Yseultijie
| This page (or section) is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
Pious Gilded State of Yseultijie | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
Motto: “Empaler la Wyverne” (“Spear the Wyvern”) | |
Anthem: “Marche des Civilisés” ("March of the Civilised") | |
| Capital and largest city | Lefebvrestad |
| Official languages | Frakanic Vistarian |
| Recognised minority languages | Nys'tat'en Kolonital Malaipaki |
| Ethnic groups | By species:
By ethnicity:
|
| Religion | |
| Demonym(s) | Yseultijien Yseultijier |
| Government | Unitary presidential dual-ethnocratic republic |
• Stewardess | Katrien Lievens |
• Elective Chairman | Eloïse Blomme |
• Honourable Chairman | Jarne Pelleriaux |
| Legislature | Hall of Delegates |
| Conference of the Honourable | |
| Conference of the Landed | |
| Independence from Lapérouse and Vistaraland | |
• Magdra Conference | Date 176X |
• Nieuw-Autern Proclamation | 4 October 1784 |
• Free State declared | 5 May 1785 |
• Treaty of Batkong | 1 July 1803 |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 15,788,467 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $60,718,654,849.92 |
• Per capita | $3,845.76 |
| Currency | Yseultijie Merk (YTM) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +679 |
| ISO 3166 code | YT |
| Internet TLD | .yt |
Yseultijie (Vistarian: Yseultijde), officially the Pious Gilded State of Yseutijie (Frakanic:État pieux doré de Yseultijie; Vistarian:Vergulde Vromestaat Yseultijde) is a country located in north-western Gondwana. It shares a large border with Vaklori to the south and west, as well as bordering Hausberg in the east. The country is politically dominated by the two founding colonizer ethnic groups the Vistarian and Lapérousian peoples, but its majority of comprised of various native ethnic groups. Yseutijie's economy is heavily based around agricultural and mining, with a majority of the mines being in the rural jungle area and the coastal areas.
Colonization of the region began following the Magdra Conference, held by officials from the Queendom of Lapérouse and the state-owned Vistari Colonial Company. While the emergence of the Vistari colonial empire had promoted a great deal of optimism in the establishment of colonial projects in Western Gondwana in order to feed into the system of triangular trade in the Concordian Ocean, issues of finding adequate manpower willing to establish a presence in the regions which would not receive the same level of development as the Valrijkian colonies became a considerable difficulty. Thus, the prospect of a Condominium in the area allowed for the use of Vistari-owned ports in North Gondwana and access to pioneering naval technology from Vistaraland, combined with Lapérousian Shieldbands providing considerable manpower who were able to eliminate resistance to colonization within inland regions - with each power able to provide the solution to the primary logistical difficulties faced by the other in attempting to establish a successful colony in Yseultijie.
History
War of Self-Governance
The Yseultijie War of Self-Governance, lasting from the Home Rule League rebellion in 1783 to the final settlement establishing Yseultijie as an independent republic in 1804, was a civil conflict within the Condominium of Vistari-Lapérousian Yseultijie regarding opposition to the colony’s continued existence under direct rule from Western Yasteria. Proponents of further autonomy from the eclectic absentee leadership organised under the Yseultijie Home Rule League, which began advocating for the colony to be reorganised under a self-governing co-protectorate.
A petition was sent to the Colonial Authority in Lefebvrestad, penned by revolutionary writer and activist Arjan Seilberger. Following its formal proposal to the colony’s leaders, negotiations were immediately mired with the lack of bureaucratic mechanisms to make any changes to colonial governance without agreement between the two overseeing powers. The Lapérousian delegation further delayed any hope of reform by stating that they would be unwilling to negotiate on any petition which was not “properly set out in the Frakanic language”, both to ensure the terms were understood in the same terms by both sides and due to a sense of superiority many within the delegation had over the primarily mercantile Vistari population. Following the translation of the petition to an adequate standard and further months of deference, the Lefebvrestad Authority eventually replied - stating that the matter lay outside their means and demands could not be met without further discussion with officials from the homeland. Naturally, this caused further anger amongst the settler population who had felt ignored by their homelands, beginning the Home Rule League rebellion, backed by regional officials in several of the Northwestern coastal provinces.
Though the Home Rule League at first presented an unorganised and sporadic threat to colonial authorities in the early stages of the rebellion, the support of many mid-ranking members of the colonial administration allowed for the formation of several militia organisations coordinated under the Yseultijien Commonwealth Army (YCA). The YCA gathered a number of sympathetic elements within the Vistari-dominated Coastal Défense Regiments, with the coastal artillery fortifications at Nieuw-Autern being taken over by the YCA as a base of operations. Under the command of General Yannis Bekaert, these dissident forces would proclaim the Commonwealth of Yseultijie on 4 October 1784, laying out a set of demands for a new Constitution to organise the territory under a centralised self-governing Council of Delegates.
Despite early successes of this new army in coastal regions, in became clear by late 1785 that the newly established Commonwealth would not be able to dislodge loyalist forces, primarily due to the strength of the Shieldbands - who had largely refused to side with what was perceived to be a Vistarian-led autonomist movement. The tide of the war would change, however, following the receiving of the news that Lapérouse and Norgsveldet had formed a personal union under Gustaf II. The news sent shockwaves, with Gustaf II being an incredibly despised figure, both amongst the Shieldbands and Vistari nationalists due to a number of factors, including memory of the Draken War and religious conflict. Several Shieldbands would defect to the Commonwealth government, changing the tide of the war from one of attrition to a heavily advantageous position. However, such optimism would be short lived, as divides began to cause the military government in Nieuw-Autern to fall apart over the issue of responding to this Personal Union. Bekaert and his allies would call for the Council of Delegates to immediately denounce the personal union and refuse to accept the rule of Gustaf II, thus ensuring their alliance with the Shieldbands. However, many of the Vistarian political elite would argue that such an action would place Yseultijie on the path to full secession, something which they deemed a step away from civilization. Tensions would dramatically escalate following a debate between Bekaert and personal union supporter Gijs Mortier, with the latter launching a tirade against the policies of acceptance present within the Shieldbands:
—Speech given to the Council of Delegates, 1785 |
Shortly after this speech, Bekaert would rally the forces within the Commonwealth Army loyal to him, alongside the Shieldbands, and declare the Yseultijie Free State in open revolt against both the Government of Yseultijie and the colonial powers. This split, in what became known as the Autonomist-Separatist War, would bolster the ability of Vistari and Lapérousian authorities to bolster loyalist forces. Volunteers for the loyalists would arise not only from those opposed or disillusioned to the rival governments of Yseultijie, but also from militia comprising members of the indigenous population. These forces, known as the All-Colour Brigades, were seen as unpopular but necessary measures taken to reflect common interests between the loyalists and natives to disarm the Sheildbands and speciest policies suggested by both the separatists and autonomists. The war would continue on with far more brutality than previously seen, and informal alliances between factions would cause regular changing of province ownership to stop one group from taking complete control. By January 1787, the Free State had captured much of western Yseultijie, including the capital of the Commonwealth in Nieuw-Autern - forcing the autonomists to flee eastwards.
Gijs Mortier, who had become leader of the autonomists, was publicly executed in 1787 outside Nieuw-Autern, at the hand of a logistical member of the Shieldbands. A blind and deaf child in particular took the final strike, killing Mortier. Mortier was caught while travelling to his cousin’s farm, being caught by the vanguard division of a Shieldband [Hel’s Servants]. At his capture, he was noted by the vanguard for his whining and attempts of bribery. Shieldmaster Stéphanie Robiquet, offered to make a deal with Gijs Mortier that if he could kill three of their “infirmed, poor and uncivilised waste” that made up their logistics department. Then he would be released after having his eye removed. Eye removal being so he would have the wisdom not to dishonour the shieldbands with his mouth. He died in the first round by a blind, deaf Malai native who violently and repeatedly stabbed him with a broken arrow head. Later his body was dragged behind several horses and hanged outside of the Loyalists territory. With a note nailed into his stomach informing that a “Infirmed, poor and pathetic child killed this man for his crimes against the Shieldband. Reconsider your loyalty.”
The death of Mortier would signal an end to the so-called second phase of the war, with two key events taking place in the autumn of the same year that would change the structure of the war. First was the signing of the Treaty of Frinternay between the Free State and Vistaraland. The Vistari Government, having no affinity for the personal union and deciding the colony would be too expensive to be worth attempting to maintain within the formal empire, came to the negotiating table with an acceptance of Yseultijien nominal independence in exchange for major concessions. The provisional government of the Free State would agree to major concessions to Vistari corporations in resource rights and agree to a system of preferential trade with the Vistari Empire, acknowledging that Vistari acceptance of independence would be a major boon in the resolving of conflicts and garnering of international recognition post war. The second, which resulted directly from Mortier’s death, was the formation of an alliance between the rump autonomists and the remaining loyalists forces to tackle the Free State, with the acceptance of the personal union in exchange for limited colonial autonomy under a single Lapérousian administration was hoped to be a popular enough rallying cry to dislodge the separatist forces.
Though the war would continue for 5 more years, the Free State would prove a far more capable military force than the coalition brought under the colonial authorities could muster, with several key defeats on land by Shieldbands leading to the capture of Lefebvrestad, while Vistari support at sea would disrupt the ability of Norgsveldet and Lapérouse to send support to the colony. Seilberger and Bekaert, seen as fathers of the early revolution, would bring together Vistarian and Lapérousian delegates in order to create a Constitution, with Bekaert handing over the leadership of the Constitutional Convention to Céleste Jauffret as a show of unity between the two peoples. The Yseultijien Free State would be reorganised into the Pious Gilded State of Yseultijie, and Jauffret would be elected with an absolute majority to the position of Stewardess to lead the nation.
As the war progressed to its seemingly inevitable conclusion, loyalist forces were driven out of their strongholds and cut off from potential reinforcements with a joint assault by Bekaert’s forces along the coast and the Shieldbands fighting in the interior designed to pin down and landlock the remaining forces. On 24 April 1805, a ceasefire agreement would be signed between all belligerents and negotiations would be held in Batkong with the terms of independence. Having been worn down much more than the Vistari, and having lost its good graces with the new government, Norgsveldet and Lapérouse were left without as much leverage within negotiations. This would lead to the eventual Treaty of Batkong, which would create a formal system of non-aggression between Yseultijie and its former colonial overlords, allowing it to remain neutral in future conflicts between Norgsveldet and Vistaraland whilst also guaranteeing the new state’s de jure independence.
Geography
Politics
Yseultijie is organized under a unitary presidential system, with a directly-elected executive - the Stewardess, being directly elected by the people from an approved list of candidates by the upper house of the Yseultijier legislature. For a majority of the nation's history, this position was held by two major parties - with one of the two possessing a plurality in the legislature since 2009. These parties are the economically liberal, socially moderate Free-minded Pluralist Association and the National Coalition - a parliamentary party consisting of members of two religious conservative parties - the Ulvriktruer State Party and Vierist Democratic Union. While the National Coalition is legally an alliance of two autonomous parties in order to appeal to devout followers of Hjørdist Gustafism and Vierist Ademarism respectively, the alliance serves as a unified political bloc in order to combat the ability of the Opposition to appeal across religious lines.
Despite consistent control of all branches of government being held within a two-party system, the social democratic People’s Alliance for Democracy serve as a notable third party and pressure group pressuring the government towards answering questions on socio-political reform, serving occasionally as a catch-all movement to elevate the limited permissible criticism against the Yseultijie state. This criticism primarily centres around the status of Yseutijie as a dual-ethnocracy - a state which is run by and for the minority population of Vistarian and Lapérousian settlers, with limited rights and privileges granted to other ethnic groups based on a speciest hierarchy.
Foreign policy
The foundation of Yseultijie’s foreign policy emerged during its independence, with the treaties of Frinternay and Batkong, which defined its relationships with Vistaraland, Norgsveldet and the Queendom of Lapérouse. The treaty of Frinternay, signed between the then Yseultijien Free State and Vistaraland, laid the foundation for a strong trade relationship between Yseultijie and the Vistari Empire through the granting of large trade concessions to Vistari corporations. This entanglement, while a setback for the development of an independent Yseultijien economy, allowed for Yseultijie to gain benefits from being at the periphery of the Vistari sphere of influence - with its inclusion in the ICCAT free trade area in 1953 providing access to stable economic and political partners. Due to this, Yseultijie has received considerable investment from the Vistara Commonwealth, as is often argued to have found itself reliant exclusively on its association with the organisation in order to receive investment capital required for further development of its key industries.
Despite consistent close ties with Vistaraland, neutrality in conflicts between great powers has remained an important strategic doctrine within Yseultijie’s diplomatic actions. With the Treaty of Batkong, a pact of non-aggression was signed between Yseultijie, Lapérouse and Norgsveldet. This allowed Yseultijie to stay out of conflicts which would have otherwise pressured their involvement, such as the Second Draken War and the Great War. While relations with Norgsveldet have never amounted to more than cordiality, especially in the modern day, the maintaining of non-aggression between the two states has remained consistent and has shaped Yseultijien efforts to present domestic policy through a moralistic lens abroad.
Despite these efforts, relations with the international community as a whole has been strained due primarily to the nation’s internal policy, with several nations issuing trade sanctions on arguments of poor sapient rights and allegations of apartheid and speciesm-motivated incarceration. While the Yseultijien government denies allegations of speciesm, such poor standing on the world stage has considerably damaged its economic growth and ability to participate in international organisations. Such accusations have further exacerbated the distancing between it and Norgsveldet, with criticisms levied against the state coming partially from Osfjord. The end of warm relations is generally agreed to have emerged during the late stages of the Concordian Cold War, with Norgsveldet heavily criticising the Yseultijien policy towards the Federation following allegations of support for the Lapérousian Resistance Movement.
Yseultijie’s relationship with the Federation has been described by some foreign affairs analysts as outright hatred for one another. Stemming from the Unification War (Federation), which resulted in the ending of the Queendom of Lapérouse, destruction of Lapérousian culture in the perceived homeland, and the frequent interference of the Socialist government into the clergy of Hjørdist branch. The Yseultijien government was an outspoken advocate for the continued isolation of the Federation from the 1920s to 1930s, and sent letters demanding the restoration of the Frida Dynasty to the throne. The letters was unanswered by the Socialist government. Other sore points in relations is the alleged support given to the Lapérousian Resistance Movement by the Yseultijien government, and a assassination of a Yseultijier journalist in the 1970s. Yseultijien officials pointed towards the Federation for the assassination, to which the Socialists responded by accusing the government of lacking in law enforcement methods and equity in its governance towards the natives - which the Federation claimed resulted in the journalist’s death.
Economy
Yseultije's GDP is estimated at $60.7 billion SHD, with a per capita GDP of $3,846. Over a reported 60% of the country lives below the national poverty line threshold of fifty cents per day as defined by the state. Tourism focuses on a niche cultural experience, with various Hjørdist-Lapérousian events taking place in the capital and larger cities. In particular Ulvriktru tourists frequently visit during Yule and Hel's Day, which is responsible for 73% of tourism in the country.
The country is considerably poor when comparing to its neighbors. It bulks the common belief, having low corruption despite it extremist right-wing policies. Land legislation heavily favors the Vistari and Lapérousian land owners with some provisions for Malai land owners. In theory all ethnic groups, including natives groups beside Malai however in practice the results are negligible for land owning. The primary sectors for economy, being agriculture, mining and tourism.
Poverty stricken regions are located within the interior of the country, where the majority of Vellinati and Arassi peoples live in. The coastal regions where the Ny'Pzuli, Yseultijien, Vistarian and Lapérousian peoples live tend to have a lesser degree poverty. In particular with Lapérousian and Ny'Pzuli having less poverty than their Vistarian counterparts. Ny'Pzuli, the Akuan ethnic group having outright the lowest rate of poverty. Malai dominated regions, have a more mixed rates of poverty. Access to clean drinking water in the inner regions is below the worldwide average, with only 1 in 5 households are able to receive clean drinking water at least once a week.
Infrastructure and Media
In 2020, Yseultijie government reported that it has 10,419 km (6,474 mi) of paved roads and 1,872 km (1,163 mi) of railways. With paved roads being disproportionately being located within the coastal regions and midlands, with 8 provinces having at least more than 60% paved roads in urban centers. Majority of the roads in the most interior provinces becoming impassable in the rainy season, due to flooding and the dirt roads becoming mud. Railways are equality disturbed throughout the country, with the largest and most important railway line being the Septflame line. Which links several urban centers in the interior to the coastal regions, the railway importing the mineral wealth from the middle and inner provinces and exporting foodstuff back down the railway line.
The ports in the coastal regions are well developed, in particular the capital, Lefebvrestad being the most developed in the country. Virtually all railways leading the Lefebvrestad, which doubles as both the capital and the primary export-and-import port as well the industrial center for the country.
Running water, electricity and internet is owned and operated by the government service provider, WEIness which claims to be unable to service the entire population due to complications with access to the interior provinces. With 11 provinces having regularly have access to running water, electricity and internet. 3 provinces having running water and electricity at least four times a week. The other 2 provinces not having regular access to any services.
Agriculture and Mining
Agriculture and mining are the largest sectors in the country. Agriculture being the largest in terms of revenue, but mining being the largest in terms of workforce outright. The largest trade partners being Vistaraland, Maanbriak and the Vistara Commonwealth outright. The primary exports being Solanaceae, cucurbitaceae, various kinds of spices and peppers. Mineral wise, lead, zinc and iron have been historically large exports but after 1950s, agriculture products prices was worth more than the minerals being exported.
Peppers are the most commonly grown plant in the country, both for exporting and for general consummation within the country. Playing a critical role in the cuisine of the Yseultijie and part of the history of the country as a whole. 65% of the countries farmland is owned by the Vistari and Lapérousian ethnic groups, with 25% of the farmland being owned by the Malai ethnic group and the rest being split up between the other native groups.
Tourism
Tourism is a small, but growing sector of the economy. The industry is primary made up of cultural tourists in particular of Lapérousian section, with Hel's Day and Yule being the largest tourist events for tourism outright. During Hel's Day being the largest out of the two, attracting tourists from across the Vistara Commonwealth, Nyveldet and Vakrestrender. The Hel's Day parade being a huge event in the capital, with thousands of contestants both tourist and native citizens taking part.
Demographics
Culture
In spite of its linguistic and ethnic divisions, the country has a flourishing but diverse artistic scene. Majority of the art movements, stemming from the Vistari and Lapérousian homeland influenced by the scenery and environment of Yseultijie countryside. Cultural roots and traditions sourced from the homeland of the colonizing ethnic groups, though some aspects has appeared to be stagnate. Yseultijien culture scholars and artisans refute the claim, with various examples of artwork and fashion adapting to the environment. With Lapérousian masks being stanching more colorful than the ones from Queendom of Lapérouse. There has been historically issues between the Lapérousian and Vistari groups in relation to languages, which last to this day with a complete abstinence of bilingual universities.
Cuisine
Yseultijier cuisine is heavily based around spicy foods and peppers, with the national dish being 'Flamme de Valkyrie' (Staynish: Flame of the Valkyrie) a dish using draugr bell peppers, that are grilled and stuffed with meat, herbs and additional spices. The dish being topped off with sauce made from peppers and cheese, serviced with a side of yellow rice. Virtually all Yseultijier dishes have some aspects of peppers included into it, usually by sauce or sliced up slices introduced into the dish.
Though the cuisine of Yseultijie has often been described as too spicy for the Vistari palette historically compared to the much more conservative use of chili peppers in Valerijk, fusion between Vistarian and coastal Yseultijier snack foods has led to the cultural export of dishes including hot peppers and cheese, with Chilikazen (lit. 'Chilli cheeses'), comprising deep fried and breaded jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese, being adopted as a common side offered at fast food outlets in the Vistara Commonwealth, served alongside a jalapeño jam. A common Vistari snack food, the Bodenskoek has in turn been adapted by the coastal Vistarian population of Yseultijie - with the regional variation using more common locally sauced meats for the filling, alongside a sauce made using cheese and hot peppers. These donuts are another staple of fast food, and are often complimented with a topping of tartar sauce - subverting the usual tradition of allowing the snack to be easily held in the hand and eaten on the go.
Sports
Since the 1960s, sports clubs and federation are organized between Frakanic and Vistarian, with no organized sports happening for any other languages provided. The administration for sports is jointly ran by equal number of both Frakanic and Vistarian native speakers. The largest sport center being in the capital, Lefebvrestad and is frequently used for community events during the off season as well center for Yule events.
The most popular sports outside firearm and dueling related sports, is football, soccer and basketball. Other popular sports non-team related being cycling, tennis, shuffleboard, and swimming. The Yseultijien football, is considered to be one of the worst in the world. Not for inability to play or poor performance, but by the regular fowls for overly aggressively play, occasional outright brawl in the field between players and semi-frequent accidents relating to speciesm.