quickly sparked Britain and other powers into a race for the continent of Incognitia. As the first British landing site on the continent, Cookby quickly gained a reputation for its beautiful scenery, wildlife, and people. As the other British Incognitian colonies voted to federate into the Dominion and later Commonwealth of Albionoria in 1947, Cookby remained separate due to its geographic and cultural separation from the rest of the continent. Today, the Commonwealth of Cookby, while still a Commonwealth member, remains fiercely independent from both Britain and Albionoria, seeing them as colonial masters and savage bushmen respectively.
The Commonwealth of Albionoria:
As Britain's colonial drive to the interior of the continent began, the largest island of the archipelago, Albionoria, was quickly snapped up by British settler from both Britain and nearby South Africa. The British at first attempted to unite their Albionorian colonies geographically with Cookby, establishing a united realm of Incognitia, but failed to anticipate the naval tenacity and unity of the Paporo in Karowerae and suffered a series of defeats at their hand. As expedition after expedition sought to reach further South, huge population centers based on whaling, sealing, and fishing were established along the coast, and soon those born in Albionoria outnumbered the British themselves. In 1947, the five British colonies of Providence, Whalership, Albertonia, Kirkland, and the Polar Territories federated into the Dominion of Albionoria, which was later renamed to the Commonwealth of Albionoria in 1968. Today, the "pineman" identity of Albionoria remains a strong cultural marker, not unlike the American cowboy or the Australian bushranger.
The Union of Karowerae:
While the remainder of the continent's natives were cleaved between colonial powers in the race for Incognitia, the Paporo retained a strong presence on the island of Karowerae. As British colonizers threatened to destroy their way of life, the native tribes of Karowerae came together under Grand Chief Kaori, who united the squabbling cities with expert naval strategy and rousing speeches, making Karowerae into a confederation of tribes, united by military power and naval dominance. After the British defeat in 1904, Karowerae established itself as a true regional power that could stand up to colonial dominance. Over time, the subsequent grand chiefs of Karowerae reformed the position from one of military dominance to electoral victory, and while Karowerae is most often represented as a single nation, local tribes and families hold most real power. Today, the nation is known for its traditional sailing skills, wildlife, native culture, and scenery.
