1870 : Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC][REBOOT]

[Tracian Empire]

App is done:

Full Nation Name : Commonwealth of Novanglia (French: Communauté de la Nouvelle-Angleterre)
Majority/Official Culture : Novanglian. English speaking melting pot of cultures. French is commonly spoken amongst traders and northerners and is an official language.
Territorial Core : Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut
Territorial Claim : Grand Manan Island, Campobello Island and Deer Island
Capital City : Bawstun Boston
Population : 3,157,373 people

Government Type : Federal parliamentary republic
Government Ideology/Policies : Mercantile
Government Focus : New England
Head of State : President Bernard McFadden and VP Luther Lane (Commonwealth Party)
Head of Government : President Bernard McFadden and VP Luther Lane (Commonwealth Party)
Government Description : All states in Novanglia are given equal representation under the government. The government runs on a direct democracy system. The president serves two 6 year terms. Three major parties dominate the country, the Commonwealth Party (Conservative), the Federalist Party (Liberal) and the Workingmen's Party (Populist). Women do not have the right to vote but Native men do.

Majority/State Religion : Officially Novanglia is secular, but Christianity, primarily Catholicism, is the dominant religion.
Religious Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

Economic Ideologies : Mercantilism
Major Production : Minerals, fish
Economic Description : Most of Novanglia's economy relies on trading with the outside world. The currency used in the country is the Novanglian Dollar (NAD)

Army Strength : 20,000 active duty, 340,000 reservists.
Army Weakness : Lack of experience aside from occasional conflicts with Indians and pirates.
Naval Strength : 240 ships
Naval Weakness : Lack of experience, same issue as the army.
Further Military Description : Standard service rifle is the breech-loading single-shot Springfield M1868. The prefix for ships is CNAS (Commonwealth of Novanglia Ship)

National Goals : Expanding the trading empire to Africa and the Pacific.
National Issues : Reorganizing the military and expanding territory.
National Figures of Interest : Joseph Bartley and Clement Parlow (candidates for the Federalist Party in the 1870 presidential election), Horace Stanway and Nelson Gray (candidate for president from the Workingmen's Party), Wilford White and Matthew Fitzgerald (candidate for president from the Commonwealth Party)
National Ambition/Aspirations : Gain colonies in Africa and the Pacific

History :
1628: An English merchant known as Hurley Buckman lands in what is now Boston and declares the surrounding area to be Novanglia. He uses his wealth to build a settlement and bring Christian settlers over from Europe.
1628-1644: Buckman and the settlers take over what is now current day Novanglia from natives and a large fishing industry begins.
1644: Hurley Buckman passes away and leaves the country to his friends Wilburn Eade and Cyril Lowther. Eade and Lowther begin a massive political campaign to get an actual political system going with voting and political parties. Eade creates the Commonwealth Party and Lowther creates the Federalist Party.
1644-1661: Politics continue on without a hitch.
1661: Emory Hooligan becomes president on the Commonwealth Party ticket. Hooligan raises taxes and encourages expansion.
1667: A farmer known as Sullivan Scott leads a revolt against President Hooligan as the raised tax rates causes the already poor state of Maine to nearly collapse. Scott overthrows Governor Ephriam Long and declares himself president of Maine and declares independence.
1667-1671: The Mainer War of Independence rages on as Sullivan Scott leads a brutal guerilla campaign against federal troops.
1671: President Hooligan is impeached by the Novanglian Senate and Cornelius Clark is appointed president. Hooligan becomes a pejorative term for robbers and thieves. Mainer troops are routed after the Battle of Portsmouth where a failed invasion of New Hampshire took place. Sullivan Scott is arrested and Governor Long returns. Scott is controversially pardoned by President Clark and returns to his farm in Skowhegan.
1671-1683: President Clark rules and lessens or removes Hooligan's unpopular policies and becomes very popular amongst rural citizens.
1683: After Clark leaves office and Leland McNamara becomes president, a group of die-hard supporters found the Clarkist Association dedicated to protecting the rights of farmers and the poor. Support is thrown behind the Federalist Party.
1683-1689: Leland McNamara's presidency. Unsuccessfully attempts to ride on Clark's popularity and is voted out after one term.
1689-1700: Cletus McGrath becomes president.
1700: Muckraker Wilson Hunniford discovers that President McGrath was the product of incest in the Hunniford Affair and attempted to cover this fact up. President McGrath resigns and appoints PM Emil Carrington as president.
1700-1712: Emil Carrington's presidency.
1709: The controversial Norridgewock Treaty is signed between Abenaki tribesmen and the government of Novanglia which grants citizenship to the Abenaki tribes as long as they learn English and/or French. Abenaki chief Abornazine declares war on Novanglia believing in an independent Abenaki state known as Wabanahkik.
1709-1722: Abornazine's War.
1722: Chief Abornazine is killed at the Battle of Wyman Lake and the revolt is crushed.
1722-1840: Pax Novanglia. 118 years of peace and stability reign as the Novanglian economy soars and unemployment lessens. In 1730 the Clarkist Assosciation becomes the Workingmen's Party. The first Native president is elected, Anakausuen Hamilton, who rules from 1740-1752 under the Workingmen's Party.
1840: Pax Novanglia ends as the Novanglian stock market crashes, President Elias Barnett attempts to fix the situation by raising taxes and printing more money but creates an inflation crisis.
1840-1847: Novanglian Depression.
1843: President Barnett dies of an aneurysm resulting from stress, VP Samuel McConaughey becomes president.
1843-1847: President McConaughey introduces numerous reforms to mitigate the crisis. In 1847 the economy stabilizes and hyperinflation ends.
1850: Great Fire of Pittsfield. 56% of Pittsfield Massachusetts is burned. President McConaughey personally helps repair the city.
1855: Yale University is founded in New Haven, Connecticut.
1855-1870: Next 15 years sees an influx of immigrants from Europe. President McFadden in his last few years of office declares his intent to gain land in Africa and the Pacific to expand Novanglian prestige and influence.
1870: Novanglian elections begin with Joseph Bartley (Federalist Party), Horace Stanway (Workingmen's Party) and Wilford White (Commonwealth Party) running against each other for president, the main issues being expansion and women's suffrage.

Comparison Points – Political : 3
Comparison Points – Cultural/Religious : 0
Comparison Points – Economy : 4
Comparison Points – Military : 3
Total Comparison Points used (10 Points MAX) : 10/10

Bonus:
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Looks good to me.

[Sanabel]

My app is on page one, ready to be looked at, Trace.

[Tracian Empire]

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Full Nation Name : The United Republics of Ruthenia
Majority/Official Culture : Russian is the majority. However, Russian culture is in and of itself a Frankenstein's Monster. There are Latinized High Ruthenian cultural centers such as Novgorod proper and Odessa, deeply Slavic/Eurasian regions like Muscow, and more Nordicized Ingria and Pskov. Perm and Ekaterinburg are notable for its high volume of German settlers, and places like Krasnodar have a Caucasian twang. Now, on the whole, the Ruthenian Republics devoutly follow the Church of Constantinople, and there are Latin overtones in every facet of life, from the use of Latin characters rather than Cyrillic, to the customs of the urban elite. This is what binds the patchwork together, and this is what creates an umbrella of Russian/Ruthenian culture under which every subculture falls. That said, there are also pockets of Turkic, Ugric, and other peoples. There are also substantial pockets of German settlers, especially in the East.
Territorial Core :

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Territorial Claim : Turkestan, Xinjiang, perhaps Tyre, more lucrative Siberian lands, etc.
Capital City : Novgorod/Great Novgorod/Veliky Novgorod
Population : About 62 million

Government Type : Federalized Republic
Government Ideology/Policies : Varies by composite Republic, but liberal-conservatism, cultural traditionalism, and republicanism reign supreme. Agrarianism, populism, and monarchism are all found intermittently within the United Republics of Ruthenia.
Government Focus : As of right now, the federal government is mostly focused on reforming the state to have a centralized military, educational system, set of common laws, and a strict inter-state commercial codes. Also, the government still has railroad fever.
Head of State : Veliky Knyaz (Grand Prince) Alexander II of Muscovy
Head of Government : Veliky Posadnik (Loosely "Grand Mayor") Ivar Antoniev
Government Description : Oh boy. So, the United Republics of Ruthenia is divided into many composite republics, each based typically around a city(Pskov, Novgorod, Muscovy, Ryazan, Vladimir, etc) with varying forms of governance. Most composite republics are just that, republics, but others are knyazdoms or some other form of petty monarchy, or some combination of the two. Each republic has quite a bit of autonomy, especially with social matters. However, there is an over-arching federal government that supersedes all. It is made up of a unicameral legislature, executive branch, and judiciary. To break it down by branch, the legislature is the Veche, which is made up one elected or appointed representative from each metropolitan area in the nation. The executive branch is very powerful, and is lead by the Posadnik who is elected popularly for a 5 year term, ruling both the city-republic of Novgorod and the entire federal government. Also in the executive branch is the Grand Prince of Muscovy, who serves as a figurehead for the nation, and also rules the city-republic of Muscovy, a leftover of the Novgorodian practice of borrowing princes for ceremonial purposes. The judiciary is entirely run by legislature-appointed Tysyatskys and the Church. It's complicated and messy, but the government as it is was created in 1472 after the Battle of Shelon and subsequent unification of Novgorod and Muscovy, outlined in the Ulozhenie.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Orthodoxy
Religious Description : Basically, everyone is a super devout Christian, practicing the liturgy in Latin and all that. The Metropolitan of Ruthenia falls below Constantinople, giving the Romans a lot of sway over the nation, especially the military and judiciary.

Economic Ideologies : Mostly free market capitalism, with some populist agrarianism and mixed market found in some republics.
Major Production : Cereal grains are produced in vast amounts, but the industrial centers produce large amounts of steel, linens, ship and locomotive parts, furniture, guns, and other manufactured goods. Whaling is on the decline, though it still occurs rather frequently out of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.
Economic Description: On account of the decentralized state of the nation, the economy is very diversified and inter-reliant. Novgorod, the founding republic of this state has always been based around trade, especially trade with the Hanseatic League. This lead to increased contact with the West(Germany, Burgundy, Scandinavia, Britain), which helped to modernize the nation. With the expansion of Novgorod came the expansion of modern thought, which lead to the early abolition of serfdom and introduction of Novgorod's vibrant republican system. This all cottage industry to take off quite rapidly at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, as large food production, transportation networks(rivers and canal systems), a free people, and vast resources were already in existence. And slowly but surely, the cottage industries evolved into mills, then factories, found mostly in cities near resources or transportation routes. By 1870, Pskov, Novgorod, the Volga Watershed, Rostov, Perm, and Odessa have become the industrial heartland of the nation, with growing industry in Kazan, Krasnodar, and more. It is, however, important to note that industrialization has not hit the nation evenly, with White Ruthenia/Minsk, Kiev, Muscovy, and almost all the rest of the republics entirely dependent upon agriculture and mineral extraction. This has lead to the start of a mass migration to the cities, as well as agrarian populist movements. While serfdom is not banned, it seems as though the peasantry is trapped, while urban Ruthenia advances to become a major industrial center for Europe. Railroad projects are underway between all major cities, with the most important lines already complete. Oh, and there is fishing/whaling/shipbuilding and crap located out of Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and Dnepropetrovsk.

Army Strength : The Army is made up of roughly 1% of the population, which is approximately 620,000. Of this, about 120,000 are Cossack and Turk irregulars, 200,000 are in the Federal Army, and the rest are conscripted peasants in local militias tied to the governments of composite republics, for the express purpose of defending those republics and their frontiers. During wartime, they may be placed under the command of the Federal Army. The Federal Army has decent training, high mobility, good armaments, and the local militias tend to be better at asymmetrical warfare and attrition, rather than offensive operations.
Army Weakness : The Army is full of weaknesses. The best fighting forces are irregulars, and the brunt of the military are levied peasants who have loyalty to their local government. These troops also have jobs, varying degrees of training and preparation, and are overall slow and ineffective in conventional warfare. Moreover, many local militias operate using the vernacular Ruthenian, rather than Latin or German like other groups and the Federal Military. Militias have no standardization, and simply cannot be used for invasions/offensive warfare. The Federal Army and Cossacks can, though their numbers are small for such a large nation, which has the chance of spreading them too thin.
Naval Strength : The Federal Navy is made up of about 30,000 sailors serving out of Odessa in the Black Sea, 15,000 out of Astrakhan in the Caspian Sea, 5,000 in the Arctic Sea and a further 10,000 in the Mediterranean utilizing temporary ports mostly out of Rome. The Navy is actually a decent fighting force, that is entirely professional, and follows the maritime tradition started by Novgorod in the Middle Ages. It is charged with mostly defending the waterways and shipping routes of Ruthenian goods, but it also does some power projection, especially in the Baltic and Mediterranean.
Naval Weakness : The Navy is not large, and each portion functions as a separate entity due to geographical isolation. This limits mobility and strategic operation, especially in places like the Arctic Ocean and Baltic, where in large portions of the fleet must sail inland or into the Atlantic anyway. Aside from this, the navy is not nearly as large as those of competitors, and ports are very limited. There are also no naval reserve forces.
Further Military Description : The military utilizes conscription for the most part, with irregular forces being the most elite(trained using the Roman method) and professional.

National Goals : Secure a permanent port in the Mediterranean or Middle East for trading purposes. Expand Eastward, into Turkestan. Solve economic disparity. Unify the state under a stronger federal government. Increase ties with Rome. Become Stronker.
National Issues : Shitty military set up, rising income inequality creating political unrest, mass migration to urban areas, assimilation of German settlers, issues associated with industrialization and urbanization such as pollution and crappy working/living conditions.
National Figures of Interest : I'll keep thinking about this.
National Ambition/Aspirations : Expanding beyond the Urals and reaching Korea's empire. Becoming more culturally Roman.

History :
(History is the same up until the 14th century, aside from Novgorod being Latinized rather than Hellenized)
1304: Mikhail of Tver and his governors perished in a highway robbery while travelling to strongarm Novgorod, leading to Tver falling into a succession crisis. Novgorod politically expanded to Tver in the same manner that they did to Pskov.
1304-1397: Novgorodian trade with the rest of the Rus, and with Western Europe, becoming the biggest flax and fur producer on the continent. This time also came with minor class warfare, German immigration, and Eastward expansion, as was found in most of the city's history.
1397: Having moved closer to Tver rather than to Muscovy at the dawn of the 13th century, Novgorod was able to prevent the Muscovite princes from launching incursions into their land and the Dvina, or from using political leverage as princes in the same manner as they did IRL.
1398-1460: Tensions mounted with Muscovy, as the burgeoning empire expanded towards the peaceful Republic. This lead Novgorod to go looking for help.
1461: Marfa Boretskaya secured military support from Tver, Vladimir, Ryazan, Astrakhan, and Pskov in the coming battle against Muscovy. Having secured its sovereignty and increased its sphere against Muscovy, Novgorod had the upper hand. The Poles had been notably left out of the alliance, which pleased the commoners very much.
1462-1472: With the Treaty of Yazhelbitsy having never been signed, Novgorod was able to make the first blow against their rival. Having secured food enough from their allies, Novgorod made swift work of Muscovy, utilizing their professional military force and German mercenaries. Marching over frozen marshes, Muscovy proper was sacked, though Spring came early that year, leaving the Novgorodian military force trapped South of the Shelon River. This lead to brutal attrition, with conflict raging for months, giving the Muscovites time to regain strength and leaving Novgorod vulnerable. This situation had the adverse affect of causing the war to continue for two more years, ending finally in 1464, at the final Battle of Shelon River. Thus a constitution was drafted for the unification of the states that had been involved in the conflict, with a Muscovite being accepted for the first time in a century as the Grand Prince of Novgorod as a peace offering. This was a success, but it would not be until 1472 that conflict in Muscovy would be quelled and unification would be complete.
1473-1600: Trading grew and expanded within the Rus, and Latinization of all composite Republics took off, especially as those nations under Novgorod liberalized. Latin Characters became commonplace with the introduction of book printing, and in 1600, serfdom was banned in its entirety.
1601-1614: A series of brutal civil wars rocked Ruthenia, as an aftershock of the abolition of serfdom.
1616-1700: Economic decline struck Novgorod as its furs and flax became unimportant. The government continued to encourage expansion, in an attempt to flood the market, but it only degraded the value of the cash crop.
1701-1750: With the nation in dire straits, a new hope arose with the agriculture revolution, and a major boom in the productivity of Ruthenian farms. From this came the birth of the industrial revolution in Ruthenia.
1751-1800: A series of wars of expansion were fought against Turkic tribes to the East, allowing for Ruthenia to reach the Urals. Also during this time, Odessa and Nevskygrad(Petrograd) were built as new port cities for increased trade. Along with the industrial revolution came an increase in canal and road building, vastly increasing the viability of Ruthenia on the international marketplace.
1801-1870: Various wars of expansion fought, with a few urban uprisings by the working poor. The most notable conflict was t he Dagestan War against Caucasian Muslims, which lasted almost 50 years. Railroad construction began, and the political system as it stands today took shape, with progressivism and populism on the rise, and demands for more political freedom being granted. Novgorod is set to continue on its path both internationally and internally, should the political system not implode.


Comparison Points – Political : 3
Comparison Points – Cultural/Religious : 2.5
Comparison Points – Economy : 3
Comparison Points – Military : 1.5
Total Comparison Points used (10 Points MAX) : 10/10

Nice app. Accepted!

[Cymrea]

Ruthenian flag concepts.

[Seinlo]

I wouldn't havebig control deep in the mainland. The deepest I want to go is the African Great Lakes, and I think that I would only have colonies and some outposts there.

That is deep inland.

Yes,but you insinuated the issue wasbig control,which this isn't. I historically possessed African Great Lakes colonies. There's no reason for me not to possess them, since I didn't add them. I actually only have colonies in two or three of them, instead of most of them like I did IRL

[Tracian Empire]

That is deep inland.

Yes,but you insinuated the issue wasbig control,which this isn't. I historically possessed African Great Lakes colonies. There's no reason for me not to possess them, since I didn't add them. I actually only have colonies in two or three of them, instead of most of them like I did IRL

No you didn't. When did Oman ever control the Great Lakes?

[Seinlo]

Pre-Application Credits: Danceria played a massive part in helping me come up with this, and I actually have screenshots of stuff I hope makes it into the app, since it’s all really awesome. I was also helped out a lot by the rest of the members, and would like to mention Sanabel and Thrace. This isn’t my best app, but I can assure you that it is certainly my post unique.


Full Nation Name: The Empire of Rasuli, AKA the Sultanate of Yemen
Majority/Official Culture: Most consider themselves Arabian, African, or a combination of Arabian and some other culture; there is a cultural continuum similar to a dialect continuum, but different in that Madagascar’s culture is about as severe as the differences get (except for those causing rebellions), and there are many shared traits between the cultures. Many of the cultures share traits that they didn’t in real life, and as a result there is cultural crossover between the Arabians and the Africans, which is one of the things that allows them to get along better.
Map: This. In case it’s not on the map/you can't see it, I have colonies in two or three the African Great Lakes, the Chagos archipelago, the Seychelles archipelago, Mauritius, the Kuria Muria island, Masira island, and Reuinion island. Madagascar also includes Mayotte and the Comoros
Territorial Core: Yemen, Oman, Socotra island, modern Saudi Arabia, modern U.A.E., modern Bahrain, and modern Qatar
Territorial Claim: Very strong presence in the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia), prominent settlements in Zanzibar (parts of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, small parts of Mozambique), Reunion island, Kuria Muria island, Masira island, the Seychelles archipelago, the Chagos archipelago, Mauritius, and colonies in the African Great Lakes. There are also trading stations on islands and other areas throughout the Indian Ocean and its seas in territory that is free.
Capital City: Sana’a, Yemen
Population: 22,885,700 without Ethiopia; 32,320,700 with Ethiopia

Government Type: Absolutist monarchy accompanied by a rights-granting charter that only the Sultan isn’t required to follow, and democratic- and republican-leaning (not in the modern political party sense, but in the sense of forms of state) tendencies in some areas
Government Ideology/Policies: Non-militant expansionism that sometimes escalates into militant expansionism or even imperialism. Many members of society have nationalism or patriotism of some sort for the Sultanate of Yemen in their hearts, but there are some who take it to the extreme and express chauvinism. There are small rebellions however, and not everyone reacts with anger, pointing to the fact that nationalism and patriotism isn’t as important to some people as it is to others (while many have nationalistic or patriotic views, some are less pronounced in their beliefs).
Government Focus: The economy and culture are the largest focuses, but the military is strong as a result of heavy funding, extensive training, closely held ideals, and a mercenary/privateer force working aside them
Head of State: Sultan Al-Afdal Al-Abbas II of the Rasulid Dynasty, Caliph of All Islam
Head of Government: Sultan Al-Afdal Al-Abbas II of the Rasulid Dynasty, Caliph of All Islam
Government Description: The Sultan is the absolute ruler, possessing widespread executive powers. A rights-granting charter, a combination of secular and Roman law, and his Cabinet of Yemen (the Council of Ministers; it is over double the size it is IRL, as there are Sultan-elected representatives of several areas) aid greatly in his rule. The Sultan sits in on all meetings held by the nation’s parliament, and has final say and veto powers on all laws passed in the nation (and for rules/laws passed on a scale smaller than nation-wide, he is given reports; these laws will probably never contradict the main law, however). The parliament is made up of the upper house elected by the Sultan (the Council of State of Yemen, and the democratically elected lower house (Consultative Assembly, which is also over twice the size it is IRL). The public is well aware of the fact that the Sultan has and will waive constitutional rights, and respects this as he is the only one capable of doing so. Other parts of the government exist, such as a bureaucracy of non-elected and elected officials, and smaller components such as the rulers of a city.


The country is known for possessing very open foreign and trade policies, as well as an open mind when it comes to negotiations, for the most part. These traits most likely arose due to the increased threat posed by technologically advanced neighbors or economic rivals, but they have led to a bustling economy with free trade (of course, tariffs and taxes still apply), stock markets in all major cities and economic centers, beneficial land ownership laws, smooth operation, and other attributes that make the Sultanate exciting for domestic and international traders alike.


The Sultanate of Yemen is divided into governorates (Muhafazah) as first-order administration, then provinces (Wiliyat), then districts (Kaza), then the subdistricts (the equivalent of counties) (Nahiyah), and then finally into municipalities, a concept embraced because of exposure to Westerners. The colonies are called dominions, but Yemen is closer to (or rather, has closer relations and more control of) its dominions than the real life British Empire was. The type of leader for each will be as follows: governor for the governorates, mutasariff for the provinces, kaimakam for districts (the military rank of kaimakam has been replaced by the title yarbay), a mudir for subdistricts, and mayors for municipalities. Each leader of the governorates and provinces will have secretaries for finance, agriculture and commerce, interaction with foreigners, public works, and correspondence and archives, while those of smaller divisions will have similar staff, and for many of these there is an executive council.

Majority/State Religion: The Arabian Agglomeration
Religious Description: Not given a single-word name like so many other religions, mostly because it hasn’t been given an official name, the so-called Arabian Agglomeration is the same agglomeration as the most widely held culture in the Sultanate of Yemen and its territories. While it may differ from region to region in some areas, and has its strongest presence in Yemen’s territorial core (Madagascar is in the territorial core, but expresses a combination of Malagasy beliefs and those that go along with the Arabian Agglomeration, which has seeped into the African territories it is close to), it is mostly Arabic/Sunni Muslim influenced by Sufism, and blended with Somali, Abyssinian, and Swahili beliefs, as is the rest of the culture.

Economic Ideologies: Open economy mixed market, which is actively avoiding the creation of social disorder while insuring that an affluent society is created (of course, there are still wealthier people and poorer people as there always is), and trying to expand the ruler and state’s power through the prosperity of its citizens; there are state-run corporations and enterprises that attempt to give as much freedom is possible without leaning towards some of capitalism’s tendencies (as Wikipedia says, indirect macroeconomic influence over fiscal and monetary policies). Attempts to expand into nearly any economic sector are allowed, except for those such as slavery.
Major Production: Agricultural goods, mineral products (including moderate iron production as a result of iron mines), high-quality textile and other manufactured
Economic Description: The Sultanate of Yemen has had large amounts of wealth ever since Oman entered a personal union with the Rasulid dynasty, and though there were troubles over the years, this has only improved over time. The adoption of highly efficient and generally very open economic policies that generate much wealth for the Sultanate, the embracement of Roman law, aqueducting, and other customs of the “West” (yes, this is essentially word for word what Danceria suggested, though I edited it some), as well as having algebra and other things while Europe was rather primitive in nature (this one is more ancient, but it still influenced the present Sultanate of Yemen), the Sultanate of Yemen has become an extremely wealthy mercantile nation with clean, beautiful cities. It is semi-industrialized, possessing a well-invested textile industry, more modernized mining, manufacturing, and other such things than those without any industrialization. It possesses extensive railroad and telegraph networks built by contracting industrialized Western nations. It isn’t uncommon for a decent, but not obscene percentage of the GDP to come from renting out privateer and mercenary corporations, many of which operate independently of the Sultanate, but rely on the Sultanate to provide them jobs, with contracts existing regarding what jobs they can take, with benefits such as serving the Sultanate of Yemen and finding a safe-haven there (as long as they follow the laws). The Sultanate produces excellent goods, and what it does not produce it can mine. It is not uncommon for the Sultanate to import materials for architecture, manufacturing, or even crafting. There are craftsmen and makers’ organizations within the Sultanate that are state-funded as part of efforts to improve and maintain culture which benefit from imports. They are doing quite well for themselves at the moment, too, and hope to continue expanding their economy.

Army Strength: The national army and mercenary corps are well-funded and disciplined (leaving them with possession of modern weaponry (about 1870 level), the common use of effective indirect fire with artillery, and having sound tactics). Both armies are well organized and fairly versatile, possessing varied types of soldiers as well as Intelligence, Communications, Engineering, Medical, Exploratory, and other auxiliary corps.
Army Weakness: Many of the numbers come from the mercenary corps, and the army is pretty average outside of their funding and discipline. They aren’t very special; they are unique from other armies, as a result of culture and some differences in how things are done, but they don’t generally have a super trait or anything similar
Naval Strength: The national navy and privateer corps are Incredibly well-funded and disciplined (leaving them with steam-assisted vessels, in possession of a significant amount of smaller vessels that they frequently put together in flotillas that are part of larger groups meant to overwhelm larger vessels, and they have access to shell guns) possess a significant amount of smaller vessels that they frequently use in swarms, and they have access to shell guns
Naval Weakness: Less sophisticated than most major rivals (they are about 1860-1870 level, but Oriental and Western European rivals, which are pretty plentiful, are 10 to 20 years ahead), lagging behind in research for ironclads when compared to the likes of Rome, and, like the army, they are pretty average outside of their funding and discipline
Further Military Description: The need for a larger army and navy revealed itself to the Yemen Sultanate over 50 years ago. In response, mercenary and privateer corporations were eventually leveraged, and the size of the state-operated army grew. Now numbering 627,500 (not counting those in any of the artillery corps or those in the Communications, Medical, Engineering, or other auxiliary corps) regulars, the army is a mighty force more than capable of defending the Sultanate and its people. There exist 20 infantry divisions of 9,000 men each, and 15 cavalry divisions of 6,500 men each in the state army that protect the state and its colonies. The threat of powerful rivals in the form of Western Europeans and the Oriental nations culminated in the recruitment of 350,000 men from the mercenary corporations in the nation, which are largely Somali, Abyssinian, and Ethiopian; the corporations are able to be leveraged to provide mercenaries to other nations, they provide and are given a fairly decent income in exchange for their service. Adding up to just below 2% of the population, extensive funding, training, and research has gone into maintaining a military that must be capable of defending itself against technologically sophisticated nations, lest the nation falls apart. They know better than to rely on their size, however, and know that the day may come when they prove to be insufficient for defending against a rival force. Each soldier is generally trained 4.5 to 7.5 months, the number being higher in times of peace, and when it is required soldiers will be levied from the population and deployed with little to no training; in training, there is a focus on loyalty, valor, honor, camaraderie, and similar traits.; there does exist an elite force of 35,000 men that have been trained since they were children, but they are generally separate from the rest of the army, and operate within the capital of Sana’a.


Then there exist the ‘fortress defenders’, whom are regular officers with less training than the national army meant to bolster the defenses of fortifications and military bases, all of which have been trained well in defending their charges, but aren’t generally anywhere near as capable as the Sultanate’s primary army. Additionally, a significant police force has been formed and operates in every settlement, but their numbers are not required as they function entirely as a domestic force, and the type of emergency that would call for their mobilization would mean that the state was about to fall.


Moving onto the navy; the national navy has 72 ships-of-the-line (all at or above third-rate on the RL British Empire’s rating system), 102 attack frigates, 270 frigates, and numerous corvettes, sloops-of-war, and support or auxiliary vessels (including bomb ships [ships equipped with mortars, which are still used, but not as much as they used to be because of the advent of effective shell guns], transport vessels, tenders, hospital ships, and a very sizable merchant fleet). The privateer navy, which operates largely in the Indian Ocean and has also been transformed into a force that can be rented out if necessary, has numbers eclipsing the national navy, but they are generally smaller vessels, and only larger privateer organizations of epic status operate anything like a first-rate, and most don’t operate anything larger than a frigate, with frigates not being incredibly common, either (I think I will have one or two of these organizations).


The vessels of the Sultanate and its privateer fleets are largely steam-assisted vessels equipped with standardized features that enable superior operation compared to how they operated in the 17th and 16th centuries. Shell guns, coppering to prevent rot, some smaller vessels on a warship or its tender to allow for escape if the ship is harmed, broader beams and a larger upper deck to support extensive sailplans, a narrower floor that allows the vessels to be faster (this is generally more efficient in smaller vessels, but larger vessels are just a little faster), they are built on composite construction (iron frames with wooden planking that allow for copper sheathing, decreased sagging and hogging, and the iron frames took up less interior space than wooden framing), the usage of more efficient woods in certain areas (lignum vitae for pieces that wear out quickly, which is imported), being given the capacity to have a thicker layer of wood or composite plates made primarily from lignum vitae added when they are in the docks that aren’t able to be easily removed, and provide extra protection (especially if they are composite; they aren’t going to be anywhere as efficient as iron plating or anything, but they do provide some more protection than normal), ammunition rooms are lined in metal to give some protection to the vessel should the gunpowder catch fire (probably just enough to allow escape), dedicated rams, and, finally, rockets for communication, SOSes, and shipboarding, all encourage the navy officers with additional moral, and add some much-needed advantages to the vessels, though they are largely based around physical design. Specialized attack frigates that are great frigate-sized exist that make use of these features, but have also had its storage areas replaced by two extra gun decks (the ship is raised a little to make use of all of them; gun deck number is raised to four, and cannons/shell gun numbers may approach 88); unfortunately, they have to be used in tandem with specialized tender ships.


It is the general focus of the military to protect the nation’s sovereign borders and interests, expand territory, insure the survival of culture, and prevent any and all incursions by outside forces.

National Goals: Overall, they wish to make sure that Islam survives, even if it isn’t pure Islam anymore. They wish to become independent of imports of coal and other industrial materials, and also to have the ability to become independent of Western firms, but not necessarily to abandon their contracts with them.
National Issues: Natural resources (such as coal, and such for steel and, oh, I dunno, an actual industrial revolution), the lagging behind their rivals, certain regional alliances (getting rid of them is out of the question, so cozying up to them is more likely), highly efficient and sophisticated competition from Western Europe and the Oriental nations, ‘rebel’ groups of pirates that refused becoming a privateer company in the Empire. There are “small” (by small, I mean moderately sized. They’re not super dangerous, and my nation isn’t falling apart as they are generally geographically separated, but there is one particular force that poses a threat to legitimacy) rebellions (HERESIES!) taking place because of the Ibadi tribes of Oman, while Orthodox and other missionaries travel from South Africa and the Mediterranean, trying to convert my people. The Gulf of Persia leads to Zoroastrian missionaries entering the Empire’s heartland. The travels of missionaries result in odd variations and combinations of religions seeking peace to form. Then there are the Solomonists, who have been around since the 1600s (possibly longer), which pose the most dangerous threat to the Sultanate of Yemen, as they are a politically adept religious organization based in the Horn of Africa that has a leader who claims to be descended from both the Prophet Mohammed and King Solomon, endangering the dynasty’s control of the Red Sea.
National Ambition/Aspirations: To become more sophisticated, self-sustaining, and less fearful than they are now. They envision a much more prosperous nation, and this is idealized in things like the painting of lush, but still metaphorical and somewhat abstract landscapes of Arabia (the lushness is a metaphor for what they want the nation to become, and the abstract styles slowly formed as people started introducing ways to prevent them for being mistaken for actual landscapes), which adds to the affluent, ambitious, but ultimately unsatisfied cultural identity seen in Rasuli.

History:

• Before 1096: As per real life, there was a massive spread of Islam, but it did not reach far past the Yazd province of present day Iran, and found more of a home in the western and southern areas of Africa. Shia-Sunni infighting devastated the Muslim nations, and left them much more open to attack by the incredibly powerful Roman-Persian alliance later down the road, for the Zoroastrians to take control of Persia, and for a number of other important matters to occur.
• 1096: The Crusades begin
• 1098: The states of Yemen and Oman form a personal union
• 1229: Rasulid Dynasty is founded by Umar ibn Rasul, conquests begin
• 1234: The Muslim Kingdoms of the Horn of Africa begin sending their sons to Yemen and Oman to study, bringing people and military support to the Rasuli Empire. This would dampen the blows that the Ninth Crusade would later inflict upon the Empire.
• 1271-1272: The Ninth Crusade occurs, with the Empire of Rasuli suffering, but recovering to its former levels within a decade.
• 1278: Recovery from the Ninth Crusade nears completion
• 1298: Plagues sweep through the Empire, ending another short-lived era of prosperity.
• 1331: The Empire begins marrying off the sons and daughters of the House of Rasulid, making use of the close alliances they held with the Muslim Kingdoms of the Horn of Africa, and they take advantage of their alliances. Over time, the Muslim Kingdoms would become more subservient, and eventually be absorbed.
• 1441: Extinguishment of major rebellions, ushering in a new era of peace under the Rasulid dynasty within the state, and preventing the fall of the Rasulid dynasty in 1454
• 1442: The defeat of Egypt in the Red Sea leads to total control over the Hejaz, leading to an era of both peace and prosperity, and leaving the Rasulid dynasty rulers of a nation now seen as the rightful successor to the world’s former Muslim Caliphates.
• 1445: The Sultan dies, and the first Sultana of the state rises to prominence as a result of strange circumstance, and a devastated royal family. She makes sweeping reforms, and changes the Sultanate’s views of women, as well as how foreign and economic policy was handled, with the focus on slavery being shifted to the Sultana’s hope of abolishing slavery. Her actions would also insure the survival of the Rasulid dynasty.
• 1465: The Almulahhimi Sultana is assassinated, the perpetrator escaping. It becomes a day of mourning in the Yemeni state.
• 1545: The First Century Anniversary of the Almulahhimi Sultana ascendance sees the abolition of Sharia law, and the implementation of a combination of Roman law and some secular ideals. The descendants of the Almulahhimi Sultana had gathered their allies, both foreign and domestic, and prevented any major uprisings from occurring, efforts that were almost certainly aided by the development of the Empire’s more peaceful, open-minded agglomerate culture.
• 1571: The first stock market is established. It is not as developed as those in Europe, but that would change in the future.
• 1578: The first mercenary company/corporation is established.
• 1583: The first privateer company/corporation is established. While independent from the state, it had agreed to certain things in exchange for being served first, a decent amount of pay, and a safe-haven in the empire, much of which had also been granted to the first mercenary corporation back in 1577.
• 1612: 13 members of the House of Rasulid are killed during a pirate attack on a small flotilla. The escort flotilla was the only one available because of a shortage of vessels due to combating the pirates. Afterwards, they put their privateer corps and remaining state-operated vessels into override, calling upon what allies they could find in the matter of dealing with pirates in the Indian Ocean, and managing to convince many of them to become privateer corporations or companies, though they were to undergo a period of not attacking certain powers that aided them for quite some time (over a century, actually. It was the only way that the Empire could convince other states to continue to aid them once they realized what the Empire wanted to do), but there were also many others that rebelled, and pirates still terrorize the Indian Ocean because of that.
• 1630: Conquests along the eastern coast of Africa take place
• 1667: The first Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia, marking the beginning of the most dangerous dissident threat to the Empire.
• 1712: The state’s agreement not to use privateers against certain nations ends. The state does not yet change their use of the privateers.
• 1713: The Rasulid dynasty quickly rises to prominence, controlling trade and ports in southeast Africa and several other areas of the Indian Ocean, which wouldn’t be broken any time soon.
• 1767: The second Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia.
• 1842: The Sultanate makes contact with several Western firms, hoping to come to agreement on the construction of extensive networks of railways and telegraph lines, as well as education on how to manage them, and future aid in maintenance.
• 1845: First shell gun reaches the Sultanate of Yemen
• 1850: A Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia.
• 1854: After nearly a decade of development, a more sophisticated shell gun is produced by the Imperial Arsenal’s research and development branch.
• 1867: The Empire reaches an economic and military level of development that they, for some reason, see as a cause for celebration, marking a day that would forever include falling asleep in a drunken stupor. Still, the population is not completely satisfied with the nation as it is.
• 1870: Modern day

Comparison Points – Political: 2.5
Comparison Points – Cultural/Religious: 2.5
Comparison Points – Economy: 3
Comparison Points – Military: 2
Total Comparison Points used (10 Points MAX): 10/10

Edited. I made edits to several parts.

Yes,but you insinuated the issue wasbig control,which this isn't. I historically possessed African Great Lakes colonies. There's no reason for me not to possess them, since I didn't add them. I actually only have colonies in two or three of them, instead of most of them like I did IRL

No you didn't. When did Oman ever control the Great Lakes?

Yes I did, ^-^

8th paragraph in Early Islamic Period

I also read it somewhere else, but I have over 40 tabs and 6 windows open, and this was easier to find.

[Seinlo]

It was under the Yarubid dynasty, but the Rasulid dynasty survived. If the Portuguese didn't have colonies there, then I would have built the colonies myself. So, yes, historically I had them, though I may need to edit some of the facts tofit AH.

[Tracian Empire]

Pre-Application Credits: Danceria played a massive part in helping me come up with this, and I actually have screenshots of stuff I hope makes it into the app, since it’s all really awesome. I was also helped out a lot by the rest of the members, and would like to mention Sanabel and Thrace. This isn’t my best app, but I can assure you that it is certainly my post unique.


Full Nation Name: The Empire of Rasuli, AKA the Sultanate of Yemen
Majority/Official Culture: Most consider themselves Arabian, African, or a combination of Arabian and some other culture; there is a cultural continuum similar to a dialect continuum, but different in that Madagascar’s culture is about as severe as the differences get (except for those causing rebellions), and there are many shared traits between the cultures. Many of the cultures share traits that they didn’t in real life, and as a result there is cultural crossover between the Arabians and the Africans, which is one of the things that allows them to get along better.
Map: This. In case it’s not on the map/you can't see it, I have colonies in two or three the African Great Lakes, the Chagos archipelago, the Seychelles archipelago, Mauritius, the Kuria Muria island, Masira island, and Reuinion island. Madagascar also includes Mayotte and the Comoros
Territorial Core: Yemen, Oman, Socotra island, modern Saudi Arabia, modern U.A.E., modern Bahrain, and modern Qatar
Territorial Claim: Very strong presence in the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia), prominent settlements in Zanzibar (parts of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, small parts of Mozambique), Reunion island, Kuria Muria island, Masira island, the Seychelles archipelago, the Chagos archipelago, Mauritius, and colonies in the African Great Lakes. There are also trading stations on islands and other areas throughout the Indian Ocean and its seas in territory that is free.
Capital City: Sana’a, Yemen
Population: 22,885,700 without Ethiopia; 32,320,700 with Ethiopia

Government Type: Absolutist monarchy accompanied by a rights-granting charter that only the Sultan isn’t required to follow, and democratic- and republican-leaning (not in the modern political party sense, but in the sense of forms of state) tendencies in some areas
Government Ideology/Policies: Non-militant expansionism that sometimes escalates into militant expansionism or even imperialism. Many members of society have nationalism or patriotism of some sort for the Sultanate of Yemen in their hearts, but there are some who take it to the extreme and express chauvinism. There are small rebellions however, and not everyone reacts with anger, pointing to the fact that nationalism and patriotism isn’t as important to some people as it is to others (while many have nationalistic or patriotic views, some are less pronounced in their beliefs).
Government Focus: The economy and culture are the largest focuses, but the military is strong as a result of heavy funding, extensive training, closely held ideals, and a mercenary/privateer force working aside them
Head of State: Sultan Al-Afdal Al-Abbas II of the Rasulid Dynasty, Caliph of All Islam
Head of Government: Sultan Al-Afdal Al-Abbas II of the Rasulid Dynasty, Caliph of All Islam
Government Description: The Sultan is the absolute ruler, possessing widespread executive powers. A rights-granting charter, a combination of secular and Roman law, and his Cabinet of Yemen (the Council of Ministers; it is over double the size it is IRL, as there are Sultan-elected representatives of several areas) aid greatly in his rule. The Sultan sits in on all meetings held by the nation’s parliament, and has final say and veto powers on all laws passed in the nation (and for rules/laws passed on a scale smaller than nation-wide, he is given reports; these laws will probably never contradict the main law, however). The parliament is made up of the upper house elected by the Sultan (the Council of State of Yemen, and the democratically elected lower house (Consultative Assembly, which is also over twice the size it is IRL). The public is well aware of the fact that the Sultan has and will waive constitutional rights, and respects this as he is the only one capable of doing so. Other parts of the government exist, such as a bureaucracy of non-elected and elected officials, and smaller components such as the rulers of a city.


The country is known for possessing very open foreign and trade policies, as well as an open mind when it comes to negotiations, for the most part. These traits most likely arose due to the increased threat posed by technologically advanced neighbors or economic rivals, but they have led to a bustling economy with free trade (of course, tariffs and taxes still apply), stock markets in all major cities and economic centers, beneficial land ownership laws, smooth operation, and other attributes that make the Sultanate exciting for domestic and international traders alike.


The Sultanate of Yemen is divided into governorates (Muhafazah) as first-order administration, then provinces (Wiliyat), then districts (Kaza), then the subdistricts (the equivalent of counties) (Nahiyah), and then finally into municipalities, a concept embraced because of exposure to Westerners. The colonies are called dominions, but Yemen is closer to (or rather, has closer relations and more control of) its dominions than the real life British Empire was. The type of leader for each will be as follows: governor for the governorates, mutasariff for the provinces, kaimakam for districts (the military rank of kaimakam has been replaced by the title yarbay), a mudir for subdistricts, and mayors for municipalities. Each leader of the governorates and provinces will have secretaries for finance, agriculture and commerce, interaction with foreigners, public works, and correspondence and archives, while those of smaller divisions will have similar staff, and for many of these there is an executive council.

Majority/State Religion: The Arabian Agglomeration
Religious Description: Not given a single-word name like so many other religions, mostly because it hasn’t been given an official name, the so-called Arabian Agglomeration is the same agglomeration as the most widely held culture in the Sultanate of Yemen and its territories. While it may differ from region to region in some areas, and has its strongest presence in Yemen’s territorial core (Madagascar is in the territorial core, but expresses a combination of Malagasy beliefs and those that go along with the Arabian Agglomeration, which has seeped into the African territories it is close to), it is mostly Arabic/Sunni Muslim influenced by Sufism, and blended with Somali, Abyssinian, and Swahili beliefs, as is the rest of the culture.

Economic Ideologies: Open economy mixed market, which is actively avoiding the creation of social disorder while insuring that an affluent society is created (of course, there are still wealthier people and poorer people as there always is), and trying to expand the ruler and state’s power through the prosperity of its citizens; there are state-run corporations and enterprises that attempt to give as much freedom is possible without leaning towards some of capitalism’s tendencies (as Wikipedia says, indirect macroeconomic influence over fiscal and monetary policies). Attempts to expand into nearly any economic sector are allowed, except for those such as slavery.
Major Production: Agricultural goods, mineral products (including moderate iron production as a result of iron mines), high-quality textile and other manufactured
Economic Description: The Sultanate of Yemen has had large amounts of wealth ever since Oman entered a personal union with the Rasulid dynasty, and though there were troubles over the years, this has only improved over time. The adoption of highly efficient and generally very open economic policies that generate much wealth for the Sultanate, the embracement of Roman law, aqueducting, and other customs of the “West” (yes, this is essentially word for word what Danceria suggested, though I edited it some), as well as having algebra and other things while Europe was rather primitive in nature (this one is more ancient, but it still influenced the present Sultanate of Yemen), the Sultanate of Yemen has become an extremely wealthy mercantile nation with clean, beautiful cities. It is semi-industrialized, possessing a well-invested textile industry, more modernized mining, manufacturing, and other such things than those without any industrialization. It possesses extensive railroad and telegraph networks built by contracting industrialized Western nations. It isn’t uncommon for a decent, but not obscene percentage of the GDP to come from renting out privateer and mercenary corporations, many of which operate independently of the Sultanate, but rely on the Sultanate to provide them jobs, with contracts existing regarding what jobs they can take, with benefits such as serving the Sultanate of Yemen and finding a safe-haven there (as long as they follow the laws). The Sultanate produces excellent goods, and what it does not produce it can mine. It is not uncommon for the Sultanate to import materials for architecture, manufacturing, or even crafting. There are craftsmen and makers’ organizations within the Sultanate that are state-funded as part of efforts to improve and maintain culture which benefit from imports. They are doing quite well for themselves at the moment, too, and hope to continue expanding their economy.

Army Strength: The national army and mercenary corps are well-funded and disciplined (leaving them with possession of modern weaponry (about 1870 level), the common use of effective indirect fire with artillery, and having sound tactics). Both armies are well organized and fairly versatile, possessing varied types of soldiers as well as Intelligence, Communications, Engineering, Medical, Exploratory, and other auxiliary corps.
Army Weakness: Many of the numbers come from the mercenary corps, and the army is pretty average outside of their funding and discipline. They aren’t very special; they are unique from other armies, as a result of culture and some differences in how things are done, but they don’t generally have a super trait or anything similar
Naval Strength: The national navy and privateer corps are Incredibly well-funded and disciplined (leaving them with steam-assisted vessels, in possession of a significant amount of smaller vessels that they frequently put together in flotillas that are part of larger groups meant to overwhelm larger vessels, and they have access to shell guns) possess a significant amount of smaller vessels that they frequently use in swarms, and they have access to shell guns
Naval Weakness: Less sophisticated than most major rivals (they are about 1860-1870 level, but Oriental and Western European rivals, which are pretty plentiful, are 10 to 20 years ahead), lagging behind in research for ironclads when compared to the likes of Rome, and, like the army, they are pretty average outside of their funding and discipline
Further Military Description: The need for a larger army and navy revealed itself to the Yemen Sultanate over 50 years ago. In response, mercenary and privateer corporations were eventually leveraged, and the size of the state-operated army grew. Now numbering 627,500 (not counting those in any of the artillery corps or those in the Communications, Medical, Engineering, or other auxiliary corps) regulars, the army is a mighty force more than capable of defending the Sultanate and its people. There exist 20 infantry divisions of 9,000 men each, and 15 cavalry divisions of 6,500 men each in the state army that protect the state and its colonies. The threat of powerful rivals in the form of Western Europeans and the Oriental nations culminated in the recruitment of 350,000 men from the mercenary corporations in the nation, which are largely Somali, Abyssinian, and Ethiopian; the corporations are able to be leveraged to provide mercenaries to other nations, they provide and are given a fairly decent income in exchange for their service. Adding up to just below 2% of the population, extensive funding, training, and research has gone into maintaining a military that must be capable of defending itself against technologically sophisticated nations, lest the nation falls apart. They know better than to rely on their size, however, and know that the day may come when they prove to be insufficient for defending against a rival force. Each soldier is generally trained 4.5 to 7.5 months, the number being higher in times of peace, and when it is required soldiers will be levied from the population and deployed with little to no training; in training, there is a focus on loyalty, valor, honor, camaraderie, and similar traits.; there does exist an elite force of 35,000 men that have been trained since they were children, but they are generally separate from the rest of the army, and operate within the capital of Sana’a.


Then there exist the ‘fortress defenders’, whom are regular officers with less training than the national army meant to bolster the defenses of fortifications and military bases, all of which have been trained well in defending their charges, but aren’t generally anywhere near as capable as the Sultanate’s primary army. Additionally, a significant police force has been formed and operates in every settlement, but their numbers are not required as they function entirely as a domestic force, and the type of emergency that would call for their mobilization would mean that the state was about to fall.


Moving onto the navy; the national navy has 72 ships-of-the-line (all at or above third-rate on the RL British Empire’s rating system), 102 attack frigates, 270 frigates, and numerous corvettes, sloops-of-war, and support or auxiliary vessels (including bomb ships [ships equipped with mortars, which are still used, but not as much as they used to be because of the advent of effective shell guns], transport vessels, tenders, hospital ships, and a very sizable merchant fleet). The privateer navy, which operates largely in the Indian Ocean and has also been transformed into a force that can be rented out if necessary, has numbers eclipsing the national navy, but they are generally smaller vessels, and only larger privateer organizations of epic status operate anything like a first-rate, and most don’t operate anything larger than a frigate, with frigates not being incredibly common, either (I think I will have one or two of these organizations).


The vessels of the Sultanate and its privateer fleets are largely steam-assisted vessels equipped with standardized features that enable superior operation compared to how they operated in the 17th and 16th centuries. Shell guns, coppering to prevent rot, some smaller vessels on a warship or its tender to allow for escape if the ship is harmed, broader beams and a larger upper deck to support extensive sailplans, a narrower floor that allows the vessels to be faster (this is generally more efficient in smaller vessels, but larger vessels are just a little faster), they are built on composite construction (iron frames with wooden planking that allow for copper sheathing, decreased sagging and hogging, and the iron frames took up less interior space than wooden framing), the usage of more efficient woods in certain areas (lignum vitae for pieces that wear out quickly, which is imported), being given the capacity to have a thicker layer of wood or composite plates made primarily from lignum vitae added when they are in the docks that aren’t able to be easily removed, and provide extra protection (especially if they are composite; they aren’t going to be anywhere as efficient as iron plating or anything, but they do provide some more protection than normal), ammunition rooms are lined in metal to give some protection to the vessel should the gunpowder catch fire (probably just enough to allow escape), dedicated rams, and, finally, rockets for communication, SOSes, and shipboarding, all encourage the navy officers with additional moral, and add some much-needed advantages to the vessels, though they are largely based around physical design. Specialized attack frigates that are great frigate-sized exist that make use of these features, but have also had its storage areas replaced by two extra gun decks (the ship is raised a little to make use of all of them; gun deck number is raised to four, and cannons/shell gun numbers may approach 88); unfortunately, they have to be used in tandem with specialized tender ships.


It is the general focus of the military to protect the nation’s sovereign borders and interests, expand territory, insure the survival of culture, and prevent any and all incursions by outside forces.

National Goals: Overall, they wish to make sure that Islam survives, even if it isn’t pure Islam anymore. They wish to become independent of imports of coal and other industrial materials, and also to have the ability to become independent of Western firms, but not necessarily to abandon their contracts with them.
National Issues: Natural resources (such as coal, and such for steel and, oh, I dunno, an actual industrial revolution), the lagging behind their rivals, certain regional alliances (getting rid of them is out of the question, so cozying up to them is more likely), highly efficient and sophisticated competition from Western Europe and the Oriental nations, ‘rebel’ groups of pirates that refused becoming a privateer company in the Empire. There are “small” (by small, I mean moderately sized. They’re not super dangerous, and my nation isn’t falling apart as they are generally geographically separated, but there is one particular force that poses a threat to legitimacy) rebellions (HERESIES!) taking place because of the Ibadi tribes of Oman, while Orthodox and other missionaries travel from South Africa and the Mediterranean, trying to convert my people. The Gulf of Persia leads to Zoroastrian missionaries entering the Empire’s heartland. The travels of missionaries result in odd variations and combinations of religions seeking peace to form. Then there are the Solomonists, who have been around since the 1600s (possibly longer), which pose the most dangerous threat to the Sultanate of Yemen, as they are a politically adept religious organization based in the Horn of Africa that has a leader who claims to be descended from both the Prophet Mohammed and King Solomon, endangering the dynasty’s control of the Red Sea.
National Ambition/Aspirations: To become more sophisticated, self-sustaining, and less fearful than they are now. They envision a much more prosperous nation, and this is idealized in things like the painting of lush, but still metaphorical and somewhat abstract landscapes of Arabia (the lushness is a metaphor for what they want the nation to become, and the abstract styles slowly formed as people started introducing ways to prevent them for being mistaken for actual landscapes), which adds to the affluent, ambitious, but ultimately unsatisfied cultural identity seen in Rasuli.

History:

• Before 1096: As per real life, there was a massive spread of Islam, but it did not reach far past the Yazd province of present day Iran, and found more of a home in the western and southern areas of Africa. Shia-Sunni infighting devastated the Muslim nations, and left them much more open to attack by the incredibly powerful Roman-Persian alliance later down the road, for the Zoroastrians to take control of Persia, and for a number of other important matters to occur.
• 1096: The Crusades begin
• 1098: The states of Yemen and Oman form a personal union
• 1229: Rasulid Dynasty is founded by Umar ibn Rasul, conquests begin
• 1234: The Muslim Kingdoms of the Horn of Africa begin sending their sons to Yemen and Oman to study, bringing people and military support to the Rasuli Empire. This would dampen the blows that the Ninth Crusade would later inflict upon the Empire.
• 1271-1272: The Ninth Crusade occurs, with the Empire of Rasuli suffering, but recovering to its former levels within a decade.
• 1278: Recovery from the Ninth Crusade nears completion
• 1298: Plagues sweep through the Empire, ending another short-lived era of prosperity.
• 1331: The Empire begins marrying off the sons and daughters of the House of Rasulid, making use of the close alliances they held with the Muslim Kingdoms of the Horn of Africa, and they take advantage of their alliances. Over time, the Muslim Kingdoms would become more subservient, and eventually be absorbed.
• 1441: Extinguishment of major rebellions, ushering in a new era of peace under the Rasulid dynasty within the state, and preventing the fall of the Rasulid dynasty in 1454
• 1442: The defeat of Egypt in the Red Sea leads to total control over the Hejaz, leading to an era of both peace and prosperity, and leaving the Rasulid dynasty rulers of a nation now seen as the rightful successor to the world’s former Muslim Caliphates.
• 1445: The Sultan dies, and the first Sultana of the state rises to prominence as a result of strange circumstance, and a devastated royal family. She makes sweeping reforms, and changes the Sultanate’s views of women, as well as how foreign and economic policy was handled, with the focus on slavery being shifted to the Sultana’s hope of abolishing slavery. Her actions would also insure the survival of the Rasulid dynasty.
• 1465: The Almulahhimi Sultana is assassinated, the perpetrator escaping. It becomes a day of mourning in the Yemeni state.
• 1545: The First Century Anniversary of the Almulahhimi Sultana ascendance sees the abolition of Sharia law, and the implementation of a combination of Roman law and some secular ideals. The descendants of the Almulahhimi Sultana had gathered their allies, both foreign and domestic, and prevented any major uprisings from occurring, efforts that were almost certainly aided by the development of the Empire’s more peaceful, open-minded agglomerate culture.
• 1571: The first stock market is established. It is not as developed as those in Europe, but that would change in the future.
• 1578: The first mercenary company/corporation is established.
• 1583: The first privateer company/corporation is established. While independent from the state, it had agreed to certain things in exchange for being served first, a decent amount of pay, and a safe-haven in the empire, much of which had also been granted to the first mercenary corporation back in 1577.
• 1612: 13 members of the House of Rasulid are killed during a pirate attack on a small flotilla. The escort flotilla was the only one available because of a shortage of vessels due to combating the pirates. Afterwards, they put their privateer corps and remaining state-operated vessels into override, calling upon what allies they could find in the matter of dealing with pirates in the Indian Ocean, and managing to convince many of them to become privateer corporations or companies, though they were to undergo a period of not attacking certain powers that aided them for quite some time (over a century, actually. It was the only way that the Empire could convince other states to continue to aid them once they realized what the Empire wanted to do), but there were also many others that rebelled, and pirates still terrorize the Indian Ocean because of that.
• 1630: Conquests along the eastern coast of Africa take place
• 1667: The first Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia, marking the beginning of the most dangerous dissident threat to the Empire.
• 1712: The state’s agreement not to use privateers against certain nations ends. The state does not yet change their use of the privateers.
• 1713: The Rasulid dynasty quickly rises to prominence, controlling trade and ports in southeast Africa and several other areas of the Indian Ocean, which wouldn’t be broken any time soon.
• 1767: The second Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia.
• 1842: The Sultanate makes contact with several Western firms, hoping to come to agreement on the construction of extensive networks of railways and telegraph lines, as well as education on how to manage them, and future aid in maintenance.
• 1845: First shell gun reaches the Sultanate of Yemen
• 1850: A Solomonist rebellion breaks out in Ethiopia.
• 1854: After nearly a decade of development, a more sophisticated shell gun is produced by the Imperial Arsenal’s research and development branch.
• 1867: The Empire reaches an economic and military level of development that they, for some reason, see as a cause for celebration, marking a day that would forever include falling asleep in a drunken stupor. Still, the population is not completely satisfied with the nation as it is.
• 1870: Modern day

Comparison Points – Political: 2.5
Comparison Points – Cultural/Religious: 2.5
Comparison Points – Economy: 3
Comparison Points – Military: 2
Total Comparison Points used (10 Points MAX): 10/10

Edited. I made edits to several parts.

No you didn't. When did Oman ever control the Great Lakes?

Yes I did, ^-^

8th paragraph in Early Islamic Period

I also read it somewhere else, but I have over 40 tabs and 6 windows open, and this was easier to find.

In the African Great Lakes region, not necessary next to them.

In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama became the first known European to reach the African Great Lakes coast; he stayed for 32 days. In 1505 the Portuguese captured the island of Zanzibar. Portuguese control lasted until the early 18th century, when Arabs from Oman established a foothold in the region. Assisted by Omani Arabs, the indigenous coastal dwellers succeeded in driving the Portuguese from the area north of the Ruvuma River by the early 18th century. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. He focused on the island and developed trade routes that stretched as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade. Due to the Arab and Persian domination at this later time, many Europeans misconstrued the nature of Swahili civilization as a product of Arab colonization. However, this misunderstanding has begun to dissipate over the past 40 years as Swahili civilization is becoming recognized as principally African in origin.

[Tracian Empire]

Oman never had anything more than the coastal stripe you showed us on that Omani historical map.

[Seinlo]

Oman never had anything more than the coastal stripe you showed us on that Omani historical map.

Yes,but this isn't just Oman, is it? It makes sense that a more powerful nation would have more territory. Your point is kind of irrelevant. :/

[Tracian Empire]

Oman never had anything more than the coastal stripe you showed us on that Omani historical map.

Yes,but this isn't just Oman, is it? It makes sense that a more powerful nation would have more territory. Your point is kind of irrelevant. :/

Did you read anything else from what people have been telling you?

• You can't expect to control that much coast and also a lot of territory in the mainland
• There are those things called malaria and natives to stop you from advancing too far into the mainland.
• The mainland is out of reach for colonial states until the Scramble just like in the past threads of this roleplay.

[Seinlo]

Edited. I made edits to several parts.



Yes I did, ^-^

8th paragraph in Early Islamic Period

I also read it somewhere else, but I have over 40 tabs and 6 windows open, and this was easier to find.

In the African Great Lakes region, not necessary next to them.

In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama became the first known European to reach the African Great Lakes coast; he stayed for 32 days. In 1505 the Portuguese captured the island of Zanzibar. Portuguese control lasted until the early 18th century, when Arabs from Oman established a foothold in the region. Assisted by Omani Arabs, the indigenous coastal dwellers succeeded in driving the Portuguese from the area north of the Ruvuma River by the early 18th century. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. He focused on the island and developed trade routes that stretched as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade. Due to the Arab and Persian domination at this later time, many Europeans misconstrued the nature of Swahili civilization as a product of Arab colonization. However, this misunderstanding has begun to dissipate over the past 40 years as Swahili civilization is becoming recognized as principally African in origin.

Ah, alright. I still don't see the problem, and I don't want to edit my map right now. Can I just add a note, or something? My photo editing 'program' is... Well,difficult.

[Tracian Empire]

In the African Great Lakes region, not necessary next to them.

In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama became the first known European to reach the African Great Lakes coast; he stayed for 32 days. In 1505 the Portuguese captured the island of Zanzibar. Portuguese control lasted until the early 18th century, when Arabs from Oman established a foothold in the region. Assisted by Omani Arabs, the indigenous coastal dwellers succeeded in driving the Portuguese from the area north of the Ruvuma River by the early 18th century. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. He focused on the island and developed trade routes that stretched as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa. During this time, Zanzibar became the centre for the Arab slave trade. Due to the Arab and Persian domination at this later time, many Europeans misconstrued the nature of Swahili civilization as a product of Arab colonization. However, this misunderstanding has begun to dissipate over the past 40 years as Swahili civilization is becoming recognized as principally African in origin.

Ah, alright. I still don't see the problem, and I don't want to edit my map right now. Can I just add a note, or something? My photo editing 'program' is... Well,difficult.

You're still not getting all that's claimed in that map.

[Seinlo]

Yes,but this isn't just Oman, is it? It makes sense that a more powerful nation would have more territory. Your point is kind of irrelevant. :/

Did you read anything else from what people have been telling you?

• You can't expect to control that much coast and also a lot of territory in the mainland
• There are those things called malaria and natives to stop you from advancing too far into the mainland.
• The mainland is out of reach for colonial states until the Scramble just like in the past threads of this roleplay.

1.) The only thing I really want from Saudi Arabia is the Hejaz region, so I'll remove the rest, or turn it into claims in an area that isn't generally occupied heavily.
2.) Then how did I have trade routes that stretch as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa?
3.) Alrighty, I'll edit the map, and remove my links to the African Great Lakes.

[Tracian Empire]

Did you read anything else from what people have been telling you?

• You can't expect to control that much coast and also a lot of territory in the mainland
• There are those things called malaria and natives to stop you from advancing too far into the mainland.
• The mainland is out of reach for colonial states until the Scramble just like in the past threads of this roleplay.

1.) The only thing I really want from Saudi Arabia is the Hejaz region, so I'll remove the rest, or turn it into claims in an area that isn't generally occupied heavily.
2.) Then how did I have trade routes that stretch as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa?
3.) Alrighty, I'll edit the map, and remove my links to the African Great Lakes.

1.The issue is mainly in Africa, and of course, in Pakistan.
2. There is a big difference between trade routes, which are done with the help of natives, and actually owning that territory. All Europeans had trade routes with the center of the continent, and yet they weren't owning it.
3. The territory you hold in Africa is once again, too big. I would lower it to the Horn of Africa, and the coast that takes down to Mozambique.

[Seinlo]

New color scheme for my map: The orange(ish) in Arabia is claimed,but not heavily settled. The yellow in theGreat Lakes Region denotes trade routes (it's a large area, but they're trade regions, not actual claims). The yellow probably won't be in the map (well, duh), but the orange might. Would the orange-ish be in the map, or no?

[Tracian Empire]

New color scheme for my map: The orange(ish) in Arabia is claimed,but not heavily settled. The yellow in theGreat Lakes Region denotes trade routes (it's a large area, but they're trade regions, not actual claims). The yellow probably won't be in the map (well, duh), but the orange might. Would the orange-ish be in the map, or no?

It depends on what you mean by claimed. In the app as you have seen, the word claim is used for the territory that a nation wants but doesn't have.

[Seinlo]

1.) The only thing I really want from Saudi Arabia is the Hejaz region, so I'll remove the rest, or turn it into claims in an area that isn't generally occupied heavily.
2.) Then how did I have trade routes that stretch as far as Lake Tanganyika and Central Africa?
3.) Alrighty, I'll edit the map, and remove my links to the African Great Lakes.

1.The issue is mainly in Africa, and of course, in Pakistan.
2. There is a big difference between trade routes, which are done with the help of natives, and actually owning that territory. All Europeans had trade routes with the center of the continent, and yet they weren't owning it.
3. The territory you hold in Africa is once again, too big. I would lower it to the Horn of Africa, and the coast that takes down to Mozambique.

1 & 3.) My map and app were modifies to represent this change a few edits ago. If you looked, you woulf see that I don't have anything in Pakistan, and that I cut off most of Mozambique. It wouldn't let me edit in what parts of Mozambique i owned historically, so it is a larger area...
2.) Okay ^-^

[Tracian Empire]

1.The issue is mainly in Africa, and of course, in Pakistan.
2. There is a big difference between trade routes, which are done with the help of natives, and actually owning that territory. All Europeans had trade routes with the center of the continent, and yet they weren't owning it.
3. The territory you hold in Africa is once again, too big. I would lower it to the Horn of Africa, and the coast that takes down to Mozambique.

1 & 3.) My map and app were modifies to represent this change a few edits ago. If you looked, you woulf see that I don't have anything in Pakistan, and that I cut off most of Mozambique. It wouldn't let me edit in what parts of Mozambique i owned historically, so it is a larger area...
2.) Okay ^-^

I am not forced by anything to keep checking a WIP app once every few minutes. If those changes are made you need to announce them on the RMB.

And what I'm referring to includes that long coast of Egypt you seem to be claiming.

[Rygondria]

Reservation

Nation Name: Konungsrkid Sutherland (Kingdom of the southlands in English)
Territory: The Netherland's Northern Belgium, Mozambique, Singapore, and Gabon.
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours

[Seinlo]

New color scheme for my map: The orange(ish) in Arabia is claimed,but not heavily settled. The yellow in theGreat Lakes Region denotes trade routes (it's a large area, but they're trade regions, not actual claims). The yellow probably won't be in the map (well, duh), but the orange might. Would the orange-ish be in the map, or no?

It depends on what you mean by claimed. In the app as you have seen, the word claim is used for the territory that a nation wants but doesn't have.

Oh. Well, do colonies and large settlements make something a territorial core? My nation has been focused on improving all of its territory, and everything else ithas at present rather than large expansions for a while now. There are only small amounts of people in what will be the orange part of Arabia, too. I don't really have claims, but I suppose that's unrealistic. We have seen Egypt as a vassal state since we defeated it and gained control over the Hejaz, and I guess I'll make claims to the Great Lakes Region and central Africa, as well as Pakistan/Afghanistan, but I won't operate there right now, aside from trade, probably.

[Seinlo]

1 & 3.) My map and app were modifies to represent this change a few edits ago. If you looked, you woulf see that I don't have anything in Pakistan, and that I cut off most of Mozambique. It wouldn't let me edit in what parts of Mozambique i owned historically, so it is a larger area...
2.) Okay ^-^

I am not forced by anything to keep checking a WIP app once every few minutes. If those changes are made you need to announce them on the RMB.

And what I'm referring to includes that long coast of Egypt you seem to be claiming.

Egypt is very small on the map. It doesn't possess the areas in my shade, unless I messed up.

[Tracian Empire]

It depends on what you mean by claimed. In the app as you have seen, the word claim is used for the territory that a nation wants but doesn't have.

Oh. Well, do colonies and large settlements make something a territorial core? My nation has been focused on improving all of its territory, and everything else ithas at present rather than large expansions for a while now. There are only small amounts of people in what will be the orange part of Arabia, too. I don't really have claims, but I suppose that's unrealistic. We have seen Egypt as a vassal state since we defeated it and gained control over the Hejaz, and I guess I'll make claims to the Great Lakes Region and central Africa, as well as Pakistan/Afghanistan, but I won't operate there right now, aside from trade, probably.

Everything that belongs both de jure and de facto to your nation is a territorial core.

Egypt doesn't work, because any intervention in Egypt would have brought you to conflict with Rome and or Cambria. You wouldn't be able to hold anything Egyptian.

[Tracian Empire]

I am not forced by anything to keep checking a WIP app once every few minutes. If those changes are made you need to announce them on the RMB.

And what I'm referring to includes that long coast of Egypt you seem to be claiming.

Egypt is very small on the map. It doesn't possess the areas in my shade, unless I messed up.

You own the eastern coast of Egypt in your claim, which is a no-no.