Nation Name: The Kingdom of Anvegad

Brief Nation History (No need for any history before 1700):  The lands that would become the modern Kingdom of Anvegad were formerly the lands of three warring kingdoms locked in chronic conflict. A situation supposedly fostered by outside powers to gain access to the resource-rich lands at the center of the battleground that were exported in exchange for mercenaries, firearms, and early crude artillery to crack the network of entrenched castles and fortresses built since medieval times.

It would take an unlikely partnership between a radical general named Arden Strakov and the ruthless king Alexi Despovich to bring about a final end to the conflict via building the first domestic artillery foundries of the Kingdom and unifying the three kingdoms in a series of decisive strategically offensive yet tactically defensive battles that are actively studied today, as well as the less-known shadow war to eliminate the foreign agents that stoked the flames of war. Despovich would become the first King of a unified Anvegad in 1760, and Strakov would go on to found the first formal military academy and head it for ten years before disappearing into obscurity.

Since then, Anvegad actively strove to build and expand its dominion to remain competitive with the Great Powers, but ultimately was unable to achieve Great Power status as tides of politics, war, and colonialism swayed in favor of other nations. Frustration against foreign lands turned inwards as ideologies and philosophers declared they had failed because of fundamental weaknesses within the country and being too rooted in the past. A new wave of thinking rose as crown, generals, and merchants alike were forced to realize they had to keep up with the changing tides of the world if they were to avoid being swallowed up by the Great Powers or even chance an attempt at another rise to greatness. Though it resulted in two major civil wars and decades of civil strife as misplaced ideals and practices were taken advantage of by the ambitious or greedy, the kingdom would ultimately become stronger for it.

In 1830, the kingdom was struck by sudden tragedy when the King Tarkendis the Great died during the outbreak of Red Fever, leaving only the young heir Prince Adrian who was away from the capital studying at a foreign university alive to rule the Kingdom, resulting in a sudden shift in political power to the Inner Council that formerly advised the king, and an equally jarring shift from a traditionalist crown to progressive ministers now free to enact changes they deem necessary to ensure the survival of the kingdom without the careful balance of power upheld by the previous king, a situation even more complicated as the Supreme Commander of the Armies assumed de facto dominance over the council, and the young King is proving to be as paranoid about foreign enemies as he is open minded towards industrialization.

With the rise of industry, enlightenment, and radical ideas, only time will tell if the kingdom will stand the test of time.

Government: Parliamentary Monarchy/ Plutocracy

In theory, Anvegad is an absolute monarchy where the crown and his council of appointed ministers selected from the landed elite hold ultimate sway over the country in conjunction with a council of elected officials to represent the parishes and estates. In recent decades however, authority has shifted more towards the Imperial Council than the crown as the Kingdom expanded, which has now reached its peak with an inexperienced and underage king on the throne. 

In current practice, the ten-minister Inner Council holds current control over the kingdom, which in turn is heavily influenced by the Supreme Commander of the Armies who possesses de facto control over the country in conjunction with the young king. Whether or not this arrangement will stand the test of time has yet to be determined, but is currently stable and secure.

Landmass: Between Osland and Boletaria

[hider=Map][img]http://i.imgur.com/wAefkk2.png[/img][/hider]


Spend points here
-- Population: 17 million (2 pts)

-- Martial Prowess: (9 pts)

The Kingdom of Anvegad is a martial power, primarily emphasizing state of the art artillery ordnance and doctrine backed by disciplined infantry and well-organized command and administration. Yet there is a continuous drive to improve, expand, and build even heavier cannons as the Great Powers continue to rise.

-- Cultural Unity: (2 pts)

Anvegad is united by common religion and culture, as well as a common distrust of foreign powers, particular the “Great Powers”. It is also unified by economic security, 

-- Navy: 6 Third rates, 4 Second Rates, 2 First Rates (2 pt)

The Anvegad Navy is a shell of what it once was and not much effort has been put into rebuilding it or upkeep of its shore facilities, with shore battery forts at strategic coastal points considered an adequate defense of the kingdom’s lands from naval invasion combined with seasonal freezing of its ports.

-- Colonies: 0 pts

The kingdom has little interest, time, or ability to attempt colonial expeditions when it has more pressing issues domestically and with its neighboring foreign powers.