Asharia

Asharia:

Republic of Asharia
Capital	Shanchar
National Language	Asharian French, French
Demonym(s)	Asharian, Ashar
Government	Republic (Democratic)
• Chastdal	Aldéric Samson
Population
• 2021 census	11,582,891
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	64,981
Currency	Asharian Franc (AF)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+12

Asharia is an island nation off the coast of North America, specifically, it is roughly parallel to the strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It was first settled around 7,000 years ago by a boat of Europeans, both hunter-gatherers and newly arrived farmers. By around 0 AD they had established an advanced culture which centered around sea-faring, trading and pillaging the peoples of the Americas. Then, in 1604, much newer Europeans came over the island, with many of them deciding to settle there, intermarrying with the locals and mostly speaking their language. It is around the size of Hungary and has a population of 11,582,891 (according to the 2021 Governmental Census.)

The country is divided into two main regions: the highlands, which consist of the Berger Mountain Range, with an average height of 1,501 metres, and the lowlands, which consist of unique forests, rainforests and plains. The lowlands have a temperate climate that is considerably cooler than that of the highlands, which mostly have sub-arctic climates. 91% of the population lives in the lowlands, with about a third of these living in the capital and largest city of Shanchar.

Up until the 17th century the country was organized into a number of tribes, some organized into larger tribal confederacies, of either hunter-gatherers or farmers, the descendants of immigrants from modern-day France who came to the country in around 4000 BC, for reasons not entirely known. Many of these tribes were also very skilled boatsmen who would sail up and down the coast of the Americas trading, pillaging and sometimes even settling, they went so far as to discover Iceland in 1465. After reaching their height at about that time, the Asharian tribes began to decline, slowly becoming less able. In 1604, the nation reached a turning point when Europeans (the French) discovered the island. While they had some mild interest in colonizing all of the country, they lost that after about 15 or 20 years and instead decided they would only colonize a small section of its coast. However, the native people there did not like that. By 1654 all their major rebellions had been defeated and most of the surviving Asharians had integrated in with the French settlers. Some French settlers lived in areas other than the Coastal Colony, where they interbred with the natives. In 1627, France officially colonized all of the island, as part of New France. However, in 1763 it became a British colony after the Seven Years War. This dissatisfied both the remaining natives and the French. Yet, they only fought a revolutionary war against Great Britain in 1805, two years after the country decided to send petty criminals to the country to serve out their prison sentence. They looked close to winning the war until Sullivan Hadrien, a general, rallied the country's spirit and led the country to victory in 1811. He also wrote the country's constitution with the help of two others, ensuring the country would be a democracy with equal rights and standing for the native people and the new Europeans. During the late 19th century, the country desired to increase its population, which was three million at the time. Mostly, it invited immigrants from countries such as Poland, Russia and France. It was neutral in World War One. During the 1920s, it underwent a period fo great economic growth, but that all collapsed during the Great Depression, causing a dictator, Phillipe Gagne, to take power. He at first officially aligned the country to the Axis powers, but after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the subsequent American entry of the war, the country became neutral. He died in 1956, sparking a civil war, between the Communists, Capitalist Democrats and Gagneists. Eventually, the country became split in three. However, the Gagneist regime collapsed in 1959, causing it to reunite with Capitalist, Democratic Asharia. The communist state on the island then collapsed in 1985, causing the island to be united and whole again.

The country is a Vens-Presidential Democracy, scoring 6.76 on the Democracy Index. It's only difference to a classical Presidential Democracy is that, instead of the head of state and government being called the president, he or she is called the Vens. It is divided into 9 provinces: Lecras, Zhermare, Grimon, Forfre, Shanchar, Cort, Arscham, Pacour and Vre.

The flag represents an Asharian Brown Bear on a background of two equal stripes of white and dark blue.

Etymology: It is believed that the name "Asharia" came from the name the word (Asher) the largest and most advanced pre-Columbian tribe on the island used to describe the people living on the island, who were distinguished from the people of the mainland Americas by their pale skin.

Demographics: All data is taken from the 2021 census.

Up until the 17th century the country was organized into a number of tribes, some organized into larger tribal confederacies, of either hunter-gatherers or farmers, the descendants of immigrants from modern-day France who came to the country in around 4000 BC, for reasons not entirely known. Many of these tribes were also very skilled boatsmen who would sail up and down the coast of the Americas trading, pillaging and sometimes even settling, they went so far as to discover Iceland in 1465, meeting its inhabitants and pillaging on their first trip there. Also discovering Christianity which some Asharians incorporated into their religious practices, and sheep which some of the tribes adopted. After reaching their height at about that time, the Asharian tribes began to decline, slowly becoming less able. In 1604, the nation reached a turning point when Europeans (the French) discovered the island. While they had some mild interest in colonizing all of the country, they lost that after about 15 or 20 years and instead decided they would only colonize a small section of its coast. However, the native people there did not like that. By 1654 all their rebellions had been defeated and most of the surviving Asharians had integrated in with the French settlers. Some French settlers lived in areas other than the Coastal Colony, where they interbred with the natives. In 1627, France officially colonized all of the island, as part of New France. During the mid-17th century, the numbers of the native Asharians were greatly reduced, by 95% due mostly to smallpox. By 1720, there were as many French as there were natives.