Pamelia, officially the Principality of Pamelia (Principauté de Pamelië), is a sovereign city-state , located on the Anglasecuarnian Riviera in Western Aels. It shares borders with Anglasecuarnia to the west, Motzabili to the northwest and the Caritz sea to the southeast.
Pamelia is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with a Princess as head of state. Although the Princess of Pamelia is a constitutional monarch, she wields immense political power. The House of Nanning have ruled Pamelia since its foundation in the post-cataclysmic era to the XXXII century, when a cadet branch -the House of Iglesias- ascended to the throne.
The official language is Alaïn, but Pamelïen, Motzabilian and Tardic are widely spoken and understood. The state's sovereignty was officially recognized as a result of the Anglasecuarnian Wars treaties: However, Pamelia will be invaded and occupied by Ruhenia, Motzabili and Anglasecuarnia in different moments of its independent history.
Economic development was spurred in after the Ruhenian occupation. Since then, Pamelia's mild climate, splendid scenery, and upscale gambling facilities have contributed to the principality's status as a premier tourist destination and recreation center for the rich and famous. In more recent years, Pamelia has become a major banking center and has successfully sought to diversify its economy into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. The state has no income tax, low business taxes, and is well known for being a tax haven.
The Capital of Pamelia is Montdunan , a contraction of Mont du Nanning, a castle founded on a rock in the shores of Caritz by Pamela Nannig.
History[]
Early[]
Pamelia's name comes from the first ruler of what would be the Principality, Princess Pamela Nannig, who was the leader of a mixed group of Hieyokscream refugees -mostly Amazons-, who had to migrate southwards as a result of The Cataclysm. The group of refugees of Nannig, who were armed and organized, conquered the region and settled down in the area, securing the region from locals and other refugees, organizing a principality from a very diverse population of Hieyokscream amazons, Tardic, Alailë, Motzabilians, Ruhenians and Grey elfs.
A minor nation, both the later Caliphate of Anglasecuarnia and the Kingdom of Alailë left alone for hundreds of years. Anglasecuarnia didn't annex it until the Joaquintopian Wars, later making it into a vassal state of the Caliphate, while remaining a Christian nation.
United Motzabili[]
For long, Pamelia was a minor nation in the concert of Aelian powers, and it had become a vassal of the Caliphate of Anglasecuarnia. However, when war broke out they will break their allegiance to Anglasecuarnia -feeling closer to the Motzabilian kingdoms and Alailë than Anglasecuarnia- siding with the Cretorian alliance, becoming a battlefield.
Since the Treaty of Bonara about a century before the Anglasecuarnian wars, it had perpetuated the division of Motzabili in Six independent kingdoms and eight city-states: such as Asiago, Badadaboopi, Bonassai, Capretta, Devero, Fioreta, Formaggi, Padaccio and Algunder - (the last five not currently named).
During the Anglasecuarnian Wars, despite being a vassal of the Caliphate of Anglasecuarnia, Pamelia will denounce the Anglasecuarnian suzerainty, entering into the Cretorian Alliance, being a battlefield in the Anglasecuarnian front.
Motzabili Claims Over Pamelia[]
As result of the war, Pamelia will be recognized as an independent, sovereign state -despite the Motzabilian claims over it-, seen as a buffer zone between the newly created Motzabili and Anglasecuarnia. Pamelia will be briefly occupied by Motzabili (3157-3158), before Motzabili was forced to retreat as a result of the negotiations that followed the Motzabili-Ruhenian War and Anglasecuarnian pressure.
As result of the Anglasecuarnian Wars, the Motzabilian kingdoms -who during the war already formed a tariff and trade union and military alliance- will unite into the Kingdom of Motzabili. However Pamelia -which had been part of the trade and tariff union, and as well, of the Motzabilian alliance during the Anglasecuarnian wars- refused the invitation to form part of Motzabili: while they had cultural bonds, the matriarchy of Pamelia preferred to remain independent -but still enjoy the trade benefits-.
The refusal of Pamelia to form part of Motzabili will enrage the Motzabilian nationalists, and this will finally lead to the invasion of Pamelia by private bands of ex-soldiers. Pamelia, that had demobilized after the war and had been weakened, and so the princess ordered her forces to hold any action against these free bands, requesting instead to Motzabili to deal with them.
However as the Motzabilian army entered in Pamelia -allegedly to suppress the Motzabilian nationalists bands-, the congress of Motzabili did a sudden turn when the nationalist party achieved the majority vote, and proceeded to occupy Pamelia -supported by the ex-soldiers-, aiming to annex it into Motzabili. Against this large and sudden invasion by Motzabili, the Princess banned the Princess Guard to resist -to not destroy what they had rebuilt after the Anglasecuarnian Wars-, and after taking the gold reserves of the national bank, the Princess will escape to Anglasecuarnia to form a government in exile, requesting help from the Sultan of Anglasecuarnia. While ordered to stand down, there would be only minimal resistance by the Princely Guard when the Motzbilian tried to enter the Palace of the Princess -action which ended with 22 Pamelian deaths, and an unknown number of Moztabilian, between 7 -official number by Motzabilian press- and over 90, according to Pamelian accounts.
During that one year long occupation (3157-3158), while Motzabili tried to impose a policy of "motzabilization" of the Pamelians, the Pamelians mostly used civil resistence.
Ruhenian Clash with Motzabili[]
However, Motzabilian ambitions and irredentism wasn't well received by their Anglasecuarnian, Calintropian and Ruhenian neighbors: and so, what would have been a minor border clash between Ruhenian border guards and the royal army of Motzabili. The nationalist-ruled Motzabilian parliament claimed Ruhenian territories with Motzabilian minorities to be part of Motzabili due pan-motzabilian theories:
However, the Motzabilian were defeated in the 3158 and Ruhenian forces advanced, seizing border lands with Ruhenian minorities. Under pressure and menace as well of both Calintropia and Anglasecuarnia, the Nationalist congress was disbanded and Motzabili sued for peace, accepting the arbitration of Anglasecuarnia.
As result of this, Motzabili not only lost some border lands with Ruhenian minorites, but was forced to abandon Pamelia, being restored the Principalty.
A Generation of Pamelian Expansion[]
Pamelia as well seized its opportunity in the aftermath of the Ruhenian-Anglasecuarnian War of the 3162 a.a.H, occupying large territories they had to return in subsequent treaties up to the 3195 a.a.H, under the threat of war with Anglasecuarnia.
Loss of Independence[]
Pamelia remained independent until the Pamelchristopherian War (3198-3201 a.a.H), when it would be conquered by the Ruhenians of Südchristophenia, until the 3224 a.a.H, after which Pamelia remained under the sphere of influence of Ruhenia until the Fourth World War of Aiers.
Government[]
Pamelia has been governed under a constitutional monarchy since 3224, with the Sovereign Princess of Pamelia as head of state. The executive branch consists of a Minister of State as the head of government, who presides over a five-member Council of Government.
Under the 3262 constitution, the princess shares her veto power with the unicameral National Council. The 24 members of the National Council are elected for five-year terms; 16 are chosen through a majority electoral system and 8 by proportional representation. All legislation requires the approval of the National Council, which is currently dominated by the conservative party which holds twenty seats.
Armed Forces[]
Princess Guard[]
In part due the Hieyokscream amazon and grey elven heritage, women remained an active part of the armed forces of Pamelia during modern times. While by the time XXXII the main army was largely made up from males serving their military service, female military service was voluntary, and there remained an all-female division, the Princess Guard of the Amazons of Death - "Amazons d'la Morte" in Pameliën.
National Overview[]
In the XXXIII century, female military service will as well be mandatory, remaining so until the early XXXIV century, when it became an exclusively volunteer army.
The Pamelians were proud of their military tradition, and for long they kept a rather large army in comparison for the country's population and economy, with numerous Pamelians serving later as mercenaries in foreign armies.
Only in the aftermath of the MW-Pentarchy War, there will be a progressive demilitarization of Pamelia.
History of the Armed Forces[]
The Pamelian Army Between the 3155 and the 3201:
Anglasecuarnian Wars[]
During the Anglasecuarnian Wars, the Pamelian army was composed of the Regular Army -4 infantry divisions of around 16,000 women and men each- and two cavalry brigades -3,000 soldiers each-. The Regular Army was mostly a conscript force with a small core of professionals, being in paper a force of about 70,000 soldiers. Both men and women served in the Regular Army, and it wasn't exclusive of ethnic pamelians. Aside of the Army, there was the Princess Guard, considered the elite of Pamelia. Originally only one brigade -made only up of pamelian amazons-, during the war it expanded to be a 12,000 women strong division.
Motzabilian Occupation[]
As said, after the costly Anglasecuarnian Wars, initially demobilized all their army, remaining only two brigades of the Princess Guard -the Amazons of Death- in service: about 8,000 women, who for the event of the Motzabilian occupation were ordered to lay down their weapons, and only made a symbolic defense of the palace before surrendering and being disarmed.
Ruhenian-Anglasecuarnian War[]
After the Motzabilian occupation of the 58, it was decided to restore the regular army and expand the Princess Guard: and so by the Ruhenian-Anglasecuarnian war of the 3162 -and in the following Pamelian-Anglasecuarnian War, were Pamelia seized the opportunity of the military catastrophe suffered by Anglasecuarnia to annex large territories that effectively duplicated the size Principality-, Pamelia mobilized up to 150,000 women and men for that short conflict, before forcing the new Sultan to sue for peace.
3162 - 3195[]
Between the 3162 to the 3195 a.a.H, the Pamelian Army was composed of 4 Infantry Divisions, 1 artillery brigade and 3 Cavalry brigades -in total, some 50,000 to 70,000 men and women in the period, as due economic policies and reorganizations sometimes the size of units was restructured-.
The Princess Guard, originally 4 Brigades, during this period will be expanded to 8 Brigades -some 18,000 Amazons of Death-. Among the new Brigades will be Princess Guard Armored Brigade, one motorized brigade and two cavalry brigades.
Anglasecuarnian Emergence[]
By the time of the Anglasecuarnian Emergence at the 3195 a.a.H, The Principality of Pamelia by the time of the border tensions was divided in the Regular Army -4 divisions, about 55,000 men and women in total- and the Princess Guard -8 brigades, about 18,000 women in total: the "Amazons of Death"- Navy had some 5,000 sailors, and airforce 2,000 personel. During the crisis they mobilized other 160,000 Pamelian citizens.
As result of these tensions, in subsecuent treaties Pamelia returned to Anglasecuarnia the unlawfully seized provinces in the war of the 3162. -about half of the territory of Pamelia, and 1/3 of it's inhabitants -most of them Tardic and Anglasecuarnian, rather than Pamelian-
Pamelchristopherian War[]
In the 3199-3201 a.a.H, the Pamelchristopherian war, The Princess Guard remained with its organization in 8 Brigades, in total about 20,000 - 24,000 women, while the Regular Army -with a large conscription to face the ruhenian invasion from Südchristophenia- will mobilize for the duration of the war about 300,000 women and men in 12 dvisions and 24 brigades: this out of a population of near 2,000,000 inhabitants.
It should be noted, since the modernization of the Pamelan armed forces in the late 3180s and the preference on Amazons of Death elite formations, and as well their exclusivity, there will develop a rivalry between the Regulars of the Princess Army and the Princess Guard, especially by the aftermath of the Anglasecuarnian emergence and the Pamelchristopherian war.
Under Ruhenia[]
After this war, now with Pamelia under Ruhenian suzerainity, the Pamelian forces will be reduced, and they will by their new masters to send an expeditionary force to the war against Bazikstan -that would be about 21,000 women-: By then, the Princess Guard had been reorganized in 2 divisions, and the Regular army as well to 2 divisions.
Economy[]
For long an agricultural nation, after independence the Princess of Pamelia sought the industrialization and modernization of its economy: however, the attempts were considered largely a failure as they had been inadequate and insufficient in transforming Pamelia's economy, which began to develop during the Ruhenian occupation.
After the end of Ruhenian rule, the economy was reoriented.
Nowadays, one of Pamelia's main sources of income is tourism. Each year many foreigners are attracted to its casinos (where citizens are denied entry) and pleasant climate. It has also become a major banking center in western Aels. The principality has successfully sought to diversify its economic base into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries, such as cosmetics and bio-thermics.
The state retains monopolies in numerous sectors, including tobacco and the postal service, however there had been a process of privatization of the economy. Living standards are high.
Population[]
Demographics[]
Amazons[]
Pamelia is a diverse nation, made up originally from refugees from different backgrounds during The Cataclysm, they however consider their Amazon heritage to be a key element of their identity and national pride.
Cultural Ethnicities[]
Aside of the Pamelians -descendants of Amazons, Dumian, Tardic, Alailë, gorbegean Kanovs and Dol-Sorne grey elves, who self-identify themselves as Pamelians, being residents before independence from Anglasecuarnia in 3155 a.a.H- other important human ethnicities are Tardic, Anglasecuarnian, Motzabilian, Alailë and Ruhenians -immigrants and descendants of post-independence immigrants-
Non Humans[]
Pamelia holds as well an important Grey elven minority, with population self-identifying as Grey elf, Half Elf, quarter elf or of elven ascendance up to an 8% of the total population. Sometimes, it's overlapping the identity as Pamelian and Dol-Sorne grey elf.
Other non-humans are about 0,5% of the total population.
While in the modern age there were still the fantasy races -exception being the demon lords-, with the establishment of human hegemony, they underwent changes. By the end of the Anglasecuarnian Wars, only two independent non-human states remained, the High elven republics of Vanilion and Thilien in Zarhuy.
In Aels, the independent non-human realms basically ended at the early modern age, in the War of the Seven Realms.
Living in human realms, many of the non-humans progressively adapted into the host human societies, or if they wanted to resist human integration, banding together in similar groups: for example, many of the differences between the diverse elves, or the dwarves, or the orcs began to become blurry, as from former national identities began to be developed a sort of ethnic/racial identity.
Pamelia never had numerous orcs -but there were some.
After the cataclysm, Ozcura Orcs largely mixed out, either with other orcs, or with humans, and quickly a defined ozcura identity became blurred within the new orc identity. Only later there would be some "revival" movements of certain specific identities -as Ozcuras-, often due some fads.
Pamelia itself had a prominent elven and Half Elf tradition, serving in the elite corps of the amazons of death, but the natural growth of human population meant that the slower growing elven population become proportionally smaller.
Language[]
The official language is Alaïn, but Pamelïen, Motzabilian and Tardic are widely spoken and understood.
Religion[]
The official religion is Karentian Christianity, with freedom of other religions guaranteed by the constitution, though there remained some elements of the Nortender Heresy that the Amazons of Hieyokscream brought with them when settling after The Cataclysm.
The diocese, which has existed since the mid-XXX century, was raised to a archbishopric in 3173 a.a.H., as the Archdiocese of Pamelia and remains exempt (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See). The patron saint is Saint Creöle, the first Amazon to become a Christian Saint.
Christians comprise a total of 83.2% of Pamelia's population.