[IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/20j5lyb.png[/IMG] [b]Nation Name:[/b] The Kingdom of Nehalenia [b]Brief Nation History (No need for any history before 1700):[/b] The kingdom of Nehalenia was founded back in 1132 when Richard Valhal unified the 7 kingdoms of the Nehalenian peninsula and declared himself king of Nehalenia. The house of Valhal managed to maintain in power until the merchant revolution of 1389. During the 14th century a new social class emerged in the kingdom, the merchant class. Regular citizens saw the opportunity to gather wealth by sea based trading. By the 1385 the wealth of the merchants vastly exceeded that of the traditional landowning nobility. Jealous of the wealth and influence of the merchants, the high ranking nobility started to pressure the king to decrease the merchants influence and shift wealth towards the nobility. The king soon adopted new laws that vastly limited the size of merchant guilds and heavily taxed trade. This led to a revolt as wealth merchants hired mercenaries and defeated the kings forces in the battle of Valhalia. With the kings forces defeated, the house of Valhal was exiled to Thennia and the merchants put George Therus, leader of the wealthiest merchant family of Nehalenia on the throne. The King George quickly turned back all the laws against the merchants and started to reform his country towards a trading empire. One of his first acts as king was the establisment of the Ostara Naval Engineering Academy, a University dedicated to develop the most modern sailing ships in the world. The second act was to actively promote and finance the exploration of the world. However, it was under the reign of king Philip Therus in 1492 that Nehalenian explorers discovered the Western Sides. In order to explore and exploit these new lands the Western Sides Company (WSC) was formed in 1550. The WSC was granted the state monopoly for trade with this new world. Initially the WSC setup trading posts along the New worlds coast in order to trade with the local population. In 1604 the first settlers arrived and the colony New Nehalenia was formed. From this point on the WSC would gradualy colonize more territories in the Western side. It was back in 1741 that the king ordered the foundation of the Serrantia Trading Company (STC) for th trade and exploitation of the continent of Serrantia. The first colony was established only 5 years later. Throughout the 18th century the Nehalenian monarchs and merchants continued to further expand their colonial holdings in The Western Sides and Serrantia. They continued to strive for a monopoly for the trade between the old world and these newly discovered continents. This lead to some violent clashes with competing old world powers such as Kunania. The second Nehalenian-Kunanian war of 1785-1788 saw many naval engagements and eventualy lead to Kunania giving up some of its Western Sides colonial territories to Nehalenia. Nehalenia strives for domination of the valuable sea-based trade between the new worlds and the old ones. It tries to maintain peaceful relations with the other great powers while expanding their colonial influence throughout the Western Sides and Serrantia. [b]Government:[/b] Absolute monarchy. The monarchs power is absolute. However he does not rule alone. The king picks a cabinet of ministers to govern the daily affairs of the nation. Monarch: King George Therus III Minister of the interior: Clive Rogers Minister of foreign relations: Herald Omen Minister of colonial affairs: John Entwistle Minister of the army: Richard Bonaparte Minister of the navy: Justin Valor Minister of economic development: Donald Torrin Representative of the Western Sides Company: Representative of the Serrantia trading company: [b]Political and social classes:[/b] - The royal family is by far the most richest family of the kingdom. They have monopolized the trade with the new world on two state run companies. This gives the state a vast amount of revenue but a good sum of it flows into the private pockets of the royal family. - WSC is headed by the board of directors. A council of 5 experienced merchants chosen by the king himself. On paper this gives the king a great influence on the WSC but in reality they act mostly independant. By law the WSC is granted the right to raise its own army, navy and conduct diplomacy with new world civilizations in The Western sides. The WSC appoints the governors of colonies and can choose to expand the colonial empire without the permission of the king. - STC is a similair organisation as the WSC, only focussed on Serrantia. In terms of organisation and political powers they are granted the same rights on Serrantia as the WSC has on the Western Sides. - The Union of Independant Merchants is a political organisation that represents the interests of the merchant class. The merchant class is the class of wealthy citizens, entrepeneurs in trade, industry and banking. These class has become increasingly unhappy with the policies of the monarchy. Especially the fact that the colonial exploitation is organised in a state monopoly. Entrepeneurs and independant traders cannot benefit much of the wealth the colonies have to offer. - The nobility are the greatest losers of the revolution. A noble title no longer commands respect within the Nehalenian society. It is all about who has the most gold in their pockets. Prior to the revolution their political influence and wealth was great. As the Nehalenian economy became more trade focussed their wealth decayed and most where forced to sell much of their lands to agricultural entrepeneurs. Now the nobility is a disgrunteld relic from the past that longs for the glory and recognition of the middle-ages. - The peasants are the class of the landworkers, carpenters, small farmers, craftsmen, factory workers, beggars, soldiers and sailors. Some manage to make a good living while others struggle to feed their kids. Only a few manage to climb the social ladder but most can only watch in awe how the merchants manage to gather more wealth for themselfs every day while they struggle to get by. With the industrial revolution kicking in, this class will once more learn the hard way that they are the slaves of the merchants and captains of industry. If only two philosophers would write down the challenges and solutions for the working class into a political manifest. - The colonial subjects are the native population of the Nehalenian colonies and are by far the worst off in Nehalenian society. The Nehalenian system of taxation and currency was forced down upon them destroying their traditional tribal ways of live. Once they became subjects of the Nehalenian king they we're forced to pay taxes to the WSC and STC. They are locked in a system where they have to work in order to pay their boss. They are often forced into labor on plantations and mines. Wages are so low that colonials never can pay for education and thus never can rise on the social ladder. The colonial system only serves to enrich the Nehalenian state and citizens. [b]Landmass:[/b] [hider=Map of Nehalenia] [IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/2upptns.png[/IMG] [/hider] [hider=Map of Western Sides colonies] [IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/2uix2ps.png[/IMG] [/hider] [B]Foreign relations:[/B] [u]Major powers:[/u] * Boletarian Commonwealth: Trading partners / Neutral * The Kingdom of Skeptoni: Is seen as potential rival / Neutral * United Kingdoms of Dalatrum: Neutral * Zellon Empire: Is seen as a potential rival / Neutral [u]Minor old world powers (NPC):[/u] * Kunenia: Kunenia is a former enemy and colonial rival. In the war of 1785-1788 Kunenia suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Nehalenia and seceded most of its colonial holdings. Relations normalized in 1801 and continued to improve over the last years. Former rival / Friendly * The Kingdom of Thennia. The relations between Thennia and Nehalenia have been friendly for a long time. Thennia is one of the main suppliers of lumber for the Nehalenian shipbuilding industry. Nehalenia recognises the value of the relationship and is currently in the proces of formalizing the friendship with a treaty where Nehalia guarantees the independace of Thennia. [u]New world powers[/u] * The Queendom of Amazonia: The Western Sides Company suspects the Queendom of seizing one of their ships without warning or declaration of war. The WSC leadership has dispatched a task force on a diplomatic mission to recover the ship and her crew. The current relations can be best described as rather hostile. [b]Landmass:[/b] [hider=Map of Nehalenia] [IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/2upptns.png[/IMG] [/hider] [hider=Map of Western Sides colonies] [IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/2uix2ps.png[/IMG] [/hider] Spend points here -- Population: (3 points) 22.000.000 -- Martial Prowess: (5 points) 179.000 moderately trained soldiers -- Cultural Unity: (0 points)This gives historical claims to your nation, making it easier to expand, grow and maintain cultures within a growing empire. -- Navy: (9 points) 27 third rates, 20 second rates, 10 first rates -- Colonies: (8 points) 2 Colonial holding, 1 in Serrantia, 1 colonial holding and 1 major holding in The Western sides.