APPLICATION
Nation Name: Ephyra
Are you a resident of the CoDN: Yes.
Does your nation have WA status: Yes.
Claim Type: (place an X between the brackets to denote claim type)
[_] Initial Claim
[X] Expansion/Reduction
[_] Modification
What land are you claiming: Libya and Tunisia (In Gold: https://i.imgur.com/pw0FAUs.png)
Size of all Claims (sq. km): 1,923,610
Why is your claim fair in your opinion: First off. I don't know the size of the claim I already have. I think this added to it is still under the limit, but allow me to explain why I wish to claim these lands. This is a historical claim. I haven't decided when these territories would be acquired but I think they would be the expansion of territories held since about the 1400s-1500s, and definitely solidified by the 18th to 19th century at the latest. Effectively, they are expanded territories of slave-colonies to harvest the other bountiful resources of Africa, usually through slave labour. Because of how many slaves were re-distributed, sold on, or simply how our slaving caused populations to migrate away, the population of these territories is going to be significantly smaller, and due to Ephyral policies already, this won't cause a massive increase in the population nor population growth, so I'm not claiming dense territories if you consider that (I), Libya is several times bigger than Tunisia IRL but has almost half the population, and (II), early conquest of these regions and gradual expansion means that the population was never 'united' and didn't grow under its own administration.
If it comes to be that my claim is too big, I am more willing to sacrifice Tunisia than Libya, because of the latter's proximity to the empire making the most sense. This brings me to my second point, geography. The Ephyral capital has been centred on the modern-day site of Heraklion, though named Arys Ephyra and much larger, since I moved back here and claimed my first territories in June. Historically, Ephyra has expanded west, east and north, but not south. I think it makes a good geographical lore point for Ephyra to secure it's southern stretch of ocean by territories on the other side, as there is very little in the way of protection for the capital aside from assistance from mainland Turkey.
So... those are my general points really. The real life populations of these territories are smaller, and are probably going to be smaller still in the CoDN version. They will count to essentially nothing of the Imperial population. The geographical location is line with typical expansionist interests, especially with a capital located father south than virtually all the current mainland territories, and with Africa in the eyes of Ephyra being an untapped (then) resource of slaves and other goods that they could trade. As other powers grew, the Ephyral solidified their control over the territory, forming it into the shape we recognise as Libya and Tunisia. This is basically to ensure the borders aren't messy and those claiming Africa at any other point are not forced to just pick up remnants of other RL nations.
If you have issues with my map claim aside from size, or if you have an issue with what I've already posted, I would request you TG me about it and I can then either explain what I mean further, or come to some arrangement that we're both happy. To me, it less sense that Ephyra ignores African entirely. Why a slaving people would ignore what was then and still is to a degree today, a primitive continent (given that the dominant powers in Africa are colonial anyway), rich with new resources alongside slaves to utilise them is entirely beyond me, and I'm actually unsure why this wasn't a thing for me sooner.
