Venary

Venary Venaritenèr (Venaric) Capital: Conway (Tekanilla) Population: 1.600.000 (2025) Motto: Venary, the treasure of the south (Venaritenèr, enar milenis)

---

Constituent state of the Federal States of Archanta

---

Loading map... {"tileLayer":"//{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png","attribution":"\u0026copy; \u003Ca href=\"http://osm.org/copyright\"\u003EOpenStreetMap\u003C/a\u003E contributors","center":{"lat":-43.799,"lon":142.992},"zoom":"7","maxzoom":"14","minzoom":"4","overlays":"+Country","overlaydef":"{\n \"Country\": {\"function\": \"boundaryRelation\", \"param\": 91098}\n}"}

Venary (Venaric: Venaritenèr), officially the State of Venary (Venaric: Venaritenèr Manèrè), is a state located the extreme south of the Federal States. The state shares a border with AR120-56 to the north, the province of Argueil in Deodeca to the west and the province of Sakardia in Ardencia to the south. Venary's east coast forms the western shore of Lake Minnehunkou, while the western coast is Lake Betauoais' east side. Through Lake Minnehunkou, Venary has maritime borders with Makaska and Seneppi. Venary is a small state with an area of 24.961 km², of which only 16.007,95 km² is land.

Due to its size and location, 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 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 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 state's name comes from Venaric "Venariteknè", meaning "we, people near the hills".

After the creation of the Gasconnay Colony by Ingrean settlers in 1673 and the FSA's independence in 1757, Venary gained statehood in the early nineteenth century, after which the state saw an influx in wealth and population. This prosperity wore off around 1850, after which city-dwellers moved more inland. Later that century, federal investments in the Grand Lakes area gave the state a new economic boost, and since then the state has been a slowly but steadily growing economy with increasing population, tourism and service industry. In 2001, Venary was one of the first states to recognise a Native tongue as an official language, when Venaric became co-official along with Ingrean.

Etymology

The state's name, Venary, is derived from the name of Native Venary tribe. The Venary called themselves "Venariteknè", which means "we, the people near the hills", and was rendered as Venary by Ingrean colonisers. Their language is called "Venariteemar renal" (tongue of the hill people), or "Venaric" in Ingrean. The original colonial name for the area, the Gasconnay Colony, was dropped after Effesian independence in 1757, when the area became known as the Venary Territory.

History

Human settlement in Venary dates back at least 5000 years, when Native Archantan tribes settled the northern shores of Lake Assanka. From there, they scattered and lived nomadic lives, sustained by the abundant fish and plants that the area offered. The first villages appeared around 500 BCE at river deltas and springs, and pottery was an important craft, practiced particularly much by the Venary. Of the many tribes that inhabited the area, the Hanweeyade and Venary were the most widespread, occupying the western and central parts of the state, respectively. Other tribes with significant ties to the lands are the Mitagan in the south, the Lamyssee in the north, and the Rakhoda, who came from Makaska in the 13th century, in the east.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Valonian explorers visited the southern part of the state from Ardencia. They named many rivers and lakes, and even set up some settlements near the future Ardencian border. Aside from these settlements, no real colonies were set up, as the Native tribes did not seek to trade with the colonisers and the colonisers in turn were not interested in fish, lumber or pottery from the area, as other parts of South Archanta offered more valuable goods. Eventually, colonial rivalry between Ingrea, Castellan, and Valony caused tensions between the three powers, which prevented 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 among the river valleys and mountainous forests. The Ingreans created the Gasconnay Colony (named after the Gasconnay River) in the area that now constitutes Venary in 1673. 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 New Carnaby 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 due to its growing population and economy. 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. Since the 1950s, Venary has been a forerunner on Native rights issues, and the state's first Native governor, Newivevan Whitelock, was elected in 1958. In 2001, Venary became one of the first states to have a Native language become (co-)official, when Venaric was recognised as the state's second official language.

Geography

Venary is one of the smallest states in the FSA, with an area of 24.961 km², of which no more 16.008 km² is land. The other 9000 km² partly consists of inland lakes (like Sarkie, Kapos and Assanka) and rivers, but mostly of two of the Grand Lakes: Lake Betaouais and Lake Minnehunkou. The state borders one other state, AR120-56, to the north, and shares maritime borders Makaska and Seneppi on Lake Minnehunkou. To the west and south, Venary borders two countries: Deodeca, through its province of Argueil, and Ardencia through its Sakardia province. The Ardencian province of Ooayatais has a maritime border with Venary as well. Venary's east coast forms the western shore of Lake Minnehunkou, while the western coast is Lake Betauoais' east side. It is also the most southern contiguous state of the entire FSA, the southernmost point being the falls in the Okawani River.

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 mixed forests (deciduous and coniferous trees) 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 continental temperate climate and the many rivers coming from the Venarian lakes in the south, west and centre, as well as the Deodecan mountains. The state hosts the Betaouais National Park, which dominates the western coast, and the large Gaudette Lakes and Sarkie Lakefield State Parks in the central/western hills.

The state is home to several large rivers, such as the Alwood, Gaudette, Miskobasa, and Menasawing, that carry water from the mountains towards inland lakes like Lake Sarkie and Lake Assanka, from where they form important transport routes towards Lake Minnehunkou. The Gasconnay River is the only natural connection between Lakes Betaouais and Minnehunkou, and its delta forms the natural Conway Harbor.

Demographics

Economy

Government

Venary's state legislature is bicameral, with a directly elected lower house (the Venarian House of Representatives / Parevervanemarnil Venaritenèrem) and an upper house (the Venarian Senate / Senat Venaritenèrem) that is elected by county officials. Elections take place every two years, and since 2024, both houses have a small Social Democratic (SD) majority, with the Conservative Venary Party (CVP) having a significant minority since the mid-2000s. Other parties include the Native Archantans Independence Party (NAIP), the Rural Party (RP) and the Forward FSA party (FF).

The state's Governor is Venartoten Sakemarknè of the SD, with Louise Cormier as Lieutenant-Governor. Cormier is the first woman to hold this office since Venary gained statehood, and the first Conservative Venary Party member to hold a statewide office since 2013.

Extensive Native rights, much bureaucracy and lengthy procedures... Not too well on gender equality.

Culture

Flag of the State of Venary

Venary's culture is quite Effesian, but is strongly influenced by Native and Valonian cultures due to its tumultuous history.

People from Venary are known as Venarians, or Oozers in popular culture, and are known as welcoming, witty, and hard-working people, although they are sometimes regarded as backwards or strange due to Venary's relative isolation from both the northern and eastern FSA. The state's beautiful landscapes, along with their history and diverse population, are a great source of pride of the Venarians. Venarians from the south are colloquially called "Frostnecks", due to the sometimes harsh winters the area experiences, while northerners are known as "Enacnees", a name for a Native Venary subgroup that lived in present Independence County. Inhabitants of Kaposton and the broader Lakefield area are called "Sarkies", after the largest lake there.

The state's flag consists of a green left flank and a blue right flank on a white background, with the outline of the state and the state's motto in Venaric as the central charge. Green stands for forests in the west/right side of the state and hope, while blue represents water in the east/left side of the state. White stands for peace among the Venarians many ethnicities and gray resembles the mountains and hills found all over the state.

The state's motto is ''Venary, the treasure of the south'' (Venaric: Venaritenèr, enar milenis), reflecting the notion of Venary as a state with beautiful nature and good people. The anthem of the state is called "Our Venary, forever", or Venaritenèrenis, inekawil pare, as it was first written in Venaric and only translated into Ingrean when it was recognised as the state anthem in 1929. To promote tourism, the state government allocated the nickname "Lady of the Lakes" (Venaric: Inalemar Vevar) to the state, which is now used on state license plates and welcome signs.

Infrastructure

---