Arabona

Republic of Arabona
Flag
Capital and largest city	Porta Aurea
Official languages	Latin, English
Ethnic groups (2015)	64.1% White 26.6% Mulatto or Mestizo 9.3% Black
Religion	Roman Catholic
Demonym(s)	Arabonan
Government	Republic
• President	TBD
Independence
• Treaty of Aq Being a Bastard	1925
• Arabonan Revolution	July 26, 1978 – January 1, 1982
Population
• 2014 census	12,293,244
Currency	Arabonan Credit
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy AD
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.ara

Arabona, officially the Republic of Arabona, is a sovereign state in central Astyria, located in the northwest of the Mare Ferum where the Vizionarian Strait meets the Strettan Strait.

Prior to Exponential colonization in the mid-16th century, Arabona was inhabited by native tribes. It remained a colony of Exponent until the time Aquitayne screwed over BC again, which led to independence in ???. As a fragile republic, Arabona attempted to strengthen its democratic system throught the 1930's and 40's, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Aulus Lucan. Further unrest and instability led to Lucan's ousting, which afterwards established a government under the leadership of Caius Emeritus. Since then, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Arabona.

Culturally, Arabona is a multiethnic country whose people, culture and customs derive from diverse origins, including the aboriginal native peoples, the long period of Exponential colonialism, the introduction of Hesperidesian slaves, and a close relationship with Heideland.

Arabona is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Arabonan government of numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary imprisonment and torture. Arabona is a developing country with a planned economy that is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee and skilled labor. It ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care and education.

History

Prehistory

Before the arrival of the Empire of Exponent, Arabona was inhabited by tribes of indigenous peoples from Lorecia with the earliest settlement sites sites dated to 5,000 BC.

The Arlethic peoples arrived from Lorecia sometime in the 4th century A.D. When Exponent arrived, the Arlethic were the dominant culture in Arabona, having an estimated population of 150,000. The Arlethic were primarily farmers, as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers.

Exponential colonization and rule

Imperial Exponential trade missions were deployed to Lorecia in 1562, establishing trade posts in both Stretta and Arabona that same year. While merchants found established, powerful kingdoms in place in Stretta, they found a much looser and more primitive society in Arabona.

In 1564, an expedition was launched to conquer Arabona, successfully subduing the peoples there the following year.

Independence

Main article: Arabonan Campaign

Following the entry of Aquitayne into the Great Astyrian War, Aquitaynian forces launched a heavy attack against Imperial Exponential forces stationed on Arabona. The following campaign, known as the Arabonan Campaign, saw Aquitaynian forces joining up with local Arabonan rebel groups to clear the island of Imperial troops and loyalist garrisons. At the end of the Great Astyrian War, with Arabona mostly in Aquitaynian hands, the Aquitaynian government demanded that the Empire of Exponent relinquish all claims to the area. The request was granted, and on XXX the final Exponential soldiers and sailor departed from Arabona, bringing an end to the centuries long rule of Exponent in the area.

With Exponent gone, the Aquitaynian government appointed Marcellus Avenarius, a former rebel soldier and politican, as the first President of Arabona. The Avenarius government quickly established the First Arabonan Constitution, and promised open elections. Avenarius also greatly expaned cooperation between Arabona and Aquitayne, opening a numer of hotels and casinos to attract Aquitaynian, as well as ViZionarian and Strettan tourists.

Unhappy with what they saw as a gross liberalization of Arabonan values, a group of Arabonan military officers launched the Arabonan Colonels' Revolt in 1943, which ousted the elected government of Octavius Modesto and replaced it with a military dictatorship under Colonel Aulus Lucan. Lucan created the Second Arabonan Constitution, and aligned himself heavily with the island's wealthy landowners. Lucan continued to allow gambling and tourism, but his relationship with Aquitayne steadily declined as a result of increasingly nationalist policies. Nonetheless, in 1950, in response to growing unrest from Arabonan peasants and laborers, the Lucan regime asked for and was granted military assistance from Aquitayne.

Arabonan Revolution

In 1952, with the covert support of Heideland, Caius Emeritus and a group of sixty exiled Arabonans arrived at the port of Guavarus in an attempt to incite a rebellion against the Lucan regime. Within four years, Emeritus and his group had formed the Arabonan Equality Movement, and were participating in a range of violent direct action incidents against the Lucan regime and their Aquitaynian backers. Steadily, the movement spread throughout the island, suppoerted heavily by Heidish money and weapons.

On November 18, 1956, the smaller direct action exploded into full blown insurrection, with members of the AEM launching full scale assaults on military bases and police stations across the country. After a year of brutal fighting between the AEM and the Arabonan governmnnt, Lucan fled with his family to ViZion, and Emeritus declared himself the new president of Arabona.

Following Emeritus' takeover, a spree of reprisals swept over the island, with many former members of the police and military, as well as those believed to be friendly to Aquitaynian and ViZionarian interests, put on public trial and often executed. As many as 3,000 people were executed in the aftermath of the takeover, and many more were imprisoned. The takeover also sparked a refugee crisis, as many Arabonans sought to flee the communist forces by escaping to ViZion, Stretta, and Aquitayne.

Government and Politics

Foreign Relations

Arabona maintains strong relations with Heideland, upon whom it is heavily reliant on for economic and military assistance.

Arabona is also a member of the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance, along with Heideland. Following the withdrawal of Aquitayne from the EATA, both Heideland and Arabona applied and were accepted to the alliance, with Arabona citing the risk of an Aquitaynian invasion as the primary need for the alliance's protection. As such, Arabona maintains a stable but tense relationship with Aquitayne.

Military

Main article: Arabonan Revolutionary Armed Forces

Culture

Arabonan culture is influenced by its melting pot of cultures, primarily those of Hesperidesia and Lorecia. After the revolution, the government started a national literacy campaign, offered free education to all and established rigorous sports, ballet and music programs.

Music

Arabonan music is very rich and is the most commonly known expression of Arabonan culture. Popular Arabonan music of all styles has been enjoyed and praised widely across the world. Arabonan classical music, which includes music with strong Hesperidesian and Lorecian influences, and features symphonic works as well as music for soloists, has received international acclaim thanks to composers like Granius Carantus. Porta Aurea was the heart of the rap scene in Arabona when it began in the 1990s.