Keppland
United Kepplandic Free States Förenade Käppländska fristaterna (Blostlandic) | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital and largest city | Vajki |
| Official languages | Blostlandic |
| Recognised national languages | Chanuche |
| Demonym(s) | Kepplandic, Kepplander |
| Government | Federal presidential republic |
| Anita Rådström | |
| Legislature | Förbundsting |
| Independence from Blostland | |
• Declared | 19 June 1765 |
| 13 September 1771 | |
| 15 August 1979 | |
| 7 January 1981 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 663,264 km2 (256,088 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 20,865,930 |
• Density | 31.5/km2 (81.6/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | $587 billion |
• Per capita | $28,132 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | $320 billion |
• Per capita | $15,336 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.831 very high |
| Currency | Daler (KPD) |
| Time zone | UTC-1 |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
Keppland (Blostlandic: Käppland), officially the United Kepplandic Free States (Blostlandic: Förenade Käppländska fristaterna), is a sovereign state in eastern Asteria Inferior. It borders Arbolada to the southwest, Puramape to the west, and Gapolania to the north. Geographically, Keppland lies between the Sierra Bianca Range in the west and the Lumine Ocean in the south and east. The nation's capital and largest city is Vajki, with other major cities including Gunnarstad, Åkapan, Lugnstad, and Anitashamn.
Keppland was occupied by Indigenous Asterians for at least 12,000 years before the arrival of Euclean explorers in 1552. The first permanent settlements were established by Blostlandic colonists in 1621, turning Keppland into a major source of sugarcane, gold, and rubber for Euclea. Keppland declared independence from Blostland in 1765, sparking six years of warfare against its former colonial metropole. Blostland recognized the nation's independence in 1771, but the fledgling First Kepplandic Republic was quickly plunged into internal turmoil. A series of coups and revolts plagued the country until 1820, when the republic was overthrown in a coup d'état and replaced by the Kepplandic Empire under Emperor Mats I. The Empire expanded through eastern Asteria Inferior during the X Wars in an effort to become the first great power in the Asterias, but was defeated by the X Coalition in 1852. Despite its ultimate defeat, the Kepplandic Empire instituted many reforms that helped stabilize the country's internal situation, paving the way for a lengthy economic expansion under the Second Kepplandic Republic.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Keppland was among the wealthiest and most industrialized countries in the Asterias. However, its decades-long growth came to an end with the Great Collapse in 1913, leading to a military coup d'état that brought President Henrik Steen to power. A populist who rejected conventional left- and right-wing politics, Steen instituted reforms to help the working class and halt the rise of extremism. Keppland remained neutral in the Great War, but had close trade relationships with many of the Entente powers. The collapse of the Entente during the last years of the war proved detrimental to the Kepplandic economy, and the unexpected death of Steen in late 1933 left a significant power vacuum. The tense internal situation culminated in the outbreak of civil war during the summer of 1934, with the troubled Second Republic facing uprisings from both Chistovodian-backed councilists and far-right nationalists. A major offensive in the spring of 1936 turned the tide in favor of the councilists, resulting in the capture of Vajki and establishment of the Kepplandic Council Republic in February of 1937. Keppland's economy stabilized during the 1940s and 1950s due to substantial aid from the socialist world, with Chistovodia alone constituting more than half of the nation's international trade volume. However, the outbreak of the Great Asterian War in the 1960s caused Chistovodian economic assistance to evaporate, and the Kepplandic economy began to stagnate as a result. After an attempted transition to market socialism during the 1970s, the councilist state was overthrown in the Kepplandic Revolution of 1979, leading to the restoration of democracy under the Third Kepplandic Republic. Keppland embraced neoliberalism under a series of Liberal Democratic governments during the 1980s and 1990s, but began to drift back towards populism following the 2005 global financial crisis. The National Activation Party has held power since the 2005 elections, during which time Keppland has experienced democratic backsliding and an erosion of civil liberties.
Keppland is a developed country, boasting a high-income economy that ranks highly in measures of human development, economic freedom, and standard of living. Historically a regional leader in sociopolitical stability, modern Keppland is often considered to be an illiberal democracy or hybrid regime that increasingly struggles with corruption and strongman politics. Keppland is a member of the Community of Nations, International Council for Democracy, Asteria Inferior Common Market, and Organization of Asterian Nations, and is generally considered to be a middle power in the international community.