Wakanda

Wakanda is an isolated nation in Africa near Kenya, southeast of Sudan. It is extremely technologically advanced and has a highly sophisticated industrial and technological backbone that supports their population, creating a unique fusion between tribal traditionalism and an advanced technological society.

Geography

Wakanda has a population of around 2 million people and is approximately 6.5k square miles in area. Located in the middle of a densely mountainous region, the center of Wakanda has a variety of climates, from dense jungles to open savannah plains. Lake Turkana lies to the southwest. Wakanda is bordered by several other small African nations, including *Niganda on the west, *Rudyarda and *Ghudaza to the north, *Mohannda and *Zwartheid to the east, and *Azanra and *Canaan to the south. The larger nations of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, *Narobia and Sudan enclose these smaller nations.

(* denotes other Marvel original nations)

The collapsed mouth of an ancient caldera contains Wakanda's capital city of Birnin Zana, which houses a population of around 500k people. Other, smaller cities are named for past kings of Wakanda, including Birnin Azzaria, Birnin Bashenga, Birnin Benhazin, and the more recently renamed Birnin T'Chaka. Most hold around 50-70 thousand people. The rest of the population are spread out in tribal villages that range from dozens up to thousands of inhabitants. On the plains some live nomadic lifestyles. Different tribes have their own local governments in the form of tribal chiefs.

The paths to Wakanda are extremely difficult to access and heavily guarded. Local superstition in the surrounding areas suggests that supernatural entities guard the region, discouraging adventurers from exploring it. Several border tribes historically guard the secret passes into Wakanda, which they call Mfawze Wamatye-- the land of the "stone warriors".

The land has a mix of climates and ecological systems within a small area. Beautiful waterfalls can be found not too far from savannah-like plains, that quickly give way to forests and jungles nearer to abundant water sources. Dangerous breeds of cats, snakes, primates and other predators, often modified over time by vibranium, make the wild lands dangerous for the unwary. The jungles and mountains and the beasts which inhabit them are often enough on their own to prevent explorers trying to enter the secretive nation.

Economy

Viewed by the rest of the world as a poor nation of herders and hunters, the truth about Wakanda is very different.

Wakanda has relatively sparse agricultural space, due to terrain complications and a cultural preference for hunting and herding. The few open plains provide pasture space that is shared within the local tribes. The jungles and heavy forests provide ample hunting. With Wakanda culture holding a healthy respect for the land and spirits, over-hunting has rarely been an issue.

Wakanda conducts limited trade with the outside world as their economy is largely self-contained. Their primary export is vibranium, which is one of the most expensive substances on the planet. The meteor which crashed into Wakanda and is the basis for their vibranium deposits is estimated at having contained over 10k tons of the material. The tiniest trickle of vibranium sold on the open markets is more than enough to meet Wakanda's monetary needs and supply the monarchy with virtually bottomless coffers. Vibranium requires mining and refinement for most advanced use, but has some potent properties even in raw form.

Most of Wakanda's technology is hidden from the world, even to the point of their capital city being masked from satellites. But one exception that they are known for is avionics. The Wakanda Design Group is a small but highly respected group. The world believes they were largely educated outside of Wakanda, following the lead of T'Challa who is credited as the designer of the quinjet used by SHIELD and the Avengers. They consult on design of planes and components, but do not have a hand in manufacturing.

Their primary imports are small amounts of rare earth metals and other manufacturing components (helium, petrol, etc.) to augment what they produce locally. Though consuming small amounts of outside commercial products and entertainment, Wakandan technology and craftsmanship is generally superior and local products meet the bulk of the population's needs.

Wakanda has a small but potent industrial manufacturing base centered around vibranium-based technologies. Certain artisans produce extremely high-quality goods in limited supply, and such hand-craftsmanship is valued over produced goods.

Birnin Zana was one of the first 'smart cities' in the world. There are few vehicles in the city beyond pilotless public transport. Wakanda has had mobile telecom, computer storage systems, advanced construction equipment, energy weapons, automated fabrication units, and medical facilities long before most of the world. Kimoyo Beads are given to every Wakandan at five years old, combining portable medical monitoring gear with advanced, even holographic, telecom equipment.

Wakanda's closed borders and lack of engagement in trade or conflicts (at least ones visible to the outside world) has led to nations underestimating them. The Soviet invasion of Wakanda in 1983 was repelled easily and troop losses were significant, enough to contribute to the collapse of the USSR just a few years later. They remain a largely mysterious and closed-off culture, with embassies in few nations and their contact with the outside world brokered through an impoverished border town that looks like little more than a rural village.

Culture

Though at times there were struggles, Wakanda's culture has largely managed to harmoniously blend advanced vibranium technology without losing the heart of their ancient beliefs. Respect for the land and for elders that one expects from primarily hunter-herder family units was never lost during the nation's technological revolution. A skilled herder or artisan is viewed with similar regard as a medical technologist or designer of vibranium circuitry. While Wakandans fully understand the science behind their Kimoyo beads, it does not prevent them from believing in the spirits of the land and of their ancestors.

The autocratic rule of the king as a tribal chief has kept the aristocracy small. The Monarchy of Wakanda rules over the capital city and is considered the secular ruler of Wakanda. An annual tradition allows tribal chief leaders to challenge the current monarch for the throne. The economic relationship between the monarchy and tribal chiefs is largely feudal and the council of chiefs is called the "Taifa Ngao".

The presence of the priesthood of Bast in the form of the Panther Cult has established hierarchies among the spiritual leadership as their tribe has held the monarchy through most of recent time. There have been similar practices centered around the White Gorilla, the Lion, the Crocodile, the Hyena and other animals. These beliefs are a part of daily life for many. While Wakanda mainly has a harmonious blend of technology and spirituality, there is always some friction. More conservative tribal leaders may feel Wakanda is too modernized. There is ongoing concern of what the outside world would do should they learn the truth about Wakanda.

More recently, T'Challa and his family want to address the gaps in knowledge between Wakanda and the rest of the world, though doing so safely, and convincing their own people, present challenges.

History

In ancient history, a massive meteorite made of a sound and energy absorbing material crashed into the area of Africa that would one day become known as Wakanda. It caused a volcanic eruption nearby, and the devastation of the combined catastrophes left the area largely uninhabited for years to come. In the years that followed, the presence of vibranium in the ecosystem changed the flora and fauna in manners sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. The latter included the growth of the Heart-Shaped Herb.

In approximately 10,000 BCE, Wakanda was founded by devotees of the goddess Bast. A series of brutal tribal wars during the Hyborean Era had decimated their population. Bast's adherents guided them to the caldera nearby to the mound and crater left by the meteor's impact, promising a land that would be safe from invaders. Under the pantheon's guidance, worshippers and a civilization grew from the landscape which had once been desolate but was already recovering.

Primarily hunter-gatherers, Wakandans began developing the agricultural practices necessary to sustain civilization. An abundance of natural resources was offset by the remote location of the region, limiting trade and mercantile development.

As the Wakandans settled in, they gradually discovered properties of the minerals found washed down from the mountains into the local rivers and lakes. This was the beginning of their utilization of vibranium. Over time they learned first how to craft the extremely resilient material into tools and weapons. The resulting implements were capable of absorbing and releasing energy, leaving them more resilient, sharper, capable of finer detailed work. And of course, more destructive. Even in those early days, the vibranium gave the Wakandans a distinct advantage in the few times they encountered outside groups.

But outside invaders were not the only source of conflict. In 1500 BCE, an ambitious tribal chief named C'muro staged a coup and forced King T'pwen of the Bako line into exile and set about a conquest of Africa. The Wakanda Civil War would result in thousands dead and Wakandan culture forever changed.

The daughter of T'pwen, Mululi, returned from exile and found Wakanda ruined. Internecine violence bordering on civil war erupted as various factions and tribal leaders attempted to claim leadership of Wakanda. Mululi subdued the tribal chiefs in single combat, forcing them to recognize her authority as she worked to rebuild. She helped put down the rebels and led the repair efforts to rebuild Wakandan society. But there was a period of lawlessness and chaos as the priesthood, monarchy, and tribal leaders struggled to regain control of their war-torn lands.

In the end, several compromises were struck, and the roots of modern Wakanda were laid in what is referred to in Wakandan history as the Fifth Dynasty.

Led by the Priests of Bast, the Panther Cult grew in popularity among the people and was seen by some other tribes as possessing qualities suited not just for leadership, but for healing the divides that had led to such tragic events. The use of the Heart-Shaped Herb provided the Cult's leader with not just strength, but spiritual enlightenment with access to their past ancestors, and more directly to the Wakandan pantheon.

The war had devastated the fields of the Heart-Shaped Herb. The remaining plants were preserved and taken to safe places to be replanted. Priests faithful to the Orisha would guard and cultivate it, charged with keeping the holy plant safe and testing prospective candidates who wished to become the next ruler of Wakanda. This herb is exclusively provided to the rightful ruler of Wakanda and jealously protected by some of Wakanda's mightiest warriors.

The tribal chiefs insisted that never again would the monarchy maintain a standing army. Conscription would be voluntary and each tribe would have equal representation in the military. For anyone to leave Wakanda would require the blessing of their tribe leader plus the monarchy. Mululi argued for the concession that she be allowed a private guard. She would control the capital city, administer the duties of the state, and guard the sacred mound of vibranium.

This formed an uneasy alliance, a tripod where no one faction could control the collective might of Wakanda alone. While other tribes would occasionally hold the monarchy in the centuries to follow, the Panther Cult were the primary holders of the throne. Each new heir, once proven worthy, would be taken to the deepest chambers of the royal palace where they would receive the blessings of the Heart-Shaped Herb and commune with the gods and their ancestors.

This triumvirate of chiefs, monarchy, and priests would sustain Wakanda's peace for centuries and enable their isolationism-- wanting for nothing, with health and food and strong family connections, the Wakandans stayed in almost complete isolation for centuries.

Intervening Years

Life progressed in Wakanda in the years that followed. Life in the wilds transformed by the presence of the vibranium was its own challenge even without outside influences. Wakandan understanding of vibranium flourished slowly. Unknown to the outside world, the Wakandan scientific acumen outstripped that of the rest of humanity. Fueled by the possibilities of Wakanda's raw materials, their investigations into mathematics, physics, astronomy, medicine and engineering left the fledgling nation hundreds of years ahead of the rest of the world.

Life was not always peaceful though. With increased awareness, the Wakandans were ideally suited to deal with several calamities that otherwise might have overtaken themselves, or even the world. Invasions from threats worldly and otherwise were identified and repulsed more than once in the ensuing centuries. Invasions by ancient Rome were turned back. A branch of the Knights Templar failed to extend papal authority to the region during the Crusades.

Even invasions from other dimensions were identified and stopped. An assault by demonic minions of Hell was repulsed by Wakandan warriors as they poured through an ancient Atlantean gate adjacent to R'lyeh. It was neither the first nor the last time that the world would owe its safety to the courage and technological advances of the Wakandans. Through it all, Wakanda managed to keep their level of advancement a secret. The eventual growth of colonialism painted a clear enough picture of what would result should the outside world learn the truest nature of Wakandan culture.

In the 1800s, a group of European soldiers invaded Wakanda under the command of an officer known as Colonel Klaue. The attacking forces were defeated utterly and captured. The foreign army was allowed to leave after they laid down arms and surrendered, taking back to Klaue's native Belgium his only remains, a foot within a boot.

World War II

In 1942, Wakandan defense systems informed young Prince Azzuri that a spaceship was crashing to Earth far north of Wakanda's borders. His father agreed it was too important an event not to pursue. Azzuri took a Wakandan flying machine, far more advanced than the warplanes of the Axis and Allies, and flew north to intercept the falling star. He arrived just in time to see Jor-El of Krypton fighting off a small army of German troops, and rushed to Jor-El's side. The two men became fast friends in the ensuing days. Their adventures would lead them to join the Justice Defenders.

After the war, Azzuri returned home and discussed the state of the world with his father. It was decided that the time had come prepare for Wakanda to emerge from the shadows and join a world that they could not hide from forever. It would take time to undo ancient tribal law and overcome feelings of isolationism. It became the duty of the royal family to send their sons and daughters into the world, and to bring understanding of it back to their home. Azzuri also fulfilled a promise made in the heat of battle: he returned to Bana-Mighdall, to properly court Nanali of the Bana Amazons, until she accepted him as her husband. This cemented a tradition between Wakanda and Bana-Mighdall where the Dora Milaje and the Amazons would exchange their best warriors to live in that other land and learn their ways.

By the time Azzuri's grandchildren were ready to inherit the mantle of Black Panther, Wakandans had been slowly nurtured towards changing their mindset about the outside world. The rest of humanity had advanced to a point that one day soon, geographical isolation alone would not be enough to keep Wakanda separate and safe. Wakanda remained covert, but no longer passive, and with the birth of T'chaka, Azzuri started a tradition where the bravest and most dependable Wakandans would be sent out into the world to learn the ways of other nations. And in cases of greatest need, to subtly influence matters there.