THE ELEPHANTS IN ELEPHAS

The Elephant Family is from the fictional (make believe) country of Elephas. The country is in Africa. While not a real country, here is some information about Elephas that you might like to know.

ELEPHAS

Elephas is the fictional country that is home to the Elephant family. Although it is a make believe country, it does have its own history and facts.

Elephas is a former British colony located on the west coast of Africa.

Capital City: Mammut City

Population: 300,000 humans, elephants, and other animals. (About half of the population is made up of people. 120,000 elephants live and work in Elephas. 30,000 other animals live in the country.) Most of the population lives in the capital city.

Climate: Elephas is a warm country, with little seasonal variation in temperature. There are two major seasons, the wet season and the dry season. The wet season runs from April to October. The dry season goes from November to March. Temperatures average 77 Degrees Fahrenheit (27 Degrees Celsius) in the wet season. Temperatures average 86 Degrees Fahrenheit (30 Degrees Celsius) in the dry season. Annual rainfall is about 130 inches (330 cm).

History: Elephas was ‘discovered’ by the British explorer Leopold Mammut in 1790. Mammut did not set out to be an explorer. He actually discovered Elephas by accident. The fishing ship he was captain of was blown off course by a storm. The ship washed ashore on the coast of Elephas. Mammut was rescued by elephants who nursed him back to health.

Unfortunately, Mammut repaid the elephants’ kindness by claiming their land for England. It was colonized by the British in 1795.

The site where Mammut’s ship washed ashore later became the main port of Elephas. The capital city grew up around this port and came to be named Mammut City, after Leopold Mammut.

Elephas was given its independence in 1920 by King George V. This was in recognition of the many brave Elephas soldiers who fought alongside the British and Allies during World War 1.

Economy: Elephas’s primary industry is tourism, especially eco-tourism. British, European, and American tourists enjoy visiting the country for its pristine beaches, lush forests, and mangrove swamps.

The main agricultural exports are organic chocolate and coffee. Vanilla beans are a minor export. Elephas imports much of its food. The local residents purchase organically grown, free-trade products.

Politics: Elephas is a parliamentary democracy with a Prime Minister and an elected parliament. The parliament has only one house, which is equivalent to the House of Commons in England.

Language: The official language of Elephas is English. All government activities are done in English. Other recognized languages include Elephant, Hippo, Monkey, and nearly a dozen other animal languages.

Education: Elephasians value knowledge and learning. The country has a high rate of literacy. Its educational system is based on the British system. Elephas has a graduation rate of 95%. The country has one major university, University of Mammut, named for the founder Leopold Mammut. A smaller university, Loxodon College, is located in the city of Loxodon.

Sport: Elephas enjoys many of the sports that are enjoyed by the British. They love to play cricket and football (soccer). Elephas has national cricket and football teams that compete internationally. Neither team has won any major cups or tests.

Uloloo: Uloloo is a sport that is unique to Elephas. Uloloo is a team sport played by three elephants on each side. (Humans do play the sport, but the rules are different because of the physical nature of the sport.) The sport started among elephants who would toss tree branches through forked trees at watering holes.

The game is played on a circular field. In the center of the field is a Y-shaped post. The field is marked in with five concentric circles marked around the Y. The object of the game is to throw a heavy, sand-filled bag (weighing 50 pounds) through the Y in the post. Points are scored for passing the bag through the post as well as for how far the bag travels. (High points for the bag traveling to farther circles.) The opposing team attempts to block the bag from going through the Y, intercept it, or knock the bag down to the ground as close to the Y as possible to minimize the points scored.

Uloloo lasts for two halves, each half lasts for one hour. Only one time out is allowed per half. Uloloo is a game of endurance as well as strength and skill. It is traditionally player outside on a sand or dirt field. (Humans play with a lighter bag – only 20 pounds – and on a smaller playing field that can be played indoors.) A regulation-size field is a 90-foot radius centered on the Y post. (Human fields are generally half this size.) Smaller fields can be used for casual play.

Trunks, hands, and feet are all allowed to move the bag. Pushing and shoving are allowed. There is no tackling or tusking allowed. Timed penalties are enforced for tusking, tackling, and other dangerous blocks (such as to the head). A player who is fouled against is give a free toss of the bag from 30 feet away.