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Sol
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« on: March 10, 2023, 05:41:44 PM »

Hi folks! I thought it might be fun to do a game where we each get a realistic fictional country on a continent on Earth, where we can then react to current events, both in real life and in each others' countries. Considering it a collective worldbuilding excercise.

We did a game like this on AAD back in the day called AADworld, which was quite fun. Hopefully with a smaller canvas it should be even more enjoyable and dynamic.

Would y'all be interested in this? If so, let me know if there are particular regions of the world where you'd suggest situating the continent and I can mock up the map.
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Kuumo
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« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2023, 12:12:54 PM »

This sounds fun. Would the continent be a real continent like Africa or Europe or a fantasy continent like a landmass in the middle of the Indian Ocean or a complete fantasy continent like Middle Earth or Westeros?
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2023, 02:18:04 PM »

This sounds fun! I love fictional maps as you know.

If we can have fictional landmasses I would suggest a continent in the subtropical part of the Atlantic (either northern or southern).
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« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2023, 04:42:15 PM »

Consider me interested!
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2023, 04:43:45 PM »

Sign me up.
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Continential
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« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2023, 04:45:11 PM »

Sounds interesting!
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Sol
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« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2023, 07:40:26 PM »

This sounds fun. Would the continent be a real continent like Africa or Europe or a fantasy continent like a landmass in the middle of the Indian Ocean or a complete fantasy continent like Middle Earth or Westeros?

The second one!

I think the specific location depends a lot on whether people want, for lack of a better term, "new world" or "old world" countries--i.e. places which were historically settler colonies or not. What do you all want?

Either way, I'll start drafting up a map.
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« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2023, 07:42:55 PM »

This sounds fun. Would the continent be a real continent like Africa or Europe or a fantasy continent like a landmass in the middle of the Indian Ocean or a complete fantasy continent like Middle Earth or Westeros?

The second one!

I think the specific location depends a lot on whether people want, for lack of a better term, "new world" or "old world" countries--i.e. places which were historically settler colonies or not. What do you all want?

Either way, I'll start drafting up a map.
Do your best!
I'm interested in seeing what you come up with.
Personally I would prefer new world style countries; AADworld was old world style, iirc.
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Sol
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« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2023, 07:43:30 PM »

This sounds fun. Would the continent be a real continent like Africa or Europe or a fantasy continent like a landmass in the middle of the Indian Ocean or a complete fantasy continent like Middle Earth or Westeros?

The second one!

I think the specific location depends a lot on whether people want, for lack of a better term, "new world" or "old world" countries--i.e. places which were historically settler colonies or not. What do you all want?

Either way, I'll start drafting up a map.
Do your best!
I'm interested in seeing what you come up with.

Haha temper your expectation--I'm not a great mapmaker!
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2023, 07:44:20 PM »

Haha temper your expectation--I'm not a great mapmaker!
Feel free to ask me for help if needed. Or even, I could make the map if you so want me to.
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LAKISYLVANIA
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« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2023, 09:42:31 PM »

Signing up
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GoTfan
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« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2023, 01:51:18 AM »

I'm in.
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Sol
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« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2023, 12:01:43 PM »

Here is the continent!

Here's a rough topographical map and a climate map, for reference as you're claiming countries. (Sorry for the low quality).



The west coast mountains are high, like the Rockies or Andes, and are the result of subduction. (Much of the west coast has a lower coast range and and higher inland range, like California or the PNW). The southeast mountains are low and ancient mountains like the Urals or Appalachians.


Blue=tropical forest or savannah
Red=Desert
Orange=Semiarid
Yellow=Mediterranean
Dark Green=Oceanic
Light Green=Subtropical (think SE China or Southern USA)
Purple=Continental
Teal=Taiga
White=Tundra
Gray=Highlands

Location-wise, the continent is in the south Atlantic, and runs from the equator to roughly the 56th parallel, roughly equidistant between Africa and South America. It was historically settled by Native Americans who crossed over between NW Brazil and the top of the continent during the Ice Age, and it has a similar history to the Americas--so in making your countries you should be taking cues from there.

And here are the borders (I have a version with rivers if you need it).



This is irl + a real continent, not an althist--so try to make sure your country is both realistic and doesn't interrupt actual history.

Have at it!
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Sol
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« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2023, 01:41:29 PM »
« Edited: March 19, 2023, 02:25:02 PM by Sol »

Here's my country, aka 18.

Name: The People's Republic of Isallo
Capitol: Zoen Wala
Largest City: Wijnrood
Official Languages: Dutch, Isallish (indigenous language), Moegpoelpeloe (indigenous language)
Population: 66,278,544
Ethnic Groups: European (50%), Mixed-race (20%), Indigenous (30%)
Overview: Isallo is a mid-sized economy located in the far southwest of the Atlas continent. It's a presidential democracy.

Isallo is notable for its highly fragmented and heterogeneous political scene--a bit like Argentina if it had Israel's political system. It's similar to the Southern cone countries as well in terms of human development. Major industries include technology, logging, hydropower, and light industry. Economic development has long been hampered by ill-thought out regulation.

Geopolitically, although it was never officially a Communist state, Isallo had a long flirtation with the USSR's side during the cold war, as well as a long history of meddling in the politics of neighboring states.
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« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2023, 01:49:41 PM »
« Edited: March 12, 2023, 06:26:15 PM by Kuumo »

I’ll take country number 5.

Name: Republic of Jahandir
Capital: Kounurakat
Largest City: Kounurakat
Population: 54,672,924
Official Languages: Arabic, Malinke, Kighanju (tropical forest natives), Rehousi (desert natives)
Ethnic Composition: Berber (55%), Mandinka (28%), Kighanju (6%), Lebanese (4%), Rehousi (3%), Hausa (2%), Sephardi (2%)
Religions: Sunni Islam (77%), Shi'a Islam (6%), Indigenous religions (6%), Christianity (4%), Judaism (2%), none (5%)

History: The first settlers of Jahandir came from an expedition sent by Mansa Muhammad of the Mali Empire in 1312. After the first voyage, the new emperor Mansa Musa funded additional voyages to establish trade posts along the coastline and further explore the interior of the continent. At the end of Mansa Musa's reign, the city of Kounarakat was established at the Gharanjumu river delta.

Following the end of the Reconquista and the Alhambra Decree in Spain, many of the Muslim and Sephardic residents of the Iberian peninsula emigrated to Jahandir with the encouragement of the Mansa.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Mali Empire in west Africa in the 1670s, a prince of the ruling Keita dynasty fled to Kounarakat and declared himself Mansa Maghan I of Jahandir. Over the next century, rising ethnic tensions between the Mandinka ruling class and the now-majority Berbers culminated in the overthrow of the Keita dynasty by the ethnic Berber general Tariq ibn Rashid in 1790, whose Tariqid dynasty would rule until the Jahandi Revolution in 1924. Following the revolution, Jahandir was led by a series of authoritarian presidents aligned with the United States during the Cold War. Current human development, secularism, and press freedom are similar to modern Turkey.

Economy: Jahandir's economy is primarily based on agriculture and mining.
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afleitch
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« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2023, 02:07:20 PM »
« Edited: March 12, 2023, 03:02:06 PM by afleitch »

15.

Name: Democratic Republic of Meisel
Capital: Dunedin
Largest City: Dunedin
Official Languages: English, Dutch, Danish/Norwegian
Population: 15,835,000
Ethnic Groups: Predominantly European. Scottish, Ulster ancestry dominates. Alongside Dutch (from 18th centrury settlement) and Norwegian, from early 20th century invitation.

Overview: Nominally Socialist in it's constitution; has regular 'mostly free' elections.

Most of the population is located on the northern west coast. Discovered by the Dutch it became a British colony until independence in 1921 after Syndicalist riots. Part of the 'non aligned' movement after WW2, in recent years the country has liberalised (think if the GDR had survived by shifting to leftist green Eurocommunism). The People's Chamber is a loose association of party groups and interest groups with power devolved to regions. Similar economy/climate etc to Finland, with logging and mining heavy formally heavy in the south, now superseded by hydroelectric and wind power, plus tundra extraction exportable to other southern countries near 'the Bay.'
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S019
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« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2023, 02:43:04 PM »

I’d like to join if it isn’t too late
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Continential
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« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2023, 03:07:58 PM »

I'll take land number 1.

Name: Johnsberg
Capital: Johnsberg
Largest City: Palmer
Official Languages: English
Unofficial Languages: Johnsberg Hindustani/Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Abas (indigenous language), Creole
Population: 5,421,073
Ethnic Groups:
36% South Asian
  • 13% Hindustani
  • 8% Telugu
  • 6% Bengali
  • 4% Malayalam
  • 3% Tamil
  • 2% Other
19% British/Anglo
17% Black Johnsbergian
  • 12% Speak English
  • 4% Speak Johnsbergian Creole
  • 1% Speak another language
16% Multiracial
9% Other European/Middle Eastern
  • 5% Middle Eastern
  • 3% Western European
  • 1% Eastern European
2% Indigenous Abasian
1% Other Asian


Overview: to be written
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2023, 04:04:32 PM »

I take number 6.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2023, 04:19:35 PM »

I am very happy to take country 19. Two coasts, a large Mediterranean climate area and mountains! I will add details later.
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OBD
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« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2023, 04:40:50 PM »
« Edited: March 20, 2023, 10:51:09 PM by Buehler-Kotek Voter 🇺🇦 »

I'll claim country 16 if possible. Details forthcoming.

Name: Fraser Republic
Capital: Fraseria
Largest City: Birch Bay
Official Language: English, Spanish, Chinese
Other Languages: Vietnamese, Indigenous tongues
Population: 12,077,016
Demographics: European (32%), Chinese (16%), Latino (16%), Other Asian (11%), Black (10%), Vietnamese (7%), Other (6%), Indigenous (2%)
President: Guy Huang (Liberal)
Prime Minister: Alexis Hazeltine (Liberal)

History:

The Fraser Republic began life as a small, isolated, but prosperous, British colony, situated on the southern trade route and serving as a link between nearby British colonies (South Africa, the Falklands, even western Australia). Fraser Colony steadily grew into the 20th Century through an economy based on agriculture and trade. Beginning in the 1930s, Fraser Colony became a settling point for the Chinese diaspora, with local leaders seeking increased immigration to combat economic stagnation. Following the fall of the KMT, this flow would only increase, as family members made the journey to Fraser and the fledgling nation's government sought to bolster its industry by aggressively recruiting skilled and unskilled immigrants alike.

After formally gaining independence (peacefully) following World War II, the Fraser Republic continued to build its reputation as a nation of immigrants. As a relatively stable and democratic nation with a firm open-door policy, many refugees from dictatorial regimes in South America and Asia sought refuge in Fraser. Consequently, the Fraser Republic is quite diverse, and due to relatively liberal attitudes among earlier white European settlers, is (mostly) racially depolarized. Population growth, explosive in the mid-1900s, has begun to level off as more recent governments fearful of overpopulation have imposed immigration restrictions.

The Fraser Republic's capital is Fraseria, a coastal planned city built in the 1970s between Birch Bay and Port Currie. Fraseria is an extremely affulent, modern city, where the nation's economic and political power players live. Accordingly, Fraseria is also quite exclusive, with few allowed to move from other counties to the Fraseria Administrative District.

Birch Bay, the beating heart of Fraseria, is a large, diverse city of 6 million situated on the Fraser Republic's southern coast. A truly global city, Birch Bay is a nexus of international trade and commerce. While not as dense as some Asian cities, Birch Bay's center is still heavily populated, with newer residential districts ringing the main port area. Birch Bay's growth can primarily be attributed to immigration - the city is full of thriving ethnic districts, and is often referred to as the 'melting pot of Fraser'.

Port Currie, situated on the North Coast, is the other major city in the Fraser Republic. A small metropolis of just over a million, Port Currie is the historical capital of the Fraser Republic - however, the desire of the local population to avoid mass immigration led to Birch Bay, rather than Port Currie, becoming the megacity of the Republic. Accordingly, Port Currie is significantly quieter and more European in character - remaining majority white until nearly 2000 - and many residents look upon the chaos of Birch Bay with disdain. That said, it is a major trade hub between the Fraser Republic and the southern coast of neighboring Azurela, preventing it from becoming completely eclipsed in importance by Birch Bay.

The Republic's small rural population either live along the coastal plain between the three major cities, or in the mountains that skirt the Fraser Republic to the north and west. The remaining agricultural regions in Fraser lie in the fertile plains between the cities - while the Republic imports most of its food, the lightly populated agricultural regions still produce wheat, livestock, and most importantly for tourism, wine. These plains are dotted with small towns, and increasingly, exurban settlements - a development that has rankled rural inhabitants, who have worked tirelessly to limit the sprawl of Birch Bay. Recently, the coast north of Birch Bay has become a fast-growing resort area - the Fraser Republic's Gold Coast. The mountains are home to the few concentrated indigenous settlements that remain - the Fraser Republic, due to its southerly position, was rarely settled by indigenous populations. Historic mining settlements can also be found in the mountains - while mostly shuttered, minerals required to support the Fraser Republic's ever-growing demand for advanced technology have renewed interest in the region.

Today, the Fraser Republic's economy is based off of a strong technology sector, as well as trade and tourism, often compared to Hong Kong and Singapore (thanks to the large Asian diaspora, which makes up a plurality of the Fraser Republic's population). Notably, many English-speaking tours to Antarctica operate through the Fraser Republic, and the nation has historically been a base for Antarctic exploration. GDP per capita is roughly $70,000 - Fraser has a burgeoning, wealthy middle class, but also an increasingly discontented underclass thanks to a low minimum wage and a tax code that heavily favors the wealthy.

The Fraser Republic is staunchly capitalist, and immigrants also brought a significant splash of social conservatism - while American-style evangelical Christian politics are a nonfactor in the secular Fraser Republic, attempts to protect LGBTQ+ rights in the nation's Constitution only succeeded in 2019 after a brutal, decade-long political battle. However, progressivism is on the rise, fueled by discontent among younger, poorer Fraserians.

Democracy in the Fraser Republic is functional and fair, but has generally attracted little interest due to the similarities between the two major parties. Traditionally, the Fraser Republic has a two-party system - the centrist Liberal Party and center-right Republican Party, with both parties favoring deregulation and measures to keep economic growth strong. Since the 1980s, the Republican Party has backed immigration controls, creating the most salient wedge between the parties. However, in recent years, the progressive Fraser Coalition has become a political force, though they remain in third place in the Fraser Republic's unicameral Parliament and have remained in the opposition.

The Fraser Republic is a member of the Commonwealth, and maintains close ties to the West. During the Falklands crisis, British troops briefly used Fraser Republic ports as a staging base, though the Republic did not commit troops due to strong domestic opposition (particularly from the sizable Argentine diaspora). Relations with China have run hot and cold - economic interests have incentivized the two nations to cooperate, though political differences have constantly plagued the relationship, particularly after the Hong Kong protests. The Fraser Republic has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
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S019
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« Reply #21 on: March 12, 2023, 04:42:08 PM »

I’d like Country 9
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GoTfan
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« Reply #22 on: March 12, 2023, 05:26:46 PM »
« Edited: March 13, 2023, 12:44:36 AM by GoTfan »

I'll take country number 12. Details to come.

Name: Republic of Sulista

Capital: New Portsmouth

Largest City: Highsword

Official Language: None

Main Languaghes Spoken: English, Portuguese, Spanish

Population: 11,237,156

Demographics: European (46%), Latino (24%), Black (17%), Other/Multiracial (10%), Indigenous (3%)

Government Type: Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic

President: Richard Holdsworth (Democratic Labour Party)

Prime Minister: Alejandro Rojas (Democratic Labour Party)

Overview:

Sulista began life as a small Portuguese colony, and would develop into an important outpost for the Portuguese Empire over the years, allowing them to firm up their colonies in South America and serve as a naval base for the Portuguese Fleet in that region of the world. However, as the years wore on, it also became a hub for British traders, and a significant British community sprung up on the coastline. This population continued increasing until the Napoleonic Wars, where Sulista Colony's port were used to house British warships. After Napoleon's final fall in 1815, an agreement was reached by which Sulista was turned over to the British, no doubt aided by significant push from the significant British community there.

Sulista would retain its original name however; there couldn't be too much rocking of the proverbial boat considering that there was a significant Portuguese minority on the island.

There were several hard pushes for increased local democracy over the next centuries, and as part of the Balfour Declaration in 1926, Sulista was confirmed as a Dominion of the British Empire, with Sir Thomas Hollingbrooke as the first Prime Minister of the Dominion of Sulista, though this did little to curb the rising Sulistan nationalism.

In 1949, during the fervour of anti-colonialism springing up over the world, Sulista was granted the authority to hold a referendum on whether to stay in the British Commonwealth or declare independence. The divide was largely along ethnic lines; the British community voted heavily to stay
in the Commonwealth, but almost everyone else voted for independence.

The new Republic of Sulista remained a strange mishmash of British and Portuguese influences during the Cold War, and for some time, it look like the country had made a successful go of independence until it fell under the autocratic rule of President Lancea. A former Army General, Lancea rallied millions of supporters to his right-wing United Sulista Party, promising to end political gridlock and fix the economic crisis going on; the USP won the election handily.

Lancea removed those he deemed political opponents from the Public Service and military positions, and implementing loyalty tests for his Prime Minister and Cabinet. Lancea was never truly a dictator, but he severely curbed election freedoms for just about everyone. After winning a third term in 1984, he went too far, and was impeached and removed from power in 1986. The Constitutional reforms of 1987 formally limited the President to two terms, increased the power of the courts, and constitutionally enshrined protection of the Public Service from political interference, though it wasn't until 2001 that the military's influence over politics was decisively removed, and governments in that time faced the constant fear of an armed coup.

Today, Sulista is a vibrant democracy with an economy based around manufacturing, tourism, and strong trade ties with the United States and South America.
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« Reply #23 on: March 12, 2023, 06:05:20 PM »
« Edited: March 12, 2023, 08:22:25 PM by Atlasian AG Punxsutawney Phil »

Name: Secoterra (Portuguese for "dry land")
Demonym: Secoterran, Secoterrian
Capital: Catarina
Largest City: Catarina
Official Language: Portuguese
Other languages: English, German, Spanish, Igbo, Pintado, Arabic
Population: 26,382,047 (2021 Census)
Ethnic Groups: Predominantly Spanish and Portuguese ancestry over the large white majority. There is a Lusophone black minority. Igbos are particularly visible in the business community; A sizable number of refugees from the Nigerian Civil War ended up here. The area got some German immigration in the past. The country has always had a Spanish-speaking minority, though they in practice speak closer to Portunol due to Portuguese influences. There is a Kighanju population that mainly has migrated from neighboring Jahandir and they, like Igbos, have proved to be influential in the business sector.

Self-identified racial category from the 2021 Census are as follows:
59% White
21% Mixed
14% Black
5% Indigenous
2% Other

Self-professed mother tongue (2021 Census):
61% Portuguese
11% Spanish
8% Arabic
6% Igbo
5% German
4% English
3% Pintado
2% Other
Pintado used to be far stronger, but urbanization has heavily harmed the language. As late as the 1970s, it was the country's second-largest language, narrowly edging out Spanish.

Religion (2021 Census):
71% Catholic (though increasing numbers are non-observant)
15% Protestant
9% Muslim
5% Other/Irreligious/Athiest
Pedro Helmut was personally a devout Catholic and strongly supported the Church in some ways. However, he was very insistent on upgrading hitherto patchy relationships with neighbors through diplomacy, including Jahandir. To this end, he arranged for money to be spent on building a mosque in Catarina and formally entrenched freedom of religion in the constitution. Muslims are a richer-than-average group in the country and the country's richest man is a Muslim mining magnate.

Overview: A rigidly stable state with a military long accustomed to intervening in politics when it sees fit, Seccoterra is not seen as plainly democratic, though the dominant ideology for decades has been based on "collaboration" between various sectors of society and some role for popularly elected institutions - Helmutism (after famous general and "caudillo" Pedro Helmut). Seccoterra has been shaped by conflict with its neighbors and it has been dubbed "the hardest country to invade" due to its mountains, aridity, and strong tradition of defensive militarism.

The capital, Secoterra, was named for Charles II 's Queen, Catherine of Braganza (Catarina de Bragança), as a Portuguese expedition founded the city in 1675. The colony ended up in Spanish hands in 1737, traded in return for an indemnity. It remained Spanish until 1763, when Portugal won it back. After Brazil became independent, Secoterrans were inspired to try to win their independence in 1827-1828 and, though it ultimately failed, the colony never fully accepted the status quo and proved hard to rule, finally rising up successfully in 1875 (with Argentinian help).

Secoterra in its earlier years was unstable and experimented. The country was riven with instability. The first independent government was a unitary republic with an very powerful executive president, but the president proved unpopular, even renaming Catarina Liberdade (a move that ended up being his downfall). The country briefly adopted a monarchy, but this only lasted a few years. One thing that kept the country going was its mining...this gave the country a certain level of prosperity even in tough times.

The mountains of Secoterra are among the richest places in the continent in mineral resources, leading some observers to jokingly call the country "Bolivia with a coastline". It has been a major supplier of minerals to the world ever since the Portuguese colonial days. Oil discoveries off the coast in the 1950s further aided the country by giving it yet still more natural resources.

The military coup in 1934, amidst the Great Depression, ended the instability for good. Pedro Helmut, an ethnic German whose parents came from the Baden-Alsace border area, launched a coup and took over the government. He then, with the support of many strong subordinates, remade the country in his image. Argentina, commonly cited as among the closest allies of the country, was in his mind when he was doing this all. He was influenced by the Argentine coup of 1930, which was in turn influenced by Italian Fascism; and thus, he took parts of Fascism into forming a "new ideology". He was also influenced by Getulio Vargas and was friends with him.

Economic difficulties remained, and Helmut never left the political scene. Some say he loved being President. Most feel he never felt certain enough that the country could prosper without him. Helmut, it turned out, was President until 1960, when he died from lung cancer . He left an opening for democracy, but he insisted that it was always secondary to stability and some other considerations. His ethos has influenced the military and the government ever since. "Democracy is a mere tool; toiling for the nation is an end to itself, and so are rule of law and societal peace" is among his most famous quotes. Governments are known to do actions labelled as authoritarian by outsider observers, justifying them on the above grounds.

He was known to be power-hungry, but his personal integrity was rarely questioned even by his political opponents. Many saw him as a rightist, but over the course of his career he slowly moved left, especially out of concern for the poorer mountain regions (some of which still had indigenous groups, such as the Pintados "the painted ones") that voted for left-leaning parties in legislative elections. By the time of his death, he had a decent dialogue with both left and right; he had good relations with the Soviet Union. His careful game of balance between the superpowers and role as supplier of mineral resources to America made him a noted name in Washington and Moscow alike, and his successor Pedro Silva (1960-1977) kept up the balancing act. Silva also made the country home to lots of Igbos fleeing the Biafran Civil War.

The country really only began to feel rich in the 1970s, off the back of oil wealth. Even then,  the distribution of the wealth was not even and it generally ended up in coastal cities and lowland areas. Silva's successor, Reginald Costa (1977-1999) was among the least well-regarded presidents, and used the mineral wealth to fortify his hold against internal rivals and enrich himself. In the end, a massive bribery scandal which indirectly involved some Argentine and Brazilian politicians erupted and the revelations led to him having to give up power. Often, military involvement involves what is colloquially called a "imposition" or "imposição", and the person in question is allowed to remain in office, but Costa was told to leave office, no ifs no buts.

Costa's successor was Rosa Vasconcelos (1999-2006). She was the first female president. Her job performance was middling, however. During her tenure, the country's 1935 constitution was scrutinized. It was provided for that each of the country's states served as a constituency in the Chamber of Deputies (electing variable numbers of members), and have equal representation in the Senate. Increasingly division in the country led to a Senate that was de-facto controlled by the left, which was aided by the number of provinces in the mountain regions and unhappiness over the mineral wealth ending up in the more coastal and river provinces. Gridlock increasingly gripped the state, but the stability remained. Vasconcelos was personally very popular, but her government was not exactly highly rated by the public.

Since Vasconcelos has left office, one of her allies, Rodrigo Braga has served as President. He, like her, is considered to be a slight center-leftist, effectively a centrist with a very slight red tint. Braga's supporters have always had control over the Congress and since Presidents are indirectly elected by Congress, his standing has only really been threatened by the perception of increasing social problems over the past few years. The coronavirus pandemic caused difficulties and scandals involving some of his ministers made his ratings fall significantly, though he is still popular overall. He was most recently elected in 2018, and it many think he will retire and hand power over to a confidante, much like Vasconcelos has done.

Secoterra has long been reckoned as a mining state with a politically strong military. The country has conscription and under the letter of the law, all able-bodied males must serve for four years. Militarism is part of the country's ethos, and Helmut's father, originally from Switzerland, influenced his views about the country being ready to face invaders if need be. Helmut is still very highly regarded by the people even today, though questions about him have grown over time. Foreign observers claim the country "has a cult of Helmut". "Papai Pedro", as many call him, was once referred to as "Secoterra's George Washington" in a State Department cable.

The Secoterra of the modern day is still impacted by modernity. The export of pop culture from overseas has left its mark, and today, Hollywood movies and anime films do well at the box office. The biggest cities are growing rapidly in population. However, the country has a profoundly tradition-minded culture that only really accepts change gradually and many youth are dissatisfied and apathetic towards the present state of affairs. Church scandals over the past decade have left a mark. In the cities, there are evangelical movements and Pentecostalism is in particular growing, but most of the country is stridently Catholic and many Catholics are increasingly hostile to these churches.

The future of the country is not completely certain, but most feel that the bedrock traditional nature of the country is quite strong, whether they like it or dislike it.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #24 on: March 12, 2023, 07:39:56 PM »

So, for country 19 on the map.

Name: Republic of Azurela
Capital and largest city: Amália
Official languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Huancaxu/Wankaqu (indigenous language)
Population: 44,370,000
Ethnic groups: European-Iberian (54%), Other European (9%), Moor or Jahandi (7%), Kana (20%), Mixed or Other (10%)
Religion: Catholicism (63%), Other Christianity (7%), Sunni Islam (8%), Indigenous religion (10%), Judaism (1%), Other (2%), none (9%)

Overview: A mid-sized country in the southern part of the Atlas continent, notable for having two separate coasts with a mountain range in the middle and for its peculiar democratic culture. The name comes from the words for "blue" and "yellow" in Portuguese.

Azurela grew out of Portuguese settlement in the northern coast in the 17th century (mostly Azoreans fleeing Spanish rule or overpopulation); this happened for the most part on an unsanctioned basis with people looking to be smallholders, which helped shape a fairly egalitarian culture even though the area was nominally subject to the Portuguese Crown. A liberal independentist movement took advantage of the civil wars in the mainland in the 1820s and definitively severed ties with it. Other settler groups which became a significant part of the country include Spaniards and to a lesser extent Dutch, Armenian and Jahandi traders. Comparatively pacific contact with the indigenous Kana peoples (Wankaqu-speaking), who mostly inhabited the highlands, led to the expansion of Azurela and shaped the country's history. The southern coast, previously uninhabited, became Azurelan territory in the early 20th century.

Azurela's economy is based on agriculture, mining, light manufacturing, and tourism. Its level of development is similar to peripheral parts of Southern Europe. It is a parliamentary democracy with a fragmented but peaceful political scene.
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