A Modern World (AMW) Applications Center

[DaShunchao]

Sure, why not.

[Amerique]

After toying around with several orientations, including simply adding the rest of Canada. I decided that while expansion to the Pacific via only Canada would be best population wise, it looks absolutely atrocious on a map. Therefore, I am going to do the sensible thing and add the Northwest US and Alaska as well after discovering they only have a population around 14 million.

My total additions will be: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, Northwest Territory, Yukon, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

This claim in total amounts to 29,721,183 people added to the United Republic of Amerique which is a total population of 153,478,939 all told across all of Amerique and its protectorates. This seems to have become the new normal in size for nations but I'm considering dropping GDP per capita from $36,329 regardless if it's more desirable to keep my total GDP at the same level as before.

To perhaps counter this addition relative to all the democratic or semi-democratic claims that have sprung up, I'll either maintain the same style of government in Amerique but have a decidedly social-democratic status quo and system along with a more Jacobin or early American attitude against monarchism (which is wholly unrealistic for the modern age with so many constitutional monarchies running around with decent modern civil rights records) and does not align itself with any of the European conservative power blocs (save perhaps for an alliance with the Norse social-democrats) or I'll consider a mid-20th century shift to a more syndicalist/democratic socialist system without any remaining right-wing parties to make it more interesting (though the downside is not having a close ally in the likes of Cassanos or the Caliphate). The former scenario would mean close relations and alliances with the Norse, the Caliphate and Chrinthania while taking a neutral or unfriendly but not hostile approach to Iberia, Valendia, Rome, the CSR, etc., with hostility only towards, I guess, Drapol. The latter scenario would mean closer relations to the CSR, friendly relations with Chrinthania, neutral relations with the Norse, the Caliphate and hostile relations with Walmy, Iberia, Valendia. That's a matter better suited to the Discussion Thread.

My plan for the additions to Amerique is, owing to the vast size of this nation, highly varied. There could have perhaps been a Vinlandic colony based in Rupert's Land/Northern Canada which would have been conquered in the 19th century with a mix of alliances with Native tribes hostile to the Norsemen and a forged diplomatic incident to spark a conflict a la the Mexican-American War. This would also finally allow for dedicated predominantly Ojibwe, Cree or Metis populated states as the East Coast core is satisfied to leave the local populations be in return for connecting to the Pacific and maintaining trade with the Eastern states, as they're more preoccupied with maritime development. There will still be many conflicts and unresolved legal disputes between the Euro-American settlers who do eventually come to the area seeking arable land and the Native populations though perhaps less institutionalized, committed or heavy-handed than in real Canadian and American histories without as much government support for settler actions. Part of this is because of Native American alliances during the War of Independence holding more weight as well as a more dominant maritime federalist lobby in government, the French colonial tradition of trade and association (though that's flimsy given the French have their fair share of atrocities IRL) but also due to the lack of a unipolar 19th century where there is a need to rapidly expand and industrialize in order to compete against a monolithic British Empire bordering the American Republic with designs on its land. The rest of my history remains the same, with independence from Walmington and Valendia primarily and subsequent fighting with Walmington over the Ohio Valley and Canada.

The Western coast states I'd like to try something a little more unusual and have moderate East Asian colonial communities interspersed with the Haida in Cascadia which would have been settled using the Kuroshio current after discovery by a Zheng He-type explorer, perhaps Zheng He himself, from Shun. Until a hypothetical Japan claim appears, I will base it on a Japanese or Korean culture which developed in the colonies during their period of isolation or look at a hybridized culture originating from the Southern Chinese populations like the Yue or Southern Min (Hokkien speakers). Without direct support from Roania, they would likely fall prey to one of the European colonial powers adventuring in the Americas creating hybrid Haida-European-East Asian settlements until such a time that Yankee pioneers and filibusters arrive and incite the local population into rebellion for the cause of local self-determination and a continental republic. The competition with the colonial power would probably be along the lines of the Oregon Crisis in real history.

[Chrinthanium]

After toying around with several orientations, including simply adding the rest of Canada. I decided that while expansion to the Pacific via only Canada would be best population wise, it looks absolutely atrocious on a map. Therefore, I am going to do the sensible thing and add the Northwest US and Alaska as well after discovering they only have a population around 14 million.

My total additions will be: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, Northwest Territory, Yukon, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

This claim in total amounts to 29,721,183 people added to the United Republic of Amerique which is a total population of 153,478,939 all told across all of Amerique and its protectorates. This seems to have become the new normal in size for nations but I'm considering dropping GDP per capita from $36,329 regardless if it's more desirable to keep my total GDP at the same level as before.

To perhaps counter this addition relative to all the democratic or semi-democratic claims that have sprung up, I'll either maintain the same style of government in Amerique but have a decidedly social-democratic status quo and system along with a more Jacobin or early American attitude against monarchism (which is wholly unrealistic for the modern age with so many constitutional monarchies running around with decent modern civil rights records) and does not align itself with any of the European conservative power blocs (save perhaps for an alliance with the Norse social-democrats) or I'll consider a mid-20th century shift to a more syndicalist/democratic socialist system without any remaining right-wing parties to make it more interesting (though the downside is not having a close ally in the likes of Cassanos or the Caliphate). The former scenario would mean close relations and alliances with the Norse, the Caliphate and Chrinthania while taking a neutral or unfriendly but not hostile approach to Iberia, Valendia, Rome, the CSR, etc., with hostility only towards, I guess, Drapol. The latter scenario would mean closer relations to the CSR, friendly relations with Chrinthania, neutral relations with the Norse, the Caliphate and hostile relations with Walmy, Iberia, Valendia. That's a matter better suited to the Discussion Thread.

My plan for the additions to Amerique is, owing to the vast size of this nation, highly varied. There could have perhaps been a Vinlandic colony based in Rupert's Land/Northern Canada which would have been conquered in the 19th century with a mix of alliances with Native tribes hostile to the Norsemen and a forged diplomatic incident to spark a conflict a la the Mexican-American War. This would also finally allow for dedicated predominantly Ojibwe, Cree or Metis populated states as the East Coast core is satisfied to leave the local populations be in return for connecting to the Pacific and maintaining trade with the Eastern states, as they're more preoccupied with maritime development. There will still be many conflicts and unresolved legal disputes between the Euro-American settlers who do eventually come to the area seeking arable land and the Native populations though perhaps less institutionalized, committed or heavy-handed than in real Canadian and American histories without as much government support for settler actions. Part of this is because of Native American alliances during the War of Independence holding more weight as well as a more dominant maritime federalist lobby in government, the French colonial tradition of trade and association (though that's flimsy given the French have their fair share of atrocities IRL) but also due to the lack of a unipolar 19th century where there is a need to rapidly expand and industrialize in order to compete against a monolithic British Empire bordering the American Republic with designs on its land. The rest of my history remains the same, with independence from Walmington and Valendia primarily and subsequent fighting with Walmington over the Ohio Valley and Canada.

The Western coast states I'd like to try something a little more unusual and have moderate East Asian colonial communities interspersed with the Haida in Cascadia which would have been settled using the Kuroshio current after discovery by a Zheng He-type explorer, perhaps Zheng He himself, from Shun. Until a hypothetical Japan claim appears, I will base it on a Japanese or Korean culture which developed in the colonies during their period of isolation or look at a hybridized culture originating from the Southern Chinese populations like the Yue or Southern Min (Hokkien speakers). Without direct support from Roania, they would likely fall prey to one of the European colonial powers adventuring in the Americas creating hybrid Haida-European-East Asian settlements until such a time that Yankee pioneers and filibusters arrive and incite the local population into rebellion for the cause of local self-determination and a continental republic. The competition with the colonial power would probably be along the lines of the Oregon Crisis in real history.

Looks good to me.

Please find below and edited version of my proposal with my newly Africanised claim.

I see San. Hieronymi as being in the teritories of Ethiopea, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somali, Socotra, and the certain counties of Kenya (Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Lamu.) (Pop: 125,069,562) External territories being the Maldives and Ile Amsterdam (pop: 392,750)

Population:

[spoiler]I'd love to write more but wanted to put the basics on paper.

Young by European standards San Hieronymi has been established as a single kingdom since 1573.

The various duchies and principalities in modern day San Hieronymi began to coalesce in the 14th and 15th centuries. A complicated patchwork of alliances and enmities existing in the Central eastern Coast of Africa. In the year 1496 a relic of Saint Jerome (San Hieronymi) was discovered in the East of the country. A few hundred years before the region had been populated by Iberrean and other Mediterranean Europeans. Having been granted the land as a gift by the Pope who had previously held claim to the region. Filled with religious zeal the local peasantry united behind the local Duke, Bertrand of Sevarra. He began a slew of reforms in the rapidly expanding territory which only increased the rapidity of the expansion. The relic managed to unite the native African population as well as the people of European descent. With the help of a considerable military acumen he had expanded his territory to cover the entire East of the modern state by the time of his death in 1521.
His Son Duke Ferdinand continued his father's legacy with aplomb, continuing the expansion. In 1531 on the anniversary of the death of Duke Bertrand a monk claimed to have had a vision of the duke and Saint Jerome. He claimed that St. Jerome had stated that it was the will of God that the feuding territories and tribal lands be united into one single nation under his patronage.

Duke Ferdinand capitalised on this with a massive military push West reaching most of the way to modern Senna by the time of his death in 1548. His successors tried to expand with varying degrees of success over the next few decades. It wasn't until the rise of Duke Bertrand II that the mission would be complete. In 1573 he defeated the forces of the Duchy of Composta and entered the city of Santero in a great religious procession. In the cathedral of that city on the Southern Coast, in the presence of the relic that started it all he was crowned King Bertrand I of the Kingdom of San Hieronymi.

The next few centuries saw a consolidation of power in the new kingdom as agreements were made to include the nobility in the organisation of the state. A small colonisation push was made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries resulting in a small handful of overseas territories for the kingdom. The kings though found themselves far more interested in a handful of local claims.

In the Mid-seventeenth century the King had inherited a claim on the principality of Bourles. A dispute broke out with the neighbouring state and a part of the territory was lost. consistent control was only attained in 1716.

The kingdom has always been rather isolationist attempting to sit out of international conflicts but has become more and more open over time getting involved more and more in outside affairs.

(I am afraid to say much about recent history as I don't want to contradict established modern history, I'll happily flesh it out more if I'm accepted and i can get more to grips with established history)

Democracy slowly but surely encroached on Royal Power and in 1786 the House of Commoners was established to complement the ancient Assembly of Nobles, now known as the House of Peers. The nobility managed to maintain a healthy control of power but had to cede more and more to the general population. At the start of the 20th century a violent revolution broke out resulting in the death of the King. In 1928 the new King Vincento III was able to come to an agreement with the revolutionaries. The new Chamber was added to the house of Commoners, unlike the Old Chamber this body was directly elected. As a final defeat universal suffrage was introduced and many royal acts now required legislative consent.

Power has only eroded as history has progressed into the 21st century, not helped by royal infighting. The current monarch, King Marcellius II, has had some success in holding onto the royal prerogatives. A strong pro-democracy movement has been growing despite the strictly enforced lese majeste laws still present in the kingdom. To add to the national woes the separatist movement in Bourles has flared into open violence. Martial Law being imposed on Bourles in 2010 with no signs of it coming to an end.

Culture

San Hieronymi is a very conservative nation especially in the kingdom proper south of the mountains. It has been rather isolated geographically leading to a rather insular culture. Religion is an important part of daily life and the Catholic Church still plays an important role in society.

A form of hybrid liturgy and Church culture formed a fusion of the native African Christianity and a Latin influence brought from Europe.

Though still a strongly patriarchal culture women have been becoming more and more powerful in recent decades. Younger women choosing not to wear the loose clothing and headscarf common amongst their grandmothers. The law still prohibits women from wearing trousers but as with a number of cultural laws this is widely ignored in some regions and the more liberal cities.

Culture is a unique mix of African and European with a major emphasis on family and blood ties, what might be known as family values still have a firm grip on society. Though on the wane respect for the elderly and filial piety is still a major motivation in society. Society is largely divided along gender lines with men and women congregating separately though no longer legally enforced. Public baths are a large part of culture with men playing chess while reclining. Some baths being in public squares that used to be off limits to women and still are in some places.

Politics

The King still plays an important part in the governance of the country though more and more is being done in parliament. The Lord Chancellor being the day to day head of government. The Legislative branch being dived into three chambers though the two lower houses act in concert the difference being largely in the method of election, a compromise born out of the revolution in the early 20th century.

An extensive civil service handles day to day affairs while policy is set by the politically appointed ministers. Coalitions are not uncommon due to some positions being restricted to the nobility, with the majority of the nobility belonging to a conservative faction. more liberal factions have found themselves growing increasingly powerful in the Lower house, especially in the new Chamber.

Economy
The economy has been growing rapidly since the later half of the 20th century. King Marcellius II has opened up the nation to international tourism and has been trying to encourage foreign tourists to visit. Tourism is becoming a more and more important part of the economy.

Due in part to a desire not to rely on other nations the state has invested heavily in renewable power becoming a world leader in the field.

Agriculture is still an important part of the economy. The wine industry has suffered from the instability but the Kingdom has managed to keep the Eastern heartlands along the coast one of the world's largest exporters of wine. The fruit industry has also grown with the opening up of foreign trade and investment. Hieronymian strawberries are world renowned as are their lemons and oranges.

High Tech Industry has also grown rapidly with investment in education.

The construction industry is a major component of the economy and a housing boom has buoyed the economy up. Though there has been political turmoil the economy has never been healthier.

Discoveries of rare elements and minerals in the main nation as well as in overseas territories has been a further support to the economy

.[/spoiler]

Looks good to me.

[Marimaia]

Okay, so after chatting away on Discord I have decided upon a second claim! Dun dun dun......

The Republic of Kulandu

Claim: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone
Population: 47,450,893
Demonym: Kulandun
Capital: Abidjan
Government: Presidential Democratic Republic/One-Party Dominant System
Head of State: President Joseph Nmbega
Head of Government: President Joseph Nmbega

Total GDP: $138,376,000,000
GDP per capita: $2,916
Currency: Kulandun dollar
Official Languages: Kzandu, English, Spanish (Castilian)


Culture

The Republic of Kulandu would be a dream for social anthropologists and ethnographers if it were more welcoming. It is estimated that there are at least 40 different ethnic groups residing within the nation's borders, but foreign visitors are advised not to venture into certain areas without some form of government-approved guide in case of hostage situations or even getting caught up in an outbreak of armed conflict. The nation is controlled primarily by the Kzandu peoples who are the largest ethnic group at some 21% of the population and include President Joseph Nmbega among their number; what many foreign visitors view as 'Kulandun culture' is in fact Kzandu culture, due to the influence that the Kzandu people have over the nation. The majority of other ethnic groups in Kulandu are allied to the Kzandu through historical ties but there are several groups that still dislike the dominance of the Kzandu and their allies. President Nmbega prides himself on being a 'true beacon of humanity' and Kulandu has a reputation for being rather forward-thinking in terms of anti-discrimination; in fact same-sex marriage was recently legalised, although that was more in an attempt to boost the tourism industry than any real interest in equality. Some foreign observers believe that Kulandu's entire anti-discrimination legislation was no more than an attempt by Nmbega to demonstrate Kulandu's 'progressive and loving nature'.

The Republic of Kulandu is quite heterogeneous in terms of religion. Catholicism has a firm place within the nation due to Kulandu's previous status as an Iberian colony, while there are also practising communities of Sunni Muslims, but the majority of Kulanduns tend towards more indigenous faith systems. In many cases Kulandun Christians and Muslims alike still observe traditions from local faiths.


Politics

Kulandu is officially a 'Presidential Democratic Republic' but in practise is more of a 'One-Party Dominant System'. What this means is that Joseph Nmbega came to power just over 35 years ago and still occupies the office of President to this day as he approaches his 70th birthday. There are regular elections every five years and Nmbega has won every election that he has ever participated in. Some observers may raise eyebrows at the consistent victories of 70% or more of vote share but the Kulandun government always publicly reaffirms the free and fair nature of the elections. The Kulandun Patriotic Front (KPF) is Nmbega's political party and holds 257 of the 300 seats in Kulandu's unicameral National Assembly, which has become a rubber-stamp for Nmbega's policies; membership of the National Assembly is particularly sought after as it provides a lifetime pension as well as immunity from prosecution for the duration of membership. It is suspected that the smaller opposition parties are in fact simply puppets of the KPF used to give the appearance of plurality. Any foreign aid money received by Kulandu inevitably ends up padding the pockets of the Nmbega family and their immediate cronies, although they do make token attempts to look like the money is going where it is needed.

While President Nmbega is fond of public rallies and responds particularly well to flattery from wealthy individuals, he is no 'barking buffoon'. Simply put, you cannot hold onto power for over 35 years without cunning, pragmatism, and a true ruthless streak. Nmbega will happily work with foreigners if it will strengthen Kulandu in some way, but he always makes sure that his foreign partners know that Kulandu is his country. He will appear to turn a blind eye to lawbreaking by valuable foreign friends, but if they cross him or he feels that they have outlived their usefulness, he will have them arrested for doing the very things that he permitted them to do. The President's wife Isabella is affectionately referred to as 'Mother Libby' in the state-influenced media and spearheads initiatives such as humanitarian appeals and equality forums, all the while truly enjoying the lavish lifestyle that the Nmbega family have established for themselves. President Nmbega's son Zackary is 31 years old and enjoyed a Stanford education in the Republic of California, earning a Ph.D. in Political Science. Genuinely intelligent with a particularly informal and relaxed demeanour, Zackary was recently appointed as commander of the Kulandu Security Agency (KSA), giving him control of the nation's intelligence services. Since his appointment Zackary has dabbled in personally interrogating suspects, and he's rather enjoying it.


Economy

The Kulandun economy is primarily market-based, relying heavily on agriculture and mining for the national income. The nation's agricultural diversity is impressive, as Kulandu produces a wide variety of agricultural produce; as well as being the world's single largest producer of cocoa, Kulandu also grows such produce as rice, coffee, pineapples, mangoes, palm kernels, cassava, bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, palm oil, cashews, peanuts, corn, sugar, cotton, rubber, and sugarcane. The nation also possesses a thriving timber industry. Kulandu possesses a true wealth of mineral resources including diamonds, gold, rutile, bauxite, iron, and limonite. Recent discoveries of oil in offshore fields have attracted the attention of potential investors from the Marimaian Caliphate, more specifically the Emirate of Margravia. Kulandu also features a small tourism industry centred around the nation's beaches, specially constructed 'tourist villages', and photo safaris. While it is perfectly acceptable and achievable to conduct business within Kulandu in a genuinely legitimate fashion, bribery helps a lot. However, exploitation of the nation's mineral resources has been hampered by militia actions and President Nmbega would like to see someone with genuine security come in to take over mining operations.


Military

Although the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kulandu exist on paper as a fearsome fighting force, the truth is rather less impressive. While they certainly number some 200,000 strong across the component services, they are primarily dedicated to maintaining the Nmbega regime and have very little experience with foreign professional military forces. The AFRK know how to shoot their weapons, operate what equipment they have, and keep people in line. Their equipment is somewhat dated compared to most nations and would undoubtedly be outmatched by many modern militaries, but it is easily obtainable, cheap, and gets the job done.

While the AFRK are the official military of Kulandu, there also exist a number of militia groups which vary in their political persuasions. A minority of them are actually pro-Nmbega yet prefer to operate independently, while the rest appear to be based on factors such as tribal background, political belief, and in some cases simple greed. This means that many militias in Kulandu can be a thorn in the side of the Nmbega regime and the President exploits this relentlessly, blaming the anti-government militias for everything from diamond smuggling to human trafficking and meth production.


History/Foreign Relations

Kulandu was colonised by the Kingdom of Iberia in 1887. While the Iberian colonial authorities did their best to be benevolent overlords, the Kzandu people frequently kowtowed to their faces and then ignored them behind their backs. As a result the colony never really became particularly profitable, although it did provide an excellent link in the chain of Iberian colonial possessions. In 1972 the Kingdom of Iberia granted Kulandu independence after increasing Kzandu agitation led the Iberians to cut their losses and let the area go peacefully. Kulandu's first post-independence President was Teodoro Diarra, a visionary who encouraged the teaching of English in Kulandun schools as well as Kzandu and Spanish as he recognised that speakign English would open up many more doors diplomatically and economically. Unfortunately Diarra's peaceful rule was disrupted in 1980 by a coup led by his political rival Francis Fassou, which sparked off a two year long civil war. Diarra died in March 1981 and therefore leadership of the Kulandun Patriotic Front passed to his deputy Joseph Nmbega; Nmbega and the KPF emerged victorious in May 1982, and so began the reign of the President who is now synonymous with Kulandu.

The Republic of Kulandu strives for excellent relations with the rest of the world, or at least that's the official line. In fact the Nmbega government prefers to play nice with nations that provide aid to Kulandu and everyone else can go to hell unless there's a chance that they might give aid in the future. To that end Kulandu is always presented as progressive and forward-thinking in the hope that nations who actually are progressive and forward-thinking will provide economic assistance to help with Kulandun development. President Nmbega and his wife love going on state visits and have become past masters at ignoring any protestors who might turn out to complain about their style of governance; if other national leaders bring up the topic of human rights or corruption, Nmbega will respond by ranting at length about anti-government militias and how they are probably being funded by those who are jealous of Kulandu's resources, or culture, or whichever aspect of the nation he can think of at the time. This does not necessarily mean that President Nmbega is tied to any one particular 'bloc', however. He would much prefer to be the leader of an 'African bloc' but no such thing exists at this time, so he contents himself with trying to wring what he can from other nations around the world.


Reasons for the Claim

While I do like the Marimaian Caliphate, I also like the less savoury sides of politics and statecraft. I don't particularly want to drag the Caliphate down into that sort of thing too much and I've been toying with ideas for a second claim for a while, with the 'corrupt West African state' winning out. Not only does it give me an opportunity to mess around with things that the Caliphate would not really want to know about, it also gives me an opportunity to place the Margraves into a more amoral/villain-ish role. While they play second fiddle to others within the Caliphate, the Margraves are an ambitious family of vipers at best and they would be well-positioned to become Nmbega's newest buddies; this would basically complete their transition from the 'self-appointed royalty' of the Philippines-Marimaia idea to the 'amoral business imperialists' that fits them much more neatly. It's safe to say that President Nmbega is exactly the sort of national leader that the Margraves would love to work with, and they would love to expand their business operations.

So Kulandu is my opportunity to engage in good old corruption and other less than savoury activities. The basic plan is that Lysander Margrave will be coming to Kulandu as the head of his own newly created corporation, tentatively named 'Lysmar Mining Industries'. Lysmar technically being an independent company but with various unspoken (yet blindingly obvious) links to the existing Margrave corporate empire as well as the Emirate of Margravia, and the reason being that Lysander's father wants to see how he does when operating on his own terms.




If anyone's got any questions, feel free to ask

[United Kongo]

I have no objections to any of the proposed claims put forward.

Please find below and edited version of my proposal with my newly Africanised claim.

I see San. Hieronymi as being in the teritories of Ethiopea, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somali, Socotra, and the certain counties of Kenya (Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Lamu.) (Pop: 125,069,562) External territories being the Maldives and Ile Amsterdam (pop: 392,750)

Population:

[spoiler]I'd love to write more but wanted to put the basics on paper.

Young by European standards San Hieronymi has been established as a single kingdom since 1573.

The various duchies and principalities in modern day San Hieronymi began to coalesce in the 14th and 15th centuries. A complicated patchwork of alliances and enmities existing in the Central eastern Coast of Africa. In the year 1496 a relic of Saint Jerome (San Hieronymi) was discovered in the East of the country. A few hundred years before the region had been populated by Iberrean and other Mediterranean Europeans. Having been granted the land as a gift by the Pope who had previously held claim to the region. Filled with religious zeal the local peasantry united behind the local Duke, Bertrand of Sevarra. He began a slew of reforms in the rapidly expanding territory which only increased the rapidity of the expansion. The relic managed to unite the native African population as well as the people of European descent. With the help of a considerable military acumen he had expanded his territory to cover the entire East of the modern state by the time of his death in 1521.
His Son Duke Ferdinand continued his father's legacy with aplomb, continuing the expansion. In 1531 on the anniversary of the death of Duke Bertrand a monk claimed to have had a vision of the duke and Saint Jerome. He claimed that St. Jerome had stated that it was the will of God that the feuding territories and tribal lands be united into one single nation under his patronage.

Duke Ferdinand capitalised on this with a massive military push West reaching most of the way to modern Senna by the time of his death in 1548. His successors tried to expand with varying degrees of success over the next few decades. It wasn't until the rise of Duke Bertrand II that the mission would be complete. In 1573 he defeated the forces of the Duchy of Composta and entered the city of Santero in a great religious procession. In the cathedral of that city on the Southern Coast, in the presence of the relic that started it all he was crowned King Bertrand I of the Kingdom of San Hieronymi.

The next few centuries saw a consolidation of power in the new kingdom as agreements were made to include the nobility in the organisation of the state. A small colonisation push was made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries resulting in a small handful of overseas territories for the kingdom. The kings though found themselves far more interested in a handful of local claims.

In the Mid-seventeenth century the King had inherited a claim on the principality of Bourles. A dispute broke out with the neighbouring state and a part of the territory was lost. consistent control was only attained in 1716.

The kingdom has always been rather isolationist attempting to sit out of international conflicts but has become more and more open over time getting involved more and more in outside affairs.

(I am afraid to say much about recent history as I don't want to contradict established modern history, I'll happily flesh it out more if I'm accepted and i can get more to grips with established history)

Democracy slowly but surely encroached on Royal Power and in 1786 the House of Commoners was established to complement the ancient Assembly of Nobles, now known as the House of Peers. The nobility managed to maintain a healthy control of power but had to cede more and more to the general population. At the start of the 20th century a violent revolution broke out resulting in the death of the King. In 1928 the new King Vincento III was able to come to an agreement with the revolutionaries. The new Chamber was added to the house of Commoners, unlike the Old Chamber this body was directly elected. As a final defeat universal suffrage was introduced and many royal acts now required legislative consent.

Power has only eroded as history has progressed into the 21st century, not helped by royal infighting. The current monarch, King Marcellius II, has had some success in holding onto the royal prerogatives. A strong pro-democracy movement has been growing despite the strictly enforced lese majeste laws still present in the kingdom. To add to the national woes the separatist movement in Bourles has flared into open violence. Martial Law being imposed on Bourles in 2010 with no signs of it coming to an end.

Culture

San Hieronymi is a very conservative nation especially in the kingdom proper south of the mountains. It has been rather isolated geographically leading to a rather insular culture. Religion is an important part of daily life and the Catholic Church still plays an important role in society.

A form of hybrid liturgy and Church culture formed a fusion of the native African Christianity and a Latin influence brought from Europe.

Though still a strongly patriarchal culture women have been becoming more and more powerful in recent decades. Younger women choosing not to wear the loose clothing and headscarf common amongst their grandmothers. The law still prohibits women from wearing trousers but as with a number of cultural laws this is widely ignored in some regions and the more liberal cities.

Culture is a unique mix of African and European with a major emphasis on family and blood ties, what might be known as family values still have a firm grip on society. Though on the wane respect for the elderly and filial piety is still a major motivation in society. Society is largely divided along gender lines with men and women congregating separately though no longer legally enforced. Public baths are a large part of culture with men playing chess while reclining. Some baths being in public squares that used to be off limits to women and still are in some places.

Politics

The King still plays an important part in the governance of the country though more and more is being done in parliament. The Lord Chancellor being the day to day head of government. The Legislative branch being dived into three chambers though the two lower houses act in concert the difference being largely in the method of election, a compromise born out of the revolution in the early 20th century.

An extensive civil service handles day to day affairs while policy is set by the politically appointed ministers. Coalitions are not uncommon due to some positions being restricted to the nobility, with the majority of the nobility belonging to a conservative faction. more liberal factions have found themselves growing increasingly powerful in the Lower house, especially in the new Chamber.

Economy
The economy has been growing rapidly since the later half of the 20th century. King Marcellius II has opened up the nation to international tourism and has been trying to encourage foreign tourists to visit. Tourism is becoming a more and more important part of the economy.

Due in part to a desire not to rely on other nations the state has invested heavily in renewable power becoming a world leader in the field.

Agriculture is still an important part of the economy. The wine industry has suffered from the instability but the Kingdom has managed to keep the Eastern heartlands along the coast one of the world's largest exporters of wine. The fruit industry has also grown with the opening up of foreign trade and investment. Hieronymian strawberries are world renowned as are their lemons and oranges.

High Tech Industry has also grown rapidly with investment in education.

The construction industry is a major component of the economy and a housing boom has buoyed the economy up. Though there has been political turmoil the economy has never been healthier.

Discoveries of rare elements and minerals in the main nation as well as in overseas territories has been a further support to the economy

.[/spoiler]

Glad to have another neighbour on my other border! Seems interesting, will be good to flesh out some details with the San Hieronymi state as well. A quick question, you mention the separatist region of Bourles in your claim, out of interest where do you envision this province being located?

[DaShunchao]

All ahead, full.

[The Crooked Beat]

Hello everyone,

In an effort to clear up some recent confusion, I'd just like to go ahead and list the real-life territories which I understand Gandvik to include at the moment:

Finland: 5,488,543

Estonia: 1,315,944
Latvia: 1,957,200
Lithuania: 2,853,500

Vitebsk Region (Belarus): 1,230,821

Russia
Northwest Federal District (minus Kaliningrad): 12,628,519
Far Eastern Federal District: 6,291,900
Siberian Federal District: 19,254,300
Ural Federal District: 12,082,700
Volga Federal District (minus Saratov): 27,232,090
Central Federal District (minus Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, and Vologda): 31,934,145

Total: 122,261,815

In addition, of course, we have Sumatra, including the west-coast islands of Simeulue, Nias, and Mentawai (which I really feel that I should find a creative AMW-name for): 50,613,947

Sweden and Norway ought to be considered part of Cass's claim now, and while we have not discussed any additional territorial exchanges in Scandinavia I'm not about to rule them out completely. As for Bornholm, I hadn't considered it a part of Gandvik at the moment, though I do very much like the idea of Walmington, the Danelaw, Gandvik, Valendia, and perhaps also the Shield having fought over it, or at least used disputes as to its ownership in order to provide pretexts for wider conflicts, and as it does potentially stand to play a useful role in guarding Walmingtonian shipping routes from Amberland to the Danish Straits, its strategic significance, in the past if nothing else, may have been nothing to laugh at.

Anyway, as usual I ought to have a lot more to say about a lot of things. Hope that at the very least states the case more explicitly with respect to Gandvik.

[The Greater Empire of the Rising Sun]

Hey All, (former) SPQR here,

As discussed on Discord, I am changing my nation to the following, due principally do duplicating nations on different groups and the desire to try something new.

The Empire of Japan

Claims: Japan, Marianas Islands (including Guam), Caroline Islands, Marshal Islands
Population: 127,067,715
GDP per Capita: $42,703
Capital: Tokyo
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: The Emperor of Japan
Head of Government: Shogun Yamamoto Mizuki
Official Language: Japanese

The Empire of Japan has a history stretching back hundreds of years, and is a country that is very much shaped by it’s history, and it’s traditions. One of the last true isolationists, the Japanese Culture was slowly but surely changed by the introduction of foreigners to it’s shores. The slow, but steady, increase of foreigners during the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate steadily increased the pressure on the status quo.

The Tokugawa Shogunate came to an end when Prince Daichi acceded to the Imperial Throne in 1867, following the death in quick succession of the Komei Emperor, and his brother, Prince Mutsuhito, in rapid succession, both under suspicious circumstances. The new Emperor, who would become known as the Isamu Emperor (The Brave), was shrewd and intelligent and saw that the rebel Daimyo seeking to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate were no better than the dynasty that they intended to overthrow, and decided to take matters into his own hands. Like his brother, Isamu desired a return of Imperial Power, and a modernisation of Japan, and yet he was also deeply respectful of Japan’s traditions and history. The young Emperor stole out from the Imperial Palace in Edo and spent many weeks travelling in secret to many Daimyo; demanding they swear allegiance to him. When, in late 1867, the Tokugawa Shogun tendered his resignation, the young Emperor shocked the rebel Daimyo by appointing a new Shogun, Katsumoto Michiko, who, under the order of the Emperor, defended the Capital from the rebel forces who attempted to invade a month after the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

With his position secure, Isamu was able to take his time and negotiated a compromise that would please both the reformers and the traditionalists. The Emperor would be the head of state in truth as well as in theory, but would appoint a Shogun as head of government, however this position would serve truly at the pleasure of the Emperor, and would not be held by any one family in perpertum. The Daimyo would retain their rank and territories, at the sufferance of the Emperor, but their military forces would be significantly reduced to a force more suitable for the maintenance of law and order, and would be strictly forbidden from fighting each other. The Samurai would retain their rank and many of their privileges as well, indeed senior administrative positions and officer rank in the Emperor’s military was reserved solely for the Samurai class. With his new system in place Isamu turned his attention to modernising Japan within this framework for the rest of his reign; new technology was added and new styles assimilated.

In modern Japan the Emperor retains ultimate authority and continues to rule as an absolute monarch; his authority is backed up by both precedent and the sheer number of Samurai (the elite officer class of the Japanese State) in the service of the Emperor, ensuring that the Emperor retains the allegiance of the bulk of Japan’s military class. The Emperor appoints the Shogun, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Japanese State and, with the approval of the Emperor, appoints various ministers and other officials. The country is split into a number of Domains, each administered, at the sufferance of the Emperor, by a hereditary Daimyo, with individual settlements or sub-domains being administered by an individual Samurai. Although there is very little democratic influence in executive governance, with most Japanese placing their trust in the Emperor, the Shogun and their local Daimyo, there does exist an Imperial Diet, which serves principally as an advisory body to the Emperor and the Shogun, but which also passes legislative measures, although these must be approved by both.

The Empire of Japan maintains a strong military for the purposes of national defence, and potentially for overseas expansion, in the form of the Imperial Japanese Army, the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Air Force. These three military forces swear loyalty solely to the Emperor of Japan, and whilst initially provided by the various Daimyo, in a manner similar to tribute, the Imperial Japanese Military now recruit in a more conventional manner. The Officer Corps of the Imperial Japanese Military is drawn exclusively from the Samurai Class, with all Samurai choosing upon coming of age whether to serve their local Daimyo or the Emperor himself, with the decision largely being down to the individual Samurai’s personal circumstances. Each Daimyo is permitted by the Emperor to maintain a paramilitary force, with his Samurai as it’s officers, for the purposes of civil defence and law enforcement.

For the past decades, under the rule of Emperor TBC, Japan has largely focused on building up it’s economy and soft power, and has done so very successfully, however with his sudden death this is about to change. His son, Prince Kiyoshi is eager to continue to strengthen the economy whilst also expanding and growing Japan’s hard power as a defence against a violent world.

[Chrinthanium]

Well, I am sad to see you depart from Europe, but I really like your Japan idea and I support it most strongly!

Of course, this has given me the idea to return to a Latin Empire idea, but I think rather than go with some Pan-Latinist Idea I am just going with a revived Western Roman Empire. Here is the application.

Western Roman Empire

Geographical Claim

Portugal without Madeira or Azores; Spain without Canary Islands (but including Ceuta and Mellila); Southern France (Novelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Corsica), Italy (without Trentino-South Tyrol, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia); Andorra; Monaco; San Marino; Malta; Vatican City; Puerto Rico; Uruguay; Angola; Kongo Central province of D.R. Congo and Katanga Region of D.R. Congo; Zambia; Macau; Aruba; Bonaire; Curacao; Trinidad and Tobago.

Basic Information:

Conventional Long Form: Western Roman Empire
Conventional Short Form: Rome
Former: Roman Empire, Roman Republic, Kingdom of Rome
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy based on Roman traditions
Capital: Rome
Largest City: Madrid
Administrative Divisions: Multiple
Constitution: No written constitution
National Holiday: 21 April (Founding of the City Day), 16 January (Augustus Day)
Independence: None
Suffrage: All
Head of State: Emperor Lucius X (since 5 April 1994)
Head of Government: Consul-General Fabrizio Scaramella (Since 2 January 2013)
Legislature: Unicameral: Senate (500 seats)
GDP (PPP): $4,804,042,752,000
GDP (PPP) per capita: $23,000
Area:
Population: 208,871,424 (rough estimate)
Time Zone: UTC +1 (European Portion, Angola); UTC -4 (Puerto Rico, ABC Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay); UTC +2 (Katanga, Zambia), UTC +8 (Macau)
Observes Daylight Saving Time: No
Drives on the: Right
Calling code: 19
Internet TLD: .re

Basic History

In the 8th century BCE, the city of Rome was founded, according to Roman legend, by Romulus and Remus. From then on the city-state was a Kingdom which lasted until around 509 BCE when the "Etruscan Kings" were removed from power by the Romans. This began a period in history known as the Roman Republic, where many of the modern-day forms of government were born. The republic grew over the following 500 years to conquer not just the Italian peninsula, but land along the Mediterranean Sea. A series of civil wars during the later 2nd Century and into the 1st Century BCE led to political and socio-economic turmoil in the Roman Republic. Events including the appointing of Julius Caesar as Consul (44BCE), the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), and the granting of the title of Augustus to Octavian (16 January 27 BCE) by the Roman Senate (and the date upon which the Roman Empire officially begins).

Following the appointment of Octavian as Augustus, the Roman Empire entered into a period of unprecedented and unrivaled stability for the first two centuries of it existence. During this time, known as the Pax Romanus (the Roman Peace), the empire would expand to its greatest extent under Emperor Trajan I (117 CE). At its greatest extent, the Empire stretched from the Middle East, through North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, and to the Iberian Peninsula. In the Third Century CE, a series of event led to economic and political instability in the empire (known as the Crisis of the Third Century) and would lead to the splitting of the Roman Empire by Diocletian in 285 CE. A Greek East and Roman West would continue until Constantine the Great founded the city of Constantinople on the ancient city of Byzantium in 330 CE. The Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire would become Constantinople and Rome would continue as the capital of the Western Roman Empire.

In the Western Roman Empire, Christians rose to power in the 4th Century CE as the political situation within the Western empire became more unstable. In the 5th Century CE, Western Emperor Romulus Augustulus would be deposed by the Celts in the War of the Saimonas (475) causing the Western Roman Empire to fall into chaos.

By the 1400s, the Italian peninsula was dominated by various kingdoms and city states while the Iberian peninsula was in the midst of the Reconquista. The union of the Crown of Aragon with the Crown of Castile saw a powerful dynastic union that brought Spain into complete union. All of Spain was united under one Crown. Aragon brought with it Sardinia, Corsica, Southern Gaul, Sicily, Malta, and Southern Italy into union with Castile as well forming the basis of the modern Western Roman Empire. 1492 became a very prosperous year for Spain. First, the Reconquista was completed in January. On 11 August, Christopher Columbus sets sail, then Rodrigo Borgia, a Spaniard, is elected Pope of Rome as Alexander VI just 8 days later. As time progresses and the Papal States are threatened by their neighbors to the North, it is Spain who comes to their aid. In 1505, the North of Italy was under the Spanish Crown. When Charles I came to power, the son of Joanna the Mad and an Italian nobleman, he was crowned King of Spain and Emperor of the Western Roman Empire by Pope Leo X in 1516, a title while would be granted to the descendants of Charles I. The Union of Portugal and Spain united the Iberian peninsula in 1580. In 1610, the ruling House died out and passed to the House of Borgia, the line from which the current Western Roman Emperor's descend.

Overview of the Roman Imperial Government

The Roman Imperial Government operates a Constitutional Monarchy steeped in millennia-old traditions of Roman Republic forms of government. In practice, the government of the Western Roman Empire is rather caught up in the process of bureaucracy, blending traditional political roles, non-elected officials, and even Imperial authority into one large morass often difficult to navigate without first understanding how it all works. The goal of this section is not to get into the specifics of how it all works, but to give an overview from which the reader will be able to have a working knowledge of how the Roman government operates. Some specifics will be given later on in this chapter.

The Imperial Government is divided into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Each branch is as powerful as the other, and a system of Checks and Balances exists in order to protect one from becoming more powerful than the other. The Emperor has sway in all three branches of government. Of course, there's bound to be some gray areas between delineations of Imperial power and elected power. Where ever that line is actually drawn, it is often considered a wise move to consult Caesar before getting into extensive reforms and projects or declaring war or, well, just about anything. It is said that the elected government is just a sham--a way in which the emperor can actually rule with absolute power but use the elected officials to actually carry out his orders thus giving the appearance of a democratic nation. This also means when the plans backfire, it is the politician, not the emperor, who takes the blame.

To further complicate matters, there are no real political parties within the Roman Government. From the Consul-General on down to lowly town council members, political factions are forged through personality cults rather than a select platform upon which people are expected to stand for office. Savvy Senators and Governors can often attain great political victories through a series of speeches, often known as Rhetoric, to express their ideas and plans for the future. In essence, the more gifted an orator a politician is, the more political capital he can expect to acquire.

Within the Empire, there are several types of subdivisions, each one smaller and more local than the one above it. Beneath the National-level government, there are the Regional governments. Each Region is further broken into smaller units called Provinces. Yet another layer to the government comes in the form of Communities, which are smaller divisions of Provinces. The final layer to the government can be found at the local level with each Community divided into Council Districts. Of course, there are gray areas here as well. Not every council district is, unto itself, a town or city. A few cities, namely Rome and Madrid, are themselves their own Community with many Council Districts and are represented at both levels within the hierarchy Imperial Government.

Foreign Policy

Rome's foreign policy is simple: defend and support the so-called Rightist powers, to assist them militarily, economically, and politically, Rome maintains a large military to protect her interests both home and abroad. While it would not be considered a major power, it is capable to maintain its own and to defend its territory with a vengeance. As a successor state to the ancient Roman Empire, it is beholden to Latinist ideals and seeks to unite Latin nations around the world against their common enemies, namely the Celtic Menace.

The Catholic Church

It is there in Vatican City doing its thing. While the Catholic Church is a major factor in the lives of the people, the Pope does not wield much political power within the empire itself. He does crown the Roman Emperor in an elaborate ceremony combining Catholic and Roman mythology, history, and legality into a process nearly impossible to untangle.

[Marimaia]

Both ideas sound interesting and promising, so support goes to both

[DaShunchao]

Sure, why not.

[AMW Applications]

AMW Claims Map Changelog

Map Version 11.1 Updated 27 March 2018
https://i.imgur.com/dyldbGS.png

ADDITIONS

NONE

SUBTRACTIONS

NONE

SHIFTS

The ROMAN REPUBLIC is dropped and the claim shifted to the EMPIRE OF JAPAN and includes: Japan, Marianas Islands, Guam, Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands
The KINGDOM OF IBERIA expands to include Italy (without Trentino/Sud Tyrol, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia), San Marino, Vatican City, Malta and drops Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil and is renamed ROMAN EMPIRE

[The Greater Empire of the Rising Sun]

As per Discord discussions, please add Kiribati to my claim.

[Chrinthanium]

I was not thinking of going this route, but after some conversation in Discord, I have opted to request a change in the imperial territories of the Western Roman Empire. I am dropping Angola, Zambia, Katanga Region, and Kongo Central Province of DR Congo as well as Uruguay and Puerto Rico in favor of taking Algeria, Tunisia, the unclaimed bits of Libya, and the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Oriental, Fès-Meknès, and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra regions of Morocco. The population of the empire would raise by around a million... so it's a near even trade. This guarantees I have all the internal history I need (Carthage, Moorish invasions, etc...) and puts the empire into a more "Mediterranean" looking deal. Macau remains as the last spot of a former global empire. Makes dealing with the claim easier for me rather than having to worry about things "around the world"

International shipping lanes in the Mediterranean would always be respected, for those concerned about that. Rome needs them as much as the Caliphate and Romnika and the Celts.

It would look like this, though I have to redraw the internal Moroccan divisions to relate to their current 12 region format:

[Marimaia]

No objections to Rising Sun getting Kiribati or to Chrin's colonial reshuffle

[AMW Applications]

AMW Claims Map Changelog

Map Version 11.1 Updated 3 April 2018
https://i.imgur.com/osZolLx.png

ADDITIONS

WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE added: Algeria, Tunisia, Western Libya, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Oriental, Fès-Meknès, and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra regions of Morocco
JAPAN added: Kiribati

SUBTRACTIONS

WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE dropped: Puerto Rico, Urugual, Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola, Zambia, Kongo Central and Katanga region of D.R. Congo

SHIFTS

None.

[DaShunchao]

I've given it some thought.

While I would like to have Vietnam and Korea, with the movement of Dra-Poel and the lack of Indian claims make a SE-Asian claim less of a priority. I would like to drop the remainder of Vietnam, then, as I dropped much of western China, and add Korea in its place.

[Chrinthanium]

I've given it some thought.

While I would like to have Vietnam and Korea, with the movement of Dra-Poel and the lack of Indian claims make a SE-Asian claim less of a priority. I would like to drop the remainder of Vietnam, then, as I dropped much of western China, and add Korea in its place.

Before I offer a vote of any sort, I would like to ask you to tell me the population of your current configuration, then I would like to know what your population would be with your proposed configuration. We've already conceded the billion plus, and this may be a matter of semantics, but curiosity abounds.

[DaShunchao]

With my current configuration, my best estimate is a population of roughly 1.11 to 1.2 billion, from a high of 1.4 billion.

Thereabouts. Actual numbers for the individual parts of China's provinces are very hard to come by.

[DaShunchao]

As mentioned in discord, I'm thinking of going with an entirely distinct Korean claim. This would make it open to influence by Serica, Gandvik, Nippon and other states, while allowing for the Korean history that it seems both I and Japan need.

1. National Information
1.1. Full Name of Nation: The Choseon Republic
1.2. Demonym: Korean
1.3. Capital City: Seoul, Pyongyang
1.4. Government Type (Republic, Kingdom, etc): Parliamentary Republic
1.5. Head of State (with pre-title): President Kim Sok Wah
1.6. Head of Government(with pre-title) Prime Minister Roh Sai
1.7. Flag (image/link): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Flag_of_Korea_%281899%29.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Korea_%281899%29.svg.png
1.8. Coat of Arms (image/link):https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Imperial_emblem_of_Korean_empire.svg/200px-Imperial_emblem_of_Korean_empire.svg.png

2. Politics and Government
2.1. Explain how Government works in your nation (Government branches, election system, etc): Parliamentary election every three years. Frequent coalitions in both House and Senate. No stable parties. All parties exist primarily as a vehicle for their founder's ambitions. Presidential election every six years, only able to serve one term
2.2. Provide a list of the current positions in your nation’s Government and who holds them (i.e. Minister of Education: Adam Smith): Established bureaucratic trends and professionals tend to matter more than parliamentarians, who come and go with depressing frequency.
2.3. Are political parties legal in your nation? If so, list all the political parties of your nation: May as well count the sea.
2.4. Provide a link to the Political Compass based on your nation (https://www.politicalcompass.org): Political Compass

3. Geography and Demographics
3.1. Provide a map of your nation. See Google Maps: Korea.
3.2. Describe the relief and climate of your nation. East Asian climate, with light regional variance along the mountain coast and tending towards a Manchurian/steppe climate in the northern regions
3.3. Describe the population of your nation. Provide statistical data if possible. The primary thing marking the Korean people from others is their acute awareness of how Korean they are. It weighs on them. It tasks them. Being the little brother on the block, with everyone around you picking on you, can be a major stumbling block.

But the Koreans persevere. They persevered through the wars of their history. They persevered when their monarchy collapsed. They persevere now, a bastion of economic freedom.
3.4. List the regions/states/provinces in which your nation’s territory is divided and include the total population of each of them.

Chungcheong: 3,653,000
Gangwon: 3,028,000
Gyeonggi: 12,240,000
Gyeongsang: 6,114,000
Jeolla: 4,416,000
Hamgyeng: 6,060,000
Hwanghae: 4,230,000
Pyongyan: 6,819,000

There are also special cities:

Raseon and Nanpo are administered by the Navy
Kaesong is a Museum City and the host of many government ceremonies
Seoul is the Legislative Capital
Pyongyang, in southern Pyongyan province, is the primary residence of the President
Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and Ulsan are Special Administrative Cities.

4. Economic Information
4.1. Describe the current economic situation of your nation. The economy is doing well, but is brittle. The north remains steadily agricultural and the soil lacks the strength of other breadbasket regions worldwide, while in the south industrialization's benefits have yet to be obvious to many Koreans.
4.3. Describe your nation’s policies regarding foreign trade. As much as the Koreans want to once again roll up the borders and be left alone, they can't afford to. Trade is their lifeblood, and it is one they pursue zealously. They can be found across Asia, and even into the emerging markets of Africa and South America.

5. Defense and Security Information
5.1. Describe your nation’s army. Joining the army isn't a prestige position, despite the best efforts of the Republic's defense forces. There is a compulsory draft, but people who can do their best to evade it. What remains is a highly professional, but small, force. It is largely staffed and run by men and women from the northern provinces, which is leading to increasing disunity in Seoul.
5.2. Name all the institutions/services which are involved in the defence of your nation. If there are any Emergency services, please include the phone number of those. Korean People's Investigation Unit, the Army of the Choseon Republic, the Navy of the Choseon Republic, the Air Force of the Choseon Republic, the Royal Marines (Refused to give up their old battle-honors and name, despite claiming to be the vanguard force establishing the republic)

6. Foreign Affairs Information
6.1. Describe foreign policy of your nation’s Government (diplomacy, migration, etc.) Come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough! The Koreans will fight for their freedom. They'll also fight for their land. They will fight for each other.

And when left to themselves, they'll fight each other.


6.2. List all the international organizations of which your nation is a member. The Republic has an isolationist policy, and prefers to deal with its partners and friends bilaterally, rather than in multilateral organizations.

7. Civil Rights and Freedom of Speech
7.1. Describe the civil freedoms that your nation’s citizens enjoy. With a constitution inspired by the Americans, but influenced heavily by their neighbors, the Korean people have a kind of freedom best described as 'be loud, softly'.
7.2. Is there any kind of oppression and/or discrimination towards any group of people? Being a foreigner isn't great, but it's not exactly as though the Republic will oppress you for it. Old, caste-based discrimination is prevalent in more rural areas, but the target of a heavy education campaign.
7.3. Is there freedom of press in your nation? The Korean press has been described as almost too free, and its freedom can be bought by anyone.

8. Science and Technology Information
8.1. Describe how science and technology helps your nation to develop. Unlike their neighbors immediately to the west/north, the Koreans have heavily invested in STEM, though with a less military orientation than their neighbors to the east. The Republic isn't exactly a haven of innovation, but incrementalism is common and honored.
8.2. List important people in the scientific sector from your nation and their contribution to science. The Chung clan, the founders of Hyundai, are highly prominent in modern Korean politics. The descendants of Lee Byung Chul claim their patriarch, the founder of Samsung, invented numerous goods and services, and the Republic is content to passively support these claims.

9. Education Information
9.1. Describe the education system in your nation. Education is state-sponsored, but not exactly state controlled. The Examination System remains in place, but is increasingly irrelevant. Protestant missionary schools are a large factor in much of the southern islands, and spreading in the north.
9.2. What could your nation do to improve education?Nothing. Oh, there's lots to be done, but there's little chance the Republic will do it.

10. Environmental Protection Information
10.1. Explain what policies does your nation have towards environmental protection issues. The House pushed through an act to establish environmental control for cars in 1998, and it managed to get through the Senate in 2000, but the situation has largely frozen there. Private individuals are acting with greater effect than the government.
10.2. What are the main energy sources your nation uses? A nuclear power plant at Pyongyang, and one at Seoul, power much of the center of the country. Oil and coal are not uncommon in the north. Some of the southern islands have begun experimenting with tidal power, and Kaesong is expected to attain wind-powered self-sufficiency by 2020.
10.3. What could your nation do to improve its environment?See above.

11. Healthcare Information
11.1. Describe the healthcare system of your nation. It works. There is a national healthcare system which helps the poor and indigent, but you are better off on private health insurance. In Pyongyang and Seoul, care can be compared to that in the west for most citizens, while outcomes are high for the wealthy and middle-class in the other cities.
11.2. Are there any kind of restrictions and/or regulations on specific types of medicines or products for medical use? Evangelical Christians and the Unification Church continue to press for abortion and contraception to be banned, but there is little public appetite for the debate.
11.3. What could your nation do to improve its healthcare system? Investing in rural outcomes would be a benefit to the Korean people, and unlike the environment, there are bills to see this through. But the money isn't really there.

[Chrinthanium]

Right'o...

Concern from me is it is right next door to serica, you've constantly been requesting an annexation of Korea, and I would hope that this isn't a way to go about it. If you are going to keep it separate from Serica, then sure.. I'm not going to stand in your way.

[Chrinthanium]

As mentioned in discord, I'm thinking of going with an entirely distinct Korean claim. This would make it open to influence by Serica, Gandvik, Nippon and other states, while allowing for the Korean history that it seems both I and Japan need.

1. National Information
1.1. Full Name of Nation: The Choseon Republic
1.2. Demonym: Korean
1.3. Capital City: Seoul, Pyongyang
1.4. Government Type (Republic, Kingdom, etc): Parliamentary Republic
1.5. Head of State (with pre-title): President Kim Sok Wah
1.6. Head of Government(with pre-title) Prime Minister Roh Sai
1.7. Flag (image/link): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Flag_of_Korea_%281899%29.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Korea_%281899%29.svg.png
1.8. Coat of Arms (image/link):https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Imperial_emblem_of_Korean_empire.svg/200px-Imperial_emblem_of_Korean_empire.svg.png

2. Politics and Government
2.1. Explain how Government works in your nation (Government branches, election system, etc): Parliamentary election every three years. Frequent coalitions in both House and Senate. No stable parties. All parties exist primarily as a vehicle for their founder's ambitions. Presidential election every six years, only able to serve one term
2.2. Provide a list of the current positions in your nation’s Government and who holds them (i.e. Minister of Education: Adam Smith): Established bureaucratic trends and professionals tend to matter more than parliamentarians, who come and go with depressing frequency.
2.3. Are political parties legal in your nation? If so, list all the political parties of your nation: May as well count the sea.
2.4. Provide a link to the Political Compass based on your nation (https://www.politicalcompass.org): Political Compass

3. Geography and Demographics
3.1. Provide a map of your nation. See Google Maps: Korea.
3.2. Describe the relief and climate of your nation. East Asian climate, with light regional variance along the mountain coast and tending towards a Manchurian/steppe climate in the northern regions
3.3. Describe the population of your nation. Provide statistical data if possible. The primary thing marking the Korean people from others is their acute awareness of how Korean they are. It weighs on them. It tasks them. Being the little brother on the block, with everyone around you picking on you, can be a major stumbling block.

But the Koreans persevere. They persevered through the wars of their history. They persevered when their monarchy collapsed. They persevere now, a bastion of economic freedom.
3.4. List the regions/states/provinces in which your nation’s territory is divided and include the total population of each of them.

Chungcheong: 3,653,000
Gangwon: 3,028,000
Gyeonggi: 12,240,000
Gyeongsang: 6,114,000
Jeolla: 4,416,000
Hamgyeng: 6,060,000
Hwanghae: 4,230,000
Pyongyan: 6,819,000

There are also special cities:

Raseon and Nanpo are administered by the Navy
Kaesong is a Museum City and the host of many government ceremonies
Seoul is the Legislative Capital
Pyongyang, in southern Pyongyan province, is the primary residence of the President
Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and Ulsan are Special Administrative Cities.

4. Economic Information
4.1. Describe the current economic situation of your nation. The economy is doing well, but is brittle. The north remains steadily agricultural and the soil lacks the strength of other breadbasket regions worldwide, while in the south industrialization's benefits have yet to be obvious to many Koreans.
4.3. Describe your nation’s policies regarding foreign trade. As much as the Koreans want to once again roll up the borders and be left alone, they can't afford to. Trade is their lifeblood, and it is one they pursue zealously. They can be found across Asia, and even into the emerging markets of Africa and South America.

5. Defense and Security Information
5.1. Describe your nation’s army. Joining the army isn't a prestige position, despite the best efforts of the Republic's defense forces. There is a compulsory draft, but people who can do their best to evade it. What remains is a highly professional, but small, force. It is largely staffed and run by men and women from the northern provinces, which is leading to increasing disunity in Seoul.
5.2. Name all the institutions/services which are involved in the defence of your nation. If there are any Emergency services, please include the phone number of those. Korean People's Investigation Unit, the Army of the Choseon Republic, the Navy of the Choseon Republic, the Air Force of the Choseon Republic, the Royal Marines (Refused to give up their old battle-honors and name, despite claiming to be the vanguard force establishing the republic)

6. Foreign Affairs Information
6.1. Describe foreign policy of your nation’s Government (diplomacy, migration, etc.) Come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough! The Koreans will fight for their freedom. They'll also fight for their land. They will fight for each other.

And when left to themselves, they'll fight each other.


6.2. List all the international organizations of which your nation is a member. The Republic has an isolationist policy, and prefers to deal with its partners and friends bilaterally, rather than in multilateral organizations.

7. Civil Rights and Freedom of Speech
7.1. Describe the civil freedoms that your nation’s citizens enjoy. With a constitution inspired by the Americans, but influenced heavily by their neighbors, the Korean people have a kind of freedom best described as 'be loud, softly'.
7.2. Is there any kind of oppression and/or discrimination towards any group of people? Being a foreigner isn't great, but it's not exactly as though the Republic will oppress you for it. Old, caste-based discrimination is prevalent in more rural areas, but the target of a heavy education campaign.
7.3. Is there freedom of press in your nation? The Korean press has been described as almost too free, and its freedom can be bought by anyone.

8. Science and Technology Information
8.1. Describe how science and technology helps your nation to develop. Unlike their neighbors immediately to the west/north, the Koreans have heavily invested in STEM, though with a less military orientation than their neighbors to the east. The Republic isn't exactly a haven of innovation, but incrementalism is common and honored.
8.2. List important people in the scientific sector from your nation and their contribution to science. The Chung clan, the founders of Hyundai, are highly prominent in modern Korean politics. The descendants of Lee Byung Chul claim their patriarch, the founder of Samsung, invented numerous goods and services, and the Republic is content to passively support these claims.

9. Education Information
9.1. Describe the education system in your nation. Education is state-sponsored, but not exactly state controlled. The Examination System remains in place, but is increasingly irrelevant. Protestant missionary schools are a large factor in much of the southern islands, and spreading in the north.
9.2. What could your nation do to improve education?Nothing. Oh, there's lots to be done, but there's little chance the Republic will do it.

10. Environmental Protection Information
10.1. Explain what policies does your nation have towards environmental protection issues. The House pushed through an act to establish environmental control for cars in 1998, and it managed to get through the Senate in 2000, but the situation has largely frozen there. Private individuals are acting with greater effect than the government.
10.2. What are the main energy sources your nation uses? A nuclear power plant at Pyongyang, and one at Seoul, power much of the center of the country. Oil and coal are not uncommon in the north. Some of the southern islands have begun experimenting with tidal power, and Kaesong is expected to attain wind-powered self-sufficiency by 2020.
10.3. What could your nation do to improve its environment?See above.

11. Healthcare Information
11.1. Describe the healthcare system of your nation. It works. There is a national healthcare system which helps the poor and indigent, but you are better off on private health insurance. In Pyongyang and Seoul, care can be compared to that in the west for most citizens, while outcomes are high for the wealthy and middle-class in the other cities.
11.2. Are there any kind of restrictions and/or regulations on specific types of medicines or products for medical use? Evangelical Christians and the Unification Church continue to press for abortion and contraception to be banned, but there is little public appetite for the debate.
11.3. What could your nation do to improve its healthcare system? Investing in rural outcomes would be a benefit to the Korean people, and unlike the environment, there are bills to see this through. But the money isn't really there.

With no objections since its posting on Wednesday, Roania, welcome to the 2 Nations Club.

[The Reborn British Empire]

So, as discussed on Discord, due to not wanting to not do Japan's culture and history justice, which I feel I would not be able to do without a level of research inpractical with work, I am moving my claim to Britain, with the sincere hope that this is where I, at last, stick!

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The British Empire)

Claims: United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Diego Garcia
Population: 78,670,200
GDP per Capita: £42,417
Capital: London
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: His Majesty King William V
Head of Government: The Right Honourable Sebastian Lawrence
Official Language: English

The United Kingdom is a nation with a history that has spanned hundreds of years, and has seen the heights of success and the depths of failure. A country shaped by its traditions, the United Kingdom has spent recent years handling an internal conversation on how they would manage their future. The former centre of a globe-spanning Empire, the United Kingdom retains the vestiges of its Imperial Past in the form of the self-governing Crown Colonies of Singapore and Hong Kong who, combined with the City of London, form one of the strongest combined markets in the world, and the centre of the enduring British influence and military strength. The internal debate has resulted in hung parliament after hung parliament that has hamstrung British policy; governing coalitions have been able to, broadly, agree on three key priorities; the economy, the national health service and the military, specifically, as always been the case, the Royal Navy. Beyond that Britain has been largely inactive on the global stage, due simply to a lack of political consensus on what exactly it wanted to do with itself, beyond protecting its economy, its trade and its far-flung crown colonies.

As the second decade of the Twenty-First Century draws to a close, however, this period of political stalemate is coming to an end as one party is about to get a key boost. On the 15th March 2018 the King, George VII, died and was succeeded by his son and heir William (who took the regnal name William V), a product of Eton and Cambridge, who held traditional views and dreams of restoring the Empire. A traditional King alone would not normally be enough have such a direct impact on the political picture, given the Crown’s role in the British constitution, but the King was not the only man to come to great power in May. His childhood friend, university roommate and fellow officer in the Royal Navy, Sebastian Lawrence, who had in recent years been elected a Member of Parliament, became April of the Conservative party and Leader of the Opposition.

After yet another hung parliament in the General Election of 4th April had failed to result in a coalition government the new King, on the first day of his reign, broke with established protocol and appointed Lawrence as Prime Minister, arguing that continued coalition government was not in the national interest, and dissolved Parliament in order to allow the people a chance to approve his choice, as had been the case for his ancestors up until his namesake, William IV. Although this sparked something of a constitutional crisis, the British public returned a surprising majority for the new Prime Minister, and the Crown’s clear ability to influence the populous after years of stalemate changed matters entirely. After Lawrence took office in May, the two old friends set about restoring the Empire, and exploring the new relationship between Crown and Parliament, together.

The United Kingdom maintains a strong military, which is principally responsible for the protection of the British Isles, the Crown Colonies and the trade that is the lifeblood of the British Empire. As such the Royal Navy receives the greatest focus was upon the Royal Navy (RN), which provided Britain with global reach and global options, followed shortly thereafter by the Royal Air Force, with whom the RN has consistently fought for prominence over the past hundred years. The British Army, by contrast, was smaller than many other nation’s of a similar size, due to Britain’s island nature and the reliance upon the Navy (and, the Air Force), but well-trained and capable.

[Marimaia]

No objections from me to the Britain idea

[Chrinthanium]

Definitely not opposed to the idea. I'll raise this here because it didn't move much on Discord...

The Chrinthani need to have started with English folks coming that way. Outside of that, I don't care how they get there, why they go there, or anything of that sort. Furthermore, I'd rather it not be directly ruled by the British for strategic purposes.