Compadria

History

The first people to arrive in Compadria were the Compadros, a nomadic group of unknown origin, who came from the sea and landed near Mustelidae point, sometime around 5000 B.C. They rapidly expanded inland, eventually, by 4500 B.C., occupying around 40% of the territory contained within the borders of the modern day Republic of Compadria.

By 2500 B.C., the Compadros had established an advanced civilisation in this region of Compadria, which they referred to even then as "Compadra Nostra". They had developed writing, the wheel, medicine and primitive hospitols and internal free trade. The Compadros had established an advanced governmental structure, dividiing their territory into 7 states. Each state was largely independant and had full lawmaking ability; they were governed by Enhydra, nobles chosen from the pre-eminent families of the region. The supreme leader of the Compadros nation was the Lutra, a largely ceremonial figure, who's main power was his leadership of the Compadros religion, Tarkanish. He was elected every 7 years by a great caucus, composed of between 1000 and 3000 delegates; held at Kataga, the home of the great shrine of Tarkan, the first leader of the Compadros, believed by legend to have been half-man, half-otter.

In 489 B.C., Marcus Antoninus, was elected Lutra and he claimed soon afterwards to have had a vision in which he was urged by an apparition of Tarkan to seize the Hydros land to the north, home of the Aonyx peoples, who had arrived their in 2000 B.C. Until then, the two peoples had had little contact and knew next to nothing about each other. Historians are divided as to whether he was mentally unstable or merely using religion as a pretext for seizing the fertile mountain slopes of Hydros for personal enrichment. In 488, an army invaded Hydros and by 485 had occupied it entirely, doubling the seize of "Compadra Nostra". The Aonyx were heavily persecuted and ethnically cleansed in many areas, resulting in bitter feelings that persist in some parts up to today. Their descendants are the Dutch speaking, Aonys, who still mostly live in the same region as their forefathers.

The fertility of the acquired lands immensly improved agriculture and by 430, the Compadros numbered some 8,000,000. By now they had begun to believe themselves invincible. In 397 B.C., the Lutra Petrus Magnus, Antoninus' successor proclaimed the "Imperium Compadra". The empire was to be badly rocked in 377 B.C. by a series of droughts, which killed of substantial numbers of people in the mountain areas and caused food shortages even in Tarkan. Alarmed, the Compadros began to look for new lands to exploit for raw materials and thus occupied Pteronura, a fertile, flat land, to the north-west of Hydros. This was completed by 366 B.C.

"Imperium Compadra" survived, even prospered until 50 B.C. During this time, sea trade routes were established with neighbouring kingdoms and the Imperium reached its peak. In 147 B.C., the Amblonyx archipeligo was seized from Szachminstra, thus bringing Compadria's frontiers to their modern extent.

In 50 B.C. however, disastor struck: For unknown reasons, the population died of dramatically, falling from 15,000,000 to around 6,500,000 in around a decade. Little is known about this period, but scientists believe that a series of bad harvests induced famine, which led to infighting between the states over resources.

It was not until 890 A.D., that any sign of Compadrian civilisation emerged. Remarkably, after 900 years of the Dark Ages, the new rulers were Compadros, though reduced in numbers. They called their leaders Lontra and soon began to re-establish the Compadrian state, though this time as a highly centralised, monarchical system. Lontra Caius Andronicus was the first ruler and today is referred to as "Andronicus the Uniter". He rapidly built up Compadrian power until by 1000, they were able to re-occupy Hydros and Amblonyx, though not Pteronura. For the next 500 years, Compadria, now known as "Regno Compadra", remained stable and prosperous. It was to last this way until 1509 A.D., when Lontra Sia Ottarkus became leader, the first Aonyx to become so. This triggered another bloody civil war which rumbled on until 1756 A.D., when The Treaty of Compadra was signed, ending hostilities and allowing the descendants of Sia Ottarkus to remain Lontra.

Industrialisation began slowly, but picked up towards the end of the 18th century, though Compadria was never to become a great manufacturor. Political and Social reform dominated the 19th century political agenda, with notable feats being the "Libertas sul Populi" Act which established the first constitutional and civil liberties and the "Prosperitum" Act, which established a primitive welfare state. In 1775, Kataga was named capital and had its name changed to Tarkan. In 1782, Pteronura was re-captured and thus were the boundaries of modern day Compadria definitively set.

In 1924 A.D., a violent revolution broke out in the northern provinces and spread to the southern traditional states by 1925. The demands of the revolutionaries were political and social reform. They demanded an end to the "Regna" and the proclamation of democracy as well as a full welfare state, civil liberties and the recognition of English and Dutch as official languages (being spoken by 49% and 36% of the population respectively). They managed to overthrow the last Lontra, Albertus Mordicrae in January 1926, thus ending the "Regna Compadra". Throughout the late 20's and 30's, bitter struggles emerged over the governance of the country. Compadrians, naturally radical people, were usually voting for one of three parties. The Centre Coalition, a centrist-centre left party; The Radical Bloc, a far-left party and the Liberal Nationalists, a libertarian socialist grouping. The three squabbled endlessly about power, until 1935, when a second revolution was launched and the Radical Bloc installed.

This collapsed in 1951 and multi-party democracy restored. Throughout the 60's and 70's, a series of Democratic Workers Party governments (successors to the Radical Bloc) introduced the cornerstones of modern Compadrian society: The generous welfare state, nationalisation of public utilities and services, as well as the commanding heights of the economy, free education and healthcare, environmentalist protections and vast expansions of civil liberties. The constitution was drawn up in 1978 and the Republic of Compadria declared the next year (previously, from 1935, it had been known as the Free State of Compadria). The National Liberals came to power in 1983 and instituted some market reforms and privitisations, as well as a policy of corporate welfare to boost the flagging economy, but kept to the post-revolutionary economic and social consensus for the most part. In their 8 years of office, the arts were expanded hugely through public funding and the environment given top-priority. Tourism boomed and Compadria became an artistic Mecca. By 1991 however, an economic downturn, gave the DWP another term in office, in which they un-did several economic reforms undertaken by the National Liberals and presided over a slow period of economic growth. By 1999, the Centre Coalition, after 60 years in the wilderness, won power and largely embarked on economic recovery through tax cuts and modernisation. Compadria recovered and today is on the road to economic success and peace and prosperity.

Geography

Compadria is geographically versatile, with a wide range of habitats and biomes for plant and animal life. The country is exceptionally well blessed with rain, around 1200 millimetres fall every year near the coastal plains, 1400 millimetres in the highlands and 750 millimetres in the arid, north-eastern region. Lush forests cover 63% of the country, with numerous waterways and lakes dotted in between. 6% of the land is built up; 25% is arable, 3% wetland and 3% desert. The soil is fertile, with two rainy seasons in spring and autumn and a short dry season in the winter.

The coastal regions are flat and dotted with wetlands and estuary's, as well as coastal forests and scrubland. Farming is quite intensive here and the land is also heavily built up. 90% of Compadria's population lives in this small belt. The mountains are rocky and thickly forested in most parts, but in some areas, they offere exceptionally fertile soil, which, coupled with increased humidity, leads to bumper harvests in these places. The north-eastern desert is empty, dusty and barren, virtually un-inhabited and with real resources to speak of, other than uranium, the mining of which is forbidden by Compadrian law.

Demographics

Today, some 130,000,000 people live in Compadria. Of these, 75% are ethnic Compadros, 15% Anonyx and another 10% Morganates, who mainly live in the border regions of Compadria. English is the majority language; having been introduced in the 18th century, it is now spoken by 74% of the population as their first language. The old guard, Dutch and Latin, have now dwindled dramatically, with only 20% and 6% of the population respectivally, speaking them.

The average life expectancy in Compadria is 82 for men and 85 for women. 19% of the population are under the age of 21, 50% between 21 and 50 and the remaining 31%, between 50 and 90. Compadria's population grows rapidly each year, leading to fears of overpopulation in the near future. For the moment however, government experts say they have the problem under control.

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