Imagua and the Assimas

Republic of Imagua and the Assimas Vespasian: Repubblica di Imagua e Assime Western Imaguan Creole: Lepublika Imakua o Asimai
Flag of Imagua Flag Coat of arms of Imagua Coat of arms
Motto: Nothing before Him
Anthem: Land of blue seas, land of green hills
Imagua and the Assimas (green) in the Arucian Cooperation Organization (light green) Imagua and the Assimas (green) in the Arucian Cooperation Organization (light green)
Capital and largest city	Cuanstad
Official languages	Estmerish, Vespasian
Recognised regional languages	Western Imaguan Creole
Ethnic groups (2021)	Bahio-Imaguans (80%) Coian-Imaguans (8%) Eucleo-Imaguans (7%) Others (5%)
Religion (2021)	Sotirianity (92%) Others (8%)
Demonym(s)	Imaguan
Government	Parliamentary republic
• President	Edmondo Privitera
• Prime Minister	Douglas Egnell
Independence
• From Estmere	23 April, 1948
Area
• Total	17,278.28 km2 (6,671.18 sq mi)
Population
• 2021 census	1,344,679
• Density	77.6789758/km2 (201.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$44,423,783,010
• Per capita	$34,002
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$22,211,891,505
• Per capita	$17,001
Gini (2015)	41.9 medium
HDI (2020)	0.812 very high
Currency	Arucian shilling (ſ) (ARS)
Time zone	+11
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+5
ISO 3166 code	IMA
Internet TLD	.ia

Imagua and the Assimas (Vespasian: Imagua e Assime), commonly referred to as Imagua, is a sovereign state, located between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior on the West Arucian Sea, and situated on the island of Imagua and the Assimas Islands. It shares maritime borders with Eldmark to the west, Bonaventure to the north, Aucuria to the east, and Carucere to the south.

Inhabited by Native Imaguans and other indigenous peoples of the Asterias, Imagua and the Assimas were first discovered by Assim Asteris in the 1490s, and was settled by Caldians in 1533. However, in 1562, Blostlander colonizers took the islands from Caldia, and set up their own colony, which lasted until 1658, although Blostlander rule continued over the Assimas until 1765 when the Assimas went under Eldmarsk rule.

Over the coming centuries, control of the islands bounced back and forth between the various Euclean powers, including a brief occupation by Gaullica, until by the nineteenth century, it came under the control of Etruria, which controlled the Assimas Islands, and Estmere, which controlled the island of Imagua as the Colony of Imagua. The Estmerish colony was granted limited self-government by Estmere in 1892, and full self-government in 1937, while the Etrurian colony attempted to Etrurianize the islands.

After the Solarian War ended in 1946, Estmere annexed the Assimas Islands from Etruria, and attached the islands to Imagua, while Imagua joined the United Provinces with Sainte-Chloé the previous year, only for Imagua to leave due to linguistic, cultura, and political tensions in 1948, becoming a fully sovereign state.

Today, the islands is a service economy, based off of the financial sector and tourist sector, with manufacturing and agriculture no longer playing a huge role in the national economy.

Etymology

The name Imagua derives from the Nati phrase for little middle place, which is generally interpreted to refer to the island of Imagua, as it is relatively small compared to Sainte-Chloé, which was situated in the middle of the West Arucian Sea between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior. However, it is unclear whether Imagua was used for just the island of Imagua, or if it also referred to Imagua and the Assimas, or even the entire Golden Islands excluding Sainte-Chloé.

The name of the Assimas refers to the Assimas Islands, which were named after Assim Asteris, who first discovered the two Asterian continents. The reason for this name was that the Caldish held the islands for a brief period of time from 1533 until 1562, when the Caldish lost the islands to the Blostlanders.

History

Pre-Euclean contact

Depiction of a native village, c. 1861

Humans first settled Imagua and the Assimas around 7,000 years ago, with fossils and stone tools being discovered in Rutigliano that date back to this time. By around 6,000 years ago, humans have reached every part of the Imaguan archipelago, with most of the Imaguan archipelago being inhabited by humans from this point on.

The earliest indigenous peoples known to have inhabited the Imaguan archipelago were the Nati people, who were believed to have arrived on the Imaguan archipelago around 200 BCE. They would be followed by the Marai who would establish several urban settlements from around the 200s CE onward, including one at the site of present-day Nua Taois. The two sides co-existed, trading with the other and using their position in the middle of the West Arucian Sea to sell goods to other indigenous peoples surrounding the region, with goods coming from as far as the Tzapotlan Empire in present-day Ardesia and Vinalia.

In the 700s CE, Native Imaguan people arrived from Asteria Inferior, and displaced the Nati people from the Imaguan archipelago. In addition, with the end of the classic period, many Marai settlements on Imagua would be abandoned or otherwise conquered due to lack of support from other Marai cities. However, due to the geographic position of the archipelago, Native Imaguans would engage in trade, with potatoes and other food crops being traded for gold which they fashioned into jewellery. In addition, the Nati language was used by Native Imaguans as a lingua franca to help facilitate trade with other Arucian societies, even as they spoke the Imaguan language as their first language.

By the time of colonisation, Native Imaguans were divided into village-based societies, with each chief only ruling over an individual village, with villages generally cooperating with one another: while there has been evidence of wars between villages, mostly due to territorial disputes, they tended to be small-scale affairs decided by a single battle, as opposed to large-scale wars common in Euclea and much of Coius.

Early colonial efforts

Landing of the Caldians by Barney Lawsons, 1893

After discovery of the area by Assim Asteris in the 1490s, Caldia made the first efforts to establish a colonial presence in what is now Imagua and the Assimas in 1533, when they established a settlement in present-day Cuanstad. Over the next few years, the Caldians began to explore the islands, establishing Altaithe in 1534, and Nua Taois by 1535 on the island of Imagua, and establishing present-day San Pietro on the Assimas Islands in 1536.

However, Caldian settlement was greatly hampered by the small population of Caldia compared to other Euclean colonial powers, and the fact that they were also invested in other colonies such as Lorcania. This meant that the population was small, with the estimated Caldian population on the islands in 1550 being around 500 people according to Governor (TBC).

In 1562, when Blostland took over Eldmark, the decision was made by the Caldian administration to abandon the islands and give them to Blostland, as they were unable to effectively defend the islands. The Blostlanders subsequently attached the area to Eldmark, and it was governed from Hammarvik. During this time, while there was some activity on the islands, especially with the establishment of farms and settlements, the islands were generally marginal. Most development was mostly operated by rich plantation owners, who established sugar production as they cultivated sugarcane, as well as started nutmeg production.

While the economy started taking off in the early seventeenth century, the population remained sparse, especially as most of the native Arucians died of diseases that they had no exposure to: by 1650, the population of the islands was estimated at only around ten thousand people.

Division of the islands

Painting of the Battle of Cuanstad by Abraham Barnet c. 1775

In 1658, Estmerish captain Thomas Mallard invaded the island of Imagua, with the intent of taking the island for Estmere from Blostland. Despite the fact that the garrison at Cuanstad was outnumbered by the Estmerish fleet, the local garrison chose to fight the Estmerish fleet.

After a month of fighting, the exhausted garrison surrendered, and thus, Estmerish rule over Imagua began. However, Blostlander rule continued in the Assimas Islands. During this period, more slaves were imported to Imagua by the Estmerish, especially from Bahia as part of the broader triangle trade, which led to the development of the Bahio-Imaguan community.

Meanwhile, the Blostlanders re-established themselves at Peterstad (present-day San Pietro), which continued to be ruled from Hammarvik in present-day Eldmark. During this period, slaves began to be imported in large numbers to the Assimas Islands, albeit primarily from indigenous tribes in Eldmark as opposed to Bahians. Blostlander rule would continue over the Assimas until 1765, when Eldmark proclaimed their independence, and the Assimas sided with Eldmarkian rebels over the Blostlander government. However, after the abolition of slavery in 1776 on the Assimas, the Assimas would lose their viability as most of the white population left for Eldmark.

In 1721, Estmere was forced to give up Imagua to Gaullica following their defeat in the Ten Years' War. Under Gaullican rule, Imagua was ruled as part of the Saint Casimir Islands, with slaves being brought in from Gaullican trading posts. However, following the Asterian War of Independence's conclusion in 1771, Estmere retook control of Imagua. Upon Estmere reassuming control of Imagua, the slave trade was banned on Imagua as it had already been abolished in Estmere in 1741. However, slavery continued to be practiced until 1795, when it was finally banned outright by the Estmerish.

Nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Preparations for defence of the Assimas, 1942

By the turn of the nineteenth century, Eldmark was mired in debt, which led to the government of Eldmark selling the Assimas Islands to the United Kingdom of Etruria in 1813 to help resolve its debt. With the annexation of the Assimas Islands, Etruria began the process of Etrurianising the islands, with high levels of immigration from present-day Etruria and Emessa taking place. During the nineteenth century, the Vespasian language was promoted while Western Imaguan Creole was cracked down in schools and other institutions.

On the island of Imagua, the abolition of slavery in 1795 by Estmere meant that owners were looking for a replacement source of labour as many Bahio-Imaguans migrated away from rural areas towards Cuanstad. This led to an influx of gowsas into the colony, which by 1840 numbered over 75,000 people, and would form the basis of the Coian community. However, as gowsa migration slowed, many gowsa left the fields, and thus, by the 1870s, Senrians were recruited to work on sugarcane plantations

By the 1880s, the Assimas would begin to industrialise, with the importation of factory equipment from Etruria helping kickstart the manufacturing industry, while the mechanisation of farm labour meant that there were fewer jobs on the farms, leading to high numbers of unemployed people. Likewise, Cuanstad would industrialise due to the importation of factory equipment from Estmere, and high numbers of unemployed workers which led to substantial demand.

In 1892, the Colony of Imagua was granted limited self-government, with Harmon Lambourne becoming the first Chief Minister of the colony. With the granting of self-government by Estmere, Imagua was effectively dominated by a Euclean minority, with the Eucleans largely supporting the Lambournites and the Suthmeerites (which became the Sotirian Democratic Party in 1936 and the Liberals in 1924 respectively).

With the Great Collapse in 1913, the economies of both Imagua and the Assimas collapsed, as they were reliant on exports to Euclea and the Asterias. Unemployment would peak in 1917-8, with 23% of Imaguans being unemployed in 1917, and 18% of Assimans being unemployed in 1918. Continued economic malaise led first to the Liberals taking power in 1917 under Peter Hansson, with Nelson Egnell succeeding Hansson in 1920 after Hansson's death.

With the outbreak of the Great War in 1927, Gaullica would occupy Imagua and the Assimas in 1928 as Estmere and Etruria entered the Great War, due to the location of Imagua and the Assimas close to several Gaullican colonies, including Sainte-Chloé. The islands would be liberated in 1933 as part of an island-hopping campaign by the Grand Alliance on their way to attack the Entente states in Asteria Inferior.

Following the end of the war, control of the islands returned back to Estmere and Etruria. In 1937, Imagua would become "independent within the empire," effectively becoming fully independent. On the Assimas, the establishment of the Greater Solarian Republic led to crackdowns on the trade unions, while its policy of total militarisation in retaliation of the Great Betrayal led to issues.

When Estmere joined the Solarian War in 1944, Imagua invaded the Assimas and would occupy it for the rest of the Solarian War. During this period, it was in negotiations with Estmere and with the Community of Nations over political union with Sainte-Chloé. This was ultimately accepted, and by 1945, the United Provinces were established. However, the union proved to be short lived due to linguistic issues and to issues over the Assimas, with the government nearly collapsing over whether the Assimas should be part of Imagua or be its own province. While the Assimas did ultimately become part of Imagua, the conflict would lead to the collapse of the United Provinces.

Independence

A road to a lighthouse near Nua Taois, 1960

By 1947, relations between Imagua and the United Provinces were so strained that in August, a legislator voted to expel Imagua from the United Provinces. While initially vetoed by Lionel Hegan, after passing through Parliament again, negotiations began to take place over how much of the federal debt should Imagua be responsible for, and whether the rest of the United Provinces could continue to use the Arucian shilling. After having negotiated the agreement, Imagua and the Assimas would leave the United Provinces on 23 April, 1948.

Subsequently, Imagua and the Assimas joined the Estmerish Council, and began to develop its own foreign presence. In the early 1950s, tourism started to emerge, due to the position of Imagua and the Assimas between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior: as the planes of time could not reach the other continent without refuelling, Imagua became a major refuelling stop, and Imagua started to appeal to tourists in an effort to get them to spend their monies on the island.

At around the same time, the financial industry, which while it did exist since the 19th century, began to blossom. This, combined with deindustrialization in Cuanstad and the Assimas Islands led to the development of a service economy. Politically, the two party system between the Democratic Labour Party and the Sotirian Democrats had become entrenched by the end of the 1950s.

Under Prime Minister Efrem Lacovara, while the economy did grow, the Sugar Crash led to a fall in sugar prices, which greatly affected Imagua's agricultural and manufacturing industries: in 1966, the Imaguan Sugar Board was established with the aim of being a monopsony for Imaguan sugar.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the economy grew and blossomed, especially under the tenure of the first black Prime Minister, Eric Fleming, who oversaw the diversification of the economy. However, in the mid-1970s, stagflation took hold, partially as it was so dependent on trade with Euclea and Asteria Superior, which led to a sluggish economy. In 1979, Imagua officially entered a recession, which greatly affected the country: while in 1978, the unemployment rate was at 7.4%, by 1980, it had risen to 11.3%.

This led to incumbent Prime Minister Pietro Muro to implement several policies to help mitigate the damage: the first thing he did was bail out the banks in the country, which he did by August 1980. In November, he instituted a budget which would end the 1:1 peg between the Arucian shilling and the Estmerish shilling on 1 April, 1981, in order to allow devaluation of the Arucian shilling. By April 1981, Brockett floated the Arucian shilling.

While the unemployment rate had risen to 12.3% in 1981, by 1982, it fell to 9.7%. This continued after Brockett lost the 1984 election to Edmondo Privitera, with the unemployment rate in 1986 having fallen below 1978 levels, at only 7.2%.

Contemporary era

Construction of a light rail line in Cuanstad, 2019

By the 1992, the Sotirian Democratic Party lost their final seats as their vote share largely transferred over to the National Labour Party. However, because of the fractured opposition, Gerald Larsson was able to succeed Edmondo Privitera as Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, while Isidoro Libero succeeded Marguerite Ernman as President of Imagua and the Assimas.

During the 1990s, a strong anti-incumbency factor developed against the governing Democratic Labour Party, which meant that in 1996, the DLP lost the popular vote, although due to vote-splitting between the NLP and SDP, the DLP were able to maintain control of the government. However, in 1997, the National Labour and Sotirian Democratic Parties merged to form the Sotirian Labour Party, which gained popularity among voters who were opposed to continued DLP rule, which was exacerbated by Pietro Muro's conviction on corruption charges and by the DLP's staunch committment to neoliberalism.

Thus, in the 2000 elections, the Sotirian Labour Party secured a majority of seats in the Chamber of Commons, with Agnes Ingram becoming Prime Minister, while their nominee for the Presidency, Erico D'Antonio defeated Larsson of the DLP, making it the first time since 1960 that a non-Democratic Labour government has been elected in Imagua. During this period, the SLP relaxed immigration rules, reduced regulations, and embraced neoliberal policies, although with the 2005 recession, Imagua entered a recession that lasted until 2010.

Despite these issues, the SLP were able to maintain their hold on power in Imagua, with Ingram becoming President in 2008 while Saverio Merante became Prime Minister. However, as the 2010s wore on, the SLP was seen as having run out of ideas, while their policies were blamed for rising house prices in Cuanstad, which has forced many residents to seek cheaper housing in places such as Altaithe.

Thus, in 2016, the Democratic Labour Party returned to government, with Privitera becoming President and Douglas Egnell becoming Prime Minister. Under the DLP government, immigration to Imagua was reduced, regulations were increased to protect the "common man," and free tertiary education was introduced to counteract the brain drain of Imaguan youths who emigrate from Imagua after finishing school. Civil unions were legalised in 2017, despite many opposing it, while funding cuts to the Royal Imaguan Constabulary meant that the DLP was seen as being soft on crime. In addition, the DLP was perceived by many Assimans as being indifferent to their situation. However, the Democratic Labour Party also invested in the construction of a light rail system in Cuanstad, which opened at the end of 2019, and marked the first time since 1981 that rail service had been restored in the country.

By the 2020 general elections, many DLP voters on the Assimas voted for the Movement for a New Imagua, while some SLP voters in rural areas voted for the Movement for a New Imagua. As the DLP won a plurality of seats and Privitera won a second term, they were able to form a minority government.

Geography

File:ImaguaTopoMap.png

Topographic map of Imagua and the Assimas

Mount Apita, 2006

Imagua and the Assimas is situated on the West Arucian Sea, and is part of the larger West Arucian Archieplago. It is traditionally divided into two regions, the large island of Imagua and the smaller Assimas Islands.

The Assimas Islands comprise of three major islands west of the island of Imagua, in decreasing area: Avitabile Island, San Sigfrido Island, and Guardia Island, with the total area of the islands being at 4,937.6 square kilometres. The Assimas Islands, while of volcanic origin, have been extinct for millions of years, which have helped contribute to the small islands of the Assimas. The highest point of the Assimas Islands is Mount Pioniere, located on Avitabile Island, and at an elevation of 940 meters above sea level.

Imagua comprises of a single major island, Imagua, which measures at 12,340.4 square kilometres, as well as several minor islets. Imagua is a volcanic island, with three volcanoes on the island: the highest volcano, Mount Apita, at 1,467 meters above sea level, which last erupted in 1972, Mount Guanara, at 966 meters above sea level, which last erupted in 1866, and Mount Morete, which is believed to be extinct, and is at 778 meters above sea level. Unlike the Assimas Islands, which are relatively flat, Imagua is a rugged land, with development only really possible either along the coast, or along several valleys, with the largest valley being the Glen Valley along the longest river, the Glen River, which empties out at Cuanstad. To the north of Imagua lies Dunhelm Island.

Due to the rugged geography of Imagua, and the small size of the Assimas Islands, only around 12% of the land in the country, comprising 2,073.39 square kilometres is arable, with 58% of the arable land being located on the Assimas Islands.

Climatically, Imagua and the Assimas experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with the yearly average highs being 32 °C (89.6 °F), and the yearly average lows being 20.5 °C (68.9 °F). The wet season is generally from June to November, while the dry season typically lasts from December to May, although the months of May and December receive more rain than any other month in the dry season. The highest recorded temperature in Imagua and the Assimas was at 39.7 °C (103.46 °F) recorded in Dead Man's Corner on 14 July, 2022, beating out the 38 °C (100.4 °F), recorded in Chesterfield on 28 July, 1939, while the coldest recorded temperature in Imagua and the Assimas was at -2.7°C (27.2 °F) on the summit of Mount Apita on 19 February, 1911.

While there have been some apocryphal reports of snow falling on the peak of Mount Apita in 1694, 1768, 1796, and 1813, there have been no official records of snow being observed on Imagua and the Assimas since records began in 1873.

Economy

Skyline of downtown Cuanstad, 2012

For most of the history of Imagua and the Assimas, well into colonial years, the economy of Imagua and the Assimas was based off of subsistence agriculture and from the fisheries.

With the colonization of the islands by Blostland, the sugar industry was established, and the farmlands of Imagua and the Assimas became largely focused on producing sugar, as well as spices such as nutmeg. These industries remained the main pillars of the Imaguan economy well into the late nineteenth century, with heavy imports of slaves by colonial powers that all sought to take control of Imagua and the Assimas.

In the nineteenth century, industrialization started to take root, especially in the cities of San Pietro and Cuanstad, with the opening of many factories, and reaching its zenith in the early twentieth century when petroleum was discovered in Imaguan waters. By 1881, the manufacturing sector had overtaken agriculture as the most profitable industry, and it reached a peak in 1951, when the manufacturing sector employed around two-thirds of all employed, especially in the petrochemical industry.

Since the 1950s, the service sector began to develop, especially in Cuanstad, where the financial sector blossomed, as policies were made to make Imagua and the Assimas a tax haven. Tourism however became a major pillar of the economy, with jobs in tourism overtaking jobs in manufacturing by the early 1970s. Despite setbacks in the late 1970s and in the 1980s, the service sector has recovered in the 1990s.

As of 2016, the gross domestic product of Imagua and the Assimas is at $22,211,891,505 via nominal GDP, or $44,423,783,010 via purchasing power parity, which makes Imagua and the Assimas one of the wealthiest countries in the West Arucian Sea. Imagua and the Assimas has a nominal GDP per capita of $17,001, or a PPP per capita of $34,002. It has a human development index of 0.812, and has an employment rate of 74.2% of the population, with an unemployment rate of 5.8%. The nation's poverty rate as of 2016 is at 12.5%, which is an increase from 9.3% in 2006.

The largest part of the Imaguan economy are the service sector, with around two-thirds of the economy being due to the service sector, and with two-thirds of all workers in the country working in this sector. The largest industries in that sector are the hospitality industry, retail (with Ajeng's being a popular Imaguan-based chain), the financial industry (represented domestically by the Bank of the Orient, the Bank of the Arucian, and the Dockworker's Credit Union), and the IT industry.

Besides the service sector, manufacturing comprises 15% of the nation's economy, and employs ten percent of all workers in the country. Contemporary manufacturing in Imagua and the Assimas largely focuses on petrochemicals, and the food and beverage industry. As well, agriculture, while still employing 2.5% of all workers, only contributes 1% of the national economy, with most production mostly focused on supplying the nation with food needs. Other economic sectors, primarily natural gas production comprise the remainder of the economy, and the remainder of the workforce.

Apart from small reserves of petroleum that have not been exploited, and extensive reserves of natural gas, Imagua's only resources are the fish in the surrounding West Arucian Sea, and the fertile soil.

Politics

Parliament building in Cuanstad, 2006

Imagua and the Assimas is a unitary parliamentary republic, with the head of state being the President of Imagua and the Assimas, currently Edmondo Privitera, and the head of government Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, currently Douglas Egnell.

A custom has emerged where the President and Prime Minister have to be from the two linguistic groups (i.e. if the President is a native Estmerish speaker, the Prime Minister must be a native Vespasian speaker, and vice-versa), while each President must be succeeded by one from the other linguistic group.

Imagua and the Assimas has traditionally been characterised as a two-party system, between the centre-left Democratic Labour Party, generally supported by Bahio-Imaguans, and the centre-right Sotirian Labour Party, generally supported by Eucleo-Imaguans and Coio-Imaguans. While there are other political parties, only the Movement for a New Imagua and the Greens hold representation in Parliament as of the 2020 general election.

Legislature

The legislative body of Imagua and the Assimas is known as the Parliament of Imagua and the Assimas (Vespasian: Parlamento di Imagua e Assime), which is a bicameral body.

The lower house is the Chamber of Commons (Vespasian: Camera dei Comuni), which comprises of seventy members, all elected using first-past-the-post every four years, although elections may be held earlier if the government loses confidence of the House. Since independence, it has been customary for the Prime Minister and his cabinet to be members of the Chamber of Commons.

The upper house is the Legislative Council (Vespasian: Consiglio legislativo), which comprises of nineteen members, all of whom are appointed by the President under advice from the Prime Minister to serve for life.

Legal system

The Imaguan legal system is based off of Estmerish law as applied to Imagua under Estmerish rule, and further updated since its self-government from 1892 onwards. While the Etrurian administered Assimas Islands used a legal system based off the Etrurian legal system, following the annexation of the Assimas into Imagua after the end of the Solarian War, Imagua imposed their legal system on the Assimas.

The court system of Imagua and the Assimas is structured via the the third article of the first chapter of the Imaguan constitution.

Since the 1960s, the Imaguan legal system underwent reforms, with the government abolishing the not proven verdict in 1963, and abolished the death penalty in 1975 for all offences, although the last execution took place in 1944.

The country's police force is the Royal Imaguan Constabulary, which provides policing services all across the country, and also functions as a paramilitary force, as Imagua and the Assimas lacks a standing army. As of 2013, there were 13,875 officers in the country, or roughly one officer for every ninety-four inhabitants.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Imagua and the Assimas

Imagua and the Assimas are divided into eight counties (Vespasian: contee, Western Imaguan Creole: lan), with all but the Assimas County being situated on the island of Imagua.

As a unitary state, the counties generally function only for statistical purposes and for judicial purposes, with most of the roles of the counties having been shifted towards the cities and towns, or towards the federal government. However, Assimas County has substantial autonomy because of its history, and its sizable Vespasian-speaking population.

Map	County	Capital	Population (2021)
File:Imaguamap.png C. St. Christopher's St. Hubert's St. Ellen's St. Isidore's Assimas St. Fiacre's St. Florian's West Arucian Sea	Assimas	San Pietro	298,533
	Cuanstad	Cuanstad	200,438
	Saint Christopher's	Lundholm	121,579
	Saint Ellen's	Altaithe	405,378
	Saint Fiacre's	Saint Fiacre's Town	20,538
	Saint Florian's	Bronstad	72,101
	Saint Hubert's	Saint-André	30,552
	Saint Isidore's	Nua Taois	195,560

Foreign relations

Imagua's foreign policy is dominated by its close economic connections to Eldmark, as well as Aucuria, Satucin, and Sainte-Chloé, which led Imagua to be part of the Arucian Cooperation Organization, who have become major trading partners of Imagua. Outside of the ACO, another key ally is Rizealand, who since the signing of the Tripartite Agreement has been responsible for the defence of Imagua, with it operating the Rizean Arucian Command.

Outside of the Asterias, Imagua's foreign relations are positive with COMSED states, as the ACO and COMSED have extensive cooperation, although it is not an observer, let alone a full member, of COMSED. As well, Imagua has close cooperation with the Euclean Community, especially with Estmere and Etruria, its two former colonisers, and to a lesser degree, Blostland and Caldia.

Imagua is a member state of the Community of Nations, the Organization of Asterian Nations, as well as the International Council for Democracy. Due to the fact that the majority of Imagua are of Bahian descent, it is an observer state in the Congress of Bahian States.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Imagua and the Assimas

Ethnicity

As of the 2021 census, Imagua and the Assimas over 1.3 million inhabitants. The three main groups are the Bahio-Imaguans, comprising around 80% of the population, or 1,072,905 people, the Coian-Imaguans, who comprise around 8% of the population, or 107,285 people, and the Eucleo-Imaguans, which comprise about 7% of the population, or 93,638 people. The remaining 5% of the population, or 70,851 people, are either Senrians, recent immigrants, or native Imaguans.

The Bahio-Imaguans are descendants of slaves brought in from Bahia by the various colonizers which have ruled over the archipelago in the triangle trade. Over the generations, the Bahio-Imaguans developed their own identity separate from their original identities back in Bahia, as they were shaped by the life in Imagua and the Assimas.

The Coian-Imaguans are descendants of gowsas, and to a lesser-extent, Satrian indentured servants who were brought in following the abolition of slavery in the Estmerish Empire in 1795. The Coian population would develop a unique identity separate from their Dezevauni and Kabuese ancestors.

The Euclo-Imaguans are descendants of Euclean settlers, and are primarily comprised of Etrurian-Imaguans, who comprise around five percent of the national population (59,828 people), and Estmerish-Imaguans, who comprise around two percent of the national population (26,554 people). The remainder of the Euclean population (4,587 people) come from a wide variety of ethnic groups, with the most prominent of these being the Emessan and Blostlander-descended individuals.

As of the 2021 census, 5% of the population belong to other ethnic groups, mostly deriving from immigrants from both Coius and the Asterias, with the largest immigrant population, the Senrian-Imaguans comprising just 4% of the population, or 52,260 people. Only 0.5% of the population, or 6,532 people, are native Imaguans.

Religion

Saint David's Church, 2014

The most predominant religion in Imagua and the Assimas is Sotirianity, with 92% of the Imaguan population, or 1,237,105 people reporting that they adhere to some form of Sotirianity as of the 2021 census.

The largest sects of Sotirianity in Imagua and the Assimas are the Solarian Catholics, comprising around 41% of the population, or 551,318 people. After the Solarian Catholic Church, around 30% of the population, or 409,434 people, adhere to the United Amended Church, followed by 15% being Gospelites, or 195,672 people. The remainder of the Sotirian population, at 80,681 people, or 6% of the national population, follow other denominations, such as the Reformed and Amended Church of Sotirias, the Brethren Church, the Episemialist Church, the Church of Caldia, and smaller Amendist sects.

Of the 8% of the population who are not Sotirians, 3% of the population, or 40,340 people, are irreligious, while the remainder follow a wide array of religions, such as Badi, Tenkyou, Ashram, Zohism, and Irfan.

Languages

The two official languages of Imagua and the Assimas are Estmerish and Vespasian.

As of the 2021 census, around 73% of the population, or 950,153 people, speak Estmerish on a regular basis, while around 23% of the population, or 352,756 people, mostly on the Assimas Islands speaks Vespasian on a regular basis. Only 3,596 people do not use either official language on a regular basis.

However, the most commonly spoken language in Imagua and the Assimas is Western Imaguan Creole, an Blostlandic-based creole. As of the 2021 census, around 90% of the population, or 1,211,027 people, listed Western Imaguan Creole as their native language. Vespasian is natively spoken by 3.6% of the population, or 47,894 people, while Estmerish is natively spoken by 3% of the population, or 41,386 people.

Other native languages spoken besides Western Imaguan Creole and the official languages include Eastern Imaguan Creole, spoken by 31,392 people, or around 2.3% of the population, Senrian, at 0.6% of the population, or 8,838 people, and Gaullican, at 0.24% of the population, or 3,205 people, with 930 people speaking other languages.

Largest cities

As of the 2021 census, 1,228,115 people, or around 94% of the population live in urban areas, defined by the national government as an "incorporated settlement" with a density of more than five hundred people per square kilometer, and a population of more than 1,000 people. Of those, 667,542 people, or under 49% of the population live in the ten largest settlements alone, while 828,704 people, or nearly 62% of the population live in the twenty largest settlements.

The largest metropolitan area is the Cuanstad metropolitan area, with 592,271 people, or around 44% of the nation's population living in the metropolitan area, with the next largest, San Pietro only having a population of 229,462 people, or around 17% of the national population.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Peter Hansson International Airport, 2018

Transportation in Imagua and the Assimas is greatly shaped by the nation's geography. Due to this, there are no roads connecting the entire country. However, the road infrastructure on each of the islands is generally developed, with virtually all public roads in Imagua and the Assimas being paved.

However, there are regular ferry services between the islands, with services between Imagua, Avitabile Island, and San Sigfrido Island operated by the government-owned Imaguan Maritime Service, in addition to private competitors serving Imagua's smaller islands, islets, and cays, as well as international ferries, such as Vanolink, which connects Imagua to Eldmark.

There are only two civilian airports in the country: the Cuanstad International Airport, located in Conington, about halfway beween Cuanstad and Altaithe, which receives a lot of passenger traffic, and San Pietro International Airport, located in Nuova Turania, near San Pietro, as well as two military airfields at Thorebourne Naval Base and Camp Devon, both operated by the Rizean Air Force. The only domestic airline based in Imagua and the Assimas is Air Imagua.

Until 1981, there was a rail network on the island of Imagua. However, due to declining use, it was shuttered from the 1950s onward, and today, there is no rail network in Imagua. However, part of the former rail network has been transformed into a bus rapid transit system known as the Cuanstad Metro.

Healthcare

King Charles Hospital, 2016

Imagua and the Assimas offers universal healthcare since 1961, meaning that all citizens receive free healthcare. While there are private clinics, as of 2016, around 86.5% use the public healthcare system, which employs 679 doctors, 2,721 nurses, 59 dentists, and 22 pharmacists. The national healthcare system in Imagua and the Assimas is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health.

As of 2020, there are eleven hospitals in Imagua and the Assimas, with three in Cuanstad (including a children's hospital), three in San Pietro, two in Altaithe, and one each in Lundholm, Nua Taois, and Rutigliano.

As of 2020, the life expectancy of Imaguans is at 73.51 years, with men having a life expectancy at 70.85 years, and females having a life expectancy of 76.17 years.

Education

Main article: Education in Imagua and the Assimas

Like many ex-Estmerish colonies, the educational system in Imagua and the Assimas is heavily based off that of the Estmerish education system as it stood when it gained independence within the Estmerish Empire in 1937. While it had been simplified in the 1960s, the educational stages have otherwise largely stayed intact.

The formal education system starts with preschool, although compulsory education only begins in the year students turn five. They continue attending primary school until 11, when after taking the Standard Assessment Test, they move on to comprehensive high schools. At the end of fifth form, students take the O-levels: those who pass get to take Sixth Form, where they prepare for the A-levels, which are a requirement in order to be admitted into a university or a polytechnic.

There are only two universities on Imagua and the Assimas: the Università di San Pietro in San Pietro, which opened in 1896, and the University of Cuanstad in Cuanstad, which opened in 1967, with the university structure being based off of the Etrurian system. Since 2012, tertiary education has been free of charge for all citizens, in order to combat the islands' brain drain.

As of 2016, the adult literacy rate is at 98.97%, with similar numbers among both sexes. In 2020, the mean years of schooling was 10.6 years, while the expected years of schooling is 15.4.

Culture

Arts

Imagua and the Assimas had a significant artistic tradition since before colonization, with the Imaguan people being known for their jewellery and their music, which continues to play a role in contemporary Imaguan music.

Following colonization, colonial influences from Caldia, Blostland, Estmere, Gaullica, and Etruria played a substantial role in shaping and influencing the Imaguan art scene, with neighboring countries on the West Arucian Sea such as Eldmark, Ardesia, and Aucuria also playing a role in helping develop the Imaguan art scene, especially with regard to paintings.

Prominent painters include James Chambers, Julie Williams, and Clara Mandracchia, while prominent sculptors include Eriberto Del Nero, Lucy Gervasi, and Donald O'Hagen.

Music has also been influential, with the steelpan believed to have been invented by the Bahio-Imaguan community in the late nineteenth century. Prominent musicians from Imagua and the Assimas include Rufo D'Esposito, Renato Carcione, Rolf Lundell, Ed Cole, and Hannah Cigleris.

Film has also become incredibly popular since the end of the Solarian War, with a relatively large film industry based in Cuanstad and San Pietro, although most actors go to other countries for their careers. Prominent Imaguan actors and actresses include Emily Fraser, Janet Nomica, Sarah Wallin, and Sviturno Di Palo.

Cuisine

A plate of Imaguan patties with a glass of lager

Due to the islands' history, the cuisine of Imagua and the Assimas has been greatly influenced from Bahian, Estmerish, Etrurian, Gowsa, and Senrian cuisines.

The most popular foods of Bahian origin in Imagua include callaloo, which is usually made from young taro leaves, okra, pumpkin, onions, coconut milk, and pimento, with seasoning of either chives, cilantro, or culantro; porridge; oxtail stew, and cou-cou, made from cornmeal and okra, and deriving from fufu.

The most popular foods of Etrurian origin include risotto, also known as pelau on Imagua; macaroni pie, made of macaroni, cheddar cheese, milk, flour, salt, pepper, and various spices; spaghetti, usually made with durum semolina, scorpion peppers, pasta sauce and garlic sauce, and then served with salt, rosemary and parsley; uovo sbattuto, made of egg yolks and sugar, and zabaione, made of milk, eggs, and wine. In addition, torta del panino (usually made with coco bread, eggs, mayonnaise, ham, tomatoes, and smoked barracudas), is commonly assumed to be of Etrurian origin, even though most evidence suggests it is of Blostlandic origin.

The most popular foods of Estmerish origin include fish and chips (with the fish usually being fried or grilled flying fish); fish pie (made from fresh and smoked saltfish, and served with mashed breadfruit); and sausages (often in the form of curry dogs). The Sunday lunch in Imagua is a common tradition, although it usually consists of roast pork, roast potatoes or roast breadfruit, Tolbury puddings, local vegetables, and covered in gravy and pepper sauce.

The most popular foods of gowsa origin include congee, curry, doubles, gainge, pandan, spiced fruit salad, and wada. Finally, foods of Senrian origin commonly consumed on Imagua include donburi, gyouza, susi, and yakimesi.

In addition to foods derived from foreign sources, unique foods have emerged on the island, such as bake and shark, made with a flatbread and topped with shark meat and other ingredients; stew chicken, where the chicken is covered with brown sugar, and topped with vegetables; fish tea, made of ground yam, pumpkins, cassava, potatoes, and plantains; guava cheese; Imaguan patties, made from various fillings and spices and stuffed into coco bread; jerked beef and jerked chickens; mannish water, a soup made from various goat parts; pepperpot, which is believed to be of Native Imaguan origin; salted pig tails; sweetbread, made from molasses and then spiced with ginger and nutmeg, and sugar cake, made with grated coconuts, sugar, and food coloring.

Sports

Altaithe Downs, 2015

The three most popular sports in Imagua and the Assimas are association football (also referred to as Euclean football), Arucian football (commonly known as chausse), and horse racing.

Association football was introduced in 1877 by Hezekiah Perry onto the island of Imagua, and spread from there to the Assimas Islands. It quickly became popular in both regions, and is today the most popular sport on the island. The governing body of association football on Imagua is the Imaguan Football Association, the national team is the Imaguan Crossbearers, and the main association football league is the Imaguan Football League.

Arucian football was introduced to the archipelago around the early 20th century, due to sailors from Gaullican colonies in the western Arucian introducing the sport to Cuanstad and San Pietro. However, the sport began to take off in popularity outside these two cities in the 1940s with the advent of the Arucian Football Association, with the two clubs in Imagua joining the league in that year, with the sport growing in popularity over the succeeding decades. Today, it is the second-most popular sport in Imagua, with the main Arucian football league being the Imaguan Chausse Association, which holds the annual Hegan Cup, who determines Imagua's team for the Arucian Cup.

Horse racing, or in particular, thoroughbred racing, was introduced in the late eighteenth century by Governor (TBC) of Imagua, when he brought his love of the sport to the country. The Altaithe Downs was established in 1812, and over the next century, the sport gained widespread popularity on the island of Imagua, with various racecourses being established across the island. The most prestigious race is the Maiden Cup, held every March at Altaithe Downs.

Other popular sports in Imagua and the Assimas include sailing, baseball, handball, and golf.

Media

Imagua and the Assimas, despite its small population, has a robust media atmosphere.

It has many local newspapers, although the two most popular newspapers in Imagua and the Assimas, which are known as the de-facto newspapers of record are the Estmerish language Cuanstad Sentinel and the Vespasian language Gazzetta di San Pietro.

There are three television networks in Imagua and the Assimas: the public Imaguan Television Service, which broadcasts in both Estmerish and Vespasian, DayStar Television, which broadcasts exclusively in Estmerish, and TVAlba, which broadcasts exclusively in Vespasian.

As of 2018, there are seventy-three licensed radio stations on the islands. The largest radio operator is the publicly run Imaguan Radio Network, which operates twenty-nine radio stations, including repeaters, while the second largest radio operator is DayStar Group, which operates twenty-six radio stations.

Holidays

Main article: Public holidays in Imagua and the Assimas

Date	Estmerish name	Vespasian name	Description
1 January	New Year's Day	Capodanno	Celebrates the new year
12 February	Memorial Day	Giorno della Memoria	Remembers all those who lost their lives in all wars fought by Imagua and the Assimas
Friday before Paschal Sunday	Good Friday	Venerdì Santo	Commemorates the death of Jesus Sotiras
A Sunday in Spring	Paschal Sunday	Pasqua	Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Sotiras
Monday following Paschal Sunday	Paschal Monday	Pasquetta	Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Sotiras
23 April	Sovereignty Day	Festa della sovranità	Celebrates the granting of de-jure independence from the United Provinces in 1948
1 May	Labour Day	Giorno lavorativo	Celebrates the achievements of the working class
Fifty days after Paschal Sunday	Whit Monday	Lunedì di Pentecoste	Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
29 June	Imagua Day	Giorno di Imagua	Celebrates the granting of self-government by Estmere
15 August	Assumption of Mary	Assunzione	Commemorates Mary entering Heaven alive at the end of her life
1 November	All Saints' Day	Giorno di Ognissanti	Honours all saints
29 November	Unity Day	Giorno dell'Unità	Commemorates the unification of the Assimas Islands with Imagua in 1946
24 December	Nativity Eve	Vigilia di Natale	Celebrates the birth of Jesus Sotiras
25 December	Nativity Day	Giorno di Natale	Celebrates the birth of Jesus Sotiras
31 December	New Year's Eve	Vigilia di Capodanno	Celebrates the end of the year