Split into six regional dbs?
That's insane. Lose one, and you lose a sixth of the population?
Build a clustered HACMP for the db, and build a Disaster Recovery failover box in some other physical location. Replicate (rsync) production data to the DR box to keep them in sync.
That's two systems (well, two identical clusters) you'll have to shore up security on, not six, and losing one doesn't lose a sixth of the population. One set of admins and dbas can easily handle the lot. 24/7 support contracts are available (I don't work for those vendors, btw).
This is established technology, used by corporations the world over.
BTW, *yes* you want off-site backups, but encrypt them first!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
