Duchy of Caproney
Duchy of Caproney D'Eorlric fa de Caproney'n | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
Motto: Land of Green and Sea Land fa Grean an Sea (Caprish) | |
| Capital | Aervigh (Legislative) Gerns (Royal residence) |
| Largest city | Aervigh |
| Official languages | Caprish |
| Demonym(s) | Caprish |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Earl | Caroline I |
• Prime Minister | Ercebald Truseran |
| Legislature | Folcshus |
| Establishment | 1134 (Unification) 1806 (Republic) |
| Population | |
• Census | 193,220 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | 72,5 billion Ꭶ (€1.5 billion) |
| Currency | Caprish Shilling (scillyng, CPS, Ꭶ) |
| Time zone | CET (GMT+1) |
| Internet TLD | .cp |
Caproney, the Caproneys, the Islands of the Caproneys, or formally the Duchy of Caproney (or infrequently the Earldom of Caproney) is an island nation located in the North Sea in Northwestern Europe. It consists of an archipelago of islands in the middle of the North Sea; the island of Heligoland off the coast of Germany is also administered by Caproney. The country shares a maritime border with the United Kingdom to the west, the Netherlands to the south, Germany to the southeast, Denmark to the east, and Norway to the north. The country's official language is Caprish, with Heligolandic Frisian a secondary official language on the island of Heligoland. Caproney's largest city, Aervigh, is the nominal and legislative capital, and the second largest, Gerns, is home to the judiciary and the residence of the royal family. Caproney is a member of the European Economic Area and the Schengen Area, but not the European Union.
Caproney has a land area of 1,612 km2 and has a population of 193,220 as of January 2020.
Caroline I is the current Earl of Caproney (sometimes titled as 'Duchess' of Caproney). Ercebald Truseran has been Prime Minister (Forstealder) since 2020, replacing Fenne Bincusdotter.
Etymology
The earliest reference to the Caprish islands come from Pliny the Elder, who referred to them as ‘Septentriones Maris Insulae’, or North Sea Islands. By the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, however, the islands were referred to as ‘Insulae Caprium’, possibly referring to large populations of deer on the island or that the people had some ritual admiration of deer. The native people of the islands never referred to themselves as such, and the name ‘Capria’ only came into being following the introduction of Christianity to parts of the archipelago. In the 500s, Germanic peoples speaking a precursor of the Caprish language came to the islands, where they adapted the Roman name into ‘Capro eig’, which over time evolved into ‘Caproney’. A flood in the sixth century split the singular island of Caproney (Capria Maximum) into two, the largest being referred to ‘Capria Major’ (or ‘Great Caproney’, later Grattey) and the smaller ‘Capria Minor’ (or ‘Lesser Caproney’, later referred to as ‘Crovaney’ after the largest settlement, Crofan). An alternate folk etymology states that the name comes from the fact that the islands consist of many headlands or capes, making the islands referred to the ‘capen-eyann’, first attested in the 1400s.
History
Prehistory
The land that makes up modern Caproney was formed during the last Ice Age, when sea levels were lower and glaciers pushed south, dumping hills of moraine at their southernmost point. This vast plain in the North Sea known as Doggerland linked the island of Great Britain to mainland Europe, with its highest peaks being the rolling hills of Capria. When temperatures increased at the end of the last glacial maximum, sea levels rose and inundated all of Doggerland except for the Caprian highlands, creating the Caprish Islands.
In antiquity, Celtic peoples inhabited the islands, called by the romans the Caprii. The islands were titled Insulae Caprium or Capriae. These people were characterized by their building of round towers, burial mounds, and rituals involving deer. The Romans never came to the islands, and little is known about them in this period, as the Celts left no writing. A great flood occurred around the year 200 split the once singular island of Magna Capria in twain, forming the Ride between the new islands of Capria Major and Minor (Grattey and Crovaney respectively).
Saxon Settlement
By the fifth and sixth centuries CE, Germanic migrations spurred by the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain resulted in the arrival of Germanic peoples to the islands. According to legend, the proud tyrant king of the Britons called over the help of Saxon mercenaries (known as Hengest and Horsa according to the Venerable Bede of England) to defend against invasion, and over time Saxons continued to settle Britain, evidently making use of Caproney as a jumping off point. The Celts and these new arrivals, mainly consisting of Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians, established a multitude of squabbling petty kingdoms across the islands.
Petty Kingdoms and the Diarchy
Over the following century, the Celtic presence in the islands waned and the petty kingdoms would amalgamate until there were two dominant states, a period known as the Diarchy (Tuaricceneld). The largest of these states was set on the larger Capria Major (now Grattey) called the Kingdom of Great Caproney, and the smaller was the Kingdom of Lesser Caproney on Capria Minor (now Crovaney). Great Caproney had its kings based in the earthen castle set on a large hill by the river Y known as Gealides, which would evolve into the city of Gerns. Lesser Caproney has its capital on a rise of land along the river Cae which would become the city of Crofan. The smaller outlying islands had their own independent states and would play off of the two larger powers. Greater and Lesser Caproney were partitioned into hundreds (hunder'n), or areas comprising of a hundred families and a hundred soldiers. Each of the Sylt Islands functioned as an independent hundred capable of lending forces to another petty kingdom, while the Bredereys were more based on individual kins and clans. Due to the ease of migration between the islands and coastal areas, authority by lords could not be too harsh like in mainland Europe or Britain, as peasants could just move to a less cruel lord by boat. This led to one of the founding principles of Caprish politics, a powerful peasantry and a nobility whose authority was granted with consent from said peasantry. Such a system would evolve into the modern Folcshus.
Norse Period
Between 780 and 800, the Norse came to Caproney. As the Caprish were barely christianized at this point, there were few relics worth plundering compared to as in England. Instead of plundering as they did in England, the Norse chose to instead establish Aervigh (Ægiravík) as a stationing point for North Sea travel as well as some light settlement across the islands, most heavily concentrated in the Vigh near Aervigh and northern Crovaney. This period coincided with and is considered as part of the Danelaw (Danlagh).
The Viking presence in the vigh created a crisis for the Crofan based kingdom, leading in a brief war in 820 that resulted in a crushing Lesser Caprish defeat and the end of the diarchy. The Gerns kingdom did not assist. The king was replaced with a Danish Jarl. Seeing the damage wrought by the norse on their long time rival, the Grattey kings developed a cautious but cordial relationship with the Aervigh Jarls, eventually styling themselves as Earls (Eorlen) while maintaining their autonomy. Following the Norman and Norwegian invasion of England in 1066 and subsequent political crisis upon Harold Hardrada’s death, the Norse slowed their focus on activities in the North Sea. In 1134, the Eorlricen of Grattey and Caproney were unified by the personal union of Ercebald III, merging the houses of Aegirs and Gerns into the house of Camstun. The Duchy of the Caproneys (D’eorlric fa de Caproney’n) was born with its capital at Gerns, which would remain the sole power in the Caprish archipelago.
Hanseatic League
In 1336, Caproney joined the Hanseatic League of merchants, and began to experience increasing greater trade connections between northern German cities. Such trade was concentrated in the port city of Aervigh, though Saxhaven would also become a major port, and Gerns held a kontor. The league primarily traded timber, furs, resin (or tar), flax, honey, wheat, and rye from the east to Flanders and England with cloth (and, increasingly, manufactured goods) going in the other direction. Metal ore (principally copper and iron) and herring came southwards from Sweden. Caproney primarily exported woolen products and imported metals and lumber. The center of Hanse activity in the city of Aervigh brought about modernizations to the little changed Anglo Saxon political and economic system. Frankish style feudal society was introduced to the Caproneys. In 1349, the Black Death (Suartedod) hit Caproney. Two thirds of the population at the time perished. Throughout the Hanse period, many Caprish privateers took part in raids against rivals of the Hansa, namely the Danish and Dutch as well as pirates and privateers. Increasing pressure by England against Hanseatic trading in the Baltic Sea led in 1468 to the Anglo-Hanseatic War, fought mainly through commerce raiding and privateering. A French built warship was commissioned for the war named Ekbert von Ärwik (Eghberd fa'nAervigh) that raided English and Burgundian shipping down the English Channel as far as Ushant. In 1474 the English capitulated, establishing further Hansa kontors in England and opening Caproney to English trade and competition. Trade also increased exchanges with Italy and the Mediterranean, and ensuring the early arrival of the Renaissance in Northern Germany and Caproney. . Economic crises of the 15th century such as the Bullion Famine , coupled with the rise of regional powers like Sweden, Denmark-Norway, and the United Dutch Provinces, as well as the shutting down of the Novgorod kontor, led to the beginning of the end for the Hanseatic League. By 1666, the League was over, with Caproney's ports now reliant on general trade beyond the monopoly.
Early Modern Period
In 1530, the Earl of Caproney embraced Lutheranism, and asked Martin Luther to send his friend and colleague Johannes Bugenhagen to create a new church regularity. Bugenhagen's work created what would become the Church of Caproney (De Syerc fa de Caproney’n). The service was held in Caprish instead of Latin and the parishes elected their own pastors. In 1682 the house of Camstun, which dated back to the establishment of a unified Caproney in 1134, had gone extinct on the male line, and the title was transferred to the small Duchy of Teck (Eorlric fa Tecc) in County of Württemberg (Uoortemberg) in the southwest of modern Germany, making the Duchy of Caproney an unencircled part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Dukes of Teck seemed to not have much care for the archipelago and never visited. In the Earl's absence, the parliament in Gerns assumed defacto sole governance of the Caproneys.
In 1806, Emperor Napoleon of France declared the establishment of the Confederation of the Rhine, which included the Duchy of Teck. On the 21st of November 1806, Napoleon signed the Berlin Decree, which created a blockade between France and its Continental System and Britain. Worried at the possibility of being a target of either Napoleonic France for integration and enforcement of the Continental System or by Britain to prevent such, the Folcshus separated itself from the Duchy of Teck and deposed the Duchy, declaring the Republic of the Caproneys on the 30th of November 1806. Upon the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, Caproney was forced to return to having a monarchy, bringing an end to the short-lived Republic. To prevent further entangling of Caproney with what was to become the German Confederation, the youngest daughter of King Frederick I of Württemberg was crowned as Charlotte, Duchess Regnant of Caproney (Charlotte, Eorle fa de Caproney'n) on the 26th of April, 1816. The Caprish parliament was dissolved in 1820 by the Duchess Charlotte following disagreements regarding land reform. In 1833, following the introduction of the Zollverein or German Customs Union of states of the German Confederation, Caproney declared itself as an explicitly neutral state, a gesture made to preserve Caprish sovereignty between the new German Confederation and Britain over its stategic position and lingering concerns over the House of Württemberg-Ulfdor's allegiance to Germany.
In 1848, as revolutions sprung up across Europe, discontent among the Caprish working class and peasantry came to a head, demanding greater political rights and guaranteed work. In February 1848, an assembly was formed in Aervigh to demand for a formal constitution and male suffrage. Duke Ludouyc II, more progressive than his predecessor Charlotte, dismissed some of his ministers in favour of more liberal ones. In February 1849, the Caprish parliament was opened for the first time since 1820 to alleviate public discontentment, but it was filled mainly with conservative nobles and lords who were against major reforms. In response, several of the more liberal ealdormen left the Gerns parliament and showed up to the Aervigh assembly. When they returned later in March, they brought a petition by the Aervigh assembly and a draft of a Caprish Constitution. After a week of debate and public protests on the streets, the Constitution of the Duchy of the Caproneys was granted approval by Ludouyc II on the 14th of March 1849, which granted suffrage to all men, created a democratically elected parliament, and reduced the monarch to a figurehead role. The first democratic Caprish Folcshus elections were held between April and May, with the first prime minister (forstealder) being Peter Sondergard.
First and Second World Wars
During the lead up to the First World War (Earstuareldecrigh), Caproney was caught in the middle of two great naval powers, Great Britain and the German Empire. Since the 1860s, the Caprish government has been aware of German military ambitions. Caprish neutrality was declared back in 1833 due to concerns that siding with either Britain or Germany would lead to the other taking action and ultimately occupying the islands for their stategic position. The Anglo-German arms race starting from 1898 resulted in the construction of massive navies on either side of Caproney, with any conflict most likely being in the waters around the archipelago. In 1900, the Caprish military (Caprisce Crighsmaght) began building a series of coastal defences, sea watching towers (seeutsightstor'n), and hidden guns.
In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the thrones of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated by pan-Slavic nationalists, leading to a sudden deterioration in relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Austria-Hungary was supported by the German Empire, while Serbia had the backing of the Russian Empire. On 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which, in turn, required the mobilisation of Russia, hence of Germany, thanks to its responsibilities under the Dual Alliance. On 4 August 1914, Germany violated Belgian neutrality by invading the country to invade France, Russia's ally in the west. On 28 August 1914, the first naval battle between the British Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine, the First Battle of Heligoland Bight, occurred around the then German island of Heligoland. The North and Frisian Seas would prove to be the main theatre of the surface naval war. Britain's larger fleet could maintain a blockade of Germany, cutting it off from overseas trade and resources. Germany's fleet remained mostly in harbor behind their screen of mines, occasionally attempting to lure the British fleet into battle in the hopes of weakening them enough to break the blockade or allow the High Seas Fleet to attack British shipping and trade. The Caprish islands would often provide the backdrop for such battles, but never being involved themselves. The British were able to enforce their blockade of Germany to Caprish ports, and as such were able to have merchant vessels dock in Caprish ports; the Caprish maintained their neutrality, but the Germans just couldn't get in. The closest battle was the Second Battle of Caproney Bank on the 10th of February 1916 just north of Crovaney and the Islands of Ango and Ceortey that resulted in a German Victory. Ultimately the blockade of Germany went on to encompass the entire North Sea, and Caproney had to undergo a rationing of supplies despite not being at war. On the 11th of November, 1918, Germany signed an armistice to the Allies, ending the First World War on land, air, and sea.
The Treaty of Versailles would find Germany relinquishing control of many territories, including ceding the island of Heligoland to the Earldom of Caproney in 1919. In 1933, Adolf Hitler would become Chancellor of Germany and began a policy of pushing against the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, including demanding lost territory. On September 39, 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed, ceding the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to the German Reich in hopes that this appeasing of Hitler would stop his territorial demands. Shortly afterwards, though, the Caprish foreign secretary Adelberd Narme reported to the League of Nations that Hitler had made an offer of a 10 year non-aggression pact in exchange for the island of Heligoland. Seeing the limpness of Britain with its appeasement policy and concerns that Britain would not come to Caproney's aid if invaded, Heligoland was transferred from the Earldom of Caproney to the German Reich.
On the first of September, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, beginning the Second World War. Like in the First World War, Caproney declared itself neutral. Caproney was not directly attacked during World War II. It was, however, subject to British and German naval blockades, which led to problems with the supply of food and fuels. Caproney took in 300 Jews during the German invasions of Denmark and the Low Countries. During the war, Caprish ports became active spying grounds for both sides. The British imposed strict export controls on Caprish goods, preventing profitable shipments to Germany, as part of its naval blockade. London offered assistance to Caproney, seeking cooperation "as a belligerent and an ally", but Aervigh declined and reaffirmed its neutrality. The German diplomatic presence in Caproney, along with the island's strategic importance, alarmed the British. After a few failed attempts at persuading the Caprish government by diplomatic means to join the Allies and becoming a co-belligerent in the war against the Axis forces, the British invaded Caproney on 21 February 1941 as part of Operation Trident. The Folcshus protested, stating that Caprish sovereignty had been grossly violated. The British promised compensation, favourable business agreements, non-interference in Caprish affairs, and the withdrawal of all forces at the end of the war. Caproney would subsequently become the target of Luftwaffe bombing raids, primarily on the main Royal Navy ports of Aervigh and Saxhaven. During the war, drifting mines became a serious problem for the Caprish, as well as the Allied forces. The first Caprish Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD or EMbS, Explosifemunityesbesyccyng) personnel were trained in 1942 by the British Royal Navy to help deal with the problem. The British forces also supplied the Caprish Coast Guard (Caprisce Custuaghe) with weapons and ammunition, such as depth charges against Axis U-boats. During the war, drifting mines and German U-boats damaged and sank a number of Caprish vessels. Caproney's reliance on the sea, to provide nourishment and for trade, resulted in significant loss of life. On the 8th of May, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies, and the British occupation was terminated later that month. Caprish sovereignty was restored and the island of Heligoland was returned to Caproney.
Post-WWII History
After the war, the government, led by prime minister Eric Sondergard, embarked on a programme emphasising state financed industrialisation and co-operation between trade unions and employers' organisations. Many measures of state control of the economy imposed during the war were continued, although the rationing of dairy products was lifted in 1948. Caproney was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Eight, as opposed to the Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). Oil was discovered in Caprish maritime waters in 1970, and production began in 1975, with much of the revenues of the state run CaprishOil Corporation (Caprisceol) going to fund a sovereign wealth fund called the RR or Ricsrente. In 1973, along with Britain, Ireland, and Denmark, Caproney joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public referendum. The Maastricht Treaty, which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Caprish people in 1992, with Caproney remaining outside the European Union when established in 1993. The centre-left Social Democrats (Socialdemocratisce Parti) led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model, largely funded by oil extraction. The Liberal Party (de Liberal'n) and the conservative People's Party (Folcesparti) have also led centre-right governments.
21st Century
In 2010, the incumbent Liberals lost to a coalition of the Social Democrats and Labour, making Cippye Peppersten the first female Prime Minister of Caproney. In 2012 she was followed by Labour leader Fenne Bincusdotter. In 2016, Caproney signed onto the Paris Climate Accord, and has agreed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. In 2020, the incumbent government was unseated by a coalition of the Liberals and Folcesparti led by Ercebald Truseran. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, CaprisceOl has increased the pumping and export of natural gas to Europe amid Russian sanctions and gas cutoffs, despite previous plans of slowing production.
Government
Caproney is described as a "full democracy," with a parliamentary democracy headed by a prime minister. The Monarch of Caproney, the Earl, is a non-sovereign monarch who is recognised with limited symbolical roles within the constitutional framework of the parliamentary system. The Earl has no power besides that of an ambassador or spokesperson, a vestige of when they spent more time in Germany until 1816, leaving the islands in a state of benevolent negligence. The Earl serves as a symbolic figurehead, while actual political power is held by the Folcshus, a parliamentary institution.
The Folcshus is a unicameral legislature comprising of 61 representatives (ealdermen) elected from across the nine amts using a proportional representative model. In 2008 a referendum passed which changed the distribution of the Folcshus from being based on the 61 hundreds to proportional representation due to demographic changes and urbanisation. The Majority party or coalition of parties appoints the prime minister (forstealder) who is the head of government.
Administrative divisions
Caproney is divided into nine amts (amten, equivalent to a county or shire), which are further divided into 61 hundreds (hunder'n, equivalent to townships). Hundreds historically were areas that could support 120 families or soldiers, but most modern hundreds hold many more as their population changed. The cities of Aervigh, Gerns, and Saxhaven comprise of two or more hundreds. Additionally, the island of Heligoland acts as its own hundred outside of any amt.
| Amt
(County) |
Administrative
Centre |
Most Populous
Municipality |
Geographical
Region |
Total
Area |
Population | Folcshus
Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Crovania
|
Crofan | Aervigh | Crovaney | 386 km² | 42,229 | 14 (23%) |
 Norhelm
|
Doher | Doher | Crovaney | 284 km² | 15,274 | 5 (8%) |
 Cenyngs
|
Gerns | Gerns | East Grattey | 588 km² | 54,125 | 17 (28%) |
 Saxland
|
Saxhaven | Saxhaven | East Grattey | 218 km² | 22,714 | 7 (11%) |
 Sufrisce
|
Eacstun | Eacstun | West Grattey | 198 km² | 10,746 | 3 (5%) |
 Folland
|
Folstham | Folstham | West Grattey | 185 km² | 16,712 | 5 (8%) |
 Doarn
|
Lenf | Littum | West Grattey | 112 km² | 8,913 | 3 (5%) |
 Sylteys
|
Hafen up Sarc | Hafen up Sarc | Northern Islands | 134 km² | 13,477 | 4 (7%) |
 Brendereys
|
Hoccum | Cghobren | Northern Islands | 115 km² | 7,511 | 2 (3%) |
 Heligoland
|
N/A | N/A | Heligoland | 2.56 km² | 1,307 | 1 (2%) |
Foreign relations
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Caproney is a full member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and has a special agreement with the European Union (EU), it also has observer status at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Caproney maintained its membership in the European Economic Area (EEA), an arrangement granting the country access to the internal market of the Union, on the condition that Caproney implements the Union's pieces of legislation which are deemed relevant.
The Caprish Prime Minister Ercebald Truseran attended the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague in October 2022.
Military
The military of the Duchy of Caproney is the Caprisce Crigsmaght, which comprises of three branches, the Infantry (Lager), Coast Guard (Custuaghe), and Airforce (Loftmaght). The Crigsmaght has 800 active personel with 12,000 fit for military service. Caproney has conscription, however, due to less need for conscripts after the Cold War ended, few people have to serve if they are not motivated. The Armed Forces are subordinate to the Caprish Ministry of War (Caprisce Crigsministrye).
Geography
The Duchy of Caproney comprises of the entirety of the Caprish archipelago, a group of 33 islands located in the center of the North Sea, approximately half way between the island of Great Britain, the German coast, and the Jutland peninsula. Additionally, the island of Heligoland, only 63 kilometres from the German coast and 170 from the rest of Caproney, is administered by Caproney. The Caprish islands, excluding Heligoland, are grouped into four regions, Grattey, Crovaney, the Sylteys, and the Brendereys.
Much of the Caproneys used to be tidal wetlands interspersed with higher ground. What used to be a muddy landscape, flooding at high tide and reappearing at low tide, became a series of small man-made hills called 'ums' (umen) that stayed dry at all times. The people of these lands would later connect the hills by creating dikes, which led to a chain of dry land that later grew into bigger islands and gave the archipelago its current shape. The shape of the islands has changed over time at the hands of both people and nature.
The island of Grattey is the largest in the archipelago and is also the most populous. It was once known as Capria Major or Great Caproney. Grattey is home to the historic capital of the Caprish state before the 19th century and the residence of royal family in the city of Gerns on the eastern half of the island. Further west is the city of Camstun in the center of the island, and the pilgrimage town of Nime (Nimenum). On the far western tip of Grattey is the port town of Littum, which is more culturally considered part of the Brenderey’n. On the eastern coast of the island is the port city of Saxhaven (Seghshafen). In the south of the island of Grattey are great cliffs of chalk and limestone some 60 meters high, and the further north you go, the lower and flatter the land gets, until it dissolves into the sea as wetlands, mudflats, and islands that just south could have been rolling hills. The highest point in the Caproneys is Folberg, at only 86 metres above sea level. Grattey is separated from Crovaney by The Ride (de Reyde), a deep channel cutting through the otherwise shallow water and mudflats of the northern side of the island.
Crovaney is the second largest island, home to the administrative capital and largest city of Aervigh. Besides the inland city of Crofan, most of the population of the island is concentrated in the Aervigh metropolitan area, an area called the Vigh (from ‘vík’, the norse word for bay). The Vigh is a natural harbour formed by the mouth of the river Y and the Angey peninsula, whose cliffs mirror those of southern Grattey. More diminutive cliffs follow the rest of the eastern side of the island before terminating at the northern village of Arm, with the rest of the coast being gentle slopes.
The Syltey’n are a group of four main islands west of Crovaney; Sarcey, Pitley, Afey, and Norum. They are low and sandy in composition, part of a system of ridges that continues on the island of Crovaney (such as the peninsula Salem is on). The northern beaches of these islands are a popular tourist destination, and ferry services to the main islands are frequent.
The Brenderey’n are a group of many smaller islands to the northwest of Grattey. Unlike the Syltey’n, they are more rocky, having been eroded more by their prominent position to North Sea storms. The Brenderey’n were the last holdouts of the pre-Germanic Caprian people, many place names retaining Celtic names, such as the largest island of Cghobren. The main industry in the Brenderey’n is fishing far into the North Sea. There are few ferry services to the mainland, contributing to their isolation and conservatism.
Helgoland is a small island in the German Bight 170 kilometers away from the rest of the country. It is home to a bird sanctuary and a tourism industry. It is notable for having no trees on the island, and for its towering red cliffs that are an anomaly in the Frisian Sea.
Economy
Caproney has a developed mixed economy that is classed as a high income economy by the World Bank. Once a predominantly agricultural economy, Caproney has expanded its industrial and service industries since the end of the Second World War. Major industries include oil and natural gas, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, medical equipment, shipbuilding, and food processing.
The soil of the Caproneys is generally very fertile, with nearly all usable land being dedicated to agriculture. Over 90% of this agricultural land is dedicated to grazing sheep or cattle, with cereal grains comprising about 5%. Fishing has declined in importance, but some regions such as the Brendereys remaining heavily dependent on fishing, with a total of about 1% of the population working in the industry. The main method of fishing is with trawlers. Traditional sectors of the economy export beef, cheese, beer, wool, fish, and other seafood.
Tourism has become a sizable industry, with visitors flocking to the broad white sandy beaches and quaint villages.
Sitting in the middle of the North Sea, Caproney has exclusive access to nearly half of the known oil and natural gas fields in the region, beating out the United Kingdom and second only to Norway. Despite this, Caproney has been slow to exploiting these reserves, as it refuses foreign companies from drilling in Caprish waters, and thus had to finance such ventures with public funds. Caprish oil and natural gas has been harvested by the CaprishOil Corporation (Caprisceol) since 1975, with most of the revenues of its export going to fund the Ricsrente, the country's sovereign wealth fund. Following the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Russian gas imports, Caproney has increased production to meet demand, reaching an all time record of 80 billion cubic metres of natural gas exports valued at 67.5 billion shillings.
Caproney is part of the European Free Trade Area and Schengen Area, but not the European Union nor the Eurozone. Caproney’s currency, the Caprish Shilling (scillyng, CPS, Ꭶ) is pegged at exactly 5Ꭶ to the Euro through ERM II. The Caprish shilling is the last non-decimal currency in the world, with one shilling (scillyng) made up of twelve pence (pennyngen), making a Caprish penny worth €0.12. Caprish 5Ꭶ coins have been found throughout the Eurozone due to its resemblance to the one euro coin.
Climate
The Islands of Caproney has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), characterized by mild winters and cool summers. Since there is no large land mass in the vicinity, temperatures only occasionally drop below 0 °C (32 °F) in the winter.
| Climate data for Aervigh International Airport (1981–2010 normals, (sunshine 1961–1990), extremes 1952-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.1 (82.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.7 (62.1) |
12.9 (55.2) |
28.7 (83.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
4.1 (39.4) |
5.8 (42.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
13.1 (55.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
16.9 (62.4) |
13.3 (55.9) |
9.2 (48.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
7.7 (45.9) |
4.6 (40.3) |
9.8 (49.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.4 (34.5) |
2.7 (36.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
8.1 (46.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.7 (12.7) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 58.4 (2.30) |
42.5 (1.67) |
49.5 (1.95) |
33.9 (1.33) |
41.6 (1.64) |
54.4 (2.14) |
63.6 (2.50) |
79.7 (3.14) |
87.4 (3.44) |
87.0 (3.43) |
78.9 (3.11) |
67.5 (2.66) |
744.4 (29.31) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 46.5 | 79.1 | 120.9 | 177.0 | 241.8 | 237.0 | 223.2 | 220.1 | 147.0 | 99.2 | 54.0 | 40.3 | 1,686 |
Culture
National Symbols
Both the flag and coat of arms of the Duchy of Caproney comprise of five stripes of red and four stripes of white alternating at a diagonal angle. The nine stripes represent the nine Hundreds of the Caproneys. The red recalls the tale of Saint Egbert of Nime (Yghberd fa Nimenum d'Hallye), who, bound in leather straps, was drenched in the blood of his fellow Christians as Vikings invaded his monastery, leaving only diagonal stripes of pure white after. While the diagonal striped design existed in the form of heraldry since the middle ages, the current flag was adopted in 1919 in a style similar to the 1897 flag of Friesland. The coat of arms are supported by two green wyverns (lindwrm'n), and is topped by a the ducal crown of the Earl of Caproney.
White clover, or Trifolium repens, is the national plant, dating back to Saint Egbert of Nime in a story that parallels that of Ireland's Saint Patrick, using the clover to represent the Holy Trinity.
Symbols believed to predate the Friso-Saxon arrival include the Moansun, or moon-sun, a combination of a crescent moon and stars on one side and a sun with rays on the other forming a continuous circle, and the Claddaghester, or Star of the Claddagh, an eight pointed star formed from two overlaid and rotated squares.
Det Fyrdedingen, or 'The Four Things', are a traditional series of repetitive patterning found throughout Caproney, especially in woodworking, embroidery, and fabrics. Common symbols used in the Fyrdedingen are the ducal crown, clover, Claddaghester, and the Moansun.
Sport
Caproney has competed in every biennial Island Games since they were established in 1985 as the only sovereign nation. The games were hosted by the islands in 2003 at Hafen up Sarc. The next Island Games are to be held in 2023 in Guernsey.
One iconic traditional sport is Caprish Handball (Todar, cognate of Old English þoþor, ball), played with a hard leather ball, and with scoring similar to tennis.
Football is by far the biggest sport on the island, with around 8000 registered players out of a population of 193,320. There are ten football clubs that compete in the Caprish Premiere League (Capriscearelige, CEL). The Caproneys are a full member of UEFA and the Caprish national football team competes in the UEFA European Football Championship qualifiers. Caproney is also a full member of FIFA and therefore the Caprish National football team also competes in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Caproney qualified for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. They managed to finish third in a group which included Argentina, and tasted their first victory thanks to a 3–1 win over Iran. Nigeria pipped Caproney for second place in the group with a 1–0 win. They haven't appeared in FIFA since.
Caproney participated in their first Olympic games in 1936 and every Olympics since 1984 (excepting Tokyo 2023 due to the team catching COVID-19). No Caprish competitor has ever won an Olympic medal.
Uadeuanderyng, or mudflat hiking, is a common recreational activity, using the low tide to walk along the exposed seabed, often across islands. If weather conditions are right, the Grattey Marathon, which normally terminates at Ulfdor, continues to the island of Hoccum across the mudflat.
Cuisine
Traditional Caprish food is based mainly on meat, seafood, grain, potatoes, and other fresh vegetables. Caprish culinary traditions show the influence of long seafaring and farming traditions, with salmon (fresh and cured), herring (pickled or marinated), trout, codfish, and other seafood, beef, mutton and lamb, balanced by cheeses (such as henselsyeas), dairy products, and breads (predominantly dark/darker).
Caproney is known for having a distinct, if waning, tea culture involving the use of unmixed cream and rock sugar sweetener (clontye).
Demographics
Caproney has a population of 193,220 people as of the 2020 census. Caproney has one of the older populations in the world, with a median age of 42.5 years. Despite a declining birth rate, the population is growing by 0.7% a year through immigration and increasing longevity.
Caproney does not gather data on ethnicity. 85% of Caprish citizens are of Caprish origin, 10% are of immigrant origin, and 5% are descendant from immigrants. The most common countries of origin to Caproney are Turkey, Poland, Germany, Syria, Iraq, Romania, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The first inhabitants of the Caprish islands were likely the descendants of pre-Indo-Europeans of Doggerland who remained when the rest of the landmass sank following the last Glacial Maximum. At some point, the population was replaced by a Celtic culture, a version of which was probably documented by the Romans as the Caprii. By the fifth and sixth centuries, Anglo-Saxon migrations to Britain following the Roman withdrawal resulted in the settlement of Germanic peoples in the Caprish islands. In the 800s, the Norse came to the islands, leaving an admixture of people of Norse ancenstry mainly on the island of Crovaney. In 1349, the Black Death led to two thirds of the population of the islands perishing. The population of the islands never exceeded 15,000 until the 19th century with the advent of deep sea fishery and general progress in health service. During the Second World War and the British Occupation of Caproney, many women married Allied soldiers and subsequently gave birth to children, many of whom bore the patronymic 'Hysson' or 'Hysdotter' (his [Allied soldier] son/daughter), or have English surnames.
The Caprish population was and continues to be spread out fairly evenly across the islands, with urbanisation only coming to be around the turn of the twentieth century. Come the 1900s, industrialisation and increased trade attracted people from the countryside to the existing urban centres of Gerns, Aervigh, and Saxhaven, as well as forming new towns around central villages such as Camstun and Folstham. The largest urban area is the Vigh, forming a continual band of towns and suburbs centred around Aervigh. The vast majority of population growth in Caproney has been in these more urban regions around the Ride region, while more peripheral agricultural areas (D'Uterlander'n) are becoming older and smaller. The Brendereys are the region most heaviest hit by population decline, followed by Doarn, Sufrisce, and Norhelm, as well as the farther islands of the Sylteys. In recent decades, the village-based social structure has given way to a rise in interconnected borgen (centres) that are better able to provide goods and services than the badly connected periphery. Shops and services are relocating en masse from the villages into the centres, and slowly but steadily the Caprish population is concentrating in and around the centres.
Language
Caprish is the de facto national language of Caproney. Heligoland Frisian (Halunder) is a recognized minority language on Helgoland. Both Caprish and Heligolandic belong to the West Germanic language family along with English, German, and Dutch. Specifically they are Ingvaeonic languages, a subfamily of West Germanic that includes English and the Frisian languages. Heligolandic is a dialect of North Frisian spoken on the Frisian coast of Germany and Denmark. German is also spoken on Helgoland, but does not have official status.
A large majority of Caprish speak English as a second language at 70%, generally with a high level of proficiency. German is the second most spoken foreign language at 40%.
Religion
Prior to the introduction of Christianity, the Caprish practiced a form of Anglo-Saxon pre-christian religion referred to by later Christians as 'haedendom' or heathenism, though actual practitioners had no name for it themselves. Caprish paganism was a polytheistic belief system, focused around a belief in deities known as the Ese (Norse Æsir). The most prominent of these deities was probably Uodan; other prominent gods included Dunor and Tyu. The deities of this religion provided the basis for the names of the days of the week in the Caprish language. What is known about the religion and its accompanying mythology have since influenced both literature and Modern Paganism.
Christian missionaries came to the Caproneys throughout the sixth through ninth centuries, most notably Saint Egbert of Nime circa 660. The story of the Christianisation of Caproney is told in the Kæpryinga saga written around the year 900 in Denmark, which tells the tale of Fardar the Geat going on a quest to convert the islands to Christianity. Conversion of the Caprish isles proved difficult, due to the insular geography and lack of a powerful central authority. The Kingdom of Great Caproney converted to Christianity in the year 800, and Lesser Caproney in 884. The Sylteys converted varyingly during the eighth century, while some places in the Brendereys continued to practice paganism up until the twelth century.
Christianity is the dominant religion in the Caproneys. 63% of the population is a member of a denomination of Christianity. 50% of the population is a nominal member of the Church of the Caproneys (De Syerc fa de Caproney’n), the officially established church, which is Lutheran in orientation. 3% consider themselves Catholic, and a remaining 10% belong to other denominations such as Eastern Orthodox or Protestant denominations. Membership percentage has been in decline for decades, with only 3% regularly attending Sunday services. Many members of the Church of Caproney are in fact irreligious. Besides nominal church membership, 40% of Caprish consider themselves nonreligious. 4% of the population practice Islam. Jews make up less than 1% of the population.