Vinland

The Kingdom of Vinland is a directly democratic constitutional monarchy on the central edge of (++) bordering Okashima to the East, Falstadt to the south and the enclave of Antonos in the Vinnish sea. The majority of the population live in the capital city; Hvalsey, though a substantial number live in farming and fishing villages concentrated on Skogsdalen's innumerable fjords.

History
The Starongian Empire's invasion and annexation of the continent during the latter half of the 17th century brought the disunited Vinlandic clans for the first time under the control of a central government, the unplanned and overcrowded Vinlandic capital; Hvalsey was completely rebuilt on a European Baroque-style grid & plaza layout featuring buildings as tall as 5 stories; some of which still stand today. Although the Starongian's claimed to bring 'civilization' to the 'barbarous' lands of the north their activities in Vinland were in many cases far from Civilized. Imperial troops were frequently used to extort farmers of their crops and fishing communities of their catch; often triggering famine in their wake, travel was heavily restricted with each Vinlander tied to a feudal estate presided over by a foreign absentee landlord whilst worshiping the old gods or even reciting the ancient Vinlandic sagas were strictly prohibited. In one instance 30 druids from Mannerheim were burned at the stake for witchcraft and blaspheming against the Emperor, their charred remains displayed in iron cages along the Hvalsey- Kaer Adagan road as a grim reminder of the cost of rejecting Imperial values and culture. Thrice in 1698, 1744 & 1844 the streets of the capital flowed with blood as famine, oppression and toil drove ordinary Vinlanders all over the Imperial province to take up whatever arms they could possibly find, be them pitchforks or muskets and march on the crown governer's office only to be driven back by unceasing volleys of musket & cannon fire.

Starongia was however never able to subdue the myriad of resistance groups operating from hidden encampments in the Skogsdalen mountains nor those in Yoahtl or the Far East Asian laborer colony of Okashima, with many rural areas of the northern continent being considered untamable bandit country by imperial authorities as early as 1690, the failed national revolt of 1844 coupled with the influx of European ideals and technology from the Empire's ports resulted in dissident groups merging into single national entities, eventually carving out their own modern nationstates as the empire collapsed during the 1850's.

Vinland regained its independence in 1858 and has since risen from an impoverished backwater to become one of the most developed nations in the Civclassic world, today Vinlanders enjoy comparatively high incomes, life expectancy and civil liberties. The arrival of the Overland Railway at the end of the 19th century and wave of modern airport construction between 1960-80 has connected Vinland not only to its immediate neighbors but the entire world.

Geography
Vinland is a very mountainous and heavily forested country, its capital is among the highest in the world despite its proximity to the sea which has prohibited the construction of an industrial dockland prior to the plans to build a funicular railway in 2018. A unique quirk of this means that the city is frequently blanketed by slow-moving fog blown in from the nearby Okashiman coast. Skogsdalen also possesses many interlinking fjords, which have become havens for coastal fishing communities and the pirates who prey on them.

Vinland also lays claim to several islands both in the Vinnish sea and lake Quatuor, most of which are uninhabited although Helaö, Muspelheim and Lerhöj all have fishing communities not too dissimilar to those of ancient times.

Politics
Although still officially an absolute monarchy, Vinland is a defacto constitutional monarchy possessing an elected assembly who are voted by Vinlandic citizens for terms up to 12 months and convene in the citadel on a semi-regular basis to discuss national policy. All people permanently residing in Vinland fall into two categories, the most common being residents; those granted the right to reside in Vinland on a permanent basis but don't contribute to the state, or have access to public services nor suffrage. Citizens; residents who have lived in Vinland for a significant amount of time and contribute to the upkeep of the nation and are therefore entitled to public services and participate in elections.

The main Vinlandic political parties are the Vinlandic Socialist Party, whom comprise of leftist, republican- orientated supporters who prioritise public service spending, higher taxes and a pacifistic foreign policy and the Vinland Monarchist Party; comprising mostly of royalist conservatives who argue for lower taxes, lower public spending and greater sovereignty through perusing a more aggressive foreign policy.

Economy
Despite the creation and growth of the financial service sector in recent years, the Vinlandic economy is still largely agrarian.

The fishing, agriculture and forestry industries continue to be the primary source of employment for most Vinlandic citizens, most manufacturing industry is located in Hvalsey whilst capital and luxury goods continue to be imported from neighboring states.

Transport
Vinland is served by the far north road from Falstadt and the soon-to-be-renovated overland railway to Nixoltan via Okashima, most trade comes through the Port of Hvalsey, which is scheduled to undergo extensive renovation in the late 2nd/ 3rd quarter of 2018 to allow for larger container ships and tankers to dock. The renovation of the overland railway line to New Yoahtl City has invigorated the agricultural and mining sectors in addition to opening up the country to tertiary and Quaternary industry in addition to reducing the import costs of manufactured goods and materials.

Foreign Relations
Vinland is a member of the North Coast Alliance with Okashima.

The nation is also a S.A.T.O. member and participated in the 2018 Nox conflict.