Asharia

Asharia:

Republic of Asharia
Capital	Shanchar
National Language	Asharian French, French
Demonym(s)	Asharian, Ashar
Government	Republic (Democratic)
• Chastdal	Aldéric Samson
Population
• 2021 census	21,582,891
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	38,981
Currency	Asharian Franc (AF)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+12

Asharia is an island nation off the coast of North America, specifically, it is roughly parallel to the strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It was first settled around 7,000 years ago by a boat of Europeans, both hunter-gatherers and newly arrived farmers. By around 0 AD they had established an advanced culture which centered around sea-faring, trading and pillaging the peoples of the Americas. Then, in 1604, much newer Europeans came over the island, with many of them deciding to settle there, intermarrying with the locals and mostly speaking their language. It is around the size of Hungary and has a population of 21,582,891 (according to the 2021 Governmental Census.)

The country is divided into two main regions: the highlands, which consist of the Berger Mountain Range, with an average height of 1,501 metres, and the lowlands, which consist of unique forests, rainforests and plains. The lowlands have a temperate climate that is considerably cooler than that of the highlands, which mostly have sub-arctic climates. 91% of the population lives in the lowlands, with about a third of these living in the capital and largest city of Shanchar.

Up until the 17th century the country was organized into a number of tribes, some organized into larger tribal confederacies, of either hunter-gatherers or farmers, the descendants of immigrants from modern-day France who came to the country in around 4000 BC, for reasons not entirely known. Many of these tribes were also very skilled boatsmen who would sail up and down the coast of the Americas trading, pillaging and sometimes even settling, they went so far as to discover Greenland in 1465. After reaching their height at about that time, the Asharian tribes began to decline, slowly becoming less able. In 1604, the nation reached a turning point when Europeans (the French) discovered the island. While they had some mild interest in colonizing all of the country, they lost that after about 15 or 20 years and instead decided they would only colonize a small section of its coast. However, the native people there did not like that. By 1654 all their major rebellions had been defeated and most of the surviving Asharians had integrated in with the French settlers. Some French settlers lived in areas other than the Coastal Colony, where they interbred with the natives. In 1627, France officially colonized all of the island, as part of New France. However, in 1763 it became a British colony after the Seven Years War. This dissatisfied both the remaining natives and the French. Yet, they only fought a revolutionary war against Great Britain in 1805, two years after the country decided to send petty criminals to the country to serve out their prison sentence. They lost the war. However, in 1867 they peacefully gained independence from Britain. Sullivan Hadrien was the first Chastdal of the nation and wrote most of the constitution of the country, promising democracy and equal rights. During the late 19th century, the country desired to increase its population, which was three million at the time. Mostly, it invited immigrants from countries such as Poland, Ireland and France. In 1895, they decided to abolish the British monarchy and place the Chastdel, or president, as the head of state instead. It was neutral in World War One. During the 1920s, it underwent a period of great economic growth, but that all collapsed during the Great Depression, causing a dictator, Phillipe Gagne, to take power. He at first officially aligned the country to the Axis powers, but after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the subsequent American entry of the war, the country became neutral. He died in 1956, sparking a civil war, between the Communists, Capitalist Democrats and Gagneists. Eventually, the country became split in three. However, the Gagneist regime collapsed in 1959, causing it to reunite with Capitalist, Democratic Asharia. The communist state on the island then collapsed in 1985, causing the island to be united and whole again.

The country is a Vens-Presidential Democracy, scoring 6.76 on the Democracy Index. It's only difference to a classical Presidential Democracy is that, instead of the head of state and government being called the president, he or she is called the Vens. It is divided into 9 provinces: Lecras, Zhermare, Grimon, Forfre, Shanchar, Cort, Arscham, Pacour and Vre. Its human development index is 0.841. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Organization for American States.

The flag represents an Asharian Brown Bear on a background of two equal stripes of white and dark blue.

Etymology:

It is believed that the name "Asharia" came from the name the word (Asher) the largest and most advanced pre-Columbian tribe on the island used to describe the people living on the island, who were distinguished from the people of the mainland Americas by their pale skin.

Demographics:

All data is taken from the 2021 census.

Total Population: 21,582,891 Citizens: 10,840,192

Birth rate per woman: 2.7 children

Religion: 87.3% Roman Catholicism

5.4% Protestantism

1.1% Orthodox Christianity

0.2% Other Form of Christianity

4.9% No Religion

1.1% Other Religion

Ancestry (up to two responses could be selected): 74.9% French

50.8% Native Ashar

5.4% Irish

4.8% Polish

4.4% English

10.5% Other

History:

Up until the 17th century the country was organized into a number of tribes, some organized into larger tribal confederacies, of either hunter-gatherers or farmers, the descendants of immigrants from modern-day France who came to the country in around 4000 BC, for reasons not entirely known. From abour 1000 AD, many of these tribes were also very skilled boatsmen who would sail up and down the coast of the Americas trading, pillaging and sometimes even settling, they went so far as to discover Greenland in 1465, meeting its inhabitants and pillaging on their first trip there. Also discovering Christianity which some Asharians incorporated into their religious practices or even converted to wholesale, and sheep which some of the tribes adopted. After reaching their height at about that time, the Asharian tribes began to decline, slowly becoming less able. This was probably due to a number of factors, with a significant one being tribal wars, conflict and disagreement. Overcrowding of the land was also a problem in some areas-customary law generally forbid more than half of the island's trees from being cut down, which limited development in the face of an ever larger population. In 1604, the nation reached a turning point when Europeans (the French) discovered the island. While they had some mild interest in colonizing all of the country, they lost that after about 15 or 20 years and instead decided they would only colonize a small section of its coast. However, the native people there did not like that. By 1654 all their rebellions had been defeated and most of the surviving Asharians had integrated in with the French settlers. Some French settlers lived in areas other than the Coastal Colony, where they interbred with the natives. In 1627, France officially colonized all of the island, as part of New France. During the mid-17th century, the numbers of the native Asharians were greatly reduced, by 95% due mostly to smallpox. By 1720, there were as many French as there were natives (around 50,000 of each). By 1790, twice as many. Most of these French immigrated due to tales of their being great wealth on the island, and also, because much of the land was fertile. They were promised a place where they would be enfranchised, rich and happy. In the Seven Years War, who the island was controlled by (Britain or France) was strongly contested. Despite the vast majority of Asharians preferring France to Britian, Britian won and in 1763 the country became a British colony. Many Asharians resented this, and there was talk of war against the British, but such a thing did not actually happen until 1805, two years after the British tried deporting some convicts to the land like they were doing to Australia. The Asharians really didn't like this, seeing it as a violation of their rights, so they fought a Revolutionary War against the British. They lost. There weren't very many Asharians at that time, and their were a lot of British Soldiers. It did result in Britain abandoning their plans to send convicts to the island, instead inviting free British citizens to make their home there. However, it did not quell all revolutionary sentiment. For a period of around 20 years, terrorist attacks and conflicts from people who wished for Asharian independence were frequent. These had mostly ended by the 1820s, as the Independence groups had mostly shifted their focus to peaceful protests and persuasion. The leader of the main organization for Asharian Idependence throughout all of this time period was Sullivan Hadrien, who also wrote most of the constitition. These worked, and by 1867 the majority of the population-French, Indigenous. and even British, supported independence. So, Britian gave it to them, with, as something of a compromise, the country keeping British Queen or King as the mostly ceremonial head of state. A new constitution was put into place, guaranteeing democracy and equal rights (for indigenous, French and British people) and Sullivan Hadrien became the first prime minister of the country. He frequently clashed with the Queen, but would still compromise her where it ensured peace and stability, in the end. During his reign, the country was stable and prosperous. At first, he was conservative and somewhat nativist, being reluctant to let non-French or (by necessity only) British immigrants into the country. However, by the 1880s he was welcoming Poles into the country as well-he created the "Catholic Asharia Act" in 1881, which meant all people from traditionally Catholic ethnic groups would be allowed to migrate, along with the English, Scottish and Welsh. In the 1890s, he transitioned the country into becoming non-monarchial, with he as the Head of State instead of the queen. He only ceased to be elected as Head of Government (and State) in 1902, when he died (at the age of 80.)