Forum:Territory application/AN133 - Spengwald
- Please fill in the information below to make a territory request.
 | Territory ID and proposed name |
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| The Territory ID (from OpenGeofiction:Territories, e.g. AR123a) and proposed name of the country |
 | Physical geography |
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| An overview of climate, topography and landscape of the country. With the exception of Beginner territories, you should always create a sketch map to illustrate & explain your plans. You can add a link to this (hosted on imgBB, Postimages or similar, but not imgur.com) |
Sketch (and a very sketchy sketch it is): https://ibb.co/KxFRg5jD
Spengwald is in subtropical climate zones: east of the mountains, a humid subtropical climate prevails, while west of the mountains, the land is semi-arid: not technically a desert, but most people would probably consider it one. The mountains themselves support a temperate rain forest. The mountains tower about 3000 meters / 10000 feet above sea level.
The eastern lands are mostly a coastal plain, with scattered uplands. The plains are cut by numerous rivers, fed by mountain springs and occasional snowmelt. The mountains are tall and craggy, but have numerous fertile valleys and parks. West of the mountains lies an ancient plateau, into which rivers have cut deep canyons. Beyond the plateau's escarpment, the land generally slopes downward to a good-sized endorheic salt lake.
 | Human geography |
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| A brief description of the territory demographics, economic development, land occupation, infrastructure and mapping style |
Spengwald is a moderately well-developed nation, but not a major economic power. It still relies on the extraction of natural resources for much of its income. Nevertheless, there are several high-tech sectors in which it excels. Much of the development, and hence wealth, is concentrated in the eastern part of the country, particularly along the coast. Wealth inequality between regions and among classes in the same region is a serious social problem.
In the east, the major urban areas are on the coast surrounding the capital city, in the "rust belt" in the northern industrial regions, and along the rivers at the northern and southern borders. The mountains have some good-sized towns, but no major cities. The only major urban area in the west is by the salt lake, although there are smaller towns scattered throughout.
The primary mode of personal transportation is by motor vehicle. Major cities are mostly connected by expressways, and a few high-speed passenger rail lines are being built along the coast, but the network is far from complete. For cargo shipping, a modern rail system is in place in the east, and a less modern but workable system spans the rest of the country. Transportation is complicated by the division of the country by the mountains, which contributes to the underdevelopment of the west.
Mapping style: The eastern part of the country is urbanized and well-connected. The western part of the country is sparsely populated and underdeveloped. The country is ambitious, but doesn't always have the means to fulfill its goals. Accordingly, expect to see a lot of half-finished megaprojects, highways that don't quite get where they're supposed to go, and big urban developments slowly crumbling into slums.
 | History & culture |
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| A brief description of the intended culture and language |
The Federal Republic of Spengwald ("Vostus Gyenıteqıs Bıhıngdıhtos Spandavaltıs" or "VGBS"), or simply Spengwald ("Spandavaltı") has a highly decentralized government with no chief executive, and its component cantons have a high degree of autonomy. The Federal Council is responsible for military matters and foreign affairs, and regulating inter-cantonal relations, but is prohibited from interfering in the cantons' internal affairs. The Constitution of the Federal Republic commits the nation to three main principles: Liberty for all citizens, total equality of everyone before the law, and neutrality in foreign affairs. What this means in practice is a highly socially liberal society, in which gender and ethnic equality is valued, and over the past few decades, LGBTQ+ rights have been accepted as well. Economically speaking, governments can vary wildly from democratic socialism to laissez-faire capitalism from canton to canton and from year to year; the resulting chaos and the Federal Council's inability to rein it in is increasingly a source of frustration for many citizens.
The official language is called "Spengwalden" in English/Ingrean; its native name is "Spandavaltısos". It is a modernized, standardized version of the creole that developed from the three distinct substrate languages: Walden/Valtihınos (spoken in the mountains; loosely based on Proto-Indo-European with a Germanic orientation), Endiharian/Ändıhärısos (spoken in the coastal lowlands; loosely based on Proto-Indo-European with an Indo-Iranian orientation), and Sikrikhiri/Srhichiri (spoken in the western deserts; loosely based on Semitic roots). This standardized language is what is taught in schools and used by all government entities at all levels, as well as most broadcasts and published writing, but substantial local dialectal variation exists. Ingrean is widely spoken as a second language.
Major historical periods and events:
Ancient and medieval times: The three main cultural regions of what is now Spengwald were the coastal lowlands, inhabited by a seafaring, trading people known as Endiharians; the mountains, inhabited by a more insular group known as Waldens, and the western deserts, inhabited by a nomadic pastoral people called Sikrikhiri. Lacking written records, the origins of these three groups is difficult to pin down, but archaeological evidence tells us that they were more or less in their historic areas by 2000 years BP. The Endiharians grouped themselves into independent city-states situated on the seashore and on major rivers. The Waldens developed into a group of petty kingdoms under rulers known as the Walden Lords. The history of the pre-Incursion Sikrikhiri is poorly understood; they may not even have been a single ethnic group, but rather some kind of grand confederation of unrelated tribes.
1050 - 950 years before present: The Sikrikhiri Incursions. The ancestors of the Sikrikhiri peoples traded with the Waldens and Endiharians, but had little other involvement with them. Around 1050 BP, for reasons that remain obscure, the previously scattered Sikrikhiri tribes united under a single banner led by a charismatic leader, and invaded the mountains and plains to their east, overthrowing all of the Walden Lords and most of the Endiharian city-states, bringing them under a single Sikrikhiri ruler. But when their charismatic ruler died, his successors were not able to maintain their grip on their conquered lands, and the Sikrikhiri empire fractured back into a similar patchwork of petty kingdoms and city-states as before. Many of these states threw off their Sikrikhiri rulers and restored their previous political systems, others retained their Sikrikhiri rulers who assimilated to the cultures of their subjects over time. In spite of their failure at empire-building, the Sikrikhiri tribes now had ties to the Walden kingdoms and Endiharian city-states that they never had before, and Sikrikhiri culture now had a much greater influence on that of the mountains and coastal lowlands.
950 - 750 years before present: The Ascendancy of the Dual Suzerainty. The previously obscure Walden rulers of Old Numerula, forced from their lands by the Sikrikhiri incursions, establish a new Numerulan Kingdom in a depopulated mountain valley about 100 miles to the south of their old capital. The area proves to be rich in minerals and timber, and the Numerulan Kings grow wealthy and powerful. Meanwhile, the equally obscure Endiharian city-state of Ratya was passed over by the Sikrikhiri. Unscathed by war, it becomes the main trading post and port on the coast, and prospers. These two new powers find themselves jostling for control of trade routes and resources, but recognizing that another war wasn't in either of their interests, they decide to unite instead, and the Dual Suzerainty of Numerula-Ratya is born. The resulting state is powerful, but is more mercantile than expansionist, preferring to subdue rival kingdoms at the negotiating table rather than the battlefield. The more ruthless of its neighbors are able to play the Dual Suzerains off of each other, and thus prevent Numerula-Ratya from accumulating too much power.
750 - 600 years before present: Consolidation. The suzerains of Numerula-Ratya, through canny alliances and intermarriages, have maintained close bonds with almost every monarchy, town, and tribe on both sides of the mountains. When the Suzerain of Ratya dies without a clear successor, the Dual Suzerainty comes under the direct control of Numerula for the first time, and without the counterbalance of the Ratyan suzerain, the Numerulans begin to assert authority over neighboring states. Within fifty years of the succession crisis, most of the lands that comprise modern Spengwald recognize the Numerulan suzerain as King of Kings, and the Numerulan Imperium is inaugurated, marking the foundation of what would evolve into the modern Spengwalden state.
600 - 325 years before present: The Numerulan Imperium. The Emperors reign over a diverse and fractious empire. The Emperors rule their empire as their forebears built it: through carefully crafting a balance of power among the Imperium's squabbling constituent states and wealthy families. As the centuries progressed, power shifted away from the smaller states, which were steadily absorbed by their larger neighbors, or by the Emperors' own domains. By 375 BP, the Imperium functioned as a single unitary state with the Emperors as absolute rulers.
325 - 225 years before present: Ingrean incursions. Ingrea, having colonized neighboring Geare, began looking to expand their Antarephian dominions. The Numerulan Imperium was able to resist direct colonization, but was unable to prevent the Ingreans from exerting influence on its soil. In a particularly humiliating concession, the Emperor was forced to accept a treaty that guaranteed the Imperium's existing borders at the cost of an official recognition of Ingrean spheres of influence, opening several ports to duty-free Ingrean trade, and relinquishing the title of "Emperor". The former Numerulan Emperor, now the mere King of Spengwald, became a figurehead to a succession of Ingrean "ambassadors" until Geare's independence, at which point Ingrea's continued unofficial occupation was no longer sustainable. It was also during this time that the nation picked up the name of "Spengwald" by which it is known to most of the world, this being a poor Anglicization/Ingreanization of "Spandavaltı".
225 - 150 years before present: The restored Imperium. The Emperors reclaim their title, but they find themselves substantially weakened. They grow crueler and more tyrannical in desperate attempts to maintain control of their empire, ultimately provoking civil unrest, armed rebellion, and finally...
150 years before present: The Revolution. A popular uprising overthrows the weakened Imperium and sets up the democratic federal republic that exists to this day.
The Great War: Spengwald presumably remains neutral, unless one side or another attacks it.
 | Past mapping |
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| To support your request provide links to areas of OGF mapping which showcase your mapping skill. Mapping relevant to the requested theme & geography is especially useful. | |
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My Blue Territory: 
15.0287°N, 114.1532°W
Planned Capital City: 15.0715°N, 114.4207°W
Capital City Detail: 15.06582°N, 114.42553°W
Small town: 14.74087°N, 114.0659°W
Mountains: 15.1549°N, 113.7894°W
Seashore and islands: 15.3992°N, 114.492°W
| Username & date |
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| Sign and date the application by typing four tildes (~~~~) without spaces or "nowiki" tags. |
3R1N (talk) 03:57, 28 May 2026 (UTC)
 | Discussion |
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| Discussion for clarification & decision |
- Hey! Nice to see you make a TA, I love the detail you've put in the history of the country. I had a thought specifically on railway infrastructure, you may want to look at Morocco or Australia for some inspiration, in the more rural, less developed areas of those countries, the railways are still important for freight transport. Maybe you could still have some railways in the western area of the territory, but have them be sparser and less elaborate for supporting the mining and other industry in that area. Northern Chile also has some railways that serve big copper mines.
- That goes well with what I had been thinking. I had figured there would be one, maybe two, major freight lines connecting the big city on the salt lake with the eastern side of the mountains, with any other railways in the west being geared toward carting raw materials away from their sources. Then again, a lot would depend on what AN125∈⊾ƨ eventually becomes as well. Your tips about Morocco and the Atacama are well taken. 3R1N (talk) 18:35, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
- You may also want to look into the Antarephian Coalition and add some notes whether Spengwald would be a member of that project.
- Probably not. Spengwald's constitution demands a Switzerland-like neutrality in foreign affairs, and its constituent cantons are already jealously protective of their own autonomy as it is. I can see Spengwald acceding to membership in the Assembly of Nations and other global humanitarian and social organizations, but an economic union with a common currency, a high court, and various regulatory requirements-- well, that would be a bridge too far. They might be amenable to a Schengen-like common visa policy with the Coalition, though. 3R1N (talk) 18:35, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
Wishing you good success with your application and hope to see you mapping in the region soon! Qhfreddy (talk) 23:07, 31 May 2026 (UTC)
Hi 3R1N,
Your application is well-conceived and seems to fit in the region. My main comment would be to use the local "Spandavaltı" as value for tag name: and "Spengwald" for name:en so that the endonym is rendered on the map (same as Italia / Italy). AN133 is yours.
Happy mapping!
--Aiki (talk) 07:22, 14 June 2026 (UTC) Acting administrator for AN/TA
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Territory application approved |
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| --Aiki (talk) 07:22, 14 June 2026 (UTC) | |
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