Luzon (Vegetarian World)

Luzon

Official languages	Tagalog, Ilokano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Bikol
Capital	Manila
Largest City	Manila
Population	4,689,000
HDI	0.857 (High)
Foundation	1896
Currency	Luzon Peso (LZP)
Our Timeline Equivalent	The island group of Luzon of the Philippines

Luzon is a nation located south of Taiwan, northeast of Borneo in Southeast Asia, and directly north of Visayas. Together, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao make up a large island group called Luvimi, which can also be considered part of Nusantara and Macronesia. Luzon, like its neighbors across Nusantara, from Malaya to (aboriginal) Taiwan and even Madagascar, is culturally and racially Nusantaran, of course with its own specific languages and cultures.

Quasi-Classical Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall of De La Salle University in Manila, completed in 2002.

History

Luzon and the other areas in the Luvimi Islands were, for a long time, outside the range of many empires and their hegemony, although major ports did have trade links. Because of this, although many Nusantarans were Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim, Luzonese were still mainly animistic by the 1700s. In the late 1500s, the Spanish had managed to capture some major Luzonese ports with little resistance. However, in 1604, Spain was forced to relinquish its rights to the land. Still, Spain remained the major trader with Luzon for the next few centuries. Eventually, in the late 1800s, Luzonese cities became major stopovers and trading centers for British fleets on their way to Hawaii, and then often on to Pacifica and other New World destinations. The crews were often not from the British isles, but from Pacifica itself. All through the eras of European influence, Hokkien, Malayan, and Indian influences also grew. Up until the late 1800s, there was very little government structure in Luvimi, with Western and Eastern civilization still only approaching the outskirts of the major cities. In 1896, however, borders were demarcated and a nation sprung up where before there was none. Even to this day, the Luvimi Islands are places where time goes by slowly and modernity has not made many inroads. However, major cities like Manila are continuing and expanding their trade links with th outside world. Today, Luzon is noted for its large diversity of wildlife (like other Nusantaran nations) and relaxed atmosphere.

Demographics

Vegetarianism

Luzon has a relatively low percentage of vegetarians for a Nusantaran nation, but it has also not been as influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism as more western Nusantaran countries.

65% Non-Vegetarian

35% Vegetarian

Ethnic Groups

Almost all Luzonese are of Nusantaran stock. There are many ethnic groups spread across the islands, most civilized, but a large minority are hunter-gatherer or gatherer.

77% Nusantaran Luzonese (Tagalog, Ilocano, etc)

21% Aeta (non-Nusantaran Aboriginals)

01% other Nusantaran (Malay, etc)

01% other (Hokkien, etc)

Religions

Luzon today is not very religious. In the 1800s, an attempt was made to form a religion out of animistic tendencies. This religion became known as Luzonese Animism, or "Luzanimism" or more frequently "Lusanimism", and can be compared to Shintoism in Japan, which similarly evolved out of animistic beliefs. It has been said that Lusanimism has incorporated elements from other religions, too. For example, it places vegetarianism as a "holy diet". While only a minority of Luzonese are vegetarian, a good number have special feasts that are completely vegetarian. This probably came from neighboring Hindu and Buddhist (and possibly Cathar) influences. Also, there is one "god among gods", which makes it somewhat henotheistic, probably owing to Christian, Islamic, and Vaishnava Hindu influences. Generally, civilized Luzonese are both tolerant and not terribly religious. Many practice rituals out of tradition, not out of a genuine belief, though they may still say that they are affiliated with the religion. In the interior, differing animistic types are seen, and religion is generally a larger part of their lives, but is also often not very structured. Because of a long European (especially Spanish) presence, Christianity is a large minority religion.

39% Lusanimist

25% other animist

18% Non-religious

12% atheist

06% agnostic

11% Christian

04% Mahayana Buddhist

02% Hindu

01% other (Cathar, etc)

Languages

96% Luzonese Nusantaran languages (Tagalog, Ilocano, etc)

04% others (English, Spanish, Luzonese Hokkien, Malay, etc)

Note: English is widely understood in cities, as is Spanish to a lesser extent. In fact, in many ports, creolization and code switching are common.