New Marenesia
Republic of New Marenesia Nusantara (East-Arhoman) | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: “Excelsior” | |
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| Capital | Hamilton |
| Recognized languages | Anglish East-Arhoman Celtic NM Sign Language |
| Demonym(s) | New Marenesian |
| Government | Presidential republic |
• President | Philip Doyle |
| Legislature | Senate |
| Area | |
• Total | 45,339 km2 (17,505 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 14,780,514 |
• Density | 326/km2 (844.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $731 billion |
• Per capita | $49,44 |
| Currency | New Marenesian Nomisma |
Geography
New Marenesia is located in the southern hemisphere on the eastern portion of Marenesia Major. Being positioned at the meeting point of the Adlantic and South Orient Oceans, which has long made the location one of trading and strategic importance. The nation’s western boundary is marked by the natural boarder made by the St. Edmound River which rises out of the Skylands, then meanders north across the inland plains until emptying out into the Sicani Sea. The north and the west of New Marenesia fall within the hot summer version of a continental climate. While the central regions are hemiboreal with cool summers and icy/snowy winters. The convoluted coastline provides mild seas, and the resulting calm environment allows for safe navigation, and fishing. To protect its extensive maritime resources, it has a 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.
History
Those indigenous to New Marenesians are known as the Marenai who themselves are descendants of the original Azano-Marenesian explorers. The earliest evidence of settlement in the region dates to 50,000 BCE during the Second Migration of the Azano-Marenesian people. Over the millenniums that followed the population developed into the Marenai. They would later form suku (tribes) which had dynamic relations ranging from cooperation to hostility.
In late 1500 when the Great Anglian explorer Captain Sir Henry Brownlow made the first Europan landfall on Newfound. After Brownlow was killed by a hostile suku, no further Europans visited the islands until 1627 when Europan and Argic whalers started visiting the islands. After trading with the whalers for foreign technologies an intersuku arms race began, culminating in the Musket Wars. The Musket Wars were between 1659 and 1698 and resulted in the death of approximately 35,000 Marenai warriors.
Since 1492, over a thousand convicts of various crimes per year were transported to the Gallambrian colonies. After their secession and independence were affirmed by the Treaty of Brecnock in 1645, the Great Anglian government was forced to find a new alternative. King Donald I sent the Anglian Navy to establish a new penal colony. Most early residents of the new colony were convicts serving out sentences for minor crimes until their emancipation. Fur traders also entered the area to harvest sea otters and beavers. Establishing trading posts across the colony, some of which have become cities which still exist today.
In 1639, when King Magnus III of Gotneska was killed without an heir apparent creating a power vacuum with competing claims, the Kingdom of Gotneska was plunged into turmoil. This resulted in the First Gotneskan Migration, where Gotneskans in search of a better life crossed the Adlantic Ocean and settled in New Marenesia.
The Royal Proclamation of 1698 declared Great Anglian sovereignty over all of New Marenesia on March 13, 1698. As the settlers demands for land grew, so did the unrest among the Marenai, resulting in a series of armed conflicts and an increase in Anglian imperial presence. Accordingly, Sir Fraser Hamilton, who had become wealthy from the fur trade was appointed as the colonies first Governor General. Hamilton dreamed of building “a second Anglia on the shores of the Sicani”. He settled on the shores of Brownlow Bay and founded the new capital, Hamilton.
By the start of the 18th century New Marenesia had dramatically changed from the time of First Landing. Between the Musket Wars and diseases brought by the missionaries, more than 40% of the pre-contact Marenai Islander population had died. Religiously too, change had come when Tacolic Catholic missionaries settled on the islands and within a century had converted the majority of the population. The establishment of the colony’s Senate along with economic and social reforms saw the penal colony transform into a civil society. The colony’s achievement of being a representative government was commemorated in 1765 by King William V proclaiming New Marenesia a Dominion of the Anglian Empire.
In 1805, the Statue of Godstone was passed, stating that the Anglian parliament could not legislate in New Marenesia. This would later be clarified in the Constitution Act of 1856. As the Dominion’s population grew, so did industry; notably forestry, agriculture and fishing. The immense temperate rainforests on the coast drew loggers, whose timbers built the Anglish Navy’s fleet. Sheep were first introduced to New Marenesia to feed the whalers. The sheep were found to flourish on the islands and resulting in an economic boom for the dominion. With the nation’s increasing diversification, a new liberal government was voted into power. This resulted in women’s suffrage, a minimum wage and the right to unionization being wrote into law. During the 1910 Economic Crisis, the dominion went through a deep depression, resulting in the creation of the government’s modern welfare state and protectionist economy.
On April 21, 1946, Intense Tropical Cyclone Ida made landfall killing 1,593 people. Ida had sustained winds of 175 km/h at it’s peak, but weakened as it approached the coast. It’s strong winds and severe flooding. Much of the dominion’s coastal villages and infrastructure were destroyed causing a major humanitarian crisis. Afterwards, civil defense teams specializing in urban search and rescue, disaster recovery, and emergency triage and medicine were founded.
Being fourth in line with no chance at the throne, Gotneska’s Princess Brónach emigrated to New Marenesia following the well-worn path of fellow expats and settled in Iana, home of the Gotneskan diaspora. Her presence became the catalyst for the United Monarchist Party, which aims to convert the republic to a principality. The United Monarchist Party has seen become a major party on King Edward’s Island.
Following the 1974 Economic Crisis there were changes in policy regarding economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. In the 1970s, the environmental movement gained rapid speed around the wurld and caused a rise in nature tourism which became an important source of national revenue. Accordingly, a rise in environmentalism has since seen half of all land in the Republic has become protected as national parks.
In 1979 the Second Gotneskan Migration with the start of the Gotneskan Civil War, which lasted until 1984. By 1998 with the dramatic increase in Catholics there became a growing disenfranchisement with being ruled by an Orthodox monarchy. Resulting in the 1999 New Marenesian republic referendum where 54.87% of the votes were cast yes. The referendum ended the remaining statutory role of the Anglican monarchy in relation to New Marenesia with the nation leaving the Commonwealth. The new republic, despite being voted in by a Catholic majority enshrined religious freedom and separation of church in the new Constitution. This separation later allowed liberal stances on contraception, abortion and divorce to be passed into law. Modernization brought secularization, causing the traditionally high levels of religiosity to dip, but the nation is still one of the most religious in the wurld.
Government
The New Marenesian Constitution adopted in 1856 is the government’s legal foundation. A new Constitution was adopted in 1999 was notably changed due to New Marenesia’s transformation from a dominion to a republic. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs along with the powers of the Republic.
The Republic of New Marenesia is a presidential constitutional republic and liberal democracy with three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. It has an elected President who serves both as head of state and as head of government. The President is also the leader of the executive branch and the Commander-in-Chief of the New Marenesian Defense Forces. The President appoints members (subject to Senate approval) to their advisory Council. The President also appoints other officials, who administer and enforce laws and policies through their respective agencies. The Senate is a unicameral parliament with its seats allocated by population. Senators serve part-time for four years terms. The Supreme Court acts as the highest appeals court the judiciary and interpreting laws passed by the Senate. The New Marenesia’s capital is Hamilton.
Direct democracy is a hallmark of the New Marenesian political system. Approximately four times a year, voting occurs over various issues; these include both initiatives and referendums, where policies are directly voted on by people, and elections, where the populace votes for officials. By calling a referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by the Senate by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. A constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment. The government can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted.
The Republic is considered one of the most stable and well governed nations in the wurld. Known for its lack of corruption, women’s rights, civil rights and high voter turnout. Unfortunately, it still has socioeconomic issues such as a widen wealth gap along with disproportional levels of Marenai incarceration and poverty.
Military
The New Marenesian Defence Forces are comprised of the New Marenesian Army, the New Marenesian Navy and the New Marenesian Air Force. The Defense Force are all-volunteer organizations with the purpose of defending New Marensian territory and citizens. Additionally, they promote civil defense, peacekeeping, upholding international law and commitments to its allies and partners. New Marenesia is ranked as one of the most peaceful nations in the wurld and doesn’t currently have any significant national security issues. The New Marenesian Defence Forces instead have been focused on non-military public service activities and foreign military operations. The New Marenesian Military Academy, better known as The Citadel provides the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the New Marenesian Defence Forces. It also provides continuing professional military education to officers preparing for command and staff appointments.
Law and Justice
All drug were decriminalization in 2001, allowing for usage and personal possession of all common drugs. The drug strategy resulted in an increase in addiction treatment, a reduction in HIV/ AIDS cases and drug deaths along with a significant decrease in the street value of illicit drugs. New Marenesia’s criminal justice system focuses on the principles of restorative justice and the rehabilitation of prisoners. Correctional facilities focus on maintaining custody of the offender and attempting to make them functioning members of society. New Marenesia's prison system is renowned as one of the most effective and humane in the world. Additionally, capital punishment has been abolished for all offences.
Economy
New Marenesia is an open economy and is known for its competitiveness, economic freedoms and high flow foreign direct investments. Labor rights and workers' well-being, to include co-determination, paid holidays, paid honeymoon, thirteenth salary, two-hour lunch breaks, paid parental leave and a healthy work life balance are keystones to the New Marenesian economy. Over recent years, the nation’s high standard of living, diverse culture and strong economy have led to a “brain gain” from other nations resulting in an increase in innovations.
New Marenesia’s ecomony is focused on services in high-tech, life sciences, financial services and agribusiness, including agrifood, including the fishing industry which is a key contributor to the economy. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health, pharmaceutical goods, industrial and commercial machinery, such as computers, computer chips, scientific and precision measuring instruments. 100 percent of the total primary energy supply in the county is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources. The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, and tourism.
New Marenesia has a flat tax system: the main personal income tax rate is a flat 22.75% and combined with municipal taxes, the total tax rate equals no more than 35.7%, not including the many available deductions. The Republic is home to several large multinational corporations. Foreign companies are the main driver of The Republic’s economy, employing a quarter of the private sector workers in the country and paying 80% of New Marenesian corporate tax. Following the 2007 Banking Crisis, The Republic became a main destination for international pharmaceutical and technology corporate tax inversions
Demographics
57.2% of New Marenesians identify as of being Europan descent, 25.5% identify as Marenai, 16.5% as Argic (mainly Gotneskan), and 0.8% as other ethnicities. Although Anglish is not the official language of New Marenesia, it is in practice the national language. Other major languages include East-Arhoman and Celtic. New Marenesian Anglish is distinctive is a from other variations of Anglish with a distinct accent and lexicon.
Urbanization
91% of households own the homes they live in, and the average household size is 3.43 persons. By 2018, housing prices in New Marenesia were the fourth-least affordable in the wurld. It is believed that foreign money laundering is a driving force in the increasing cost of living. Resulting in a tax on empty homes, housing speculation and foreign buyers. To combat this the Housing and Development Board operates subsidized high-rise public housing apartments.
Nationally there have been efforts to efforts to reintroduce new classical architecture in city planning to enhance the environment, architecture, inner-city renewal, and quality of life. New Urbanism has also been promoted to create environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. Historically many residential communities' growth and development have been strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation.
Health
The New Marenesian health care system is largely financed by government national health insurance. Most general physicians are in private practice but draw their income from the public insurance funds. The government generally refunds patients 70% of most health care costs, and 100% in case of costly or long-term ailments. Supplemental coverage may be bought from private insurers, most of them nonprofit, mutual insurers.
Education
The education system in New Marenesia maintains small class sizes, insisted by the strong teachers’ union which seldom have more than twenty pupils. All pupils are expected to learn two languages in addition to the Anglish from the onset of schooling, and students in grades one through nine spend from four to eleven periods each week taking classes in art, music, cooking, carpentry, metalwork, textiles and sex education.
Inside the school, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal. Outdoor activities are stressed, even in the coldest weather; reinforcing the nation’s rugged attitude from an early age. Homework is minimal to leave room for extra-curricular activities. Lunch is nationally considered the most important meal of the day. School cafeterias serve five-course meals, even for preschoolers. Most of the universities are public institutions, and students traditionally study without fee payment. Thus, tertiary education is open to most citizens and studying is very common.
Culture
Early Marenai adapted Azano-Marenesian culture, eventually becoming a unique culture. Europan and subsequent settlers brought their own cultures along with Christianity. The early rural life in New Marenesian has led to a self-image of rugged, hardworking problem solvers. Environmentalism is prominent throughout the nation. Environmentally conscious services such as recycling and public transportation are widespread, most notably in the more populous areas.
Traditional Gotneskan music and dance have become mainstream parts of modern Marenesian culture. Baseball is the most popular sport in the country. But, rowing, sailing, and yacht racing are also popular events. There are many museums and historical societies throughout the nation, with many being located in Hamilton. Finally, religion has long played a significant role in the cultural life of the island.
New Marenesisa has long had a maritime orientation toward whaling and fishing, in addition to farming. The Repbulic has developed a distinct cuisine, dialect, architecture, and government. Its cuisine has a reputation for its emphasis on local seafood and dairy; clam chowder, lobster, and other products of the sea are among the nation's most popular foods.