Aimau

The Aimau is the official currency of Baranxtu, Chicoutim and Otea. It was originally only used in Baranxtu but was later introduced in these other two countries as a result of their annexation/occupation by Baranxtu, in order to introduce a single market and strengthen the three countries' economies.

Name

Origin

The name aimau comes from the Old Baranxeï term aka eo majjao (lit. Aka and Majja). Originally, this was a colloquial nickname for the then offical currency of the Kingdom of Baranxtu, the masurge.
The river goddess Aka was depicted on the reverse of the five-masurgea-coin, whereas Majja was depicted on the reverse of the ten-masurgea-coin; half-jokingly, half-criticizing, the name was used to describe the two coins with the highest value the common people could get their hands on.

This phrase was contracted at first to akaemajjao, and was kept as a nickname for money after the masurge was dropped in favor of the bulana, the currency of the Union of Baranxi and Majja. As the new coins did not depict deities, but kings and queens, the origin of the term was forgotten and further shortened to xaimahao, which led to haimaao and finally modern aimau.

Official Names

For the seven official languages in what has been dubbed the Aimauzone, seven different names have been officially recognized. They are found on banknotes and in all official documents.

• Asuaneï: haemano
• Baranxeï: aimau
• Chicoutim: amaou
• English: aimau
• French: aïmau
• Nidajii: ammao
• Qi: amao

However, on coins, the name can only be found four times (in order to enhance legibility).

• in Meleiyan Script: aimau
• in Latin Script: aimau
• in Nidajan Script: ammao
• in Akes Mersanint Script: amao

History

Baranxtu

When the colony of Baranxtu was established in the late 17th century, settlers originally used the bulana of their mother nation; however, in these early days, commerce was largely done on a basis of goods trading.
When the colonists started larger trade with the indigenous people of the area, they quickly informally adopted the putumanu, the currency used in the nearby realm of the Nazur tribe as they did naturally not accept the bulana.

The colony was granted the right to print and coin in 1745, but abuse by corrupt governors and priests quickly led to the revocation of this right in 1747.
It was replaced by the right to print and coin an own currency which led to the introduction of the Colonial Bulana in 1750. However, the currencies of the tribal kingdoms, especially the ruhamau of the Jjiri tribe, remained favored in frontier areas that were only minimally supervised by the government situated in Ωn-Baranxiž.

When the colony became independent in 1792, the Colonial Bulana was immediately abolished and replaced by the Theocratic Aimau; back then, aimau had become a general catch-all term for money and currency. This was done to show the alleged superiorty of the Theocracy of Baranxtu by declaring its currency to be the one and only "real" currency.

When the theocracy was overthrown and the republic established in 1814, another currency was introduced to replace the Theocratic Aimau; it was called the Republican Bulana. However, the public rejected this name and continued to speak of the Aimau, so it was reintroduced in 1816 under the name New Aimau.
In the sweep of the reconstitution of the country in 1860, the "new" was dropped from the name, and the aimau has been in use under that name ever since.

Chicoutim

When the Baranxtuan government installed the protectorate of East Baranxtu, first plans included to possibly extend a monetary union to the whole country of Jonquiere-Tadoussac. These plans, however, were quickly overthrown as the vast majority in Jonquiere-Tadoussac saw it as going to far with the interference of Baranxtu.

When the proposal to cede the province of Chicoutim-Halaore to Baranxtu and to create a new state became much more favore, it was decided to introduce the aimau to Chicoutim. It is expected to come into full force in April or May 2006.

Otea

The Theocratic Aimau had been Otea's currency from 1805 until 1816, and the New Aimau from 1816 until 1834, when the island was under Baranxtuan rule (from 1814-16, it had not used the Republican Bulana as it was granted a longer transition period due to its remote location).

Afterwards, it used the dominique until 1923 and since then, the ULF currency.
When the ULF failed and Otea was occupied by Baranxtuan peace keeping troops, the Aimau was once again introduced and officially became the country's legal tender on January 4th, 2006.