User:Vjaarland/Sandbox
Waldish Confederation | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: TBA | |
Anthem: TBA | |
| Capital and largest city | Kingsham |
| Official languages | Meerdalish Cuthish |
| Recognised regional languages | Eldreyan |
| Ethnic groups (2020) | 57.2% Meerdalish 40.7% Cuthish 0.4% Eldreyan 1.7% Other |
| Religion (2020) | 84.3% Christianity 5.2% Unaffiliated 10.5% Other |
| Demonym(s) | Waldish |
| Government | Federal parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy |
| Algar II | |
| Clifford Goodwin | |
| Legislature | Bondmoot |
| Landsthing | |
| Folksthing | |
| Establishment | |
| 19 June 1397 | |
| 15 October 1740 | |
| 7 January 1860 | |
| Area | |
• Total | [convert: invalid number] |
• Water (%) | 2.2% |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 44,792,856 |
• Density | [convert: invalid number] |
| GDP (PPP) | 2020 estimate |
• Total |  $2.379 trillion |
• Per capita | $53,120 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $2.054 trillion |
• Per capita | $45,863 |
| Gini (2021) | 35.7 medium |
| HDI (2021) | 0.921 very high |
| Currency | Pund (WLP) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +39 |
| ISO 3166 code | WL |
| Internet TLD | .wl |
Waldrich, officially the Waldish Confederation, is a sovereign state in northern Teleon. It lies between the Glacian Ocean to the north, the Waldish Gulf to the east, and the River Fen to the south and west. The nation shares borders with Valduvia to the west and Widdelia to the south. Kingsham is Waldrich's capital and largest city, with other major cities including Hovberg, Fenmouth, Strandhaven, and Jarlsvik. With a population of approximately 44.8 million and a total area of approximately X square kilometers, Waldrich is the 3rd most populous and 4th largest nation in Teleon.
Waldrich is governed as a federal parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy. The nation is divided into 14 states, which retain substantial autonomy over their internal affairs from the federal government. The Foresitter, currently Algar II, is an elected monarch chosen by the Waldish nobility and serves as the nation's head of state. The Lawspeaker, currently Clifford Goodwin of the Farmers' Party, serves as head of government in a role analogous to that of prime minister. While the Foresitter retains substantial reserve powers under the Constitution of Waldrich, all executive power is de facto vested in the Lawspeaker, with the monarch primarily serving in a ceremonial role as a figurehead. The nation's legislature, the Bondmoot, is a bicameral body consisting of an upper house, the Landsthing, and a lower house, the Folksthing. Legislation may originate in either house, with the Folksthing holding the additional power of forming and maintaining a government.
Waldrich is officially multilingual, with both Meerdalish and Cuthish enjoying official language status. Although a majority of the country speaks Meerdalish, each state designates its own official languages for the conduct of government business and school instruction, and both Meerdalish and Cuthish are used equally at the federal level. A third language, Eldreyan, is recognized as a regional language and enjoys co-official status with Meerdalish in the state of Eldrey. Owing to its linguistic diversity, the country's national identity is more closely tied to its majority !Protestant faith than ethnic or linguistic borders. Waldrich is consequently among Teleon's most religious nations, and is unique among developed countries for its high weekly church attendance.
The modern Waldish state traces its roots to 1397, when the Cuthish and Meerdalish states of northern Teleon, which had aligned with the Rightframed Church following the Northern Schism of 1352, formed the Old Waldish Confederacy as a defensive alliance against the still Lalógan nations of Arencia, Valduvia, and Widdalia. Waldrich expanded considerably following the Rightframer Wars of the 15th century, affirming its independence from Lalóga and the sovereignty of its member states in the process. The Confederacy's participation in the War of the Valduvian Succession during the early 18th century resulted in the consolidation of the alliance into a federal state and the emergence of Waldrich as a world power. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Waldrich fought a series of undecisive wars against neighboring Valduvia, causing substantial destruction to both nations and plunging them into economic turmoil. Faced with the rising economic power of Arencia on its southern border, Waldrich sought rapprochement with Valduvia in the mid-19th century, forming an axis against what both nations viewed as a threat to their continental dominance. The Axis was defeated by Arencia in the Austerian War of 1850, forcing Waldrich to cede the southern cities of Abbotsfirth and Brierwold. The war pushed Arencia into an alliance with neighboring Widdelia known as the Southern Alliance, while Waldrich and Valduvia formalized their relationship with the establishment of the Kingsham League. By the end of the century, all of Teleon’s great powers had aligned with one of the two alliances, reshaping the balance of power on the continent.
Tensions between the Kingsham and Southern powers culminated in the First Continental War of 1911. Waldrich and its allies emerged victorious after a decisive three month conflict, allowing them to reverse the territorial changes of the Austerian War and create a create a client state in the western Arencian region of Abrogilo. The Kingsham Powers established an economic union, known as the Nordbundet, and enjoyed more than a decade of post-war economic growth before the continent entered a deep recession in 1922. The recession resulted in the Revolutions of 1923, in which revolutionary populists seized control of Valduvia and a nationalist coup overthrew the government of Arencia. The populist Valduvian Peasants' Republic immediately announced its intention to leave both the Kingsham League and Nordbundet, leading Waldrich and its remaining allies to invade in 1924. The nationalist Arencian Revolutionary State entered the war the next year in an effort to reclaim its lost territories, escalating the conflict into a Second Continental War. The war lasted for six years, ending inconclusively in 1931. Waldrich agreed to recognize Valduvia's independence from the Kingsham League and Nordbundet, and Abrogilo was returned to Arencian control, but Arencia's territorial claims in southern Waldrich were rejected. However, the war had severely destabilized Waldrich, resulting in nationwide unrest and violent. Foresitter X was forced to abdicate, and his successor, TBA, instituted political reforms that resulted in a transition to a constitutional monarchy.
The two countries fought a brief but decisive war with Arencia in 1851 that saw their defeat, resulting in the cession of several Waldish and Valduvian territories. Waldrich and Valduvia were widely regarded as declining powers in the conflict's aftermath and formalized their alliance through the establishment of the Kingsham League in 1870. By the beginning of the 20th century, a majority of the Teleonic great powers had aligned with either the Kingsham League or the Arencian-led Southern Alliance, splitting the continent in two.
Tensions between the two alliances culminated in the Second Austerian War of 1911, ending in a resounding victory for the Kingsham League. The war reestablished Waldrich as Teleon's dominant power and led to the foundation of the Nordbundet, a trade community between Waldrich and its Teleonic allies. After a three decade long economic boom, the Nordbundet entered a deep recession in the early 1940s. A populist revolution in Valduvia led to the overthrow of the monarchy, and the new government immediately announced the nation's withdrawal from both the Nordbundet and Kingsham League. Waldrich and its allies responded by invading Valduvia in 1942 to return the nation to its sphere of influence
- Recession in 1940s causes schism between Waldrich and Valduvia and leads to agrarian populist revolution in Valduvia - Populist Valduvia leaves Kingsham League and Norbundet, war breaks out as Waldrich tries to reassert dominance - Revolutionary Nationalists in Arencia and Widdelia ally with Valduvia and join conflict, continental war ensues - Waldrich is defeated, unrest breaks out, the foresitter abdicates and the country becomes a democratic constitutional monarchy under his reformist successor - Nordbund survives, Waldrich carries on as the leading liberal/traditionalist power in Teleon against the RevNats and AgPops