Accorlia

Accorlia, officially the Commonwealth of Accorlia, is a sovereign country comprising of the mainland of Accorlia, the island of Teeuwen and numerous smaller islands. The island of Moroke is shared between Accorlia, Australia, and New Zealand as apart of the Trans-Tasman Pact, however, is officially recognized as a territory of Accorlia by the United Nations. The neighboring countries are Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. Accorlia's capital is Victoria, and its largest city is Albany.

Prior to European Settlement in 1804, Accorlia was originally inhabited by the Jarragah, a combination of Indigenous Australians and Polynesians. During European expeditions of the early 1600’s, the land, alongside Australia and New Zealand was discovered by Dutch explorers. Accorlia was settled and officially claimed by Great Britain on the 25th of August, 1804. By the 1860’s, eight autonomous crown colonies had been made distinguishable and the entire mainland of Accorlia had been discovered, with a steadily growing population. On the 1st of June, 1889, the eight colonies federated into what is known as the Commonwealth of Accorlia. Accorlia now maintains a western democracy as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy which comprises of the eight states.

Accorlia has the 16th-largest economy and 30th highest per capita income. Its human development index sits at 4th in the world, due to a high quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties, and diversity. Accorlia is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Forum, Pacific Island Forum and the Trans-Tasman Pact. Accorlia is a heavily urbanized country and has a population of  26 million people. Accorlia is also considered one of the most ethnically-diverse nations, with immigration accounting for 28.5% of the population, ranking it 6th for the largest immigrant populations in the world.

## Etymology

The Indigenous populations of the island originally called the island ‘Accurpera,’ meaning ‘the land of green hills.’ The Jarragah used this to refer to the mainland, where Teeuwen referenced the Eastern island and Moroke for the Southern island. The word was mostly used to refer to the Tebec Mountain Ranges, which surround the southern city.

After Wilhelm de le Pol, a Dutch explorer arrived on the east coast, he referred to the island as ‘Nieuwe-Gelderland,' or 'New Gelders' in English. Due to it's heavy symbolic reference to the Dutch control over the land in the past, Governor Fredrick Albany decided it was necessary to change the name. As apart of federation in 1889, the name was changed to ‘Accurlis,’ an adaption of the native word ‘Accur’ meaning “earth or land” and the Latin suffix ‘lis ’ meaning “pertaining of” (literally “pertaining of earth") In 1901, following the Federation of Australia, officials decided to anglicise the name into ‘Accorlia,’ changing the “u” to “o” and turning the suffix ‘lis’ into plural form.

## History

### **Pre-colonial history**

Much of the native habitation of the Accorlian land came from both Indigenous Australians and Polynesians. It is predicted that an unknown Aboriginal tribe traveled to the island around 60,000 years ago through man-made vessels carrying ten-fifteen people each. The Aboriginal tribe began populating the west-coast as far as modern-day Windella.  This society is known to historians as the ‘first generation Jarragah peoples’ as no coalesce between the Polynesians and Aboriginal people had occurred.  It is estimated around 1200 that the Polynesian travelers had reached the land, and soon began populating the east-coast as far as Westad. Historians believe that around 1350, the two cultures met for the first time around the north-coast where both parties were unwilling to give up land. It believed that there was serious conflict between the two groups which wiped out nearly half of the first generation Jarragah peoples. After conceding defeat, the two cultures began integrating and lived at peace, becoming what is known to historians as the 'second generation Jarragah peoples' or more simply the 'Jarragah.'

The word ‘Jarragah’ means “the body of the spirit” in the Coombillie tribe of the east coast, and has been used since the beginning of the second generation Jarragah peoples. Jarragans were considered a hunter-gatherer tribe, however, there was substantial evidence to suggest that on the south-coast the were growing wheat. The north coast of the Accorlian land is believed to have been visited by Melanesians, or Torres Strait Islanders, and by fisherman of Maritime Southeast Asia.

### **European Colonisation**

The first recorded European sighting of the Accorlian mainland is attributed to the Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, in 1610.  The first European ship captained by Wilhelm de le Pol to land on the coastline was in 1645, as part of an exploration mission. The same ship traced the coastline, including the island of Teeuwen as apart of the mainland, and named the island Nieuwe-Gelderland, or “New Gelders” in English. John Coleton, an English explorer, arrived in the same area as de le Pol had in 1751. Coleton arrived in modern-day Warrington, where he and his crew stayed for two-weeks before departing again. In 1776, Captain James Cook sailed past the east-coast of Accorlia, and after naming  New South Wales, decided that the new island was to remain known as New Gelders, however, claimed under Great Britain.

After the American Revolution, there was a major loss in British colonies. Fifteen years after the First Fleet left from Portsmouth, England, the Government aimed to treat New Gelders as a new penal colony similar to Australia and would aim to transport dignitaries, governors, military officers, farmers, miners and convicts to this country. Led by Commodore Fredrick Albany, a royal navy officer, the 'New Gelders Fleet of 1802' set out first to Botany Bay, and arrived at Albany Cove on the 25th of August, 1804. The first fleet of ships to reach Accorlia carried mostly convicts, who helped in the exploration and settlement in other areas. By 1810, the entire west-coast had been explored and several colonies had been formed. Gradually, new colonies formed out of the existing New Gelders, like Warrington (now known as Delapole), Victoria (now included within Delapole), Coleton and Centerra  The colonists had also made their way to the island of Teeuwen by boat, and learned that it was a separate island. Both Victoria and New Portsmouth (now known as Tebec)  became "free provinces," meaning they were not a penal colony which accepted convicts, however by 1835, had obligated in the acceptance of convicts. By 1836, there were eight prominent crown colonies who frequently traded with each other. In 1856, the last convict ship arrived once the eight colonies had unanimously voted to stop convict transportation. By the 1860's, the population sat at roughly 115,000 as per government reports.

During this period of colonization, the Jarragah people were first accepting of European settlement however soon became reluctant, and began a heavy conflict with the colonists. After experiencing extreme amounts of fatalities, from infectious diseases like smallpox, the Jarragah had been pushed back to the east coast area of Paiffen. This would become a refuge point for the Indigenous Accorlians, and until this day remains the highest amount of native population. The Jarragah also featured serious displacement and were often forcefully moved from their tribal homes in order to allow for colonial expansion. As part of the 1962 Indigenous Act, the Federal Government enacted on recovering the relationship between the two cultures, and since that day has been working to increase the population, as well as give them cultural-recognition as apart of the Accorlian legacy.

### **Federation**

After years of prosperity and growth, the eight original colonies began holding talks of a federation of states in the 1880's, discussing how the possibilities of a unified nation could be done in the best possible way. In 1888, the first draft of the new federated colonies was released to the public and received mixed emotions. This was mostly due to Victoria, which was considered the noblest of the new colonies, had been combined as apart of the state of Warrington. Victorians believed they were entitled to their own state, however, was rejected by Governor's Chalmot, Albany, and Shelton. On the 1st of June, 1889, the eight colonies federated into what was now the Commonwealth of Accurlis as a dominion of the British Empire.

In 1901, after Australian federation, Prime Minister Chalmot decided to rename the newly-founded country to Accorlia to anglicise the name. In 1905, the federal government decided to split the state of Paiffen, creating North Paiffen, which was to be treated as sacred land. Many people were outraged by this decision to give the Jarragah entitlement, however, the government was confident in their decision. With this, there was now ten states. In the following year, the federal government decided to amalgamate the two states on Teeuwen Island, South-East Territory and New Windsor, into Coburg. This returned the number of federal states to nine, which satisfied the government in ruling the nation.  Accorlia was called to arms by the British during WWI. More then three-quarters of the countries military service occurred on the Western Front alongside the allies, while the other quarter was sent to fight alongside the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli. This event was considered the birth of the close ties between the three nations, in what would be a future of close trade, military co-operation, and migration. Almost half of the 310,000 soldiers who fought returned wounded, while a quarter of that number was killed on the battlefront. During WWII, Accorlia took up the same position as they did in WWI, in assisting Great Britain. Accorlian soldiers, alongside Australia, New Zealand and Britain faced defeat in Asia in 1942 and were under the threat of losing allied Australia to invasion. Australia led the act to approach the United States as an ally and protector, and alongside Accorlia and New Zealand became apart of a formal military agreement between the four nations, knowns as 'AANZUS.'

After WWII, Accorlia started seeing major political, social, economic and cultural landscaped changed. on the 25th of March, 1950, the Statue of Westminster was ended and most constitutional links between Accorlia and the UK was to be ceased. After years of lenient border control, the federal government decided it would be appropriate to take in more immigrants from Europe following WWII. A majority of these people came from the southern-European countries such as Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. The government also promoted immigration from Asian countries like China, Japan, and Vietnam, in what was considered the biggest cultural transformation the country had undergone. With several cultures assimilating, as well as a rapidly-modernizing society, Accorlia became the model country for the other Oceania countries, in particular, the countries Tasman partners. Paiffen eventually amalgamated once again into Paiffen in 1958, after a continuous argument between the population. It had now become a state solely dedicated to the Jarragah, with a new flag being devised in 1959 - leading the way in Indigenous recognition for its past peoples.

On the 1st of January 1989, Accorlia ended all judicial links between Great Britain, removing the ability for appeals to be made to the Privy Council of London. This later became known as the 'Cessation Act of 1989.' On the 16th of October, 1992, Accorlia, Australia and New Zealand signed the 'Trans-Tasman Pact.' This involved creating official ties for reduced cost of trade between countries, co-operative military services and strategies, migration benefits and other things involving reduced healthcare, living, transport and education when immigrating between each country. Accrolia has become a well-respected trading partner for Europe and North American nations and has been refining their foreign policies to create more benefits between two-party trades. In 2001, Peter Grantham, an MP from Albany began advocating for Accorlia to become a republic. In 2002, a referendum was held and more than half of voters were against this idea, however, to give the country more identity the flag was changed.

## Geography

### **General Characteristics**

Accorlia is situated in the Tasman Sea between Australia to the west and New Zealand to the east. Both Teeuwen and Moroke islands are separated from the mainland by the Coburg Strait, which extends along the south-coast all the way to the east coast. Accorlia also has various uninhabited islands surrounding the mainland, including Cathcart Island and Suttons Island to the north, Galligan Island in the south-east, and Forster Island on the east. Accorlia has a landmass of 3,028, 251 square kilometers and has a width of 1,948km meaning it takes up a majority of the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The landmass is located with the Australian Plate, and it's east-coast is believed to be apart of the microcontinent Zealandia.

The Australian-owned Great Barrier Reef is located 6 kilometers off the north-coast and encompasses both the Cathcart and Suttons Islands. Mount Gillen, located within the Tebec Mountain Ranges, is the highest peak, at 3,268 meters. The second and third tallest mountains are Mount Tabitol at 2,763 meters and Mount Minesley at 2,561, located in Paiffen and Teeuwen respectively. Much of the coastline is surrounded by mountain ranges, whilst the central regions are the lowest point on the island. Lake Marago holds the countries the largest amount of freshwater at 632 square kilometers, which is a rare feature due to the general absence of glacial and tectonic activity in and around the island. Many of the topographical features in Accorlia are a result of the Australian plate in relation to the island.

The mainland has an extensive differentiation of landscapes, including semi-tropical rainforests along the north-coast, mountainous terrain particularly around each of the coastlines and also flat, arid grassland around the center and north-east regions. Many farms and agricultural industry is located in the east or the south, due to the low soil fertility which expands across the west of the island.

### **Climate**

The climate of Accorlia is similar to New Zealand and to a certain extent, Australia.  The mainland is dominated by a temperate oceanic climate, which consumes the south, east, and west coasts. In the north, there is also an example of a warm oceanic climate, due to the location of the island to the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle. There is also a temperate Mediterranean climate located in the far north-coast, which is mostly located on the town of Ramona. In the central parts of the country, there are examples of warm and cold semi-arid environments, as well as a cold desert climate. These areas are primarily made up of grassland and shrub.

In accordance with the results of the 2018 Accorlia Meteorology Office (AMO) as apart of its 60-year anniversary, the highest recorded temperature was 38.6°C in Romsey, Chalmot on the 23rd of January, 2004 and the lowest recorded temperature was -17.9°C in Romullah Creek, North Paiffen on the 6th of August, 2012. The western portion of the country usually experiences warmer conditions, particularly due to winter, as per the ocean currents of the Pacific Oceans. It's location to the Pacific Ocean makes gives it a milder temperature during the winter months, as the flow of currents favors that particular coast. The northern portion of the country experiences more humid conditions, due to its close proximity to the Pacific Islands as well as the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle. There is also an example of a Mediterranean temperate climate, which mostly encapsulates Genoa and Rapallo Beach. This sees a more dryer summer, which can only be explained as a terrain deformity surrounding that section of coastline. The southern portion of the country is both a mix of temperate and semi-arid conditions, due to the Jildin Desert, Chalmot, which takes up the center of the island. On both the southern Walbook and Rutland Peninsulas, there is also an oceanic temperate climate, and which allows for more tree growth and received more yearly rainfall. The eastern portion is of a similar climate to the west and south, however colder because of its distance from the equator.

### **Biodiversity**

Accorlia's isolation from the world has allowed it to foster a diverse range of habitats from alpine heaths to temperate rainforests and is recognized as a megadiverse country because of this uniqueness. Because of its past relationship with the Australia continent, diverse weather patterns and geographic separation have allowed the Accorlian biota to develop individually over history. Approximately 82% of flowering plants, 78% of mammals, 50% of birds and 85% of in-shore fish are individually endemic to the island. Accorlia, alongside Australia and Antartica, is the only continent that developed without a prominent feline species. Feral cats were only introduced in the 17th century by Dutch shipwrecks and then by British settled in the 18th century. Many of these feral cats now pose a threat to native, small marsupials, and have endangered some species to the point of extinction.

Notable Accorlian animals are the monotremes bleameia and nodopora, marsupials like the nimiokla and echaloot, and birds such as the chalmu, coukaroo and the chilkerney eagle. The bleameia is apart of the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals who sharp spikes on its back and a long beak enabling it to reach into termite nests. The animal draws similarity to the echidna, however bleameia are twice the size and are enabled to stand. The nodopora is a semiaqautic creature which is also apart of the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. They have short, stout limbs held out from the body with a small beak, and spend much of their time in creeks and lagoons. The nimiokla is a arboreal herbivorous marsupial and is a lot like the koala. The nimiokla requires a proportionately more intensive diet due to its size and has large eye-sockets which enable the ability to see at night. As well as this, they are a lot more mobile then the koala, while also having a narrower snout. The echaloot is a slim and elegant macropus which has a pale ashy-brown pelt with a distinct black mark on its face reaching from its nose to the eye. They are generally shorter then a metre, and hop by means of transport. The chalmu, a lot like the emu, are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.6 metres (5.2 ft) in height. Emus can travel great distances, and when necessary can sprint at 55 km/h (34 mph). The coukaroo are terrestrial tree kingfishers, and are found all across the land. They have a distinct chirping, which they often make before they take flight and after they land. The chilkerney eagle, named after the small coastal settlement in Teeuwen, is the largest bird of prey in Accorlia and is considered the national bird. It is located mainly on the east coast, however because of it's 2.98 m (9 ft 8 in) it is considered the national bird of Accorlia. The land is also host to various reptile species, and has a very extensive history of prehistoric megafauna, share with Australia and New Zealand.

Accorlia also has many different plant and fungi species endemic to the land. One of these is the coniferous leriter tree, which covers 94,000,000 hectares of native forest. The tree grows to a height of 55 metres (180 ft) with a trunk exceeding 1 metre (3 ft) in diameter, and is buttressed at the base. Another endemic species is the Teeuwen parala, a shrub genus which is exclusive only to Teeuwen, Curtins Island and parts of the east coast. All species are pod-bearing, with sap and leaves often bearing large amounts of tannins and condensed tannins that historically found use as pharmaceuticals and preservatives. The federal *Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1995* is the legal framework for the protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have been created to protect and preserve unique ecosystems. Accorlia was ranked 8th out of 180 countries in the world on the 2018 Environmental Performance Index.

## Government and politics

Accorlia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as its apex as the Queen of Accorlia, who is represented through the Governor-General, Peter Kelly. The Governor-General acts as a legal figurehead for the actions of the Prime Minister and Executive Council and thus have no actual decision-making or de facto government role. However, in extreme circumstances, the Governor-General is enabled to make decisive parliamentary and constitutional changes, using his reserve powers. These can be done both with and without the Prime Ministers request.

The federal government can be narrowed down to three separate branches:

* Legislature: the basic Parliamentary system, which comprises of the Governor-General, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

* Executive: the Executive Council gives legal effect to the decisions of ministers below, comprising of the Prime Minister and advisory ministers to the Governor-General

* Judiciary: The Supreme Court of Accorlia and other federal courts, whose judges are chosen based on the decisions made by the Executive Council.

In the Senate, or upper house, there are 96 senators, or twelve from each state, while in the House of Representatives, or lower house, there are 165 electorates or seats, which is decided based on the population of an individual area. Elections are held every three years for both chambers simultaneously. Due to the fact senators have six-year terms, only 60 of the 96 seats are available each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a double dissolution.

Under Accorlian jurisdiction, voting is compulsory for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In cases where no party has majority support, the Governor-General has the constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and, if necessary, dismiss one that has lost the confidence of Parliament.

There are two major political groups that usually form government both federally and in the states. The Accorlian Labor Party, a center-left political party, usually addresses social and cultural issues based on the ideals of the worker. The Liberal Party, a center-right political party, usually addresses economic and foreign issues based on the ideals of big business and privatized companies. There are also various other minor parties within Accorlia government, such as The Greens, The Conservative Party, The Christian Party, Accorlian Workers Party, Grantham Republican Movement, Liberal Nationals and the Accorlian Democrat Party.

In July 2016, Martin Dossman was sworn in as Prime Minister after successfully defeating former Labor leader William Tallon. This came after the controversial Labor scandal, which saw a select few MP’s allegedly forging votes in order to regain their seat, primarily in regional Accorlia. This saw the end to an eleven-year dominance by the Labor party, who only saw a change in two Prime Ministers during that period.

### ​​​​**States**

Accorlia has eight states – Delapole (DLP), Coleton (CTN), New Durham (NDR), Chalmot (CHL), Launceston (LST), Paiffen (PFN), Richmond (RMD) and Teeuwen (TWN). Each state has plenary legislative power, essentially meaning the can legislate on any subject, like education, health, criminal law, state police, transport and local government. The Federal Parliament does not have any specific power to legislate in these areas, however, have the ability to overrule decisions if inconsistent with national progress.

Additionally, the Federal Parliament has the power to levy an income tax which, coupled with the power to make grants to the States, has given it the financial means to incentivize States to pursue specific legislative agendas within areas over which the Commonwealth does not have legislative power.

Each state has its own bicameral parliament, with the exception of a unicameral in Paiffen. The states are sovereignties, however, are subject to certain powers of the Commonwealth as defined by the Constitution. In state parliament, the lower house is known as the Legislative Assembly and the upper house is known as the Legislative Council. The head of state government is the Premier, and the Governor of each state is a representative of the Queen.

Accorlia also is direct administrators of the external territories Cathcart Island, Suttons Island, Galligan Island, Foster Island and Moroke Island, which is used a military base for both Accorlia and Australia. Each of the territories exercises a considerable amount of autonomy under the, however, are still emitted into Accorlian tax and welfare systems, not including Moroke Island. The Cathcart and Suttons Islands are currently administered by New Durham, Galligan Island by Coleton and Foster Island by Teeuwen. Moroke Island is considered a shared territory under the Trans-Tasman Pact and is not recognized as a legislated territory of Accorlia, however under official United Nations legislature is considered Accorlian territory. It is purely used as an offshore military base for the AANZ armed forces, navy forces and air forces.

### **Foreign Relations**

Accorlia’s foreign relations are primarily focused around free trade agreements, military, and aid for those countries that need it. Accorlia is a very built on a very multilateral government, meaning the country is in strong unison with those around it, as well as overseas countries. The most notable alliance is the Trans-Tasman Pact, which includes the major nations Australia, Accorlia and New Zealand and also minor nations like Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. This deal, instigated on the 16th of October 1992, involved the creation of pact between these closely-tied countries. It involves reducing the trade between each country, providing a co-operative military service which works coequally out of Moroke Island, as well as migration benefits for emigration between the two countries, with benefits like reduced healthcare, cost of living, transportation, welfare, and education. The mainland forum is located in Victoria, headed by Accorlian Julian Reintz while the island forum is located in Port Vila, headed by Ni-Vanuatu Huatare Wati. The Trans-Tasman Pact has allowed Accorlia to gain a closer companionship with these countries, allowing its own growth in the process.

The AANZUS Treaty is also an important pact between the Pacific countries and America, which arose the Accorlia-United States Free Trade Agreement. The Pacific Islands Forum and The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum have allowed Accorlia to create a connection between the Pacific countries and Asian countries for trade. Accorlia is also a part of international organizations like the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Forum and is a recognized and respected member of the United Nations. These international relationships have also benefitted Accorlia in growing their own economy, creating various trade opportunities.

They also remain a prominent member of the Commonwealth of Nations, consisting of territories under the British Empire. As Accorlia is considered a Commonwealth Realm, it is a requirement for the country to submit a Head of Government for meetings which discuss the mutual interest of countries. Through Accorlia, the Commonwealth enforces basic principles such as democracy, liberty, anti-discrimination and free trade to create a social, cultural, economic and political stability

### **Military**

The national armed forces, the Accorlian National Defence Force (ADNF), consists of the Accorlian Royal Navy (ARN), Accorlian Royal Air Force (ARAF) and the Accorlian Armed Forces (AAF). As of October 2014, the total number of personnel was 70,812, which includes both regulars and reservists. The Chief Commander revolves around the power of the Governor-General, who has overriding authority over the particular body of action, similarly to other aspects of government. Day-to-day force operations are under the command of the Chief, while broader administration and the formulation of defense policy is undertaken by the Minister and Department of Defence.

In the 2017-18 budget, defense spending comprised of 1.3% of GDP, making it the world’s 20th largest defense budget. Accorlia is mostly involved in regional peacekeeping, disaster relief and armed conflict, which includes the recent deployment of personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Accorlia is also located in six other countries as part of international operations.

## Economy

Accorlia has a very advanced market economy, ranked fourth in the 2016 Human Development Index and seventh in the 2018 Index of Economic Freedom. The economy is of a high-income and has a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of US$47,290. The national currency is the Accorlian Dollar (ACD) and circulates around the mainland as well as the offshore territories.

Accorlia historically has had agriculture and extractive industries contributing strongly to the nation’s economy, centering around sealing, whaling, flax, wheat and native timber. After the breakthrough of refrigerated shipping, broader meat and dairy industries boomed as a strong export relationship has been established with Great Britain and Australia, allowing a strong basis for economic growth in the region. Accorlia always remained consistent with its economic growth, using the demand for agriculture products by the United Kingdom and the United States as another to create another spike in the economy. After the United Kingdom joined the European Union in 1973, the economy declined for a short period of time after demand had begun to cease.  Alongside the 1973 oil and 1979 energy crisis’, the Accorlian economy has not seen that big of a drop in its history. The economic recessions of the 1980s including the Early 1980s recession and the Stock Market Slump saw the Accorlian purge even further, resulting in living standards decreasing behind the rest of the Western World. In 1983, the lowest per-capita income in Accorlia’s modern history has been recorded. In order to recover the Prime Minister of the time, Benjamin Harris, introduced new economic policies such as reducing taxes, interest rates, government expenditure and an increase in high-priced commodities and personal savings in an attempt to jump-start the economy. At first, the economy was not able to increase in the way Harris suggested it would, however after the first year the economy boomed, further then it had prior to the 1970s. This major macroeconomic restricting rapidly transformed the economy from a protectionist economic environment to a free-trade economy. The Trans-Tasman deal between the Pacific Island nations allowed the country to meagrely escape the recessions of the 1990s, emphasizing the need for trade and economic cooperation between the nations.

As a result of the 1980s economic crisis’ unemployment peaked at 9.2%, however after the adjusted economic systems fell to 3% in 2005, and then to 3% again in 2014. After the Global Financial Crisis which hit America in 2008, Accorlia followed alongside Australia in providing supplement packages of A$36 million and in turn avoided a considerable amount of the impacts of the GFC, only experiencing a haltering in the employment of privatized businesses. This was considered as the second-biggest Accorlian economic move, headed by Prime Minister and former economist Daniel Seckel. The unemployment rate sits at 4.2% in its first quarter of 2018, with an unemployment rate for youth between 15 and 21 of 15.1%. The country has experienced a mixed human capital flight, which is heavily influenced by how its economy has been progressing. During the 1980s and 2000s recessions, Accorlia experienced much of its highly skilled workers to live overseas. In the years following these recessions, many European, North American and less developed nations have provided educated professionals to Accorlia, creating an influence on Accorlian youth to join blue-collar or pink-collar work.

Accorlia is a major exporter of agriculture products, being 33% of total exports in the 2017-18 period. The total list of exports includes dairy products, beef, wheat, wool, natural gas, computer and telecom services, machines and machinery parts and transport services. Wood is also a prime export, however, with tougher restrictions implemented in 2013 under the Tallon government, wood exportation has begun to deteriorate. Accorlia’s key export partners include Australia, New Zealand, China, The United States, The United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Singapore.

Accorlia also imports much of its domestic product. The total list of imports includes coal, vehicles, electrical machinery, computer and telecom services, refined petroleum, pharmaceuticals, medical apparatus, ships and boats, and plastics. Their key import partners include Australia New Zealand, China, Japan, The United States, Korea, France, and Germany.

## Demography

Prior to a restructure in immigration restrictions, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from the British Isles, with more than three-quarters of Accorlians having some British or Irish ancestry. This particular ethnic group are considered as Anglo-Celtic Accorlians, or simply Anglo-Accorlians. In the 2018 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were English (31.3%), Accorlian (30.5%), Irish (10.1%), Scottish (8.4%) Chinese (6.4%) Italian (6.3%), Dutch (5.5%), Indian (3.1%) Greek (1.5%) and Croatian (1.0%)

Accorlia’s population has significantly increased since World War I as a result of heavy immigration. Following World War II and all the way up until the turn of the century, 6.5 new immigrants arrived and settled in the country. A majority of immigrants are skilled either in trades or office jobs, however, there are also immigration quotas set for categories like family members and refugees. The National Statistics Bureau (NSB) projected that the population would reach 45 million or thereabouts. The government is also working to spread the density, as much of the population is located in the major cities like Albany, Mullbourne or Victoria.

As of 2018, over a quarter (28%) of Accorlia’s population were born overseas, with the five largest immigrants being born in England (3.9%), Australia (3.3%), New Zealand (2.6%), China (2.4%) and India (2.1%). In 1965, the federal government decided to begin intake on migrants from places other than Europe, basing its new society on the promotion and encouragement of multiculturalism. Accorlia is regarded as one of the more successful countries in regard to modern-day multiculturalism, and in the 2017-18 period took in 198,839 permeant residents, primarily from Asia and the Middle East.

The native Jarragah population was recorded at 1,132,159, accounting for 4.2% of the total population. This number has stayed mostly level since the 1950s when they were once overlooked in census records. There have also been cases were undercounts have occurred, where their ‘Indigenous’ status has not been recorded on the form. 66% of Jarragan’s live in the state of Paiffen, which was originally created as a native state under federation. The Jarragan’s experience reasonable treatment under the new constitution, with employment, education, health, and life expectancies increasing since the 1980s. A minority of the regional population still lives in severe poverty, with terrible living conditions.

The national demographic has been shifting, like many other developed countries, in terms of an older population with more retiree and fewer people of working age. In 2008, the average population age was 38.8 years. There are also quite a few expatriates, with around 1,230,812, or 4.5% of the total population in 2018.

### **Language**

English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language and has been primarily spoken since initial settlement. Accorlian English is the most prominent language, with a distinct accent and a diverse lexicon. Accorlian English has no real difference in terms of accent and is often confused with the accents of their neighbors, however, is usually considered a combination between Australian and New Zealand accents, as well as a of touch British accent. Accorlian English has a very soft, ‘laid-back’ tone when pronouncing words,  and contains unique slang and idioms used frequently in everyday vernacular.

As of 2018, English is spoken at home by 81.1% of the population. The next common languages spoken at home are Mandarin (4.4%), Cantonese (1.5%), Italian (1.5%), Arabic (1.1%) and Dutch (0.8%). Many second-generation migrants are bilingual, being they speak their native language and English at home.

Jarragan, the native Accorlian language spoken by the Jarragah, is spoken by only 0.8% of the population, and 28.0% of Indigenous Jarragans. This number has been decreasing since the 1980s as Jarrgans begin to assimilate with typical Accorlian culture. Accorlia also has a sign language known as Accorlan, which is the main language of about 6,420 deaf people

### **Religion**

Accorlia has no main religion and under Section 105 0f the National Constitution prohibits the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion. As of 2018, 46.2% of the population identified as Christian. These main Christian denominations include Roman Catholicism Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Methodism, Orthodoxism and other defined and undefined denominations. 34.4% of the population identified as having no religious affiliation, while 8.4% of the population identifies as a non-Christian affiliation. These include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. There has been a rise in non-religious affiliations since the 2013 census, with the percentage increasing from 26.1% to 34.4%. Accorlia also has one of the lowest adherence levels, with only 7.5% of Accorlian’s attending church on a weekly basis

Prior to European settlement, the Jarragan obtained the belief known as the ‘Tetovo.’ This was simply a spiritual belief and entrustment in the land, centered around heavy storytelling. In native Jarragan, ‘Tetovo’ translates to the ‘dawning of spirit,’ and was a term used widely before European colonization. With the implementation of the Church of England or Anglicanism, during colonization as well as the other religions prior to colonization, Tetovo is merely known as a historical practice. It is now only practiced on a constant basis by less than 0.1% of the population.

### **Health**

As of 2016, Accorlia has the seventh highest life expectancy for both sexes at 82.6. They are also ranked seventh and fourth for female and male life expectancy respectively. Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease, responsible for 8.1% of the total mortality and disease. Ranked second in preventable causes is hypertension at 7.6% with malnutrition third at 6.2%. As of 2017, Accorlia ranks 47th  in the world for obesity rates, with 26.4% of the adult population being considered obese or overweight.

Total expenditure on health (including private sector spending) is at 10.4% of GDP. Accorlia introduced universal health care in 1979, known as Medicare. It is now nominally funded by an income tax surcharge known as the Medicare levy, currently set at 2.4%. The states manage hospitals and attached outpatient services, while the Commonwealth funds the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (subsidizing coast of medicines) and general practice.

### **Education**

According to a 2012 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Accorlia is one of the most educated countries within the group as well as the world. It has a heavily-revered public primary, secondary and tertiary system which is heavily invested in by the government, with 7.9% of GDP expenditure going towards education. Government-funded schools are the most frequently attended by eligible students at over three-quarters. All government-run schools are free to attend, where the only cost is additional technology and education enhancing resources and uniform. The remaining students attend private or independent faith schools, based commonly around Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism. These are privately run institutions which offer education at a fixed fee.

School attendance, or registration for home schooling, is compulsory throughout Accorlia. Throughout all of Accorlia, it is compulsory for students to attend school from age 4 to 16. From ages five to twelve, students are required to attend primary school, which consists of Grades 1 through to 6. Students then attend secondary school from ages twelve to sixteen, which consists of Grades 7 through to 10. At aged 16, or in Grade 10, students have the option to either undertake vocational education, such as an apprenticeship or take the Formal Secondary Education Certificate (FSEC). The FSEC program was implemented in 1983 and is considered the further education program which is completed in Grades 11 and 12. The program encompasses various subject fields, with Mathematics, English, Science, Languages and, Humanities being core subjects to complete the certificate as well as the option to take two to three elective subjects. The FSEC program has drawn criticisms as of recent and has been described as an 'ancient education system,' with the federal government being called to overhaul the system.

Accorlia has 35 government-funded universities and two private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level. The FSEC program is usually a pre-requisite at universities, with many higher-ranking universities requiring a high FSEC score. The most notable universities in Accorlia include Albany University, Delapole University, and Fitzroy University. The Fitzroy University is the most prestigious university in the country, having various campuses in five of the eight state capitals, along with some international campuses in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. In 2011, the federal government cut reduced university fees by three-quarters, as an attempt to offer more opportunities for Accorlian youth to skilled labor. In the first seven years, the youth unemployment rate has dropped by 4.8%, and the amount of skilled workers with citizenship has increased by 19%.

## Culture

Prior to European Settlement in 1804, the Jarragan had an elusive and enrooted culture within the country, which consisted of unique arts, cuisine, and symbols. Since then, the primary influence behind Accorlian culture has been Anglo-Celtic Western Culture, with a considerable amount of Jarragan culture which has come about in the new era. The divergence and evolution that has occurred in the ensuing centuries have resulted in a distinctive Accorlia culture. Since the mid-20th century, American popular culture has strongly influenced Accorlia, particularly through television and cinema. Other cultural influenced from neighboring Australian and New Zealand have also been pivotal and development of Accorlia’s unique identity, as well as the large-scale immigration which occurred from non-English speaking countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America

### **Arts**

One of the pivotal ways of communication between the Jarragan was through traditional rock and cave drawing, which often described stories, events and characters of their history. This unique art style has only be recognised recently as the pioneer of Accorlian art. Early colonial artists were then sent out to Accroalia as part of European settlement, and were tasked at painting the native landscape of the area. Artists like Elizabeth Berry, Claire Vaughan, Frederick Porter and other artists of the time were often associated with Accorlia's first movement in Western art. Artists like Roberth Powell and Margaret Lithgow took a new approached to the representation and began exploring new artistic trends. The landscape remained a central subject matter for Thomas Reynolds, Arthur Montgomery and other post-World War II artists whose works, eclectic in style yet uniquely Accorlian, moved between the figurative and the abstract. Frederick Porter and his brother, Jonathan, both founded the 'Porter Art School' in the inner-city suburb of Grasby, Albany. The school has since produced many artists since it's inauguration in 1927, like the as aforementioned Thomas Reynolds, Arthur Montgomery, as well as modern artists Alice Chamberlain, Peter Ristovski and Gabriela Zamora. The national and state galleries maintain collections of local and international art, as Accorlia has one of the world's highest attendances of art galleries and museums per head of population.

Accorlian literature grew slowly following Europen settlement, with 19th-century such as John Hopkins and Charles Barrett the most notable of this period. Both writers aimed to capture the distinctive bustling colony scene and an unexploited forest land, with many of their poems being set in small towns. Their works are still widely regarded as the pioneer's of Accorlia's unique literature scene, with Hopkins 'Blind of Summer' having introduced a series of new Accorlian vocabulary, set in the town of Rostins Hill. The Jackson Hamilton award is the most prestigious literary prize, awarded annually to the best novel about Accorlian life. The first recipient was the man himself, Jackson Hamilton, who won the inaugural award in 1974 with a memoir of personal experience. Other winners include Joseph Booth, Arthur Cole, Phoebe Robinson and David Moore. Other renowned Accorlian literary figures are author Joel Holland, playwright Charlie Pool and poet Ronan Valentine.

Many of Accorlia's performing arts companies receive funding through the federal government's Accorlia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each state,and a national opera company, the Accorlian Opera Company or the AOC,] well known for its famous soprano Willow Thompson .] At the beginning of the 20th century, Allie Sheppard was one of the world's leading opera singers. Ballet and dance are represented by The Accorlian Ballet and various state companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre company.

### **Media**

The Plight of Justice (1909), came after Australia’s revolutionary first feature-length film The Story of The Kelly Gang (1906), with both films spurring a cinema boom during the silent film era. Following World War I, Hollywood effectively monopolized the industry resulting in the demise of film production between both countries, where it fully ceased in the 1950s. With additional government support in the 1980s, a new wave of Accorlian Film Revival, as it was coined, occurred, bringing new provocative and successful films to the industry. Many of these films centred around drama and crime thrillers with an element of national identity, such as Slave of the Frontline, Of Men and Thieves and the internationally-acclaimed film Chasing the City, directed by the notable Joseph Cunningham. Accorlian fils delivered a 7.9% share of the local box office in 2016, within a film industry which is widely dominated by foreign content. The AFTAAs are Accorlias premier film and television awards, and notable Academy Award winners from Accorlia include Christopher Davies, Carolyn Jacobs, Nicole Cook and Frankie Bates.

Accorlia has two government-funded broadcasters in the Accorlian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the multicultural Ethnic Broadcasting Service (EBS), as well as five commercial television networks in Channel 5 Network, Prime7 Network, Channel 8 Network, WIN Corporation, and the Gold Network. There are also numerous other non-profit television networks and radio stations. Each major city has one daily newspaper, while The Accorlian News Review is the only national newspapers, released out of Victoria. In 2010, Reporters Without Borders placed Accorlia 10th on a list of 178 countries ranked by press freedom, narrowly behind New Zealand (8th) but ahead of Australia (18th), the United Kingdom (19th) and the United States (20th). The variety of commercial media ownership, in comparison with the countries listed previously, has given it a considerably high ranking, with still some hindrance on its diversity.

### **Cuisine**

Much of the Accorlian cuisine is derived from European cultures, from the Britsh Isles, Southern Europe, and Asia. Prior to European settlement. The Jarragan tribe subsisted on a simple hunter-gatherer diet of native fauna and flora, and in some cases hunted animals to extinction. The first settlers introduced British food to the continent such as the Sunday roast, now seen as a typical cultural feature to many Accorlians. Immigration from Southern European countries, particularly from the Mediterranean region, were able to establish a prominent cafe and coffee culture in cities like Albany, Tebec, and Mullbourne. Asian culture has led to Accorlian variants of their staple foods like the Chinese-inspired dim sim and Chiko Roll. Vegemite, pavlova, lamingtons, and meat pies are all Australian influences which have had a heavy impact of the cuisine for Accorlia. Accorlia wine is produced mainly in the southern and eastern, parts of the country, due to the cool climate. Currently, it has a booming agriculture industry in dairy, meat, grain, and wine. The national food of Accorlia is the 'Wannon Cake,' which is named after the town of Wannon, Richmond. It consists of a sugar, flour, date, egg, and butter base with a coconut icing, made first by British settlers in 1886 and has been cooked ever sinc. The lamb roast is Accorlia's most popular savoury dish.e

### **Sport**

Sport is a very embedded part of the Accorlian culture, as around 28% of over 15-year olds participate in organized sporting activities and around 54% in terms of all age groups.

Accorlia has a very expansive interest in different sports, particularly the football codes. Association Football prevails all other ball codes in terms of revenue, spectatorship, and participation. Association Football was played by the various colonies during British settlement during the 1800s and has been ever since. Australian rules football was also brought over during the early 1900s, however, did not pick up until the 1980s. The sport is now popular mostly on the west coast, due to its relative location to Australia. Paiffen is the only state to prefer Rugby League over Association Football as the states main sport, as League and Union both have a heavy presence on the east coast. Cricket is watched also by much of the population during summer, particularly with the inclusion of the T20 Super Cricket League founded in 2014.

Alongside Association Football, Cricket is considered the countries international sport, having participated in all editions of the Cricket World Cup. The Accorlia Men’s National Team for Association Football has made seven FIFA World Cup’s, placing in the Quarter Finals in the 1990 edition.

Accorlia also has a heavy presence in sports such as horse racing, motor racing, yacht racing, basketball, netball, and tennis. Albany is known for its Ripponlea Carnival, a horse racing event which occurs annually. There is also the Warrington to Wellbrook yacht race, which occurs on the 25th of August every year. Basketball and Netball both have a minor presence in terms of domestic leagues but are both heavily participated sports by juniors. There is also the Accorlia Open, a tennis event which occurs as a lead-up to the Australian Open, occurring annually in November and December.

The country is a well-known competitor in every Summer Olympics and has hosted it once, 1992 in Albany. Accorlia also competes at the Commonwealth Games, having hosted it in 1986 in Tebec, 2002 in Albany and 2014 in Mullbourne. The Association Football national team has appeared seven times in the World Cup finals, never winning the tournament. However, the country has won the OFC Nations Cup four times and has been a regular challenger in the AFC Asian Cup since transferring to the Asia Confederation. Accorlia competes in both the Rugby League World Cup and Rugby Union World Cup, having never won either tournament. The highest-rating television programs include sports telecasts such as the FIFA World Cup, Summer Olympics, the Accorlian Premier League and the grand finals of Accorlian and Australian AFL and NRL leagues.