Republic of Agnolia

Agnolia, officially the Republic of Agnolia, is a parliamentary republic situated in Eastern Merkopa. It is currently governed by the centrist Nurist Democratic Union (NDU) led by Prime Minister Maartin Van Hoorten. Its capital is Staalport. The name of the land was given to it by the Agno tribes when they first settled in the region in the early 7th century. The Agno people lived under the reign of the Markian tribe, and later under the Markian Empire, only achieving statehood in the year 1600 with the independence of the Kingdom of Agnolia. The kingdom only lasted 75 years when the Agnolian Queen Lenna married the ruler of Sordland, Erik Renan, and established a union between the two countries. This union is sometimes called the “Agnolian-Sordish Commonwealth,” and it lasted until 1740. The Republic of Agnolia was founded in 1740 when the union with Sordland broke down following the death of Queen Lenna. It was established as a merchant republic with a Rector at its head. During the Century of Revolutions, the republic transformed into a parliamentary republic. In the 19th century, the country relied heavily on the protection of Sordland against the rising pressure of Rumburg and Valgsland. Agnolia saw an economic boom in the late 1910’s and expanded their navy throughout the decade. In 1920, Agnolia invaded Heljiland when the island briefly broke free from Valgsland after the Malenyevist revolution. Agnolia’s economy started to recede in the late 1930’s and lived through two of the worst economic crises of its history in 1940 and 1951, when Agnolia accepted financial aid from both United Contana and Arcasia to rebuild its economy. During the late 1940’s, more than a million Agnolians have emigrated to Sordland, escaping poverty and hunger. The country is famous for its steel, coal and fish. It arguably has one of the weakest economies in Eastern Merkopa and an average civil rights record with very good political freedoms. Despite being a capitalist country, a large group of their population are believed to be sympathetic to Malenyevism and Valgslandian socialism. It is a member of Organisation for Merkopan Economic Development (OMEC) and a member of the Alliance of Nations.