Republic of Arenland
Republic of Arenland Arenland | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Capital | Arenkau |
| Official languages | Arenish, English |
| Recognised regional languages | Oritan, Hulgar, Nitobryn |
| Demonym(s) | Arenoran |
| Government | Unicameral republic |
• Premier | Samuel Innibar |
| Legislature | Renarstad |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 9,954,234 |
| Currency | Nero |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | 115 |
Arenland, officially the Republic of Arenland is an island nation situated in the far north east of the Nortuan mainland. It is a founding member and Federal Subject of the Commonwealth of Arenor. Its own capital Arenkau serves as the seat of government of the Commonwealth and houses many foreign embassies and government agencies.
The first Arenlandic civilizations emerged within the fertile crescent of the Arenkau Gulf, establishing permanent settlements on the site of today's Arenkau where the calm waters allowed them to build and launch boats for fishing and raiding. These civilizations collectively became known as the Arakuntu. In 987, the Arakantu under the First Ishlantor Arren the Great united the Five Islands to repel an invasion of foreign militias. Arren's rule established many enduring precedents and oversaw the transition of the Arakuntu from hunter-gatherers into a feudal society that became the Kingdom of Arenland. The nation, under the House of Integard saw a period of decline during the first 2 centuries of the Great Arenoran Seesaw, losing two wars to the rivaling Kingdom of Oritanth which cost the kingdom prestige and influence within the Arenoran domain. The late 1600s saw rampant poverty, economic decline and internal strife spread across the kingdom. Aiming to combat the rising number of bandits, highwaymen and criminal organizations, numerous villages and townships established private militias and communes, which in time sparked the normalization of ideals such as liberty, justice and self-determination. Many of these militias developed their own laws, politics and legislation often contravening royal decree. In 1486, six militias of the South Kurnow region declared their intention to cease tax payments, sparking the Kurnow Revolution that led to the overthrow of the monarchy. Fearful of the spread of anti-royalist sentiment, the Kingdom of Oritanth declared the Third Arenland-Oritanth War and invaded Arenland to restore the monarchy. The War was critical in Arenland's history as it helped unite the various militias to repel a common enemy and shape a national identity fragmented by civil war and strife, further captured in contemporary music and art by the activities of revolutionary units like the Kurnow Brigade and the Charlie Militia] which helped to repel the Oritanthan invaders. Arenland emerged from the conflict as a stable democracy.
History
18th-19th Centuries
Post-war period
Arenland's settlement in the Second Arenland-Oritanth War, while paraded as a victory by the royal government, had massive political ramifications. The royal coffers had been exhausted to fund the deployment of royal troops and Shaltenkuut mercenaries against Oritanth. The willingness of the monarchy to settle a treaty was perceived as a sign of weakness by the Arenlandic population, particularly in agriculture-heavy provinces like Kurnow and Mckay where heavy conscriptions depleted local labour pools, creating hardships for the local workers, and many young men ultimately never returned home to their families, sparking local resentment against the authorities. Returning soldiers spoke of their frustration against their commanders and the terrible state of the Arenlandic army, cultivating in the youth an ingrained lack of respect for royal authority.
To pay off its post-war debts, Parliament ratified the National Levy Act 1608 installing duty and taxes on most major goods across the country. Among them was a 2% grain levy installed on all farm to market sales on agricultural products including grain, barley and timber, all key industries of the provinces within Arenland's agricultural heartlands known as the Agro Belt: South Kurnow, Mckay, Cotrell and Kernahan.