Herastadt
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Principality of Herastadt
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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Motto: "Libertas, Integritas, Patriae" "Liberty, Integrity, Country" | |
Anthem: Raise the Crimson Standard | |
 Location of Herastadt and overseas holdings (dark green) – in Esermia (green & grey) | |
| Capital | Piragon |
| Largest city | Petra |
| Official languages | Heran |
| Recognised regional languages | Various local dialects |
| Ethnic groups (2017) | 78.6% Heran 11.5% Darden 4.2% Zarov 5.7% Other |
| Religion (2017) | 57.8% Doxology 25.2% Irreligion 12.9% Pagan 4.1% Carnisian |
| Demonym(s) | Herastadtian |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Prince | Kristian II |
| Tasela Valteras | |
• Vice Chancellor | Jakob Kostavis |
| Legislature | Richtersmot |
| Formation | |
| 44CE | |
| 560 | |
| September 9, 1395 | |
| October 3, 1761 | |
• Regency | November 20, 1904 |
| June 9, 1909 | |
| January 1, 1926 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 140,910 km2 (54,410 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 5.1 |
| Population | |
• 2017 census | 26,110,823 |
• Density | 155.19/km2 (401.9/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | C·1,306,200 billion |
• Per capita | C·50,025 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | C·928,439 |
• Per capita | C·35,557 |
| Gini (2017) | 33.7 medium |
| HDI (2017) | 0.916 very high |
| Currency | Commercia (C·) (COM) |
| Time zone | Central Esermian Time (CET) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +48 |
| Internet TLD | .hst |
Herastadt /hɛrɑːˈstɑːd/, officially the Principality of Herastadt; is an Esermian island state and constitutional monarchy situated in the Parazin Sea. Herastadt shares maritime borders to the north with the mainland nations of Bavmark and Ameiss, and to the south with Terados. Herastadt covers a total of 168,250 square kilometers, and has has an estimated population of 26 million; making it the 2nd-most densely populated nation in Esermia by landmass. Administratively, Herastadt comprises of twelve cantons and three autonomous federated governments.
Officially, Herastadt is headed by the reigning Prince or Princess of the House of Lindonis; which has ruled uninterrupted since the nation's foundation, with exception to the Regency period of 1904 to 1909. The current monarch, Kristian II, was inaugurated on 29 July 2015 after the {[wp|abdication}} of his mother Anna I. The nation is legislatively governed by the bicameral legislature of the Richtersmot led by an elected Steward. Since 2017, Tasela Valteras of the Liberal Reform Party has served as the 21st consecutively democratically-elected Chancellor of Herastadt.
Etymology
Herastadt takes its name from the Middle Herastadtian Heraschstadte, which means "(the) Land of Hera". This name was coined by Kostav I as a colloquial term for the realm, which initially did not have an official name. Early Princes held the official styling "Prince of the Isles" until Tasso I formalized the change to "Prince of Herastadt" in 1512. As Middle Herastadtian gave way to the modern Heran language, the original form of Heraschstadte morphed into the more modern Herastadt, reflecting the wider melding of the Dardenic culture of the ruling class with the culture and customs of the native Tarenian peoples.
History
Prehistory
The earliest evidence of settled human habitation in Herastadt reaches as far back as 7,000BCE; during the Mesolithic Age. At this time the isles are believed to have been part of a larger peninsula connected to the northern Esermian mainland. Much of this terrain is thought to have been flat grassland suitable for supporting the large roaming herds and hunter-gatherer tribes of the pre-agricultural eras. These people were part of the wider group of people inhabiting Northern Esermia, the Monolithids. Their population is believed to have been sparse, due to an inherent lack of long-term resource pooling and prevalence of any known permanent settlements. As their name indicates however, these people had a keen interest in erecting a great number of stone monoliths in the lands in which they inhabited. It was once commonly thought that these served as various monuments and effigies to the gods of these people, however contemporary theory tends toward the idea that these structures served as 'anchoring points' for the quasi-nomadic people to settle their villages around.
With the onset of the Bronze Age around 3,000BCE came the migration of the Weaver people into Herastadt, crossing into Northern Esermia via the land bridge that once separated the Parazin Sea from the Dula Basin. The Weavers brought bronze metallurgy into Northern Esermia as they migrated, as well as advanced agricultural techniques developed in the south. Entering Herastadt through the northern flatland, the Weavers are presumed to have completely absorbed or annihilated the local cultures inhabiting the peninsula. As the Weavers became settled in Herastadt they began founding permanent settlements across the isles, varying from outlying farmsteads to major towns housing hundreds of people. As the Parazin land bridges were completely submerged by the rising seas, the Weaver Peoples of modern Herastadt became separated from their mainland cousins, becoming insular and isolated, slowly developing into their own distinct culture altogether. It is believed that in this period the major settlement of Areon was founded along the River Verni.
As the Iron Age dawned around 1,000BCE, the southern Tarenians began their own migration toward the Parazin Sea, with some groups settling in modern Terados and Kapania, and others coming to settle in the largely uninhabited southern shores of modern Herastadt. The Tarenians brought iron metallurgy with them to the isles (and Northern Esermia by extension), with early evidence suggesting that iron was traded with the local Weaver peoples in exchange for various resources and items of value. Local legends surrounding the foundation of Pirakon suggest that Tarenian settlers traded the natives one hundred iron swords for the bay the town was initially founded upon. By the middle Iron Age the Tarenian settlers adopted a more aggressive stance to their colonization of the isles, warring with the major Weaver tribes of the north and conquering many in the process. Following this the influence of the Weaver culture saw a sharp decline, with the conquered being absorbed into the fabric of the Parazin Tarenian cultures. This absorption was not wholly one-sided however, and many customs and beliefs became quickly adopted by the conquerors themselves.
Antiquity
The conclusion of the Tarenian conquest marked a crucial stage in the development of the Parazin Isles, with the advent of the 'Consolidation Period' and beginning of antiquity in the Parazin Isles. Starting around 700BCE, this period of history saw the growth and development of various tribes into what some have described as 'proto-states'; most significantly being the southern Kingdom of the Aota, the western Paelic Coalition, and the northern Kingdom of the Vernii. These three proto-states became the dominant powers of the Parazin Isles by the 5th century BCE, having conquered and exacted tribute from numerous tribes until the isles were effectively split into thirds.
