Novella Islands

Social Republic of the Novella Islands
Flag Seal
Motto: "From knowledge, power. From peace, freedom."
Anthem: "National Anthem of the Social Republic of the Novella Islands"
The Novellan Archipelago
Capital	Novella City
Official languages	Novellan English (en-NI)
Religion (2026)	97.25% Non-religious, of which: 41.71% Strong Atheist 55.54% Weak Atheist, of which: 35.60% Strong Agnostic 19.94% Weak Agnostic 1.14% Religious, of which: 0.39% Imperial Cult of Opthelia 0.27% Celestialism 0.23% Minjian 0.02% Secadualism 0.02% Zongongism 0.21% Others 1.61% Spiritual but not religious
Demonym(s)	Novellan
Government	Unitary unicameral parliamentary constitutional republic, with technocratic or meritocratic elements, particularly in the civil service
• First Minister	Dr. Elizabeth Wells
• Second Minister	Dr. Ryuunosuke Sakamoto (坂本 龍之介)
Legislature	National Assembly of the Novella Islands
Formative and transformational events
• Novellan Archipelago discovered	23 November 1621
• Aqis colony established	7 December 1628
• Federation of Aqis, Aqon, and Cyanth colonies as the Union of the Novellan Colonies	1 July 1668
• De jure independence granted from the Empire of Opthelia ratified	25 October 1725
• Incorporation of all 10 states as the Federation of the Novellan Archipelago	8 April 1775
• The 1877 Revolution and subsequent May Agreement results in reformation as the Communist Union of the Novella Islands	3 May 1879 (May Agreement date) 13 July 1879 (reformation date)
• The 1969 constitutional referendum results in reformation as the Social Republic of the Novella Islands	27 August 1969 (referendum date) 1 January 1970 (reformation date)
• The 2024 constitutional referendum results in the permanent dissolution of the Federal Parliament of the Novella Islands, and its reformation as the National Assembly of the Novella Islands	15 January 2024 (referendum date) 29 January 2024 (reformation date)
Area
• Total	302,208.94 km2 (116,683.52 sq mi)
• Water (%)	3.04
Population
• 2030 projected estimate	88,400,000
• 2026 census	82,215,169
• Density	272.05/km2 (704.6/sq mi)
Currency	Novelle (₦) (NIN)
Date format	DD-MM-YYYY (informal) YYYY-MM-DD (official) The universalised calendar is used in place of the Gregorian calendar.
Driving side	left
Calling code	+231
Internet TLD	.ni

The Novella Islands, officially the Social Republic of the Novella Islands, is a sovereign archipelago nation located in the Northern Ocean, to the north of Liberalia and Hesperida in the International Democratic Union. With a land area of just over 300,000 square kilometres, land accounts for only an approximate 24% of the Novellan Archipelago's total administrative area. Nonetheless, the islands are inhabited by a population of over 82 million citizens, who live in an advanced egalitarian and humanist society, governed by a democratically elected legislature and executive overseeing a technocratically and meritocratically appointed civil service.

The Novella Islands is internationally renowned for its comprehensive public education system, from primary through tertiary studies, and consequently its exceptionally high research and development output of cutting-edge technologies. Naturally, its integration into the global economy is principally supported by the export of expert knowledge work and innovation services, alongside high-precision manufactured goods. As a state with declared weapons of mass destruction, the Novella Islands maintains a policy of non-intervention in the affairs of other sovereign nations in most circumstances, although it does extend and accept invitations to facilitate various diplomatic discussions as a neutral arbiter where appropriate.

Etymology

The etymology of the name of the Novella Islands is somewhat disputed, with neither of the two predominant hypotheses particularly well-supported within the literature, or historical records. Interestingly however, both alleged etymologies stem from the original Latin root, novus ("new, novel").

Via the Italian novella

One theory posits that the name entered the language via the Italian novella ("short story"), itself later entering the English language as a loanword.

Prior to European settlement in the late 16th century, the Novellan Archipelago was uninhabited by humans; lush forests, pristine beaches, and crystal clear water greeted the initial colonists, untouched by any anthropogenic contamination. Although likely apocryphal, it is contended that the lead botanist on the Superb exclaimed upon making landfall, witnessing the picturesque landscape, "These islands are as if they have been lifted from a novella!". Nonetheless, by the 18th century, there is sufficient written documentation to support the existence of the popular adage, "The Novella Islands are more beautiful than the tale in any novella".

Via the Latin Terra Nova

The second theory asserts that the etymology of the name is via the Latin Terra Nova ("new land").

European colonisation of the Novella Islands was not undertaken as an establishment of penal colonies, as with many foreign territories settled in the 16th and 17th centuries. Instead, the First Fleet was funded by - and exclusively carried - an intelligentsia class, searching for a new place to establish a society based purely upon logic and reason. At this time, while English was the primary spoken language, Latin was still the preferred language for any official written documentation that was to be permanently archived. As such, it is not inconceivable that the archipelago retained its Latin placeholder Terra Nova, which was then corrupted upon its entry into spoken English.

History

Pre-colonial era

On 23 November 1621, the Novellan Archipelago was first sighted by the Opthelian expeditionary vessel, the Superb. Having been ravaged by an unusually fierce storm over the past fortnight, running dangerously low on supplies and with major damage to their vessel, the crew were ecstatic to find the subarctic islands' hospitability. Laying anchor within a protected bay (known today as Silver Sands Bay), Captain Robert Watson went ashore by runabout with both his cartographer Lieutenant James Marshall, and his botanist Lieutenant Daniel Thompson. The crew of the Superb were surprised to find that not only was the island seemingly uninhabited - as they would later discover about the entire archipelago - but that they also boasted a wealth of natural resources. The bay was abundant with fish and wild game, as well as a variety of fruits, nuts, and edible plants. Critically, however, was the discovery of the Aqisian red ironwood, which Lieutenant Thompson determined suitable material for repairs to the ship.

A temporary settlement was soon set up along the beach, and much of the crew disembarked to assist in either the preparations for repairs to begin, or the restocking of food stores for the voyage home. Over the next six weeks, the Superb was completely serviced, and its hold fully replenished. So successful was the crew's time at Silver Sands Bay that Captain Watson ordered a complete mapping of the island, and later extended this order to the entire archipelago, before returning back to Opthelia. So long had the Superb been away - almost twice the duration their voyage was expected to last, given the supplies they carried when setting out - that it was declared lost, proving quite the frenzy when it arrived back in Longport. The expedition's meticulous record keeping and comprehensive mapping of the Novellan Archipelago earned all of the senior officers various commendations, and spawned a wave of exploratory sentiment within Opthelia's intelligentsia. Over the next five years, various upper-class academics, intellectuals, and other members of the cultural elite began planning a settlement expedition to the islands.

Colonial Era

The flag of the Empire of Opthelia, used to represent the Aqis colony during its earliest days.

The Union of the Novellan Colonies

The flag of the Union of the Novellan Colonies.

De jure independence from the Empire of Opthelia

As the Novellan Archipelago was settled both without either the approval or financial support of the Opthelian government, there is a strong contention that the resultant colonies were never under the rule of the Empire of Opthelia. Indeed, at no point during the early colonial period did Opthelia either provide support to, nor make demands of, the colonies. While some historians have suggested that the use of the Empire of Opthelia's flag - on land discovered by an Opthelian expedition - constituted a tacit recognition that the colonies in the Novellan Archipelago was established as a subject of the Opthelian Empire, this is both downplayed and rebutted vehemently by Novellan historians. The principal argument against this being the fact that not all of the colonies flew the Opthelian flag, and its usage was not consistent even within the colonies that did fly it; more than anything, it was flown a sign of their shared Opthelian heritage. Further, and perhaps even more damning to this argument, is that a new flag quickly began to gain more widespread adoption, and would eventually become the official flag of the Union of the Novellan Colonies.

Nevertheless, the mere suggestion that the Novella Islands could have been beholden to Opthelia encouraged the Novellan colonial government to enter into discussions with the Opthelian Imperial Household in 1719, around the possibility of a decree of independence. While the relationship between the two nations was by no means hostile at this point in time, Opthelia was predominantly ambivalent towards the colonies, and the Novellan requests fell upon deaf ears. It was only with the offer to transfer three modernised ships-of-the-line - the Illustrious, the Atrium, and the Turmoil - that negotiations finally began to bear fruit. By late 1724, an agreement was finally reached; backdated to the date of first settlement, the Novella Islands was to be a wholly independent nation in its own right. The decree of independence was signed and proclaimed on the 25 October 1725.

This debate of sovereignty in the very earliest days of its national history lead the Novella Islands to reject offers of entry and participation in the Opthelian Commonwealth, to which all current and former members of the Opthelian Empire are welcome. While the Opthelian government extended invitations on the principle that the Novella Islands is entitled to membership due to their "strong ties of cultural heritage with Opthelia", the Novellan government had opposed acceptance as a matter of course, due to the fear of eroding any perception of their total independence from Opthelia (a perception which has been carefully constructed since the 18th century). Nevertheless, following the dissolution of the Communist Union of the Novella Islands in 1970, the Social Republic of the Novella Islands gradually began taking part in the annual Opthelian Commonwealth Conferences, culminating in full membership status by 1973.

The Federation of the Novellan Archipelago

The flag of the Federation of the Novellan Archipelago.

The 1877 Revolution and the May Agreement

Main articles: 1877 Revolution and May Agreement

The Communist Union of the Novella Islands

The flag of the Communist Union of the Novella Islands.

The Great War

Main article: Great War

The Social Republic of the Novella Islands

Post-communist constitution

Main article: 1969 Constitutional Referendum of the Novella Islands

The current flag of the Social Republic of the Novella Islands. Note the change to a 1:2 ratio, from the previous 2:3 ratio.

Permanent dissolution of the Senate

Main article: 2024 Constitutional Referendum of the Novella Islands

Government and politics

Main article: National Assembly of the Novella Islands

Administrative divisions

     Broadbent Province        Burgess Province        Dalton Province        Farrington Province        Hawthorne Province
     Irwin Province        Penrose Province        Stirling Province        Wainwright Province        Watson Province

Broadbent Province

Main article: Broadbent Province

Burgess Province

Main article: Burgess Province

Dalton Province

Main article: Dalton Province

Farrington Province

Main article: Farrington Province

Hawthorne Province

Main article: Hawthorne Province

Irwin Province

Main article: Irwin province

Penrose Province

Main article: Penrose Province

Stirling Province

Main article: Stirling Province

Wainwright Province

Main article: Wainwright Province

Watson Province

Main article: Watson Province

Novella Islands Overseas Territories

Main article: Novella Islands Overseas Territories

Military

A still photograph taken moments after XBN-1 - the world's first nuclear weapon - is detonated in Operation First Light.

Main article: Novella Islands Defence Force

The Novella Islands Army

Main article: Novella Islands Army

The Novella Islands Navy

Main article: Novella Islands Navy

The Novella Islands Aerospace Force

Main article: Novella Islands Aerospace Force

Economy

See also: State-Owned Enterprises of the Novella Islands

The obverse and reverse of a 500 Novelle coin, the national currency of the Novella Islands.

Industries

Science and technology

Space Stations Progress (1982-1998) and Curiosity (2023-Present), the Novella Islands' two low Earth orbit, long-term habitable space stations.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main articles: Transport in Novella City and Novella Islands Intercity Rapid Line

Map of the overground commuter rail lines in the nation's largest city and capital, Novella City. 14 lines (in addition to the Novella Islands Intercity Rapid Line) serve 358 stations, over 1,095.73 km of track.

Demographics

Ethnic groups, ancestry, and immigration

The four variants of Passport and Identity Booklet issued by the Novella Islands Office of Identification.

Health

Deathcare

As the Novella Islands has a resoundingly non-religious population, the rate of adherence to rituals and traditions surrounding the death of an individual is particularly low. Culturally, death is taken as a natural consequence of the cycle of human life, albeit an unfortunate one; there is no specific attachment of any great significance to the event.

The vast majority of deceased individuals within the Novella Islands have their remains disposed of via alkaline hydrolysis ("liquid cremation"). This procedure is conducted at dedicated facilities attached to the morgues of large hospitals in regional centres, where the majority of end-of-life individuals will be taken as a matter of course. There is no cost to the individual or their family for this service, since it is administered directly by the UHS. As organ harvesting after death is mandatory by law, this is often conducted immediately before the alkaline hydrolysis procedure.

Individual citizens are free to conduct their own alternative arrangements for the event of their death, and a small percentage (approximately 5% of all deaths per year) do engage in alternate methods of deathcare. Traditional burial (such as that seen in many other nations) is most often practiced by more wealthy or rural individuals, typically on their own land outside of large population centres. Cryopreservation is also practiced, in the hope that medical technology will eventually cure the ailment that caused the death of the individual, so that they may be later revived; once again, this is most often practiced by citizens with a greater degree of wealth.

Immigrant populations comprise the bulk of other deathcare arrangements, as required by their culture or custom, although exceptional practices such as these are typically forgone by the third generation of any individual immigrant family.

Culture

Architecture and urban planning

Smithstone Avenue in Rikal, Hathon; the Garden Valley Hotel in Telefar, Cyanth; the Pleno Apartment Complex in Ternout, Telem; the skyline of Novella City, Xeles.

Literature

Main article: Hourglass Printing

A collection of fictional literature (red), non-fiction/textbooks (teal), academic journals and law reports (lavender), and collated (re)publications (green) by the Novella Islands' national printing house, Hourglass Printing.

Media

Main articles: Novellan National Media Directorate and Novellan National News Service

The iconic Lissajous curve logo of the Novellan National News Service, the news media division of the Novella Islands' public broadcaster.

The logo of the Novellan National Media Directorate, the Novella Islands' public broadcaster.

Cuisine

Various iconic dishes within Novellan cuisine, including steamed egg mousse topped with various seafood, Tagliatelle Martin, multiple varieties of 'street skewers', and Meringue Marceau.

A traditional place setting for formal dining in the Novella Islands.