Algazi people
| Algaza (Algazan) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Total population | |
| 67 million (2015, est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Algazi Union | 56,454,200 |
 Letzia | 6,822,000 |
 Ebo Nganagam | 805,000 |
 Yerlan | 672,100 |
 Lons | 211,000 |
 Azerin | 104,000 |
| Languages | |
| Algaz | |
| Religion | |
| Algazi religion, Iovism | |
History
Archeological evidence and Lonish and Letsatian sources inidcicate that the early Algazi were primarily herders, living in the desert plateau that now comprises the center of the Algazi Union but ranging as far as the Koklates Mountains and western Lons. The rise of agriculture in the region before the beginning of the Common Era precipitated the emergence of cities and towns in this region, with power increasingly centered on the city of Hafsigh. The Hafsighi Kingdom expanded south and east from 300 to 600 CE, establishing new ports along the coasts. Following the onset of civil war in 1078 and the subsequent collapse of the Hafsighi Kingdom, the center of Algazi civilization shifted to the cities surrounding Argeyaz Bay.
Increased trade beginning in the mid 13th century saw the beginnings of Algazi expansion, with trading establishments set up in major ports across Ekuosia and the world. These varied in size from clusters of trading houses to sizable Algazi enclaves, in which merchants and officials were followed by tradesmen, servants, clerics, and scholars. During this period, the large and economically dominant Algazi populations along the Ekuos River took control of the Azri cities of Tagra and Sedim, prompting substantial Algazi migration in the following centuries. While these two cities are mostly Algazi today, surrounding regions remain predominantly Azri.
Diaspora
An estimated 11 million Algazi live outside of the Algazi Union. Many of these are part of historic Algazi communities established in major trading centers in Baredina, southern Miraria, and northern Boroso. Many of these communities dissipated as their members migrated to the Algazi Union as a result of its economic decline in the 19th century, but others persisted, such as those in coastal regions of Ebo Nganagam and Yerlan.
Letzia
A sizable Algazi community exists in Letzia, centered on the former Algazi cities of Dórixe (Daridje) and Vézky (Veyski), which were annexed by Letzia in the late 19th century. They speak a dialect of Algaz heavily influenced by Lestzi and, unlike many other Algazi communities abroad, they maintain an identity that is relatively unattached to the Algazi Union itself, having adopted many aspects of Lestzi culture. While many support the return of the two cities to the Algazi Union (and many have migrated to the Algazi Union ), the majority of Algazi-Lestzi wish to remain part of Letzia, with a smaller number calling for the creation of and independent state.