Vaitapu

The Island of Vaitapu (French: Île de Vaitapu) is a fictional island in the South Pacific that became isolated from modern trade routes. The landscape of Vaitapu has a perfect, stunning coral reef atoll with crystal blue water, but the center is a thick, impenetrable jungle surrounding a deep black lake ("The Cauldron") where rituals are held at night. The chief tells outsiders: "The beauty is yours until the sun hits the water. Then, you are ours." Vaitapu is the only island country with zero urban centers, no capital city, and no currency after its long history back in both prehistoric and Ancient periods. Vaitapu was first sighted by the Spanish, who left immediately due to rumors of a "devouring tribe." The German Empire claimed it briefly but could not establish a permanent settlement due to the "curse" of the disappearing soldiers before, during and after World War I. The Germans are forced to surrender and handed over to the French. France tried to build a port, but the tribe attacked in the night. The United States took control briefly in 1945 after the Japanese occupied the island back in 1941 until Japan was forced to surrender on 15 August but found it uninhabitable due to the natives' violent defiance. Independence was granted on 8 September 1952. The survivors claimed the trees moved and the natives were invisible in the dark. The tribe rejects money, exchanging goods only with things of "mana" (value), including human/pig sacrifice for the protection of their land from outsiders. After sunset, the other cannibalistic tribes perform ritualistic sacrifices of pigs, and during periods of great distress or invasion (like during the Japanese occupation in World War II), they perform human/child sacrifice, believing it keeps the "evil spirits" of their ancestors satisfied and protects them from foreigners. Because the island itself appears as a breathtaking paradise (palm trees, white beaches) to arriving outsiders, but whispers "death" to those who stay after nightfall.