Mavrija

State of Mavrija Mavrija (Almaranian) al-Mawriyah (Arabic)
States of Almarania
The castle of Sindawa at night, above Timur
Flag
Country	Almarania
Capital	Timur
Government
• Governor	Mohamed Andžavi
Area
• Total	27,349 km2 (10,560 sq mi)
Area rank	11th
Population (2014)
• Total	7,415,780
• Density	270/km2 (700/sq mi)

Mavrija (alternatively Mauria) is one of the fourteen states of Almarania. It is located on the northwestern tip of the country, bordering Gandhara to the north and west, the state of Polesje to the south and Nuran Sea to the east.

Name

The name Mavrija is a Slavic spelling of the Latin Mauria or Mauritania (ultimately from Greek μαύρον, mauron, meaning "black"; cf. Moors), used by cartographers to denote the whole area inhabited by Arabs in western Outernatia in the Middle Ages. The name ultimately constricted its use to the strongest and longest-lasting Arab state in medieval Outernatia, namely the Kingdom of Sindawa, which although significantly varying in size during its existence, was always centered on modern Mavrija.

Mavrija's variation al-Mawriyah has entered Arabic in 1918, after the creation of the state of Mavrija within Almarania. It is widely used as of now, but its use is criticized by Mavrijan nationalists. Until 1918, the common Slavic name for the region was Maversko or Male Arabsko (Little Arabia).

Sindawa, the traditional Arab name for the area, comes from the medieval name of its capital, Timur. This name comes from the Old Arabic sentawa, "lookout hill", ultimately from Proto-Semitic s-n-t-w "high ground, hill", probably connected with the hilly areas around it, which must have had military significance during the numerous wars waged in the area. The city of Timur is, like many others, claimed to have been founded on seven hills.

The name Ganjah is often used in Gandhara to refer to Mavrija. It comes from the Sanskritic word ganja or ganjika, used to refer to hemp and marijuana in many languages, including Arabic. Hemp has been grown in modern-day Mavrija since at least 3000 BC, and smoking hemp became very popular during the Gandharan occupation of Mavrija in the 17th and 18th centuries, so the name of the plant became associated with the region. Ganjah is also the Arabic name of the Konopljanka river, running nowadays on the southern fringes of the state, but traditionally occupying a much more central location in the region.

Geography

The state of Mavrija has a pretty regular pattern of relief, with altitude falling from the west to the east. To the southwest are the Selenia Mountains, where the highest point of the state, Azuga Peak (2998 m), is located. To the northwest are the lower Solaris Mountains (2003 m, High Solaris) and to the east of Selenia is the Asteria Plateau (1835 m). The central part of the state is dominated by the hilly karstic region of the Timurian Land, home to some of the most spectacular caves in Almarania. The east is dominated by the Rovinja Plain and Resija Plain (sometimes collectively named East Mavrijan Plain), as well as the coastal plains along the Nuran Sea.