Dancing Bananland

HISTORY

THE ANCEINTS

300 BCE-1000 CE

Little is known about the ancient inhabitants of Dancing Bananaland, other then they had settlements across the country, may have had contact with ancient Imperfectia and possessed advanced architectural techniques. So far no human remains have been unearthed.

THE COLONISTS

1748 CE

Dancing Bananland was origionally colonized by explorers from Cordova, a seafaring archipelago nation just of the coast of the Land of Earl. It had no indeginous humans, and most of the animals there where of standard fare for a northern temperate region, excepting one race of strange creatures origionally called "Nouona" in Cordovan, or "Little Clowns". These creatures where mammalian, although some speices (there are many breeds, like dogs and cats) had a slgith reptilian look to them. they moved mostly ona ll fours, and had downardly curved bodies, with a stubby tail on the back and a head on the front. Their name came from their activities, they where friendly and docile creatures, and where extremely agile, with limbs and digits surprisngly suitable for manipualtion and movement. Thse creatures used it to advantage as they often dwelled in trees, leaping and climbing in tangles of branches other creatures could not navigate. It was these acrobatics, and other activities performed in front of the colonists by food and attention seeking clowns that earned the name. Dancing Bananland, then named Isle Fandango, would remain part of the Cordova for some 120 years, until mainland Cordova was annexed by the neighbouring mainland kingdom of Lamsten in 1866.

AN INDEPENDANT NATION

1870

Dancing Bananland, then Isle Fandango was not conquered by the Gorramians. Not desiring outlying territories many colonies of the Cordonians gained independance in this period, one of these was Isle Fandango. The first Prime Ministorial election ever (Cordona had been a monarchy, but Isle Fandango had decided on democratic elections when no leader could be chosen by any other means) was held Decmber 14 1869. When the year changed overe Isle Fandango declared itself independant nation. The independant nation of Isle Fandango would be shrot lived however, as slowly but surley other nations founded in the wake of Cordona where falling to a single powerful enemy...The allied states of the Land of Earl.

THE GRAND ALLAINCE

1822 In years following the cataclysmic war that had destroyed the mainland continent (Then known as Arinthea) a new nation had emerged from the reletively intact north, and claimed large portions of territory. This new nation was known as Earl, named after it's founder, Duke Earl of Hummings (footnote: all subsequent monarchs would be known as "The Duke of Earl".) Around 1829, as the old nations rose out of the rubble and rebuilt The Land of earl found itself in a dire position. It could give up its former territories, which the current duke did not want to do, or it could fight its way out. Then, a local governer by the name of Reignald Banndaros (direct ancestor of Dancing Bananland's foreign affiars minister Kirk Banndar) came up with an ingenious plan. What he had done with neighbouring warlords to protect his district, they would do on the national level. And so a great meeting was held, and the 1st Allied States was formed.

1850 Using the alliance as temporary security the Duke worked quickly to furhter his aims. He had never any intention of giving up with so little land, he wanted more. So, after years of military buildup and advanced technological research, the Duke of Earl presented the other allied states with an ultimatum, either the other nations would submit, becoming semi-autonomous provinces, or he would march in, and take it by force, promsing to brutulize his conquered territories. The leaders of the old natiions scoffed at his claims, until he presented his new weapon. The bolt action rifle, with a self contained cartridge, far superior to the black powder guns of the old nations. Most of the nations surrendered quickley, while other more powerful, more distant, or unwanted nations signed non-aggression pacts and offered an annual tribute in exchange for soveignty. With vast nations and resources, the Duke of the newAllied States began a campaign of conquest stretching outward to other regions of Arinthea, which he now declared "The Land of Earl" and thus the allied states became the "Allied States of the Land of Earl".

THE FIRST ROUTE

1892

Under its own autonomy Isle Fandango prospered, the population grew much faster, and towns and cities sprung up on an island that was previously almost uninhabited. Then, the Allied States of Earl came, tey made the same proposition they made to all nations, submit or die. The people of Isle Fandango chose die, and they did, by the thousands they where slaughtered until finally Isle Fandango was brought to heel. It is from the conclusion of this conflict that the name "Dancing Bananaland" was spawned, after the Earlian troops name for the Nouona, "Dancing Banana". It was this that spwned the official name of the new province. And for the next centruy Dancing Bananaland would not be an independant nation.

A NEW ORDER

1921 Isolated as it was, Dancing Bananaland did not go entriely unaffected by events on the mainland. The Allied States of the Land of Earl had expanded to far to fast, and the Duke was scrambling to maintain security and order in his empire. Between outside invaders, the various factions and ethnic groups forced into the empire, and the nation's rapid descent into chaos confidence in the Duke dropped like a rock. By 1921, some 15 years since the last notable military conquest, the populace was near revolt, nationalist and independant factions demanded free and open elections, more provincial autonomy, and other such desires. One such faction, its name lost in the fog of history, rounded up a massive military force, and marched on Central Earl City, the capitol. Halting just outside the city, the leader of the group proposed a peaceful meeting before this turned into a major conflict, in response, the Duke's forces fired on the rabble with mustard gas obtained by extra-regional allies. Although quickley incapacitated by the gas and killed, the violent and intolerant action of the Duke prompted a civil war which lasted until 1938.

THE EMPIRE FALLS

1938 In the ensuing chaos of the war, many unhappy provinces and former nations siezed power in their territory, and rgained national independance (unfortunatly, Dancing Bananaland was not one of these) however, despite massive seperation the empire was still a large chunk of territory to be fought over, and fight they did, until finally, faced by the threat of the growing independant nations around them, the forces came t an accord. The remainder of the empire would be split, A western protion going to those that wanted democracy, and the Eastern (and much smaller portion) going to those that still supported the line of Duke Earl. Unfortunatley, the current Duke declared his portions unfair, and demanded some of the external colonies. Not desiring these colonies in the first place, Western Earl happily obliged, and so Dancing Bananland was brought under the iron fist of Duke Ingerman and his family.

A NEW SET OF RULES

1940 Dancing Bananaland had actually done well, in the confusion of the battle, its population swelling from refugees and its economy booming from licesend manufacturing. That all changed when Duke Ingerman gained power. The man was crazy, and insanely jealous of othe rnations around him. Under the guise of "communism" he established a totalitarian rule, outsing all foreign influence that didn't directly benefit him, he bent the entire country to his will, giving only a sprinkle of the nation's actually substantial wealth the the people. As part of his jealousy, he started a massive military and weapons program, in hopse someday he may march victorious across the continent like his forefathers. It was a dark time, especially for Dancing Bananaland, whos isolation became a curse, as the Duke performed massive weapons experiments, slavery, and other acts of sadism on the outlying countries where no one would find out.

COLD WAR

1961-1978

As the cold war between East/West Earl began to heat up, weapons development hit an all time high. And so did espionage. Hoping to avoid prying eyes, Eastern Earl moved many of its less desirable Weapons programmes to small outlying provinces, Dancing Bananaland was one of these provinces. In a matter of months military bases and weapons facilities sprung up like daisies. All sorts of bio-weapon, nuclear, and space-war weapons tests where conducted there, and the people suffered the brunt of it.

Being full of national secrets, and all the supplies going to the weapons, harsh restrictions where put on the people, while there productivity was expected to go up. Corpses lying in the street of starvation was not an uncommon sight then, and secret chemical experimentation programmes killed/injured/crippled many people, and anyone who so much as wished the weather wasn't so bad was grabbed by the ever present gestapo. Even communication was difficult as nongovernment propeganda devices where confiscated on sight, the entire population was kept in the dark.

THE FIRST REVOLUTION

1979

After many decades of poverty, isolaton, and fear the people where weary of suffering. Finally, after an eternity of simply taking it, the first whispers of a revolution ran through the back country. Hundreds of poeple, many actually innocent, where taken and tortured without warning, yet the whispers continued. Metalsmiths made impromptu weapons, and dissatisfied military men provided discarded/unused firearms. However, as activity increased, so did government suspicion, and the gestapo grew ever more belligerent and open. Until eventaully, a captured revolution member gave up the location of the rebellion heirarchy (the rebellion had never used the cell system for information protection). Massing outside a dilapidated building in Meander City slums, a man with a bull-horn called for an immediate surrender, what he got instead was a molotov cocktail to the face. A massive battle/riot erupted in the streets as rebellion members and sympathetic citiczens ran to theri deaths against the government forces. As the battle raged on one high ranking rebel, Oliver Ross (now namesake of Ross City, and grandfather of current Prime Minister TJ Ross, it was this family relation the got him elected) gathered those who could be spared and fled into the forest to survive Robin Hood style in the woods north of the Meander Plains.

Soon, hding in the woods away from the government, the rebellion made up its losses. The battle in the slums of Meander City had proved that the governmetn was not omnipotent, and could be brought down. After several months of geurilla strikes against government targets, and massive recruiting (all at the expensive of the incresingly brutilized citiczenship) the rebellion made its move.

August 3rd, 1979 (Revolution Day)
Marching out of the woods and crossing the river some 3,500 men, some barely teenagers, marched on the capital (then called Oranon) and demanded freedom, naturally their demands where met with bullets. The governmetn had had spies in the rebellion and anticipated the maneuver. It was a bloodbath, and the rebels where slaughtered to the man, and their loved ones hunted down and killed. It was only through good fortune and friendly neighbours that the Ross family escaped imprisonment. They would later come out of hiding with the enthronment of the next Duke in 1981.

UNDER PRESSURE

1980-1985

Although noble in spirit, the First Revolution was nothing but bad for the citizcens of Dancing Bananaland. Oppression increased tenfold as the numbers of people disappearing entered the hundreds per month. outside of that people where openly brutilized in the streets, and the Earlian armed force in the land doubled. Population work expectancies where massivley increased, until many people spent all of their time working or sleeping, or being beat up for not working because of a lack of sleep.

Of course, any wise leader will tell you that total oppression only works on a spirit near collapse. Although dead in some, the desire of freedom ran strong, very strong, in others....

THE SECOND REVOLUTION

1986

To call this the second revolution is technically a historical inaccuracy. Although suffering a horrible defeat in '79, the revolution stayed one, slowly rebuilding its numbers, and improving its tactics. Eventaully, the revolutionaries grew more bold, but instead of marching on Oranon, they waged a guerilla war, striking important military targets and killing Eastern Earlian forces at every opportunity. They where labeled a terrorist organization, and in some ways they where, as innocent people did die due to their actions. But ultimately they proved to be the lesser evil, and their support continued to grow, until they decided it was time to succeed where the First Revolution had failed. They where going to make it a war.

The idea for an all out war had been spawned by one man, a brute grun soldier whom had risen to leader of his team. His true name was not known, but his men called him "Krull". It was at a meeting in the basement of a farmous outside Port Schmendrick that Kull first spoke to the leaders of his idea it was scoffed at at first, the leaders had been prepared to spend their entire lives slowly destabilizing the Eastern Earl government, and the idea of ending the war within a couple of years seemed ludicerous. But Krull made it work, through verbal description (he was not an artist nor a writer) made it work. They would establish a base high in the mountains, continueing gurilla attacks, only then they would have far more specific targets in mind, for when the time was right, the struck, a massive cor-orinated series of strikes across the country, launching the Earl government into a panic, they expected some sort of attack, but nwo they didn't know where it would come from, and where it would go.

That massive attack did come though, and it struck at the economic and industrial heart of the county, Point Schmendrick. It was a brutal and hard fought battle, but the Earl forces, weakened, devided, and confused fell. Quickley they fortified the city, and set up forts across the peninsula, creating a defensive line.

From then on the war was fought traditionally, if not brilliantly by Krull, the eastern Earlians incapable of defeating the force that had the support of the nation it occupied. The outside world worked in the nations favour too, the system by which Eastern Earl was governed was failing, other provinces where fighting for independance, and the cold war with Western Earl had turned hot. Eventually the Duke of Earl gave up, cut his lossess and got the hell out of Eastern Earl. And although he took his most important militaray forces and projects with him, he left behind a stockpile of older or more mass produced weapons, further insuring he could not return.

INDEPENDANCE DAY

1991

On February 14th, 1991, The Democratic Republic of Dancing Bananland (the a lost to a registration typo) was formed.

THE DARK AGE

1991-1996

All though independant, Dancing Bananland's troubles where far from over. The power vacuum left by the Duke of Earl left most of the country in Anarchy, a pro-temp government managed to siezed power in the capital (renamed Ross City) and kept a decent amount of order there, but its attempts to spread stability throught the rest of the country met with little success. Eventually armed citiczens and ex-military took over other regions of Dancing Bananland, until by 1994 it was fairly well devided between different factions, the largest of these being the Independance Party controlling Ross city, the Eastern Earl Reunificationists controlling Shark and the area(still loyal to Eastern Earl, would later break and reform into EEN Eastern Earl Nationalists) and the Meanderites, controlling Meander city and the area north of the Meander River, and the Point Schmendrickians, controlling the easily defended Point Schmendrick.

Slowly but surely other factions fell under the heel (through violence or diplomacy) of these groups, until they controlled most of the country. Regionalistic, the Point Schmendrickians and Meanderites wanted their own states, but smaller than everyone else, they united agreeing to watch each other's backs.

The EER had the strongest military force, but most of the territories they controlled had been brought to heel through force, and where prone to riots and rebellion.

And at the center of the country was the Independant Party (giving themselves a political name for what would have been an election after removing Eastern Earl). Realizing they couldn't fight a war on so many fronts, and lacking a powerful force, they called together a peace conference, where all the sides, and the smaller ones not mentioned, could meet. They met in a the mountain city of Smithers, which at the time was independant of the major factions, and neutral in the matter. However, the EER would not make peace, they wanted all of Dancing Bananland and more back for the glory of the Duke, knowing this would happen, the others had prepared a back-up plan, they attacked the leaders of the EER with hidden military forces, a dirty trick, but necessary. The EER had of course suspected an attempt, but had brought to few to withstand the other factions, and with the best men, and their governing body torn up, and the people revolting, the EER soon fell. The the EER gone, the factions turned back to each other....

AND THEN THERE WERE 3

1996 The remaining factions turned again on each other, the Independents having expanded rapidly to the south, and the Point Schmendrickians claiming the East coast. The Meanderites both protected and trapped by the great Meander River did not gain any territory, however they had defensive terrain to there advantage. The regions promptly began to wage a slow war, their was little actual fighting, mostly small skirmishes, but slowly it these skirmishes where growing larger, and the leader of the Meanderites, Colton Jones, saw what could become a civil war, throwing the country right back into the chaos it was climbing out of. Frantically he called of all offensive plans, and grafted a temporary cease fire.

The leaders got together again, this time with strict security to prevent any assassination attempts. It was clear by now that whatever happened, the nation would only suffer, however, the Independent Party did not want to let the other factions have their own territory. And so debate lasted for days as the leaders fought their points, never budging, until finally the leader of the Independents brought up a point...they had the greatest firepower. Although Eastern Earl had pulled out, many of their standard and older weapons had been left, and some of these had been looted to arm the various forces. However, the Independents had an advantage, they had the most territory, and thus the most weapons depots under their control, and although the ensuing war would be brutal, they would likely win.

Even presented with this fact, the Meanderites, notoriously stubborn, refused to budge. Until the Point Schmendrickinans conceded the point, and the Meanderites where left alone, and knowing they could not win, they too submitted. Although submitting, both sides demanded certain rights, there where many demands, but ultimately few where met, although these where the most important. At any time, given a successful referendum vote, either Point Schmendrick, or Meander City and territory may become their own nation, and secondly, they would get their own political parties to represent themselves in government. These demands, as well as several other minor demands, were agreed upon and Dancing Bananland was made whole again.

REBUILDING

1997-2000

Although technically Dancing Bananland had been a warzone for ten years, few large or particularily destructive battles had been fought, and most of the rebuilding process was really not rebuilding at all, but formation. The creation of a nation was underway. The army was established as where emergency forces, utilities personnelle where brought in from overseas to re-activate failed utilites. Administration was underway to catalogue everything, register citizcens and get accurate statistical counts, a process still underway in some of the more isolated regions of DBL; and an interim governmetn was set up, a triumvirate of the leaders of the three main parties. The process was well underway and went off without few problems, although the buercratic bungle that led to the loss of the A in Dancing Bananaland remained unfixed, a problem that was only recently rectified internally, and still plagues Dancing Bananaland internationally.

THE FIRST ELECTION

Febrary 14, 2001

The first democratic election in one hundred years was held on the tenth anniversary of the nation's independance. Edward Koolman, of the DBL Independant Party was elected Prime Minister of Dancing Bananland, he would serve out his full term, before dying of yet unkonw medical issues. He would be replaced Feb 14th 2005 by fellow Independant party member and former MP of Shark (each major city serves as a seat, encompassing surrounding territory) TJ Ross, who currently serves as Prime Minister.

And that is the histroy of Dancing Bananland.

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