New Estmere

Commonwealth of New Estmere
State
Flag
Nickname(s):  The First State (official) First in Freedom; Cradle of Liberty
Motto(s):  "Venimus, Vidimus, Prosperatur Nobis" We came, we saw, we prospered
Map of Rizealand with New Estmere in red
Country	Rizealand
Before Statehood	Colony of New Estmere
Capital (and largest city)	Portmouth
Joined Federation	February 14, 1773 (1st)
Government
• Governor	Marci Shaw (NPC-ND)
• Deputy Governor	Noah White (NPC-D)
• Legislature	New Estmere General Assembly
• Federal councillors	Appointed Lilly Carr (NPC-D) Elected Tobias Duncan (NPC-G) Oliver Russell (NPC-ND)
• Federal representatives	41 TNC (22 NRP; 10 SDP; 9 CRP) 37 NPC (19 ND; 18 G) 8 Socialists
Area
• Total	245,195.34 km2 (94,670.45 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	10,456,900
• Density	42.65/km2 (110.5/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Western)
Abbreviation	NE
ISO 3166 code	RZ-NE
Website	www.ne.gov.rzl

New Estmere, known officially as the Commonwealth of New Estmere and unofficially as "NE" or "New Est", is a state in northwestern Rizealand that is bordered by Cassier to the north, Charlotte to the northeast, Lothicania to the southeast, and the Vehemens Ocean to the south and west. New Estmere also completely surrounds the Onnohou Nation which is a landlocked entity. New Estmere has a total area of 245,195.34 square kilometers, making it the fourth largest state and political division of Rizealand. New Estmere also has a population of 10,456,900, making it the second largest state and political entity, just behind Lothicania. New Estmere's capital and largest city is Portmouth. It is also home to several other large cities including Belltown, Damesbridge, and Prudence.

Located in the northwest, New Estmere was known for its large and temperate timber forests which have since been greatly reduced due to deforestation and long periods of overlogging. New Estmere also has three large natural harbors, two mountain ranges, and is drained by the Warwick River. Its advantageous position and access to trade routes on the Vehemens Ocean have made it one of the wealthiest and most prosperous states throughout Rizealand's history, often competing with Lothicania. In addition to being one the largest and most prosperous states, New Estmere is often nicknamed the "First State" as it was the first of the United Colonies to rebel against Gaullica and the first state to join the Federation of Rizealand.

Before Euclean contact, New Estmere was inhabited by indigenous people belonging to the Onnohou and, to a lesser extent, the Winadot. After the discovery of Asteria Superior by Assim Asteris, settlers from Estmere established the Colony of New Estmere in 1578 and founded Portmouth in 1586. The colonists in New Estmere aggressively expanded into the interior of Rizealand, often fighting wars with or subjugating indigenous peoples who resisted, and Portmouth became a major seaport connecting Estmere's colonies to its imperial trade network. In 1721, New Estemere fell under the authority of Gaullica. The reduction of local autonomy, imposition of timber quotas, dominance of Catholicism, and the formation of the Province of Charlotte out of New Estmere's eastern territory sparked an independence movement that culminated in the Asterian War of Secession. John Astor first attempted to lead an unsuccessful rebellion in Portmouth before independence was officially declared on May 19, 1764 by James Chancellor. New Estmere joined the United Colonies and after independence from Gaullica was obtained, New Estmere became the first state to join the Federation of Rizealand when it ratified the Articles of Federation on February 14, 1773. In 1781, New Estmere was the location of the first indigenous reservation when the Central Assembly set aside land in the center of the state for the Onnohou, as reward for their support of the rebelling colonies during the Asterian War of Secession.

Since independence and joining the federation, New Estmere was split between agricultural and commercial interests, with wealthy merchants who ran the ports often competing with the farmers and agriculturists in the interior. While Lothicania was very urban and Fáel was a rural agricultural and mining state, the mixed economy of New Estmere led to it being a political swing state whose support would often oscillate between the more liberal and cosmopolitan interests of Lothicania and the more conservative and agrarian interests of Fáel. During the 19th century however, New Estmere began to shift towards a more industrial economy with paper mills and factories replacing farms. With the shift came an increase in urbanization and by the early 20th century, New Estmere was the industrial and manufacturing engine of the Federation. By the mid to late 20th century, there was a steady shift away from industrialization in favor of technological innovation, fueled by strong educational system in the state that was concentrated in Portmouth, Belltown, and Damesbridge. The confluence of top notch educational institutions and a developed industrial sector led to the greater Portmouth area becoming an a hub for technological innovation known colloquially as Innovalley. In modern times, the cities, educational institutions, and research facilities of New Estmere are considered leaders in advanced scientific research, ranging from computer science to medical science to engineering to environmental science.

Etymology

The Colony of New Estmere was named after Estmere, whose settlers founded it as one of the first colonies in Rizealand. Even after being captured by Gaullica, colonists still continued to refer to the region as "New Estmere." When the Colony of New Estmere declared its independence leading to the Asterian War of Secession in 1764, it became a commonwealth and kept the name "New Estmere."

Geography

New Estmere is located in northwestern Rizealand and has a total area of 245,195.34 square kilometers, making it the fourth largest state and political division of Rizealand. The highest point in New Estmere is Rutgers Peak in the Clarbagne Mountains at 2,549 meters above sea level. The lowest point is the Vehemens Ocean at 0 meters above sea level. Located on the west coast of Rizealand, New Estmere has the longest coastline out of any other state. New Estmere has four large natural harbors along its coast. The largest harbor is Portmouth Harbor in Flurland County, which is accessed by Portmouth and its greater urban area, the largest in New Estmere. Other large natural harbors include Prudence Harbor (which is accessed by Prudence), Grey Harbor (which is accessed by Belltown), and Hunt Harbor (which is accessed by Storeybrooke).

The Warwick River runs through southern New Estmere, emptying into Portmouth Harbor. One of the largest rivers in Rizealand, it forms the Warwick River Valley which includes much of the southern half of the state. The Rockford River runs through the center of the state and empties into the Warwick River. The Warwick River also has two other tributaries including the Kirkland River, which runs through the southeastern corner of the state, and the Cheratoga River, which serves as the eastern boundary between New Estmere and Charlotte. Three other rivers run through the northwestern corner of the state and empty into the Vehemens Ocean, including the Prudence River which empties into Prudence Harbor, the Kattarack River which empties into Grey Harbor, and the Darby River which empties into Hunt Harbor.

There are two mountain ranges located in New Estmere. The largest one is the Clarbagne Mountains which are located in the northeast corner of the state, straddling the borders of Cassier and Charlotte. Part of a large mountain range than extends north into Cassier, the Clarbagne Mountains are home to Rutgers Peak which is the highest point in New Estmere and serve as the origin for the Cheratoga and Warwick rivers. The Monkhill Mountains are a chain of smaller mountains located in the western half of the state, serving as the origin for the Kattarack, Prudence, and Rockford rivers. The Monkhills also cast a rain shadow over the Rockford River Valley, making it drier than the rest of the state.

Ecology

Historically, New Estmere was covered by temperate coniferous forest but today, temperate coniferous forest biomes only exist in the parks and preserves scattered throughout the state. The Clarbagne Mountains in the northeast corner of the state are covered in boreal forests. In higher elevation forests like around the Clarbagne Mountains, there are different varieties of fir trees, larch, spruce, and hemlock. At lower elevations where forests are still standing, there are different varieties of alder, birch, hackberry, dogwood, juniper, oak, ash, maple, and willow. Other plants growing in New Estmere include various ferns, elderberries, cranberries, cluster lilies, common camash, ookow, valley lilies, grass lilies, wild hyacinth, deer foot, wild grapes, bearberry, Rhododendron, mock oranges, trout lilies, peonies, and beardtounge.