First Republic of New Englia

The Kirlawan Dependency of New Englia is an ex-colony of Kirlawa on the continent of Dovani. It occupies land between the Rift Mountains and the Eastern Coast of Dovani. It is bordered by Kazulia to the North and Hulstria to the West and South It was founded in 2348 after an expedition sponsored by Peter Lucas, during his dictatorship. After the Second Kirlawan Civil War led to the reuniting of the mother country in 2369, the Republic of Kirlawa officially recognised New Englia as it's colony. The majority of the population are Irish, with the descendants of Kirlawan colonists in the dominant middle and upper classes of society. There is a large creole minority, as well as small numbers of people from various Dovani tribes, particularly the Welsh.

Pre-colonial
Not much is known about the area prior to 2348, as the Irish tribes that inhabited the area did not keep many records and those that did exist were often destroyed by the early colonists. It is thought that the Irish migrated to the area in about 1000, either displacing or assimilating an earlier local native people. Certainly artefacts suggest a major cultural shift from an almost stone-age culture the Celtic bronze age at this time. The Irish are believed to have been moving through the Rift Mountains after leaving their Welsh forebears on the Northern Plain.

Lucasite Colony
In 2348, Peter Lucas demanded that a colony be set up, in order to expand the power of Kirlawa and to form a legacy. To this day, the central province and it's capital are named Lucasia after him. There have been attempts to change this in the past, but there is considerable local resistance.

The Lucasite colonists were largely fanatical fascists, and they had no respect for the native people. On arrival, they enslaved thousands and massacred whole villages in order to establish control. For the first few decades, conditions for the Irish were terrible, and many fled into the Rift Mountains.

In 2369 the Lucas regime was defeated in the Second Civil War, but due to the considerable need for reconstruction the Kirlawan authorities were unable to exert control over the colony. Many Lucasites fled Kirlawa for New Englia at this time, including Peter Lucas' grandson Peter Lucas III, who in 2374 took personal control of the colony.

By the 2380s, Kirlawa was sufficiently stable to be able to send a fleet to take control from the colonists. There was a guerilla war fought by hardline Lucasites, but when Peter Lucas III was killed in action in 2389 resistance largely melted away.

Colonial Reform
After 2389 the colony of New Englia was split into three provinces, each named after their major town. The governor of each province was appointed directly by the Kirlawan President, and had full control over domestic affairs. Each Province had a provincial council made up of Kiwalan citizens, dominated by the landed class. Only full Kirlawans with property had the right to vote.

Slavery was abolished as the Kirlawan Republic gained control, with their owners receiving compensation. Larger plantations were broken up, but the land was still almost totally owned by Kirlawan colonists. The ex-slaves often became indentured labourers and while they gained a few rights, were not much better off in material terms for some time.

During the early years of the 25th Century, a communist insurgency grew up in remote areas, and the Governors clamped down on dissent.

In 2416, Kirlawa attempted to move towards more far-reaching reforms, and invited interested nations to a conference on the future of New Englia. At the time, Dovani conciousness was not high, and few countries attended. The New Englian governors did not favour full independence, as they feared that the communists would incite a full revolution, so the only proposal that was acceptable to all was to move gradually towards Home Rule as the rebellion was put down.

It took until the 2430s before much reform took place. The franchise was extended to all full Kirlawans regardless of property status in 2341. In 2348 this was further changed to include all ethnic Artanians and mixed-race creoles. The Irish and other Dovanis did not get citizenship until the New Englian Reform Act of 2479.

During the 2450s the powers of the Governors were steadily reduced, with more being handed to the Provincial Councils. The Kirlawan government still held power of veto over many areas of policy.

The Irish population were at this time able to enjoy more civil rights, and after the depression of 2464-8 the power of the plantation-owners declined. Industry started to become a more important feature of the New Englian economy and the mineral resources of the Rift Mountains fed it with coal, iron and tin. The Irish were able to take up less menial employment and enter skilled work. This fuelled the calls for further reform.

The 2479 Reforms not only granted all adults in New Englia full democratic and civil rights, but also reduced the direct influence of the Kirlawan state. The Governors were reduced to figureheads, with only their judicial functions remaining relatively intact.

The Provincial Councils were renamed the Provincial Assemblies, and their practices were formalised. At a national level, the New Englian Congress was formed to act as the main government. It's members were initially nominated by the Assemblies alone, but in 2532 it was decided to have 40% of the members elected on a PR basis.

From this point on, Kirlawa no longer considered New Englia to be a colony, but a dependant protectorate. The government declared that the 2416 pledge to bring Home Rule had at last been fulfilled.

Home Rule
The period after the 25th Century reforms were largely stable, and the economy blossomed. Trade with other parts of Dovani developed, and the port of New Indrala became the largest city on the back of exports to Artania. The capital moved to New Indrala from Lucasia in 2671.

Irish nationalism was always bubbling up in the background, but a succession of Liberal governments in this period did much to placate the feelings of most natives. Calls for full independence were often made, but the established political class managed to persuade most voters that a change in the status quo would lead to instability. Non-Irish Dovanis were wary of some Irish rhetoric, particularly when some members of the most hardline pro-independence party, Sinn Fein (Gaelic for 'We Ourselves') talked about the 'purity' of the Irish culture.

The Lucasites remained a constant factor in the politics of New Englia, particularly in Lucasia. They provided a brake to independence by threatening civil war in the event of loosening of ties to Kirlawa. The Lucas family had a considerable business empire, and a significant minority of Kirlawans hankered for the colonial days.

During the 27th Century, the generally stable nature of New Englia continued. The three main political parties, the centre-left New Dawn Party, the libertarian Liberals and the traditionally conservative Family Alliance dominated and all pursued a generally pro-Kirlawan policy. The independence movement coalesced around the Englian Independence Party in 2654. Where Sinn Fein called for an Irish state immediately, the EIP preferred to work within the political system and effect gradual change. While they supported the minority Liberal governments of 2672-4, 2682-7 and 2697-9, they achieved little.

New Englian Crisis
In February 2702, the Kazulian Stortinget (parliament) started to discuss a Bill calling for the annexation of New Englia with the goal of bringing it under full Dovani control. The bill appeared to have majority support, but did not go straight to the vote.

On hearing of the Bill, the NDP government of New Englia ordered mobilisation of the armed forces. This was considered to be an over-reaction by many, and it resulted in Kazulian militia moving to the border. The Kirlawan government called for calm (while insisting that they would act to defend New Englia against aggression), and called for an international conference to discuss New Englia's future.

At the time of writing (October 2703), no further progress has been made, but the tension appears to have reduced slightly.

Government
Each Province elects an Assembly which runs most local services and social/welfare services. The Assemblies each nominate a Governor who serves for life. The Governor has to be ratified by the Kirlawan President (although the only refusals have come when Lucasites were nominated in Lucasia).

The Provincial Assemblies also nominate five members each to the Congress of New Englia, which serves as the national government. Since 2532 an additional ten Congress-members have been chosen using PR across all of New Englia on the party list system.

Administration
New Indrala is the capital city, and site of Congress House. Next door to Congress House is the Governor's Council Chamber, which serves as the highest court in New Englia and meeting place for the three Governors when they are required to use their powers.

Economy
New Englia is rich in mineral resources, especially coal, iron, aluminim and tin. Kirlawan companies have a considerable presence, and the coastal plain is becoming heavily industrialised. The foothills of the Rift Mountains are also well known for their rich soil, which makes the growing of coffee, chocolate and other cash crops profitable.

New Englia is also a point of trade between Dovani and Artania. Food and raw materials from Eastern Dovani are exported along with New Englian products, and consumer goods are imported.

Provinces
There are three provinces in New Englia, each named after the original colonial settlement.

New Kirlawa
Established in 2348, New Kirlawa is the original colonial settlement. It was based around the headland formed by the southern end of the Eastern Spur of the Rift Mountains, being the closest part of Dovani to Artania. It was the site of a prison colony set up to house political opponents of the Lucas regime.

The least developed of the Provinces, New Kirlawa is more agricultural and is mainly mountainous. The main passes to the Kazulian holdings to the north are in the West of the Province.

Lucasia
Established in 2349, Lucasia was the capital of New Englia from 2352 to 2671. The smallest Province by area, it is the most traditionally Kirlawan region, and the site of most of the old plantations.

New Indrala
Established in 2367 and named after the capital of Kirlawa, New Indrala started as a small outpost. Following the end of the Lucasite dominance, it was realised that the harbour was better suited to ocean-going vessels than that of Lucasia. As well as being the trade hub for the eastern Dovani coast, New Indrala is the most industrialised area of New Englia. The mountains to the west are the source of most of the mineral wealth, and the plantations of the colonial era have been replaced by industry in over time. The result of such economic changes has seen New Indrala become the most populous province, as well as the richest.