Venary

Venary Venaritenèr (Venaric) Capital: Conway (Tekanilla) Population: 1.100.000 (2025) Motto: Venary, the treasure of the south (Venaritenèr, enar milenis)

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Constituent state of the Federal States of Archanta

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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 1.100.000 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 10% 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 1693 and Effesian acquisition in 1796, 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 the 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, and often shortened to just "renal" tongue), or "Venaric" in Ingrean. The original colonial name for the area, "Gasconnay Colony", was dropped after the Federal States acquired the area in 1796, when the area became known as the Venary Territory.

History

History of Venary
Early history	until 1500 CE
• First Native peoples	c. 10th century BCE
• First villages	c. 500 CE
Colonial history	c. 1500 - 1796
• Valonian arrival	1509
• First colonial settlements	1544
• Gasconnay Colony	1693
Part of the FSA	1796 - present
• Venary Territory	1796
• Statehood	1838
• Venaric recognised	2001

Early history

Human settlement in Venary dates back at least 3000 years, when Native Archantan tribes are confirmed to have settled the northern shores of Lake Assanka, but probably inhabited the area before then as well. 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 11th century, in the east.

Colonial era

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 1693. 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 1720s ^[discuss]. Due to its isolation from the centres of Ingrean administration in colonies further east or Deodeca, colonisation of the area was slow, and permanent settlement was contained to small villages. During this time, the Venary people were given protection from colonial claims to their lands, allowing the Venarian culture to develop alongside the Ingrean and Valonian colonial cultures. Other Native groups received claim protections as well, albeit in a lesser degree.

Takeover by the FSA

Matthew Draston, 1st Governor of Venary 1838 - 1846

After the FSA's independence in 1757 and its expansion into the Archantan heartlands, a gradual influx of Effesian settlers from the east caused towns and villages to be founded along the state's eastern coast, while the Native tribes remained along the central hills and lakes. Effesians often outnumbered Ingreans and claimed the lands for themselves, disregarding Ingreans and Native Archantans. This led to tensions between the Ingreans and Effesians, which were settled with the signing of the Gasconnay Treaty in 1796. This treaty allocated present Venary to the FSA, and defined clear boundaries between the FSA and future Deodeca, with the border now splitting the marshlands and lakes southeast of Lake Betaouais between the two territories. Venary's first Governor, Matthew Draston, renamed the Gasconnay Colony to Venary Territory, after the tribe that guided the region's first expedition parties.

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. In 1838, 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.

Modern era

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 a natural connection between Lakes Betaouais and Minnehunkou, and its delta forms the natural Conway Harbor.

Demographics

1.100.000 inhabitants, mostly along the east coast. HDI is 0,928, slightly below FSA average.

The Ingrean language is the most commonly spoken language in Venary, with over 80% of the population reporting fluency. The second most commonly spoken language is the Venary language, spoken by 10% of the population, of whom most are part the main Native group, the Venary tribe. These two languages are the official state languages, while Valonian is a minority language, which can be official on municipality level. Valonian is spoken by around 5% of the population, mainly in areas in the east and southeast of the state.

Economy

gdp below FSA average, above-average share of agriculture, tourism as important part of service sector

Government

Venary's state legislature is bicameral, with a directly elected lower house (the Venarian House of Representatives / Venaritenèrem Parevervanemarnil) and an upper house (the Venarian Senate / Venaritenèrem Senat) made up from county officials. The House of Representative is the law-proposing, -checking and -debating chamber of the state where members vote for law proposals or amendments, which, if approved by a majority of the House's 110 members, go to the Venarian Senate. The Senate, only allowed to amend and delay approved laws by a maximum of three years, has 54 members, 6 for each county. Every four years, direct elections are held for the House, while the Senate is constituted by the highest official of all counties along with their deputies, who are limited to a maximum of 5 (therefore, the composition of the Senate is dependent on the triennial county elections). Since 2022, 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).

Venary is represented by a Governor, who serves as a ceremonial head of the state and the commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces. When Venary gained statehood in 1838, the Governor could also veto laws that passed through the state's legislature and firing state officials, but the 1876 Cuader Act relieved the Governor from these duties. Governors can, however, still recommend the Senate or House to remove or impeach certain members, as well as commute judicial sentences of Venary's inhabitants. The Lieutenant-Governor (LG) is the president of the Venarian Senate, overseeing its meetings and casting tie-breaking votes. If the Governor for any reason leaves their position, the LG automatically assumes the Governor position, with the functions of the LG transferring to the Speaker of the Venarian Senate. The current Governor is Venartoten Sakemarknè of the SD, with Louise Cormier serving 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 (when CVP Governor Connor Jones resigned due to health issues). Elections for the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor coincide with state legislative elections, with candidates running on tickets nominated by parties represented in the House.

Venary delivers two representatives for the federal legislature, who are elected in their congressional districts. The first district^∈⊾ƨ mostly covers the more urbanised east and northeast of the state, while the second district^∈⊾ƨ covers the other, mostly rural, areas of the state.

Venary is notable for its Native-influenced image. As a counterfeit for their help towards Ulethan colonials and explorers to traverse the forests and swamps of the southern Lakes region, Native tribes received protection from colonial land claims, albeit that non-Venary tribes (like the Green Earth Rakhoda and Hanweeyade peoples) were largely ignored when protesting colonial settlements in their lands. After the Effesian acquisition of the area, large "Native Lands" reservations were designated for Natives to move to or live in, and the tribes were allowed to use their own languages to govern and name settlements. Venary tribe member Newivevan Whitelock was elected as Venary's first Native Governor in 1958, and other Native tribes received more recognition for their cultures, broadening focus from just the Venary tribe's issues to include other groups as well. Nowadays, Venary is known as a state with extensive Native recognition and rights, shaping its culture and identity, but the state is also known for the bureaucratically-induced lengthy procedures that need to be completed for Native groups to receive recognition.

Performs not too well on gender equality.

Counties

The first level of local government in Venary consists of its nine counties. A Venarian county's government is overseen by a board of supervisors that is elected every three years. The board of supervisors is responsible for many of the sub-state level matters, like land-use planning, budgets for police and fire brigades, prisons & jails, public health amenities, education, implementing state law, and being responsible for unincorporated areas. In addition, the board's president and with five of their deputies are also members of the Venarian Senate as representatives of their county.

Municipalities

In the State of Venary, three forms of municipal government are present, which have some variation in power, but are mostly descriptive of population numbers. The three types of municipalities are village (Anila), town (Ran), and city (Venaric: Pinek), while all areas that fall outside of municipal jurisdiction are considered unincorporated areas. About half of the state's land area (nearly 7500km²) is unincorporated, falling directly under county authority.

The smallest type of municipal government is the village. Villages are designated as settlements with less than 15.000 but more than 50 inhabitants, with the option to choose between a village council (with no mayor) or a directly democratic village government. This is the most common form of municipal government in Venary, with villages far outnumbering the amount of Venarian towns and cities combined.

Towns are settlements with a population greater than 15.000 people. Upon reaching this threshold, the jurisdiction receives an elected strong-mayor municipal council, responsible for local government. If a town drops below 15.000 inhabitants for more than ten years, the town rights are rescinded and it becomes a village. This occurred for the last time in 1972, when Oakville, Gaudette County became a village after 68 years of town government. Many of Venary's towns are either suburbs of the larger cities or county seats.

Venary has three officially designated cities: Conway, Mawkillakin, and Three Streams. After a settlement in Venary reaches more than 100.000 inhabitants within its municipal borders, the state constitution grants it city status, upon which the former town council is allowed to call itself a city council, also receiving the right to plan its own educational districts (which is usually reserved for county governments). It is important to note that once a municipality has received the city designation, it cannot lose it. In the case of Three Streams, this meant that the city status it received in 1932 did not get rescinded after the city's population declined to 90.000 in the early 21st century.

Culture

Flag of the State of Venary

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

People from Venary are called Venarians, or Oozers in popular culture, and are known as welcoming, 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 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 "Loracnees", 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 colours of mountains and hills found all over the state.

The state's motto is "Venary, our 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, inekawilpare, as it was first written in Venaric and only translated into Ingrean when it was recognised as the state anthem in 1939. 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

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