Randesia

Randesia (/ræn'di.ʃa/, rahn-DEE-shah; : /ran'de.sia/), officially the Kingdom of Randesia (: Reino de Randesia, pronounced /'rei.no ðe ran'de.sia/) is a country located mostly in the southeastern portion of the , but it also holds sovereignty over the island of , on the . The kingdom is bordered by , , , and to the north, and also maintains a maritime border with both and the .
With a population of around 67 million, Randesia is the in the world and the 12th in , with its main population centers in Nuevo Cádiz and Sanlúcar de Oriente. The kingdom is one of the few countries with . Santa Ana is designed as the constitutional and judicial capital, as well as the seat of the royal family, while Nuevo Cádiz acts as the seat of the Parliament.
Randesia is a divided into seven provinces and two municipal regions, Santa Ana and Nuevo Cádiz. It's currently reigned by of after his father resigned from office in 2014.
It is a member of the (UN), the (ASEAN), the Hispanic Commonwealth and many other international organizations. It is also an observer member of the Seven Stars Council (7SC)
==Etymology==
The origin of the word Randesia is still a debate among scholars and linguists all across the . Several hypotheses have been proposed, attempting to link the name of the country to different languages. The oldest among these theorizes that the name Randesia comes from the words róda (ρόδα) and nísos (νήσος), both words meaning the "island of the wheel". However, this theory is nowadays widely unsupported due to its "arbitrary nature", according to Spanish writer .
The folk etymology holds that it comes from the word រដូវក្ដៅ, romanized: rdauvokdaw, meaning "summer". This theory links the etymology of the word Randesia with the belief that the region was incorporated to the Spanish Empire on June 23rd, the ; the same reason why the national anthem is called Canción de San Juan (Song of Saint John), referring to . Other theories suggest that it comes from the Khmer word for "state"; រដ្, romanized: rod.
Even though the creation of this name is still unknown, its usage predates the independence of the kingdom. It was first used during , as the region was part of the "Captaincy General of Randesia, the Philippines, and the East Indies" (: Capitanía General de Randesia, las Filipinas y las Indias Orientales).
==History==
===Precolonial era===
The polities of , and subsequently , ruled the lands of present-day Angkor, eastern Randesia, and southern Vietnam between the 3rd and late 7th centuries. During this period, the territories encompassing the east portion of Indochina were influenced heavily by , , and . was introduced in the region by , which helped shape the cultural backgrounds of modern Thailand, Angkor, and Laos. It is believed that the territory of Funan may have held the port known to Alexandrian geographer as ""; however, little else is known about these polities other than their strategic position in the convergence of the and . It is worth knowing that Funan and Chenla were not single consolidated states but rather diffuse, loose networks of polities linked in - relationships known as .
The realm of Chenla fell into turmoil after the death of Jayavarman I in 681, which put the kingdom into a situation of internal conflict and external attacks and sackings. The of eventually seized power until the establishment of the by in 802, who proclaimed himself a , or "god-king." The Khmer Empire thrived from the 9th to 15th centuries and became one of the principal political powers in Southeast Asia. The empire's cultural, economic, and political hub was the capital city of , which according to archaeological evidence, could have maintained a population of up to one million inhabitants. The temple of , located 5.5km north of , symbolizes the political, artistic, and cultural glory and legacy of the Khmer Empire and is nowadays a key tourist destination in Southeast Asia.
The early fifteenth century pulled the Khmer Empire into an era of economic, social, and cultural stagnation. A period of poor harvests decimated the supply of rice, the main nutrient source for most of the citizens. The governmental infrastructures of the empire crumbled ultimately upon the sacking of Yasodharapura by the in 1432; and border conflicts with the to the northeast. The Khmer court moved the capital city to , in the , in an attempt to regain the lost wealth and power through maritime trade. Around 1511 the first explorers began documenting the Khmer in their writings, describing the city of Prekraya as an epicenter of and wealth and naming it Vila do Rio. The first by Portuguese resulted in the creation of a in the city.
By the end of the 15th century, the Khmer Empire—or Cambodia, as the Portuguese called it—got reduced to a fraction of its original size. The Cambodian capital was again relocated further inland to the city of by King 's decree, placed at the convergence of the , , and . The new location intended to solve the defense issue that Prekraya's vulnerable site in the mouth of a river offered, yet still was easily reachable by boat. From 1549 to 1594, Phnom Penh —also called Choktamuk— served as the last capital of the Khmer Empire.
===Conquest and colonial rule===
Continued wars with Ayutthaya and Vietnam resulted in a political and succession conflict within the Khmer court after the assassination of King in 1576. His eldest son, , sought allies overseas in order to reestablish the Khmer's old glory. Amidst internal chaos, Iberian adventurers , , and agreed to back the king and brought reinforcements from , which weren't successful in repelling the . The governor of the Philippines, , rejected an alliance with Satha after his ineffectiveness in resisting the Thai, and instead proposed an alliance with Thai ruler and the establishment of a permanent Iberian colony in Cambodia. Satha was forced to leave Cambodia and fled to where he died in 1598.
The was ordered by of Spain and conducted by Dasmariñas himself. The Cambodian–Spanish War ended in 1597 and resulted in a decisive Spanish victory and the official dismantlement of the Khmer Empire. Three ships under the command of Juan Juárez Gallinato arrived with Spanish forces from mainland Spain, (modern-day ), the , and mercenaries, to begin the colonization and of the newly conquered lands. were created by the Spaniards to convert the Khmer population to Christianity. In 1603, Phnom Penh changed its name to Chordemuco and became the capital of the newly created Captaincy General of Randesia, a dependency of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
The Spanish Empire placed special attention on Randesia due to its extremely strategic location in Asia and significantly fertile lands, which made the captaincy receive the nickname "the Empire's pantry" (in , la alacena del Imperio). Randesia's high rice production and commerce with and played a remarkable role in the colony's economy. After the victory in the in 1715, the Royal family began making reforms across the Empire; most notable is 's reform of the Spanish East Indies that merged the territories into the Captaincy General of Randesia, the Philippines, and the East Indies, with its capital in Santa Ana — renamed from Chordemuco.
The Ayutthaya Kingdom to the west felt a series of dynastic and internal struggles that culminated with its after the of and . The idea of expanding the western border became popular among Randesian elites who filed a request to to invade . The invasion was carried out without or 's approval. Thonburi and the surrounding regions were annexed into the Randesian territory after an almost null resistance by the Thai. As a consequence, the placed a blockage on the Philippines and the following the invasion, which eventually led to the end of the . The Governor-General was then sentenced to death by the Real Audiencia of Santa Ana upon his misconduct, but the territories were incorporated into Randesia. The modern province of Nueva Andalucía was the final territorial expansion of the Spanish Empire until the creation of the African colonies of the and .
===Transfer of the monarchy and independence===
's in France preceded the in which the invaded Spain and Portugal and ended 's short reign. Before being captured by Napoleonic forces, Ferdinand VII and his court followed Portuguese and fled the peninsula from . The Spanish court settled in from 1808 to 1810, after the and the start of the made the Royal house resettle in the city of Santa Ana.
The Spanish East Indies were a haven for the monarchy for years. Its relatively isolated location, stable economy, and cultural background made any conspirations for independence fail. Randesia figured among the only parts of the Empire that remained loyal to the monarchy, along with the Philippines, , , and . Upon his arrival, Ferdinand VII and the court received a warm welcome from the people of Santa Ana in what is known as the Golden Hail (in , Salve de Oro), on November 19, 1910. The monarchy established centralized institutions in the region, such as the National Bank and various universities. Ferdinand VII returned to the peninsula in 1814 after the defeat of the French troops without the rest of the court. He was crowned again as King of Spain according to the , but he later rejected the Constitution and re-asserted absolutism. A power struggle between the court in Randesia, King Ferdinand VII, and the liberal elites in Spain over government legitimacy led to the execution of Ferdinand and the end of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain after in 1820. 
The Kingdom of the West Indies declared its independence one year later, on March 16, 1821, with as Queen. This new state and event in Randesian history are mononymously known to historiographers as Randesia-Philippines. Maria Christina, Ferdinand's wife, did not return to Spain and remained in Santa Ana, where she made a name for herself among the Randesian aristocracy. The newly formed kingdom controlled the regions of Randesia, the Philippine Islands, and the , with the exception of the which remained part of Spain. The appointment of a woman as the nation's first leader came with significant backlash from the , especially in where various groups conspired for . Maria Christina I ratified the Constitution of 1834, modeled after the Spanish Constitution of 1812. The Kingdom of the West Indies changed its name to the Kingdom of Randesia and the Philippines, which reflected the country's new system as a federative constitutional monarchy. , , and the appointment of Congress were guaranteed in the new Constitution. Manila and Santa Ana acted as . Spain recognized the Kingdom's independence on September 23, 1830.
A border conflict with Siam (modern-day Thailand) sparked in 1849 over Nueva Andalucía and the and . Siamese officials threatened to launch a military offense in western Randesia, whose internal disputes deterred the nation to wage war. As an alternative, Maria Christina I offered a diplomatic approach to of Siam in the city of Alcázar. The procedure ended with an agreement—the Treaty of Alcázar—in which Randesia offered full access to the Chapraya and Tachin rivers to the Siamese, while Siam had to withdraw its territorial claim and recognize Nueva Andalucía as an integral part of Randesia.
===Philippine schism and break-up===
Despite efforts and changes in government in order to meet Filipino demands, the separation between the Randesian and Philippine societies became more pronounced. The abdication of Maria Christina I in 1853 in favor of her daughter, , caused another dispute between the liberal Randesian—Rameños—and the conservative Philippine—Insulares—nobilities. The desire for in the Philippines was also attributed to the economic growth of the islands, whose raw material exports created considerable local wealth, heavily taxed by the central government.
Pro-independence sentiments and nationalist protests heightened after a led by , , , and . Rizal was imprisoned on charges of rebellion in 1893. Secret organizations such as the and the aimed for independence and rebellion, as the Insular high societies started funding armed groups of various ethnicities—i.e: . On September 3, 1894, a bomb exploded in the Congress of Deputies, killing 3 and injuring 14. The attack was later confirmed by police officials to be Katipunan's job. Upon fears of a civil war erupting, Prime Minister conducted a speech in Nuevo Cádiz calling for peace talks and diplomacy. The Council of the Philippines voted unanimously for independence on August 20, 1896.
The started on August 24, 1896, in . The , organized by the Katipunan and , marked the start of numerous peaceful and armed protests for independence all across the Archipelago. The event included patriotic cries and mass tearing of . After the discovery of the Katipunan by government officials, Bonifacio was quickly captured and later executed over staging a coup d'état and rebelling against the government. On August 25 the rebels attacked institutions loyal to the Queen and the central administration, which resulted in armed skirmishes between Katipunan and government forces, with casualties on both sides. Mass demonstrations and protests occurred in all major Philippine cities, including but not restricted to , , , , , , and . The , which took place on August 30, 1896, is considered the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution, yet finished with a Philippine defeat. Minister of Defense declared a "state of war" in eight provinces—, , , , , , , and —and placed them under . The Insulares the first independent Philippine government under the led by . The remaining Randesian officials in the Philippines fled to the island of .
The (December 15, 1897 - July 2, 1902) was subject to an American invasion over a proclamation of by President . The started on February 4, 1899, and concluded with the American occupation of the Philippines as an . The Randesian army largely stayed out of the war, excluding the defense of La Paragua.
===20th century===
====The Fateful Era and World War I====
Political turmoil over the separation of the Philippines led Randesia into a period of cultural, social, and economic recession known as the Fateful Era (in , la Época Aciaga). The first half of the 1910s saw the death of Isabel II and the beginning of 's reign, marked by political instability during its first years. A coup d'état attempt in 1912 by rebels of the Randesian police force ended abruptly Prime Minister Maximiliano Adulayej's term, who resigned two months later. Alfonso XII assumed for a brief time—from April 3, 1912, to December 7, 1912—to stabilize the country's situation, as stipulated in the Constitution of 1834. The of the Virgin of Rosalía in 1913 became a symbol of Randesian patriotism, which helped unite the country during the Fateful Era. The apparition also inspired a sentiment of pride distinct from Spain, the Philippines, and other countries.
Randesian officials allowed troops to station in the country during . Randesia declared war on and on July 13, 1917, three weeks after the Siamese entered the War. Both Siam and Randesia sent troops to Europe and thus were allowed to participate in the . As a result of Western intervention in Randesian life during World War I, the political and economic situation of the country began to palliate. The British and French agreed on trading treaties with Randesia. However, Alfonso XII condemned the of , , and , vocally claiming their sovereignty as independent nations and rejecting the French protectorate.
Randesia underwent a period of in the subsequent years, which transformed the country into one of the most dynamic and prosperous in Southeast Asia. The introduction of new technologies, the growth of commerce and trade, and the expansion of the educational system helped create a new , which played a vital role in the country's modernization. Textile factories and refineries flourished during the 1920s thanks to an opening to foreign investment. The first rail line in Randesia, the Steel Train, opened in 1922, connecting Nuevo Cádiz, Villa del Río, and Santa Ana.
The adoption of a new Constitution was approved after a referendum in 1921. It granted, among other rights, and the of Randesia. Alfonso XII changed his title to King of Randesia after a royal decree, which stated that the numbers for the Randesian house wouldn't change. The new Constitution was ratified in 1922. After the secularization of the country in the 1920s the city of became the place of origin of , a that gained traction in Southern Randesia among .
====World War II and Fábregas's dictatorship====
A section of the Randesian army, influenced by French and American , stormed the on February 28, 1924. The revolt failed but promoted the idea of republicanism among workers and peasants. The insurgency was considered by many as an attempt to establish a France-aligned government that favored French rule in Indochina. The National Republican Movement (MRN; : Movimiento Republicano Nacional) was an organization founded in 1924 by students of the University of Santa Ana that supported the overthrow of the monarchy. The MRN had informal support from the French government in Indochina and the American forces in the Philippines. 
The struggles brought about by the sunk the country into another economic recession. The government was forced to implement , and many were left unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. The worsening economic situation, coupled with the growing republican movement, led to the abdication of Alfonso XII in 1931 in favor of his son . The MRN won the parliamentary election of 1932, winning 113 out of 200 seats. 
The launched an invasion of Randesia and Thailand on December 8, 1941. The Randesian forces responded quickly but were overshadowed by the , which managed control of most of the country by 1942. A minority of Japanese Christians lived in Randesia since the early colonization years, which served as a justification for the invasion as a recovery of rightful Japanese territory. 's Thailand annexed portions of Western Randesia with Japan's aid following a secret protocol that allied both nations. The royal family managed to flee to ; meanwhile, MRN-aligned militias repelled the Japanese in mountainous areas with intense . After the end of World War II, Thailand ceded back the captured areas.
The National Republican Movement attempted to stabilize the country in the . The new government abandoned the previous and set up a with its capital in Nuevo Cádiz. A radical ultra-catholic section of the MRN, the Randesian Front, usurped power after the 1950 coup d'état. Its leader, , was a militant in the Randesian resistance during WWII and ruled the country with an iron fist for the next seventeen years. Fábregas's eliminated and those who opposed the regime—especially those from the Communist Party of Randesia. Japanese Randesians were similarly targeted by the government and blamed by public officials for the military occupation during the Second World War.
During Fábregas's regime, the country experienced considerable economic growth and industrialization. Randesia was isolated from its neighbors since they didn't recognize the new government. This led to a diplomatic crisis and tensions with bordering countries—primarily Angkor, which recently separated from Thailand and claimed large parts of Randesia, and 's Vietnam. King Jaime I, in exile, conducted a speech in against the Randesian Front and the iron-fisted rule of Fábregas. Up until the mid-1960s, the U.S. and the Randesian elite supported the government, though the country wasn't allowed to join or until after the death of the Generalissimo.
====Restoration of the monarchy====
The Añidorado Movement rallied against authoritarian rule and supported the return of the constitutional monarchy. It gained traction during the decade of the 1960s and organized protests against Fábregas, most of which turned violent. The largest of these marked the beginning of the Randesian Revolution, which started after mass demonstrations in Sanlúcar de Oriente on March 31, 1966. With the help of U.S. and Philippine forces, Fábregas was deposed and assassinated on December 30, 1966. The set a mandate in the country to guarantee a transition to democracy and coordinate elections. The MRN dissolved on April 2, 1967.
The constitutional monarchy was restored on January 9, 1970, after the ratification of the current constitution with as King. The constitution established Nuevo Cádiz as the seat of government and Santa Ana as the royal and judicial capital. A new flag was adopted carrying the colors of the Añidorado Movement; teal and gold. The first post-dictatorship elections were celebrated in 1971 and won by the Party for Justice, with Arthit Barceló as the Prime Minister. Randesia formalized diplomatic relations with all neighboring countries except Angkor, which kept its claim on Randesian land. The country was accepted into the United Nations on April 16, 1971, and into the (ASEAN) on May 2, 1971. Randesia's population experienced massive growth in the post-dictatorship years, nearly tripling its population between 1950 and 1990.
The that originated in did not affect severely Randesia's economy. As a result of the recession in Thailand, politicians in both countries began lobbying for economic reforms. The Southeast Asia Monetary Agreement of 2000 between Thailand, Randesia, and the Philippines pegged the and the to the Randesian peseta.
Randesia decriminalized in 2002, though had not been enforced since the Fábregas dictatorship. was legalized on July 3, 2007, under Marta María Ibáñez's rule. Ibáñez, elected in 2006, was the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister in the country's history, even though Randesia has had a female head of state in the past. Randesia is considered by many international organizations a pioneer for and in the region.
On June 19, 2014, the monarch, Juan Carlos I, in favor of his son after repeated scandals of and . Mass demonstrations fueled by ex-MRN members happened on the same day in all major cities, calling for higher transparency in the monarchy. 
 was elected as Prime Minister in 2019 after a was passed against Marcos Piñeda. The Party for Justice dissolved in 2019 after Piñeda's destitution. Salgueiro is considered the first person in modern history to hold presidential office. Under their term, Salgueiro has passed laws concerning LGBT, trans, intersex, and non-binary equality. Since 2021, Randesians have legally been able to (labeled as X in the National ID card) as an alternative to male and female.
==Geography==
==Politics==
===Foreign relations===
===Administrative divisions===
Provinces of Randesia
Province 	Capital 	
Santa Ana 	Santa Ana 	
Nuevo Cádiz 	Nuevo Cádiz 	
Costa Luz 	Arenablanca 	
Dasmariñas 	Alcázar 	
Basac 	Villa del Río 	
La Paragua 	Puerto Princesa 	
Nueva Andalucía	Sanlúcar de Oriente	
Maderas 	La Sierra 	
Torres 	Aguilares 	
==Economy==
===Transport===
===Energy===
===Tourism===
==Demographics==
===Religion===
===Languages===
==Culture==
===Arts and literature===
===Media===
===Music===
===Gastronomy===
===Sport===
===National holidays===
==See also==
This nation is ownedby Andalousian.
*Secondary Nations
*Seven Stars Council
*Randesia related articles
*Pages created by Andalousian
*Andaverse
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