Navenna

Republic of Navenna Repùblega de Navenna
Flag Coat of arms
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Motto: "Inpàvia è Speransà" Dauntless and Hopeful
Capital	City of Navenna
Official languages	Navennese
Demonym	Navennese
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy
• Doge (Navennese: Dòxe)	Nestore Maestri
• Prime Minister	Enzo Rigi
Legislature	Great Council
• Upper house	Council of One Hundred (Navennese: Conségio del Sénto)
• Lower house	Citizens' Assembly (Navennese: Senblèa dei Sitadìni)
Area
• Total	25,018.95 km2 9,659.87 sq mi
• Water (%)	55.1
Population
• Estimate (2021)	3,216,956
• Density	280/km2
GDP (PPP)	2020
• Total	$262.704 billion
• Per capita	$81,802
HDI (2020)	0.939 very high
Timezone	WUT+4 (CUT)
Currency	Navennese Ducat (∂) (NAD)
Drives on the	right

Navenna, officially the Republic of Navenna (Navennese: Repùblega de Navenna), also known as the Most Serene Republic of Navenna (Navennese: Serenìsima Repùblega Navennata), is a small sovereign state in southwestern Uletha bordering Plevia^∈⊾ in the north, Mardoumakhstan^∈⊾ in the east and Costa dei Scialecchi^∈⊾ in the southeast. Located between the Mediterranean Sea^∈⊾ in the west and the mountain chain in the east, the country covers a land area of 11,500.13 km² (4,440.23 sq mi) with a population of approximately 3.2 million inhabitants. The country shares its name with its capital, City of Navenna (Navennese: Sità de Navenna), which is home to approximately a quarter of the country's population. Navenna is a constitutional elective monarchy, with a Doge (Navennese: Dòxe) as its head of state elected by the upper house, and a prime minister as its head of government elected by the lower house and appointed by the Doge. The Doge is a largely ceremonial role while the prime minister leads the government of Navenna.

There are few surviving historical records that detail the founding of Navenna. Historians believe that the Navennese Lagoon^∈⊾ may have been settled in the 6th or 7th century by immigrants from the north, possibly Nascilians. The city began as an independent trading post for trade routes between Plevian city states in the north and states in the southeast, and grew to prominence after the fall of the Meciran Empire in the 8th century. During the following years, the wealth of the fledgling republic grew due to its favorable position along important trade routes, and so did its influence, putting many cities on the mainland under its rule. In the 10th and 11th century, Navenna expanded south into Anoria, the name of the peninsula in the south of the country, integrating Anorian city states into Navenna with little resistance. During the 12th and 13th century, Navenna fought many battles against the Republic of Ƚovana, its main trading rival. In 1289, Navenna captured the city of Ƚovana and annexed its territory. Territorial gains were also made in Nascillia^∈⊾. The country grew rapidly during the 16th century, expanding southwards along the Mediterranean coast, securing valuable trading posts. At its height, the Republic of Navenna reached as far south as modern day Lustria. Due to a multitude of factors Navenna's wealth declined during the 17th century, resulting in rapid loss of territories along the Mediterranean coast. Since the 19th century, Navenna's borders have been relatively stable.

The country has an advanced economy based on finance, services and tourism. As an early industrializing country, Navenna used to have an economy based around mineral extraction and manufacturing. The decline of Navennese industry in the 1960s sent the country into a long economic depression. The depression was followed by sweeping economic liberalization that resulted in renewed economic growth primarily in the financial and service sector. Navenna ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, although this has been partially attributed to distortions caused by disproportionate amounts of capital being moved through the country by various multinational entities operating in Navenna as a result of low corporate tax rates. Various international economic institutions label Navenna as a major corporate tax haven.

Etymology

The origin of the name "Navenna" is not entirely known. The earliest known mention of the name is from 722, using the form “Nāviena”. The name is believed to have been borrowed from the Proto-Romantian word nāvis, meaning "ship". The ending "-enna" is a common oeconym in Navenna. The name likely refers to the location of the city, being reachable only by boat.

History

Prehistory

The area that constitutes modern day Navenna is believed to have been inhabited for a very long time, likely since the Lower Paleolithic era. Artifacts dating back as far back as 800,000 years have been discovered in eastern Anoria. The petroglyphs of Falabiana are believed to have been made by modern humans some 35,000 years ago.

Early history

Origins

The origins of Navenna are uncertain, due to very few historical records and conflicting evidence. The land itself has been home to a multitude of tribes and minor kingdoms, with highly unstable borders. The Navennese lagoon is believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years, long before the founding of Navenna itself, by smaller groups who primarily sustained themselves through fishing and salt production. There are two mainstream theories among researchers regarding when the city itself was founded. The first theory posits that migrants from Plevia, possibly Nascilians, established a trading post in the lagoon in the 6th or 7th century, which then grew to become a city due to migration from the surrounding lagoon and mainland Navenna. This is supported by Nascilian texts detailing efforts to establish such trading posts along the northern Mediterranean coast, but no evidence exists to suggest the Navennese lagoon was the location of one. The second theory, which is based on local tradition, suggests that a major flood (referred to as El Gran Diƚuviòn, "The Great Flood") forced the population of the lagoon to relocate, leading to the founding of a city on higher ground close to the barrier islands of the lagoon. Local tradition posits that the original ruling oligarchy of Navenna were made up of the families that emigrated from the lagoon into the city, while families from the mainland did not get the privilege of ruling the city. Historically such floods have occurred regularly, and sources point towards such a flood occurring in the second half of the 6th century.

Asénsa de Dòxe Filadelfo Nùnxo by Jùlio Coiro

The First Republic

During its early years, Navenna is believed to have been ruled as an oligarchy by influential families. According to tradition, different families had sovereignty over different parts of the lagoon according to their land claims before the Gran Diƚuviòn. Because of this, the fledgling city state was dysfunctional and lacked order and vigor in its administration. The first Doge, Filadelfo Nùnxo, was elected by a council consisting of the ruling families in 655, to unite the fragmented city state under a single leader. Thus began a long tradition of influential and wealthy families electing the Doge to lead the country, effectively establishing an elective monarchy. This event is considered the beginning of the Republic of Navenna, and is commonly referred to as the First Navennese Republic (Navennese: Prima Repùblega Navennata).

It is not fully known when the name “Navenna” was first used to describe the city state. The earliest mention of the name “Navenna” comes from accounts of the Meciran invasion of the northeastern Mediterranean region, which occurred during the 8th century. Historical records of the Meciran sacking of Mirùn in 722 describe a city in the lagoon called “Nāviena”, which was a refuge for people fleeing from the Mecirans. The city was besieged by the Mecirans in 724, a siege that ultimately failed due to the difficulties of fighting in marshes and tidal plains. When the Meciran Empire collapsed in 766, the Republic of Navenna was able to exploit the power vacuum left by the Mecirans to assert control over the mainland, laying claim to cities in the modern day cantons of Navenna Lagunare, Vona and Alta Navenna. Mirùn and Vona would both grow to become important centers of power for the mainland. The city rose to become an important trading center for the northeastern Mediterranean region.

Middle Ages

Rise

The 10th century saw a slow expansion of Navennese influence into Anoria. Before its integration into the Republic of Navenna, Anoria was split between the Republic of Piavia, the Duchy of Seƚi and the Republic of Agheni. Through a combination of diplomacy and intimidation, the Duchy of Seƚi and the Republic of Agheni were both integrated into Navenna at the end of the 10th century, in 967 and 982 respectively. The Republic of Piavia resisted Navennese influence, and aligned itself with the Grand Duchy of Ƚovana, a rival merchant nation to the north of Navenna, for protection in 984. This had a domino effect on the nations of the region, who chose to align themselves with either Navenna of Ƚovana. While Navenna sought to claim cities and ports in the south along the Scialecchian coast, Ƚovana sought to secure itself against Navenna by seeking greater diplomatic ties with Plevian states in the north. In 1055, war broke out between the Republic of Piavia and the Republic of Navenna, which triggered a war between the two factions headed by Navenna and Ƚovana respectively. During the war, most of the remaining minor states of the region were either conquered or absorbed into Navenna and Ƚovana. The conflict was settled when the Navennese armada was destroyed outside the island of Fatamagia^∈⊾ in the Tiruglian archipelago in 1068 which caused Navenna to surrender. As terms for the surrender, the Republic of Navenna was to refrain from all trading activity in the sea north of Ƚovana. This caused Navenna to shift its trade ambitions from the sea to the land. While maritime trade would still be a significant source of income for the republic, Navenna also saw potential in establishing trade routes towards the east across the Ulethan continent. During the end of the 11th century, Navenna pushed northeast into the mountains, establishing trade routes with Plevian states bypassing the Ƚovana-controlled waters.

The Navennese governing system saw many reforms in the 13th century, and Navennese democracy reached its height in 1288 with the establishment of the Citizens' Council (Navennese: Conségio dei Sitadìni). While progressive for its time, membership in the Citizens' Council was limited to residents of the city of Navenna itself. This established a de facto class system in Navenna, consisting of the "aristocrats" (Navennese: ristocràti), members of the Council of One Hundred who were often part of wealthy and influential families, the "citizens" (Navennese: sitadìni), residents of the city of Navenna who had the right to vote, and the "provincials" (Navennese: provinsiaƚi), the population outside the capital city who could only partake in local governing.

Golden Era

After the fall of Ƚovana, Navenna had established itself as the sole merchant republic of the region, and effectively monopolized all trade along the eastern Mediterranean coast. The wealth of Navenna rapidly grew during the 14th century, a time referred to as the golden era of Navenna. The golden era saw the establishment of the Shadow Council (Navennese: Conségio Onbrìa), whose role was to maintain the power balance between the Council of One Hundred and the Doge.

Geography

View over the Baia de Maranóva^∈⊾ as seen from Pico dei Cartografi, Agliavenna.

Navenna is one of the smaller states in Uletha; the country covers about 25,018.95 km² (9,659.87 sq mi), of which 11,500.13 km² (4,440.23 sq mi) is land. Navenna measures approximately 275 km in length and and 88 km in width at its longest and widest point respectively. The country is located along the northern shore of the Mediterranean sea, and is considered part of the Ulethan region of Romantia.

To the north, Navenna borders the hilly and densely populated Plevian region of Nascilia. To the east, the country borders Mardoumakhstan. The border follows a mountain chain that stretches from southern Plevia to southern Mardoumakhstan. Along the border with Mardoumakhstan Navenna's highest point can be found.

Navenna can be roughly divided into three distinct geographical regions. The land closest to the west coast is relatively flat and low-lying, and are home to the bulk of the country's population centers and agricultural production. This is where the two large lagoons of Navenna can be found; the Navennese Lagoon^∈⊾ and the Caglian Lagoon. The coast is sometimes more jagged, such as west of Ƚovana where the craggy islands of the Tiruglian Archipelago can be found. The northeastern part of Navenna is dominated by tall mountains and thick mixed forests. Most of the population here is found in the valleys between the mountains where orchards and pastures dominate the useable land. In the southeast the jagged mountains give way for a mosaic landscape with rolling hills where fields and pastures are interspersed with forests.

A number of rivers can be found in Navenna. The longest are the Cesi and the Fiora, at 92 km and 57 km respectively.

Politics

Constituent Entities

Navenna is divided into 13 cantons, which are further divided into a number of municipalities (Navennese: comùni). A canton can also contain special districts (Navennese: distreti spesiaƚi). The canton of Paramo^∈⊾ contains Navenna's only special district, the Aras Valley^∈⊾ (Navennese: Vaƚàda de Aràs), where the language spoken in bordering Mardoumakhstan has elevated status as alternative working language for the municipalities within the Aras Valley.

Canton	Flag	Capital	Number of municipalities	Land area		Population	Population density
				km²	mi²		km²	mi²
Agheni∈⊾		Agheni	10	855	330	171,000	201	518
Alta Navenna∈⊾		Mirùn	16	1,008	389	158,700	157	408
Anoria Sud∈⊾		Càstio	13	1,408	544	102,045	72	188
Breselo∈⊾		Breselo	10	1,016	392	152,190	150	388
Ƚovana Maxòr∈⊾		Ƚovana	23	1,721	664	624,521	363	941
Fovènsia é Verana∈⊾		Fovènsia	8	722	279	152,400	211	546
Montebiànco∈⊾		Guinevento	5	510	197	56,209	110	285
Našilia-Meletta∈⊾		Meletta	8	1,058	409	261,004	247	638
Navenna Lagunare∈⊾		Navenna	22	694	268	1,030,856	694	3,846
Paramo∈⊾		Paramo	11	1,011	390	120,899	120	310
Seƚi∈⊾		Seƚi	11	722	279	193,900	269	695
Tesenso∈⊾		Tesenso	6	419	162	82,076	196	507
Vona∈⊾		Vona	7	356	137	110,256	310	805