Nimzonia

Nimzonia

Flag of Nimzonia
Motto: Otto Jaarinen - He's not as bad as Kruschev!
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Region	Boreal Archipelago
Capital	Koenberg
Official Language(s)	Nimzonian, English
Leader	Emmanuel Helstag
Population	2.5 - 3 billion
Currency	Shiv
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The Republic of Nimzonia is an island nation in the North Atlantic, southeast of Greenland and west of Iceland. It has an area of roughly 130,000 square miles, which is approximately the size of Germany.

History

Early History

Nimzonia was settled circa 700AD by the danes, who were exploring the north atlantic at that time. The next century or so was fairly quiet, with Nimzonian peasants working away quietly and paying tribute to the Danish king, until 868AD, when the governer, Lord Harald Bergsson, declared Nimzonia a sovereign state, and named himself King. The Danes were furious, and sent a fleet to conquer the errant isle, but it was caught in a storm, and driven onto rocks on the Ostreijk coast. Only a few badly damaged vessels managed to crawl back to Denmark. Legend has it that when King Harald I came to inspect the ruins of the fleet on the morning after the storm had subsided, huge flocks of crows circled over the carnage below, attracted by the sudden abundance of carrion. The Crow was the national animal of Nimzonia ever after. Denmark never again tried to re-occupy Nimzonia, so the country was left pretty much to itself.

An outsider in world politics, because of its remote location, Nimzonia paid little heed to the outside world, until it was conquered by Sweden, in the 17th century. The then king, Svein IV, was executed, and Nimzonia was declared a province of Sweden. This occupation continued until the late 18th century, when a rebellion supported by the French overthrew the Swedish occupiers, and the Republic of Nimzonia was established, in 1796.

Recent History

Nimzonia made rapid attempts to industrialise, and catch up with the rest of Europe. When the first world war broke out, Nimzonia was nominally allied with the Entente powers, but never committed any forces. It did, however, act as an important waypoint for the atlantic convoys.

Nimzonia was briefly occupied by the Germans, during World War II, in an attempt to deprive the allies of its port facilities, but managed to liberate itself in 1941, with aid from the US and Great Britain.

When the elections were held soon after the war, General Hjaargdals, leader of the resistance, won by a landslide victory. His Anchor Party secured its grip on power, essentiall forming a dictatorship. Hjaargdals remained in power until his death of a stroke in 1976, when he was succeeded by General Paulus Jaarinen.

During his tenure, General Jaarinen strengthened the economy, and allowed the people a few more liberties than his predecessor, although the Anchor Party remained firmly in control. In 1981, he commissioned a new national anthem, to reflect the country's progress. General Jaarinen's detractors abroad have accused him of creating a cult of personality, although there is no doubt he stands as Nimzonia's most popular leader to date.

In november 2004, while attending the bi-annual arctic carnival in Koenberg, General Jaarinen and a number of other government officials were assassinated by El-Cosa-Nazi insurgents, in the employ of Field Marshall Emmanuel Helstag. Helstag took control of the government shortly afterwards.

Politics

The current military dictatorship is led by President Emmanuel Helstag, and his henchmen General Tobiassen and General Hanstveit. The political situation is unclear at present, due to navy and air force mutinies, the largest of which being led by former Fleet Marshall Bjornolf Folkvadr, and the failed assassination attempt on Otto Jaarinen, the son of former dictator Paulus Jaarinen.

Provinces

The Nimzonian mainland is made up of the provinces of Nordreijk, Sjudreijk, and Ostreijk, with the capital Koenberg situated on the border between Nordreijk and Sjudreijk. The Province of Sentry Isle is located just off the western coast of Sjudreijk, and guards the channel leading into Koenberg.

Two new provinces, Angelsreijk, off the west coast of Ireland, and Wodenreijk, off the west coast of Greenland, were bought during the tenure of Paulus Jaarinen. A seventh province, LETIreijk, was acquired during the 'missing zeroes' treaty fiasco with MadderMike, which ceded an area of the former Western Manarth to Nimzonia for a period of 99 years.

Geography

The capital, and largest city, is Koenberg, which has a population of over 200 million, mostly arcology dwellers. The city's historic centre, including the Republikstaad building and the Neimens castle, has been preserved by legislation prohibiting most kinds of development. The main commercial port and navy anchorage is Port Odea, located in Sjudreijk. Port Odea is known for its clifftop houses, of which a number fall into the sea every year, due to the receding coastline.

Nordreijk and Sjudreijk both have large, mountainous regions. The country's highest peaks are Mount Krogius and Mount Vissien.

Economy

The competitve Nimzonian private sector is led by the Uranium Mining, Arms Manufacturing, and Automobile manufacturing industries. Leading corporations include Saatovage, Imperial Ores, Twinsun, and Republic Armouries. Until recently, the multinational Quisling Pharmaceuticals was a leading corporation, but in 2004 was mired in a major scandal centering around illegal research and numerous other criminal activities. With Quisling set to collapse, and other corporations fighting over its subsidiaries, the economic situation in Nimzonia is set to fluctuate wildly for the forseeable future.

Demographics

The population is predominantly of norse extraction, and is fairly homogenous. The country's remote location has resulted in limited immigration over the years, although more diversity has been added in the latter half of the twentieth century. Koenberg has a large chinatown, and Port Odea has a thriving latino community.

The most widely spoken language is Nimzonian, although most Nimzonians are bilingual and also speak english. Modern Nimzonian is differentiated from Old High Nimzonian, by influences from Swedish, Finnish, and English.

The predominant religion until the 1940s was Lutheran, with traditional pagan religions also widely practised. Following the rise to power of the Anchor party, religion was for the most part discouraged, with the education system becoming increasingly secular. Paulus Jaarinen restored some freedom of religion, and traditional pagan religions have recently seen a surge in popularity.

Culture

Modern Nimzonian culture reflects the nordic influences of its past, and not just as a gimmick to attract tourist dollars. Whaling is still a popular activity, and the Nimzonian navy regularly clashes with animal rights protesters, such as the Blue Peace activist group.

(More to come).