Audland

The Republic of Audland

Flag of Audland Seal of Audland
Motto: Peace, Faith, Equality
Region	Simtropolis
Capital	Lancaster
Official Language(s)	English
Government	Representative Democracy
- President	Amanda Duncan
- Vice-President	Lawrence Arinson
Area
- Total	8000km²
- % water	19%
Population	12,254,665
Currency	Simoleon (SIM)
Timezone	Eastern Gulf Time (UTC-2)
- Summer (DST)	2nd Sunday in March to 1st Sunday in November(UTC-1)
NS Sunset XML

Member Nation
Audland is a liberal nation in southern Simtropolis. The nation is a large area of land, mostly in the Rouston River valley. Audland is a member of the International Extradition Treaty and the Simtropolis Trade Association.

Audlanders, as they are known, are generally an economically socialist people, though these views have been becoming more capitalist in recent years. The nation on the whole is very socially liberal. Minorities and women have been able to vote since the nation's founding in 1779, and same-sex marriages have never been outlawed, though only in the last ten years has the practice become socially acceptable in most of the nation.

Audland is usually not considered a power. Audland does not have a military per se, but the National Guard serves as a defence group in the event of an emergency. Only the Guard's medics have ever been activated.

History

Audland was first settled by a group of Welsh Quakers, seeking refuge from harsh treatment by the British government. No precise record was kept, but it was estimated to have been in the mid to late 1600s. By 1694, Quakers from other nations had also moved to Audland. In 1779, the village of Lancaster, now the capital of Audland, officially declared itself an independent nation. Thirteen other Quaker settlements joined the new nation by 1780. On May 20, 1780, France officially recognized the United Villages of Audland as an independent nation. The nation remained surprisingly peaceful until the Mid-Simtropolis War, when some of the most northern areas were areas of minor conflict. After the war ended in 1893, an agreement was reached with surrounding areas, officially settling the boarders of Audland. Since then, Audland has kept the same boarders.

Audland has never declared war. However during World War II, Audland sent medics and other support staff to help the allies in Europe. Audland has a policy against fighting in wars, partially due to the strong Quaker influences.

Geography

Audland sits on the southern half of the South Simtropolian continent. It boarders five other nations, most notably Metropolitan Houston to the north. The Rouston River runs mostly within Audland, though it's northern terminus is considered to be in Metropolitan Houston. The Rouston River is the second largest river in Simtropolis, and Audland's four largest cities all lie along the river.

Oil

A group of oil deposits near the border with Metropolitan Houston were the first to be discovered in 1940. Pumping began quickly, and most of the oil was sent to the Allied forces in Europe. When the war ended, the excess oil caused low gas prices, reaching their lowest in 1950 at $.10, half that of the United States at the time.

By 1970, these oil reserves had nearly dried up. Gas prices were skyrocketing in a scenario similar to the problem in the United States. The Audlanden Department of Environmental Conservation had been prohibiting exploration for new oil since shortly after the drilling began, due to environmental impact. This meant that there was no more domestic oil available, and most of the oil had to be imported from Metropolitan Houston.

In 1974, under pressure from consumer groups and oil companies, the DEC allowed for exploration for new oil sources under the New Oil Act. NOA regulated oil production with a long list of caveats and terms that the companies had to agree to in order to proceed. The first oil was produced in August of 1974 in Pennskill, outside of Lancaster.

Audland now produces a surplus of over 1,500 barrels of crude oil per day. However, due to a law termed the "Ratchet Regulation," enacted as part of NOA, Audland has gas prices of over $4.50 USD/gallon. The law was enacted to keep demand for oil low. Basically, the price floats upward with demand, but when demand drops, the price stays up. There are various exceptions, such as adjustment for inflation, certain commerce exceptions, and the allowance of a §.10/litre drop every year that the demanded price is more than §.50 below the retail price. Regulations on pricing and tariffs on imported oil have also kept Audland's oil trade deficit nearly nothing. However, exports have not had much market, either because of Audland's disproportional prices for crude. Audland's biggest export markets are nations with high oil prices, such as The Sheridan Islands, which imports almost all of Audland's surplus crude.

Transportation

Roads

Audland's road system consists of National, Division, and Local highways. National highways are maintained by the national government, Division highways are maintained by their respective divisions, and Local highways are operated by their counties.

Audland is most notable for its parkways.

Demographics

Urban/Rural Distribution

Audland consists mostly of small towns and rural area. Population density is 1891.2/km². The largest cities are Lancaster, New Scotland, McCarthy, and Rouston. The metro areas of these cities contain 2,135,776 people, 1,535,664 people, 1,422,241 people, and 1,197,141 people respectively.

Religion

• 80% Christian
  • 43%Quaker
  • 26%Protestant Christian
  • 13% Catholic Christian
  • 5% Orthodox
  • 3% Fletcherist
  • 10% Other Christian.
• 9% Jewish.
• 7% Atheist, Agnostic, or None.
• 1% Muslim
• 2% Other.

Race

2004 Census Data: Note: The 2004 census allowed for the selection of multiple race options. Some may have checked multiple boxes.

• 67% White/Caucasian
• 19% Black/African
• 14% Asian
• 13% Other

Age

• 25.1% 0-14
• 18.7% 15-29
• 22.1% 30-44
• 17.6% 45-59
• 14.9% 60-74
• 1.5% 75-89
• .1% 90 or older

Gender Distribution

• Male: 58.2%
• Female: 42.8%

Literacy Rate

Defined as persons over 18 years of age who have completed high school.

• Population: 89.9%
  • Male: 89.7
  • Female: 90.2

Other Demographic Information

• Population growth rate: .51%

• Life Expectancy: 85 years

• Nationality terms:
  • Noun: Audlander
  • Adjective: Audlanden

	The Republic of Audland
Main article: Audland
Major cities: Lancaster, New Scotland, McCarthy, Rouston
Government of Audland: President Amanda Duncan, Vice-President Lawrence Arinson,
Miscellaneous: Airports of Audland Other articles within Category:Audland

Simtropolis on NSwiki

Main article: Simtropolis

Nation pages: Audland, Batheia Thalassa, Metropolitan Houston, Rhodesia Newydd, Rorysville, Schnabo, The Digital Network

Geography: Rio Seguín, Hamilton River, Maps

See Also: Simoleon, Simtropolis Canal Zones, Mid-Simtropolis War, List of Major Airports, The SCJU, Simtropolis.com

For more information or to see non-listed pages, please see Category:Simtropolis Region.