Bagnallia

Bagnallia, officially the Kingdom of Bagnallia, is a Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy on the north east coast of Larania. The nation is bordered to the east by the Adriantic Ocean, to the south by Mistletoe Coast, to the west by Nagansett and to the north by Estrie. It spans a land area of 377,973 km² with a population of approximately 18.8 million people. Bagnallia's varied topography is mountainous in the west, levelling out further east to flatlands with much of the west blanketed with dense hardwood forest.

Colonised by Gelenia in 1445, Bagnallia initially thrived under their rule. The growth of tobacco and other cash crops, along with the fur trade, generated profits for monarchs of Gelenia for centuries. However taxation grew over time, and unrest developed. This continued until the Gelenian Revolution when in 1777 when the cousin of the deposed King Robyn II, his closest surviving heir Prince Henry, evacuated the remainder of his family to the colony. Given the instability in Gelenia, the colony took the chance to declare independence crowning Henry as King to establish legitimacy.

Bagnallia is an export focused economy, with the steel industry being vital to the nation. Bagnallia's largest cities, especially the capital, are home significant finance centres. Bagnallia is largely friendly to other nations, being part of the OLS.

Etymology
Bagnallia is named after explorer Richard Bagnall who discovered the land on an expedition on behalf of King Edwyn IV of Gelenia.

History
Prehistory

Most archaeologists predict humans first emerged in the region around 12,000 BCE, roughly 140,000 years ago. These early inhabitents were nomadic, hunting the native fauna and gathering fruits and edible flora wherever found. They formed basic social groups on a small scale of 10-15 people, often of one or two families.

Around 2000 BCE these nomadic peoples formed a culture known as the Abonaqian People. They soon began to settle and that brought with it agriculture and the domestication of the native wildlife. They were subsistence farmers and formed tribes of up to 300-400 members. These tribes were largely peaceful, rarely engaging in intertribal conflict.

Up until the region's discovery in the late 1430s, these tribes remained largely the same uninterrupted for around 3000 years. Whilst some technologies developed such as improvements in sailing, farming and construction, they remained quite a primitive culture. Whilst each trive maintained their own distinct traditions and customs, many followed similar pagan religions and spoke similar languages - albeit with variations in dialect.

Discovery and Colonisation

In 1437 King Edwyn IV of Gelenia solicited explorer and naval navigator Richard Bagnall to travel west in search of suitable land for a colony. Departing with 3 ships and 225 men, he sailed for a month and a half aboard the ship 'the Silver Gauntlet'. He first caught sight of land on the eastern coast of Larania and landed on the right side of the mouth of the River Seams, founding the Colony of Bagnallia and establishing the settlement of Kingston.

Independence

Geography
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Demographics
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Politics
The Monarch

The Monarch is the source of all power in Bagnallia. All authority vests in the crown, with power granted down on its behalf. All bills must be passed with the consent and signature of the Monarch, all Members of Parliament are sworn in under the Monarch's name, the military offers complete loyalty to the Monarch and they act as Bagnallia's head of state. However, this power has been ceremonial since the nation's founding; the new Parliament granted all power to the Monarch in the constitution in an effort to minimise unlawful seizing of power, and King Henry I accepted knowing that if he exercised such power the people would again revolt as they did in his homeland of Gelenia.

The House of Lords

The upper chamber of Parliament, sometimes known as the House of Peers, each Peer is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The chamber consists of 75 Lords and Ladies. Some may be former MPs, retired Judges or former Civil Servicemen although there are no set requirements. The Prime Minister traditionally apppoints former MPs from a variety of parties and political beliefs rather than just their own in an effort to maintain fairness. The position is permanent, with Lords however required to step down upon their 80th birthday and they are granted a lifelong Baronetcy in recognition of their service.

Due to the permenance of the position, Lords do not fear the scutiny of their party as they do in the Commons and may vote how they see fit, rather than following party lines. This allows the chamber to thoroughly scrutinise bills where needed without party disciplinary action. A peer can be removed from the chamber and be stripped of their peerage with a 3/4s majority vote.

The House of Commons

The lower chamber of Parliament, each MP is elected on a term lasting for a maximum of five years.The Council consists of 250 MPs, each representing a parliamentary constituency of approximately 75,000 people. General elections occur every five years, and have done since 1777 with the first parliament. Early elections can't be called, with elections organised by a non partisan government committee - but in the event of no clear winner the house can vote on a motion to call a new election. The next general election still takes place 5 years after the first. The Prime Minister and cabinet ministers are selected from this house and it functions as the dominant chamber.