Île d'Émeraude

Republic of Île d'Émeraude République de l’Île d’Émeraude
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Vers la prospérité Towards Prosperity
Anthem: L'hymne à la Liberté
National Cockade
location of Île d'Émeraude in Kylaris
Capital and largest city	Port-au-Grégoire
Official languages	Gaullican, Emeraudian Creole
Ethnic groups	Bahio-Emeraudian or Mixed (88%) Gowsan-Emeraudian (5%) Eucleo-Emeraudian (3%) Other (3%) Narapanese Emeraudian (<1%)
Demonym(s)	Emeraudian
Government	Unitary presidential republic
• President	Benjamin Claude
Legislature	Emeraudian Senate
Independence from Gaullica
• Granted	1952
Area
•	133,969.92 km2 (51,726.08 sq mi)
Population
• 2021 estimate	1,546,923
• Density	12.62/km2 (32.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Total	$25.123 billion
• Per capita	$16,241
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	$19.888 billion
• Per capita	$12,857
Gini (2021)	32.5 medium
HDI	0.75691 high
Currency	Emeraudian denar
Date format	dd-mm-yy
Driving side	right

Île d'Émeraude (Gaullican: Île d'Émeraude, Emeraudian Creole: Zile Emeraude), formally known as the Republic of Île d'Émeraude (Gaullican: République de l’Île d’Émeraude, Emeraudian Creole: Repiblik de Zile Emeraude), is a small island nation located in the Emerald Isles of the East Arucian Sea. It shares maritime borders with TBD to the east, Gapolania to the southeast, Satucin to the south, Vinalia to the west, and Chistovodia to the northwest.

The first humans arrived on the island around 4000 BC, believed to have originated from Asteria Inferior. These natives, known as the Narapan, spread and populated the island, living in relative isolation on the island until it's discovery by Gaullican explorer TBD in 1517 AD. The Narapanese tribes would unite to from a single tribal kingdom in 1535, but Gaullica began to conquer the island, which fell by 1542.

The island would be named Île d'Émeraude by the Gaullicans, called as such for the emerald-green waters that surrounded the island, and as disease spread and killed a majority of the native Narapanese population, white Gaullican settlers and Bahian slaves were imported, and the descendents of the slaves ended up forming a strong majority of the population that persists to this day.

After the Great War, Île d'Émeraude would become a part of the Arucian Federation, a trusteeship of the Community of Nations. After an independence referendum, and a subsequent 5-year transitonal period, Île d'Émeraude would be granted independence on September 21, 1952. In the modern day, Île d'Émeraude is an upper-middle income country with an economy dependent on finances, manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism; it has an average of 4.3 million tourists a year. Île d'Émeraude performs favorably in measurements of press freedom and democratic governance. It ranked first in the Arucians on the World Happiness Report for 2020. It's a member of the Community of Nations, the Arucian Cooperation Organization, the International Council for Democracy and the Organization of Asterian Nations.

Etymology

The name Île d'Émeraude, literally "Emerald Isle" in Estmerish, comes from the Gaullican explorers, who named the island after observing the emerald-green waters that surrounded the island when they first landed. The native Narapanese tribes called the island "deblaraq", which meant "homeland" in their native language.

History

note: history subject to change

Prior to colonization

The first humans arrived on the island around 4000 BC, believed to have originated on Asteria Inferior. These people, known as the Narapan, spread and populating the island, which they named "deblaraq" (Narapan for "homeland"), with most living on the coasts, though eventually settlement would go further inland. As the population of the island increased more and more over the course of centuries, the Narapan had formed a tribal kingdom known as the Narapan Confederation, which lasted from around 1200 CE to around 1400 CE, when the Confederation splintered between Narapan tribes, largely due to the growing cultural differences that began to appear. Soon, the different tribes that emerged from the ashes of the Confederation had distinct cultures of their own, which were influenced by many factors- primarily, terrain. Naturally, coastal tribes lived and worked differently than tribes in the hilly and mountainy interior of the island would, which resulted in a variety of cultures that were birthed from the diversity of their lifestyles.

depiction of a coastal Narapanese village, pre-Gaullican discovery

The different tribes would coexist in relative peace for millennia, remaining somewhat isolated from the outside world up until 1517 AD, when the first voyages from Euclea arrived on the island. The first voyage that reached the island was headed by a Gaullican captain, TBD, who claimed the island for Gaullica. The natives, to say the least, did not appreciate attempts of subjugation by the explorers, but thankfully, the chief of the coastal Narapan tribe, Kawacatoose, was able to negotiate a deal with the expedition- they would be able to establish a port/trading outpost on the southern coast near the mouth of the Crystal Bay, and the rest of the island would remain free. This deal would temporarily keep the two sides from descending into conflict, and initially friendly relationships between the two sides would be forged. However, Kawacatoose's goal of peace and cooperation with the Gaullicans, which was briefly realized, would come crashing down after foreign diseases were introduced in 1521, and around 75% of the island's 3 million indigenous inhabitants, including Chief Kawacatoose, would perish. The natives eventually put two and two together and realized that the Gaullicans had brought this plague of disease and death with them, and relations quickly crumbled. Even though tensions climbed pretty high, a larger conflict was, for the moment, avoided.

Over the next 10 years, the tribes began to merge through personal unions, where the children of the chiefs of two or more- having multiple spouses was not frowned upon by the Narapan tribes during the period- tribes would be arranged to marry, and once the chiefs died and passed leadership to their children, the tribal kingdoms would merge into one. These mergers would occur, and soon enough, by 1533, only two Narapan kingdoms remained, divided by north and south, and each felt they were destined to reunify the island under their own control. Because of this, the headstrong chiefs of both tribes were, to say the least, uninterested in the personal union option. This would soon culminate in the Narapan War of Reunification in 1534, where the northern kingdom launched an invasion of the southern, backed by the Gaullicans, who saw the infighting among the tribes as beneficial to their plans of eventual takeover. Eventually the northern kingdom sacked the south's capital and, for the first time since the days of the Narapan Confederation, the island was united; at least politically. While the different Narapanese tribes had formed distinct cultures, they all shared many similarities, and cultural syncretism occurred. Inter-tribal marriages were not uncommon, and the people kept the fact that the tribes were of a common origin to heart, and the people of the different Narapanese tribes often treated each other like brothers.

The chief who led the north to victory would pass in 1535, leaving his son Mathias to take control of the recently reunified kingdom. He is remembered as a revered figure in Île d'Émeraude's history, being the second - and last - Narapanese monarch to rule over a reunified island. He would be a champion of equality among the tribespeople, would abolish slavery, introduced the idea of even handed and fair rule through Mathias' Declaration (basically Île d'Émeraude's Magna Carta), and would watch over an age of prosperity on the island, known as the Golden Age of Narapan Île d'Émeraude. Unfortunately, the Golden Age would come to a premature end.

Gaullica for the moment honored agreements with the locals, though they still had ambitions to take over the island, and they grew impatient. When the time came to renegotiate and renew the lease on the outpost, the Gaullicans began to demand more privileges, which were rejected by the Narapan. Tensions would culminate in the Wars of Gaullican Conquest, which lasted from 1539 to 1542. The wars were a repetitive pattern of Gaullica invading and occupying a chunk of land, sign an armistice/ceasefire, break the ceasefire and occupy more land, sign another ceasefire, repeat. This went on until the entire island fell under Gaullica's control in 1542.

Early Gaullican rule

With Gaullica taking over, the island would be given a name, the Colonial Protectorate of Île d'Émeraude, named for the emerald green waters that surrounded the island, and (TBD), the same man who led the conquest, was made the Colonial Governor. He brutally repressed the local native population, as more disease would spread and kill many more, full on assaults were made against them, like the burning of villages, and other atrocities would be committed as well, like the forced capture of Narapan women to be used as comfort women. It is argued, and hotly debated, in the present day that (TBD) had led and organized an early genocide on the Narapanese population. Meanwhile, Mathias abdicated the throne and went off the grid. Not much is known about his last years, and it is estimated that he died around the mid 1540's of disease. Meanwhile, immigration of Gaullican citizens and Bahian slaves began to kick off, with many using slave labor to grow a crop of sugarcane, tropical fruit, spices, rum, cocoa beans, and other cash crops. Many other changes occurred on the island as well; Gaullican quickly became the lingua gaullica, local populations were converted to Sotirianity, and Bahians became the dominant ethnicity, as the Narapanese population continued to dwindle rapidly. The island became a major hub for the slave trade; in fact, Île d'Émeraude's present day capital city, Port-au-Grégoire, was established as a port for slave ships dropping off shipments of Bahian slaves.

As the years continued to go on, the sugar cane industry grew into the largest, with sugar plantations seen left and right. To support the industry, more and more Bahian slaves were imported; at the height of the slave trade around 1648, the ships that came in per month with new slaves numbered in the hundreds. The population continued to grow, fueled mostly by the Bahian slave trade.

By the time the Ten Years' War began, Île d'Émeraude was considered a hub of the slave trade and reliable source of sugar, though was considered by most as a backwater. During the war, the island did come under brief Estmerish occupation. After the war, Île d'Émeraude once again came under Gaullican rule, with forces liberating that island. In the aftermath of the war, military presence had increased on the island, which some of the locals didn't appreciate. As such, protests against militarization of the island occurred in 1734, though they would soon die down as it was promised that civilians would not be obligated to quarter soldiers in their homes.

depiction of Emeraudian slaves, who would later become Maroons, battling Gaullican soldiers, circa 1751

Otherwise, life in Île d'Émeraude was relatively quiet up until 1751, when a series of slave revolts began to grip the island. A few thousand escaped slaves retreated into the interior hills and mountains of the western ares of the island, forming communities that included them and a select few Narapan peasants who decided to join them. These people were called Emeraudian Maroons, and they often clashed with the colonial authority in what became known as the Maroon Wars, though a peace agreement was reached in 1760 where the Maroons would be allowed to continue existing while not aiding any more escaped slaves.

During the Asterian War of Secession, Île d'Émeraude acted as an outpost for Gaullican troops opposing the secessionists. After the war ended, Gaullica had accumulated debts, and attempted to help pay them off by raising taxes, which many settlers disliked, sparking more protests in 1773. Protests continued for many months until open revolt was threatened, which forced Gaullica to the negotiating table. Eventually the taxes were dropped, the protest ended, and a period of relative quiet came to the island, though it wouldn't last too long.

18th to 19th centuries

depiction of a Gaullican colonial official reading aloud the order from the colonial governor declaring slavery abolished, circa 1834

Beginning in 1819, an economic recession swept the island. This occurred because the sugar cane industry, which for decades had been Île d'Émeraude's bread and butter, began to stagnate as sugar became cheaper and cheaper. As sugar, as well as other goods, became less profitable, combined with the inefficiencies of an economy dependent on slave labor, said economy endured a crash. Many bankrupted former sugar kings, as owners of multiple sugar plantations were called, ended up having their slaves buy their freedom from them so they could make a quick buck, take what money they had left and go elsewhere. The large increase of freed slaves created issues; there wasn't much work available for them, and many were illiterate. It didn't help that at the time Île d'Émeraude was essentially a proto apartheid state. A large number of homeless out of work people was not a great look, so in 1826, the colonial governor, (TBD), made a decree declaring that free Bahians would be considered citizens and eligible to join the workforce. Not long afterwards, in 1834, slavery was abolished, with many of the slave labor soon replaced with indebted Gowsans imported from Southeast Coius. This continued for a few decades until indentured servitude was abolished in 1856.

The Emeraudian economy was able to eventually rebound, and another period of quiet met the island. However, the period came to an end when the War of the Triple Alliance began. Île d'Émeraude was the sight of a few naval battles between Estmere and Gaullica, which were won by the Gaullicans. Île d'Émeraude was also a military outpost for Gaullican soldiers to resupply themselves. However, with the war causing a harsh impact on Île d'Émeraude's already volatile economy, it became quite unpopular among its inhabitants, who began to protest in favor of peace. Once it did end Île d'Émeraude benefitted, with the economy rebounding further.

In the almost immediate aftermath of the Arucian War, which saw Île d'Émeraude used largely as a naval base for Gaullica, the Gaullicans came to the conclusion that, to protect their strategic interests in the strait from any future threats, then they must better organize the governance of their colonies in the region. As such, Île d'Émeraude, along with the nearby Gaullican colonies of Parane, Îles Émeraude, TBD, and Îles des Saints were unified into a single entity, the Viceroyalty of the Emerald Isles (Gaullican: Vice-Royauté des Îles d'Émeraude). This union would last from 1885 until the end of the Great War, when the union was dismantled.

Early 20th century, Great War, and Transitional Period

Another period of quiet came, and not much happened until 1915, when the Great Collapse reached the island. Île d'Émeraude would be hit quite hard as a still developing economy still heavily dependent on agriculture, with many losing their jobs and those who held onto theirs being paid significantly less than prior. Soon, one out of every 5 Emeraudians became unemployed. People defaulted on loans, many corporations shuttered, and banks were forced to close. The Great Collapse also helped trigger a vast political movement, based on Emeraudian nationalism, leftist economics and social progressivism known as the Emeraudian Spring, which quickly swept the island colony. The movement aimed to get workers back on their feet and protect their rights to jobs, fair wages and benefits, and suitable working conditions, though it would eventually radicalize and expand, seeking to also secure equal rights among all Emeraudians regardless of skin color, abolish the system of racial segregation present at the time, Séparer, and, eventually, the independence of Île d'Émeraude from Gaullican rule. This movement would see major support from many of the people, but the colonial elite, who preferred the status quo over any major social changes, rejected most of these demands, which would breed the first widespread dissatisfaction with colonial rule.

Meanwhile, recovery from the Great Collapse began, with a revitalization plan named by the Colonial Governor of the time, (TBD), coined the "Keys to Recovery" would be put into effect, putting people to work by hiring workers to revitalize critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, power stations, ports, and airports. Île d'Émeraude also experienced a period of industrialization, with a lot more factories being built, and production of refined steel increasing nearly 3-fold from before the Great Collapse by 1923. This period would also see women begin a more widespread entrance into the workforce, with some finding factory jobs and even some jobs in the armed forces. The increased price of sugar during the sugar boom of the early 1920's would help bring much needed income to Île d'Émeraude.

Emeraudians protesting against the funcionalist colonial government, circa 1932

As functionalism began to take hold of the Gaullican mainland, many Emeraudians were against the spread of the ideology, especially considering that it went against almost everything the Emeraudian Spring stood for. Many would protest the sudden authoritarian turn of Gaullica, but many of these protests would be brutally suppressed. As a result of the brutal suppression, many began to rise in arms against the functionalists, in what became known as the War of Emeraudian Resistance, though actual violence was pretty minimal. Alongside this, more anti-functionalist protests were organized. This would drag on beginning in 1928 and ending along with the Great War. Once the Great War ended, control of Île d'Émeraude had been transferred to the recently established Community of Nations, and later would join the CN trusteeship in the region, the Arucian Federation.

Another occurrence that took place after the war was a sharp increase in Emeraudian nationalism, while nationalism had already been rather high as a result of the Emeraudian Spring. As a result, support for Emeraudian independence grew and grew, and the significant portion of Île d'Émeraude's population who had long believed that colonialism was an oppressive system that Île d'Émeraude should break free from would come into the spotlight, led by notable Emeraudian activist and Bahian nationalist Jean-Baptiste Canmore. Eventually, in 1941, widespread protests would begin, which quickly grew so large that it was impossible for the CN to ignore. Many CN member nations were beginning to renounce colonialism themselves, with the 1940's ushering in an age of decolonization, so they were willing to negotiate, and a meeting between popular civilian pro-independence figures, pro-independence members of local government, and CN and AF government officials was planned to decide on a roadmap of Île d'Émeraude's future. However, these plans were held up by the outbreak of the Solarian War in 1943, which didn't involve Île d'Émeraude too much, and once it began to draw to a close, the meeting proceeded, occurring in Port-au-Grégoire on September 19, 1946. The meeting would last for two days, with a resolution reached on September 21. It was agreed that Île d'Émeraude would hold a referendum on September 21, 1947, a year after the meeting concluded, on whether to rejoin Gaullica, join the Union of the Satucins, or become independent. Once it came, the people overwhelmingly voted for independence, with 78% of the vote in favor of it. In the rest of the former Dominion of the Emerald Isles, Parane and Îles Émeraude voted to join Satucin, TBD also voted for independence, and Îles des Saints opted to return to Gaullican rule. Afterward, the island would enter a 5-year transitional period alongside TBD, and the two islands were temporarily united into a single entity known as the Transitional State of Île d'Émeraude-TBD; however, transitional efforts on the two islands were more or less completely separate, being placed under the same umbrella by the CoN. After the conclusion of this, both would be given independence.

The five-year period was mostly marked by preparation; The new transitional government embarked on ambitious nation-building policies in preparation for economic and political independence. These included national defense (such as the National Defense Act of 1949, which organized a conscription for service in the country), greater control over the economy, the perfection of democratic institutions, reforms in education, improvement of transport, the promotion of local capital, and industrialization. These initiatives would be continued following independence, which was granted on September 21, 1952.

Post-independence

Lou Dubois, independence advocate and first President of Île d'Émeraude, marching with children in September 1952 in celebration of independence being granted.

When independence was finally achieved, celebration swept the new island nation, independent for the first time since the 1540's. This would be solidified when on the same day, the Treaty of Port-au-Grégoire would be ratified, with the Arucian Federation relinquishing control over Île d'Émeraude and recognizing its independence, which would soon be internationally recognized. Later, in November, emergency elections were held to fill in legislative and executive positions. The Emeraudian Progressive Party would merge with the Emeraudian Liberal Party to form the Emeraudian Union Party, which would win a majority of seats in the newly created unicameral legislature called the Senate that, ironically, operated more like a house of representatives. They'd also win control of the Presidency, with Unionist Lou Dubois winning the Presidency with 54% of the vote to become Île d'Émeraude's first president.

President Dubois led charge of a new nation, getting Île d'Émeraude started off and overseeing the Republic's infancy. He first began to outline Île d'Émeraude's foreign policy, joining the Community of Nations and the International Council for Democracy, and later the Organization of Asterian Nations and the Arucian Cooperation Organization, as well as establishing diplomatic relations with most other countries. He would also oversee the ratification of the Emeraudian Constitution in February 1953, which formally established the basic groundwork of the Emeraudian government and enshrined the rights of Emeraudian citizens. He would also create many of the governmental agencies that are still around today. Dubois was a popular figure during his tenure as President and is today renowned as 'the Father of Modern Île d'Émeraude'.

Strong economic growth, averaging approximately 6% per annum, marked the first ten years of independence under progressive EUP governments; these were led by successive Presidents Dubois, Gautier Blanchard, who died of natural causes within four months of taking office in 1961, and Hugo Gosselin. The optimism of the first decade was accompanied by a growing sense of inequality among many Bahio-Emeraudians, and a concern that the benefits of growth were not being shared by the urban poor, many of whom ended up living in crime-ridden shanty towns in Port-au-Grégoire and other towns. As a result, the Emeraudian Worker's Party, a leftist party that pledged to solve Île d'Émeraude's growing income inequality problem, would be elected as the majority party in the Senate in the 1964, while Worker's Party candidate Matéo Deniaud would win the presidency.

Deniaud's government enacted various social reforms, such as a higher minimum wage, land reform, legislation for women's equality, greater housing construction and an increase in educational provision. He would also begin redistributing income more effectively, increasing the corporate tax to 47% and using the money to fund an expanded welfare net, which further helped combat inequality. However, the economy meanwhile began to falter, as sugar, which was still Île d'Émeraude's primary export, began to crash in prices following a trend of plummeting sugar prices of prior years. The Emeraudian economy would be hit rather hard, with many losing their jobs. This would serve as a wakeup call that, for Île d'Émeraude's economy to remain stable, then Île d'Émeraude's industry needed to be diversified. As such, industrialization would be pursued with more fervor, with the manufacturing of consumer goods being a targeted sector. Tourism also became an important industry around this time, as much more investment into it was made by the government.

In the 1968 election, for the first time in Île d'Émeraude's history, no party won an outright majority in the Senate, with the PU and PT forming a coalition government. However, in the presidential election, Emeraudian Conservative Party candidate Alexandre Chauvin would win the presidency, in what was widely believed to have been a fraudulent vote; later, these accusations would be proven. Protests were sparked by his 'victory', and he used national police to attempt to quell these protests with force. All that did was anger the populace, which began rioting. Chauvin attempted to declare martial law and have the military suppress protests, but they refused to go along with it and initiated a coup on March 1, 1969. Civilian rule was quickly reestablished, and Deniaud would win reelection in an emergency presidential election.

Meanwhile, around this time, Île d'Émeraude experienced a cultural renaissance of sorts, with Mufastism beginning to rise to prominence among impoverished Bahia-Emeraudians, and a genre of music originating in Île d'Émeraude known as randé began to grow in popularity, both at home and abroad.

The EUP and EWP went on to win a string of elections, under Presidents Deniaud (1964–1972), P. J. Claire (1972–1980) and Jocelyne Louisette-Noel (1980–1988), the latter of which would be Île d'Émeraude's first female President. During these 24 years, Île d'Émeraude would become more industrialized, with an economy now more based on consumer goods manufacturing and tourism, while social and political advances and progresses made life rather nice in Île d'Émeraude. In 1990, Île d'Émeraude was ranked as one of the happiest nations in the Asterias, despite the fact that it was rather poor.

Île d'Émeraude would be hit by the 2005 recession, though effects were rather minor, with a small number of some foreign corporations either folding or leaving Île d'Émeraude to do business elsewhere. In 2007, a major hurricane would strike the island nation, killing 56 and injuring or displacing 240,000. The hurricane would become the costliest natural disaster in Île d'Émeraude's recorded history, and the hit to the economy was rather severe; economically, Île d'Émeraude still hasn't fully recovered, but they have come close in recent years.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Île d'Émeraude

• 

  Black Mountains

• 

  Cherbourg Cape

Île d'Émeraude is the largest of the Arucian islands, edging out Sainte-Chloé with an area of 133,970 square kilometers. The island's western interior is dominated by the Black Mountains, which are home to Republic Peak (fka. Mount Telois), the highest mountain in Île d'Émeraude at 2084 meters. The Black Mountains stretch from the west into the central parts of the island, where they give way to a more hilly interior in the east more suitable for human settlement; as such, the majority of Île d'Émeraude's population lives in the east. The mountains and hills of Île d'Émeraude's interior are surrounded by a coastal plain that varies in width depending on the location within the island.

Île d'Émeraude lies within the Emerald Isles, being the largest and most central of the islands. !Saint-Joyeaux lies to the east, with the Gaullican dependency Îles des Saints being further to the northeast, while the Satucine states of Parane and Îles Émeraude being to the southwest. As with the rest of the Arucian, it's debated among geographers whether Île d'Émeraude is part of Asteria Superior or Asteria Inferior. Most agree that it is part of the former as the island lies north of the Arucian fault, which separates the two continents; However, a growing amount in recent decades have argued that Île d'Émeraude is not part of either continent, but rather part of an Arucian subregion based on the common cultural, social, political and historical heritage of the Arucian islands.

Climate

• tropical in the south, humid subtropical in the north
• prone to hurricanes

Politics

Government

Benjamin Claude
President

Michaël Lamar
Vice President

The Republic of Île d'Émeraude is constitutionally defined as a unitary presidential republic, with three different branches of government. Those branches are the executive, the legislative, and an independent judiciary. The government's groundwork is based off of the Constitution of the Republic of Île d'Émeraude, which lays the boundaries of the three branches and outlines their duties, as well as Île d'Émeraude's system of checks and balances. The President takes a very prominent role in national politics, being the head of state and the head of government. The unicameral legislature, the Emeraudian Senate, often takes a secondary role in national politics, though still holds a fair amount of significance.

The executive branch is made up of the President, his cabinet, and the Vice President. The President is the directly elected head of state and government of the Republic. Presidents can serve a maximum of three four-year terms. The President reserves the right to dissolve the Senate (though can only do so with the unanimous support of their cabinet), call for snap elections, name individuals to cabinet (which must be approved by a 2/3 vote in the Senate) and exercise a veto to legislation, among other powers. The President can be impeached by the Senate and removed from power. The Vice President is part of the executive, but holds little executive duties. Instead, they are charged with overseeing Senate proceedings as the representative of the President in the Senate. He can add and remove bills from the Senate agenda, and also acts as a President of the Senate. If the President is unable to carry out their executive duties for whatever reason (e.g., they've been impeached, are on a foreign trip, are sick, etc.), then the Vice President will temporarily- or permanently, if needed- take over these duties.

Legislature

Main article: Emeraudian Senate

the exterior of the meeting place of the Emeraudian Senate

The Senate of the Republic of Île d'Émeraude is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Île d'Émeraude. It is the supreme authority on legislation, which is to be passed by a simple majority and signed into law by the President. In addition, it must also confirm Presidential appointments to positions in his/her Cabinet or the Supreme Court. The Senate also holds the power to impeach the President and remove him/her and their Cabinet from power and put the Vice President into the Presidency.

While the legislature holds significant power, it often takes a backseat in national politics.

Elections and political parties

See also: List of political parties in Île d'Émeraude

Emeraudian registering to vote

Elections for the executive and legislature both occur every four years simultaneously. Elections take place on leap years, as they have since the election schedule was first finalized in 1954. The voting system employed by the legislature is open list mixed-member proportional representation, while the voting system for the executive is a direct two-round system. In the Presidential election, the first round of voting will occur, and the two candidates with the highest vote move on to the second round of voting, where the outright winner is decided. The second round of voting may be avoided entirely if a candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in the first round. This has only occurred twice in Île d'Émeraude's history, and both times were when Lou Dubois was up for election or re-election.

The party that has been the most dominant and is historically the ruling party is the Union Party. Formed from the merger of two political movements who were at the forefront of the Emeraudian Spring, their progressive policy that was supported by a majority of the people has earned them much electoral success throughout Île d'Émeraude's history. Another party that has seen success is the Worker's Party. Formed as a political movement made up of blue-collar workers and farmers during the Emeraudian Spring, they have employed consistently left-wing policies that has earned it favor with the electorate. The popular and successful Presidency of Workerist Matéo Deniaud, which helped lower inequality, expand the welfare net, and more effectively redistribute income, helped keep the party in favor with the population, and it remains the second-largest political party in Île d'Émeraude. At first, the Union and Worker's parties were political rivals, but later on they became political allies, often forming coalition governments in the Senate. The main opposition party is the Conservative Party. They employ a policy of fiscal conservativism, and a centrist social policy. The reputation of the party took as significant hit after the political crisis that occurred after the fraudulent victory of Alexandre Chauvin in the 1968 presidential election. The original Conservative Party would collapse after the crisis, with most of the remnants forming the Conservative Party that is known today. Other remnants, which had supported Chauvin, would form the Nationalist Party. The Nationalists have not experienced much electoral success due to their association with a man who attempted to usurp the then budding democracy of Île d'Émeraude, and the Conservative Party has refused to align with them politically. Another party with a significant presence is the Liberty Party. The big tent, mostly centrist party was formed after independence as an alternative to the main 3 parties of the time, The Union, Worker's, and Conservative parties. They have experienced moderate amounts of electoral success in their history, though have just about always been overshadowed by the other major parties. They currently form the official opposition alongside the Conservatives.

Foreign Relations

• good relations maintained with most Asterian nations barring only Chistovodia; diplomatic relations with them were frozen after their invasion of !notMarchenia in the 1970's
• relations maintained with East Euclean nations and some Western Euclean nations
• relations maintained with all Bahian nations, with the Bahian nations of Maucha, Rwizikuru, Yemet, Mabifia, and Tiwura being accredited to Île d'Émeraude through it's embassy in Garambura
• relations maintained with most other Coian nations

Demographics

Ethnicity

Île d'Émeraude is an ethnically diverse nation, with ethnic roots that are scattered all over the world. 88% of the population are of Bahian or partially Bahian descent, giving Île d'Émeraude one of the highest concentrations of Bahian citizens proportional to population of any country outside of Bahia. Most of these people can trace their heritage back to the modern day Bahian nation of Garambura. Gowsans form a significant minority, having been brought in following the abolition of slavery to replace the lost labor. White Emeraudians form another minority, with most originating from Gaullica. Some also originate from other countries, such as Champania, Vinalia, and Rizealand. Descendants of the indigenous Narapan make up the smallest minority. There are also citizens who claim heritage from numerous other places, such as Shangea, Tsabara, Satria, and other Arucian nations.

The Emeraudian Maroons are the descendants of Bahian slaves who began a series of revolts then fled into the mountains of the western parts of the island, being joined by a few Narapan peasants. There, they set up their own autonomous communities, which still survive into the present day. Many continue to have their own traditions and speak their own language, known locally as Parlenoir.

The first wave of Gaullican immigration occurred after 1542 when Gaullica secured control of the island, and they had been the dominant group within government pre-independence, though the Republican era had seen Bahians and Gowsas overtake them quite quickly. The descendants of this group include former President Gautier Blanchard. Some would come from modern day Champania as well around the 1800's when the second wave began, as most of it was under Gaullican control at the time. The first of these people were often relatively poor peasants searching for better lives on the island, and these would be followed by ambitious businessmen who saw an opportunity to make a profit. Many of these businessmen would end up owning some of the slave plantations, which would later be worked by Gowsas following slavery's abolition in 1834. As a result, many mixed Emeraudian Bahians and Gowsans can claim Champanian ancestry. Small amounts of Champanian immigration continued through the better part of the 19th Century and into the 20th Century, though came to a halt around the time the Great War ended and an independent Champania had been created.

There are about 15,000 Emeraudians with Tsabaran heritage. Most were people who fled the socialist government that took power in 1948. Eventually their descendants would go on to become rather successful businessmen and politicians. Among these are Jasmin Malek, the current Minister of Transportation.

In recent years, immigration has experienced a mild uptick, with most coming from Shangea, Vinalia, and various Satrian nations. About 5,000 Rizealanders also reside in Île d'Émeraude.

Language

Île d'Émeraude is regarded as a bilingual nation, with two languages being widely used throughout the nation. The official language is Gaullican, introduced by the Gaullican colonizers. It is used in most domains of public life, including the legal system, the government, in media, and in education. However, while it is still widely spoken, the most common spoken language is Emeraudian Creole (also called Kreyòle), a Gaullican-based creole language. The two exist in a continuum of dialect, with speakers using the two languages interchangeably depending on the context of a conversation and who they are speaking to. A 2014 survey found that up to 74% of Emeraudians are bilingual, with 14% being monolingual in Gaullican, and 12% being monolingual in Creole, though other surveys pointed to higher degrees of bilingualism (up to 90%). Emeraudian schools began to offer formal instruction in Creole during the 2000's, though maintains Gaullican as the main language of instruction. Additionally, some use one or more of Emeraudian Sign Language or Gaullican Sign Language.

Education

• Emeraudian school system structured similarly to its Chloéois counterpart, though minus all the religious stuff cuz we're S E C U L A R
• mandatory private and secondary school, with pre-school and advanced education being optional
• advanced education mostly paid for by the Ministry of Education, though the students still pay small tuitions
• private and Catholic schools legal, though the latter especially faces some scrutiny

Religion

• mostly Catholic, with 75.8% of the population professing to it
• notable minority of irreligious people, which has grown in recent years
• next largest religious following is Mufastism (just read the page, you lazy bum)
• small minority of Amendist followers, introduced from attempts by Estmerish occupiers during the Ten Years' War to convert the population. Obviously, for the most part, this fails, though they manage to convert a few people who are able to slightly spread the following over the years
• other religions include small Badi, Atudite, and Irfan followings

Economy

Île d'Émeraude is a mixed economy, with both private and state-owned enterprises present. Île d'Émeraude is an upper-middle income economy that in the modern day is dependent on tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and the finance sector. Much like the rest of its neighbors in the Arucian, Île d'Émeraude is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and is also vulnerable to hurricanes, which are common in the East Arucian.

Traditionally, the Emeraudian economy has been economically dependent on agriculture, with the Gaullicans developing sugar cane production on the island due to the profit that could be made from selling the sugar to Euclea. Other agricultural goods were produced as well, such as bananas, cacao, citrus fruits, and coffee. To support the agricultural sector during the early colonial period, Gaullican would import Bahian slaves via the Transvehemens slave trade, with the indigenous Narapan being almost wiped out and there being a lack of other sources of human labor. After the 1834 abolishment of slavery, Gowsa would be brought in from southeast Coius to replace the lost labor, primarily in the agricultural sector. These efforts would have a profound impact on modern Île d'Émeraude, as Bahio-Emeraudians and Gowsa-Emeraudians form the largest two ethnic groups of the nation.

Agriculture would remain the dominant economic sector up until the Sugar Crash, which triggered a period of economic downturn. In reaction, the government began efforts to diversify the economy by investing into other industries, such as tourism and manufacturing. The former especially has been strongly supported by the government since the 1980's. Other sectors, such as mining and the finance sector, would also be promoted. These efforts were largely successful, as the Emeraudian economy is now much less dependent on agriculture than before. Despite this, agriculture remains a fairly important sector of the economy, as it employs around 20% of the modern workforce.

Culture

Music

Robin Gautier, perhaps the most famous Rande artist from Île d'Émeraude

While a small nation, Emeraudian culture has a strong global presence. The musical genres of randé, ska, rocksteady, héler, and more recently, dancehall have all originated in Île d'Émeraude's vibrant recording industry. Alongside domestically-conceived genres, many were also introduced from Gaullica, such as classical music, polyphony, and Gregorian chant.

During the colonial era, many composers would come from Île d'Émeraude, with perhaps the most notable being Lydia Popelin, who's most famous work was Flute Concertino in D major. As the 20th Century began, jazz from Satucin would be introduced and experienced an increase in popularity, as would traditional Creole and Bahian music such as Chouval bwa, which has origins in the slave plantations of Île d'Émeraude. With heavy Bahian folk influences, as well as influences from héler, the genres of rocksteady and ska would be born in the early 1950's. Randé would grow out of ska and rocksteady in the 1960's, with the Bawlers making their rise to fame. It became popular around the world, thanks to the successes of it's founding fathers the original three Bawlers- Robin Gautier, Bruno Gautier, and Milo Rémy- as well as numerous other artists.

A notable popular music genre is hip-hop, which was introduced from Rizealand around the late 1970's and early 1980's. Over the yeasr, it wouldgrow substantially in popularity. Numerous Emeraudians and people of Emeraudian descent have made notable contributions to the genre, most notably Mista Big and Charlie LeRoy. Another popular genre is rhythm and blues, also introduced from Rizealand. Modern pop, EDM, and rock also enjoy considerable popularity.