The Depression Club

Satavian Federation Asteriaans: Satawiese Federasie Hennish: Satavisch Federatie
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:  All Earthly Things Above
Capital and largest city	Port Hope
Official languages	Estmerish
Recognised national languages	Asteriaans Hennish
Demonym(s)	Satavian
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
• President of Satavia	Jago Elliot
• Prime Minister of Satavia	Arthur Warwick
Legislature	Parliament of Satavia
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Independence from Estmere
• Federation and Constitution	1 October 1816
• Satavia Act	23 September 1936
• Current constitution	17 December 1976
Area
• Total	600,105 km2 (231,702 sq mi)
Population
• 2022 census	24,581,912
• Density	40.96/km2 (106.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$719 billion
• Per capita	$29,250
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$479 billion
• Per capita	$19,500
Gini (2018)	37.9 medium
HDI (2018)	0.761 high
Currency	Satavian guilder (SVG)
Time zone	UTC+ 11 (Satavian Standard Time)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+51
Internet TLD	.sv

Satavia, officially the Satavian Federation, is an island country in western Asteria Inferior comprising the island of Satavia and several outlying islands. Satavia shares a maritime border with Nuvania across the Van Horn Strait. Satavia is the smallest country in Asteria Inferior by land area and third smallest by population, but maintains the highest GDP per capita and living standards on the continent. Satavia is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic, consisting of six provinces, two territories and one dependent territory in free association with Satavia, the Patrick Islands. Satavia's capital, largest city and primary economic centre is Port Hope, whilst other major cities include Burnaby, Fort Dent, Northport, Port Arthur and Victoriaburg.

The first human habitation of the island began some 38,000 years ago, and they are the ancestors of modern Indigenous Satavians. Despite the advancements of neighbouring indigenous peoples in Asteria Inferior, native groups within Satavia remained relatively primitive, avoiding contact with other tribal groups such as those in Nuvania, but nonetheless lived in general harmony with one another. Satavia is believed to have been first discovered sometime in 1512 by Johannes van Twiller, however, it was Álvaro de Mascarenhas who first recorded the existence of the landmass in 1533, believing it to be an extension of the Asterian mainland. Jan van Breybach was the first to correctly identify Satavia as a separate island, landing at Sandy Cove in 1541, claiming the land for Hennehouwe and establishing the city that would eventually become Port Hope as the capital of the Dolphin Bay Colony.

Hennish colonisation continued for the next two hundred years, albeit at a slower pace than in neighbouring Nuvania. Fort Zilverzee was founded in 1611 at the site of modern-day Victoriaburg, whilst further north the Hennish established the Krokodillenrivier Kolonie with its capital in Kaapburg, which would later become part of Port Arthur. The last of the Hennish colonies, the Oranjekolonie was established in 1712. Following the Hennish defeat in the War of 1747, Hennehouwe ceded the Satavian Colonies and Nuvania to Estmere. Following Estmere's acquisition of Satavia, immigration to the island increased and Estmerish settlers soon began to outnumber the local Hennish. As the Dolphin Bay Colony expanded, new colonies were carved out in accordance; Maria in 1750, the East River Colony in 1753 and New Borland in 1790. Meanwhile, the western side of Satavia evolved separately; the Longwood Colony was founded in 1764, Breeze River Colony in 1768, Queen's Colony in 1770 and the Arundel River Colony in 1775. Following a major revolt on the frontier of the Dolphin Bay colony and several other minor revolts, primarily by the Asteriaaners, the descendants of the original Hennish settlers, Estmere began preparations to grant the colonies responsible government. In 1798, several minor Western colonies united to become the Western Confederation. In 1813, the Crocodile River Colony joined to become Western Satavia and participated in the Federation Talks of 1812-1815, but ultimately withdrew after their concerns that power would be concentrated in the east of the country. In 1816, responsible government and dominion status was conferred upon Satavia when five colonies federated to become provinces within Satavia (Western Satavia continued to remain independent of Satavia until 1838). Satavia remained a dominion for the next 120 years and was the last of Estmere's dominions to declare independence when the aftermath of the Great War saw the Estmerish monarchy abolished and the last of Satavia's legal links to Estmere ended. Satavia was occupied by Nuvania during the Great War and after its rapid surrender following the capture of Port Hope, Satavian forces fought a long and gruelling guerrilla campaign for the duration of the war.

In 1939, three years following the proclamation of the Union of Satavia, members of the Army launched a coup d'état that overthrew the democratically elected government and ended over 120 years of stable democratic rule. The National Dictatorship would rule Satavia for nearly four decades before its removal by members of the Hope Province Provincial Guard in September 1976.

Since the restoration of democracy in 1976, Satavia has seen relative economic prosperity, but in recent years rising cost of living, increasing income inequality and failing public services have created divides within the country. Satavia also continues to deal with its complex history, including the near-wipeout of the indigenous population and subsequent issues stemming from the theft of native land and indigenous rights during a period known as the Great Shame. Satavia is a member of ASTCOM, the Community of Nations, Embrosphere, International Council for Democracy, Organization of Asterian Nations and is an associate member of the North Vehemens Organization.

Etymology

The name Satavia is derived from the Chibcha personal name Sátiva. Chibcha-speaking peoples lived around the area where Jan van Breybach first landed at Sandy Cove, and in 1658, Markus Winkelhock wrote that the name was given to Jan van Breybach during his first meeting with indigenous people and incorrectly assumed to be the name of the island.. The name Satavia was seldom used to refer to the island until the 1760s; prior to that date, the island as a whole was usually simply referred to by the separate colonies, or as a part of the Hennish Asterias and later Estmerish Asterias. By 1800, however, the island and the colonies located on the island were usually collectively referred to as Estmerish Satavia or simply Satavia. When the Western Confederation joined together with the Crocodile River Colony in 1813 they became known as Western Satavia; the federation of the other five colonies in 1816 saw the eastern half become known as the Dominion of Satavia.

History

Main article: History of Satavia

Prehistory

Human habitation of Satavia began some 38,000 years ago. Satavia's indigenous population was primarily comprised of three groups; Arawak, Caribe and Chibcha peoples, with the Caribe and Chibcha being by far the most numerous. Satavia's indigenous population remained primitive despite the advancements of the native populations of other neighbouring Asterian nations, primarily due to their isolation by the Van Horn Strait. Many pre-historic sites, such as those of the Arawak in the Orange Province, were destroyed during the genocide of Satavia's indigenous people in a period now known as the Great Shame. As a result, and coupled with the natural hostility that existed between the colonists and natives, there is little remaining historical evidence of indigenous practices in Satavia. However, it is known from contemporary accounts by Hennish settlers that, unlike in neighbouring Nuvania, all of the indigenous groups were hunter-gatherers. Satavia's last uncontacted peoples, located deep within the Central Territories was contacted in 1924. Despite reports of uncontacted tribal people living within the Central Territory surfacing as late as 2020, the existence of further uncontacted tribes has been ruled out as unlikely partly due to Satavia's rapid deforestation and urbanisation leaving no significant free land that has been uncharted by modern civilisation. Just 181,271 people (or 0.74%) of Satavia's population identified as descendants of Indigenous Asterians in the 2022 census.

Euclean exploration and colonisation

Crew of Gaullican ship La Zélée making contact with natives nearby modern-day Port Arthur, 1593

It is widely accepted that the first recorded sighting of Satavia was by Johannes van Twiller in 1512; however, Van Twiller incorrectly identified Satavia as an extension to the Asterian landmass and as such failed to record the existence of the island. Álvaro de Mascarenhas first recorded the existence of Satavia, but too believed it to be an extension of the Asterian landmass. It was Jan van Breybach who first landed at Sandy Cove in 1541 and would later confirm his suspicion that Satavia was an island and not an extension of Asteria Inferior. Whilst in the service of the Asterian Company (AK),