Aale

Aale, officially the Grand Duchy of Aale (Aalen: Grosshärgzööge Aale) is a sovereign nation governed as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy in northwestern Avanor. The nation is bordered to the north by Gelenia, to the east and southeast by the Midlands, and to the west and southwest by Caliane. With a land area of LAND AREA, the nation is the third smallest nation in Avanor, and has a population of 3'175'593, the third smallest on the continent. The capital and largest city is Aale, though other cities include Schletthause, Windenheim, and Kolter.

Aale for most of its history was a duchy that was tied to the Midlandic crown. Conquered during the Midlandic wars during the middle ages, Aale served as a vitally important market town, and was one of the consequential centers for producing electors to the Reichstag to elect the Kaiser of the Midlands. The nation's location at the meeting point between the Gelenian, Caliantene, and Midlandic peoples caused it to become an important trade hub, and often found itself traded back and forth between Caliane and the Midlands throughout their wars in the 1600s and 1700s. Aale became an official Reichstaat in 1759, bringing with it expanded independence. The region's cultural and linguistic uniqueness began to breed nationalism within the population throughout the 1800s as other midlandic nations began calling for their independence from the crown. When the Midlandic Empire was disbanded in 1823, both the new Midlandic government and the Caliantene government wanted Aale to become their new province, and demanded Gelenia intercede as a mediator between them and organize a referendum, who gave the people three options: Independence, become Midlandic, or become Caliantene. According to official results, Independence gained a razor thin majority of 48.89% of the vote, and so became an independent nation, with the new nation choosing the House of Halle as its new ruling family, becoming the Grand Dukes and Duchesses of Aale. The nation's vineyards, steel production, and manufacturing led to a surge in economic growth, especially as the nation strengthened its ties to the Midlands with free trade agreements in the 1840s. The nation's population stabilized, and the University of Aale became an important scientific centre. The nation experienced massive union strikes in the 1850s and 1860s, and as such the Grand Duke Heinz II granted the establishment of a parliament, and the institution of workers protections and rights throughout the nation. In the Great War, Aale remained neutral, but was occupied by Caliantene troops throughout the war, with some records showing they planned to annex the region after they won the war. However, in the Alscheid Accords after the war, Aale was confirmed an independent state. The nation continued to export its steel, coal, minerals, and wines throughout the world after the war, and after the discovery of nuclear power in 1889, the nation became a leading nation in nuclear powered, using a combination of renewable sources and nuclear power to become the first nation to end its use of non-renewable energy. The nation joined the Union of Nations in 1885 and the Avanor Union in 1889, while it was one of the pioneering nations advocating for a common currency in the Credit Argent in 1901. The nation began to become a hub of innovation, and its economy transitioned from one based on purely manufacturing, to one based on a mixture of high tech development and research and export of high tech goods. The 1917 financial crisis hit the nation hard, but through a well coordinated response from its government, the nation recovered its lost growth by 1918, the quickest recovery of any nation.

Aale today is a nation with a high level of economic, political, and civil liberties guaranteed through law, the constitution, and the nation's participation in several international organizations and treaties. Additionally, the nation has a strong presence on the international stage - though being small in size and population, it is a member of the Avanor Union and the Union of Nations, and is the seat of the Avanoran Parliament and Commission.

History
Aale for most of its history was a duchy that was tied to the Midlandic crown. Conquered during the Midlandic wars during the middle ages, Aale served as a vitally important market town, and was one of the consequential centers for producing electors to the Reichstag to elect the Kaiser of the Midlands. The nation's location at the meeting point between the Gelenian, Caliantene, and Midlandic peoples caused it to become an important trade hub, and often found itself traded back and forth between Caliane and the Midlands throughout their wars in the 1600s and 1700s. Aale became an official Reichstaat in 1759, bringing with it expanded independence. The region's cultural and linguistic uniqueness began to breed nationalism within the population throughout the 1800s as other midlandic nations began calling for their independence from the crown. When the Midlandic Empire was disbanded in 1823, both the new Midlandic government and the Caliantene government wanted Aale to become their new province, and demanded Gelenia intercede as a mediator between them and organize a referendum, who gave the people three options: Independence, become Midlandic, or become Caliantene. According to official results, Independence gained a razor thin majority of 48.89% of the vote, and so became an independent nation, with the new nation choosing the House of Halle as its new ruling family, becoming the Grand Dukes and Duchesses of Aale. The nation's vineyards, steel production, and manufacturing led to a surge in economic growth, especially as the nation strengthened its ties to the Midlands with free trade agreements in the 1840s. The nation's population stabilized, and the University of Aale became an important scientific centre. The nation experienced massive union strikes in the 1850s and 1860s, and as such the Grand Duke Heinz II granted the establishment of a parliament, and the institution of workers protections and rights throughout the nation. In the Great War, Aale remained neutral, but was occupied by Caliantene troops throughout the war, with some records showing they planned to annex the region after they won the war. However, in the Alscheid Accords after the war, Aale was confirmed an independent state. The nation continued to export its steel, coal, minerals, and wines throughout the world after the war, and after the discovery of nuclear power in 1889, the nation became a leading nation in nuclear powered, using a combination of renewable sources and nuclear power to become the first nation to end its use of non-renewable energy. The nation joined the Union of Nations in 1885 and the Avanor Union in 1889, while it was one of the pioneering nations advocating for a common currency in the Credit Argent in 1901. The nation began to become a hub of innovation, and its economy transitioned from one based on purely manufacturing, to one based on a mixture of high tech development and research and export of high tech goods. The 1917 financial crisis hit the nation hard, but through a well coordinated response from its government, the nation recovered its lost growth by 1918, the quickest recovery of any nation.

Geography
Aale is a nation located along the Rhent River, which bisects the country from north to south before entering Gelenia. The nation is highly hilly, though not mountainous. Most of the population lives in the Aale Valley in the centre of the nation, in cities along the Rhent River. In the west of the country, the nation is hilly and forested, while in the south the nation's forests have long since been cleared and on the numerous hills one can find numerous small villages with multi-coloured half timbered houses and vineyards which produce the Aale's many wines. In the east the nation becomes less hilly with more open fields and creeks from runoff down from the hills that run into the Midlands. Major cities in the nation which sit along the Rhent include the capital and largest city, Aale, as well as Schletthause, Windenheim, and Kolter.

Economy
Aale is a thriving service based market economy. The nation has a thriving financial sector, as well as providing wealth management and thriving as a headquarters for low corporate taxation. The nation also has a mining industry, and a heavy focus on the manufacturing of steel. The nation has a thriving agricultural industry: producing dairy and meats (mainly beef, pork, and chicken), while also having a thriving viticulture industry with many countryside vineyards along the Rhent River. With a GDP per Capita of 61’126.