Forum:Territory application/AR120-57 - Venary

Forums → Territory application → Territory application/AR120-57 - Venary

	Territory ID and proposed name
	The Territory ID (from OpenGeofiction:Territories, e.g. AR123a) and proposed name of the country

Territory ID: AR120-57, proposed territory name: Venary

	Physical geography
	An overview of climate, topography and landscape of the country. It is advised to also create a sketch, you can add a link to this (hosted on imgur or similar)

The State of Venary is located in the southern Grand Lakes region of the Federal States. The state shares a border with AR120-56 to the north, the Deodecan province of Argueil in the west and the Ardencian province of Sakardia in the south. Venary's east coast forms the western shore of Lake Minnehunkou, while the western coast is Lake Betauoais' east side. Venary is a small state with an area of 24.961 km², of which only 16007.95 km² is land. In the south, mountainous areas with conifer trees can be found, and the western and central parts of the state consist of hilly areas with mainly deciduous forests and many lakes. The eastern part of the state is mostly flat and contains a mix of deciduous trees and farmland. This is a result of the temperate climate and the many rivers coming from the Venarian lakes in the south, west and centre, as well as the Deodecan mountains. In the east, the largest urban centres can be found in natural harbours or sounds, near the mouths of rivers. The state hosts the Betaouais National Park, which dominates the western coast, and the large Gaudette Lakes State Park in the central hills.

An overview of Venary's physical geography can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/FJFkiVU

The state is based on the climate of New Zealand's South Island's low-lying areas, combined with the US/Canadian Great Lakes' geography, especially Michigan. This is based on the current climate proposal, AR120-57 lies a bit northwest of Christchurch's climate. The Betaouais area will remain untouched, and other existing nature will mainly get expanded and more detailed.

	Human geography
	A brief description of the territory demographics, economic development, land occupation, infrastructure and mapping style

Venary is one of the least populous states of the FSA, with just over 1.600.000 inhabitants, who mostly live on the eastern coast and among shores of the larger inland lakes. The state's largest city and capital is the northeastern city of Conway, with around 450.000 inhabitants. Alongside Conway, two large urban centres are the central city of Mawkillakin and the southern city of Three Streams. Other population centres are Port Assanka and Kaposton. Around 60% of the Venarians are of Ingrean or Valonian heritage, 25% descend from Native tribes, while 10% have Central Archantan heritage. The remaining 5% of Venarians descend from immigrants, mainly from Cinasia and Lutang.

The official languages of the state are Ingrean and Venaric while Valonian is recognised as a minority language. Venaric is a Native language isolate (it's a work-in-progress conlang) spoken by about 20% percent of the state's population, who are mainly descendants from the Native Venary tribe. In the southern parts of the state, descendants of early Valonian colonists and immigrants from Ardencia account for the 5% of the population who speak Valonian. The name Venary comes from Venaric "Venariteknè", meaning "we, people near the hills". In Venaric, Venary is "Venaritenèr".

Due to its small size and relative isolation from the rest of the FSA, Venary has a below-average GDP and a relatively large agricultural sector (10% of the economy). Foodstuffs like wheat and corn are important exports, and the mountains and forests of the state make minerals and wood important products as well. The service sectors in the two largest cities of Conway and Mawkillakin create large revenue for the state, while tourism is one of, if not the most, important sectors in the south and west of the state. Federal investments since the 1930s have facilitated the construction of several railways and federal highways, giving the state good internal and external connectivity. Venary has two universities: the University of Venary and Lake Minnehunkou University, with the independent Mawkillakin Arts College as an important producer of FSA based artists. The state performs around average for crime and poverty. This all gives the state an HDI of 0,940, which is slightly above the FSA average.

Venary is served by two FS highways: FS-81 and FS-82. FS-81 enters Venary in the northeast and runs along the eastern coast through the three major Venarian cities until it reaches the Ardencian border near South Lake City. FS-82 branches off from FS-81 south of Conway and runs westward towards the Deodecan city of Liernase until it reaches the border at Sarkie. In addition, the state has several state highways that connect the major cities and towns, as well as a scenic highway through the middle of the state. Rail infrastructure runs through the same corridors as the highways and to old industrial areas. The railways are mainly funded by federal subsidies as they are an important factor in the transport of Venarian, Deodecan and Ardencian goods, meaning the rails are in of above average quality.

An overview of Venary's human geography can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/GlioKA9

The mapping style will be similar to the coastal areas bordering Lake Michigan and Superior, and the hills of northern New England and northern Wisconsin. Urban areas will have the generic FSA city style, with place names mainly derived from Ingrean and Valonian towns and people names, as well as some Ingreanised Native names. Several large Native reservations can be found in the mountainous areas of the state.

	History & culture
	A brief description of the intended culture and language

Before colonisation by the Valonians and Ingreans, Venary was home to many Native tribes, such as the Mitagan, Lamyssee, Rakhoda, and the Venary. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Valonian explorers visited the southern part of the state, naming many rivers and lakes, even setting up some settlements near the future Ardencian border. Colonial interests of Ingrea, Castellán and Valony caused tensions between the three powers, preventing strong or consistent administration of the area to be established, allowing Native tribes to live in relative peace. After the Ingreans managed to claim most of the Grand Lakes area for themselves, the first expeditions deep into Venary were organised. During these expeditions, the Venary tribe guided the Ingrean explorers, who in 1673 created the Gasconnay Colony (named after the Gasconnay River) in the area that now constitutes Venary. The early Valonian settlements were then taken over by the Ingreans, and the city of Conway was founded as the colony's administrative capital in the 1680s.

After the FSA's independence in 1757, the Gasconnay Colony was renamed Venary Territory, after the tribe who guided the region's expeditions. During this time, the Venary people were given special protection from federal threats to their lands, allowing the Venarian culture to develop alongside the Ingrean and Valonian colonial cultures. A gradual influx of Ingrean FSA settlers caused towns and villages to be founded along the state's eastern coast, while the Native tribes remained along the central hills and lakes.

The early 19th century saw significant increase in population and interest in Venary due to the opening of the canal between NC and the Grand Lakes. Conway and Mawkillakin expanded greatly, and railways towards Argueil and Sakardia were built. During this time, the Venary Territory was granted statehood. The newfound prosperity was short-lived, however. States and cities located further north were easier to reach, with vessels and trains often skipping Venarian cities. This led to a stagnation of population, industrial and economic growth, with many city-dwellers moving to rural areas.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the state bounced back due to federal investments in the Grand Lakes area. The state's population grew again and reached 500.000 in 1906. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Venarian tourism industry began to grow, with ski resorts opening in the south, and cottages on the western lakes being popular among the country's upper classes. To this day, tourism is an important part of Venary's economy. The state's first Native governor, Newivevan Whitelock, was elected in 1958, and in 2001 Venaric was recognised as the state's second official language.

Venary's culture is mainly FS-like, but has large Native and Valonian influences due to its tumultuous history. It is known as a welcoming and open state with hard-working people and its beautiful landscapes are a great source of pride of the Venarians.

	Past mapping
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