Queen Adelaide Island

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Queen Adelaide Island Wejgwisugwit (Nantee) Île-de-la-Reine-Adélaïde (Valonian)
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Motto: "Sic parvis magna" Greatness from small beginnings
Capital and largest city	Lamington
Official languages	Ingerish
• Regional languages	Nantee, Valonian
Demonym	Queen Adelaide Islander, QAIer, Adelaidean
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Geoffrey VII
• Governor	Esther Gordon
• Premier	Adam McKinnon
Legislature	Legislative Assembly of Queen Adelaide Island
Area
• Total	12,765 km2 4,929 sq mi
Population
• Estimate (2023)	956,849
• Density	74.95/km2 194.17/sq mi
Timezone	WUT+9

Queen Adelaide Island (QAI; Nantee: Wejgwisugwit; Valonian: Île-de-la-Reine-Adélaïde; colloquially known as The Island) is one of the fourteen provinces of Deodeca. It is the second-smallest province in terms of land area and population, ahead of only The Meredies^∈⊾ƨ. The province consists of several islands located within the Gulf of Deodeca, of which the eponymous Queen Adelaide Island is the largest, and is located 3.6 kilometres (2.2 miles) from the Deodecan mainland at its closest point along the Williamson Strait. It shares maritime borders with Peralia to the north-east, Riverina to the south-east, Infernia and Wirramay to the south, and Kastichetshan to the south-west. Its capital and largest city is Lamington^∈⊾ƨ.

Prior to Ingerish colonisation, the islands were inhabited by indigenous Nantee tribes. The arrival of Ingerish explorers and settlers in the 17th century saw the islands claimed as Ingrea's first colony on the west coast of southern Archanta. The colony played a major role in the confederation of Deodeca in the 19th century, however its importance waned as demographic and economic activity shifted to the mainland.

The principal sectors of the province's economy are farming, fishing, tourism, and oil extraction. The province is internationally recognised for its viticulture, and since the 1970s has become one of the most significant winemaking regions in the world.

Etymology

The island and province are known in Nantee as Wejgwisugwit, roughly translated as "come paddling" or "come by water".

Early Ulethan explorers named the island Lord's Island; this name was used until the arrival of the first Ingrean settlers in 1678, when it was renamed in honour of Queen Adelaide of Ingrea. Its original Valonian name, L'île du Seigneur, remained in common use until the 18th century, when it was supplanted by Île-de-la-Reine-Adélaïde.

History

The province has been home to various Nantee tribes for millennia, today known as the Island First Nations. These tribes lived off the land through hunting and fishing and engaged in trading with mainland tribes, but developed a distinctly unique cultural and spirituality as a result of their geographic isolation from the mainland, particularly those on Fox Island.

Increasing Valonian settlement in southern Archanta during the latter half of the 17th century led to growing Ingrean interest in the region and a desire to beat Valony to the best lands. Ingrean settlement of Queen Adelaide Island began with the dispatching of a fleet of 13 ships from Ingrea in 1677; these settlers arrived in January 1678 and established the town of Port Albert, today Deodeca's oldest permanent settlement. Ingrea claimed the island as part of Queen Adelaide's Land, which comprised the island and the modern-day provinces of Infernia, Peralia, and Riverina.

The island's population grew steadily over the following decades, and as other Ingrean colonies were established on the mainland, Queen Adelaide Island became the most populous and significant. During and after the Federal States' war of independence against Ingrea, the colony saw around 20,000-25,000 exiled loyalists arrive, drawn by Ingrean offers of land as compensation. Many of these exiled loyalists settled in and around Lamington and the fertile interior of the island, leading to Lamington's gradual overtaking of Port Albert as the colony's chief town.

Economy

Vineyards in Midland County

Agriculture remains the dominant industry in the provincial economy, as it has since colonial times. Potatoes, wheat, and corn have traditionally been the most common crops, although others like barley and soy have become more commonplace. The province has long been noted for its fruits, including apples, pears, citrus, stone fruit, and grapes. Citrus was of particular importance during the colonial era, when Royal Navy ships and merchant vessels would stock up on oranges to prevent scurvy; the province is today one of Deodeca's largest producers of citrus. Pastoral farming, chiefly dairy, beef, and sheep, has long been practiced on the island.

Viticulture has been practiced in the province since the late 1680s, when the first vines were planted outside Port Albert, intended for local supply. The arrival of Valonian, and later Kalmish, settlers to the colony saw an increase in the size and quality of the wine industry, and island wines gradually became popular throughout the Deodecan colonies, in Ingrea, and in nearby Valonian colonies. Queen Adelaide Island wines became well-regarded for their quality and won several awards, but still struggled to win international recognition. This changed in the 1970s when the province's wines began winning international tastings, earning international attention and critical acclaim. In the decades since, the number of vineyards and the quantity of wine produced has greatly increased, leading to the province, and in particular the Lamington River valley, to be regarded as one of the world's most significant wine regions. Wine is produced in every county in the province, with more than half of the province's output produced around Lamington and in Midland and Strait counties.

The fishing and aquaculture industry is a major contributor to the provincial economy, with coastal towns and communities relying on the rich fish stocks of the waters around the province. Queen Adelaide Island is one of Deodeca's largest producers of fish, shellfish, and lobsters.

Tourism

More than half of Queen Adelaide Island's annual visitors come from around Deodeca, with the largest foreign markets being the Federal States and Ingrea.

Government and politics

Queen Adelaide Island is governed by a parliamentary government within the construct of constitutional monarchy; the monarchy in Queen Adelaide Island is the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The sovereign is Geoffrey VII as King in Right of Queen Adelaide Island, as well as the head of state of the Commonwealth realms, each of Deodeca's provinces, and Deodeca as a whole. The sovereign is represented by the Governor of Queen Adelaide Island, who carries out most royal duties in the province; since 2023, this has been Dame Esther Gordon.

The province's parliamentary government is modelled on the Ingrean system. The unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queen Adelaide Island consists of 55 members, each of which represents a single electorate and are nearly always members of a political party. The head of government is the Premier of Queen Adelaide Island, normally the leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the legislative assembly; since 2021, this has been Adam McKinnon of the Conservative Party of Queen Adelaide Island.

Administrative divisions

Queen Adelaide Island is divided into ten counties: Edminster, Fox Island, Frebourne, Hepburn, Lamington, Midland, North Coast, Port Albert, Rodney, and Strait. Of these, both Lamington and Port Albert use the title "city" instead of "county", although they are still legally considered counties equal to the others.

Culture

Sports

Rugby, football, cricket, netball, and hockey are the most popular sports in Queen Adelaide Island. The province is represented in Deodecan Super League football by Lamington FC, and in the Oceanic Hockey League.