Aurelia

**Aurelia** is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 650 miles from the east coast of New Zealand.
The country comprises a single island, with a varied geography, consisting of mountain peaks, fjords, beaches and lakes. Because of its geographic isolation, Aurelia wasn't settled by humans until roughly 1150, when Polynesians settled on the island, mainly on its northeast coast, where a unique culture developed. The first Europeans to visit Aurelia came in the late 17th century. The island was later settled by the British in the early 1800's, and became a British colony in 1852. Mass immigration to the island continued throughout the 19th century, from both Britain and other European countries. Aurelia achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910, with all remaining British legislative power in the country being abolished by the 1980s.

Today, the country's economy relies mainly on tourism and agriculture. The capital city of Aurelia is Nelson, whilst the most populous city is Shelburne. Aurelia is a highly urbanised country; its population of approximately 1,650,000 mostly lives in coastal cities.

Politically, Aurelia's legislative power is vested in a bicameral Parliament, whilst its executive power is vested in the Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister, currently Christopher Kinney. Because of Aurelia's status as a former British colony, the country's head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented in the country by the Governor-General, currently Melanie Metcalfe.

## Geography

Geographically, Aurelia is located in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly 600 miles from the eastern coast of New Zealand. Much of the island's northern half is flat and dry, with the states of Purbeck and New Alderney enjoying a Mediterranean like climate. Further south, there are large plains, which dominate the states of Whenuapai and Waimaru Bay, and also make agriculture an important sector of the economy. For example, these plains and the foothills of the Southern Pennines are home to many vineyards, citrus groves and dairy farms. This area of Aurelia is home to most of the country's longest river, the River Alver, with flows from its source in the foothills of the Southern Pennines to its mouth near the city of Alverstone. Meanwhile, the country's second longest river, the Taumoana River, originates in the same area of foothills, flowing towards the coast of Waimaru Bay.

The island's southern half is dominated by the Southern Pennines, which run through the southeast of Aurelia. This part of the country also experiences a milder, cooler climate than the north, with more rainfall. South of these mountains, on the island's southern coast, are Wilmington Sound and Hamilton Sound, two fjords surrounded by verdant forest and hills. Meanwhile, notable geographic features of southwest Aurelia include the lakes of New Selkirk, and the Nelson Archipelago.

### Climate

Aurelia has a mild and temperate maritime climate, similar to that of New Zealand. Mean annual temperatures range from 14°C in South Aurelia, to 22°C in parts of Purbeck and New Alderney. The coldest months are July and August, whilst the warmest months are December and January. The northern parts of the country have a noticeably warmer and sunnier climate than the south, with summer highs of 28°C not being uncommon in Shelburne and Morgantown. The north of the country is also remarkably drier than the south, receiving a great deal less rainfall.

### Administrative divisions

***See also:*** *List of settlements in Aurelia by population*

Aurelia is divided into six states, which are in turn divided into counties. Each state has its own unicameral assembly, which holds much of that state's legislative power. The head of government of each state is known as the Premier, and an election is held for the Premier and state assembly is held every four years.

* 1. New Alderney- Home to Shelburne, its densely populated suburbs, and numerous famous beach resorts.
* 2. Purbeck - The heart of Aurelia's "Sunshine Coast", popular with tourists who come for its beaches and lively resorts.
* 3. Whenuapai - Aurelia's agricultural heart, home to farms, orange groves and sleepy country towns. Its capital is Alverstone.
* 4. New Selkirk- Home to capital city Nelson as well as lakes, forests, vineyards and Scottish influences.
* 5. Waimaru Bay- Home to the quiet coastal city of Chichester and beautiful coastal landscapes, as well as the foothills of the Southern Pennines.
* 6. South Aurelia- Sparsely populated state, with Newcastle as its capital. Its main attractions are ski resorts, peaceful fjords, and the mountain peaks of the Southern Pennines.

## History

### Polynesian foundation

Like neighbouring New Zealand, Aurelia was one of the last landmasses settled by humans. It is believed that the first human presence in Aurelia came in roughly 1150, when Eastern Polynesians arrived from islands in the South Pacific. The Polynesians mainly settled the north of the country mainly led by explorer and warrior Mangaui Lotoro, in the areas that are now part of Waimaru Bay and New Alderney. These Polynesian settlers divided into several distinct iwi, or tribes. These tribes usually made peaceful contact with one another, trading and cooperating. Over the following centuries, a unique culture and language developed amongst these settlers which is know known as Alaoni. The culture of the Alaoni people is similar to the Maori culture and language of New Zealand.

In 1733, after a lengthly period of conflict between Aurelia's three iwi, the Kingdom of Puketuroto was founded by warrior-king Alagovu.

### Early contact and European settlement

The first Europeans to sight Aurelia were Abel Tasman and James Cook, in 1642 and 1769 respectively. Despite the fact that neither Tasman nor Cook visited the island, they did map most of its coastline during their voyages. The next Europeans to visit Aurelia were British and French traders, the first of whom came in 1794, and made peaceful contact with the Alaoni, trading food and weapons. In 1798, Captain Roger Stuart landed on the coast of New Alderney, officially connecting the British government with the Alaoni natives. At the same time, many Christian missionaries came to the island from Britain, converting much of the island's population. These traders and missionaries set up numerous trading posts in Aurelia, most of which were on the country's northern and eastern coasts. It is widely believed that Rosetown (now part of suburban Teignmouth, New Alderney), founded in 1804, was the first permanent European settlement in Aurelia. In 1807, Shelburne was established, quickly growing as a settlement. British settlement of inland areas of Waimaru Bay and Whenuapai began circa 1812, whilst British settlers had colonised the country's southern coast by 1816. In order to keep non-hostile relations with the settlers, the Queen of Puketuroto signed the Treaty of Shelburne with them in 1813, allowing all European settlers to settle on native land as long as the locals of the area get to still practice their native cultures and traditions. Nelson, which would later become the colony's capital, was founded in 1817.

### British sovereignty and colonial period

In 1852, the Colony of Aurelia was founded. This came after the signing of the Treaty of Rotokauri in 1850, which placed the Kingdom of Puketuroto under British control. Meanwhile, European settlements, which until then had been part of the Colony of New South Wales, also fell under the jurisdiction of the new colony. The British government decided to establish Aurelia as a colony due to concerns from many that the European settlers on the island were growing increasingly lawless. The colony's first parliament was established in 1868, meeting in Nelson. One of this parliament's first acts was to sign a series of treaties with the Alaoni. Treaties were signed with two confederations of Alaoni tribes, one of which consisted of tribes in Waimaru Bay and southern New Alderney, whilst the other consisted of tribes in Whenuapai and small parts of New Selkirk. Although these confederations of tribes had been united under the Kingdom of Puketuroto, these treaties were signed nonetheless, due to land disputes between various tribal groups within the kingdom.

This period was also marked by continued European immigration, mostly from Great Britain. Settlers from England and Ireland tended to settle in the north of the country, in what is now New Alderney and Waimaru Bay, whilst many settlers from Scotland travelled to New Selkirk. The cultural influences resulting from this are apparent even today. Most of these early settlers were farmers, and established small rural farming communities. Meanwhile, larger settlements, such as Shelburne, Nelson and Chichester were also founded at this time.

In 1884, there were gold discoveries in mountain creeks in Whenuapai. The discovery of gold led to several large towns being established in this previously sparsely populated area of Aurelia. It also caused increased immigration to the area, not just from Britain, but also from countries such as Germany and Poland. At the same time, many immigrants from China came to Aurelia, mainly to work on constructing railways in the country. A similar occurence happened in 1875, when minor deposits of gold, iron and sulfur were discovered in some hills near Shelburne.

When Parliament was founded in 1868 and a few decades after, the parliamentarians were mainly independents, loosely organised into several small factions. However, in 1889, the Liberal Party of Aurelia was founded out of the Harwin Party, organising many of these independent parliamentarians into Aurelia's first major political party. Led by James Patherway, this first Liberal Government embarked on a programme of social and economic reforms, including legislating for compulsory education. Patherway's government also sought to improve relations with the Alaoni, giving the Alaoni equal voting rights and implementing initiatives to bridge the socioeconomic gap between the Europeans and Alaoni. By 1903, a movement campaigning for independence was gaining momentum, with Patherway and the Liberal Party forming the Aurelian Independence Coalition. With the help of Parliament, this coalition repeatedly petitioned the British government in Westminster, but to little avail.

### Dominion

#### Early days as dominion and First World War

In 1910, the Aurelian Independence Coalition was finally able to negotiate with the British government to name Aurelia as a dominion with the Treaty of Aurelia ratified in March of that year. Patherway unanimously became the first Prime Minister of the independent Aurelia. In its early days, his government continued much of the social change it had produced over the past few decades; after pressure from the growing womens' rights movement, led by Rachel Letitia Barnes, universal suffrage was introduced in 1913. Meanwhile, the independent government encouraged increased immigration. Unlike previous waves of immigration, settlers came from across Europe, particularly from Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Poland, giving Aurelia a far more diverse population. Many immigrants also came from China in this period, and owing to increased immigration the now infamous Fort Ferguson was built near Nelson in 1914 to process the immigrants.

This early period of independence was also marked by much Alaoni cultural activity, with the writings of Randall Ottomba and Areta Mataroa being particularly influential. It was also at this time that Britain entered the First World War, and so approximately 35,000 Aurelians went overseas to fight for the British Empire. Shortly after the Second World War, in 1920, the Labor Party was founded from the growing trade unionist movement, and soon became one of Aurelia's dominant political parties, along with the Liberals. Meanwhile, in 1922, George Jackson-Murphy, the founder of the Reform Party came to power, ending the Liberals' long time dominance of Aurelian politics. Because of his unexpected death the following year, Jackson-Murphy was unable to achieve much as Prime Minister, but his successor Edward Sanders, was credited with resolving several disputes that the federal government had with the Alaoni.

The Great Depression began in the early 1930s, and hit the Aurelian economy hard, as it relied heavily on its exports to the United States and United Kingdom. Unemployment also skyrocketed in this period. Henry Quinn, the newly elected Liberal Prime Minister, who was seen by many as inexperienced, implemented several economic schemes that attempted to alleviate this problems. The Great Depression also saw changes in Aurelia's population demographics, with many people from rural areas moving to big cities such as Nelson and Shelburne, leading to a major increase in gang membership and crime that lasted until the mid 1940's, with famous names such as Bumblebee Shiykajovich and Larry Cella being infamous during this time. Many Alaoni also moved to larger cities in this period, signalling widespread change in Alaoni society. Quinn was voted out in 1938, and replaced by Franklin Cox of the Reform Party.

#### Second World War and first Labor government

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Aurelia once again sent troops to fight alongside the British. The war also saw new relations with the United States being established; many American troops were stationed in Aurelia between 1941 and 1945. In 1944, Cox's government, which was halfway through its second term, had a vote of no confidence passed against it in Parliament, and new elections were held. The failure of Cox's government was blamed on his ineffective handling of Aurelia's involvement in the war. The Labor Party won the ensuing election by a landslide, with Francis Scott Williamson becoming the party's first Prime Minister. Williamson's government set out on a programme of significant reforms; they established a welfare state and healthcare free at the point of need.

#### Post-war

After the Second World War, Williamson's government continued to hold power, and carried on implementing their social reforms of the previous few years. Urbanisation, which had begun in the late 1930s, continued, with many people in rural areas of Whenuapai and New Selkirk moving to the ever expanding cities. This included the Alaoni also, with more than 70% of Alaoni living in cities by 1960. In 1956, after 12 years in power, Williamson was succeeded as Prime Minister by the Liberal Sir Clement Atteroa. Atteroa was the first Prime Minister of Alaoni descent, and led Aurelia through a time of considerable economic growth and prosperity. Atteroa's time in power also marked the end of mass immigration from Europe; after some unrest in Shelburne and Nelson, new immigration laws were passed, which put slowed down immigration rates from Europe. These laws also saw the closing of Fort Ferguson in 1957, the infamous immigration inspection station. Meanwhile, Atteroa's time as Prime Minister was also marked by the Alverstone earthquake, 1962, although Atteroa was considered by many to have handled the disaster capably.

Atteroa term as Prime Minister was followed by that of Jeffrey Walter, a staunchly left-wing Labor Party leader. Walter's time in government saw an Alaoni cultural movement, seeking to improve education, social services and working conditions for Alaoni in large cities. Alaoni cultural and political figures such as Hahona Waihao and Terrence Manaroa came to prominence during this movement. This period's climax came in 1966, when a group of 60 Alaoni workers occupied the Fort Ferguson immigration station, campaigning for social justice for Alaoni. One way in which Walter's government responded to this was by introducing Alaoni language as a compulsory school subject for all children, and increasing funding for cultural and artistic projects. There was also a significant womens' rights movement at this time, with Parliament legalising abortion in 1965 after deadlock between MPs.

### Modern day history

After the eruption that was the Richard Harris scandal in the mid 1970's, Aurelia went through an economic steadfast, never falling nor growing to great amounts. Andrew Timothy's term was marked with a small drop in the economy and stock market, but great influence in improving the environment. Elizabeth Shandell's terms were marked as being extremely influential in modern Aurelian culture, as she passed laws allowing LGBT civil unions and completely destroying all ties with the British government.John McLaughlin is often known as the "Peace Minister", as he experienced two natural disasters in the state of Purbeck, and doing a somewhat decent job in trying to fix the damage done. In 2005, a Teignmouth school shooting ended the lives of over 15 people as well. Rachel Nicholson passed a law allowing all same-sex couples to marry in 2007, and generally increasing the income tax and economy in the long run. Christopher Kinney, as of 2015, has significantly reduced crime and opened many new schools in rural areas of the country.

## Economy

Aurelia is a highly industrialised country, with a highly developed economy. The most important sectors of the economy are agriculture, tourism and mining. Agriculture, including wine-making has been a key part of Aurelia's economy since the first European settlers arrived. Today, the country exports many crops, dairy products and wines to countries across the world. Mining is also an important sector of the economy, with most of economic activity relating to this industry taking place in eastern Whenuapai. In recent years, tourism has become increasingly important too; every year thousands of tourists visit the country, mostly from Europe and North America.

Aurelia's banking sector is dominated by three main banks;First National Bank, Selkirk Bank and the Bank of Shelburne. All three of these organisations maintain an important nationwide presence.

## Politics

### Government

Aurelia is a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary democracy. Elizabeth II is Aurelia's head of state, although is represented in the country by the Governor-General, currently Melanie Metcalfe. The Governor-General has limited, mainly ceremonial powers, and is usually required to act on advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

Aurelia's legislative power is vested in its bicameral Parliament, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, there are 60 senators (ten for each state), whilst the House of Representatives consists of 100 MPs, who are elected to represent single-member electoral divisions. A government is formed by the party or coalition with a majority of seats in the House, although a minority government can also be formed if no single party holds a majority of seats. The head of government is the Prime Minister, currently Christopher Kinney, who is conventionally the leader of the governing party or coalition. The Governor-General appoints ministers to the Cabinet on advice of the Prime Minister. Elections to both houses take place every four years.

The government is usually formed by one of Aurelia's two dominant political parties: the Liberal Party of Aurelia and the Labor Party. Other political parties include the Social Liberal Party, the Conservative Alliance, and the Green Party.

### Foreign relations

Due to historical links, Aurelia's foreign relations have traditionally been centered around Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, with these three countries remaining amongst Aurelia's most important trading partners. However, since the 1950s, Aurelia's foreign relations have become more focused on the United States and Canada, with these two countries having a key influence on Aurelian culture and society. Meanwhile, since the beginning of the 21st century, emerging markets in Asia, such as China and South Korea, have also increased their relations with Aurelia.

In addition, due to its status as a small island nation, Aurelia maintains cordial ties with the International Wiki Organisation and its associate members, particularly Lovia, Brunant, Traspes and Prasia.

## Military

Aurelia's military currently comprises three professional service branches- the Royal Aurelian Navy, the Aurelian Army and the Royal Air Force of Aurelia. Officially, the Governor-General is the commander in chief of the military, although the Ministry of Defence, currently headed by Jon Joyce, manages day-to-day operations. In the past, Aurelia relied on and worked with Great Britain for its military needs, with many Aurelian soldiers fighting alongside British forces during the two world wars.

## Demographics

### Population

The population of Aurelia is approximately 1,650,000, as of January 2015, with 72.3% of the population being Caucasian, 15.8% being Alaoni or Maori, and 9.4% of various other races and minorities.

### Language

Almost all of Aurelia's population speak English; 75.5% of Aurelia's population primarily speak English, 22.7% can speak English and Alaoni, and 1.8% primarily speak Alaoni or another language. Because of recent immigration from Asia, languages such as Chinese and Vietnamese are also increasingly spoken in large cities.

### Religion

57.8% of the Aurelia's population are Christian, 36.2% of the population is non-religious/Atheist, and 6% are of another religion.

## Culture

The Alaoni culture began developing in about 1150, at the time that Aurelia was first settled by east Polynesian explorers. These settlers quickly divided themselves into iwi, or tribes, and these social groups still remain pivotal aspects of Alaoni culture to this day.

In the 19th century, when British and Irish settlers began arriving in Aurelia, bringing their culture to the country, and adapting it to suit their new lives. Due to the large number of Scottish settlers that came to New Selkirk in this period, this state still has pronounced Scottish influences on its culture. This is highlighted by the annual Scottish cultural festival that takes place in Cairneyhill every year. This Scottish presence also influenced religion in the region; whilst most of Aurelia traditionally had Anglicanism as its main faith, Presbyterianism was more dominant in New Selkirk. European presence in Aurelia from the early 19th century also had an influence on Alaoni culture, which began to evolve due to the arrival of Christianity on the island, and also the growth of cities.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Aurelian culture experienced another significant shift, this one caused by large scale immigration from countries such as Italy, Poland and Croatia, which diversified Aurelia's society and culture. Similar cultural changes influences came in the mid-20th century, when Aurelia aligned itself more closely with the United States, a notable example being the fact that a small number of American troops were stationed in the country.

### Media and entertainment

Aurelia has one public broadcaster, the Aurelian Broadcasting Service, as well as several commercial television networks, including Network Three and FiveTV. Aurelia also has two daily national newspapers, The Times of Aurelia and Aurelia Today, as well as numerous regional newspapers, including The Shelburne Times and the Selkirk Guardian. Meanwhile, Aurelia has a successful film industry. Aurelian actors with a notable international presence include Antonia Hewlett, Jamie Lee Abrahams and Luke Sahin. Shelburne Film Festival takes place annually, and celebrates Aurelian cinema.

Much of Aurelia's mainstream music has been influenced by jazz, rock and roll, and in particular by artists from the United States and United Kingdom. Perhaps Aurelia's biggest contribution to music is The Royals, who achieved a good deal of international critical and commercial success. Meanwhile, mainstream Aurelian artists and groups who have achieved recent international recognition include Alana O'Sullivan, Electric Pegasus, Mura + Johnson and Sammy Akariri.

### Sport

The dominant team sports in Aurelia are rugby league, football and cricket, with rugby league being widely considered as the national sport. Although football does not attract the same amount of support in Aurelia as it does in Europe, levels of interest and participation in football are increasing. Aside from these team sports, successful Aurelian athletes include Jason Scott Walker, a competitive sailor, and Madeleine Petrovic, a tennis player.

Due to its scenic landscapes and high levels of tourism, Aurelia is also a popular spot for extreme sports, with two notable examples being skydiving over the lakes of New Selkirk, and whitewater rafting in the hills of the Southern Pennines.