Nelaga
This article is about the island of Nelaga. For information on the micronation, see: Nelaga Territories
Nelaga is the main island of the Jasonian Archipelago on Micras.
Origins and Etymology
Nelaga was lifted from the game Chrono Trigger, where it is the most important flying island of the Zeal Kingdom. Before the MCS, it existed on the map of the Flying Islands of Jasonia; when the MCS was founded, it agreed to include Nelaga and its surrounding (flying) islands in order to convince Jasonia to join the organization. Nelaga and its surrounding islands were originally marked with a white border, to indicate that they were flying rather than normal islands, but this decision was reversed by Series Three, when Jasonia was too dead to care. According to Jason Steffke, the name "Nelaga" is a meaningless combination of syllables.
Geography
The highest point of Nelaga is Mt. Urojea, 3418 m high. The north of the island is mountainous (culminating in Urojea) and dotted with caves, while the south contains a single lake and a small river flowing out to sea (a waterfall when the island is airborne). The southwest is partly forested, while the southeast is mostly plains. For an unforgettable experience of the geography of Nelaga, this writer strongly recommends the Control of Destiny line of games (ask in the MCS General forum).
History
Nelaga and its surrounding islands were originally the Flying Islands of Jasonia. When these fell (figuratively and literally) in 2001, their territory was annexed by the Apollo Foundation, which preserved them for the next few years. When the Apollo Foundation was stripped of its MCS lands, the territory was taken over by the Grand Commonwealth state of Aerlig, which swore (unconvincingly) it wasn't just doing it to annoy the former Jasonians. The islands became once again unoccupied after Aerlig moved to Giess, but were finally occupied by Zindaria, a historically sensitive state that takes care of the old Jasonian ruins.
In recent times, archaeological expeditions to Nelaga, especially by Zindaria and Gralus, have become popular.