High Fells
Minjian Republic of High Fells | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: Égalité, Sagesse, et Beauté Equality, Wisdom, and Beauty | |
| Anthem: National Anthem of the Minjian Republic | |
 | |
| Location | High Fells in northeastern Hesperida |
| Capital | Queensgrace |
| Largest | Jindong |
| Official languages | English, Haesanese |
| Recognised national languages | French |
| Ethnic groups (2012) | 47% Haemin 40% Fellsian English 10% Fellsian French 3% Other |
| Religion | Minjian Faith |
| Demonym(s) | Fellsian |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary Minjian republic |
• President | Raphael Kinzinger |
• Lord Chancellor | Ryong Sang-chol |
| Legislature | Grand National Assembly |
| House of Councillors | |
| House of Deputies | |
| Establishment | |
• Incorporated as French Colony | February 9th, 1703 |
• Investment of British High Fellsian Company | December 28th, 1880 |
• Absolute Monarchy Overthrown | November 14th, 1897 |
• Democratic Republic of High Fells founded | August 30th, 1926 |
• Minjian Republic of High Fells founded | July 26th, 1987 |
| Area | |
• | 301,336 km2 (116,346 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 26,147,987 |
• 2016 census | 25,011,112 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | NSD 428.289 billion |
| Gini | 39.7 medium |
| HDI | 0.773 high |
| Currency | High Fellsian Livre (HFL) |
| Time zone | GT +2 |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy ME |
| Driving side | right |
| Internet TLD | .hfl |
The Minjian Republic of High Fells, commonly called High Fells, is a Minjian Republic, or democratic state administered according to the principles of the Minjian Faith, on the continent of Hesperida on Earth in the International Democratic Union. It is bordered to the south by Laeral. High Fells covers 301 thousand square kilometers and has has an estimated population of 26 million, and is divided into five governorates. High Fells is primarily known as a major mining hub, with extensive stocks of rare earth metals and some remaining precious metals such as gold.
High Fells' flag consists of two vertical blue stripes separated by a white stripe with five stars in the center. The blue stripes represent democracy and the Minjian Faith, while the white stripe represents purity and the people of High Fells. The five stars represent the five promises granted to the people of High Fells during the High Fellsian Civil War.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
High Fells is an English translation of the French name of the nation, which was Haute Fells. The standard way to refer to a citizen of High Fells is as a "Fellsian."
History[edit | edit source]
Ancient Era[edit | edit source]
High Fells was occupied for centuries by various dynasties of Gao rulers. Little is known of this period due to destruction of records during the colonial era.
Colonial Era[edit | edit source]
The modern nation of High Fells was founded in 1733 along with present-day Laeral as a French colony governed by French nobles. With around 5800 supporters, forces under the Duc d'Tesse conquered the area around the coast. The area was home to thousands of natives, who were largely forced to retreat away from the French due to military defeat and disease. The Duc d'Tesse set himself up as Grand Duke Jean-Baptiste I and ruled the land as the Duchy of Haute Fells. He died in 1742. His successors ruled as Dukes, until the Revolution. In 1809, the Duc d'Tesse at the time, Louis-Philippe, died. He left a son and three daughters. Upon hearing of the Duc's death, the eldest daughter, Marie-Therese, knowing that she would not have been allowed to take the throne, moved to consolidate power. By winning the support of the military, she had her brother executed, and restructured the government. Over her 47 year reign, she evolved High Fells into a more modern government. She created a legislature, known as Parliament, reduced the power of the nobles, and also supported equality between the European settlers and the native peoples. Upon her 1856 death, her daughter, Louise, a hard-line conservative, took the throne as Duchesse Louise I. She was unpopular among the native peoples as well as among the middle-class for her rigid monarchist views, her traditionalism, and her anti-Enlightenment views. As she became gravely ill in 1874, intellectuals, anarchists, liberals, and a number of others convened secretly in the coastal city of Althea to discuss. They decided that her daughter, Louise II, would be even worse for the nation than her mother, and after many months of discussion, ultimately decided to rebel.
The Laeralian War of Independence lasted for 6 years, leaving the land in ruins, thousands dead, and High Fells with only about one-third of it's original territory. The independent nation of Laeral was founded in 1855 as a sovereign nation from High Fellsian territory which practically cut High Fells off from the ocean, leaving High Fells with a grudge against Laeral and a continued absolute monarchy. High Fells, which was cut off from the ocean, suffered great losses to trade. The High Fellsian absolute monarchy continued, with rulers of High Fells crowning themselves as kings after drifting away from French control. High Fells was severely impacted by the 1861 Cholera Outbreak, as well as famines in the 1870s, ultimately driving Queen Louise II to commit suicide in 1878. Her successor, King Antoine I, created the position of Lord Chancellor to advise future monarchs. This position would become hugely important in future.
In 1880, King Antoine I, facing imminent accepted a contract from the Opthelia High Fellsian Company (OHFC), a British joint-stock corporation which came to fund and administer the colony for its mineral resources. In the coming decades, large numbers of Opthelian immigrants would come to High Fells, largely in the mining industry. The OHFC gradually became more and more powerful in High Fells, controlling large portions of the economy such as the lucrative gold mines, while Opthelian immigrants became larger and larger segments of the population. The monarchy was gradually seen by the OHFC as an obstacle to future development and profit.
The High Fellsian Revolution was fought from 1893 to 1897. It was fought between forces loyal to the absolute monarchy under King Antoine II and forces hoping to overthrow him, supported by the Opthelia High Fellsian Company. King Antoine II had rejected attempts to give the legislature more power, and was seen as inflexible and unable to adapt to High Fells's challenges, which included a severe economic downturn leading to famine. When Louis replaced popular Lord Chancellor Paul-Antoine de Gondrin, masses began to riot in major cities and mining towns alike. Ultimately, much of High Fells rose up against the unpopular king. The middle-class, peasants, and the Minjian Faith all lent their support to the Corporatists, those advocating for the replacement of the monarchy, while the Royalists drew their strength from the military. The High Fellsian Revolution ended in 1897 with the death of Antoine II in battle.
Company Rule[edit | edit source]
Following the revolution, a ramshackle Assembly of Notables was created to govern the country, with the Opthelia High Fellsian Company retaining most of the power. Their rule was weak, consisting of a parliamentary system of rapidly changing weak Prime Ministers alternating between far-right and far-left ideologies. High Fells remained profitable for the Company, and mining and immigration continued. The OHFC presided over an 'Anglicization' of the country, with the English name 'High Fells' coming into common use and English becoming the most common language. High-ranking OHFC executives often came to take on the noble titles of declining Fellsian French noble houses, creating a wealthy, oligarchic class. In 1911, following increased provocations along the border with Laeral, a railroad bridge in the volatile border region of Valenne was blown up by saboteurs, prompting High Fells to declare war on Laeral. This First Fellsian War was bloody and inconclusive, with Laeral ultimately gaining only a small amount of territory when peace was made in 1916. A decline in gold production during the 1920s, coupled with the destruction of the First Fellsian War, led to economic unrest, and the April Revolution in 1927 saw the end of company rule and the transition to parliamentary democracy.
Fellsian Republic[edit | edit source]
The Fellsian Republic was in power from 1927 until the Taesan Coup of 1948. This period was characterized largely by ineffectual government leadership, while the liberalization of the economy saw foreign mining corporations take commanding roles in the Fellsian mining industry. Industrialization, centered primarily around ore processing, occurred in the country's south, while sectional differences continued to be exacerbated as the White Fellsian population in the south grew richer as the economy of the Haemin north stagnated. This crisis was highlighted by the 1947 Fellsian Famine, which occurred due to heavy rains and a poor grain harvest but was exacerbated by the government's inability to secure the redistribution of grain stores from the south to the north. Over 200,000 Fellsians, primarily Haemin, had died of starvation by the time that Fellsian Prime Minister Dennis Reid negotiated a deal for grain supplies to be sent northward from Laeral.
Park and Hansen Dictatorship[edit | edit source]
In 1948 on the night of the Taesan holiday, the Taesan Coup took place as a military junta known as the Council of Generals took power due to public discontent over the grain deal with Laeral. The coup's leader, Major General Horace Mullins, seized power from the civilian government in June 1948 but was himself removed from power by Park Yeong-gi, an army colonel and junior members of the Council of Generals.
Declaring himself Chief of State of the Democratic Republic of High Fells, Park Yeong-gi would rule for the next decade with an iron fist and the force of the dreaded Bureau of State Security. He created a cult of personality surrounding himself, closing off High Fells from foreign influences and declaring himself the "Shining Flame of the Fellsian People". However, his agricultural policies were disastrous, resulting in numerous famines, while it is estimated that his security forces were responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 people in various uprisings. During the early years of his regime, the Accession of Lienne, also known as the Second Fellsian War, took place when French-speaking separatists in the wealthy southern Lienne region declared independence, backed up by Laeralian forces. State Security director Alger Hansen came to power upon Park's death in 1958.
Ideologically, Hansen embraced a radical program of modernization, including opposing traditional customs and religion, forcing all High Fellsians to adopt English names, and banning the public practice of the Minjian Faith. However, the Directorate of State Security continued its reign of terror, and the cult of personality continued. An attempted rebellion against Hansen's rule occurred in 1970, which was brutally suppressed. In 1980, an attempt on his life was publicly blamed on Laeralian spies, leading to retaliatory terrorist attacks and assassination attempts against Laeralian leaders, as well as border skirmishes and increased violence in Lienne. The conflict, referred to in Laeral as the Undeclared War, was resolved in a secret agreement in 1984.
Alger Hansen became ill for a prolonged period in 1987. In June of that year, students and the unemployed, led by prominent Minjian clergy members gathered in Jindong to protest the lack of jobs. When the military fired on the protesters, the June Revolution began, spreading across High Fells. In Dongbaek and Kimsu, as well as in Argenbonne, the Army refused to fire on the protesters, some of them joining the crowds. The Army turned their guns on the Directorate of State Security, who remained loyal to Hansen. Following several weeks of fighting, Hansen was captured by the revolutionaries in early July. The new Minjian Republic of High Fells was proclaimed shortly after.
Minjian Republic Period[edit | edit source]
The declaration of the Minjian Republic led to High Fells's first free elections since the 1920s. In the new constitution, written under the influence of foreign advisers, the interests of the Minjian Faith, Fellsian liberals, and the old corporate aristocracy were balanced to create High Fells's current system of government. The years after saw rapid economic growth as High Fells entered the global economy, although corruption was common. High Fells was also a major recipient of foreign aid, leading to a rapid increase in living standards, and the addition of new technology in the prominent Fellsian mining industry also led to a commodities boom.
However, religious tensions continued between the primarily Protestant Christian whites and the predominantly Minjian Haemin. Many Christians felt disenfranchised by the newly-established Minjian Republic, leading to the creation of the Southern Alliance militia. Skirmishes between the Southern Alliance and Minjian militias such as the Fellsian National Movement erupted into full-fledged war in 1998 following the assassination of Christian politician Charlie Simmons, with ongoing bombings and terrorist attacks by the Southern Alliance's military wing, the Southern National Army, being met with brutal reprisals from government forces and allied militias. The conflict spilled over into northern Laeral, while drug trafficking used by the Southern Alliance to finance its operations led to increasing concern in Laeral. Laeralian intervention in the High Fellsian Civil War began with special forces but eventually escalated into the deployment of the Laeralian Peacekeeping Force (LPKF) in 2001 to prop up the central government. The Jindong Agreement, signed in 2004, outlined a process for a ceasefire coupled with political reforms for High Fells. The last Laeralian troops departed in 2008, and the peace has generally held since. Nevertheless, High Fells continues to rely heavily on Laeralian support and aid spending.
Geography[edit | edit source]
High Fells is very mountainous, particularly in the northern "coal belt," and has been land-locked since the Accession of Lienne. High Fells's harsh mountains mean that transportation has historically been slow, although the advent of tunnel-drilling equipment has allowed for more rapid commerce. Rivers have historically been another avenue of commerce, particularly using river barges. High Fells is subdivided into five governorates or provinces, numbered numerically from I to V. Agriculture in High Fells largely is based on dairy products and poultry, although many other crops are grown.
Demographics[edit | edit source]
High Fells has a population of approximately 26 million, including roughly 50% Haemin and 40% Fellsian English, with Fellsian French (Arrivée) as the most prominent minority ethnic group. Most of the population is concentrated in large cities in the valleys or in the belt of mining settlements.
Government[edit | edit source]
High Fells is formally a Minjian Republic, with the status of the Minjian Faith inscribed in Fellsian law.
High Fells's legislature consists of two chambers: the House of Deputies, consisting of 201 Deputies elected from 40 five-member constituencies every five years (plus one Deputy elected to represent High Fellsians living abroad), and the House of Councillors, consisting of 12 representatives of the clergy and 8 representatives of the great families of High Fells. The current President, Marc Thierry, is an independent. While the President is the Head of State, the Head of Government is the Lord Chancellor. The major political division, however, is along religious lines, with secular and religious parties competing for votes.
The House of Deputies is elected by proportional representation on a confessionalistic basis within each of the five governorates. The Constitution recognizes four separate religious groups: Minjian, Christian, Nonaffiliated, and Other. Each religion is given a certain number of seats within each governorate, and Deputies are elected proportionally from each list.
The House of Councillors is a hereditary upper house. 12 seats are allocated for the Minjian Faith, including one seat for the Brightlord and Brightlady of High Fells, and ten seats for Ardents selected by the Faith. The remaining eight seats are reserved for representatives of the European-Fellsian noble families. Councillors are required to be political independents.
The current parties in the House of Deputies are largely divided along religious lines. On the center-right, the Dignity Party is the major Minjian political party, while the Motherland Party is a secular right-wing party. On the left, the Constitutional Republican Party is a secular party, and the Felicity Party is a Minjian party. The June Revolution Party is a Christian party, generally considered centrist.