The Atlas Continent

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Sign me up.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I take number 6.

[President 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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Fair to say the most arid (lowland) parts of the continent might be in the areas in between Secoterra and Azurela?

[President 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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

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.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I gave Secoterra so many states that it's hard to think of names for them all. Ugh.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I like these rundowns. Cool work everyone.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The Secoterran government has declared a state of emergency and the military is now mobilized to deal with what has occurred and what will occur.
God Bless Secoterra.