Münzen

The Republic of Münzen (Münzen: Münzen Republiki) was a human nation in the modern period, located in the Stornkold Archipielago, in northern Aels, that existed from the 3183 to the 3309 a.a.H.

The capital and largest city was Münzenmacher, the surrounding areas in the south of the country where home to two-thirds of the population. Münzen was volcanically and geologically active. Münzen is warmed by the Unad Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just otsude the Artic Circle.

Originally inhabited by Nutks and non-humans, the sueccian settlement of Münzen began in 2957 a.a.H when Eric Vad Stornkold explored the Stornkold Archipielago, beginning the settlement at the 2958 a.a.H by the Sueccian Empire the following year, with the foundation of the city of Dlod. In the following centuries, Sueccian settled Stornkold, bringing with them Joorg serfs, Anickans and Hunclech. From 2958 to the 3179, the archipielago of Stornkold was ruled by the Sueccian Empire, until both Münzen and Felcheland achieved independence in 3183 a.a.H.

Until the first half of the XXXIII century, Münzen relied largely on fishing and agriculture. The discovery of important mines in Snobbord, Greedsvalley and Nodia and the industrialization following the Münzen-Felcheland War brought prosperity, and while the process was slowed during the occupation of the Hidraulic Alliance, Münzen will become one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world of Aiers.

However, affected by military ventures, a worldwide financial crisis and an extractive economy that created an ecological crisis will erupt in the 3280's, the nation's entire banking system systematically failed, mines where closed and it leaded to a severe deperession and substantial political unrest, which will end with the Münzen Civil War  (3291 to the 3293 a.a.H). While Münzen will slowly recover from the civil war, it didn't reached the pre-war status until after joining the Northern Alliance at the 3309 a.a.H.

Münzen generally was a free-market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other countries.It maintained a social welfare system that provided universalhealth care and tertiary education for its citizens.In the decades of the 3260 and 3270, Münzen ranked highly in economic, political and social stability and equality.

Münzen culture is founded upon the nation's Joorg serfs heritage, who will fund Münzen, rather than the Sueccian heritage -which will be predominant in Felcheland instead. Most inhabitats of the country where Münzen, descendants of both the Joorg and Sueccian settlers. Münzen, a north weseuro language, is descended from Sueccian, Joorgean, old Nutk and Anicki. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Münzen cuisine, Münzen literature and science.

History

The Stornkold Archipielago was a colony of the Sueccian Empire from it's foundation at the 2958 until the Independence War of Stornkold, that lasted from 3179 to the 3183 a.a.H. Afterwards, Münzen and Felcheland will become independent nations, however their indendence will only be recogniced after the Münzen-Sueccian War of the 3211 a.a.H.

Münzen was a backward and poor state in the far north, dedicated to agriculture and fishing, and was badly hit by the great economic crisis that hit Aiers in the 3220: due the economical crisis and social problems, the socialist president Mark Vadders will be overthrowned by the Münzen Military Junta at the 3230 a.a.H, and afterwards, Jorge Münzen, the dictator, became a self-appointed president.

With the discovery of Gold -and other ores- in Snobbord, the border between Münzen and Felcheland at the 3231, the situation changed and began a gold fever. The economic interest over Snobbord and the lack of precise boundaries between both states of Stornkold will lead to the Münzen-Felcheland War, which resulted in the creation of Anuchia in Snobbord, but as minerals where discovered in the valley of Nodia, this gave the opportunity for economic growth to Münzen.

However, conflicts with their former allies and their bases they had set in Münzen triggered at the 3240 a.a.H the [[Münzen-Hidraulic War. Münzen was defeated by the Hidraulic alliance and occupied, but Jorge Münzen created a Münzen government in Exile in their amparpican colonies, as  the Amparpican Münzen State. There will be constant skirmishes between the occupation forces and Anuchia, neighbor of occupied Münzen.          

While Münzen was occupied, it didn't stop the quick reconstruction under the Ruhenian authorities, and the immediate post-war period was followed by a substantial economic growth, driven by industrialisation of the mining industry, metallurgy and of the fishing industry.

Meanwhile the Amparpican Münzen State joined the alliance of the Tris Tigris, between Bazikstan, Münzen and Gofondria and fought in the Second World War of Aiers, the Tris Tigris-Hidraulic War, 3250-3256 a.a.H.

The occupation of Münzen will finish only at the 3262 a.a.H.

During the decades of the 3260's and 3270's, Münzen will be on their economci golden age, with economic and social development and social stability, moment that will be used by President Jorge Münzen to project Münzen politically and military, which included some failed attempts as the brief Bazco-Münzen War of the 3257 a.a.H in the catastrofic Battle of Aiud-ebber, and the late Münzen imperialism in southern Zarhuy, and as well in a border war with Anuchia, the Greedsvalley War, 3274 a.a.H, in which they will be succesful.

As the traditional alliances of Münzen decayed, the breaking point with Bazikstan will be the Anneutiliseihson Operation,  an attempt on the life of the president Jorge Münzen by the secret services of Bazikstan, that will become a full-out assault, in one of the mayor aerotransported operations done until then in Aiers. In the following battle,  the capital of Münzen, Münzenmacher, suffered main damages, but Jorge Münzen survived the attack. This will mark as well the end of the golden age of Münzen.

While for the rest of the decade of the 3270 continued the economic growth -but having slowed down-, and repelling the Hettichslovakian invasion of Münzen at the 3279 a.a.H, Münzen will be affected by the worldwide financial economic crisis of the 3280, with the failure of their banking system and the exhaustion of the Amparpican mines.

The problems in Amparpican Münzen State will lead to the Amparpican Secession War at the 3289 a.a.H, which further weakened Münzen with the military defeats and the influx of refugees. As well, the following year, will be fought the Münzen-Anuchian war, and ill-fated invasion of the Snobbord region by Münzen, who will suffer yet other defeat.

The economic crisis, the military losses, the loss of credibility of the military regime of Jorge Münzen that ruled the nation and ethnic tensions -along with the actuation of foreign agents- will lead to the Münzen Civil War (3291-3293 a.a.H), that will only end with the president of president of the elder Jorge Münzen and the following peace talks for a transition to democracy, that will be achieved at the 3300 with the first free elections since the 3227 a.a.H.

While slowly the nation will recover partially from the crisis and civil war, to speed the process, they will join the Anuchian proyect of the Northern Alliance at the 3309 a.a.H., which will mark the end of the Münzen Republic as it came to be part, along with Anuchia and Felcheland, of the United States of the Stornkold Archipielago.

Demographics

The original population of the Stornkold archipielago was of Nutk origin, with non-human minorities of Hieyoker peoples, as snow elves, Doroz, Ice elves, Hieyoksmainer orcs, dragons and Hieyoks Ice Giants -giants and dragons which will become extinct in Stornkold in the 2800's, hunted down by Nutk heroes, as told by Nutk sagas. Orcs will be pushed to the far north islands, and elves will come to live within Nutk communities-.

The Sueccian empire settlers where sueccians, anickans, Danaanlanders, Skagish, Cyrvians, Ruhenians, Hunclech, Yak Yak, trutsians and Joorgs, this later group, which arrived as serfs to the sueccians, will become the more numerous human ethnic group during colonial times.

After independence, with a mixed cultural heritage of the Joorg and other settlers will come to be the called ethnic Münzen.

Münzen was an old Nutk word, used to design coins and foreigners -probably, because foreigners made or bring coins-, and they used the word to name all the non-Nutk human inhabitants of the Stornkold archipielago. While maybe despective in origin the word, during the 3100s, as arosed the national identity of the stornkold settlers, they will make the name their own -and after independence, of their nation.

The Münzen then, main ethnic group of the homonimous nation, was of mixed heritage, made up mostly of their Joorg serf ancestors and other Aelian groups, which will make up to 80% of the population, with a Nutk minority of about a 10% of the population. There was as well a ruhenian and bazik minority.

There was only a very small non-human minority.

Culture

the Münzen peoples have very strong work ethic, working some of the longest hours of any industrialised nation.

They where known as well for their deep sense of community: a pre-civil war survey of the early 3280 found that 98% believe they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, higher than in any other industrialised country. Similarly, only 6% reported "rarely" or "never" socializing with others. This high level of social cohesion was attributed to the homogeneity of the population, as well as to a long history of harsh survival in an isolated environment, which reinforced the importance of unity and cooperation. While badly affected by the Civil war and the ethnic tensions that arose, it was restaurated afterwards, but never reached pre-civil war levels. However, it was replicated by overseas -and later, in Ots- Münzen colonies, specially the ones that left before the civil war.