Akwisia

People's Republic of Akwisia Folcsrepublic Acwisland (Akwisian) Laiki Demokrateia tes Akbiseias (Laimiaic)
Flag
Capital	Brandhaefen
Official languages	Akwisian, Laimiaic
Demonym(s)	Akwisian (Acwiser)
Government	Oligarchic Republic
• Fersittar (President)	Folcwin Icling
• Ricrefe (Prime Minister)	Wulfgifu Cyningtun
Legislature	Gurtthing
Protectorate of Tagmatium
Area
•	13,790 km2 (5,320 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 census	202,435
• Density	14.6/km2 (37.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$3.8 billion
• Per capita	$18,922
Currency	Scillinga
Time zone	UTC+6
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Internet TLD	.ak
Preceded by Aroman Empire

Akwisia, officially the People's Republic of Akwisia (Akwisian: Folcsrepublic Acwisland, Laimiaic: Laiki Demokrateia tes Akbiseias), is an island nation in northern Europa on Eurth. It is surrounded by the Sea of Storms to the north, Ranke Sea in the south-east, the Anostan Strait in the south and the Strait of $Name to the north-west. The nearest neighbours are Tagmatium, Haruspex and the Hexanesa. The island is approximately 13,790 km² in size and home to more than 202 thousand people. The population is mainly concentrated on the southern seaboard of the island and is moderately urbanised. The capital city, Brandhaefen, is also the country's largest city. The official languages of Akwisia are Akwisian, the native language, and Laimiaic. The official religion of Akwisia is the Enlightened Aroman Church.

Akwisia has been inhabited since 10,000BC. Its location as one of the Barrier Islands, the chain of islands that separate the Central Europan Seas from the Sea of Storms, has meant that Akwisia has long been considered a strategic location. Known as "Anostos" by the ancient geographers, the island was home to a patchwork of local states and, later, Laimiaic colonies (Laimiaic: apoikia), the first of which was settled in 600BC. These coalesced into what is known as the Anosto-Laimiaic Kingdom by 550BC. The strategic location of the Anosto-Laimiaic Kingdom meant that it became a tributary state of the Aroman Empire by 100BC and a province by 50BC. However, the chaos of the Octarchy meant that tribes from Burania wrestled the island away from the Aroman Empire in the late 3rd Century AD. Raiders and explorers from Argis eventually settled on the island and seized it from the Buranians that lived there.

The proto-Akwisians gained a reputation as pirates and raiders across northern Europa, as well as daring sailors and adventurers. From the 800s, the island became a centre of the whaling industry, although this industry has since been abandoned. The wealth from this industry saw the merchant class gain pre-eminence and the modern state formed around the meetings that they undertook to govern the island. This makes Akwisia one of the oldest democratic states in northern Europa. The People's Republic has maintained close links to Tagmatium, even becoming involved in the Long War. However, war-weariness caused the island to leave the conflict. The rest of the 20th Century saw the island look to its own affairs and build trade links with Argis than involve itself in Europan.

The People's Republic is considered to be a developed country although it is one of the smallest economies on Eurth, with a GDP of $3.8 billion. It has a GDP per capita of $18,922. It is a developed mixed economy, with agriculture and petroleum being the main industries, with some light manufacturing as well. Heavy industry has seen significant growth in recent years, since the establishment of the Tagmatine navy base of $Name. This has injected significant money into the Akwisian economy. Akwisia has historically been within the orbit of Tagmatium but after a series of economic and political crises in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the island nation became a protectorate of the Greater Holy Empire in 2006.

History

Akwisia gained its first independence in the 3rd century CE, when the Aroman Empire transitioned to its system of Octarchy. The chaos of the 3rd Century meant that Buranian tribes were able to wrestle the control of the island away from the Aroman Empire as the garrison of the island was withdrawn to the south. This allowed a fierce tribe, known for wielding axes, to take over and secede from the empire.

Politics

Akwisia is an oligarchic republic. The country is a protectorate of Tagmatium, making it a dependent territory with local authority over its internal affairs. The head of state is Fersittar (President) Folcwin Icling. The head of government is Ricrefe (Prime Minister) Wulfgifu Cyningtun. Laws are passed by the Gurtthing, which serves as the country's legislature.

Military

Main article: Armed Forces of Akwisia

The Armed Forces of Akwisia (Akwisian: Fyrd) are the military of Akwisia. Their mission to defend the island's integrity, according to the defence roles set by the government. They are to do this in a efficient and effective manner. This is to be achieved by emphasising the maintenance of Akwisia's territorial waters and airspace. The Armed Forces consist of ground, naval and air elements, called the Here, Scipfyrd and Airofyrd respectively. The Armed Forces have an active strength of 5,000.

Members of the Here on a training exercise.

The Akwisian military works closely with their Tagmatine equivalents in order to maintain the integrity of the island. This is emphasised since the Tagmatine military base on the island is key to the defence policies of the Greater Holy Empire. The treaty of protectorship means that the military of the island will not be required by Tagmatium to serve abroad, although the two countries have training and exchange programmes to allow Akwisian military personnel to gain experience beyond that provided by their own armed forces. Tagmatium subsidises the defence expenditure of Akwisia.

As a military organisation, the Armed Forces of Akwisia engage in combatting terrorism, fight against illegal drug trafficking, conduct anti-illegal immigrant operations and patrols, operate search-and-rescue operations, as well as physical and electronic surveillance of locations considered to be sensitive. The Armed Forces also provide backup to the Akwisian Police Force, as well as the various government agencies and departments as required. They also aid their Tagmatine equivalent organisations in policing the territorial waters and airspace.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Akwisia

Overview

The economy of Akwisia is a developed mixed economy, although it has become more reliant on its protector, Tagmatium, over the course of the last two decades. Akwisia has a GDP per capita of $18,922 and a GDP of $3,830,475,070, as of 2023. The main industries are the oil and gas sector, as well as agriculture, fishing and related services. After port facilities were leased to the Tagmatine navy in 2006, construction, shipping and heavy industry have also boomed.

Historically, the main industries on Akwisia have been agriculture, fishing and whaling. Until the late 1900s, whaling was the source of significant wealth on the island. It was first recorded as an organised industry in the 800s and had become the island's main economic activity by the 1500s. Although the Akwisian whaling fleets faced local rivals in the form of those from Deltannia, Gaellicia, Tagmatium and Volsci, Akwisian whaling captains were long known for their adventurous nature. Whaling fleets and individual ships based on the island roamed as far as the southern Adisi and Oriental Oceans whilst searching for their prey, with whaling stations set up as far south as the Antargic Ocean. Whalers from Akwisia were also the first to set up whaling stations on the Hermitage Islands, deep within the Argic Circle. The industry continued to grow until the mid 20th Century, when it was heavily distrupted by the Long War. By the early 1980s, concern over the depletion of whale populations, and the fact that the numbers of the species exploited were dropping, led to the industry collapsing. The mid 1980s saw economic hardship on the island, but exploration of oil and gas reserves within the exclusive economic zone of Akwisia significantly situation of the island. By the mid 1990s, this had become something of an economic boom.

The economy of the north side of the island is dominated by the naval facilities of Tagmatine navy, which was allowed to set up a naval base on the island in 2006. This has led to a massive growth in employment in Akwisia, with as much as XXX of the island's workforce either directly employed by the naval base or in ancillary or service industries. This has significantly spurred the growth of heavy industries on the island.

BPP Agios Pantaleon underway with the naval facilities of XXX in the background.

The south-eastern side of the island, which has an Oceanic climate, is primarily employed in agriculture.