Nuovatoscana

Republic of Nuovatoscana Repubblica d'Nuovatoscana (Italian)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Libertà e giustizia Liberty and Justice
Anthem: Marche trionfale de Nuovatoscani (Italian) (English: "Triumphal March of the New Tuscans")
Location of Guiana (green) in South America (gray)
Capital	Caienna
Largest largest city	Paramaribo
Official languages	Italian
Recognised regional languages	indigenous languages Surinamesse Accurio Arauaco Macuschi Carib-Carinia Sichiana Tirio Oaiai Acaoaio Oarao Oaiana Oapicciana Arecuna Maoaiana Saramacca Paramacca Alucu Palicur Oayampi Emerillon Nidiucca
Other languages	8 languages English Guianese Hindustani Portuguese Spanish Japanese Chinese Dutch French
Ethnic groups (2019)	47.73% White 40.10% Mixed 7.61% Black 3.03% East Indian 1.09% East Asian 0.43% Indigenous
Religion (2018)	80.5% Catholic 11.9% Protestantism 2.6% Atheist and irreligious 2.2% Judaism 1.5% Islam 0.7% Hinduism 0.6% Other
Demonym(s)	Nuovatuscan, Guianan (colloquial)
Government	Unitary presidential republic
• President	Alberto Franceschi
• Head of Senate	Sergio Massa
• Head of Chamber of Deputies	Claudio Poggi
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Independence
• Tuscan settlement	1609
• New Tuscany founded	1613
• New Tuscany placed under the control of Napoleonic Italian Republic	1803
• War of Guianan Independence (Couro uprising)	1805-1815
• Independence declared	2 June 1815
• Current Constitution	6 May 1987
Area
•	462,325 km2 (178,505 sq mi)
Population
• 2019 estimate	30,203,000
• 2018 census	29,892,020
• Density	92.9/km2 (240.6/sq mi) (144)
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$237.330 billion
• Per capita	$18,093
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$131.961 billion
• Per capita	$10,724
Gini (2019)	44.5 medium (98)
HDI (2019)	0.758 high (97)
Currency	Scudo (GSC)
Time zone	UTC-4
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+592
ISO 3166 code	GY
Internet TLD	.nt

Nuovatoscana, officially called the Republic of Nuovatoscana, is a country in northern South America, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, Brazil in the south, and Venezuela in the west. It's capital and largest city is Caiena. It is the only Italian-speaking country in the Western Hemisphere.

Nuovatoscana was first settled in 1609 under the aegis of Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Despite repeated attacks by the Dutch, English, and French navies, Spain and Portugal recognized Tuscany's right to the colony. Heavy settlement by Tuscan and other Italian people followed despite the difficulties in settling the country. In 1801, it passed under the rule of the Napoleonic Italian Republic, but in 1805, France declared the annexation of Nuovatoscana along with the now captured Dutch colonies in the west, triggering a war of independence that lasted until 1815, when the Congress of Vienna recognized the loss of the country and the annexation of Dutch and English Guiana to the Nuovatuscan independence movement. The Nuovatuscan Republic of Guiana despite border clashes with Venezuela and Brazil it was recognized as independent ever since. Like the other South American countries, it has experienced military coups, the most recent in 1978.

The country is a founding member of the United Nations, MERCOSUR, and UNASUR.

Etymology

The name literally means "New Tuscany" in Italian, and it had been that case ever since the founding of the colony in 1609. There are proposals to rename it to Guiana, meaning "land of many waters" in the Indigenous American langauges, but none have succeeded. Nevertheless, it remained a popular poetic name for the country, and its referenced as such in poetry.

History

Before European colonization, Nuovatoscana, or Guiana as it was called then, was inhabited by indigenous peoples such as the Arawak. It was hinted that the tribes of the northern Amazon were related to the indigenous groups in the Carribean. It was theorized that the Arawaks and later the Caribs emigrated from the Orinoco and Essequibo basins in Venezuela and Guiana to the northern Carribean islands.

Over centuries, the mingling of the ethnic groups, some through trade, others through war, created a hybrid culture in Nuovatoscana.

European colonization

Christopher Columbus first sighted Guiana in 1498, but active interest in exploring the then "Wild Coast" did not begin until the end of the 16th century. English explorer Walter Raleigh began searching for El Dorado, also called "Manoa". He described the city of El Dorado as a city near Lake Parime in the Orinoco River. After the publication of his exploits in 1606, other European explorers followed. The Dutch under Jacob Cornelisz already surveyed the area in Guiana in 1597, and later established coastal settlements in the meantime.

The French later established colonies in the Counani and Sinamari Region. Due to hardships in settling the country, the French were unable to properly establish its colony, though it persisted until its conquest by Nuovatoscana and Brazil.

Guiana in the 16th century.

Nuova Toscana colony

Fernandino I of Tuscany.

In 1608, Duke Fernandino II of Tuscany authorized an expedition into what is now called Nuova Toscana. The expedition, led by English captain Robert Thornton, returned to Livorno without a single loss of men. Though Thornton found Duke Fernandino almost dying, the latter approved of Thornton's vivid descriptions of the country in question and later though with great reluctance, Fernandino's son Cosimo authorized settlement. Despite numerous setbacks and diseases among the settlers, the settlement, called Nuova Toscana, persisted and not only the Spanish and the Portuguese tolerated the colony, they also helped it defend it from French, Dutch, and English incursions. The French attempted to captured Caiena in 1659 but were repulsed.

Tuscany also recruited settlers among the other Italian states as well as Spain and Portugal in which many accepted. By 1800, the Tuscan colony in Guiana is the most populated in the Guianas, with the estimated population of 80,000. Many were brought as penal colonists from Tuscany, other Italian states, Spain, and Portugal. Slavery was tolerated and encouraged among the black population, mainly to serve as labor for the farms.

Independence

Gianni Castelli, founder of modern Guiana.

Signs of yearning for independence in Nuovatoscana persisted, and many people in the region claimed that it didn't deserved to be economically neglected despite repeated settlements by Italian colonists. During the dissolution of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, it passed under the control of the Kingdom of Etruria, and later sold it to the Napoleonic Italian Republic, which mollified the independence leaders. When the Napoleonic Italian Republic later became a kingdom and ceded Nuovatoscana to France, the French later attacked Dutch Guiana as well as Nuovatoscana. It enflamed the Nuovatoscan independence leaders and a guerilla war erupted in 1805. Contact with other South American independence leaders like Simon Bolivar, Jose San Martin, and an Nuovatoscan-Argentine named Juan Castelli, later known as Gianni Castelli, later became the most prominent leader of the Guianan Resistance, as it was called. Castelli's leadership ensured that not only Nuovatoscana regains independence, but it also managed to defeat and conquer the French in French Guiana and Suriname. Castelli, influenced by British abolitionists, declared that Nuovatoscana in its inception will have no slavery and there will be a perpetual prohibition on it. Castelli also rebuffed a British and Portuguese invasion force and colonization attempt in 1809-12 thanks to United States help. By 1814, the Congress of Vienna was forced to accept the loss of Nuovatoscana, and the original British, Dutch, and French colonists were expelled to Trinidad, the Netherlands Antilles, and Martinique respectively along with their loyalists; only a few of the original inhabitants were left. Thus the country was renamed the Nuovatuscan Republic of Guiana. However, Castelli failed to see his country officially recognized, for he died in 1814 due to cancer.

Guiana in the 19th century

His successor, Carlo Castelli, not related to Gianni, was the second leader of Nuovatoscana and devised its first constitution. He fought to secure Nuovatoscana from foreign rule and welcomed exiles from failed Italian uprisings. In 1815, from a population of 280,000, the country experienced sustained immigration from the Italian states, about 600,000 from 1815 to 1860. Due to this, it was dubbed as the "only free Italian republic" in the world. In the intervening years, emigration from Italy after its unification intensified, and a switch of dominant immigrants from northern Italy to southern Italy occured. Emigration from Spain and Portugal and other countries also intensified, due to more relaxed political situation than in the other South American countries. By 1900, the population of Nuovatuscana stands by 2,900,000 as of its census. The "Nuovatoscanan Conquest" as it was called was said to be controversial, due to rather mediocre to poor social standing of blacks (Marroni), Amerindian (Indio, later named as Amerindios and Indigenos), and Indian (Indiano). However, Nuovatuscan Guiana also accepted Chinese and later Japanese and Korean immigrants starting from the 1890s to work at the sugar, banana, coffee, and rice plantations.

In 1895, border clashes between Venezuela and Guiana occured; Britain saw it as chance to take over the disputed Guiana Essequiba region, due to its ships impounded by both Venezuelan and Guiana authorities, but the United States intervened on the behalf of both countries, and Venezuela agreed to cede its claim of Essequibo to Guiana.

Nuovatoscana in the early 20th century

In the 20th century, Nuovatoscana experienced an agricultural boom, coinciding with heavy immigration from Europe. As many as 5 million, mostly from Italy, have emigrated to Nuovatoscana during that period. Immigrants braved malaria and other diseases which has infested the country; American and European-born and trained doctors assisted in improving the sanitary situation. In return, Nuovatoscana accepted rejected Italian immigrants to the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina. The fact that the spoken language is still Italian have helped them assimilate to Nuovatuscan society.

The army was enlarged to enforce settlement in the Nuovatuscan interior. It was said that as 3,400 Indigenous people left for Brazil during that period rather than to endure Nuovatuscan rule.

During the First World War, Nuovatoscana sided with the Entente Powers due to sympathy with Italy. 2,000 Nuovatuscan volunteers fought for the Italian side, in which there were 239 casualties. Francesco Federico Falco, the Nuovatuscan President, personally supervised their training and provisions.

Anselmo Alliegro Mila enacted a plan with United States funds to build up the Nuovatuscan economy. He lowered the tariffs for international trade, and opened immigration. As many as 5 million immigrated to Nuovatoscana during what was called the "Golden Period"; mostly they came from Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Venezuela. A large number of Jewish refugees also settled to Nuovatoscana.

During the Cuban Revolution; 30,000 people from Cuba fled to Nuovatoscana, with the President promising them refuge and eventual reconquest of Cuba which was never fulfilled due to fallback of the Bay of Pigs crisis.

In 1969, an attempted secession by the Province of Essequibo was quashed by the Armed Forces. The province's leader, Governor Valeria Paolo-Hart, denounced the governmental neglect of Essequibo and was considering independence. The President of Nuovatoscana defeated the rebellion and Valeria Paolo-Hart was forced into exile to the United States.

1978 coup and the "Disinfezionismo"

Guianan Army burning books deemed communistic.

During the Villa Jones massacre in 1978, President Fabio Burnham was increasingly scrutinized for tolerating a religious cult. Fearful that a "communist cult" has taken over parts of Nuovatoscana, Air Force General Giosue Capellini launched a coup on 22 November 1978, starting the period called "Disinfezionismo", literally meaning 'Disinfectionism'. With the approval of other South American countries, Giosue Capellini personally executed Burnham "turning Nuovatoscana into a communist state". Capellini and his junta joined Operation Condor and rounded up much of the left-wing opposition; as much as 9,230 were killed and 12,034 were believed to be "reduced", a euphemism for forced disappearances. The regime called its coup a "Disinfection", with the left-wing opposition called as "pests". Capellini, in an attempt to ingratiate himself to the United States, retired in 1980 as commander-in-chief but became President. Enacting forced industrialization, Nuovatoscana's economy grew at the expense of the environment and worker's rights. While compared to South Korea's and Chile's economic boom, it was said to be unsustainable as Capellini relied on exports of manufactured goods and high techonology. Both Italian and local Mafia families were tolerated by the government and were able to present themselves as legitimate conglomerates. The Sicilian Mafia were able to insert themselves into Nuovatoscanan society and it was known that Capellini used their services to eliminate far-left dissidents. The intertwining of state and criminal enterprises were so great that Nuovatoscana was called the first true "mafia state" by the media.

Modern History

Foreign pressure to democratize forced Capellini to hold a snap election against Valeria Paolo-Hart, who was allowed to return in 1989 and survived an assassination attempt that only served to rally the opposition against her. Massive electoral fraud, with international opinion favoring Paolo-Hart, caused an attempted coup-de-etat by Desiderio Buterse, an Afro-Nuovatuscan Army colonel decrying the racism against black Nuovatuscan officers in the military. While the coup nearly failed, protesters rallied to the streets to denounce the election; however, the Nuovatoscanan military defected to Paolo-Hart, causing Capellini to go to exile to Italy.

Paolo-Hart had to contend with many attempted military coups, some supported by Capellini loyalists, but others are increasingly being lead by Buterse. Buterse was imprisoned for an attempted coup against her in 6 July, 1991. However, Paolo-Hart was widely praised for being the first female and first Amerindian president of Nuovatcscana, and for restoring democracy in the country. In 1993, Enrico Chin became the first Afro-Nuovatuscan president, who was also a minister in Paolo-Hart's cabinet. Chin was unable to solve the economic situation in the country. in 1998, Luigi Macchi became President, but was involved in a political corruption scandal. Despite mounting protests over his corruption, he stayed put until the next election, in which Desiderio Bortese became President.

Geography

Relief and topographic map of Nuovatoscana

Nuovatoscana is one of the smallest countries in South America. It is situated on the Guiana Shield. The country can be divided into two regions: the tropical rainforest north and the mostly savanna south. The Guianian Highlands are formed by a flat basement on the coast, which constitutes the agricultural area where most of the population is concentrated. Hills and jungles abound in the interior of the territory, in the south and west there is a large region of mountains and savannas. The most important points in the country is the Pacaraima mountain range, which culminates in Mount Roraima, 2,810 meters above sea level, located on the border with Venezuela and Brazil.

Climate

Broccopondo Reservoir surrounded by tropical rainforest

The country is mostly tropical and mostly tropical rainforest climate. The temperature is hot and do not vary much throughout the year. The average relative humidity is between 80 percent and 90 percent. Rainfall is expected throughout the year as the country sits through the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

The advent of climate change made Nuovatoscana more suspectible to extreme weather events; although Nuovatoscana is below the hurricane belt, it feared that climate change would make Nuovatoscana more suspectible to hurricanes.

Environment and biodiversity

The country has a biodiverse environment, but the thinning of rainforests has impacted the ecosystem, and programs are in place to remedy it. It was reported that Nuovatoscana's forest cover is 57 percent in 2020, down from 63 percent in 2000.

Nuovatoscana is home to numerous species, and considered a very biodiverse country.

Politics and government

Government

Nuovatoscana is a unitary, presidential republic. The President serves as the head of state and government of Nuovatoscana.

Executive

The executive branch is led by the president. The president is directly elected by the people for a four-year term; he can be re-elected only once. He is both the head of state and government of Guiana. He is responsible for public administation of the country, and appoints the Cabinet comprising the Secretaries of State. The President is also responsible for foreign policy.

Judiciary

The judicial branch is led by the Supreme Court, with a Chief Justice and Nine Associate Justices.

Administrative Divisions

Nuovatoscana is divided into provinces, with Caiena also serving as metropolitan province, and subdivided into communes. Each communes is subdivided into municipalities.

Venezuela still claims the provinces of Essequibo and western Demerara as its own province. Venezuela and Nuovatoscana signed a treaty in 1920 establishing the borders as final but Venezuela under Hugo Chavez revoked it in 2003.

Name	Type	Capital	Area (km2)	Population
Berbice	Province	Ituni
Broccopondo	Province	Broccopondo
Caiena	Metropolitan province	Caiena
Curantino	Province	Niccheri
Essequibo	Province	Bartica
Guyana	Province	Demerara
Palissandria	Province	San Giorgio
Inini	Province	San Lorenzo d'Marroni
Sinamari	Province	Sinamari
Suriname	Province	Paramaribo

Military

The Nuovatuscan Armed Forces is descended from the Independence Armies of Nuovatuscana in the early 1800s. It is considered the best-equipped army in South America, due to fear of Venezuelan incursions into its territory. Its total strength is about 193,300 personnel in 2020.

The Armed Forces is composed of:

• The Army - the land forces
• Marina - the naval forces
• Forza Aerea - the air forces
• Guardia Repubblicana - the gendarmerie and border guards force.

Economy

The official government policy of Nuovatoscana is for a highly-liberalized economy. The Nuovatoscanan Ministry of Economic Affairs claim that this is necessary for the economic growth and prosperity of the country.

Agriculture

Agriculture forms the backbone of the Nuovatuscan economy. It was believed that the poor soil in eastern Nuovatuscana was one of the motivations of the independence armies to seize the more fertile Dutch Guiana. Thus, the country was able to utilize the former sugar and cotton plantations and were able also to switch into rice, bananas, and coffee.

Rice accounts for 34 percent of agricultural output. Nuovatoscana is the fourth largest producer of rice in South America.

Industry

Nuovatoscana shifted to industry during the "Golden Era" to enhance its standard of living. Manufacturing peaked during the Capellini dictatorship, then declined in the late 1990s. However, in the early 2000s, it picked up again. The country has the fourth-largest automotive industry in Latin America, but it is the largest among them who have locally produced brands. Nuovacarro is the largest company in Nuovatoscana, due to its aggressive marketing in the Americas and Asia.

Demographics

Education

In Nuovatoscana, compulsory schooling, made law since 1919, starts at the age of 6 and ends at secondary school at age 17.

Religion

Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, 2019

Nuovatoscana is a historically a majority Catholic state; 83 percent of its population are adherents of the faith. However, since independence, Nuovatuscana proclaimed the separation of church and state in its constitution and other religions flourished ever since. The second largest religion are various Protestant sects, with 6 percent of the population.

In the rural parts of Guiana, there are syncretist faiths among the Marrone and Indigenous communities, and festivals often incorporate such mixture of symbolism.

The Protestant community existed even before the conquest of Dutch Guiana; several Waldensians also established remote communities in the southern interior and also converted many indigenous tribes. Later, the Dutch Reformed Church also has many adherents, mainly from the black community. Other sects such as the Latter Day Saints, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others also made inroads.

The Jewish community started with both the Portuguese Jews in Suriname Province and Italkims from Caiena Metropolitan Province. Jews total 92,000 of the population and is mostly concentrated on Caiena and other major cities.

Islam is introduced among Indian laborers imported from Trinidad, and made converts among the rest of the population. An estimated 102,000 people in 2019 are said to be Muslim, mostly those of Indian and African descent.

Culture

Music and art

Nuovatoscana has a lively and rich tradition, emanating mainly from Afro-Caribbean and Italian sources. The Caseco is a very well-known Nuovatoscan dance coming from the Afro-Nuovatoscanan population. Ciatni, also known in Trinidad and Tobago as Chutney, is also a well-known Nuovatoscan music genre.

European-derived Nuovatuscan music is also present, mainly imported from Southern Italy and modified to incorporate Guianese influence.

Cuisine

Pasticcio, a common Nuovatoscanan dish.

Nuovatoscana is known for its rich cuisine, due to its African, East Indian, Indigenous American, and Italian heritage. Due to the majority of the population being culturally Italian, Italian cuisine, modified in using rice and cassava instead of the usual wheat in Italy, became the hallmark of Nuovatuscan cuisine. Capra Pasta, Pasticcio (also known in Venezuela as Pasticho) and Spaghetti di Bami, a mixture of Italian and Dutch and Indonesian influence, are the most celebrated dishes in Nuovatuscan cuisine.

Sports

Football is Nuovatoscana's national sport and is the most popular one. The Nuovatoscanan National Football Team participated in several World Cups and won the Cup in 1994, in what was called "The Miracle of Pasadena", when it defeated heavily-favored Brazil with a score of 2-1. It also won at least 2 Copa America trophies.