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S019
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« Reply #25 on: March 12, 2023, 07:56:34 PM »
« edited: March 12, 2023, 08:05:03 PM by S019 »

Name: New Surrey
Capitol: Green City
Largest City: North of the Delta
Official Languages: None, but de-facto English
Population: 30,000,000
Ethnic Groups: European (65%), Asian (25%), Hispanic (5%), Black (5%)
Overview/History: New Surrey was originally founded as an outpost for well-off Brits in 1690, and developed quite a very different history from other British New World colonial possessions. It functioned mainly as a holiday and/or retirement destination until 1800 when large scale agriculture began due to the country's climate. Cultivation focused primarily on warm-weather fruits such as oranges and bananas (think like Florida). The cultivation was originally meant just to sustain migrants and as such, it soon developed a permanent population, albeit a small one. The promise of a subtropical climate where cold temperatures were seldom soon attracted other Brits to the region, and established the first true municipality North of the Delta in 1835, named so for its location. The incorporation of said municipality brought with it the first introduction of politics and thus the first delineation of territory under the administration of this outpost (defined as Land 9 in the graphic). The establishment of a permanent settlement brought with it the attraction of even more settlers, who brought with them technology, setting the stage for the spread of the Industrial Revolution. By 1870, New Surrey had reached a population of 1 million people. The surge in population, in this case not all well off migrants, brought with it a new industry: agriculture in more continental crops such as rice, as well as logging in the nation's forests, which are not plentiful, but not in paucity either. In 1870, the first municipal elections were also held in North of the Delta as the city held most of the region's population and surely the overwhelming majority of its wealth and power. Politics polarized around two main parties: The Liberal Party, preaching a vision of classical liberalism and the Conservative Party, focused on conservatism and also promoting a move towards monarchical government, like in the UK, it also advocated for increased funding of logging. The skepticism of logging among the wealthy residents of North of the Delta led to a Liberal victory, but the introduction of politics as well as the growing population raised the question about what to do with the relationship with the UK, which had not attempted to claim what they viewed as "an unproductive playground of the rich" beyond initially promoting development, but the residents themselves had no animosity towards the UK either. As the population grew, New Surrey began to attract a new form of well off migrant, bankers, and banking would eventually become a major industry in the region. By 1900, banking was on the rise in the region and as the population approached 5 million and North of the Delta held 4.75 million of those, plans began for new settlements and also to better establish hold over a region which had been claimed since 1835, but said claims had never been administered. Politics also began to diverge as a non insignificant portion of middle class migrants also arrived to the region, and the old party system began to break down. By 1905, new settlements were established including a plan for a (at this point still) provincial capital in the nation's interior designed as a deliberate plan to shift some power away from the old money center. Further coastal cities were also planned, as well as a set aside land reserve for indigenous peoples (primarily in areas where logging operations had undergone, further highlighting the threat that many felt towards logging as a major industry). In 1907 (May), national elections were held under a parliamentary PR system, and with it came the introduction of a new party, the Social Democratic Labour Party was founded primarily as a left wing party committed to wealth redistribution. The elections ended with a hung parliament and the Conservatives, at this point still committed to monarchy and the Liberals, at this point starting to build a small independence wing and becoming slightly less classical liberal, struggled to reach an agreement. Snap elections were called and the November 1907 elections resulted in a surge for the Labour Party, as lower turnout occurred in North of the Delta due to disenchanted voters upset at the lack of progress. These elections led to a split in the Liberal Party, with the more progressive and pro-independence wing walking away and forming the Radical Liberal Party, which was open to cooperation with the Labour Party. The rump Liberals entered into a coalition with the Conservatives, but struggled to agree on much and even many in the upper classes agreed to the need for some progressive reforms. Thus, the government collapsed midterm and the Liberals entered into government with the Radical Liberals and the Labour Party passing a graduated income tax of 2%, universal voting rights (for all adults regardless of race, gender, etc.), and also a minimum wage. The agreement with the Labour Party was damaging to the Liberals and led to a Conservative majority in 1911. In the meantime, despite the political instability, the region continued to grow, reaching a population of 10 million people in 1920. World War I was relatively uneventful in the nation, though it provided aid and strategic supplies to Great Britain. The 1920s brought incredible prosperity as banking thrived and the population grew yet again. In politics, the Roaring Twenties also brought an end to the Labour Party which voted to merge with the Radical Liberals, following an abysmal 0.5% at the 1923 election and formed the Radical Left Party. The Conservative government of the time also moved on its signature issue of deregulating logging and in 1928, introduced a referendum to implement monarchy, which failed by a margin of 77-23. The Great Depression hit the region especially hard, given its dependence on banking. Conservative overtures to Great Britain for Depression aid were ignored, finally building the momentum for independence. The 1931 elections led to an overwhelming majority for the Liberal-Radical Left bloc (by now fully reconciled), which pushed for and successfully won independence for the new nation, ending its very long and ambiguous relationship with the issue. The Liberal bloc moved away from classical liberalism and began measures of regulation of the banks and provided banking subsidies to attempt to rescue the banking sector. The Depression era brought a pause to the new nation's growth, as the Depression destroyed much of the built-in wealth. The Liberals were also forced to increase taxation to keep the nation afloat. The nation's still not insignificant agricultural sector took over once again as the main engine of economic strength, however the nation would be mired in depression until World War II. It provided significant financial aid to Great Britain and the United States, but lacked much of an army on its own up to this point as it had never been seriously concerned with invasion. The Conservative Party would also slowly decline and eventually be dissolved, due to being discredited by destroying the nation's wealth during the Great Depression. Thus, post war politics evolved around a split in the split in the Liberal bloc once again with the Liberals once again returning to classical liberalism during the 1947-1951 term, leading to the Radical Left breaking with them and forming the core of the post-war political system, which persists to this day. After the interregnum in growth during the Great Depression, the nation did not immediately get back on its feet, but eventually prosperity returned in the 1950s. The nation's population which had been 11 million in 1945, had risen to 15 million by 1960. The post-war period brought the threat of the Cold War and thus for the first time, New Surrey established a military force, though the purpose was to be purely defensive. During the Cold War, it provided strategic and diplomatic support to the United States, though it never sent troops to conflict. Also during the 1960s and 1970s, the growth of other cities also took off, including the planned capital of Green City, so named because of the envision of a city with many green spaces where most of the population lived in space efficient tower blocks and the parliamentary house would be a grand concrete building painted green and surrounded by vast expanses of greenery on all sides. Green City in 1969 reached a population of 1 million making it the second city to reach 1 million people (behind North of the Delta (now at 9.5 million). With the increases in urban development, an increase in transportation also accompanied. A national highway network was created to facilitate transportation of people. Public transportation also took off during this period. The 1970s saw further developments in public transportation. New Surrey opened its first airports in Green City and North of the Delta, which would allow for immigration to rise further and also led to an increase in diversity. In 1970, the nation was 95% white, by 1990, it was 70% white. New Surrey's wealth and promise of opportunity made it an attractive location for migration, as it increasingly became centered on a service economy. Pro business policies in the 1980s and 1990s, also attracted new industries such as insurance to the nation. By 1990, the population had risen to 25 million and urban development commenced further. The government engaged in a serious of projects to develop planned cities along the northern coasts meant to serve as both residential communities and vacation destinations. The 1990s also brought a new set of political issues, environmentalism. The well developed transportation network of the country made this an especially pressing issue. The 1995 elections brought the first attempts to address the issue with the parties offering two different visions: the Radical Left proposed a limit on oil exports and a higher tax on oil companies, arguing that the costs of pollution should be beared by the oil companies, not the consumers. The Liberals proposed a conversion of all existing highways to toll roads, suggesting that people should pay for the cost of their own actions. The Radical Left won the elections and implemented their vision moving towards a greener New Surrey. The Radical Left government borrowed considerably to fund the research+development into green technology, and expanded solar and wind energies, but struggled to deal with the issue of cars and gasoline shortages ensued. At the same time, many did switch to public transport, but there was insufficient progress on the issue and the Radical Left lost the 2003 elections. Environmentalism would continue to remain a major issue in politics. The Liberals once again ran on their toll proposal and implemented it, but as the cost of driving surged, attempts to find an alternative were difficult. The Liberals chose to invest in an improved rail network to address the problem, but the solution was insufficient in the suburbs of the cities (by now several of those planned shore towns are cities in their own right). In 2010, the Liberals borrowed heavily, despite the slow recovery from the GFC, to begin the importation of electric cars, the sluggish economy however made this decision quite unpopular in the end and led to the Radical Left winning the 2011 election. The difficulty remained for the Radical Left to solve the "car issue" as the country lacked lithium, mining was not a solution and it could not import every possible car, but despite the voters' discontent with the rising cost of driving, emissions had fallen and neither party had attempted to reverse the measures taken, and thus the idea was sidelined, at least until the economy improved. The late 2010s, saw yet another surge in immigration due to the migrant crises, and the population reached right around 27 million. Today, the country has 30 million people, who are on average quite well off. The main industries remain services, especially banking and insurance, but the nation retains a mixed agricultural sector. Tourism has grown in recent years as the nation invested heavily in increasing the appeal to tourists. The political system remains parliamentary PR, as it has been in the past. The two main parties remain the Radical Left and the Liberals, and despite the parties' closeness to each other, voters tend to be satisfied with the current political situation. North of the Delta remains the center of economic power and influence and also remains by far the most populous city, even if it is no longer extremely aristocratic, as it was in its past. Its foreign policy is aligned with the West, though it remains defensive militarily. It has send financial aid to Ukraine.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #26 on: March 16, 2023, 10:23:41 AM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
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« Reply #27 on: March 16, 2023, 10:53:34 AM »

I'll take number 17 if that's possible
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Sol
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« Reply #28 on: March 17, 2023, 03:52:01 PM »


Would you be interested in having some border disputes?
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« Reply #29 on: March 17, 2023, 07:59:13 PM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
Azurela feels like a less "organized" version of Secoterra. I imagine Azurela being a tourist destination for many Secoterrans.
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Sol
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« Reply #30 on: March 17, 2023, 09:17:33 PM »
« Edited: March 19, 2023, 02:38:52 PM by Sol »

A note on Isallo politics:

Isallo has several major political parties. The largest are:

-The Party for Liberalism and Agriculture (PvL-B) (Dutch: Partij voor het Liberalisme en de Boer; Isallish: Diberalisimaga ol'Orakoraga pki Parete) is the traditional governing party, ostensibly center-leftist with a taste for Marxism. Structurally though, it's better to think of them as something similar to the PRI in Mexico or Fianna Fail in Ireland--a party which is a bit of a weather-vane and with deep institutional ties to power. Its base is three-fold: first, with city dwellers--PvV-B's status as the more cosmopolitan party and the party of power means that all socioeconomic strata prefer them in the country's large NW cities. Secondly, they traditionally dominate among whites in the periphery, i.e. east of the mountains and in the far south, due to their historical support of large-scale infrastructure projects and of land theft from native nations. Finally, they do very well with Catholics. As the second component might suggest, the PvV-B has never done well with native peoples, though it should be noted that this does not extend to mixed-race or Samisara people [1], with whom they've done quite well.

-The Party for the Fatherland (PvV)  (Dutch: Partij voor het Vaderland, Isallish: Wateralanoga pki Parete) is the traditional right-wing party, with it's roots in the Conservative movement of the late 19th century. Although they once were a mighty rival of PvV-B, with much of the 19th and early 20th century being in civil war between the two groups, they have weakened in prominence due to secularization and immigration. The PvV is deeply tied to the Isallo Reformed Church and dominates in its heartland: the rural Northwest/West of the country. It has a very high floor--around 25-30%--but a ceiling which is about that high.

-People for Jan Dijkstra (MvJD) (Dutch: Mensen voor Jan Dijkstra, Isallish: Bkaga Jan Dijkstra) is a personalist, centrist outfit centered around Jan Dijkstra, an eccentric mogul turned politician based in the small city of Rolloos in the far east. Isallo has a lot of these sorts of parties--organizations built around a charismatic leader, which attain great popularity and then fizzle out when he turns out to be like all the other ones.

-The Movement for Liberation (BvB) (Dutch: De Beweging voor Bevrijding, Isallish: Luponaga pki Pkemere) and the Maoist Movement for Liberation (MBvB) (Dutch: De Maoïstische Beweging voor Bevrijding, Isallish: Mawonaga Luponaga pki Pkemere) are the country's far-left parties, traditionally enemies though since the end of the Soviet Union they have reluctantly collaborated, running a common presidential candidate and working on similar legislation. Though apparently the parties still hate each other. The general platforms are pretty similar; strong advocates of social redistribution and harshly critical of US/EU foreign policy. Think Evo Morales. Both parties have similar bases--the urban poor and native peoples.

-The Wijnrood Agreement (Dutch: Wijnrood Akkoord, Isallish: Luponaga pki Mapenog) is a right-populist party. A pretty gross group with origins in anti-government paramilitaries in the 70s; the name comes from a covenant of militias based in suburban Wijnrood who vowed to overthrow the then-Liberal government. It lobbies very aggressively for the eviction of native groups in areas for resource extraction and loves to lob culture war bombs around race relations. Has close relations to similar movements elsewhere, including with Bolsonaro, Putin, and Steve Bannon.

-The Green Party (Dutch: Groene Partij, Isallish: Naturala pki Parete) is a center-left party focused on environmental preservation. It has seen most of its success in recent years among indigenous people actually, as the party which is most critical of resource extraction in eastern areas.

-Cyber-Partij (Dutch: Cyber-partij, Isallish: Saiberaparete) is a centrish party. It has its origins as a personalist vehicle around tech activist Huub Gucwa from the early 2000s. Gucwa is cleverer than most of these types though, and he's kept the party relevant by focusing on issues which appeal to a specific niche of society: pro-phosphate mine development in the Pwamatgoenieuw Desert in the late 2000s and now advocating for fisherman and whalers in the southwest.

These and several more parties are elected to the National Assembly, which is bicameral. The Lower House is the Chamber of Deputies, which has 125 members elected by FPTP, and the Upper House is the Senate, which has 200 members elected by nationwide PR, (D'Hondt Method) with a threshold of 2%. Paradoxically, as a result of constitutional reforms in the mid-20th which made the Senate use PR, it has increasingly become seen as closer to the people, and has become a larger and more powerful body.

Finally, the President is elected nationwide. A quirk of the Isallish political order is that Presidential elections are non-partisan; political parties coalesce behind the scenes to select their preferred candidates, often making odd bedfellows in the process. This is a relic from an earlier time, where the role of the president was more ceremonial.

[1] This is a borrowing from Isallish; it's been used in exchange for older terms which were considered derogatory.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #31 on: March 18, 2023, 05:24:20 AM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
Azurela feels like a less "organized" version of Secoterra. I imagine Azurela being a tourist destination for many Secoterrans.

I thought Secoterra is a bit less wealthy (and of course it's tropical) so probably the reverse is more common, but that makes sense.

On a related note, I calculated from Sol's description of the map that Azurela extends from approximately the 34th to the 47th parallel south. I imagine the south coast is relatively warm for its latitude but it's hard to make comparisons because nowhere in the actual Southern Hemisphere has a Continental climate. Maybe the summer of Hobart and the winter of Coyhaique?
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« Reply #32 on: March 18, 2023, 05:36:57 AM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
Azurela feels like a less "organized" version of Secoterra. I imagine Azurela being a tourist destination for many Secoterrans.

I thought Secoterra is a bit less wealthy (and of course it's tropical) so probably the reverse is more common, but that makes sense.

On a related note, I calculated from Sol's description of the map that Azurela extends from approximately the 34th to the 47th parallel south. I imagine the south coast is relatively warm for its latitude but it's hard to make comparisons because nowhere in the actual Southern Hemisphere has a Continental climate. Maybe the summer of Hobart and the winter of Coyhaique?
Historically, Secoterra and Azurela could have a very long-standing friendship rooted in common struggle and cultural background. There might even be a role to be played with Azurela giving haven to Secoterran revolutionaires.
In any case, the examples you put forth sound like kind of a decent analogue. If the population of Isallo is as high as it is, it probably implies a more warm climate I guess?
Re: tourism, perhaps the biggest factor might be nations located in between. Neither Secoterra nor Azurela seem to have tourism as a hugely important sector. Maybe one or both of the two nations in between ours decide to make try to make themselves a "tourism-first" nation. (trying to become a Dubai of sorts, with probably far fewer resources)
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Sol
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« Reply #33 on: March 18, 2023, 09:01:29 AM »

Claimed countries:

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Sol
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« Reply #34 on: March 18, 2023, 09:46:14 AM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
Azurela feels like a less "organized" version of Secoterra. I imagine Azurela being a tourist destination for many Secoterrans.

I thought Secoterra is a bit less wealthy (and of course it's tropical) so probably the reverse is more common, but that makes sense.

On a related note, I calculated from Sol's description of the map that Azurela extends from approximately the 34th to the 47th parallel south. I imagine the south coast is relatively warm for its latitude but it's hard to make comparisons because nowhere in the actual Southern Hemisphere has a Continental climate. Maybe the summer of Hobart and the winter of Coyhaique?
In any case, the examples you put forth sound like kind of a decent analogue. If the population of Isallo is as high as it is, it probably implies a more warm climate I guess?

Yeah to my mind maybe the best analogue is northeast Asia maybe, on account of being on the east coast and probably a bit dry. So maybe southern Azurela and the area around Port Currie is like Harbin or Pyongyang, with something like Dwa in the Koppen classifications, while Birch Bay is more like Vladivostok with something like Dwb. Probably all of them will have extremely bitterly cold and dry winters but will be quite nice and well-watered in the summertime, enough to support large populations. More mountainous areas will be much colder ofc; I doubt too many people live in the highlands.

On the other hand, the southern coast of 17 and of Isallo (and probably the far South of the Fraser Republic) will be much colder, like Northeastern Siberia, with the southernmost and most mountainous parts being extremely harsh.

(I don't have a deep climate knowledge, so this could be easily off base.)

Isallo has the large population it does because the population is very concentrated in the North, especially the northwest, which has a fairly pleasant climate.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #35 on: March 18, 2023, 04:09:25 PM »

I hope this game is not dying as soon as it was started... anyway I'm going to add some details about Azurela (I don't like to retroactively edit old posts for this).

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo. The fairly individualist ethos this brought is still tempered by the confederal communitarian Kana influence.

In the immediate aftermath of official independence the country was configured as an unstable directorial system, which was changed into one where the legislature elected a single head of government after the war which brought Kana highlands fully under Azurelan control in exchange for roughly equal rights. The constitution has since been changed multiple times; currently Azurela is a semi-presidential quasi-parliamentary republic modeled after Portugal. This system was created after the end of the period known as the Ember Years, an authoritarian interlude in the 1960s and 1970s.

The country is often compared and contrasted with Secoterra, which has similarities in terms of background, demographics and resources but is also very different in many ways. In other continents it has been compared to Peru and Uruguay.

Azurela has a close but sometimes complicated relationship with its southwestern neighbour of Fraser, which is a major trading partner but is significantly wealthier (even compared to the regions directly neighbouring in the southern plains, which are already richer than the rest of Azurela despite their recent development). Emigration to there exists in small but sizable levels.

The current Prime Minister Attala Tinku (Carnation Movement) leads a centre-left coalition, whereas President of the Republic Lourenço Albuquerque is a moderate conservative.
Azurela feels like a less "organized" version of Secoterra. I imagine Azurela being a tourist destination for many Secoterrans.

I thought Secoterra is a bit less wealthy (and of course it's tropical) so probably the reverse is more common, but that makes sense.

On a related note, I calculated from Sol's description of the map that Azurela extends from approximately the 34th to the 47th parallel south. I imagine the south coast is relatively warm for its latitude but it's hard to make comparisons because nowhere in the actual Southern Hemisphere has a Continental climate. Maybe the summer of Hobart and the winter of Coyhaique?
In any case, the examples you put forth sound like kind of a decent analogue. If the population of Isallo is as high as it is, it probably implies a more warm climate I guess?

Yeah to my mind maybe the best analogue is northeast Asia maybe, on account of being on the east coast and probably a bit dry. So maybe southern Azurela and the area around Port Currie is like Harbin or Pyongyang, with something like Dwa in the Koppen classifications, while Birch Bay is more like Vladivostok with something like Dwb. Probably all of them will have extremely bitterly cold and dry winters but will be quite nice and well-watered in the summertime, enough to support large populations. More mountainous areas will be much colder ofc; I doubt too many people live in the highlands.

On the other hand, the southern coast of 17 and of Isallo (and probably the far South of the Fraser Republic) will be much colder, like Northeastern Siberia, with the southernmost and most mountainous parts being extremely harsh.

(I don't have a deep climate knowledge, so this could be easily off base.)

Isallo has the large population it does because the population is very concentrated in the North, especially the northwest, which has a fairly pleasant climate.

Those examples are actually significantly colder - at least in the winter - than what I was suggesting (and than every actually existing location at those latitudes, but this would change in the presence of more landmasses). I imagined a moderating influence of the Bay. Birch Bay could be like Pyongyang or Dalian while the uppermost part of the southern coast (the one belonging to Azurela) like Northern Honshu?

Of course the northern coast of Azurela probably ranges from the likes of Perth to Concepción.

Also, I think Azurela is a little shorter than I originally said, and I just extrapolated from your map its total area should be somewhat more than 800,000 km² - this can be useful to all players to get a rough idea of internal distances.
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #36 on: March 18, 2023, 06:07:15 PM »

Fair to say the most arid (lowland) parts of the continent might be in the areas in between Secoterra and Azurela?
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« Reply #37 on: March 19, 2023, 01:51:21 AM »

Yeah I assume Fraser would be quite a bit warmer, with mild summers and winters - ideally similar to the Pacific Northwest, but no colder than southern Canada in any case. Not a climate expert though, and there are certainly instances of large cities located well to the north.

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« Reply #38 on: March 19, 2023, 02:24:01 AM »
« Edited: March 20, 2023, 10:49:53 PM by Buehler-Kotek Voter 🇺🇦 »

County Map of the Fraser Republic


The Fraser Republic consists of ten counties, two Autonomous Administrative Districts (AADs), and one Indigenous Federation.

Autonomous Administrative Districts

Fraseria
Color: Purple
Population (2020): 467,323
Demographics: European (40%), Asian (29%), Latino (22%), Black (6%), Indigenous (1%), Other (2%)
Executive: Lidia Rojas-Bordon (Republican)

Jokingly known to Australian expats as 'Canberra on the water', Fraseria is the planned capital city of the Fraser Republic.

Birch Bay
Color: Blue
Population (2020): 6,278,933
Demographics: Asian (41%), Latino (22%), European (15%), Black (11%), Arabic (7%), Indigenous (1%), Other (3%)
Executive:

Counties

Pemberton
Color: Navy
Population (2020): 194,326
Seat: Pemberton
Notable Cities: Courtenay
Demographics: European (56%), Asian (23%), Latino (12%), Black (6%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Whitecourt
Color: Off-blue
Population (2020): 506,387
Seat: Renfrew
Notable Cities: Lebec, Cowichan
Demographics: European (36%), Asian (32%), Latino (21%), Black (8%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Townsend
Color: Light blue
Population (2020): 379,283
Seat: Alberni
Notable Cities: Richmond, Tofino, Port Sunshine
Demographics: European (41%), Latino (27%), Asian (23%), Black (7%), Other (2%)
Governor:

Hudson
Color: Brown
Population (2020): 623,927
Seat: Rupert Junction
Notable Cities: Ruskin, Silver Glade
Demographics: European (45%), Latino (20%), Asian (16%), Black (16%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Nicola
Color: Light green
Population (2020): 288,302
Seat: Bradner
Notable Cities: Port Marley
Demographics: European (53%), Latino (23%), Asian (15%), Black (6%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Grand
Color: Light yellow
Population (2020): 326,832
Seat: Fort George
Notable Cities: Cache City, Lemoray, Fort Granisle
Demographics: European (58%), Latino (20%), Asian (10%), Black (9%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Thornton
Color: Red
Population (2020): 351,414
Seat: Thornton
Notable Cities: Lac la Hache, Forest Grove, Caulfeild Groves
Demographics: European (50%), Latino (26%), Asian (16%), Black (5%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Pierce
Color: Pink
Population (2020): 359,560
Seat: Woodlands
Notable Cities: Barrière, Viseu
Demographics: European (54%), Latino (25%), Asian (12%), Black (7%), Other (2%)
Governor:

Currie
Color: Yellow
Population (2020): 1,641,314
Seat: Port Currie
Notable Cities: Mission, Anmore, Lynn Creek
Demographics: European (45%), Latino (24%), Asian (19%), Black (9%), Other (3%)
Governor:

Whiterock
Color: Orange
Population (2020): 453,882
Seat: Quesnel
Notable Cities: Airdrie, White Rock (Brancha Rocha), New Gibraltar
Demographics: European (61%), Latino (21%), Black (8%), Asian (8%), Other (2%)
Governor:


Indigenous Federation
Color: Light brown
Population (2020): 205,623
Seat: Bralome
Notable Cities: D'Arcy, Hazelton, Haislah, Nemaiah Valley
Official Languages: English, Chilanko, Kitimat, Nemaiah, Nuyem Jees, Redonda, Spanish
Demographics: Indigenous (84%), European (10%), Latino (4%), Other (2%)
President: Johnathan Iskuk (Independent)

The Indigenous Federation, a self-governing union of the tribes of the Fraser Republic, lies to the northwest, covering much of the mountainous frontier with (AFE's nation) in two separate units. The five largest tribes - the Chilanko and Redonda in the north, and the Kitimat, Nemaiah, and Nuyem Jees in the south - are responsible for governance, alongside several other tribes with smaller delegation to the Indigenous Council. Like other settler nations, the Fraser Republic displaced significant indigenous populations though, due to the relative lateness of its settlement and the smaller native populations in the far south of the continent, this displacement was not as large as in other nations. The Indigenous Federation was formed in the 19th century during this displacement, and following extensive negotiation, was granted wide autonomy as a Federation in the 1960s. Strict immigration policies, in place since the early 1900s, have kept the region overwhelmingly Indigenous, even as the rest of the Fraser Republic has diversified. And, while there have been some calls (particularly from Chilanko representatives) to separate the North Unit from the South Unit due to the South's perceived dominance (having roughly double the population) and higher mining influence in the South (while the north mostly consists of protected land), tribal unity against the encroachment of outside forces has kept the Indigenous Federation together - for now.

Today, thanks to stunning alpine views - particularly the famous Oso'yoo Arch, a stone arch arcing over a deep blue alpine pool and waterfall - and robust, unique cultural experiences, the Indigenous Federation has a thriving tourism-based economy, and can thus support by far the strongest welfare state in the Fraser Republic (especially with boosts from mining titles). However, tourism has had a darker side - in addition to growing gentrification and overtourism, particularly in the resort towns of D'Arcy and Hazelton, the Indigenous Federation was badly hit by COVID, which dealt a massive blow to its economy, particularly small, family-owned businesses. In recent years, the Indigenous Federation has been forced to reckon with the cost of tourism, as well as the increased encroachment of mining companies (often enabled by Republican politicians in Fraseria) following the discovery of rare earth minerals in the Nuyem Jees territory.

The Indigenous Federation is home to unique politics. On the presidential level, the North Unit is strongly Liberal, while the South Unit is somewhat more swingy thanks to mining interests - unless an Indigenous protest candidate runs, in which case the Federation overwhelmingly backs them. However, for more local elections, party labels effectively cease to matter. On the parliamentary level, MPs from both units caucus with the Indigenous List in Fraseria. However, nearly all elections have a healthy amount of competition, and are strongly nonpartisan and parochial in nature with all candidates running independent of party and on local issues. The Indigenous Council, responsible for local governance, is also nonpartisan, though coalitions typically form along tribal and economic divides.
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« Reply #39 on: March 19, 2023, 01:27:29 PM »

I'm not an expert in climate either, but the places with the most similar situations to the west side of the bay are east coast areas in the northern hemisphere--so Quebec and Northern China/Korea.

Pyongyang doesn't seem like a bad analogue for southern Azurela actually, but I'd imagine the winters to be pretty harsh nevertheless. There aren't any nice warm currents to heat things up and it's very continental.
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« Reply #40 on: March 19, 2023, 02:29:15 PM »

I'm not an expert in climate either, but the places with the most similar situations to the west side of the bay are east coast areas in the northern hemisphere--so Quebec and Northern China/Korea.

Pyongyang doesn't seem like a bad analogue for southern Azurela actually, but I'd imagine the winters to be pretty harsh nevertheless. There aren't any nice warm currents to heat things up and it's very continental.
I can work around that.
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Sol
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« Reply #41 on: March 19, 2023, 02:31:50 PM »

I'm not an expert in climate either, but the places with the most similar situations to the west side of the bay are east coast areas in the northern hemisphere--so Quebec and Northern China/Korea.

Pyongyang doesn't seem like a bad analogue for southern Azurela actually, but I'd imagine the winters to be pretty harsh nevertheless. There aren't any nice warm currents to heat things up and it's very continental.
I can work around that.

My apologies! It certainly won't be uninhabitable or anything like that; just a very chilly winter.
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« Reply #42 on: March 19, 2023, 02:46:59 PM »

Some notes on Isallo's provincial government structure!

Isallo is divided into 31 provinces, territories, independent cities, and self-governing indigenous polities. It's worth noting that Isallo is a unitary state, which means that these entities can all be changed by the central government (and frequently are).

Provinces by form of government. Red is devolved provinces, Blue is unitary provinces, Pink is independent cities, Yellow is self-governing indigenous polities, and Gray is territories.


Provinces are the typical form of local government. There are two types of province: unitary provinces, which lack elected local government below the provincial level, and devolved provinces, which have elected municipal governments. Traditionally, the former is more common in remote frontier areas, while the latter has been the default. However, some have been advocating turning all devolved provinces into unitary provinces to cut down on municipal corruption and waste; this has already succeeded in densely populated Apeldoorn province so it may spread elsewhere. In both cases, provinces have an elected assembly with a provincial governor who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the provincial assembly.

Independent cities are a relatively recent innovation in Isallish local government, initially pushed through by the PvL-B in the 2000s to let them appoint friendlier governments for major cities. Independent cities are self-governing in all respects except in income taxes, where they share a common tax policy with their surrounding province. Tax policies are set by a special meeting of a provincial government which includes elected representatives from independent cities. Otherwise, independent cities are self-governing; just like provinces they have an elected assembly and a mayor appointed by the President and confirmed by the city assembly.

Self-governing indigenous polities are a special form of government which allows for native political structures to become part of Isallish government. Each one has a suis generis structure, though all are required to follow a democratic form of government. Notably, the Governor (or equivalent) is always directly elected to allow for greater native autonomy.

Territories have no elected government; instead it has a centrally appointed governor who handles all government functions. Residents of territories can still vote in federal elections, of course.
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« Reply #43 on: March 19, 2023, 03:15:00 PM »
« Edited: March 19, 2023, 06:53:49 PM by Sol »

And the local governments, with names.



Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.


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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #44 on: March 19, 2023, 08:30:47 PM »
« Edited: March 19, 2023, 08:50:07 PM by Atlasian AG Punxsutawney Phil »

Map of Secoterran states. Terrain is shown because that is a key cleavage in the country.


The river running through the country is the Yavaza River (named after a shortened form of a phrase in an extinct Pintado dialect meaning "giver of the green"). The major lake in the country - Lake Pombal - was named for 18th century Portuguese stateman Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal. Each state running along the coastline, bordering the river and/or running along the border with the country's northwest neighbor is called a "lowland state", and this is also applied to the far northeastern state as well.  All other states are largely dominated by mountainous regions, and are called "highland states".

There are 31 lowland states and 40 highland states. Catarina is constitutionally considered a state-equivalent and is treated as a state for all intents and purposes, though it technically is called a Federal District instead of a state. The mountain states are almost invariably left-leaning, and the lowland ones vary immensely. Most are not left-leaning, but some are, including some lightly populated ones with a strong mining industry.

Each state in Secoterra has one senator each. Senators tend to be very influential figures within their state and it is not unknown for them to be the single most important figure in the state's politics.
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« Reply #45 on: March 20, 2023, 12:52:38 AM »



Light orange: provinces
Dark orange: Federal District (Kounurakat)
Gray: territories
Green: Kighanju Autonomous Republics
Yellow: Rehousi Autonomous Republic

The Republic of Jahandir is a unitary state with 38 provinces, a Federal District, four territories, and three autonomous republics. Provinces are run by elected governors and provincial assemblies and are further divided into cities and districts. The Federal District functions similarly to a provincial government with slightly fewer powers and does not contain any subdistrict governments. Territories have no subnational legislatures and have governors appointed by the national government. Autonomous republics for the native populations function similarly to provinces but have governments with the power to pass laws in certain areas that cannot be overridden by the national government.
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Sol
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« Reply #46 on: March 22, 2023, 12:11:28 PM »

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo.

I was thinking it might be fun for the two of us to perhaps have some territorial disputes over ocean rights if you'd be interested--Isallo seems like the sort of place which might have a somewhat absurd inflated reckoning of these things that could impinge on the Azurela's more logical ocean boundaries.
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #47 on: March 22, 2023, 01:48:42 PM »

Side effects of Azurela's origins as an only semi-official smallholder colony which functioned as a haven for new settlers and traders of all kinds include a distrust of most authority, a strong but peculiar democratic culture and a high level of tolerance and openness, but also a certain state weakness which has led to organized crime problems and tense relations with power-projecting countries like Isallo.

I was thinking it might be fun for the two of us to perhaps have some territorial disputes over ocean rights if you'd be interested--Isallo seems like the sort of place which might have a somewhat absurd inflated reckoning of these things that could impinge on the Azurela's more logical ocean boundaries.

That would be fun, I agree! But I am also really curious about how AFE (if he remembers to play) approaches this, since his nation sits in the middle between yours and mine.
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Sol
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« Reply #48 on: March 22, 2023, 01:53:13 PM »

How have your nations been handling the economic uncertainty caused by the collapse of SVB?
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #49 on: March 23, 2023, 06:52:24 AM »

How have your nations been handling the economic uncertainty caused by the collapse of SVB?
Fortunately, I don't think Secoterra seemed likely to be impacted much by this (perks of being a minerals-influenced economy I guess). New Surrey might have a lot more to worry about.
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