Bear Island

Duchy of Bear Island
Flag
Motto: Ovod mi stamo Here we stand
Anthem: Ponir' si'no in nejpravo Fall, oh force and injustice
Satellite image of Bear Island.
Capital	Mormonta Trdina
Largest city	Svanigrad
Official languages	Bear-Islandic
Demonym(s)	Bear-Islander Škojanin
Government	Voivodeship
• Duke Lord Paramount of Bear Island	Marinej Mormont
Independent (Sovereign)
• Independence from Norway	June 18, 1960 A.D.
• Recognition by the UN	March 26, 2007 A.D.
Area
•	50,876.28 km2 (19,643.44 sq mi)
Population
• 2013 A.D. estimate	524,381
• Density	10.31/km2 (26.7/sq mi)
Currency	Forint (BIF)
Time zone	UTC +0
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right

Duchy of Bear Island, (commonly known internationally as Bear Island; locally known as Vojvodina Medviđeg Škoja, Medviđi Škoj or just Škoj), is a Nordic island nation situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. The capital city is Mormonta Trdina (anglicized: Mormont Keep), however the largest and the most popolous city is Svanigrad. Duchy of Bear Island exercises supreme authority over the Plutonic Dominion (Svalbard archipelago and scattered islands). Plutonic Dominion has been granted many liberties, inclunding its very own parliament, however the head of state, finances and foreign affairs jointly concern Bear Island and Plutonic Dominion. Bear Island is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite being in the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.

It was originally thought that Bear Island was discovered by the Dutch explorers Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerck on 10 June 1596, who gave its name after a polar bear that was seen swimming nearby. However, recent archaeological research in the west of the country has found evidence of Viking settlements on the island, indicating that the island was inhabited even before Barentsz and his companions discovered it. The island remained uninhabited until the second half of the 19th century when it was re-discovered by an Austro-Hungarian expedition with 895 immigrants, mostly from coastal Croatia and Slovenia. The island was under Austro-Hungarian rule until World War I, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Norway, which was ratified by the Svalbard Treaty in 1920. During the World War II it served as a refugee camp for refugees from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, many of which stayed after the war. It proclaimed indepedence on June 18 1960: this act was not recognised by the Kingdom of Norway, which almost brought two sides to an armed conflict. It was averted by signing a peace deal on January 4 1961, guaranteeing closer relations between those 2 countries, but not the official recognition. However, tensions finally broke in 2006 when the full-scale invasion of Bear Island and its protectorates was commenced by Norway. Bear Island Army successfully repelled the attackers, forcing them to sign the final peace treaty and mutually recognizing each other in Paris on May 31 2007. Soon followed admissions to UN the same year and EFTA three years later.

Bear-Islandic culture is founded upon the nation's Slavic heritage. Most Bear-Islanders are descendants of Croatian, Slovenian and Russian settlers. Bear-Islandic, a Western Slavic language, is descended from dialects of regions from where the first and most of the subsequent immigrants originated from: Istria and Dalmatia. It was also influenced by Norwegian, due to the long occupation of the Duchy. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional cuisine, literature, religion, festivities and ancestral customs of their original homeland.

Etymology

The name for the main island of the Duchy was given by members of the Dutch expedition (presumably by Barentsz himself) who discovered it. Namely, while breaking through the sea full of ice, they saw a polar bear swimming in the icy sea. After shooting and wounding it with a musket when it tried to climb aboard the ship, the seamen decided to capture it with the hope of bringing it back to Holland. Once leashed and brought aboard the ship however, the bear rampaged and had to be killed. Impressed by its endurance, they named not only the island, but the entire archipelago consisting of the main island and smaller islets and cliffs. The largest island was called Grande Terre, but that name was forgotten as the centuries went by. When the Austro-Hungarian expedition arrived on the island, instead of calling the whole archipelago the Bear Islands, they used the name only for the largest island, while the smaller islands got their own names, and the archipelago itself did not get its own name back.

History

Early history

It is believed that the Vikings knew about Bear Island, and that they even inhabited it at one time near Prošni Dor. However, there is no concrete evidence, even though some traces of Viking influence had been found on both Bear Island and Svalbard. The first, undisputed and documented discovery occured in 1596, when Willem Barentsz landed on the island during his third expedition in 1596. Soon after the discovery of the Bear Island, the northwestern tip of Spitsbergen was sighted on 17 June. The sighting of the archipelago was included in the accounts and maps made by the expedition and Spitsbergen was quickly included by cartographers. Willem Steve Bennet conducted further exploration in 1603 and 1604 and noted the then rich population of walrus. Henry Hudson also explored the islands in 1607. Starting in the early 17th century, the island was used mainly as a base for the hunting of walrus and other species of seals. Also, the eggs of seabirds were harvested from the large bird colonies until 1971. The Muscovy Company claimed Bear Island for the English Crown in 1609, but it abandoned the site when walrus-hunting declined.

The first permanent inhabitants called Pilgrims came in 1874 from Austria-Hungary; from the area of today's Croatia and Slovenia, in the midst of the Race for the Arctic. Four days later, Norwegians landed on the island and declared it Norwegian territory. A short armed conflict ensued in which the Pilgrims defeated the Norwegians at Medin Dolac, thus securing the island in Austrian hands. The Norwegians continued to claim the island, so the Arctic islands were divided at the Berlin Congress in 1878. Bear Island and Jan Mayen were awarded to Austria-Hungary, while Norway retained Svalbard. Franz Josef Land by agreement was given to the Russian Empire.

With the situation stabilized, Bear Island began developing economically and socially. On the island, despite the absolutist government in Vienna, a direct democracy developed, represented by the popular assembly on Lordmoot Hill, where the Pilgrims disembarked for the first time. The island was divided into three regions: Zahod, Srida and Vshod. The leadership of the regions was divided among the three strongest and most powerful families so far: Zaninović in Zahod, Planinić in Srida and Mlakar in Vshod. In 1884 Bear Island officially becomes the Crown Colony of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Emperor Franz Joseph I personally arrived on Bear Island for the official proclamation. In addition, Mavro Planinić was officially recognized as Bey of Bear Island, with Radovan as his capital. Mavro's achievements include opening the first public institutions, establishing and modernizing the standing army and navy, building the first roads and railways, and passing the first written laws, including the annual National Assembly at Lordmoot. The number of inhabitants soon reached a five-digit number due to high birth rates and the capture of refugees from the Adriatic.

Mavro Planinić died in 1889, and the title of Bey went to his son Potjeh, who ruled up until 1892 when he fell in a well and drowned. He was succeeded by his younger brother Domin. In 1895, a severe winter hit Bear Island, causing great famine and the death of many living beings. One of the victims were the Mlakar family which ruled Vshod. This created a political vacuum in the east, as the Mlakars were the only powerful family there. However, before clan conflicts could break out, Domin managed to persuade the Austrian government to resolve the conflicts, to which they sent the Stark family. They will play a major role in creating an independent state.

Norwegian rule

Entering the 20th century, tensions in the world reached a critical point, and it all culminated in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Thus began the war then known as The War to End All Wars. The Austrian War Council decided that they could not maintain a military presence on Bear Island, so they leased Bear Island to the Kingdom of Norway until the war ended. The war ended with the collapse of Austro-Hungary, marking the beginning of Norwegian domination of the island. From the beginning, the Norwegians imposed the Norwegian language on the island and suppressed national movements. It was the trigger for the biggest protests ever held on Bear Island. However, panicked Norwegian soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing 72 and wounding 27. This forced Norway to include Bear Island in the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, guaranteeing them local autonomy.

Following the signing of the Treaty, the Norwegian authorities entered into intensive negotiations with Bear Island over autonomy. After 10 years of negotiations, in 1930 Bear Island gets the Home Rule. It finally established the autonomy of Bear Island, and enabled the right to independence. Domin Planinić (renamed himself Brandon Mormont after Norwegian authorities forced him to do so) died in 1931 and was succeeded by his son Jeor (Jørre, Jehor, Jure). In the first half of his reign, he increasingly forced the use of the Bear-Islandic language, which was not to the liking of Norwegian officials. He also tried to develop an army, but he was able to do so within the limits set by the Act of Union. Nevertheless, he managed to restore trust in the Catholic Church, which it had previously lost due to its subordinate position. During this time, Bear Island is experiencing very slow economic growth, mainly due to mining and wood industry.

In 1939 Hitler invades Poland, to which the UK and France declare war on him, thus starting World War II. After the rapid conquest of Poland, Hitler subdued Denmark in a few hours and attacked Norway. Although reinforcements from the Allies arrived, they were overpowered by the Germans and Norway fell. The king and his family fled to Bear Island. Faced with imminent defeat, King Haakon VII is forced to accept Jeor Mormont's request to establish the first real Bear Island Army, whose mission was to help the Allies against the galloping forces of the Axis. The island was bombed several times during the war in the period 1941-1945, and the most frequent targets were the largest cities (Plutosby, Beysby and Starkhavn) and military and industrial facilities. However, the real invasion never happened. In 1943, due to a lack of space in the El Shatt refugee camp, at Jeor's request, many Yugoslav refugees were moved by ships to Bear Island, to the camp near Beysby. This was made possible by the success of Operation Torch. Unlike at El Shatt, the refugees were given freedom of movement throughout the entire island, allowing the two separated nations to meet again. Many of decided to stay after the war.

After 1945, demands for independence intensified, especially after Icelandic independence a year earlier. Thus, Bear Island enters the phase of "national revival". During the National Revival, the national language was being standardized and encouraged, buildings were being constructed in the styles of those found in their original homeland, works of art on the theme of the new homeland were being published and old customs were rediscovered. A pro-independence party finally came to power in the Bear Island Parliament in 1959. In 1960, the Home Rule expired, leading to a referendum on independence. On a referendum, most of the nation voted for independence, so on June 18, 1960, Bear Island on Lordmoot severed all ties with Norway and became an independent state.

Independence

In the early stages of independence, Bear Island nearly went to war with Norway over the occupation of Svalbard, but war was avoided. The early independent period was marked by the emigration of Norwegians and the immigration of the Russian population. Various political turmoil was also happening, due to constant change of power. Jeor Mormont (Jure Planinić, the first Duke of Bear Island) died on September 13, 1970, and his son Jorah wins the election on the Independence Day 1971, becoming the second Duke of Bear Island. He pursused a policy of social welfare, however he was with odds with the Bear Island's political elite. In 1975 a pro-republican party won the election and immediately began to persecute dissidents and stifle human freedoms. When they abolished the National Assembly in 1977 and tried to overthrow Jorah from power, he turned on them and overthrew them in a bloody coup. He soon abolished Parliament in its entirety and replaced it with Sabir, which then served as an advisory council to the Duke.

Jorah Mormont died in 2001 and was succeeded by his son Marinej. Despite a more conservative political approach than his father, he resented Norway for its views on Svalbard and Jan Mayen, which he considered legitimate territory of the Duchy. Therefore, on July 26, 2006, Kingdom of Norway launched a military invasion of the Bear Island with the aim of overthrowing Marine and Sabir from power and establishing Norwegian rule over the island. The war met with fierce international criticism that resulted in the suspension of Norwegian NATO membership and the imposition of economic sanctions. Although numerically and militarily overpowered, Bear Island withstood the initial attack and mostly waged a guerilla war. The siege of Brnik, a city in the very south of the country, significantly slowed down the progress in the interior and spent Norwegian forces and material for the future. The city fell after three months of siege, followed by the worst genocide since the Bosnian War. The winter period of the war was marked by the so-called Swamps War and the largest number of victims during the war. The turning point came after the Battle of the Greenland Sea in which the Norwegian Navy was decimated and after the Battle of Medin Dolac, where Norwegian forces were drawn into the valley and then hammered. The war ended in March 2007 with the capture of Jan Mayen and the peaceful integration of Plutonic Dominion into the Duchy.

After the end of the conflict, Bear Island was accepted as the 193rd member of the United Nations. This was followed by a period of reconstruction that still lasts today. On March 22, 2010, in Reykjavik, Norway and Bear Island signed an agreement to end the war, and then Bear Island was granted full membership in the Nordic Council and EFTA. 2011 Bear Island reopens borders due to the difficult economic situation caused by the 2008 economic crisis, but closes them again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent times have been marked by support for separatist movements in Greenland and Lapland and policies of isolationism during the third decade of the 21st century. In 2019, the "Confederacy" was refounded, whose goal is to unite all isolated Slavic states.

Geography

Bear Island is at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. The main island and Svalbard archipelago is entirely north of the Arctic Circle. Bear Island, even though it is located inside the North American tectonic plate, is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America, although it is closest to Greenland an island of North America. Bear Island is generally included in Europe for geographical, historical, political, cultural, linguistic and practical reasons. The closest bodies of land in Europe are Franz Joseph Land, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands; and the Scottish mainland, and Orkney. The nearest part of Continental Europe is mainland Norway, while nearest part of North America is located on Greenland and in Labrador.

Bear Island is the world's 28th-largest island, and Europe's 4th-largest island after Great Britain, Iceland and Ireland. The main island covers 50,876.28 km2, but the entire country is 112,449.28 km² in size, of which 52% is tundra. Bear Island contains about 300 minor islands, islets and skerries, of which the most populated are Sansego, San Servolo and Trečić. Lakes and glaciers cover 30% of its surface; only 16% is vegetated. The largest and deepest lake is Ledeno jezero.

The major part of the volcanic formations visible on the islands is characteristic of an effusive volcanism, which caused a trap rock formation to start emerging above the level of the ocean 35 million years ago. The accumulation is of a considerable amount; basalt flows, each with a thickness of three to ten metres, stacked on top of each other, sometimes up to a depth of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). This form of volcanism creates a monumental relief shaped as stairs of pyramids. Other forms of volcanism are present locally, such as the strombolian volcano Vetrovr, and volcano-plutonic complexes around the island. Various geothermal sources, veins and extrusions of lava such as trachytes, trachyphonolites, and phonolites are common all over the island. However, mo eruptive activity has been recorded in historic times, but some fumaroles are still active in the south-west of Bear Island island. A few lignite strata, trapped in basalt flows, reveal fossilised araucarian fragments, dated at about 14 million years of age.

Glaciation caused the depression and tipping phenomena which created the gulfs at the north and east of the archipelago. Erosion caused by the glacial and fluvial activity carved out the valleys and fjords; erosion also created conglomerate detrital complexes, and the plain of the Mavro Peninsula.

Climate

Bear Island, located well south of the main islands in the Svalbard Archipelago, has the mildest climate in all the country. A branch of the North Atlantic current carries warm water to the west of Svalbard, passing Bear Island on its way. This influences climate, making it much warmer than other polar regions at similar latitude. Bear Island's climate is maritime and polar (Köppen ET) with relatively high temperatures during the winter, and a large amount of precipitation. The large winter precipitation is very unusual in a high polar region, a result of Atlantic Lows sometimes going this far northeast due open sea southwest of Bear Island. The record high 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) was recorded June 1953. The record low −31.6 °C (−24.9 °F) is from March 1927. The annual mean temperature was −0.4 °C (31.3 °F) in the period 1991–2020, thus threatening to melt permafrost on the island; by comparison, the annual mean temperature was −2.4 °C (27.7 °F) in the period 1961–1990.

While winters are very long, the maritime moderation and the delay of salt water ice formation makes Bear Island have much less cold winters than a lot of mid-latitude climates on the larger continental landmasses. In summer, the maritime influence causes seasonal lag. This means that August is slightly milder than July, which is extremely uncommon on high latitudes. The seasonal lag is extreme in the winter with the coldest month being March and April being colder than December.

Bear Island receives frequent precipitation, with snow throughout the year as well as rain. Svanigrad receives a modest amount of precipitation (371mm per year) compared to the east coast which receives an estimated three times as much precipitation per year. The mountains are frequently covered in snow but can thaw very quickly in rain. Over the course of several decades, many permanent glaciers have shown signs of retreat, with some smaller ones having disappeared completely.

The weather can be quite stable during the summer months, although foggy conditions are common, occurring during 20% of all days in July. Fog develops when the warm air of the Atlantic Ocean, from farther south, passes over cold water. The average monthly precipitation is lowest in May, and highest in September and October.

Because Bear Island lies on a boundary between cold water of polar origin and warmer Atlantic water, water temperatures within a few dozen nautical miles of the island are quite variable, sometimes reaching 10 °C (50 °F) in summer. During the winter fast ice develops on the coast, but it is rare on the open sea around Bear Island. The Barents Sea carries pack ice to Bear Island every winter, but a significant amount of ice is not common before February.

Politics

National politics in Bear Island take place within the framework of the nation's constitution of 1978. The government is a constitutional monarchy operated as a participatory democracy.

Bear Island is ruled by a Duke Lord Paramount of Bear Island and Plutonic Dominion (shortly Duke Lord Paramont or Duke). The Duke combines legislative, executive, and judicial functions and royal decrees form the basis of the country's legislation. Although it has rights regulated by the Constitution, it still retains great power. Namely, he can pass laws, pardon convicts, call elections, veto power, the supreme military command and even gain extraordinary authoritarian powers, although he may retain them only until the end of the crisis period. The Duke is de facto the prime minister, and presides over the Sabir, even though this position is generally held by the Palatine of Sabir. He or she is elected by the people at the National Assembly on the occasion of the abdication or death of the former Duke. Although all noble families are allowed to participate, the Mormont family has been sitting on the throne for centuries due to their merits in the development of the island.

When the Duke dies, his Palatine first asks his eldest son or daughter if he/she wants the throne. If he/she agrees, at least 2 more opponents must be found, and then the National Assembly chooses between them. If he refuses, then the people themselves must elect a new duke between existing noble families. This must take place at Lordmoot. However, before voting, all the candidates must explain to the people why he/she would be the right person on the throne. After that, voting takes place. To guarantee the anonymity of the vote, instead of ballot papers, voters throw pebbles from the hill into the box. Whoever has the most pebbles in their box becomes the new Duke.

The Sabir of Bear Island is considered as a combination of both legislative and executive institution since the abolishment of the Parliament in 1977. It consists of a total of 90 deputies: 45 of them come from noble families, while the other 45 are elected each year at the Lordmoot National Assembly on Independence Day. The members of the unicameral Sabir are elected individually; there are no parties and the legislature is consensus-based. The Duke is de facto presiding over Sabir, but he often gives the lead to his chief adviser, the Palatine, and thus the post of Prime Minister. The roles of Sabir include proposing and passing laws, establishing public order and peace, and directing public services. Most of the sessions of Sabir are held at the palace of House of Mormont, however, due to the reasons provided by law, Sabor can choose another location for the sessions, so the Sabir was nicknamed the "Itinerant Parliament".

According to the Constitution, the National Assembly is the legislative branch of the Duchy. It it is an assembly composed of all citizens of Bear Island. It must always be held on Independence Day at Lordmoot, although in case of adverse conditions it may be moved to a predetermined location. The National Assembly at Lordmoot can last several days or even up to a week. During this period, all public life on the island is suspended, except for the most vital jobs, such as police, shops and hospitals. The Assembly can also meet extraordinarily, if it is an important state matter (the last time it happened was in 2006 on the occasion of the war). Every adult is allowed to participate. It has the role of holding a referendum, voting on laws vetoed by the Duke, revoking any member of Sabor and electing officials.

Smaller popular assemblies take place every week in kotors, usually on Sundays. They discuss the affairs for which the kotors are in charge according to the Constitution. Eligible citizens of the kotor or district meet on a certain day in the open air to decide on specific issues. Voting is accomplished by those in favor of a motion raising their hands. Decision is taken by majority rule, and in case of incertitude, the Chancellor of the kotor estimates on which side the majority falls with the help of his colleagues from the communal council.

The Constitution of the Duchy of Bear Island stipulates that the capital of the Duchy is located in the place where the Duke of Bear Island resides, which automatically becomes the meeting place of the Sabir. Before 1977, the capital was Svanigrad, but after the coup, the above-mentioned changes were made. Since then, the seat of the state has changed with the venue of the Sabir, which has become a tradition over time. Most of the time in the calendar year the Sabir holds sessions in Mormont Keep, however, at any time during the year, the Sabir can move to another settlement for certain reasons (mostly in the case of emergencies or celebrating events). For example, in 2014, on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the victory over the Norwegians, the Sabir assembled in Medin Dolac for a full week. The only place other than Mormont Fort that becomes a capital every year is the Lordmoot Hill because of annual holdings of the National Assembly. Although not a populated place, there is a common belief that during that period Lordmoot becomes the capital of the Duchy.

Demographics

Population

The history of population measurements begins in 1874 when 895 Pilgrims came to Bear Island, while the first census was held in 1885, which found that there were 8,938 inhabitants at the time. Since then, a census has been held every 10 years, with the exception of 1915. Bear Island has experienced a rapid increase in population because the population was of the opinion that the future is built on children. Therefore, the average number of children in a household was six, and there were even families with over 10 children. The trend continued into the 20th century, until the 1950s, when proponents of the National Revival pointed out that Bear Island would be too crowded for all of them. During Jeor Mormont's reign, the number of children in the family dropped to three, but then it had risen to six again when Jorah Mormont began to favor pronatal and pro-imigration politics. Even himself stated that "the more children's cries are heard, the better". Thus, Bear Island in 1905 had 16,000 inhabitants, while in 1995 it finally exceeded 500,000.

After the war, the demographic picture changed abruptly. For the first time in the history of Bear Island, a population decline was measured. In the past, the population lost by emigration was compensated by numerous births. However, as Bear Island began to enter the post-transition phase, the number of births began to decline, and the natural population change rates were decreasing. When work abroad was made possible in 2011, the so-called The "second great wave of emigration" has begun. Most people have emigrated to Iceland, followed by the UK, Ireland, Croatia and Slovenia. The drop is believed to continue even today, although Bear Island closed its 2020 borders again due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pre-war population of approx. 600,000 in the 2015 Census dropped to 524,000. In 2022, the number of Bear Islanders should fall below 500,000.

The largest and oldest city is Svanigrad (also Zanigrad or Radovan), which contains 37% of the island's population. It is the centre of Bear Island's cultural, economic and a part of governmental activity, and is a popular tourist destination. It is followed by Mormont Keep (Mormontova Trdina), which is the seat of the executive power of the Duchy and the House Mormont. Although both cities have existed for a little over 140 years, a clear division into the old town and the newer residential neighborhoods developed during that time. The old town consists mostly of buildings built of stone, while the newer parts are dominated by multi-storey buildings made of concrete or sheet metal.

The third largest settlement is Štiflić: a military and trading port that flourished in the post-war period. Then follows the capital of Vshod region, Starkova Punta. In the past it served as a starting point for polar expeditions, whilst today it is a place with a long fishing and naval tradition. The settlement contains over 90% of the population of Vshod. Although isolated, it is still the largest port in the country in terms of freight traffic. Brnik was once the liveliest settlement of all due to the fact that is the warmest place on the whole island and it had the biggest airport. However, the 2006 war took its toll, so the entire settlement had to be built from rubble. Although the state has invested heavily in its reconstruction, only a quarter of the pre-war population lives there. To the northwest are the settlements of Levrnaka and Prošni Dor, which owes the increase in population to the acceptance of refugees from the south of the country. The interior is almost deserted: only Prodol has survived as a larger settlement as a winter resort.

Language

Bear Island's official written and spoken language is Bear-Islandic, a creole Slavic language descended from 19th century Croatian and Slovenian languages. In grammar and vocabulary, it hadn't changed much from Croatian and Slovenian; however it had reintroduced many Proto-Croatian and Proto-Slovenian words, and has to a considerable extent developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from other languages. The puristic tendency in the development of Bear-Islandic vocabulary is to a large degree a result of conscious language planning, in addition to decades of linguistic isolation. Standard Bear-Islandic is based on the Chakavian dialect of Ikavian accent, which is spoken in coastal region of those countries. It was mostly based on dialects of Littoral, Istria, Poljica and Central Dalmatian islands (mainly Brač). Historically, several other names were used as synonyms for Bear-Islandic, and these were Illyrian (ilirski) and Slavic (slovinski). The closest living relatives of the Bear-Islandic language are Slavomolisano and Marsogradian.

The first Pilgrims who came to Bear Island did not have a common language, but spoke either Croatian or Slovene, while their lingua franca was German. Each of these languages was already standardized by their own grammars. Today's Croatian grammar was mostly standardized by Ljudevit Gaj, while Slovenian was mostly standardized by Valentin Vodnik, Jernej Kopitar and Adam Bohorič. However, this was not the case on Bear Island because none of the Pilgrims had a copy of the grammar of one of these languages, which meant that the construction of a common language had to start from scratch. Mavro Planinić himself writes in his memoirs that the people "intended to make the common language of all Illyrians to the glory of their folk". At the end of the memoir he gave a list of unknown and newly created words, which is considered to be the first recorded vocabulary of the Bear-islandic language. The Norwegian occupation greatly diminished the importance of language, but in June 1930 "Dizionar rieči ke se parlajo an Bjornoyi" written by Iztok Marinič and Maroje Stanišić was published. That was the first real professionally written dictionary on Bear Island. In 1960, on the occasion of independence, the "Zbornik Medviđe-škojskego jazika" was published, which contained the first complete grammar and the first complete vocabulary of all spoken and extinct words.

In addition to the Bear Island language, English and French are taught in all schools, while Croatian, Slovenian and Russianin language schools. All of them are compulsory subjects. English, Croatian and Slovenian are spoken with high proficency among the nation, while French, Italian and German are less common. Due to economic ties and the availability of television programs, Icelandic is understandable to most Bear Islanders, however it is only used in communication with Icelanders. The Norwegian language has been completely phased out. Although not banned, almost the entire dictionary has been cleared of Norwegian words during the language purification in the National Revival. Still, some dialects in Vshod have Norwegian loanwords and derivatives in their vocabulary.

Culture

University

University of the Duchy of Bear Island is the main university, which includes the Graduate School of Historical Studies, a distinguished research and advanced international study centre governed by an international Scientific Committee coordinated by the emeritus historian Velimir Knez. Other important institutes are the Bear-Islandic Musical Institute and the International Academy of Sciences Bear Island.

Sport

Sport is an important part of Bear-Islandic culture, as the population is generally quite active. In Bear Island football is the most popular sport. Handball, rowing and chess are also popular. The four sports have their own federations, the Bear Island Football Federation, the Bear Island Handball Federation, the Bear Island Rowing Federation and the Bear Island Chess Federation.

Prior to the 1990s, Bear-Islandic football had no notable success. However, in that decade, more intensive investment in football began, and a series of successes began. The Bear-Island national football team qualified for EURO 2000 for the first time, but finished last in the group with Spain, Yugoslavia and Norway. Still, they captured the audience’s attention with their aggressive football style. The biggest success came in 2002 at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. After finishing second in the group with Brazil, China and Costa Rica, they beat Japan and Senegal on their way to the semi-finals, where they lost to Brazil 1-0. However, they won third place in the match against South Korea, which is still their best success in any football competition. Although they let down in the EURO in 2004, the failure was fixed by the most trophy-winning club MNK Mariner, which won the UEFA Cup that year. However, the war of 2006-2007. destroyed much of the infrastructure and took a large number of players with it. The level of football has dropped to the lowest possible levels, and it was not until the next decade that new better results began to come. Things started to get better when in 2016 MNK Mariner and PNK Plutongrad for the first time since 2007 qualified for the group stage of the Champions League and the European League, respectively. Although expectations were high, they did not pass the group. The return to the EURO took place in 2021, but they finished third with 3 points in the group with Denmark, Belgium and Russia, and were eliminated from the championship due to the goal difference.

Bear Island has excellent conditions for skiing, fishing, snowboarding, ice climbing and rock climbing, although mountain climbing and hiking are preferred by the general public. Swimming is popular in Bear Island. Geothermally heated outdoor pools are widespread, and swimming courses are a mandatory part of the national curriculum. However, the national sports are ocean rowing and a national board game tarča, at which is the leading country in the world.

Television

The only national television and radio provider is the public broadcasting service of Medviđe-škojska rozglas-televidnica or MRT (Bear-Island Radiotelevision), which holds monopoly over the Bear Island's radiodiffusion services. Operating from studios in Svanigrad, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts an assortment of general programming to a wide national audience via four radio channels: MR 1, MR 2, MR Šport, MR Musika; three television channels: MRT 1, MRT 2, MRT GEO (there are also two defunct channels: MRT 3 and MRT Kolo), and a internet streaming service MRT Arhiva.

Beginning its work as a radio station in 1943, it soon established itself as a basic way of learning information from around the world, thus becoming an indispensable part of the life of the inhabitants of Bear Island. The television section started in 1960, and in the late 60's it started experimenting with colour. The second program started experimentally in 1970, and five years later it is constantly broadcast.

MRT is obliged by the terms of its charter to "promote the Bear-Islandic language, Bear-Islandic history, and Bear-Islandic cultural heritage" and "honour basic democratic rules, human rights, and the freedom of speech and opinion". It carries a substantial amount of arts, media, and current affairs programming, in addition to which it also supplies general entertainment in the form of feature films and such internationally popular television drama series. It had also participated in making successfull movies and TV series such as The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. MRT's lineup also includes sports coverage, documentaries, domestically produced entertainment shows, and children's programming.

Several private television companies tried to break into the national market, but none of them lasted long, and most of them went bankrupt or shut down. Those who have succeeded are or themed regional television and radio channels, which work closely with MRT. The most watched among them are Vshod 1 and 2, HLED TV, Croix TVR and Bear Island Sports Television (MŠŠ).

Music and art

The music of Bear Island includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, as well as an active classical and contemporary music scene. The music of Bear Island has two major influences: Northern European, brought by Nordic immigrants from Iceland and Norway, and Mediterranean brought by the Slavic immigrants. In Bear Island both pop and rock are popular, claiming its influence by the 70s and 80s Yugoslav singers.

Bear Island has a long history of performing at Bear Island at Eurovision, starting in 1971. Since then, they have won two fourth places (1975 and 1990) and one third place (2012). However, Bear-Island Radio and Television unexpectedly withdrew before the 2014 competition, allegedly over a scandal over encouraging the giving of votes to others at the last competition. Since no other media outlet has received a license to host a national song contest which will lead to qualification to Eurovision, Bear Island has not been represented at Eurovision since 2013.

Traditional Bear-Islandic music is mostly religious and it heavily relies on vocal performance. Hymns, both religious and secular, are a particularly well-developed form of music, due to the scarcity of musical instruments throughout much of Iceland's history.Secular folk music is most often expressed in klapas. The klapa music is a form of a cappella singing that first appeared in littoral Croatia during the middle of the 19th century. It refers to "a group of people" and the singing style traces its roots to liturgical church singing. The motifs, in general, celebrate love, country (homeland) and sea. The main elements of the music are harmony and melody, with rhythm very rarely being very important. Folk instruments are the mandolin, accordion, gusle and mih. The goat horn as an instrument has recently gained on importance.

Cuisine

Much of Bear Island's cuisine is based on fish, lamb, and dairy products, with little to no use of herbs or spices. Due to the island's climate, fruits and vegetables are not generally a component of traditional dishes, although the use of greenhouses has made them more common in contemporary food.

Because of the history of settlement in a harsh climate, animal products dominate Icelandic cuisine. Popular taste has been developing, however, to become closer to the European norm. As an example, consumption of vegetables has greatly increased in recent decades while consumption of fish has diminished, yet is still far higher than any other developed country at about quadruple the average.

Bear-Islanders consume fish caught in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean. Fresh fish can be had all year round. Bear-Islanders eat mostly haddock, plaice, halibut, herring, and shrimp.

Traditionally, domestic sheep, the only farm animal in Bear Island, was the primary source of meat. Sheep were also used for their milk and wool, and were worth more alive than dead.

Dairy products are very important to Bear-Islanders. The average Bear-Islander consumes about 500 litres of dairy products in one year

Small game in Bear Island consists mostly of seabirds (puffin, cormorant and great black-backed gull) and waterfowl (mallard, greylag goose and pink-footed goose). The meat of some seabirds contains fish oil. It is placed in a bowl of milk overnight to extract the oil before cooking. Ptarmigan is also found in Bear Island, but hunting of them has been banned.