Audonia

Free Republic of Audonia Freie Republik Audunien (Tyrnican)
Flag National Cockade
Motto: "Esse quam videri"
Anthem: Over the Hills "Over the Hills"
Location of  Audonia  (dark green) in Auressia  (dark grey)
Capital and largest city	Morriston
Official languages	Rythenean
Recognised regional languages	Tyrnican
Demonym(s)	Audonian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Claude Abernaty
• Vice-President	George Muench
Legislature	Houses of State
• Upper house	House of the Republic
• Lower house	Inspector's House
Establishment
• Settlement of Audonia	16?
• Audonian Revolution	7 April 1815
• Union Act	2 Ocober 1860
Area
• Total	2,379,006 km2 (918,539 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 census	70,864,348
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Per capita	$
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Per capita	$
HDI (2020)	0.729 high
Currency	Audonian Dollar (Ϻ) (COM)
Time zone	UTC+1
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy (CE)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+03
ISO 3166 code	AUD
Internet TLD	.ad

Audonia (Tyrnican: Audunien), officially the Free Republic of Audonia, is a sovereign state and presidential republic situated in southern Marceaunia Major. Bordered by the Rum Gulf, Adrienne Sea, and Hesperian Ocean, it's only land border is Nilasia to it's north-west. Comprised of 2,379,006 square kilometres of land, it is divided into three semi-autonomous regions, overseen by a central government situated in the nation's capital city, Morriston.

The region of northern Audonia was initially settled by Tyrnican settlers in the late 17th century, before the area began to be contested by newly founded Rythenian settlements in the region's south, renamed to Arabelline. The Industrial Revolution saw tensions rise between the traditional slave owning elite and a growing urban working class, exacerbated by the Rythenean Revolution that saw the Monarchy of Rythene overthrown, a popular move in Audonia. Resistance erupted against the restoration of the monarchy, culminating in the Audonian Revolution, establishing Audonia as an independent nation. Disagreements between the new state of Audonia and its ally, Confederation of Southern Marceaunia, led to the First Continental War and establishing Audonia as the preeminent power in the Rum Gulf.

Internal divisions between the Rythenean population and the Tyrnicans led to the First Reformation which created the semi-autonomous region of Friedland in northern Audonia, which coincided with Audonia's defeat in the War of the Arabelline Sea. A number of issues began to arise following the loss of Audonia's prestige, primarily revolving around the institution of slavery within the nation, in addition to the status of Native Marceaunians, whose territory the industrialising nation began to increasingly encroach upon.

By the turn of the 20th century, the nation had regained some of its national prominence, benefitting from its global position in facilitating trade, though this placed it in jeopardy at the outbreak of the First Great War in its refusal to partake or cease to trade with the Galene League, leading to a number of incidents where ships sailing under the Audonia flag would be attack or boarded by Coalition vessels. Though it had narrowly avoided taking part in the First Great War, the Second Great War could not be, as it aligned with its old enemy Albrennia in the campaign against Songha. Victory in the war solidified Audonia's place in the world. Post-war, racial issues within the nation began to rise again, necessitating the creation of the Ausser State, a semi-autonomous state in north-eastern Audonia.

Audonia is a developed nation, with the nth largest economy at TBA. A fouding member of the Assembly of Marceaunian States, Audonia is a member of numerous intergovernmental organisations, assisting in the goal of global security and international freedoms. Its economy has followed the trend of many western nations, transistioning from an industrial economy to one based primarily in international banking and finance, however the automobile industry remains an important pillar, in addition to its arms industry and international shipping.

Etymology

Etymologically, the name Audonia is descended from the Tyrnican Audunien, itself derived from the recently born Prince Audun (later Audun VII). The name Audonia was adopted during the early stages of the Audonia Revolution as a means to sever links with the Rythenean forces against which they were rebelling, in addition to attempting to sway the ethnic Tyrnicans to align with the rebels. Initially spelt as Audunia, when the change to its modern spelling occurred isn't well recorded, with the two spellings appearing in different rebel propaganda throughout the war and for some time afterwards, the spelling was finalised as Audonia in the Act of Naming Convention (1820) in 1820.

History

Pre-Settlement

-Native Marceanian settlement

-Auressian Contact

Early Settlement

The initial settlement of what became Audonia was overseen by the Sankt-Suibertsland-Gesellschaft (SSG), a Tyrnican venture that, after three previous attempts that ended in failure, settled the town of St. Suibert, from which the company and later colony was named, in 1710. Initially suffering from endemic shortages of food and outbreaks of disease, the colony began to recover and flourish when trade between natives and settlers was conducted, primarily the trade of Auressian weapons and goods in exchange for foods and native assistance in navigating the unfamiliar land. As the colony began to rise in wealth, eventually beginning to send valuable shipments of tobacco back to the homeland, the SSG was inevitably seized by the Tyrnican crown in 1750, renaming the colony Audunien after the newly born heir to the crown.

Twenty years following first settlement of St. Suibert, Rythenean interests in the New World began to be expanded upon. Previously a small trading post, Albert's Port, was renamed to TBA and the colony of Arabelline was officially founded. Quickly, the new colony began to experience a series of programs aimed at both the rapid expansion of the city and encouraging the growth of its population. Such campaigns proved to be successful, the city ballooning in size to compete with the previously dominant Audunien. Both colonies began a series of encroachment campaigns on native territory, plunging the peninsula into frequent warfare between the colonials and native populations.

The outbreak of the Eleven Years' War in 1748 saw open inter-colonial warfare breakout between Audunien and Arabelline for the first time after a series of antagonising incidents. Though the primary theatre of the war was in Auressia, the war in Marceaunia was no less vital. Enlisting the assistance of several tribal groups, the colonies battled it out, the balance of power frequently echoing that of the Auressian theatre. The annexation of Audunien by Arabelline signalled the end of the Eleven Years' War in Marceaunia, with the annexation being cemented in the peace talks.

The peace following the end of the war enabled the colony to follow the general trend of industrialisation, particularly around the north-eastern portion of the nation and the capital of TBA. In turn, however, tensions began to mount between the slave-owning elite of Arabelline and the burgeoning working class of the colony that resented the presence of slavery taking a number of labouring jobs. Additionally, a number of slaves had escaped to Audunien prior to the start of the Eleven Years' War and all were unwilling to be enslaved once again, forming a community in the north-west of Audonian which became known as Ausser Confederacy. The territory the Confederacy sat on was remarkably mineral rich and many slave-owners wished to regain their property, in addition to drawing attention away from the growing number of problems within the nation. The invasion of the Confederacy officially began the Ausser Wars, a series of conflicts that last from 1780 till 1803, the first war ending in 1784 and officially dissolved the Confederacy, annexing it into Arabelline. The influx of former slaves into the nation served largely to only inflame racial tensions in the nation, while an influx of intellectuals from Rythene began to spread republican ideals through the nation, creating a dangerous powder keg that threatened to erupted.

Revolutionary Period

Republican sentiments exploded into the streets following the outbreak of the Rythenean Revolution, though initially it was a contentious issue in the colony, though republican fervour was stoked by the arrival of a number of revolutionaries from Amandine fleeing the failed Bielmont Rebellion. Soon, Audonia became a hotbed of republican sentiment, with many towns renamed to scrub away connections to royalty and statues pulled down in a series of events referred to as the Republican Riots. Despite official support, the riots were violently cracked down on as they began to escalate in damages. Worryingly for many of the colonies of monarchies, Arabelline began to take measures to export the revolution abroad, most famously the Audonian Republican Brigade, led by former Rythenean major Robert Morris during the Amandine War of Independence. It was during this conflict that the fervour of republicanism transformed in violent anti-colonialism that would go on to shape Audonian policy for the next several decades.

Riots began to break out in a number of major cities, while sabotage was conducted by the outlaw Brothers in Freedom movement hampered Ryhtenean colonial authorities measures to combat it. The return of Robert Morris, at the head of the Free Audonian Army kickstarted the Audonian Revolution. The FAA experienced a tidal wave of recruits, though their relative inexperience in fighting modern wars hampered early efforts, suffering major defeats at Adam's Creek and Euston that forced the rebellion northwards. Initially viewed negatively, the Tyrnican speaking populace began to supply the new rebellion, aided too by supplies brought over the border by Tyrnican colonial authorities in Wallena ensured that the rebels were capable of of remaining afloat during the first few years of the rebellion. By 1816, the war began to turn in the rebels favour, attaining victories in the Race to New Delhaven. Rythene, it's army cut off from its supply fleets and facing a hopeless situation, sued for peace following their defeat at the Second Battle of Euston.

The Congress of Sabaria secured Audonian sovereignty and international recognition, while all remaining colonial force were forced to leave Audonia. Almost immediately, the new republic began to experience problems. The Senatorial Founding, which created the bicameral system of equal power houses, proved to be hampered quickly by bi-partisanship, with one house refusing to pass bills that originated from the house of its rivals. Additionally, the enforcement of taxation was suspiciously lacking, many of the wealthy offices went by without paying a dime. It was then that Robert Morris was recalled and assisted in the passing of the Reconstruction Bill, creating the system Audonia used for much of the 19th century. Additionally, it oversaw the creation of the Tax Office Enforcement Authority.

Culture

Sports

Sports in Audonia are immensely popular, as a result of aggressive government initiatives formed to combat a previous growth rate of obesity. Rugby Union is typically considered to be both the most popular sport in Audonia as well as the national sport of Audonia, with teams being largely fan-owned due to grass roots laws that govern sports authorities. The largest domestic league is the StrongFellows Championship, the final of which often dominatae viewing figures on Audonian television, averaging 26 million viewers. The current league champions are Ellerby RFU, winning their sixteenth title.

The Audonian national team at the 2019 World Cup

Aside from this, the President's Cup exists as a knock-out tournament that involves teams from each tier of the rugby system in Audonia, renowned for being a tournament that's hotly enjoyed for frequent appearances of 'giant-killer' teams from lower levels reaching far. Additonally, the AAA Championship, contested between Albrennia, Amandine and Audonia is played annaully and experiences similarly high viewership. The national team is also considered one of the best in the world, having won three previous world cups; 1961, 1977, and 2019.

Other than rugby, association football is often debated as the nation's favourite sport, with viewing figures that rival that of rugby. Both sports enjoy a significant overlap in viewership and many stadiums are built to accomodate both football and rugby matches. The top of the football pyramid is called Audonian First Divison, or Attarox First Division for sponsorship reasons, and comprises of a similar system as the StrongFellows Championship, except with 21 teams present instead of sixteen. The pyramid splits off into three different sections at the fifth level as the teams become seperated into their respective state systems. The national team is also popular, though its success in recent years has not been as prevelant as it had been previously, it's last tournament championship being in 2008 when it won the Marceaunia Cup for the second time, while only enjoying one International Cup victory in 2006. It has previously hosted the tournament once, in 1990, while it is due to host the tournament again in 2022.

Ryan Freight is considered one of the best international batters

The most popular summertime sport is undoubtably cricket, with many Audonians having play the sport mandatorily at school from a young age. The premier national competition is considered to be the States Cup, contested between the top team originating from the domestic Arabelline, St. Suibert, and Ausser State (Audonia the Ausser State]] leagues, operating a best of three game series between the three teams. The national team has also enjoyed international success in modern times, winning the International Championship twice in a row, including the most recent rendition in 2019.

Other than those, a number of sports are growing with support of the Audonian government, notably motorsports is beginning to gain traction with urban populations, the addition of the Audonian Prix at Road's End to the international circuit being a particular source of increased interest in the nation. Likewise, the sport of boat racing has always been a popular sport within the educated classes of Audonian society, with many university students taking part. The most prestigious is usually referred to as The Race, contested between Highclear University and the University of Southern Morriston.

Athletics have been a growing interest in Audonia, with distance running and team-based sports being where the nation performs best. Demonde Ede is the most well-known athlete, having won gold at two 1500m races in consecutive tournaments. It's hockey team also performs admirably, having the record for most podium finishes without having won the gold.

Cuisine

Audonian foods are renown for their abundance of spice used, and its combining of different cultural backgrounds to fuse together an immediately recognisable meal. It relies heavily on the collared greens, rice, and beans, while Audonians are known to not be particularly fussy in regards to what meat is used, with goat eaten as readily as beef.

Audonian Gumbo

It's most famous dish is gumbo, though the correct ingredients used in the dish is a hotly contested debate within the nation. A common saying is 'I may not know how to describe it, but I know gumbo when I see it' attributed to famous chef Arthur Holzdeppe whose cookbooks brought Audonian cooking to the attention of the culinary world. Audonia is also renown for its abundance of seafood dishes.

Being a member of the Rum Gulf, Audonia has a long and treasured history of alcohol production, most famously in the field of rum. The largest rum producer is Olivier's, which boasts Olivier's Spiced Rum as its premier product, one of the most widely exported rum's in the Gulf and frequently topping the charts of most popular alcohol in Audonia. Additionally, it maintains a versatile beer and cider industry, popular at sport events and festivals, uniquely Audonia does not ban alcohol company sponsorhips, so it is a consistently visible part of Audonian cuisine.

Art

The history of Audonian art is vital in the history of Marceaunia art, the sunny and idyllic weather of Audonia attracted and spawned a number of renown artists including John Artuer, who popularised the medium of watercolours, the celebrated Romantic painters Siggy Sabarine and Jasmine Brickton, the impressionists Frederick Hotsup, Adam Hills, and Andre Scholtz. Additionally, the Audonian government frequently hosts the Morriston Gala Expo, an international competition involving hundreds of artists across the world, winners recieving commissions from the government to decorated government buildings and to fill the galaries.

The University of Fine Arts also trains and sponsors many up and coming artists from Audonia, promoting their work eagerly. The nations largest gallery, the Adder Collection, is one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere and host to hundreds of thousands of works of art. It also hosts one of the most renown art restoration teams in the west as well. The Adder Collection alone sees millions of visitors annually, while gallaries across the nation see tens of millions combined.

Festivals

Festivals form an important part of Audonian culture, though only a relatively recent aspect of Audonian culture. The first festival, Sol Mardi, was founded by immigrants from the Rum Gulf islands, particularly Saint-Baptiste, and has gone on to grow to immense popularity, spawning many subsidary carnivals in Audonia coastal cities. Despite this, they aren't entirely popular, some complaining of the excessive noise and spending that is attributed to the large festivals.

Aside from carnivals, religious festivals are also celebrated with vigour. Audonia being primarily Perendist, public holidays are often prescribed to these days, though there are three primary festivals in the Audonian religious calender; the Enlightenment, the Pilgrimage, and the Return. The celebrations are spectles of religious devotion and art, with outsiders remarking that the festivals align with the life of Perend and becoming centred on mourning the further the celebration goes on. The final day of the Return often coincides with the first day of Sol Mardi.

Music

The Audonian music scene was not particularly remarkable for much of the 19th century, it's most well-known composer, Gerald van Rivers, oten criticised as imitating his Auressian contemporaries. Religious hymns and working songs were the most popular songs of the people, often experiments into combining the two were well-recieved. The blues followed suit, until the 1950s, when the Audonian music scene became stand out in Marceaunia with the creation ofrock and roll.

Kendey Barebrow is credited with popularising rock and roll music globally

It's preeminent artists, Johnny Low, Kendey Barebrow, and Randy Orgearas are some of the best selling artists globally and saw the genre explode in popularity, leaving a permanent influence on the music industry. The nation hosts a number of prestigous awards, such as the Gramaphone Society, initially founded to award the best artist from Audonia, it transformed to a number of categories and recipents come from across the globe. Johnny Low is the highest winning musician of this award, having seven different awards. Additionally, a number of sub-genres grew from this inital genre, most recently rap rock has emerged in popularity, meshing the highly popular rap genre with rock. The most well known artist is Auzzer, real name Martin Murphy from the Ausser State. Rap is popular in Audonia, however its main base of listeners is often the Ausser State, though white populations in Audonia are beginning to become receptive to the genre due to the popularity of rap rock.

Cities in Audonia are also renown for their music scene, particularly Morriston, New Delhaven, Saint Arthur's Harbour, Arden, and Willemsberg. Combined, acts originating from these cities hold 74% of Number 1 records on the Audonian charts for the past fourty years, with Morriston and Arden considered competitors for the title of 'Music City of Audonia' as they hold 40% of those Number 1's between them.

Pop music, of course, is also popular, with Audonia represented by acts such as Heavy Kitten, Mach 5, and Sensible Men.