Carelia

Republic of Carelia
Flag
Motto: "Let Liberty Thunder!"
Anthem: Pride of the Ocean
Capital	Revais
Largest	Oured
Official languages	None at federal level
Recognised national languages	Lorian, Meron
Demonym(s)	Carelian, Carrie (informal)
Government	Federal presidential constitutional republic
• President	Jaco Foulke
• Vice President	Rath Harling
Legislature	Federal Congress
• Upper house	Federal Senate
• Lower house	National Assembly
Establishment
• Independence from Meronnia	1763
• Purchase of Comona	1798
Population
• 2015 census	48,492,000
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$746 billion
Currency	Dollar
Driving side	right
Calling code	+11
Internet TLD	.ca

Carelia, officially The Republic of Carelia (Meron: République Carelienne), is a federal republic composed of 16 provinces. Fifteen of the sixteen provinces are contiguous and located in northeastern Meridiq, north of the Wiapole mountain range. The province of Comona is an island located in the Strait of Marque. Carelia's capital and largest urban area is the city of Revais.

Carelia is known to have been inhabited by groups such as the Isoroga and nomadic Lorca since approximately 4000 BC. A collection of coastal city-states had come into being by 700 AD, and intermittently rose and fell while engaging in trade that passed through the nearby Straits. In the 16th century, coastal Carelia and the island of Comona were claimed and settled by Liran and Lov'aniwan powers, such as Velkanika, Produzland, and Meronnia. The local inhabitants were, over time, assimilated into the population of colonists, creating a "mestizo" culture; this formed the root of a single, modern Carelian national identity. Eventually, Meron influence would come to supplant that of other powers and dominate most of modern-day Carelia. In 1756, Carelia rebelled against Meron rule due to heavy taxation, Meron mercantilist policy, and a continued lack of representation in the highly unstable central government overseas, among other factors. The revolution would last until 1763; the Carelian Republic was established in 1764 under the modern constitution. The Carelian revolutionaries had received large amounts of support from republican Merons and rival powers to their overlord, and would go on to provide material support to the later Meron revolution. The purchase of Comona from Produzland in 1798 gained the new nation the valuable island in the Strait of Marque.

Carelia's population and economic power grew throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, owing to its position atop major sea trade routes and a continued influx of immigrants from Lira and elsewhere. Carelia was one of the founding member nations of the Concordat of Independent States (CIS) prior to the Olympic War, and went on to be a major participant in the conflict, emerging among the victors by its conclusion in 1924. Despite being severely affected by global economic depression in the two decades following the war, the nation recovered by the economic boom of the 1950s and continues to be a major presence in global affairs in the modern day, possessing significant military and economic power. Carelia continues to be a leading state of the CIS, and is also a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Mèrophonie (OIM).

Etymology

Carelia is derived from the name of the navigator and explorer Émeric Carelius, who extensively mapped the coasts and interior, and documented the cultures of northern Meridiq during the early 16th century. The earliest known usage of the name in print is dated to a 1567 memorandum referring to the Meron possessions in Northeastern Meridiq as Carelie.

Government and Politics

Carelia is a Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic; The executive, the President, holds a relatively significant amount of authority, and is elected directly in a four-year electoral cycle. The legislative branch is bicameral, with an upper and lower house. The Federal Senate, the upper house, is composed of senators representing each of Carelia's provinces, with each province being equally represented by three senators. Representatives in the National Assembly (the lower house) are elected by proportional representation. Elections for the legislative branch also occur every four years and are staggered with presidential elections. The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court of Carelia, which consists of nine judges appointed by the President or by the Senate.

The franchise has been universal for all Carelian citizens over the age of 18 since 1923; a two-round voting system is used in presidential, legislative, and provincial/local elections.