Armonia

**Armonia,** officially the **Armonian Federation,** is a country in North America. It is formed of an unknown number of states which stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and borders the United States and Canada. Armonia's capital is currently in a state of transfer from Newisle to Cascadia (formerly known as Mattupolis). It's three largest cities are Newisle, Rockwood, and Cascadia.

Armonia is a highly developed country with a robust economy, and holds a significant source of global wealth. Armonia is a member state of the United Nations, NATO, World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

## History

Indigenous peoples have lived in Armonia for thousands of years. During the 17th century, British and French pilgrims settled in the region, starting on the Eastern coast at what is presently Newisle and moving further west. After Canada's successful revolution against the British and French empires, Armonia succeeded and confederated its former British and French regions without much military intervention.

Armonia's founders intended for the country to be a blend of influences from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

In 2019, the State of Alachua, a state consisting of mostly desert and canyons, succeeded from the Armonian Federation. The region experienced a wave of radical conservatism in the wake of the 2016 United States Presidential Election which exacerbated long simmer talks about succession. The Governor of Alachua declared the state as the Free Republic as Alachua. Its statehood status has been globally unrecognised by individual nations and non-governmental organisations. Alachua heavily relies on Armonia for aid and supplies which enter the nation through a heavily militarised border north of Newisle, making its independence more of a flawed reality.

The first capital of Armonia was Newisle, the country's most populous city. However, in January 2022 it was announced that the city of Mattupolis, would be resettled as Cascadia and be anointed as the new capital. Originally Armonia's third largest city, the reorganised city is expected to become the nations most populous after the transfer of government has been completed.

## Geography

Armonia is located in North America. It contains mountains, plains, forests, woodlands, and other biomes. The majority of the nation experiences a seasonal climate. Alachua, a state which recently succeeded from Armonia, contains a large desert north of Newisle which is considered a great geographical anomaly.

## Government

Armonia's Government is a Federal Republic, with a constitution of guiding principals that typically is overhauled once every 50 years. The country is lead by a President, who like all other elected officials is elected by rank-choice voting. Laws are determined by the Armonian Congress, made up of two representatives from each state.

Armonia has a number of federal agencies which create and enforce regulation throughout multiple industries. These agencies are typically denoted through the use of a lowercase "ar" prefix. See List of Federal Agencies in Armonia for the full operating list. The full Armonian government is branded as arGov.

### International Relations

Armonia has forged a close kinship with neighbouring countries like the United States and Canada, as well as the United Kingdom and France. It is regarded as a generally neutral nation and is the world's secondmost arbiter in international crises and congresses, after the United States.

#### Alachua

Armonia has turbulent association with Alachua, the nation state which succeeded from the Federation in 2019. Considered a rogue state by the United Nations, Alachua is unable to be fully independent due to its lack of ability to generate food, adequate electricity, and general services. It's succession is considered as a remarkable failure, as Armonia continues to serve as the primary importer of goods, mostly under the status of "Emergency Aid." The relationship between the two nations is viewed by the international community as Armonia serving a parental role to a tempermental teen, Alachua. In 2022, the President announced that aid to the state will dramatically cease unless Alachua begins to take accountability for its actions related to human rights violations and manipulation of its population.

## Transportation

Armonia has one of the most well-developed public transportation infrastructure systems in the world, heavily relying on rail transport over automobiles. Former railroad giants historically held more power of the motor vehicle industries at the turn of the century, and as a result Armonia invested more funds in expanding its rail network over highways. However, this has lead to deficiencies within its roadways which have not expanded to accommodate growth. It is currently the only nation in North America with more than one long distance high speed rail line, and has the first maglev train on the continent.

### Rail Transport

Armonia's rail infrastructure is considered to be one of the world's most superior and supports both freight and passenger traffic. Domestic and international rail is operated by the government owned arRail. Commuter rail, operated by the privately owned RER, and Metro systems are also heavily used in Cascadia, Newisle, and Rockwood. The Newisle Bay Area is also home to North America's first (and world's largest) Maglev system called the LOOP, operated by RER.

### Vehicular Transport

Unlike other North American countries, cars are not the primary mode of transportation due to Armonia's lack of investment in roadway infrastructure at the turn of the century. Expansion of Armonia's highway network, initially to increase more lanes, is an ongoing national project in order to accommodate expected population growth. However, societally, Armonians prefer to rely on public transportation to travel, which is exacerbated by high taxes and fees for vehicle owners.

### Air Transportation

Armonia has two large international airports, Cascadia Coleman International Airport and International Airport Newisle, with the former being the nation's busiest and largest by space and number of gates. The airports, specifically Cascadia's, are unique in that they serve as hubs for inner-continental connections for flights between smaller U.S. and Canadian cities, and their facilities have been redesigned for transiting via pre-clearance to their destination and avoid officially clearing the Armonian border. This process is called Passcontrol.

Cascadia also maintains a large seaplane base in District Embankment.

## Economy

Armonia is a major centre for entertainment, finance, and technology, and manufacturing. Port Cascadia is the nation's largest import/export terminal, followed by Port Columbia in Newisle.

## Society

Armonia is considered to be one of the most progressive nations in the world, and is a safe haven for immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and other persecuted minorities. It's also said to have the best relationship with its indigenous populations. It is also one of the most carbon neutral nations in the world and relies exclusively on renewable energies.

## Trivia

* Armonia's actual geographic position is vague, but it is part of the North American mainland and shares land borders with Canada. Cascadia is somewhat north of Vancouver.
* Armonia is named for a city which appeared in the show Red vs Blue.