Nagansett

Nagansett, officially the Republic of Nagansett (Nagansett: Nuhsachussett), is a federalized parliamentary constitutional republic in nothern Larania. The nation is bordered to the north and west by the Bay of Nagansett, to the east by the Mistletoe Coast, and to the south by the Central Laranian Republic. With a land area of LAND AREA and a population of nearly 14 million people, Nagansett is the second most densely populated region on the continent, only behind the Mistletoe Coast. The nation's largest city and capital is Portsmouth, located at the mouth of the Agansett River. Portsmouth is also the city's political, economic, and cultural hub, with the only other towns of true note being Charlestown, Harvard, and Westborough.

Nagansett was originally inhabited by the native Nagansett people, who mainly lived in long wooden houses called Nahutett and hunted deer in the woods and fished in the bay. The region was densely populated by the time Avanoran explorers arrived in 1557, and the tribes began to trade with the Avanorans for fish, furs, and timber. The region was originally settled by the Frontlandic, though after a war on Avanor, the continent was transferred to Davinthia in 1620. The colony remained an important source of luxury furs and timber for the Davinthians, though as the years went on the colony became a place for outcasts socially and politically from Davinthia and the nearby Mistletoe Coast colony. Limited home rule was established in 1760 with the "Legislative Assembly Charter" which granted a locally elected assembly to govern local matters, though their decisions could still be overturned by a Governor General appointed from Davinthia. With industrialization in the 1800s came urbanization, as workers moved into towns and cities to work on mills and factories. Nagansett became a hotbed for union strikes in the 1830s, who called for more self governance and workers rights. After the General Strike of 1844, self governance was established, and a constitution was finally drafted on 19 Veiltide, 1845: which is marked each year by Constitution Day. In the Great War, Nagansett was one of the nations that supported Davintharia in its war goals, often working to export raw materials to Davinthia for the war effort, with the nation being placed under rations until the end of the war. In 1883, after the end of the Great War, Nagansett finally gained control over its own defense and foreign policies, becoming fully independent alongside Mistletoe Coast. The nation experienced social and economic development throughout the 1880s and 1890s, as a booming financial sector emerged and incomes increased. Hydropower became an important factor in the nation's energy sector, and the nation regularly exports excess energy to nearby Mistletoe Coast and Gelenia.

Nagansett is a highly developed nation, with a thriving financial services sector, retail and commerce sector, and a thriving tourism industry. Raw materials important to the region include agricultural products, timber, and seafood caught in the bay. Average incomes are high, though the income tax rates in the nation are higher than the continental average. To compliment this high value economy, the nation also has a high standard of living, with low levels of poverty, high education levels, and a strong social welfare state. According to federal statistics, Nagansett has the second lowest homelessness rate in Aesurdah, and the third lowest poverty rate, though youth unemployment remains an issue the government is aiming to tackle. The nation also has a thriving parliamentary democracy, with regularly scheduled elections, almost non-existent corruption, and strong civil rights protections.

Etymology
The name "Nagansett" was the rendering of a native word for the realm that now is most of Nagansett and Mistletoe Coast, called Nuhsachussett. The name translates literally to "Land of the Maple Trees", and was given to the area due to the prevalence of the maple tree in the area. When the area became a Gelenian colony during the colonial era, the region was purportedly named Nagansett by the locals who had settled in the are a, and by the time of the official proclamation of a colonial charter, that was the official name given by the Gelenians.

People from Nagansett are called Nagansettiers.

Prehistory
Nagansett was originally inhabited by the Nagansett people, who arrived in the region in the 10,000s BCE according to archeological records. It is likely they arrived from the western regions of the continent, travelling eastwards across Larania in search of game and fertile hunting grounds.

The region of Nagansett became a desirable destination due to its coastline, which provided abundant amounts of fish, along with nuts and berries for the local population to eat. The Nagansett people spread across the continental Laranian north, from Nagansett to Mistletoe Coast, to Estrie. Evidence found in the region has shown that the first people in the region resided along the coasts, likely in caves to shelter themselves from the cold winters and snow storms which blew in from the Nagansett Bay. Archeologists have found numerous cave paintings in the system of caves dotting the nation's shoreline, some of which dating back all the way to the first native peoples in 10,000 BCE.

From archeological evidence gathered by experts, it has become clear that the site we now refer to as Portsmouth was once a sizable Nagansett settlement, which was abandoned sometime in the century before Avanoran colonists first landed in the region, though it is still unclear to experts how and why the settlement was abandoned, with many dismissing the previous belief that the natives abandoned the settlement due to Avanoran encroachment, rather now believing that the natives abandoned the site due to either wars with other native groups, or perhaps due to extensive flooding from a major storm.

Discovery and Colonization
Avanoran colonists first arrived in Nagansett under an expedition led by Captain Phillip Cooke in 1504, who sailed down from Estrie through the Nagansett Bay, being the first person to sail the entirety of the bay. He reported back to Gelenia about the verdant land in Larania's north, upon which the Gelenian government authorized a colonial group under the North Laranian Company of about 1500 people to settle the region. The first colonists to arrive in Portsmouth under the North Laranian Company, arrived at the site which would become Portsmouth in 1521. According to official entries, Jacob Hewitt was selected to become the colony's first governor, and made contact with the native Nagansett people living in the region. Records indicate that, while relations were peaceful at first, the colonists soon became, drawn into conflicts between several native groups. In the winter of 1523, Portsmouth suffered an attack by a hostile group of Nagansett clans, and, enraged, Hewitt blamed all the native groups for the attack, leading a raiding party into the countryside to rid the region of the natives.

The ensuing war became known as the War of Burning Trees, as colonists set fire to areas of forest to drive out the natives. Many Nagansett and colonists were killed, though by the end of the war in 1527, the natives were largely driven out of the region, and into the north towards Estrie, where the newly arrived Caliantene colonists assimilated the newcomers into their region.

Throughout the 1530s and 1540s, the population of Portsmouth continued to grow. When Mistletoe Coast Colony was founded in 1549, many more colonists began moving to the region to start up farms, homesteads, and shops in the cities. Nagansett, whose population was merely 10,000 people in 1530, was already at 36,780 people by 1550. It was during this time that the governor of Nagansett officially requested the Gelenian government to establish the border of the Nagansett and Mistletoe Coast colonies, which was done in 1561. Settlers were sent into the countryside and up and down the coast of the country throughout the 1560s and 70s to establish new towns and homesteads to establish Gelenian dominance over the region. Cities such as Charlestown, Harvard, and Westborough were founded in this time, and became major hubs for business in the colony.

Throughout the rest of the 1500s, the city of Portsmouth became an important economic and defense location for the growing Gelenian Empire, who was focused on the dominance of the Laranian continent to control the lucrative resources of the region such as timber, gold, silver, furs, and agriculture. The population of the colony was given limited government in 1601, when colonists protested the colonial governor's control over taxation rights in the region without the consent of the residents. As such, the Gelenian government granted a Colonial Assembly under a Governing Charter, which spelled out the first democratic rights in Nagansett, and made it the only Gelenian colony to receive a democratic government at the time, besides Mistletoe Coast. Thomas Rose became the first democratically elected head of government in 1604, and would go on to serve in this position for five terms before resigning. His assumption of the office is often considered the birth of Nagansett's democracy, and it was Rose who truly began defining the rights and freedoms found in the Nagansett Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech, protest, and the right to trial - and for the first time in Laranian history, the right to the freedom of religion. As such, Nagansett became the home of many Reformed Sanctumites, who were fleeing religious persecution, not just in the old world, but in other colonies of Larania such as Misteltoe Coast, Estrie, Auvegrone, and others.

Nagansett's population rapidly grew throughout the early 1600s, as more people fled to the region to escape oppression. A planned tax policy on dairy farmers in 1657 led to the Milk Revolts, in which colonial residents of the countryside took up arms against the colonial government, who were planning to place an extra tax on dairy products to pay for more services. Additionally, the government's assimilation policy of the remaining population led to many former native people settling in towns and farms across the nation's interior, and adopting their traditional way of life. Despite this transition, the colonial government continued to enact racial discrimination policies against the Nagansett people and other native Laranians, refusing to let them hold office or vote in colonial elections.

As the royal court in Gelenia grew increasingly hostile and corrupt throughout the 1700s, many more Gelenian settlers moved into the region. It was in 1727 that the Gelenian government first granted home rule to the Nagansett Colony, as troops stationed in the region were recalled back to Gelenia to keep the ever more anxious and rebellious populace in line. The government passed the first Nagansett Constitution on 5 Highsummer, 1731, a day which marks National Day in Nagansett to this day. With the abolition of the monarchy in the 1770s, Nagansett petitioned the new republican government for further autonomous powers, and in 1784, the colony was reorganized into a Commonwealth, and was provided nearly full autonomy over its internal affairs.

Industrialization
Nagansett's society was rapidly changing in the face of so many political events. With the dissolution of the monarchy and the introduction of Commonwealth status in 1784, the country saw a sprouting of new political movements, advocating for the introduction of a range of policies, from social policy, to foreign, to economic. It was in this period that the first political parties began to emerge in Nagansett, the liberal Moderate Party, and the left leaning Labour Party. The two sides were divided over how the government should respond to a new event rocking Nagansett's society: industrialization. The introduction of factories in the early 1800s led to an economic boom in the country. The nation's many rivers provided plenty of hydroelectric and steam power for factories to spring up - mainly in the centre of the country and along the coasts. As such, many people began leaving their farming life for life in towns and cities throughout the country. Even agriculture was beginning to industrialize, with Nagansett's trademark dairy industry building up factories to ship more goods across the world in the central regions of the country.

The introduction of this new way of economic production led many to protest the living conditions in many of Nagansett's cities, and the lack of proper wages offered to keep up with the cost of living. The Women's Strike of 1842 resulted in thousands of women demanding better wages, as well as an end to child labour in the country. The strike worked, and in 1845, the government introduced mandatory public education for children between 4 and 18, and required that women be given a minimum of 3.45 pennings per hour, while men received 5.10 pennings per hour, the first minimum wage law on the Laranian continent. The government also authorized the creation of labour unions for workers to organize into to advocate for more economic and political rights.

One such political right that was advocated for was the right to vote. Under the first Nagansett Constitution, only certain groups were allowed to vote: mainly Avanoran men of land owning status. This excluded many of the nation's citizens from the democratic process, and as such, many groups began advocating for the introduction of full enfranchisement across the country. One group had become the main group advocating for such by 1851, and that was the Organization for Suffrage and Democracy. They were advocating for a similar provision as the Mistletoe Coast had introduced the year before, extending the right to vote to anyone who was above 21. The movement was catapulted into power, when Labour Party leader Nicholas Asquith, a member of the OSD, became Prime Minister. It was Asquith who is often called the "father of democracy" in Nagansett, as it was his government who extended the right to vote to anyone above 18, and further allowed any person eligible to vote to hold public office, including the Prime Minister's position - making Nagansett one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of voting rights. With the outbreak of the Great War in 1871, and Gelenia entereing the war on the side of The Alliance, Nagansett was called into war as a Commonwealth country. The troops of Nagansett were sent to two fronts - the Asanian front, and the Laranian front, where its troops fought Tanguanese troops attempting to invade Victoria and other Gelenian holdings in the continent. The war saw millions of women move into jobs once held by men who had gone to the front, and Nagansett's industrial base shifted into wartime production, boosting the output of the national economy.

Nagansett never faced any real battles itself in the Great War, though one naval skirmish between a Xin fleet and the combined Mistletoe Coast and Nagansett Naval Forces resulted in an Alliance Victory, likely saving Portsmouth and other coastal cities from bombardment or invasion. At the end of the war, Nagansett was home to the Laranian Trials, the panel of UoN justices who tried and convicted many of the Xin and Tanguanese generals and commanders of war crimes.

Modern Period
Nagansett entered the 1880s as an independent nation, after the House of Commons granted the country full independence from Gelenia after the war. The country quickly joined the ranks of democratic nations, as the country affirmed a new and democratic constitution modeled highly off of the old Nagansett Constitution. The modern state transitioned away from an industrialized militaristic economy and into one based on services throughout the 1880s, though rising prices due to inflation led to a string of Labour governments, who voted into force the nation's extensive welfare and social safety nets in the 80s and 90s. The country became closely involved with the affairs of the Mistletoe Coast and Estrie, acting as a bloc in many international agreements and deals.

The country became involved in the Korashan Wars in the early 1900s, and closely cooperated with Gelenian efforts to subdue the violence in the region over the course of several governments. In 1905, the people protested Nagansett's involvement in the Korashan Wars, and under Prime Minister Blaine De Clare the country formally withdrew its troops from involvement in the wars in order to quell the protests and satisfy voters. The nation voted 62.4% in favour of joining the Laranian Union in 1911, allowing for greater economic cooperation on the continent.

Geography
Nagansett is located in northeastern Larania, and comprises nearly LAND AREA square kilometeres, making it one of the smallest nations on Larania. Nagansett is bordered to the north by Estrie, to the south and east by Mistletoe Coast, and to the east by the Nagansett Bay.

The Nautukett Mountains stretch across eastern Nagansett from north to south, before running eastwards into the Mistletoe Coast, and northwards into Estrie. The mountainous east slowly gives way to rolling hills in the nation's centre, where much of the nation's orchards and farms are located, before flattening out at the coast, where the majority of the nation's population resides.

The Nautukett Mountains also are the source of the nation's largest rivers, such as the Green River, which stretches from the country's northeast, southwards towards the Nagansett Bay. The Green River is the country's largest waterway, and provides water for drinking and irrigation throughout the country's interior. Other larger rivers include the Cooke River and the Hudson River, which stretch across the country from east to west, which also provide irrigation for much of the country's interior farmlands. The country's southern regions have been referred to as "Lake Country", as the region is home to many of the nation's lakes, including the largest, Lake Chastaine, as well as several others, including Lake Cabot, Lake Hubert, and Lake Southwood. The ridge of the Nautukett Mountains stretches from north to south and forms the majority of the country's border with the Mistletoe Coast, while the banks of the Cartier River forms most of the country's northern border with Estrie.

The many mountainous rivers of the country provide Nagansett with hydroelectric power, which the nation utilizes with five main dams, the largest of which is the Hudson Dam, while other major ones include the White Hawk Dam and the Maplewood Dam, the three of which alone provide the nation with 89% of its electric needs. Overall, the country produces more energy than it needs from the dams, and exports its overproduction to countries such as Estrie, Bagnallia, and Central Larania.

Nagansett has a mild climate, with cold winters, with snow storms often blowing in from the Nagansett Bay, while cooler temperatures are also brought in off the bay, providing rain storms throughout the spring and summer.

Population
According to the Nagansett Federal Office of Statistics, the nation has a population of 14,817,204 people, as of the last federal census in 1921. This included a natural increase of 290,514. The nation has the second lowest birthrate on the Laranian continent, after Alluitguit. According to the statistics office, the nation's population was made up of 91.2% citizens who were born in the country, while 8.8% of the population was born outside of the country, with 76.3% of those people being naturalized as citizens, and 23.7% not holding a Nagansettier passport.

According to the Federal Statistics Office, the largest ethnic group in Nagansett is still Nagansettiers of Avanoran ethnic background. This includes people of Avanoran ancestry who moved to Nagansett from another Laranian nation. The share of the native Nagansettians as part of the Nagansett population has dropped for the second straight census period in a row, as a result of their citizens moving abroad to other countries, as well as having a declining birthrate due to rising incomes and living standards - as well as growing access to contraceptives. The federal government has initiated programs to protect the native Nagansettian language, though these efforts have not stopped the gradual decline of the language throughout the years to the point that many scholars now consider the language as "endangered".

The country has seen a large uptick in migration into the past twenty years, with most migrants to the region coming from nearby nations such as Bagnallia or Mistletoe Coast, or otherwise coming from other countries such Victoria, Adaleide, Gelenia, the Spice Coast, and others. This influx of new settlers into the region that was once primarily home to only native born citizens has caused a slight divide between people born in the country, often referred to as Mountaineers, and people born outside of the country who migrated, who are referred to as Flatlanders. The government's attempt at integration have been underway for some years, though some citizens claim that the migration of new people into the country has caused an increase in housing prices, as many have brought higher incomes into the country

The country is divided into thirteen federal regions, which are used to administer matters of local importance. The most populace of these is the Portsmouth Region, which is also home to the largest city and capital of the nation, Portsmouth.

Language
The vast majority of the country, nearly 98.7%, can speak Gelenian to either a native or advanced level according to the statistics office. The remaining 1.3% of people either speak Nagansettian natively only, or otherwise speak central Korashan languages, having recently arrived in Nagansett as a refugee. The country's Language Recognition Act officially recognizes both Gelenian and Nagansettian as official languages of the nation, and recognizes Abonaqian as a national language. The Native Language Act passed in 1905 authorizes government funds to be used in the protection of both Abonaqian and Nagansettian, directing provincial councils to open classes at local schools instructing in the languages.

Additionally, most Nagansettiers speak the Western-Northeast Laranian dialect of Gelenian, a dialect which is generally rhotic, and shows the cot–caught merger, while also having strong /ɑr/ fronting. The accent is usually a key indicator of if someone is considered a "Mountaineer" or a "Flatlander" in Nagansettier society. Despite the difference in pronunciation between the dialect and other varieties of Gelenian throughout the world, there is no distinct spelling differences between Northeast Laranian Gelenian and other Gelenian dialects throughout the world.

Religion
Nagansett has always been a country of religious diversity, and the Constitution of Nagansett recognizes no official state religion. Despite this fact, the historical fact that most Nagansettiers have Gelenian ancestry means that the main religious group in the country is the Reformed Divine Sanctum, with the Traditional Sanctum being the second most common religious group in the country. Only 1 percent of the country is from other religious, mainly Kainism and Haoism due to immigration from Korasha and Asania.

The majority of the country is non-religious. This includes individuals who are agnostic and atheist entirely. The Federal Statistics Office has reported that the number of adherents in religious institutions has been falling steadily for the past twenty years. In 1900, the number of non-religious members in the country was only 12.5%. Since then the numbers have only increased, as people began to turn away from the country's religious institutions.

According to scholars, the falling numbers of religious adherents has likely been caused by general disillusionment with the world's political institutions, as well as the country's generally socially progressive nature. Despite this, the nation's immigrant community is the most religious in the entire country, with most of the country's atheist population coming from the nation's native born residents.

Government and Politics
Nagansett is a unitary constitutional republic with a strong set of civil and political protections enshrined in its constitution, as well as several international agreements. The Constitution of Nagansett, which was voted in in its current form in 1884, establishes a government with three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial, with extensive checks and balances over each. The Legislative Branch of Nagansett is comprised of a 195 member Legislative Assembly, which is unicameral and sits for three year terns. It is elected for three year terms through a system of proportional representation using the D'hondt method of electoral proportion. The Legislative Assembly has the power to pass the budget as proposed by cabinet, the right to enact general legislation for the country, the right to hold questionings of witnesses and officials as deemed necessary by law, the right to declare war, and the right to elect and hold cabinet to account.

The Juducial Branch is headed by the nation's Constitutional Court, and is responsible with the adjudication of constitutional law, reviewing the actions of the nation's other three branches of government, as well as the decisions of the nation's lower courts, to ensure that they are in line with the provisions of the constitution. They are also responsible for ensuring that the nation's laws and provisions are in line with international agreements to which the nation is apart of. If a decision of the government is unconstitutional, the court may send the law back to the Legislative Assembly with amendments to bring the law in line with the constitution.

Foreign Affairs
The Prime Minister of Nagansett is the nation's official top diplomat, and operates on the international stage in tandem with their government's foreign policy, which is also crafted and administered by the Foreign Minister. The Prime Minister's official residence is located in Bridges House, which is where the majority of the country's foreign affairs is conducted through means of discussions and calls with world leaders, as well as through state visits and hosting world leaders in Nagansett.

Nagansett is party to several international organizations, including the Union of Nations, the Laranian Union, and the Laranian Defense Pact. The country has acted as an active member of the global community, and has multiple bilateral agreements with nearby nations such as Mistletoe Coast and Estrie in areas such as common standards, a customs union, and a common foreign policy.

Military
The Nagansett Armed Forces are the collective defensive force of the nation, and comprise of the Nagansett Navy, Nagansett Army, and the Nagansett Air Force. Additional

Culture
Nagansett is a country of mountains, rolling hills, rivers, lakes, and forests. As such, outdoor living is an important factor in Nagansett's culture - with statistics indicating that nearly 2.5 residents take to the country's many hiking paths each weekend. Boating on the country's lakes in the south remains a popular vacation destination, and visits to the country's beaches to the north is a popular summer activity. As such, Nagansett is one of the world's most active countries, and the Union of Nations World Happiness Report indicates that the country was the fifth most happy country.

The city of Portsmouth remains the country's largest city and cultural centre, with the Nagansett National Theatre located in the city, as well as the National History Museum, the Portsmouth Museum of Art and Music, and the Nagansett Tribal Museum of History.

Nagansett's native peoples are protected under the Nagansett Cultural Protection Act of 1899, which provided native peoples with funding to protect their native languages, their tribal art and customs, and provided tribal citizens with days off for "holidays of cultural significance" - recognizing 5 holidays of the native tribes for holiday breaks. Additionally, the country recognizes Nagansett and Caliantene as minority languages in two of its northern provinces, providing funding to local governments to protect linguistic diversity in the region.Despite the country's industrialized nature, the majority of the country's residents reside in small towns. As such, rural life is a common trait of Nagansett's culture. Towns such as Harvard, the third largest city in the country, only have around 30,000 people in them - and as such the country has often been described as being slow paced compared to other, more urban regions.

The small towns of the country are often home to much activity, including celebrations for holidays such as the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn Festivals; as well as for National Day, and the Festival of the Divines. Additionally, the multicoloured foliage of the countryside that these small towns are set in has led to a massive tourism industry, where millions of tourists come to Nagansett every autumn for nature drives, hunting, water related activities, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

Nagansett's natural beauty is upkept by the Ministry of Environment.