Andalla

Commonwealth of Andalla Samvelden Andalla
Flag of Andalla Flag
Motto: "Alt for Andalla, Alt for Folk" "All for Andalla, All for People"
Anthem: Vestlige Pärle Pearl of the Occident
Capital and largest city	Arkhavn
Official languages	Andallan
Demonym(s)	Andallan
Government	Unitary Presidential Republic
• President	Klaus Johansen
• Vice President	Verner Klausen
• Senate President	Andrea Ngo
• Speaker of the Assembly	Benjamin Kjærsgaard
• Chief Justice	Reinhardt Krona
Legislature	Kongres
• Upper house	Senat
• Lower house	Nasjonelforsamling
Formation
• Kingdom of Auðir	1038 BC
• Aundelan Union (Åndeliskríkin)	c. 1240
• Kingdom of Åndelir	1472
• Transitional Government	January 8, 1900
• Commonwealth	February 22, 1902
Population
• 2017 estimate	28,036,248
• 2016 census	27,791,688
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$1,200.795 billion
• Per capita	$43,207
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$642.84 billion
• Per capita	$23,143
Gini (2015)	38.8 medium
HDI (2017)	0.865 very high
Currency	Amla (₳) (ALA)
Time zone	UTC-9 (AST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+63
ISO 3166 code	AL
Internet TLD	.al

Andalla (/ˈanˌda:la:/, Andallan: Andalla /ənˈ da:la:/), officially the Commonwealth of Andalla (Andallan: Samvelden Andalla), is a sovereign state and archipelago in the Thalassan Ocean. Its territories encompass the Andallan archipelago, the island of Giokto and the Hrígejyar Group of Islands. It shares maritime borders with the Sunset Sea Islands, Selayar, and Little Flau.

Andalla is an active participant in regional affairs, and a founding member of ATARA. The country ranks 91.25 or "Highly Free" on the Mundus Liber Freedom Index, a Mauridivian index of global freedom.

Etymology

A beach in the town of Hanafior in Xara has been identified as the most likely location where the encounter with Hjaaví took place.

The name Andalla is derived from an ancient Sjådska legend. According to the legend, a man was observing a beautiful clay jar lying on the beach when the spirit of Hjaaví, the god of the Sjådska, came to him. Hjaaví told the man about a faraway land that, one day, the Sjådska would inhabit. But before the man could speak, the spirit of Hjaaví disappeared. Thus, the man spread the word, calling the islands Ǫndeland, a contraction of the Sjådska words ǫnd and land, meaning "Land of the Spirit".

Nearly 3 millennia of phonological change has resulted in the name's gradual morphing to become Andalla. The people of Andalla are known as Andallans; similarly the adjectival form for Andalla is Andallan.

Formerly, Andska was used to denote Andalla both in demonymic and adjectival form, derived from the native word for the Andallan people. The use of Andska is considered archaic and obsolete, having been slowly replaced with Andallan during the 18th and 19th centuries. However, it is still often used as a poetic name for the Andallan people.

History

Main Article: History of Andalla

Prehistory

The beginning of Andallan history can be traced back as far as the emergence of the nomadic Proto-Xaraian tribes in the 4th millennium BCE. Spread across Central Argis in what is now modern-day Ahrana and parts of east Dniester, the Proto-Xaraian tribes were strategically positioned in between the Mediargic and Canamo seas. Very few archaeological records dating to the Proto-Xaraian period have been unearthed, as tribes were small and spread out across a large area. However, historians have speculated that the Proto-Xaraian tribes were divided roughly into northern and southern halves, as is the case with the Xaraian civilizations later on.

The earliest remains of a Xaraian person consist of a single fibula and tibia belonging to what became the only known remnant of the Dumanev Man, discovered by Ahranaian archaeologist Alexei Dumanev in 2002. The two bones were carbon-dated to c. 1975 BC, and are currently on display at the Holtrup Museum of Archaeology.

Xaraian Period

The Xaraian civilizations emerged c. 1500 BC, following the neolithic revolution in Central Argis. The first pockets of organized society were formed in the eponymously-named Xara, in the far-southwest corner of Ahrana. Although the Xaraian tribes are collectively referred to as a group of civilizations, many tribes existed in near-isolation with their neighbors. Historical records document trade routes between the tribes, as well as occasional alliances formed in conflicts against outsiders; however, the so-called Xaraian civilizations were only a very loose group of many small component societies.

The most powerful Xaraian tribe was the Proto-Ahran civilization, from which the Ahranaian and Andallan people are descended from. Located along the north coast of the Varma Sound at the far-eastern tip of the Mediargic Sea, the Proto-Ahran capital of Vulgus Supra became a center for trade between Mediargic civilizations and the rest of the Xaraian tribes. By c. 1200 BC, Vulgus Supra was one of the largest cities in all of Argis, with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city was a melting pot of cultures, with pottery and other articles from all over the Mediargic and Canamo areas found beneath the ruins.

Sjådska Period

Three centuries after its founding, the city of Vulgus Supra was facing overcrowding issues due to multiple factors, among them a rapidly-expanding economy and population. Similar cases have been documented in other surrounding settlements along the Xaraian coast. As a result of this, the Proto-Ahran civilization began to separate into two primary sub-groups: the Sjådska and the Ahrans. Between the two, the Sjådska were more eager to expand out of their current territory, establishing city-states further east and across the sound from c.950 to 920 BC. During this time, the Sjådska continued to maintain close links with the Ahrans; the alliance between the two peoples lasted for roughly half a millennium from the Proto-Ahran split to the fall of Xara.

Around 905-890 BC, a fast-growing city-state at the easternmost tip of the Mediargic Sea known as Stórrshǫfna (lit. "great harbor") became the economic, political, religious, and cultural center of the Sjådska civilization. By 878 BC, Stórrshǫfna had surpassed the population of Vulgus Supra at its peak before the split. It became the largest port city in the Mediargic Sea, providing the base for the economic and eventually political expansion into parts of the Sakspati and Ygros seas.

It was during this period of expansion that the Sjådska city-states formed a treaty of unification in 874 BC, parts of which are preserved on the Gyldar Stone. Under the treaty, all Sjådska city-states and their colonies would unite under the leadership of an elected chieftain (Sjådska: "hǫfðingi"). Bearing similarities to the modern-day prime minister, the chieftain was elected by a board of representatives from every city-state and would serve until death, unless the chieftain chooses to step down or is voted out of his position.

The Sjådska were excellent seafarers and fishermen, often sailing across the Mediargic Sea to trade with other tribes. Several Sjådska artworks suggest that they also maintained a presence in the Sakspati Sea. By the end of the first millenium BC, Stórrshǫfna, the Sjådska capital, had grown to become an important port city in the Mediargic. In the center of the city stood the Himinshof (lit. "Heaven's Temple"), a communal worship hall bearing the statues of all major Sjådska gods.

Hjaaví

From 1200-1140 BC, a series of natural disasters struck the Sjådska. In c. 1153 BC, a catastrophic earthquake destroyed most of Stórrshǫfna. Then, in c. 1108 BC, an unknown tribe known as the "Helmenn" or the "Men of Hell", attacked the Sjådska in large numbers, taking Stórrshǫfna and burning the ruins of Himinshof. Later, a plague began to spread among the Helmenn, killing most of them but also threatening to harm the Sjådska. Scientists have identified the plague as pneumonic, caused by the bacteria Y. pestis.

This series of events, already predicted by proverbs from ancient Sjådska prophecy, convinced the Sjådska to leave the land. The Sjådska agreed to settle in the northeast, which eventually became the nation of Ahrana. At the same time, a small group of Sjådska decided to head southwest; ancient prophecy told of a faraway land known as "Åndelir", filled with all sorts of riches. Hence, the Sjådska split into two groups, with the majority heading northeast and the minority (known as the "Skipmenn" or "ship people") heading southwest.

The Great Departure (Afgangr)

The Great Departure (known as "Afgangr") began in 1063 BC, marking the end of the Sjådska civilization. As the main group headed northeast, they eventually found land suitable enough for them to settle. The Sjådska found it difficult to adapt to the new land; internal issues and strife threw them into a state of chaos and disunity. Clans formed alliances, eventually turning into numerous kingdoms engaged in war against each other. For ??? years, the clashes would not stop until the formation of the first unified kingdom, the Kingdom of Ahran.

Meanwhile, the Skipmenn put out to sea in numerous fleets of knarrs (Sjådska: knǫrrir), large sailing ships originally used for trading with tribes across the Mediargic. Knarrs were known for combining endurance and stability with a large cargo capacity of up to 100 tons. Before the voyage began, most knarrs were retrofitted with wooden roofs to accommodate more passengers besides their usual complement of 20-30 men, increasing their capacity to over a hundred. Passenger knarrs were often accompanied by cargo knarrs, loaded with the personal belongings of the passengers aboard the corresponding passenger knarrs.

Usually, a single Skipmennir fleet would consist of the combined passenger and cargo knarrs of a single clan. These fleets would then travel in clusters, communicating to each other via smoke signals and veðrlúðr, a wind instrument made from a ram's horn. In a single day, a cluster of fleets could sail up to 60 nm (110 km) in favorable conditions.

The long and hard journey, resulting in the deaths of many Saermaðr, would come to be known as the Uttåg. The Uttåg was widely chronicled in numerous sagas; all known fleets wrote about their experiences during the Uttåg. With little supplies, the Saermaðr made multiple stops as they made contact with land, trading weapons for food. The sailed through the Sakspati and Verde Seas, trading with multiple tribes and being attacked by at least one tribe. In 1048 BC, the Saermaðr landed on the island of Altaria, in what is now modern-day Iverica, befriending and trading with the Sidragente, known to the Saermaðr as the Aeskamaðr, the "Men of Ash". Whether the Saermaðr reached Altaria or the southern tip of the Iverican peninsula was once a popular subject of debate, however in the 1850s several archaeological discoveries of Sjådska weapons in Altaria proved that the Saermaðr had landed on the island and not the peninsula. The claim was further supported by hundreds of unearthed pieces of pottery across Andalla made of volcanic ash and identical to those found in Altaria. The Askmenn were of much help to the Saermaðr, offering to repair and resupply the Saermaðr fleets. The Saermaðr remained on the island for 7 years, living peacefully among them.

In 1041 BC, the Saermaðr fleets set sail once more into the Thalassan Ocean, covering much farther distances then before with their newly-repaired ships and restocked supplies. In the same year, the Saermaðr reached the Cashari peninsula, trading with the Madronians and departing once more.

The very first sighting of what would become the Andallan archipelago was in 1040 BC, when the fleet of the clan Tyrkir spotted what is now the island of Børøy. At first, the weary sailors believed it was just another stop on their voyage. Expeditionary teams were sent out into the island to find signs of life, but none could be found. After several failed expeditions, the Saermaðr, now fully-assembled along the beach, decided to construct a settlement. The settlement, originally called "Auðir", meaning "deserted",

Geography

Main Article: Geography of Andalla

Politics

Main Article: Politics of Andalla

Section 1, Article II of the 1902 Andallan Constitution states that

"Andalla is a democratic republic. It shall be known as a Commonwealth, a government striving towards the good of the Andallan people. All authority comes from the people and shall always belong to the people."

Andalla functions as a unitary state, wherein authority comes from the national government. It is divided into three branches – executive, legislative and judiciary. Over time, laws like the Local Government Bill of 1964 have granted local government units (lokalregering enhed) more independence in governing themselves.

The President of Andalla serves as both Head of State and Head of Government. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Andallan Commonwealth Armed Forces (Samvelden Andska Forsvarskraefter). The President is elected to a six-year term by popular vote but can only serve a maximum of one term, during which a cabinet is appointed. While in office, the President resides in the Købmanshavn Palace, an 18th-century palace along the banks of the Torå River.

The bicameral Kongres serves as Andalla's national legislative body. The upper house is known as the Senat while the lower house is known as the Nasjonelforsamling or National Assembly.

A member of the Nasjonelforsamling is known as a Member of the Assembly (Samlingsmedlem), often shortened to MA.

Administrative Divisions

Main Article: Administrative Divisions of Andalla

Foreign Relations

Main Article: Foreign Relations of Andalla

Military

Main Article: Andallan Commonwealth Armed Forces

Economy

Main Article: Economy of Andalla

Andalla is a developed nation with a high-income mixed economy. Andalla had a nominal GDP of $648.84 billion and a per capita GDP of $23,143 in 2017, according to the Andallan Statistics Agency (ASA). Once a relatively low-income economy, much of Andalla's economic growth can be attributed to extensive new trade policies implemented during the reigns of Olaf III (1627-1659), Erik V (1659-1690), Kristian II (1743-1759) and Gerhard IV (1765-1787).

The Andallan economy is led by the services sector, accounting for 47% of the GDP in 2016. While Andalla is considered a developed nation by most financial institutions, a significant part of the economy is still powered by industry and agriculture.

Demographics

Main Article: Demographics of Andalla

Andalla is home to 28,036,248 people according to the Andallan Statistics Agency's (ASA) final 2017 estimate, a 0.88% growth from 27,791,688 during the 2016 national census. Life expectancy at birth is 76.43 years for males and 80.56 years for females, averaging 78.49 years for both sexes.

According to the 2016 census, 80.3% of Andallan citizens are of Andallan ancestry while 11.6% are of Giokton ancestry. The remaining 8.1% are composed mostly of Sunset Sea Islandians, Ivericans, Selayari, Flautons, Kipanese and Cashari.

Approximately 4,294,000 Andallans live overseas, forming one of the world's largest diasporas. The largest foreign Andallan community is located in Ahrana, with an estimated 1,237,000 Andallans living in Ahrana in 2017. Significant diasporas are located in the Sunset Sea Islands, Selayar, Iverica, Orioni and Prymont.

Ethnic Groups

Main Article: Ethnic Groups in Andalla

Languages

Main Article: Languages in Andalla

Religion

Main Article: Religion in Andalla

Though officially a secular state, the vast majority of Andallans adhere to a Christian denomination. Accordingly, Andalla's largest religion is Christianity, followed by Phosattism and Tacolism. According to the 2016 census, 20.9 million people or 78.3% of Andalla's population adhere to Christianity. Buddhism follows at 6.7% and Tacolism at 2.4%. Furthermore, nearly 9.5% of Andallans consider themselves atheist or agnostic.

Though roughly 90% of Andallans adhere to a religion or worship a deity, recent surveys conducted by the Pollitelig Institute indicate that only 73.4% of Andallans consider religion as an important aspect of their life, while 55.7% regularly attend religious gatherings.

Culture

Main Article: Culture of Andalla

Music

Main Article: Music of Andalla

Visual Art

Main Article: Visual Art of Andalla

Cuisine

Main Article: Andallan cuisine

Literature

Main Article: Andallan literature

Sports

Main Article: Sports in AndallaThis template may be deleted.