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Imagua and the Assimas

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Republic of Imagua and the Assimas

Etrurian: Repubblica di Imagua e Assime
Imaguan Creole: Lepublika Imakua o Asima
Motto: Nothing but Him
Imagua and the Assimas (green) in the Arucian Cooperation Organization (light green)
Imagua and the Assimas (green) in the Arucian Cooperation Organization (light green)
Capital
and largest city
Cuanstad
Official languagesEstmerish, Etrurian
Recognised regional languagesImaguan Creole
Ethnic groups
(2011)
Bahio-Imaguans (60%)
Eucleo-Imaguans (22%)
Other (18%)
Religion
(2011)
Sotirianity (93%)
Others (7%)
Demonym(s)Imaguan
GovernmentParliamentary republic
• President
Edmondo Privitera
Douglas Egnell
Independence
• From Estmere
23 April, 1948
Area
• Total
24,494.7 km2 (9,457.5 sq mi)
Population
• 2011 census
1,306,505
• Density
53.3397975/km2 (138.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)estimate
• Total
$42,701,809,420
• Per capita
$32,684
GDP (nominal)estimate
• Total
$44,423,783,010
• Per capita
$34,002
Gini (2015)41.9
medium
HDI (2018)0.845
very high
CurrencyImaguan shilling (ſ) (IAS)
Time zone+11
Date formatdd-mm-yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+5
Internet TLD.ia

Imagua and the Assimas (Etrurian: Imagua e Assime), commonly referred to as Imagua, is a sovereign state, located between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior on the West Arucian Sea, and situated on the island of Imagua and the Assimas Islands. It shares maritime borders with Eldmark to the west, Maracao (including the disputed Dunhelm Island) to the north, Aucuria to the east, and Sabanas to the south.

Inhabited by Native Imaguans and other indigenous peoples of the Asterias, Imagua and the Assimas were first discovered by Assim Asteris in the 1490s, and was settled by Caldians in 1533. However, in the 1560s, Geatish colonizers took the islands from Caldia and attached it to their colony in Eldmark.

Over the coming centuries, control of the islands bounced back and forth between the various Euclean powers, including a brief occupation by Gaullica, until by the nineteenth century, it came under the control of Etruria, which controlled the Assimas Islands, and Estmere, which controlled the island of Imagua as the Colony of Imagua. The Estmerish colony was granted limited self-government by Estmere in 1892, and full self-government in 1937, while the Etrurian colony attempted to Etrurianize the islands.

After the Solarian War ended in 1946, Estmere annexed the Assimas Islands from Etruria, and attached the islands to Imagua, although during the war, Dunhelm Island was seized by Maracao. In 1948, the islands gained full independence from Estmere.

Today, the islands is a service economy, based off of the financial sector and tourist sector, with manufacturing and agriculture no longer playing a huge role in the national economy.

Etymology

The name Imagua derives from the Nati phrase for little middle place, which is generally interpreted to refer to the island of Imagua, as it is relatively small compared to Sanslumière, which was situated in the middle of the West Arucian Sea between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior. However, it is unclear whether Imagua was used for just the island of Imagua, or if it also referred to Imagua and the Assimas, or even the entire Arucian Archipelago excluding Sanslumiere.

The name of the Assimas refers to the Assimas Islands, which were named after Assim Asteris, who first discovered the two Asterian continents. The reason for this name was that the Caldish held the islands for a brief period of time from 1533 until 1562, when the Caldish lost the islands to the Geats.

History

Prehistory

  • volcanic islands first appear a long time ago
  • humans first settle Imagua around 7,000 years ago
  • several cultures inhabited the islands continously, each coming after the last
  • Native Imaguans arrive around 700s CE, Nati displaced from Imagua though language survives as lingua franca

Indigenous habitation

Imagua and the Assimas inhabited by native Arucians, probably would have been "merchants" in the pre-colonial trading network in the West Arucian Sea

Early colonial efforts

After discovery of the area by Assim Asteris in the 1490s, Caldia made the first efforts to establish a colonial presence in what is now Imagua and the Assimas in 1533, when they established a settlement in present-day Cuanstad. Over the next few years, the Caldians began to explore the islands, establishing Altaithe in 1534, and Nua Taois by 1535 on the island of Imagua, and establishing present-day San Pietro on the Assimas Islands in 1536.

However, Caldian settlement was greatly hampered by the small population of Caldia compared to other Euclean colonial powers, and the fact that they were also invested in other colonies such as Lorcania. This meant that the population was small, with the estimated Caldian population on the islands in 1550 being around 500 people according to Governor (TBC).

In 1562, when Geatland took over Eldmark, the decision was made by the Caldian administration to abandon the islands and give them to Geats, as they were unable to effectively defend the islands. The Geats subsequently attached the area to Eldmark, and it was governed from Hammarvik. During this time, while there was some activity on the islands, especially with the establishment of farms and settlements, the islands were generally marginal. Most development was mostly operated by rich plantation owners, who established sugar production as they cultivated sugarcane, as well as started nutmeg production.

While the economy started taking off in the early seventeenth century, the population remained sparse, especially as most of the native Arucians died of diseases that they had no exposure to: by 1650, the population of the islands was estimated at only around ten thousand people.

Division of the islands

In 1658, Estmerish captain (TBD) invaded the island of Imagua, with the intent of taking the island for Estmere from Geatland. Despite the fact that the garrison at Cuanstad was outnumbered by the Estmerish fleet, the local garrison chose to fight the Estmerish fleet.

After a month of fighting, the exhausted garrison surrendered, and thus, Estmerish rule over Imagua began. However, Geatish rule continued in the Assimas Islands. During this period, more slaves were imported to Imagua by the Estmerish, especially from Bahia, which led to the development of the Bahio-Imaguan community.

Meanwhile, the Geats re-established themselves at Peterstad (present-day San Pietro), which continued to be ruled from Hammarvik in present-day Eldmark. During this period, slaves began to be imported in large numbers to the Assimas Islands.

In 1721, Estmere was forced to give up Imagua to Gaullica following their defeat in the Third Gilded War. Under Gaullican rule, Imagua was ruled as part of the Saint Casimir Islands, with slaves being brought in from Gaullican trading posts. However, following the War of the Asterian Secession's conclusion in 1771, Estmere retook control of Imagua.

(TBC)

Nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

  • Etruria buys the Assimas Islands in 1813
  • Etruria Etrurianizes the Assimas Islands, probably tries to clamp down on local culture
  • Industrial revolution on both islands
  • Estmere grants self-government to Imagua in 1892
  • occupation during Great War by Gaullica
  • Solarian War, Etruria tries to attack, Estmere counterattacks, Estmere/Imagua takes over Assimas but loses Dunhelm Island in process to Maracao

Independence

A road to a lighthouse near Nua Taois, 1960

Following the end of the Solarian War, the Assimas Islands were formally annexed via the First Amendment of the Imaguan constitution in January 1947.

However, the war led to rapid decolonization of Estmere's colonies, as it had spent a lot of money and resources fighting the Solarian War. In March 1948, the constitution was amended again, so to grant Imagua and the Assimas sovereign independence on 23 April, 1948. On that date, the Estmerish president resigned his position as Imaguan President, and was succeeded by the last Governor-General, Lionel Hegan, who assumed the mantle of the Presidency.

After obtaining de-jure independence from Estmere, Imagua and the Assimas joined the Council of Estmerish Language States, and began to develop its own foreign presence. In the early 1950s, tourism started to emerge, due to the position of Imagua and the Assimas between Asteria Superior and Asteria Inferior: as the planes of time could not reach the other continent without refuelling, Imagua became a major refuelling stop, and Imagua started to appeal to tourists in an effort to get them to spend their monies on the island.

At around the same time, the financial industry, which while it did exist since the 19th century, began to blossom. This, combined with deindustrialization in Cuanstad and the Assimas Islands led to the development of a service economy. Politically, the two party system between the Democratic Labour Party and the Conservatives had become entrenched by the end of the 1950s.

Under Prime Minister Efrem Lacovara, while the economy did grow, the Sugar Crash led to a fall in sugar prices, which greatly affected Imagua's agricultural and manufacturing industries: in 1966, the Imaguan Sugar Board was established with the aim of being a monopsony for Imaguan sugar.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the economy grew and blossomed, especially under the tenure of the first black Prime Minister, Eric Fleming, who oversaw the diversification of the economy. However, in the mid-1970s, stagflation took hold, partially as it was so dependent on trade with Euclea and Asteria Superior, which led to a sluggish economy. In 1979, Imagua officially entered a recession, which greatly affected the country: while in 1978, the unemployment rate was at 7.4%, by 1980, it had risen to 11.3%.

This led to incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Brockett to implement several policies to help mitigate the damage: the first thing he did was bail out the banks in the country, which he did by August 1980. In November, he instituted a budget which would end the 1:1 peg between the Imaguan shilling and the Estmerish shilling on 1 April, 1981, in order to allow devaluation of the Imaguan shilling. By April 1981, Brockett floated the Imaguan shilling.

While the unemployment rate had risen to 12.3% in 1981, by 1982, it fell to 9.7%. This continued after Brockett lost the 1984 election to Edmondo Privitera, with the unemployment rate in 1986 having fallen below 1978 levels, at only 7.2%.

Contemporary era

Refugees from Marirana, 2015

In 1992, the National Reform Party made an unexpected gain when they became kingmakers in the Parliament of Imagua and the Assimas. While the Conservatives, led by Isaac Egnell formed a minority government, due to the fact that they only had a minority of seats, this government was unstable. Homosexual relationships were decriminalized in 1993.

Thus, in 1995, Austin Houghton, leader of the National Reform Party, won a plurality of seats and formed another minority government. During his government, Houghton reduced regulations on the economy and imposed a tough on crime policy. However, his party became unpopular, and in the 1996 presidential elections, the NRP's presidential candidate, Rudy Wilkinson lost to Ornell Elliot, nominated by the Democratic Labour Party, with incumbent Conservative President Erico D'Antonio campaigning in support of Ornell. With this loss, the NRP attempted to implement social conservative policies, such as recriminalizing homosexuality, and instituting a heartbeat rule, as well as ending autonomy for the Assimas Islands, which garnered outrage. Thus, by 1997, the Conservatives and the DLP were able to defeat his budget, forcing an election.

Houghton was defeated by DLP nominee Viviana Andreoli, who became the oldest Prime Minister to assume office. Under her term, the Constitution was amended so to recognize the autonomy of Assimas Parish, to prevent a repeat of Austin Houghton's attempt to end Assiman autonomy. However, Andreoli lost in 2001 to the newly-renamed National Party nominee and former President Erico D'Antonio, who became the new Prime Minister.

In 2004, Erico D'Antonio resigned to run for the presidency, which the Nationals won, as Ornell had reached his term limit. Agnes Ingram became Prime Minister. Under Agnes Ingram, she relaxed immigration rules, in order to "increase our nation's workforce." In 2008, with D'Antonio completing his second term, Ingram was nominated for the Presidency, and Saverio Merante nominated for the premiership. After this victory, Saverio Merante maintained his predecessor's policies.

In 2012, Edmondo Privitera, who previously served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1992 returned to the Premiership. As Prime Minister, Edmondo Privitera sought to institute a wet foot, dry foot policy regarding illegal immigration. However, with the outbreak of the Mariranan Civil War in 2014, Imagua faced a major refugee crisis, with the number of refugees in 2016 estimated to be at 80,000.

This helped catapult the Democratic Labour Party to power in 2016, with Edmondo Privitera becoming President, and Douglas Egnell becoming the Prime Minister. Under the premiership of Douglas Egnell, he maintained the wet foot dry foot policy, but signed an agreement with Valentir to resettle all asylum seekers to Valentir, as well as sending asylum seekers intercepted at sea back to Marirana.

Geography

Topographic map of Imagua and the Assimas

Imagua and the Assimas is situated on the West Arucian Sea, and is part of the larger (TBD). It is traditionally divided into two regions, the large island of Imagua and the smaller Assimas Islands.

The Assimas Islands comprise of three major islands west of the island of Imagua, in decreasing area: Avitabile Island, Ineweyu Island, and Guardia Island, with the total area of the islands being at 9,282.56 square kilometres. The Assimas Islands, while of volcanic origin, have been extinct for millions of years, which have helped contribute to the small islands of the Assimas. The highest point of the Assimas Islands is Mount Pioniere, located on Avitabile Island, and at an elevation of 940 meters above sea level.

Imagua only comprises of a single major island, Imagua, which measures at 14,801.92 square kilometres. Imagua is a volcanic island, with three volcanoes on the island: the highest volcano, Mount Apita, at 1,467 meters above sea level, which last erupted in 1972, Mount Guanara, at 966 meters above sea level, which last erupted in 1866, and Mount Morete, which is believed to be extinct, and is at 778 meters above sea level. Unlike the Assimas Islands, which are relatively flat, Imagua is a rugged land, with development only really possible either along the coast, or along several valleys, with the largest valley being the Glen Valley along the longest river, the Glen River, which empties out at Cuanstad.

Due to the rugged geography of Imagua, and the small size of the Assimas Islands, only around 12% of the land in the country, comprising 2,890.134 square kilometres is arable, with 58% of the arable land being located on the Assimas Islands.

Climatically, Imagua and the Assimas experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with the yearly average highs being 32 °C (89.6 °F), and the yearly average lows being 20.5 °C (68.9 °F). The wet season is generally from May to October, while the dry season typically lasts from November to April, although the months of April and November receive more rain than any other month in the dry season. The highest recorded temperature in Imagua and the Assimas was at 38 °C (100.4 °F), recorded in Chesterfield on 28 July, 1939, while the coldest recorded temperature in Imagua and the Assimas was at -2.7°C (27.2 °F) on the summit of Mount Apita on 19 February, 1911.

While there have been some apocryphal reports of snow falling on the peak of Mount Apita in 1694, 1768, 1796, and 1813, there have been no official records of snow being observed on Imagua and the Assimas since records began in 1873.

Economy

Skyline of downtown Cuanstad, 2012

For most of the history of Imagua and the Assimas, well into colonial years, the economy of Imagua and the Assimas was based off of subsistence agriculture and from the fisheries.

With the colonization of the islands by Geatland, the sugar industry was established, and the farmlands of Imagua and the Assimas became largely focused on producing sugar, as well as spices such as nutmeg. These industries remained the main pillars of the Imaguan economy well into the late nineteenth century, with heavy imports of slaves by colonial powers that all sought to take control of Imagua and the Assimas.

In the nineteenth century, industrialization started to take root, especially in the cities of San Pietro and Cuanstad, with the opening of many factories, and reaching its zenith in the early twentieth century when petroleum was discovered in Imaguan waters. By 1881, the manufacturing sector had overtaken agriculture as the most profitable industry, and it reached a peak in 1951, when the manufacturing sector employed around two-thirds of all employed, especially in the petrochemical industry.

Since the 1950s, the service sector began to develop, especially in Cuanstad, where the financial sector blossomed, as policies were made to make Imagua and the Assimas a tax haven. Tourism however became a major pillar of the economy, with jobs in tourism overtaking jobs in manufacturing by the early 1970s. Despite setbacks in the late 1970s and in the 1980s, the service sector has recovered in the 1990s.

As of 2016, the gross domestic product of Imagua and the Assimas is at $44,423,783,010 via nominal GDP, or $42,701,809,420 via purchasing power parity, which makes Imagua and the Assimas one of the wealthiest countries in the West Arucian Sea. Imagua and the Assimas has a nominal GDP per capita of $34,002, or a PPP per capita of $32,684. It has a human development index of 0.845, and has an employment rate of 74.2% of the population, with an unemployment rate of 5.8%. The nation's poverty rate as of 2016 is at 12.5%, which is an increase from 9.3% in 2006.

The largest part of the Imaguan economy are the service sector, with around two-thirds of the economy being due to the service sector, and with two-thirds of all workers in the country working in this sector. The largest industries in that sector are the hospitality industry, retail, the financial industry (represented domestically by the Bank of the Orient, the Bank of the Arucian, and the Dockworker's Credit Union), and the IT industry.

Besides the service sector, manufacturing comprises 15% of the nation's economy, and employs ten percent of all workers in the country. Contemporary manufacturing in Imagua and the Assimas largely focuses on petrochemicals, and the food and beverage industry. As well, agriculture, while still employing 2.5% of all workers, only contributes 1% of the national economy, with most production mostly focused on supplying the nation with food needs. Other economic sectors, primarily natural gas production comprise the remainder of the economy, and the remainder of the workforce.

Apart from small reserves of petroleum that have not been exploited, and extensive reserves of natural gas, Imagua's only resources are the fish in the surrounding West Arucian Sea, and the fertile soil.

Politics

Parliament building in Cuanstad, 2006

Imagua and the Assimas is a unitary parliamentary republic, with the head of state being the President of Imagua and the Assimas, currently Edmondo Privitera, and the head of government Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, currently Douglas Egnell.

A custom has emerged where the President and Prime Minister have to be from the two linguistic groups (i.e. if the President is a native Estmerish speaker, the Prime Minister must be a native Etrurian speaker, and vice-versa), while each President must be succeeded by one from the other linguistic group.

Imagua and the Assimas has traditionally been characterised as a two-party system, between the centre-left Democratic Labour Party, generally supported by Bahio-Imaguans, and the centre-right National Party, generally supported by Eucleo-Imaguans. While there are other political parties, only the Movement for a New Imagua and the Greens hold representation in Parliament as of the 2020 general election.

Legislature

The legislative body of Imagua and the Assimas is known as the Parliament of Imagua and the Assimas (Etrurian: Parlamento di Imagua e Assime), which is a bicameral body.

The lower house is the Lesser House (Etrurian: Casa minore), which comprises of seventy members, all elected using first-past-the-post every four years, although elections may be held earlier if the government loses confidence of the House. Since independence, it has been customary for the Prime Minister and his cabinet to be members of the Lesser House.

The upper house is the Senate of Imagua and the Assimas (Etrurian: Senato di Imagua e Assime), which comprises of sixty members, all of whom are appointed by the President under advice from the Prime Minister to serve for life.

Legal system

The Imaguan legal system is based off of common law as applied to Imagua under Estmerish rule, and further updated since its self-government from 1892 onwards. While the Etrurian administered Assimas Islands used a legal system based off the Etrurian legal system, following the annexation of the Assimas into Imagua after the end of the Solarian War, Imagua imposed their common law on the Assimas.

The court system of Imagua and the Assimas is structured via the the third article of the first chapter of the Imaguan constitution.

Imagua and the Assimas abolished the death penalty in 1975 for all offences, although the last execution took place in 1944.

The country's police force is the Imaguan Constabulary, which provides policing services all across the country, and also functions as a paramilitary force, as Imagua and the Assimas lacks a standing army. As of 2013, there were 13,875 officers in the country, or roughly one officer for every ninety-four inhabitants.

Administrative divisions

Imagua and the Assimas are divided into eight parishes (Etrurian: parrocchie, Imaguan Creole: sokeni), with all but the Assimas parish being situated on the island of Imagua.

As a unitary state, the parishes generally function only for statistical purposes and for judicial purposes, with most of the roles of the parishes having been shifted towards the cities and towns, or towards the federal government. However, Assimas Parish has substantial autonomy because of its history, and its sizable Etrurian population.

Map Parish Capital Population (2011)
Cuanstad Cuanstad 382,197
Assimas San Pietro 301,549
Saint Ellen's Altaithe 210,545
Saint Isidore's Nua Taois 178,205
Saint Christopher's Lundholm 114,697
Saint Florian's Bronstad 65,966
Saint Hubert's Saint-André 31,497
Saint Fiacre's Saint Fiacre's Town 21,849

Foreign relations

Imagua's foreign policy is dominated by its close economic connections to Eldmark, as well as Aucuria, Satucin, and Sanslumiere, which led Imagua to be part of the Arucian Cooperation Organization, who have become major trading partners of Imagua. Outside of the ACO, another key ally is Halland, who since the signing of the Tripartite Agreement has been responsible for the defence of Imagua, with it operating the Hallandic Arucian Command. However, it has poor relations with Maracao, due it controlling Dunhelm Island, which Imagua claims to be part of Saint Isidore's.

Outside of the Asterias, Imagua's foreign relations are positive with COMSED states, as the ACO and COMSED have extensive cooperation, although it is not an observer, let alone a full member, of COMSED. As well, Imagua has close cooperation with the Euclean Community, especially with Estmere and Etruria, its two former colonisers, and to a lesser degree, Geatland and Caldia.

Imagua is a member state of the Community of Nations, the Organization of Asterian Nations, as well as the International Council for Democracy. Due to the fact that the majority of Imagua are of Bahian descent, it is an observer state in the Congress of Bahian States.

Demographics

Ethnicity

As of the 2011 census, Imagua and the Assimas over 1.3 million inhabitants. The two main groups are the Bahio-Imaguans, comprising 60% of the population, or 783,903 people, and the Eucleo-Imaguans, which comprise 22% of the population, or 391,951 people. The remaining 18% of the population, or 235,171 people, are either immigrants or native Imaguans.

The Bahio-Imaguans are descendants of slaves brought in from Bahia by the various colonizers which have ruled over the archipelago. Over the generations, the Bahio-Imaguans developed their own identity separate from their original identities back in Bahia, as they were shaped by the life in Imagua and the Assimas.

The Eucleo-Imaguan population, on the other hand, is an umbrella term used to refer to the population of Euclean descent. The two largest Eucleo-Imaguan groups are Etrurian-Imaguans, who are descended from Etrurian migrants, and comprise 15% of the national population (195,976 people), and Estmerish-Imaguans, who are descended from Estmerish migrants, who comprise 2% of the national population (26,130 people). The remaining 5% of the Euclean population (65,325 people) come from a wide variety of ethnic groups, with the most prominent of these being the Geatish population.

As of the 2011 census, 17.5% of the population belong to other ethnic groups, mostly deriving from immigrants from both Coius (e.g. Coian-Imaguans and Senrians) and the Asterias, while only 0.5% of the population, or 6,532 people, are native Imaguans.

Religion

The most predominant religion in Imagua and the Assimas is Sotirianity, with 93% of the population, or 1,215,050 people reporting that they adhere to some form of Sotirianity as of the 2011 census.

The largest sects of Sotirianity in Imagua and the Assimas are the Catholics, comprising around 43% of the population, or 561,797 people. After the Solarian Catholic Church, 27% of the population, or 352,756 people, adhere to the Low Estmerian faith, followed by 14% being Bahrists, or 182,911 people, and then 65,754 people, or around 5% of the population, adhering to the High Estmerian faith. The remainder of the Sotirian population follow other denominations.

Of the 7% of the population who are not Sotirians, 3% of the population, or 39,195 people, are irreligious, while the remainder follow a wide array of religions, such as Badi, Irfan, and Atudism.

Languages

The two official languages of Imagua and the Assimas are Estmerish and Etrurian.

As of the 2011 census, around 73% of the population, or 950,153 people, speak Estmerish on a regular basis, while around 27% of the population, or 352,756 people, mostly on the Assimas Islands speaks Etrurian on a regular basis. Only 3,596 people do not use either official language on a regular basis.

However, the most commonly spoken language in Imagua and the Assimas is Imaguan Creole, an Geatish-based creole. As of the 2011 census, around 82% of the population, or 1,071,334 people, listed Imaguan Creole as their native language. Other native languages spoken besides Imaguan Creole and the official languages include Geatish, spoken by around 5% of the population, or 65,325 people, and TBD, spoken by three percent of the population, or 39,195 people.

Largest cities


As of the 2011 census, 1,228,115 people, or around 94% of the population live in urban areas, defined by the national government as an "incorporated settlement" with a density of more than five hundred people per square kilometer, and a population of more than 1,000 people. However, 1,076,300 people, or over 82% of the population live in the ten largest settlements alone.

The largest metropolitan area is the Cuanstad metropolitan area, with 589,922 people, or around 45.2% of the nation's population living in the metropolitan area, with the next largest, San Pietro only having a population of 230,758 people, or 17.6% of the national population.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Transportation in Imagua and the Assimas is greatly shaped by the nation's geography. Due to this, there are no roads connecting the entire country. However, the road infrastructure on each of the islands is generally developed, with virtually all public roads in Imagua and the Assimas being paved.

However, there are regular ferry services between the islands, with services between Imagua, Avitabile Island, and Ineweyu Island operated by the government-owned Imaguan Maritime Service, in addition to private competitors serving Imagua's smaller islands, islets, and cays, as well as international ferries, such as Vanolink, which connects Imagua to Eldmark.

There are only two civilian airports in the country: the Peter Hansson International Airport, located near Cuanstad and Altaithe, which receives a lot of passenger traffic, and San Pietro International Airport, located near San Pietro, as well as two military airfields at Mordred Naval Base and Camp Devon, both operated by the Hallandic Air Force. The only domestic airline based in Imagua and the Assimas is Air Imagua.

There is no railway network, due to the terrain and geography of the country, although a light rail system was recently opened to connect Cuanstad with Altaithe in order to ease congestion, and until 1981, there was a rail network on the island of Imagua.

Healthcare

Imagua and the Assimas offers universal healthcare since 1961, meaning that all citizens receive free healthcare. While there are private clinics, as of 2016, around 86.5% use the public healthcare system, which employs 679 doctors, 2,721 nurses, 59 dentists, and 22 pharmacists. The national healthcare system in Imagua and the Assimas is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health.

As of 2016, there are eight hospitals in Imagua and the Assimas, with a children's hospital being constructed.

As of 2016, the life expectancy of Imaguans is at 74.39 years, with men having a life expectancy at 71.6, and females having a life expectancy of 78.1.

Education

Like many ex-Estmerish colonies, the educational system in Imagua and the Assimas is heavily based off that of the Estmerish education system as it stood when it gained "Equal partner" status in 1937. While it had been simplified in the 1960s, the educational stages have otherwise largely stayed intact.

The formal education system starts with preschool, although compulsory education only begins in the year students turn five. They continue attending primary school until 11, when after taking the Standard Assessment Test, they move on to comprehensive high schools. At the end of fifth form, students take the O-levels: those who pass get to take Sixth Form, where they prepare for the A-levels, which are a requirement in order to be admitted into a university or a polytechnic.

There are only two universities on Imagua and the Assimas: the Università di San Pietro in San Pietro, which opened in 1896, and the University of Cuanstad in Cuanstad, which opened in 1967, with the university structure being based off of the Etrurian system. Since 2012, tertiary education has been free of charge for all citizens, in order to combat the islands' brain drain.

As of 2016, the adult literacy rate is at 98.97%, with similar numbers among both sexes.

Culture

Arts

Imagua and the Assimas had a significant artistic tradition since before colonization, with the Imaguan people being known for their jewellery and their music, which continues to play a role in contemporary Imaguan music.

Following colonization, colonial influences from Caldia, Geatland, Estmere, Gaullica, and Etruria played a substantial role in shaping and influencing the Imaguan art scene, with neighboring countries on the West Arucian Sea such as Eldmark, Marirana, and Aucuria also playing a role in helping develop the Imaguan art scene, especially with regard to paintings.

Prominent painters include James Chambers, Julie Williams, and Clara Mandracchia, while prominent sculptors include Eriberto Del Nero, Lucy Gervasi, and Donald O'Hagen.

Music has also been influential, with the steelpan believed to have been invented by the Bahio-Imaguan community in the late nineteenth century. Prominent musicians from Imagua and the Assimas include Rufo D'Esposito, Renato Carcione, Rolf Lundell, Ed Cole, and Hannah Cigleris.

Film has also become incredibly popular since the end of the Solarian War, with a relatively large film industry based in Cuanstad and San Pietro, although most actors go to other countries for their careers. Prominent Imaguan actors and actresses include Emily Fraser, Janet Nomica, Sarah Wallin, and Sviturno Di Palo.

Cuisine

Due to the islands' history, the cuisine of Imagua and the Assimas has been greatly influenced from all sorts of traditions, such as Bahian, Etrurian, Estmerish, just to name a few.

The most popular breakfast food is doubles, which is partially of TBD origin by immigrants from TBD. Other popular breakfast foods include fried bake, uovo sbattuto, and bake and shark. Popular meals for lunches and dinners include coocoo, which is incredibly popular, fish and chips, pelau (also known as risotto on the Assimas), macaroni pie, ribollita, and spaghetti (usually made with durum semolina, scorpion peppers, pasta sauce and garlic sauce, and then served with salt, rosemary and parsley).

Common desserts consumed among Imaguans include pandan, sugar cake, sweetbread, and zabaione.

Sports

The two most popular sports in Imagua and the Assimas are football and horse racing.

Association football was introduced in the 1860s by Estmerish settlers onto the island of Imagua, and spread from there to the Assimas Islands. It quickly became popular, and is today the most popular sport on the island. The national team is the Imaguan Iguanas, and the main football league is the Imaguan Football League.

Horse racing, or in particular, thoroughbred racing, was introduced in the late eighteenth century by Governor (TBC) of Imagua, when he brought his love of the sport to the country. The Altaithe Downs was established in 1812, and over the next century, the sport gained widespread popularity on the island of Imagua, with various racecourses being established across the island. The most prestigious race is the Maiden Cup, held every March at Altaithe Downs.

Other popular sports in Imagua and the Assimas include sailing, handball, and golf.

Media

Imagua and the Assimas, despite its small population, has a robust media atmosphere.

It has many local newspapers, although the two most popular newspapers in Imagua and the Assimas, which are known as the de-facto newspapers of record are the Estmerish language Cuanstad Sentinel and the Etrurian language Gazzetta di San Pietro.

There are three television networks in Imagua and the Assimas: the public Imaguan Television Service, which broadcasts in both Estmerish and Etrurian, DayStar Television, which broadcasts exclusively in Estmerish, and Televisione delle isole, which broadcasts exclusively in Etrurian.

As of 2018, there are seventy-three licensed radio stations on the islands. The largest radio operator is the publicly run Imaguan Radio Network, which operates twenty-nine radio stations, including repeaters, while the second largest radio operator is DayStar Group, which operates twenty-six radio stations.

Holidays

Date Estmerish name Etrurian name Description
1 January New Year's Day Capodanno Celebrates the new year
12 February Memorial Day Giorno della Memoria Remembers all those who lost their lives in all wars fought by Imagua and the Assimas
Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday Venerdì Santo Commemorates the death of Jesus Sotiras
A Sunday in Spring Easter Sunday Pasqua Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Sotiras
Monday following Easter Sunday Easter Monday Pasquetta Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Sotiras
23 April Sovereignty Day Festa della sovranità Celebrates the granting of de-jure independence from Estmere in 1948
1 May Labour Day Giorno lavorativo Celebrates the achievements of the working class
Fifty days after Easter Sunday Whit Monday Lunedì di Pentecoste Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
29 June Imagua Day Giorno di Imagua Celebrates the granting of self-government by Estmere
15 August Assumption of Mary Assunzione Commemorates Mary entering Heaven alive at the end of her life
1 November All Saints' Day Giorno di Ognissanti Honours all saints
29 November Unity Day Giorno dell'Unità Commemorates the unification of the Assimas Islands with Imagua in 1946
24 December Christmas Eve Vigilia di Natale Celebrates the birth of Jesus Sotiras
25 December Christmas Day Giorno di Natale Celebrates the birth of Jesus Sotiras
31 December New Year's Eve Vigilia di Capodanno Celebrates the end of the year