Iolanthe

Iolanthe Иолантхе
Flag
Motto: Нашето верно срце (Iolanic) Our faithful heart (Osynstric) Fideli nostro corde (Umbrial)
Capital and largest city	Luclin
Official languages	Iolanic, Osynstric, and Umbrial
Demonym(s)	Iolanthi
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Grand Duke	Vittorio
• Prime Minister	Bernard Uzunovski
Legislature	Curegis
Formation
• Suavidci colony	21 CE-737 CE
• Kingdom of Iolanthe	737 CE-936 CE
• Osynstric rule	936 CE-1801
• Independence	1801
Area
• Total	9,632 km2 (3,719 sq mi)
Population
• 2018 census	936,116
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	93.968 billion IBU
• Per capita	100,380 IBU
HDI (2019)	0.916 very high
Currency	Iolanthi denar (ден)
Time zone	SET +7
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy yyyy-mm-dd (AD)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+45
Internet TLD	.io

The Grand Duchy of Iolanthe, or simply Iolanthe is a sovereign state in Western Auroria. It is bordered by Osynstry to the west. It is culturally and economically intertwined with its neighboring countries and is officially trilingual: Iolanthic, Osynstric, and Umbrial. It was a former Suavidci colony founded in 963 CE before it was conquered by nearby Osynstry in 1214. Oppression and attempted forceful assimilations fueled a cycle of revolts for centuries. Not until the 1801 East Athersbury Crisis did Iolanthe finally became independent.

Iolanthe is a parliamentary democracy, based on the Goyanean system, led by a constitutional monarch. The grand duke is Grand Doge Vittorio of Predice. The head of government is a prime minister elected by the unicameral Curegis, currently Bernard Uzunovski of the Covenanter Party. Iolanthe is one of the smallest states in the world, with only 9632 km² of territory. It is a developed country with an advanced, high income economy. Nearly half of its population are foreign citizens.

The Imperium Suavidci built Iolanthburhuc, a stone fort in 21 CE. Nearby settlement was populated by Szlavic slaves until the Suavidci slave trade ended with the fall of the Epiphanes in 300 CE. In 737 CE, slave revolt freed Iolanthe from Suavidci rule. It became an Osynstric territory in , it was renamed to "East Athersbury" and became a county in 1059. It was elevated to a duchy in 1777. Attempts to ban the Iolanic language and literature resulted into armed rebellion. Notably, the Confiscation of Swords in 1607 and the Confiscations of Muskets in 1789, led to the Assize of East Athersbury and the Statute of Luclin respectively, landmark laws that form the basis of Iolanthi sovereignty and liberty.

Etymology

The Violanthi flower.

Iolanthe is a portmanteau of the Umbrial words "viola" and "lanthi." Viola means the color violet. Lanthi is a Suavidci goddess of women and love. She is the wife of Iphis, another Suavidci goddess of love. Violanthi is the natonal flower of Iolanthe.

The ancient Suavidci fortifications in Iolanthe was called "Iolanthburhuc" or "Violanthi castle." The name "Iolanthe" was first used in 737 CE by Goran when he was proclaimed "King of Iolanthe." Osynstry renamed the territory to "East Athersbury" in 1087 CE. A first in a long series of acts to assimilate the Iolanthi people. The name "Iolanthe" was restored in 1801 after it was granted independence.

History

Colony

Modern depiction of Iolanthburhuc city center.

The Imperium Suavidci first arrived in Western Auroria in 200 BCE. In 21 CE, they built a stone fortification on Latver rock. Villages formed around it and grew into a sprawling city. It was named after the fortification, "Iolanthburhuc." Slave trade brought thousands of Szlavic people in Iolanthburhuc. Prison colonies were established across the settlement to the local economy provide cheap labor. Suavidci colonial elite bought slaves to cultivate farmlands and mine ores in the outlying areas of the settlement. Iolanthburhuc became a sizeable center of trade. As a Suavidci outpost, it was the epicenter of the Imperium's activities in Auroria.

Suavidci rule lasted until 737 CE. A slave revolt overthrew Suavidci rulers and the rebel leader, Goran, was elected "King of Iolanthe."

Kingdom of Iolanthe

Latver Castle, seat of the kings of Iolanthe.

King Goran I oversaw the abolition of slavery in Iolanthe in 738. Suavidci aristocrats who still supported it were purged from powerful leadership roles in the bureaucracy. The Suavidci people were not subjected to wholesale persecution. Instead, they were acknowledged as equal subjects. Goran kept most of the Suavidci officials. Born to Messianist slaves, Goran invited the Courantist Church to convert the Iolanthi people in 741. In 770, a religious revolt by paganists was defeated by Goran. Between 771-788 until his death, Goran led massive manhunts to find and execute apostates. His son and successor, Goran II, banned magic in 805 and decreed Courantism the only recognized Messianist faith.

In 867, Hristijan III built Latver Castle in the former Suavidci fort of Iolanthburhuc.

Demographics

Languages

Iolanic, Osynstric, and Umbrial are co-official languages of Iolanthe. However, despite their equal status, Umbrial is no longer offered as a basic subject in the national curriculum. Since 1950, under the Official Languages Act, Umbrial is only acknowledged as an "optional language of our Suavidci heritage." It is only taught in specific schools, mostly private institutions. Iolanic is the primary language of Iolanthi everyday life and Osynstric is the secondary language. Official government business mainly use Iolanic and Umbrial as spoken languages. Iolanic and Osynstric are the preferred written languages. But public announcements and road signage are in Iolanic, Osynstric, and Umbrial. Advertisers also use all three.

The Iolanic language has its own writing script, the Luceline script, based on the Umbrial and Szlavic scripts:

Letter IPA Name	А а /a/ /a/	Б б /b/ /bə/	В в /v/ /və/	Г г /ɡ/ /ɡə/	Д д /d/ /də/	Ѓ ѓ /ɟ/ /ɟə/	Е е /ɛ/ /ɛ/	Ж ж /ʒ/ /ʒə/	З з /z/ /zə/	Ѕ ѕ /d͡z/ /d͡zə/	И и /i/ /i/
Letter IPA Name	Ј ј /j/ /jə/	К к /k/ /kə/	Л л /l/ ([ɫ], [l̠]) /lə/	Љ љ /l/ /lə/	М м /m/ /mə/	Н н /n/ /nə/	Њ њ /ɲ/}} /ɲə/	О о /ɔ/ /ɔ/	П п /p/ /pə/	Р р /r/ /rə/	С с /s/ /sə/
Letter IPA Name	Т т /t/ /tə/	Ќ ќ /c/ /cə/	У у /u/ /u/	Ф ф /f/ /fə/	Х х /x/ /xə/	Ц ц /t͡s/ /t͡sə/	Ч ч /t͡ʃ/ /t͡ʃə/	Џ џ /d͡ʒ/}} /d͡ʒə/	Ш ш /ʃ/ /ʃə/

It also used by Iolanthi people in Osynstric and Umbrial languages:

Umbrial-Luceline alphabet (For both Osynstric and Umbrial)

Letters	Aa	Бб	Чч	Дд	Ee	Фф	Гг	Хх	Ии	Џџ	Кк	Лл	Мм	Нн	Оо	Пп	Рр	Сс	Шш	Тт	Уу	Вв	Ўў	Ққ	Јј	Зз
Translit.	Aa	Bb	Cc	Dd	Ee	Ff	Gg	Hh	Ii	Jj	Kk	Ll	Mm	Nn	Oo	Pp	Rr	Shi	Ss	Tt	Uu	Vv	Ww	Xx	Yy	Zz

Additional

Letters	Ээ	Ңң	Цц	Жж	Ћћ	Ꚋꚋ
Translit.	ä	ng	ts	zh	th	dh

Expatriates easily learn and usually rely on Osynstric to interact with everyday Iolanthis. Even Umbrial-speaking expats from Imperium Suavidci prefer to have Osynstric as a secondary language.

Iolanthe is multilingual. According to a 2018 survey, 51% (477,419) can speak Umbrial, 30% (280,834) can speak Mercanti, and 19% (177,862) can speak any Scalvian language (Vaigan, Selonian, and/or Taurogan).