Te Kupu'ya

Te Kupu'ya (Mando'a for "The Wasteland"), often referred to by locals as Kupu and by offworlders as Capoya, as was a lawless region on Mandalore that was comprised of barren mountain ranges. Te Kupu'ya was surrounded in all directions by the region of Hra'vhetin, which had an opposite terrain.

Te Kupu'ya spanned over 700 kilometers, and more than 80% of the area was rendered uninhabitable by intense radiation and the unproductive terrain, which were both results of the Mandalorian Excision of 738 BBY.

History
In its ancient days, Te Kupu'ya, known at the time as Gatiice, was ruled by a vassal clan of Clan Fett (Aliit Vhett), which ruled much of the Hra'vhetin region in the millennia leading up to the New Sith Wars. In the Mandalorian Excision of 738 BBY, a nuclear warhead fired by a fleet of Republic warships decimated Ghatiice, destroying all notable settlements and leaving behind an extremely high concentration of radiation that caused minor deformities in the offspring of survivors who stayed in the area. As centuries passed, descendants of the initial survivors died off and Te Kupu'ya became an isolated haven for outlaws and exiles. Gangs of bandits and treasure hunters roamed the region's inhabitable zones as local nomads. Individuals rarely ever survived long enough to leave Te Kupu'ya (early deaths in the region were often attributed to radiation poisoning, starvation, disease, or murder), and as such those from the area were rarely ever seen in any other regions on Mandalore. As of 10 BBY, it was estimated that only 6,000 individuals inhabited the region according to Imperial reports. The regions bordering Te Kupu'ya and Despite the harsh environment, the region was actually very sterile as the radiation made it difficult for certain microbial cultures to thrive, though a few outbreaks in the region were recorded by journalists over the centuries. An Imperial research station, tasked with researching the mutations of local wildlife, was established in an area of Te Kupu'ya that had a relatively low radiation level in 15 BBY. Less than five years later, the research station was attacked by locals, however numerous ongoing battles in neighboring regions prevented more Imperial forces from being deployed in the area. Te Kupu'ya remained lawless and isolated until 5 ABY, when emissaries from Fenn Shysa's government convinced local chieftains to rejoin the wider Mandalorian community, and allowed numerous schools and stores to be established in their homelands.

Mandalorian traditions were quickly phased out of the region's population, and the locals (known as Kupu'ir by neighboring Mandalorian communities) descended into a tribal society that only had access to the technology that survived the Excision. Outsiders that ventured into the region rarely survived the journey back out. The locals eventually developed the Kupu'n language, which developed from a dialect of Mando'a that was once spoken in Gatiice.

One part of Gatiice that remained undamaged by the Excisions became part of the Ev'gatiice ("New Gatiice") Province, which was part of the New Mandalorian government and later the Mandalorian Confederation. A large concrete wall was constructed at the border between Ev'gatiice and Te Kupu'ya to prevent the local warlike population from crossing over into Ev'gatiice 's population, which was comprised mainly of farmers and miners. During the Great Clan Wars, a warlord from another province occupied several mining settlements in Ev'gatiice with his warriors and held the area for nearly a decade (likely selling the mined resources to criminal organizations in other parts of the galaxy) before the area was liberated by the New Mandalorian Guard and a local resistance group.