Woodstead

Woodsteasian Federation Federasjonet Woduland
Flag Coat of Woodstead Woduland Coat
Motto: Through strife or victory, with compassion and unity."
Capital and largest city	Woldland
Official languages	English, Wudu
Demonym(s)	Woodsteasian
Government
Legislature	Federal Parliament
Establishment
• Settlement of Noviomagus	c.230 AD
• Union of Wodested	1193
• Erlenic Empire	1713
• Independent Republic	2013
• Federation	1 September 2015
Area
• Total	1,605,487 km2 (619,882 sq mi)
• Water (%)	9.96%
Population
• 2015 estimate	123,721,747
• Density	76.2/km2 (197.4/sq mi) (77.1)
Gini (2014)	0.24 low
HDI (2012)	0.87 very high
Currency	Woodstead Credit (¢) (WSC)
Time zone	Astyrian Standard Time (UTC±0)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+555
ISO 3166 code	WS
Internet TLD	.wd

Woodstead, officially the Woodsteasian Federation, is a sovereign state in northern Astyria. An island nation, it lies north of Teudallum and incorporates the entirety of the Woodsteasian Isles. With more than 30 inhabited islands, Woodstead's total landmass covers 558,166 square miles (1,445,640 km²).

Woodstead is a federal republic with a parliament and its government is headed by a directorial government. The capital city is Woldland which has increasingly played a role in the historic Erlenic Empire which was dissolved in 2012.

Woodstead still retains a claim over the Commonwealth of Kenega, though only oversees defense from EUF Faronham. The island of Libetta, until 2015, was an overseas territory of Woodstead, but has been reincorporated as a province after the federalisation of the Woodsteasian Isles.

Woodstead is a developed nation, with a high HDI. Following the dissolution of the Erlenic Empire, Woodstead has been increasingly active in regional trade as a major independent Astyrian hub.

Etymology

Woodstead is suspected to come from the Middle English Wodested, from wode ("wood") + sted ("place").

History

Prehistory

Although it is commonly accepted that 230AD marked the earliest form of migrations to the Isles, archaeological evidence suggests that people lived across Woodstead up to 7,500 years ago. Several forts and mounds, protected by ARCHO show that modern humans were buried and lived in small tribes across the marshy northern peninsula of Teudallum, but not much else is known about their language. Rising sea levels and flooding across the marshes which now forms the Mederano Sea are said to have separated Teudallum and created the islands in around 6,500 BC.

Before the formation of the islands now known as the Woodsteasian Isles, the peninsula constantly flooded. A series of storms are said to have made the peninsula a tough series of swamps and dangerous fording operations, and so many waves of migrations have been thought to have resulted in deaths, injuries, disease, and finally a reluctance to venture into the peninsula.

Claudiate and Argholeic settlement

Main article: History of Oppidum

It is generally believed, from mainly archaeological studies, that Noviomagus Claudii- a civilisation where Oppidum now sits, was founded around 256AD by migrants from Roman Italy (Italia) on a stream now known as Arden Brook. The etymology is allegedly a loose translation being the “new land of Claudius”- and it is widely accepted that Claudius may have been a leader, with certain reference to one Titus Claudius who was later overthrown by a military coup in 298 to ensure a democratic republic- a 'confederation of the Claudiates'- which eventually materialised in 302 when the Volos was established and each intergenerational household was given equal portions of land which was previously owned by the state. Noviomagus Claudii was a thriving city with crowding problems, mostly because the land granted to every new household could scarcely be provided at this point. The Volos passed a motion to establish new developments outside of the city walls. The first port city was built to the west on the Basing River, another tributary of the Claudiate River by 350AD- mainly a logistical hub for regional trade and a local agricultural community, the city became known as Avstralli. Avstralli also became the agricultural centre as households downsized in Noviomagus and and began to spread in the new city.

A further three fortified cities were constructed by the Claudiates: Castranov at the source of the Basing River, north of Avstralli (c.450); Dexter to the north of the original Claudiate settlement (c.465); and the city of Urba later formed as the Claudiate administrative centre between the Arden Brook and Basing River on the Claudiate River in 1012AD. At this point, Noviomagus Claudii was renamed Claudis. Claudis was built with a plan to make sure that it would be absolutely safe from attack. Therefore, one would have to breach at least four gates and travel for a few miles within enemy territory before even reaching any substantial assets; in hindsight, it seems that no other settling group, if there were any, even attempted to destroy the territories or breach the walls. Some parts of these walls and ancient cities which survived the 1703 Peninsula Wildfires can still be seen in the City District of Oppidum.

In 1027, migrants came from across the North Sea Empire just south of the Claudiate River as part of the Argholeic religious movement. Argholes or Argholea was believed by some to be a deity and fortune teller in the form of a man known as Æadvært. Ridicule and disdain for Argholeans in Europe led to a mass migration during which Æadvært died; Argholeic people founded the city-state of Argholmarka and built a temple opposite on the south side of the Claudiate River. No real contact was made between the two communities, mainly possibly due to the language barrier. However, Avstralli floated produce across the river with a small defensive army to donate to the new settlers in the winter of 1028. A bridge to join the southern route out of Urba with the southern bank of the Claudiate River was completed with supplies from both states in 1104 and use of the port at Avstralli was later shared by Argholmarka. This port became the point in which the next waves of Argholeic followers passed through. Overcrowding and need for more diverse natural resources led to a short era of exploration for Argholmarka leading to the discovery of Æadværtonia on the south coast of the main island. By 1163, it is thought that over 2.5 million people lived across the land according to a land survey- 700,000 of these were people in Claudis, whilst the rest lived in the wide network of Argholeic settlements.

Eventually the clergy of the Temple of Argholmarka and the Volos of Claudis voted to unite and declare the entire main island as the Union of Wodested in 1193. A multicultural republic, some world scholars came to begin the exchange of language between the broken Latin of the Claudiates and the several languages of Argholmarka. The regional languages became mostly a mix of Old English, Old Frisian, Old Norse, as well as some borrowed elements of vocabulary from French and Classical Latin, often retrospectively coined as Proto-Anborkish or Wuduspeak.

In 1193, the Volos and Temple both gave power to a new legislative, Vilshus to rule over this new Union of Wodestead. Hamlets, localities, and villages began to elect a vilsmann for life, which resulted in the first paid legislative members. This later evolved in to each vilsmann having power and essentially ownership of the land under their representation, though they often were related to their citizens and tended to still uphold a degree of egalitarianism.

Transition to monarchy

The Union of Wodested was becoming a nation of pride. In 1640 the Vilshus unanimously decided that the Union could do more as a unitary monarchy as some leaders believed that the population was too critical, and were also concerned at the lack of social order from the weak form of social hierarchy. It was agreed that the heir to a vilsmann with the most valuable assets in their constituency would be given power as the ruling monarch and protector of the Argholeic faith. Edelstavn Bjernsyn was the vilsmann who represented the most valuable vil- Yledh. His daughter Rosiin Stavnsdorti became the Queen of Wodested in 1641 when the Vilshus renounced its legitimacy- though every vilsmann retained rights to rule their vil. Rosiin married Ruadjann Knudsyn and later had a daughter, Princess Ettajbet (Henrika Lisbet Yledhskona). This would begin the short lived three-generations of what is known as the Ileysian House .

Prince Erlen was born to Queen Ettajbet and Eirik Henrogsyn, the vilsmann of Port Sussex, in 1687. At gatherings, Erlen was known for his rudeness and brash mannerisms which the people liked. As Argholeism subsided within the masses, Erlen was revered as a divine figure; and even those who never before liked the idea of monarchy identified with Erlen. Public fascination was focused on him, especially when Erlen fled Iustitia Palace in Oppidum temporarily in 1708 after his coronation. Upon his return, he returned to demand that the Argholeic Temple would bless his union with Deyn Griffin. Griffin was the owner of the only cooperative and estate, Astyrian Atlantic Enterprise (AAE), on the continent of Nyasott. In 1709, Deyn was granted the title as Prince Consort, but died in 1712. In honour, Erlen announced a national day of mourning and appointed new governors to begin a large colonisation exercise on Nyasott in tribute. This is what is now referred to as the Erlenic Empire.

Erlenic Empire

Main article: Erlenic Empire

Prince Deyn's AAE claim was incorporated on the day of Deyn's burial in 1713 and a fleet of ships sailed westward to Ijarnesyl, as per the agreement between Erlen and Deyn. Firstly, the Navy landed in present-day Aegeudt, Nyasott to initiate the foundation of the Erlenic Empire's first new claims, Osterra and Beinai. This became the beginning of a 300-year Erlenic Empire. Given that Erlen had no children and had expressed his disinterest in finding a queen, the King appointed governors and divided the Kingdom of Wodested in to two separate nations still under the Empire: Libetta and Wodested. Meanwhile, Erlen's personal childhood friend, Leomads Simiensyn, promised to uphold the colonisation as Emperor immediately, with each of his four children obtaining titles as monarchs; Erlen communicated this deal with his entourage and the family became the new Imperial Family, based in Woodstead. In 1714, Erlen bowed out as King of Wodested and Emperor: Leomads became Emperor of the Erlenic Rule, whilst his children received titles as follows: King Stavn I Lusvig of Wodested, Queen Ana I Karolina of Libetta, Queen Sjan I Aife of Beinai, and King Deyn I Eurfal of Osterra.

Cities across modern-day Woodstead became powerhouses of the Erlenic Empire. Oppidum was the Imperial Capital of the Erlenic Union, capital of the Erlenic Kingdom of Wodested, and of Insular Wodested. As King of Wodested, Stavn ordered his militiary to be ruthless with help from the military might of Libetta when taking the first steps in to Teudallum in 1740. During this period of Empire, Wodested was becoming affluent, and many of newly socially mobile moved out for clerical and academic work in the new colonies. Oppidum, Iley, and Woldland in particular became highly industrialised areas as Astyrian nations brought new research and knowledge of modernised technology to the Kingdom and the Empire at large.

In 1872, a restructure of the Empire as whole by Olavea II Carlotta led to the Kingdom of Wodested becoming the single Kingdom in the Erlenic Empire- former colonies and kingdoms became territories under the Kingdom. The notion of Wodested as singular founder of the Empire was reinterpreted as the ruling entity over others rather than four equal kingdoms and their colonies. A protectorate, Ektoret Lands, was founded for reparations for the indigenous peoples who were enslaved and oppressed by the Empire.

In 1920, Emperor ----- took the throne, but abstained from conception and, against the wishes of his entourage, announced a public vote for the reinstatement of representative democracy for the first time since 1641. In 1922, the Emperor delegated his power to an elected house to help transition from absolute monarchy to a democratic confederation.

Geography

Woodstead, as of 2015, encompasses the entirety of the Woodsteasian Isles, made up of 3 main islands: the main island- known sometimes as Parva, is Provincial Island, then the Ey to the east of Provincial, bordered by the island province of Libetta.

The Ey Channel separates the Ey from Provincial Island, running north to south, almost meeting at the north with the Etta Channel between the Ey and Libetta. Major rivers include the Tyne, Charter, Claudiate, and Annad. There are many small lakes and streams across the Woodsteasian Isles.

Government

The current form of the Federation, as well of those of Nyasott and Cez-Zaeri, are credited to the formation of the New Democracies Organisation (NDO) which was created in 2009 as a collective of pro-reform politicians, think tanks, leaders, and scholars, as well as a sample of the voting public. The NDO was founded with a mission to explore how the the Erlenic Empire (often, at the time, known as the Erlenic Union of Republics) should be restructured, if at all. In 2012, the NDO delivered its second full report and the President of the Erlenic Empire, Eniko Sipos, with support from the Erlenic Supreme Court and Erlenic Assembly, declared the first rounds of referenda. The Empire, by January 2013, was dissolved and the NDO was given the mandate to guide the restructure from an unsustainable cluster of territories under Woodstead to a collective of sovereign states. The first round of referenda allowed the Interim Republic of Woodstead to exist. Parallel referenda were taking place across to determine how many sovereign states should materialise by 2020. The Woodsteasian Federation was created in 2015 after a third Woodsteasian series of referendums and initiatives called for federalisation with a collective head of state and government; the Cez-Zaern Republic was a parallel creation which was created by the NDO- it is now also a federation, but consists of one elected head of state and one of government. Nyasott's future after the NDO is yet to come.

Politics

The Federal Government of Woodstead is led by the Guardian Directorate of eleven members, an executive cabinet, Guardian Directorate which collectively holds a title of head of state and government. The Federal Parliament is the legislative branch, of which many members are Ministers under the Guardian Directorate.

Government

Woodstead is now a federal republic as of September 2015, when the official name transitioned from Republic of Woodstead to Woodsteasian Federation after the dissolution of the transitional government. The former protectorate of Libetta became one federal subject among 32 others. As a result, the nation's claim is coextensive with the Woodsteasian Isles. The chosen official name was determined through an advisory referendum in June 2015, with 4 other proposals: United Wudulands (Ende Vudulints), North Astyrian Federation (Nyorrstyrosdad), Union of the Woodsteasian Isles (An ef Vudulintejens), and Woodstead - Congress (Vudusernsrig).

Guardian Directorate

The 11-member Guardian Directorate is the joint head of state and government. The Directorate is elected every 4 years and there are no term limits for running. The President of the Directorate is an official, ceremonial title, but does not have any further privileges than other members. A President is elected by the Directorate every six months with the oversight of the Federal Parliament. The idea of Directorate was conceived by a hybrid of directorial and parliamentary republics. The eleven members each head a Federal Office which each have cabinets of their own Ministers, pooled from Federal Parliament.

Federal Parliament

Main article: Federal Parliament of Woodstead

File:WdFederalParliament2016.svg

Composition of Federal Parliament in 2016.

Federal Parliament is made up of 425 seats. With 7 parties and 19 independents, it reflects the multi-party, pluralistic nature of Woodsteasian politics. Another distinction of this particular legislative over others across the World, is that there is no opposition or government coalition: rather, the Parliament is there to vote on behalf of the separate executive. Effectively, the Federal Parliament is a 425-seat coalition of parties and individuals who have powers which regulate policies and laws proposed by the Guardian Directorate. Currently, the largest party is the left-leaning Unity with just 86 seats; the smallest party is the Peoples Party- an authoritarian, nationalist party, with 35 seats.

Every August, each seat nominates a Federal Speaker; through various rounds throughout the coming days, the nominees are whittled down to 10 candidates. From these, a vote is cast on the final week of August to install the new Federal Speaker on September 1^st. The first, second, and current Federal Speaker is Frances Kirkbride, who also observes every Guardian Directorate session to disseminate the overall attitudes and concerns to the executive. Federal Speakers are allowed to be party members, because all 424 other seats are allowed to vote for a candidate. However, the elected Federal Speakers must not vote on motions, for they are supposed to be impartial mediators of the discussions in the legislative.

Administrative Divisions

As of 1 September 2015 there are 33 Federal Subjects of Woodstead: 22 provinces with counties and independent cities, ten Federal Cities covering a modern agglomeration around major cities each, and Indigenous Congress as another, representing 10 autonomous territories. All 33 subjects were proposed in 2014 prior to the Constitutional Referendum, and operate fully as of 2015. Aside from these subjects is the Woodsteasian territory of Kenega.

Indigenous Congress

Since 2003, DIY movements by indigenous people against a 'Eurocentrist Empire' have been present in the low density, relatively deprived woodland communities of the southwest. A syndicate of these movements formed the Indigenous Congress Separatist Faction which called for land to be reserved for indigenous communities which did not want forced assimilation.

Since 1 September 2015, ten large regions have been given special autonomy as a coexisting indigenous land. Under the 2015 Indigenous Congress (and Reparations Act) Treaty, non-indigenous settlers can live with indigenous families and can travel through several federal routes. Under the same covenants, each region has a Regional Chief who can report to the federal Department of Indigenous Astyrian Peoples. The Regions have their own local police and defenses, conservation policies, and customs policies which are not subject to federal changes. All Indigenous Congress laws are made in the Region of Bura, and must still fall within the parameters of the W33 Accord- the pre-arrangements for the forthcoming constitution, for federal judges can challenge some intergovernmental policies and actions by the Indigenous Congress and/or its Regions.

Kenega

In 2014, a referendum for the fomer Erlenic territory of Kenega favoured some arrangements to remain as a protectorate, de jure. Kenega has retained the Guardian Directorate as a collective head of state. The Kenega Office is an advisory panel formed out of members from the following Federal Offices:

The Prime Minister of Kenega, Kendal Devarnum, is to remain in contact with the Kenega Office on defense and security matters, as Woodstead claims the land. The governments of Kenega and Woodstead jointly maintain the EUF Faronham base in Kenega which hosts joint parades and stages demonstrative exercises between Woodsteasian and Kenegan personnel.

Foreign Relations

As of 2016, Woodstead is no longer a member of the World Assembly or of the Astyrian Treaty Organisation; this is a consequence of the July 2016 Act of Global and Regional Neutrality. However, Woodstead is still integrated in to Astyrian cooperation. As a neutral state, Woodstead is one of a few Astyrian nations to act indecisively on regional imperialistic efforts, such as the infamous attempt of Rombergian Kaiser Johan Lesenov to annex the unoccupied Western Tundra of Lorecia.

Woldland, Oppidum, and Saint Edward are the three cities with a diplomatic presence. With consulates and embassy complexes, these three large cities are home to private military airports and host the bulk of Astyrian networking events throughout the year.

As well as being a part of Astyrian politics, Woodstead has been a major overseer and partner in the transition of Nyasott, Ijarnesyl in to a fully realised state as one founding member of the NDO- a coalition of former Erlenic claims to democratise and prosper with new sovereign governments with de-centralised power. Along with Cez-Zaeri, Woodstead is one of two new nations which have formed out of the coalition, and still preside over the eventual founding of the Nyasutro Federation, scheduled for March 2017.

The Ij26 and the Federal Government of Woodstead are currently in the proposal stages of negotiating a possible trade deal between all nations on the continent of Ijarnesyl, Woodstead, and possibly Cez-Zaeri.

Military and security

Woodstead does not have a standing army due to its Act of Global and Regional Neutrality. Therefore, law enforcement agencies and emergency services, as of 2017, form a governmental paramilitary collective and security force. Upon approval of Federal Parliament, certain forces of can contribute manpower to help defend the nation to assemble a temporary military. This collective of agencies also consists of the Federal Investigatory Force which works with other nations to share and collect information on possible risks, such as terrorism and natural disasters.

Economy

Woodstead has a mixed economy and an expansive welfare state. In relation to other Astyrian nations, it has a relatively small economy based on regional exchange rates. The Federal Bank is the central bank which oversees the production of currency and regulates inflation rates. The GDP is largely split between a service sector and resurgence in a regulated manufacturing sector.

Renewable energy is the largest single industry in Woodstead. The Federal Government's renewable energy company, Cenergy, holds a 86% share in national electricity production and employs about 900,000 people; Cenergy also issues permits an grants to homes, farms, and small, remote communities to increase local, de-centralised electricity production.

Under the 2015 Act of Poverty Prevention, relative poverty is defined as below 65% of the median household income. As of July 2016, 16% of the population lived below this line. Using this definition, a 2016 audit of the last 10 years shows that this figure has shrunk, and that around half of these people fall above the poverty line within 2 years of first being declared below this line. As of 2015, Woodstead runs an annual Social Mobility Survey- a longitudinal study of how long people remain below the 2015 poverty line in the future.

Demographics

Woodstead has a Universal Census every 5 years as of 2015, and an annual sample of Household Surveys. This is managed by the Central Registry, a government agency formed in 2015 by the merger of Libetta Registrar Office and Woodsteasian Statistics. The first Universal Census (2015) estimates that 123,721,747 currently live in Woodstead; 30,000 Woodsteasian citizens across Astyria were also issued with the UCPlus to address concerns and demographics of ex-patriates, dual citizens, and short-term workers overseas.

Woodstead has recently experienced a boom in births, with the 2015 birth rate standing at around 4.5 births per 1,000 people. In addition, the 2016 figure for LGBT*QIA+ adults (above 17) identified that 10% of the adult population identify themselves as homosexual, 11% as bisexual and pansexual, 11% as trans*; and 14% as genderqueer, agender, bigender, nonconforming, or non-binary. Same-sex marriages, as of 2011 have become more prevalent as of the Same-Sex Marriage Act of 2010; this trend has slowed down since 2015, and marriages have generally declined since 2001. Cohabitation has since been the prominent trend in couples-especially those with children and dependents.

Ethnic groups

Indigenous Woodsteasians have possibly populated the Isles for many millennia. The first known migration came from Roman Italy (Italia) in around 230; several subsequent waves of widespread migration from Europe followed between the late 12th century and 17th century. Modern-day Woodsteasians are descended from European and indigenous miscegenation, mainly dating back to the early 15th century. A recent study by Woldland School of Social Sciences and Anthropology suggests that 3% of the modern-day population have traceable links back to the first migration, whilst 40% have traceable ancestry dating back to the second major wave miscegenation during the expansion of Erlenica.