Yemaya by ArtOfAnrach on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Yemayá is an ocean planet roughly the same size and mass as Earth with an Earth Similarity Index rating for 0.92 and a Human Habitability Index rating of 0.94. The entire surface of the planet is covered in a vast ocean that is many kilometers deep, though the depth varies from place to place. A few rocky outcropping exist but none of them are large enough to be considered true islands. Yemayá is an independent planet-state and is a full member of the Coalition of Independent Worlds. It is named after an Orisha--a West African divine nature spirit--that plays a prominent role in the Yoruba religion of Nigeria and various syncretic Afro-Caribbean faiths. In particular the name of the planet refers to the interpretation of the Orisha Yemoja found in Santería: a religion practiced throughout the Caribbean where the original settlers of this world came from, in which she is considered the owner of all oceans and protector of those at sea. Yemayá broke away from the Earth Federation during the Second Earth-Coalition War (3696-3708) and, lacking any strategic value or valuable resources, did not have its declaration of independence contested. The first colonists arrived on the planet in 3667 and were mainly from Cuba. During the three decades between the first wave of settlers and independence very few additional colonists came (though several scientific outposts were established) due to lack of land, economic opportunity, and the general hardship of life on an ocean planet. The colonists founded cities either built on platforms attached to the larger rocky outcroppings, anchored to the smaller outcroppings, or simply floating freely across the surface. Few industries were compatible with the planet aside from fishing and scientific research, and a turbulent atmosphere combined with global ocean coverage meant powerful storms and waterspouts were common. The hardships faced by the settlers has shaped their culture and Yemayans have a reputation as a hardy, conservative folk who have a deep love and respect for the sea regardless of what planet it's found on. After independence it was discovered that in some areas there was an abundance of native shellfish-like marine life whose shells had odd properties. The shells often contained high amounts of minerals, not unlike the iron shells of the scaly foot gastropod in the deep oceans of Earth. The shells, when ground up, have many applications as construction material and a booming industry has developed from the exploitation of this newfound resource. The largest of these organisms is now being farmed as both a source of shell and food and the cement made with their shells is exported as cheap and sturdy construction material throughout the local star cluster. This has attracted new interest in immigration and a significant population of dorisians* now live on the planet. The dorisian minority largely keeps to itself but is by no means segregated, though they are often stereotyped as thugs and blamed for many crimes committed in areas where the human and alien populations co-exist. Since independence a large poaching problem has occurred with the shelled organisms, and the problem is compounded by Yemayá's lack of a military and sparse law enforcement numbers. Currently the Coalition is working with the Yemayan government to install a network of autonomous submarine drones capable of attacking and destroying/subduing poachers and unlicensed "concharos."

The population of Yemayá is 627,493 entities (94% human, 5% dorisian, 1% various Coalition species). It has two capitals, the stationary city of Santiago de Yemayá (pop. 202,057) which is also the planet's largest city and is located in the southern hemisphere, and Santo Joao (pop. 18,403) which floats freely around the northern hemisphere. The official language of Yemayá is Spanish, though the law requires all government facilities to post signs and such in Spanish, English, and Baalite. The most popular religions on Yemaya are Santería (65.2%), Roman Catholicism (20.3%), non-denominational Islam (8.2%), and Vodou (6.3%). The most popular political parties on the planet are the Conservative Party (86.1%), the Labor Party (10.8%), and the Yemayá Worker's Coalition (3.1%). The government of Yemayá is a constitutional federal republic based on the American model with a bicameral legislative branch composed of a congress made up of a house of representatives elected from each city based on population and a senate with two representatives elected from each city. The executive branch is led by a president who acts as head of state and two prime ministers acting as heads of government: one for reach hemisphere. This situation was created by political disagreements between the two hemispheres. The southern hemisphere is wealthier and more populated and is composed mainly of large, stationary cities with industrial outputs based around aquatic mining and shell-farming while the north is poorer, less populated, and composed mainly of smaller free floating cities with lifestyles centered around fishing and agriculture. The south will always have the majority in congress due to the the difference in population (a third of the planet's populace lives in the south's capital city alone) so it was agreed that each hemisphere would elect separate heads of government with the president acting as a mediator to come to mutually beneficial administrative decisions.

*