Federal Republic of Encolina

Flag of the Federal Republic of Encolina

**Encolina**, officially the **Federal Republic of Encolina**, is a country in Vallinia. With a population of 962 million people and spanning 52 star systems, it is the most populous and expansive nation in Vallinia. The vast majority of people reside on the eponymous planet within the Lighthouse star system. The nation's official capital and largest city is Tollankunft, but Havenburg houses most of the governmental buildings. Other major cities include Mativoire, New Trent, and Eikersby.

Ever since it was surveyed and briefly settled in 2140 by the Vallin expedition, Encolina, and the Lighthouse system in general, remains an important transportation and communication hub, connecting Cunabula with Houhe and Terminia. Its first proper settlement was Tollankunft, established in 2146, and the European Federation quickly laid claim to the entire region afterward. Yet the planet experienced a sustained period of crisis during and immediately following the Great Blackout and was the site of the bloodiest battles of the Secessionist War. After the establishment of the Federal Republic, the nation was stabilized and became one of the founding members of the Stellar Confederate Union and the Vallinian Economic Community.

A federal parliamentary republic, the nation is seen as the powerhouse of the region. Nicknamed "The Jewel of Vallinia", Encolina itself consists of 34 states. It has a strong economy with a GDP of §51 trillion and a very high standard of living. Coupled with its strategic location, the nation plays a critical role in the growing cold war.

## Etymology

The name Encolina is derived from a corruption of Anchor's Line, the name of the first base on the planet, which was only inhabited for 2 months by the Vallin Expedition flotilla before being abandoned.

## History

### Vallin expedition

In 2136, Ferran Vallin led a European-sponsored effort to survey a vast region of space in a multi-year-long voyage away from Earth. The 6 ships of the flotilla departed the orbit of Koiwe, which had only been surveyed barely a year prior, and was led by the Arrowhead, a top-of-the-line exploratory vessel. 2 years into the expedition, the flotilla arrived at the Lighthouse system, named so by Vallin due to its bright light and latter use as a navigational reference point. The flotilla would also resupply by mining an asteroid orbiting the then-unnamed Encolina. A temporary planet-side outpost was built named Anchor's Line to determine the planet's habitability. The system would be visited by the expedition again in 2140 and once more in 2143 during the return trip when the outpost was fully abandoned

### Colonial era

After the end of the Vallin expedition and the resulting confirmation of habitability for many planets, including Encolina, a rush into the region ensued. The EF subsequently launched waves of colonization ships to the Lighthouse system. In early 2146, a large fleet arrived at the planetary system and founded the colony of Tollankunft.

Throughout the remainder of the century, more colonies were established, mostly on the continent of Hesperia. It competed with Siyek as the gateway and hub to more distant worlds in Vallin's Reach and beyond. As such, the development of the planet grew at breakneck speed, with North America and South America participating in order to reach their own new colonies. This included leasing territories and creating the Partnership for the Development of Encolinan Colonies (PDEC), an organization headed by the EF and joined by other nations and private entities. The ring of Encolina provides the necessary resources to build up the colony space infrastructure like the Lilybaeum spaceport and shipyard.

Towards the end of the Golden Age, Encolina was the economic linchpin of the wider region and was crucial for the colonization of Terminia. Terraforming efforts were well underway and many deemed the planet to be self-sufficient.

### Great Blackout

Due to the economic and political crisis back on Earth, communication between Sol and the colonies evaporated in the early 2210s. At that point, Encolina had been governed by the Colonial Government on Encolina subordinate to the European Federation on Earth, but beneath it was a convoluted system of colonies, departments, holdings, international leased and quasi-international leased territories, and frontier regions. The region's economy was reliant on the export of rare minerals and the transit of starships. Furthermore, the planet was still reeling from the 2209 Walchershire earthquake and tsunami, which affected a large portion of Eastern Hesperia and forced the abandonment of Walcher, then the 4th largest settlement on Encolina.

With news that likely no ship would arrive from Sol, the Colonial Government attempted to drastically reorganize itself and consolidate power in the absence of the EF, but the results were mixed. While the government in Tollankunft was able to streamline bureaucracy and had a solid hold in Hesperia, authority on the other continents remained weak. The colonial police force was undermanned and overstretched, unable to alleviate the growing panic and enforce a necessary but controversial planet-wide rationing. By 2216, power was increasingly transferred from the Governor-General, who was directly appointed by the EF, to the newly established General Council of Colonies. The rationing remained and proved somewhat successful, but its unpopularity caused an exodus of colonists from Hesperia to the other continents. It also led to a rise in criminal activities and a lack of central oversight due to the population being so spread out.

In the face of growing tensions, the General Council came to an agreement with the Partnership Council of PDEC. Private entities were given greater autonomy and influence as they supplemented local administrative functions in many regions. While this was only meant as a temporary measure to alleviate the burden of the General Council and to last up until the state apparatus could take over, that never fully materialized. Instead, these corporations gradually dominate and subsume local governments. Even as the economy stabilized and Encolina's space infrastructure was repaired and operational by the turn of the 2220s, the influences of those megacorporations only grew as the government in Tollankunft once more turned overly bureaucratic and ineffectual.

In 2223, the Tenerife, the only jump-capable ship present in the Lighthouse system, was successfully reactivated and able to jump to the nearby colony of Timakarna, establishing the first interstellar contact for the 2 colonies since the Great Blackout. Finally, in 2235, the Flor de Mar arrived from Earth, shortly followed by a European Federation flotilla, ending the Great Blackout in Encolina.

### Post-Blackout

While the Colonial Government was re-established and thus the position of Governor-General was renewed, both the General Council and the Partnership Council were kept, which included a multitude of corporate-influenced administrations. This was partly due to the necessity of maintaining stability and partly due to the difficulties of maintaining ties with such a relatively distant colony. Coupled with the general reluctance by Earth states to spend as much as they did pre-Blackout on extrasolar colonization, home rule was given and the prevalence of the megacorporations was ensured. The Partnership Council, once made up entirely of Earth corporations and states, began to be replaced by new domestic megacorporations through seizing assets and mergers.

By the 2240s, United Encolina Heavy Industries came to be the largest of them all, outcompeting their rivals. They signed numerous lucrative government contracts to extract, refine, and export minerals, to build infrastructure including Vallin's Rest station and the space elevator connecting it down to the UEHI-developed city of Mativoire, and to build starships. UEHI managed to expand its influence beyond the confines of the Lighthouse system as Earth entities began to employ them to develop colonies and trading routes in the regions of Terminus and Houhe. This model was seen as incredibly successful, as UEHI was joined by other megacorporations in dominating the interstellar frontier.

However, support among the general population of Encolina for UEHI waxed and waned. Many felt wary and concerned about the level of control UEHI had, and the waves of corruption scandals involving the company that nevertheless didn’t result in any meaningful action by their government only fueled further suspicion. Legal disputes between UEHI and the Colonial Directorate publicly ensued in the late 2270s as the latter tried to rein in the influence of the megacorporations, fearing they had strayed too far from the interests of Earth, which only divided the population more. The economic decline in Steuria, New Sicily, and Septentria created more resentment while UEHI and other megacorporations facilitated secessionist and anti-Earth rhetoric through their media subsidiaries.

### Secessionist War

In 2281, armed groups sprang up across Encolina as an unknown fleet of warships jumped into orbit in coordination with similar events across the frontier. The Independent Worlds Concord was proclaimed, a secessionist manifesto supported by UEHI and other megacorporations. Private security contractors turned on European colonial security forces as members of the General Council voiced their support of the IWC against the orders of the Colonial Government. Tollankunft was put under siege and by 2282, IWC forces seized the entirety of Hesperia and Alemmar except for the Furstia region, while the fleets of Earth had been routed from Vallinia. The IWC-aligned Encolinan Free Republic was founded and declared in Vetasbril, also historiographically known as the Vetasbril Republic.

The Lighthouse system became the staging ground for the offensive into Houhe and thus held a large IWC military presence. In 2283, the simultaneous Geminissos and Antinen Offensive began with a large-scale orbital bombardment of the 2 continents before landing troops in major cities. Yet these were frustrated by local resistance, thus Ventasbril forces were only successful in cities of Southern Antinen. The situation remained at a stalemate, as IWC forces fully resorted to indiscriminate orbital bombardment and blockade. Finally, as Koiwe was retaken by the Strategic Coalition of Allied States in 2284, a path was opened to Lighthouse. SCAS forces began frequent raids into the system until a full-on assault took place in early 2285. A massive Coalition fleet arriving in orbit of Encolina shortly followed, relieving the Havenburg Republic even if only slightly. For the next 3 years, the territories in the system continuously changed hands while SCAS kept challenging orbital supremacy over Encolina. The orbit of the planet was dubbed a “bloody scrapyard”, and countless ceasefires had to be called for both sides to extract casualties from crippled ships. In 2288, when it becomes clear the IWC was losing, both sides agreed to end the war. The Treaty of Tollankunft was signed, and IWC forces and sympathizers slowly withdrew from the Lighthouse system to the other side of the Treaty Line.

### Reunification and independence

It took a full year before the Vetasbril Republic was completely abolished and incorporated into a unified Encolinan government, though the government kept meeting in Havenburg, which had grown into a modest city due to refugees and whose infrastructure wasn't as heavily damaged as everywhere else. When the Colonial Directorate was dissolved in 2290, the European Federation had already begun the long process of building up a fully independent but allied Encolinan state. In 2291, the Federal Republic of Encolina was proclaimed. Tollankunft was officially recognized as the capital and where the office of the President is located, but the vast majority of federal institutions resided in Havenburg. Immediately after the first government, led by the Social Democrats with the Socialist as a junior partner, was sworn into office, it signed the Treaty of Chowamori and became a member of the fledgling Stellar Confederate Union.

All the way to the dawn of the 24th century, Chancellor Tappin Lie and their government were mainly preoccupied with rebuilding the nation through cooperation with Earth, helping to increase SCU influence in Vallinia, and tackling megacorporations. UEHI and others were fully disbanded, inflation was mitigated, and trade resumed thanks to massive government investment.

### Modern

The general election of 2303 brought a majority to a coalition led by the Christian Democratic Party in the National Council, who then voted in Chancellor Lucien Di Maggio. The rest of the decade was marked by a relaxed federal government and efforts to reduce the national debt, while also building up the military in the face of the growing Cold War. The country also helped to found the Vallinian Economic Community in 2307. Parliament once again had a Social Democrats-led coalition majority under Chancellor Emmaline Rosset in 2311 but was reversed by the next election in 2315. That election also saw the Left Alternative, a far-left political party, win seats in the National Council for the first time while the People’s Party for Freedom successfully ran on an increasingly radical platform. The government under Chancellor Lumír Dyk was unstable due to the right extremist faction in his coalition. That culminated in an unexpected boon for centrist parties, like the Liberal Forum and the Moderate Party, who merged into the Liberal-Moderate Platform under the leadership of Timoteo Sauréz Parilla ahead of the 2319 general election. The party would win an unprecedented plurality of the vote, managing to overtake the Social Democrats and CDP. The three parties eventually agreed to enter into a grand coalition.

## Geography

### Lighthouse system

At the center of the system is Lighthouse, a massive white F5V-type main sequence star. Orbiting it are 10 planets: a hot gas giant, 5 inner rocky planets, 2 outer gas giants, and 2 ice giants. Additionally, circumstellar disks exist between Rodeas (Lighthouse I) and Lucecita (Lighthouse II), between Tapillind (Lighthouse VI) and Tanflach (Lighthouse VII), and beyond Propast (Lighthouse X), named the Inner Circuit, the Middle Circuit, and the Outer Circuit respectively. The most massive planet is Tanflach, a gas giant with a mass over 9 times that of Jupiter. However, Rodeas, a hot puffy gas giant, is the largest planet in the system, almost twice the size of Jupiter.

Encolina, or Lighthouse V, is the 5th planet from the star and currently has no natural satellites.

### Planet

The planet of Encolina is very similar to Earth both in size and surface area, with a mass of around 0.97M🜨. The land is comparatively more fragmented, commonly divided into 6 or 7 continents. From largest to smallest, they are Hesperia, Antinen, Septentria, Geminissos, Alemmar, New Sicily, and Steuria. The debate over whether to consider New Sicily as a continent or just a subcontinent of Hesperia is still ongoing.

The geography of the crescent-shaped Hesperia is defined by the New Alps, an old mountain range that stretched across the thin continent. Below it and across the Hesperides Sea is Alemmar, made up of the large island of Alemmar itself and various islands. Across the Grand Encolinan Sea is Antinen, where the highest peak, Mount Virant, is located within the Northern Antinen Mountains. On the other side of the Cold Sea is Septentria, with its Tullineri Mountains range. The continent of Geminissos is actually 2 subcontinent-sized islands, East and West Geminissos.

Thanks to extensive terraforming, most of the planet is considered temperate, with a diverse mix of other climate types.

## Government and politics

### Government

Encolina is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The Encolinan Parliament is the bicameral legislature of the nation, consisting of the National Council and the Federal Council. The 786 members of the National Council are elected directly using the mixed-member proportional representation system with an election held every 4 years or sooner if the government falls and the Council is dissolved. It is the dominant chamber in the legislative process in Encolina and is the one to form the government. The Federal Council is the upper house of Parliament, and its members represent and are appointed by their respective state governments, and each state can appoint between 2 to 6 members depending on their population.

The Federal President is the head of state of the nation and is elected directly through universal suffrage every 6 years. Though the position is mostly ceremonial, it is endowed with great reserve power. The office is currently held by Gerlinde Schafer. The Federal Chancellor is the head of the Encolinan government, who is appointed by the President to form a government with the confidence of the lower house. They have always been the leader of the largest party of the coalition, which includes the current Chancellor, Timoteo Sauréz.

Politics used to be dominated by the rivalry between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democratic Party, but in the 2319 general election, the newly-merged centrist Liberal-Moderate Platform unexpectedly won a plurality of the vote and a grand coalition was formed between the Social Democrats, LMP, and CDP in the face of growing extremism in the nation like the Left Alternative and the People's Party for Freedom.

### Administrative divisions

As a federation, Encolina is divided into 34 federal states, 3 of which are city-states (Tollankunft, Havenburg, Mativoire). States are further subdivided into municipalities and each is headed by a governor, though the position is called first-mayor in the city-states. Although the largest state is Fjarburg, the most populous is Furstia. The Furstsee metropolitan region, which includes Tollankunft, the part of Furstia that borders the Furst Sea, and Mativoire, is the largest on the planet. Outside of the 3 city-states, the smallest state is New Romsa. Meanwhile, the least populous is the state and continent of Steuria.

### Military

The Encolinan Federal Armed Forces are the military and paramilitary forces of Encolina, and consist of 5 branches: the Planetary Army, Maritime Service, Air and Space Force, Space Navy, and the Federal Gendarmerie. Under the President of Encolina as the commander-in-chief, it is the largest armed force in Vallinia and among the most powerful outside of Cunabula. As a member state of the Stellar Confederate Union, the Armed Forces is heavily integrated into the wider Union military structure and standardization. It is a prominent donor of equipment to the Collective Security and Defense Forces, especially the SCU Vallinian Command, which is always led by an Encolini. As such, almost all of the military used standardized equipment including star vessels. However, combat ships for Encolinan use are usually assembled domestically at Glaucus Shipyard above Tapillind, but it isn't rare for larger ships to be built by Tybin and transferred over.

The nation's immense strategic importance is due to its 3 hypergates connecting to the Tenno, Sohlesi, and Castrum star systems. This means the Lighthouse system is the hub connecting Earth and Vallinia to the neutral Houhe and Frontierran Terminia. It is this position that made it a major battleground during the Secessionist War. Yet it allowed the Encolinan Armed Forces today to be very experienced, and the wartime structures of 30 years ago like bunkers, airfields, defense emplacements, and more, are still being used and upgraded.

## Symbol

The symbol of the planet has always been the arrowhead thanks to the Arrowhead of the Vallin expedition. Not only does it represent the planet's and by extension the nation's history, but the upward arrow also symbolizes the progress and the spirit of the country.

The motto started out as a nickname for the system. Originally, the full version was "The Jewel of Europe in Vallin's Reach" in reference to its significance to the European Federation. Eventually, it was shortened and popularized as "The Jewel of Vallinia". It was unofficially adopted as the national motto of the new Federal Republic by appearing frequently on tourism posters and government events.