Republic of Matsumae

Republic of Matsumae Moshiri-Kusu Matsumae
Flag
Motto: Pirka-Poronno, Arakuru En Opitta Safety abundant, Glory to all.
Anthem: "Shinotcha ta Kiroro" "Song to Strength"
Capital and largest city	Ushū
Official languages	Matsumae-Itak
Recognised national languages	Kaihiman, Jien, Seurian
Ethnic groups (2030)	60% Matsumaean, 15% Kaihiman, 10% Jien, 5% Meridonian, 10% Other
Religion	Various
Demonym(s)	Matsumaean
Government	Unitary Premier-Presedential Republic
• Sapaneaŋɡuɾu	Hotene Paikara
• Itakihi	Toacano Susuni
Legislature	Uwekaɾapaɾe
Establishment
• Motumi	September 5th, 1950
• Splitting of Matsumae	February 22, 2034
Population
• 2034 estimate	27,948,115
• 2034 census	27,950,000
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	638 Billion
• Per capita	22,826
Gini (2033)	39.2 medium
HDI (2034)	0.735 high
Currency	Nipeki-Suma (NPS)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Matsumae Central Time)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+89
Internet TLD	.msm

The Republic of Matsumae, natively the Moshiri-Kusu Matsumae (Matsumae-Itak) is a country in East Hiakemiria, lying in the middle of the Marinian Ocean and the Mare Noctus. It borders the unrecognized state of Fukuyama on its northern border, Janpia to the Northeast, and Paimiru to the south. It previously controlled the entirety of the island of Matsumae, therefore bordering Neo-Korea navally, but this changed with the 2034 Matsumae War. The largest city and capital is Ushū - although the previous largest city was Kuyedao in Northern Matsumae. Matsumae is highly densely populated, especially following population exchanges enacted in the wake of the war's end, which saw a major diaspora of the industrial rich to the south.

Matsumae has been settled for at least 80,000 years - initially by the Hana peoples, who represented a major naval power of note during the course of East Hiakemirian early history - with the Hana playing a role in interaction with the Jien, Kāichrén, Bèiqūren, and others - though, due to the 337BCE Matsumae Volcanic Eruption they would be forced to emigrate to Kistavich, eventually establishing Kozakura. The 337 Eruption would fundamentally change the geography of Matsumae - and caused massive devastation to those population groups who remained, leading to the cultural absorption of Kāichrén and Jien traits, especially in the most-damaged north, while the south would endure better, instead absorbing Azuran and Magean cultural traits. The north, now owned by Fukuyama, had been the primary agricultural area of Matsumae - which lead on a historic level to greater industrialization occuring in the south, fundamentally resulting in the collection of wealth in that region - including wealth gained by trade, which Matsumae would become a major purveyor of, especially with Meridon.

Matsumae would be occupied by Marquesan and later the Kāichrén in the early 1600s, who would continue its utilization as a major naval yard and trade port, with the development of industrial capacity in those regions, especially under the Kāichrén Democratic State. This development would continue after Matsumae's independence in the 1950s, with the trade with Meridon increasing - and allowing for joint projects and a number of military purchases, with Matsumae continuing to use Meridonian equipment in a near-majority of its military programmes. Politically, Matsumae remains a strong democratic state - currently under cohabitative leadership between the right wing Kun'neiwa Anchika (Tomorrow Party) and the Hetuku (Rise) political groups - who came to power following the end of the 2034 Matsumae War. Its current leader is Sapaneaŋɡuɾu Hotene Pakara.

Etymology

A number of names for the Matsumae island have existed throughout history, including Kisokaidō, Nagahide, Nagoyaka, Huángyán, Yǒngxīǎo, and others - the majority of these names tracing back to early Kāichrén or Jien descriptors for the islands when they were under the dominion of the Hana people.

"Matsumae" as the popular term for the naming of the island was a development of the Kāichrén colonial period - which associated the territory with the supposed leadership of an ancient, Kāichrén-descendent "Matsumae Clan" - which had fled from the Yanshen as a result of its occupation by Jungg'o. This claim, while convenient for the purposes of attempting to create a unified cultural identity, was obviously not particularly accepted amongst the population at large - which, while still hearkening to the name Matsumae, identified it with their own historical clan which had supposedly resisted the invasion of the island by Marquesan.

History

Prehistory

The island that now comprises Matsumae was believed to have first split from the Hiakemirian continent at some point in the last 20,000 years - with remains corresponding to the progenitor groups of the Jien and Kaichren precursor-population being discovered. These populations are believed to have mixed with northwards-moving populations from Cathalina, creating the conditions which would eventually lead to the emergence of the Hana once other groups of sea-traveling peoples emerged to fuse with this existing mixed-population. Slash-and-burn agriculture would begin at some point in the 13,000BCE period - with would lead to concentrations of populations which lead to the development of sustained food gathering structures, such as intense fishing and early concentration of animals for consumption.

Especially notable in regards to the artistic development of the surrounding regions was the mining and export of rare materials which were used in artistic pursuits, such as Rhodochrosite, which would form the nucleus for a short-lived currency on the island, before foreign currencies used in Jungg'o became more appealing due to their greater value in the trade routes of the period.

Hana Period

[consult with kozakura here]

Government and Politics

Government

The Government of Matsumae was founded on the Motumi Constitution, which was based on existing strains of democratic and ideological thought which had originated during the colonial period. The constitution of Matsumae declares that the state shall be organized as a "Democratic Republic, unified in character and committed to the development of the people in all regards" - a statement used early in the process of independence to both justify political unitarism and the development of a comprehensive system of rights, welfare, and multi-ethnic representation - which also had a role in preventing pushback on the process of independence from entrenched Kāichrén populations present at the time. It is divided into four branches, including the Uwekaɾapaɾe - which drafts and presents laws to the Itakihi, the Kapu - which organizes the implementation of policy in concert with the elected Sapaneaŋɡuɾu, the Tsunpu, which determines the legality of laws - and can encourage the Itakihi to veto them in the event they are found to be against the general wellbeing of the people, and the directly elected Sapaneaŋɡuɾu themselves, who are obligated to follow the direction of the Itakihi but play the primary role in the organization of the Kapu.

The head of state is the Sapaneaŋɡuɾu - who is directly elected by popular vote and organize the Kapu after their election. While members of the Kapu can be impeached directly, such requires a 2/3rds majority of the Uwekarapare, which means that in the event of scandal it is normally the Sapaneaŋɡuɾu who controls their removal or lackthereof. The Itakihi plays two roles, both being the voice of the dominant party or coalition and also being the head of government appointed within the Kapu, although there has been no case where they have been appointed before they were elected within the Uwekarapare. They additionally provide recommendations for other Kapu members, unify actions between Kapu members, and are the only member of the Kapu who cannot be directly removed by the Sapaneaŋɡuɾu. This lack of ability to be removed has caused issues during the course of relatively-normal "Cohabitation" governments between parties of a fundamentally opposed political nature holding the role of Sapaneaŋɡuɾu and Itakihi.

The Uwekarapare is a unitary body comprising 120 seats, all distributed between parties based on the percentages of votes received on a party-block basis. The two dominant parties, as of 2034, are the center-right Kun'neiwa Anchika and the far-right Hetuku party, who came to power in the form of the Great Sun coalition in the wake of the Invasion of Matsumae.

Major Parties

Matsumae has a highly variable party system - with major groupings forming and dissapating based primarily on wedge issues instead of concrete political lines. This is made easier by the capacity for parties to be rapidly organized for an election and then find figures to represent them after success in such due to the party block system, therefore forming the leadership of a party after their success. With this said, there are a number of political currents which tend to have enduring political representation, with the current two most notable currents being in the form of the center-right Kun'neiwa Anchika and the far right Hetuku - both parties sharing, in general, economic goals based on the incorporation of Matsumae into the greater global economy to a larger extent than before the war. Where they differ is primarily in regards to non-economic matters of domestic power, with Hetuku being in favor of the cutting of welfare for a number of groups in the pursuit of a general surplus which can be invested in military affairs - while Kun'neiwa seeks the same surplus through developmentalist investment by the state into major corporations, acting as a shareholder and powerbroker within such.