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Name[]
The name of the state is "Tmazia" (Internationally: Tamazia [tə'mæʒə]). Tmazia is derived from the Tamazian word tmazi.
History[]
History
Demographics[]
Languages[]
The Tamazian language is the only official state language spoken natively by 91% of the population. It is written in the Latin alphabet. The Persian language (Farsi) is spoken by a relatively small minority in the Western province and the Lingala language by a small immigrant community in the capital. Monolingual speakers of Farsi or Lingala are rare and virtually all speakers of other languages than Tamazian speak Tamazian as a second language.
Dialects[]
The Tamazian language can be divided into three main dialects: Eastern, Central and Western. The standard form of the language is based on the Central dialect spoken in and around the capital Qarani. The Easter dialect is more archaic than the rest of the dialects and has preserved most of the old forms and has very little foreign influence. The Western dialect has had a lot of Farsi influence which shows in its more synthetic grammar and especially in the vocabulary. The Persian loanwords are numerous. The loss of dual number and personal verbal prefixes are unique to the Western dialect. The Central dialect is a cross-over dialect and serves as the standard language used in media and contacts. The central dialect is thought in schools as Tmazi.
Examples:
| English | Western | Central | Easter |
|---|---|---|---|
| I ate my apples. | Me gzureb men marat. | Mgzureb men marats. | Mgzureb maratsim. |
| Rose | guli | roza | lenia |
| Tea | čai | čai | jarbata |
| We [two] | met | mek | mek |
| We [many] | met | met | met |
Religion[]
Religion plays a minor role in the society. The state is not affiliated with any church and all churches function as private associations. Most Tamazians do not adhere to any religious group. There are small animist, Muslim and Christian communities. Most Muslims live in the East of the country, many of them ethnic Iranians. The largest Christian group is the Carmelites who have a church in the Capital and a monastery in the rural parts of the Western Province. Adherence to religion: 72% Irreligious, 10% Animists, 8% Muslims, 6% Carmelites, 4% other denominations.
Health[]
Life expectancy was estimated in 2013 at 82.15 years for women and 79.62 years for men. Public health care is available to all citizens. Each town/district has a doctor’s office and a dentist’s office. They are typically small and run by 1-2 doctors, 1 dentist and a nursing staff of 4-8 members. Pharmacies sell over the counter and prescription drugs but also chemicals – the regular stores can only carry organic non-synthetic products.
Education[]
State education in Tamazia is free. The education system consists of a nine-year comprehensive school (from age 7 to 15), secondary education in form of a three-year lycée or apprenticeship and higher education (university).
Notable Schools:
- Qarani University of Arts and Letters
- State Technical University
- Tmazian Medical School
Culture[]
Cuisine[]
Tamazian Cuisine uses a lot of beans, fresh herbs, cheese and other dairy and vegetables. The most common kinds of meat are lamb and chicken. Traditionallly Tamazis don't eat pork which is rarely available in the country. Fish and seafood is eaten especially in the coastal area.
Drinks[]
Typical non-alcoholic drinks include lemonade (Limonkali), mineral water (Bisani) and kefir (Kopuri). Alcoholic drinks include semi-sweet red wine, sage-flavored grape vodka.
Dishes[]
- 3 Beans Stew
- Cabbage Stew
- Chicken Meatball Soup
- Hand Pies (with a spicy meat or bean filling, or filled with cheese)
- Muamba
- Poached Chicken Salad
- Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
- Zucchini Stew
Desserts[]
- Grape Pudding
- Bikizi (Jelly Cookies)
- Blackberry Cheesecake
- Milk Pudding
- Rhubarb Crumble
- Sweet Breads
- Walnut Cake
Typical Meals[]
A typical quick breakfast includes kefir, a filled pie (boreki) and a cup of tea or coffee. A full breakfast is more commonly eaten on the countryside. It’s more of a brunch than a breakfast and usually eaten around 10 – 11 am.
Media[]
Radio and Television[]
Tmazian Radio do Televizia (TRT) is a state-run broadcaster with one television channel (Tmazian Televizia) and two radio channels (Radio Tmazia and Radio Muzika). The radio channels broadcast 24/7 and the television channel broadcasts from 6.30 am to 12 am and from 5pm to 12 pm on weekdays and from 8 am to 12 am and 6 pm to 12 pm on weekends.
Press[]
The most widely read morning newspaper is Tmazian Xabarit (Tamazian News). Several other newspapers and magazines are also in circulation.