New Malonia

**New Malonia** (Maronan: *Nouvelle-Malonie*) is an archipelago and overseas region of Marone, located in the Austaysian Sea. The region has a population of 318,130 residents.

Like the other overseas regions, New Malonia holds official status as both a region and department of Marone, and is an integral part of the Maronan Republic. The region was formed in 1956, following the decolonization of Marone which led to some colonies becoming overseas regions.

## History

### Early history

It is believed that the region was first settled by people of the Vita culture, dating back at least to 1500 BCE. The Vita people were involved in seafaring and craftsmanship, and traded with other nearby groups. The origins of the Krenak people are unclear, although evidence puts the Krenak people residing in the New Malonian archipelago to at least 500 BCE. There is ongoing scholarly debate as to whether the Vita inhabitants became the Krenak people, or whether the Krenak people replaced the Vita inhabitants.

Eureans first arrived in New Malonia in 1775, following the arrival of Ditrovian explorer Edward Oswald and his crew. The visit was peaceful, and Oswald later returned to the archipelago for a second peaceful voyage in 1789. Only three other voyages by Eureans were recorded prior to 1810, by two Ditrovian explorers and one Maronan. In 1810, the Ditrovians returned to the archipelago under the guise of trade, and enslaved a number of the indigenous Krenak people through deception, inviting them to board ships and later bringing them to various Ditrovian colonies to perform slave labor. It is believed that up to 5,000 Krenaks were taken as slaves by the Ditrovians, out of a total population of about 50,000 at the time; the large majority of the Krenaks who were taken were young children. Despite this, the archipelago was never colonized by the Ditrovians, and the indigenous population maintained their right to rule, as the Ditrovians were able to negotiate favorable trading deals with the natives.

### Maronan colonization

The Maronans arrived in New Malonia to begin colonization efforts in 1850. The decision was spurred by competition with the Ditrovian Kingdom, as the Ditrovian Kingdom had controlled the entire Austaysian Sea region at the time, and was the friendliest Eurean power with the New Malonian natives. The Maronans were met with little resistance and established a colony on the archipelago. As the environment was incompatible with a plantation economy, the colonists established New Malonia as a penal colony; with little use for the native islanders, the Krenaks of Grande-Terre were forcibly moved to the west end of the island and put onto reservations.

Between the 1850s and the end of New Malonia's status as a penal colony in 1898, Marone sent an estimated 40,000 convicts to the archipelago to complete their sentences. The overwhelming majority of prisoners on the island were petty thieves and other low-level criminals, whom the Maronan authorities believed could be trusted to assist in the development of the colony after completing their sentences. Following the completion of their sentences, each male convict was granted a small parcel of land on Grande-Terre in an effort to encourage them to build settlements. Many of these freed convicts brought wives from metropolitan Marone, while others intermarried with Krenak women or freed Maronan women convicts who chose to remain on the island. These freed convicts went on to form the *Falmouche* ethnic minority, and many went on to develop their land into ranches, which some families still own to their day.

### Mining boom and migration

In 1895, significant deposits of nickel were discovered on Grande-Terre, spurning a profitable mining industry on the island. From the 1890s to early-20th century, approximately 10,000 Eureans relocated to New Malonia to work in the mining industry. Krenaks were largely excluded from the industry and from the New Malonian economy as a whole. Confined to their reservations, unrest amongst the Krenak community began to significantly grow in the early-20th century. In 1905, a revolt led by Krenak high chief Foumaï was defeated by the Maronan authorities, killing 1,000 Krenaks and 300 Maronans. A second revolt was led in 1918, which was also defeated by the Maronan authorities. Despite two defeats, the revolts led to the creation of a burgeoning independence movement amidst the Krenak community, and growing animosity towards Maronan colonists.

In the 1920s, amidst fear of further revolts and losing control over the territory, Maronans attempted to appease the Krenaks by abolishing the reservation system and allowing Krenaks to participate in the New Malonian economy. With this change, Krenaks were allowed to move off of their reservations, reside alongside Maronans or in their ancestral villages, and participate in the lucrative mining industry. Amidst the continued rise of the independence movement, Marone began a repopulation effort which included providing financial incentives to Naysians to settle on the island, in an effort to increase the proportion of residents loyal to the Maronan government. By 1940, approximately 10,000 Naysians had arrived on the archipelago, primarily working in the service industry.

### Modern history

New Malonia received its official status as both an overseas region and department of Marone in 1956, following the 1954 status referendums. Residents of New Malonia narrowly voted for further integration with Marone, with 50.4% of voters in favor and 48.5% opposed; this was the most narrow voting margin of any territory in the status referendums. The vote also broke largely along ethnic lines: Eureans and Naysians voted overwhelmingly for further integration with Marone, while Krenaks voted overwhelmingly for independence.

Despite the vote, the issue of independence did not become definitively settled. Tensions gradually increased between the Krenak community and the anti-independence factions beginning in the 1960s. By the 1970s, several militant far-left pro-independence groups had formed in the archipelago, the most notable being the Revolutionary Krenak Nationalist Army (ANRK). The ANRK led numerous violent campaigns in the region, targeting primarily Eureans, in the name of New Malonian independence. This period of time came to become known as The Era of Instability (Maronan: *L'ère de l'instabilité*). From the 1970s until the conclusion of the conflict in 1995, it is estimated that up to 1,500 New Malonians were killed, the majority being Eureans and Krenaks.

In 1995, following several decades of dispute between pro-independence and anti-independence groups, the Tooka Accord was agreed to by the Maronan government and approved by the New Malonian population in a referendum. The agreement ended The Era of Instability and approved three future status referendums to be held, in 2005, 2015, and 2025. If any of the three referendums saw a pro-independence majority result, New Malonian independence would be honored; if all three referendums resulted in an anti-independence majority result, the status dispute would be settled. The 2005 and 2015 referendums both resulted in anti-independence majorities.

## Demographics

The Maronan census does not ask demographic questions, apart from place of birth. Following the 2018 Maronan census, 76.5% of residents were born in New Malonia, 15.1% of residents were born in metropolitan Marone, 3.6% were born elsewhere in overseas Marone (most often Maronan Naysia), 1.0% were born abroad with Maronan citizenship at birth, and 3.8% were immigrants. New Malonia has the highest percentage in overseas Marone of residents born in metropolitan Marone.

### Metropolitan areas

There is one metropolitan area (Maronan: *métropoles*) located in New Malonia: Tooka, which includes four communes and has 236,840 residents, making up nearly three-quarters of the population of New Malonia.

### Ethnic groups

New Malonia is considered to be a multi-ethnic society, with various ethnic groups residing in the region. Its indigenous people are known as Krenaks, and are the native inhabitants of Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre. In modern New Malonia, Krenaks live throughout the region, but make up significant majorities of the population in the arrondissements of Ouan Kout and Aoué. Other prominent ethnic groups in the region include Eureans, Naysians, Helonesians, and mixed race individuals.

Eureans in New Malonia primarily belong to either the *Falmouche* or *Métropolitain* communities. *Falmouches* were the second ethnic group to settle in the region, arriving in the mid-to-late 19th century; they are descended from Maronan prisoners who were imprisoned on the island, and given land to settle after completing their sentences from the establishment of New Malonia as a penal colony in the 1850s until its disestablishment in 1898. Some *Falmouche* men intermarried with local Krenak women, while others brought wives back from metropolitan Marone or married Maronan women prisoners living in the region. Many *Falmouches* went on to own ranches in rural areas of the arrondissement of Tooka, and many of their descendants continue to live on and manage the ranches today. *Métropolitains* refers to Eureans who migrated to New Malonia from metropolitan Marone (or other countries in Eurea) in the 20th and 21st centuries, and reside primarily in the Tooka métropole; the group is similar to the *Zoreys* in Tahare, although it may refer to individuals born in New Malonia who descend from migrants as well. Most *Métropolitains* arrived in New Malonia in either the early 20th century or 21st century, both being intense periods of economic development in the region that saw the arrival of numerous migrants arriving from Marone. Naysians began arriving in New Malonia in the early-to-mid 20th century, amidst relocation efforts by the Maronan government to ensure opposition to the Krenak-led independence movement. Helonesians began arriving as economic immigrants in the mid-to-late 20th century. Most Helonesians are of Shinese origin, with smaller communities of Esmanese, Lavorian, and Nurmese origin. *Métropolitains* and Helonesians are commonly considered to be the most economically prosperous of the ethnic groups in New Malonia, while Krenaks the most economically disadvantaged. Since the first settlement in New Malonia, ethnic groups have intermarried, resulting in many residents who identify themselves as mixed race. A majority of mixed race individuals have mixed Krenak and Eurean ancestry.

As the Maronan census does not ask residents questions about their race or ethnicity, the exact ethnic breakdown of the New Malonian population is unknown. According to estimates, Krenaks make up 40% of the population, Eureans (both *Falmouches* and *Métropolitains*) make up 35% of the population, Naysians make up 10% of the population, Helonesians make up 5% of the population, and mixed race individuals make up the majority of the remaining 10% of the population.

### Languages and religion

The sole official language of New Malonia is Maronan, which is the language of the government, education system, and entertainment industry in New Malonia. The Krenak language is also widely spoken by the Krenak community, although it has no official status. Since 1965, bilingual schooling is available in New Malonia in the Krenak language, per an act by the National Congress. As of 2018, approximately 27.5% of New Malonian students attend bilingual schooling in the Krenak language, the overwhelming majority of whom are ethnic Krenaks who reside in the arrondissements of Ouan Kout or Aoué. Recent immigrant groups often speak their native languages, although it is uncommon for these languages to be preserved after several generations. Schools in New Malonia often offer languages such as Krenak and Shinese as optional classes that students may take, due to the ethnic composition in New Malonia.

The predominant religion in New Malonia is Christianity, principally Eurean Catholicism. It is estimated that Eurean Catholics comprise 70% of the population in New Malonia, followed by other forms of Christianity at 10%. The remaining 20% of the population is comprised of adherents to other religions, such as traditional religions, in addition to those identifying as atheist, agnostic, or irreligious. The majority of the Krenak community identify as either Eurean Catholic or with other forms of Christianity, while the remaining ethnic groups predominantly identify as Eurean Catholic, irreligious, or with other religions.

## Government

### Politics

*Main article: Politics of New Malonia*
Like other overseas regions of Marone, New Malonia has a combined regional and departmental council known as the General Council of New Malonia. The General Council possesses the powers of both a departmental and regional council, and is the chief legislative body within the territory of New Malonia. One of the members of the General Council is also elected by voters to serve as president, a role akin to a prime minister; the president is typically the leader of the electoral list that receives a the most seats in the General Council.

Unlike in other regions, New Malonian politics are not divided between right-wing and left-wing factions, but instead by pro-independence and anti-independence factions. Politicians within each faction may identify as right-wing or left-wing, with politicians identifying with different political alignments sometimes even being part of the same political party. Per the Tooka Accord, every government of New Malonia must include both pro-independence and anti-independence factions until at least 2025.

### Administrative divisions

Like other regions of overseas Marone, New Malonia is divided into communes, which are grouped into arrondissements. There are 24 communes in New Malonia, and three arrondissements.

Arrondissements serve no legal function in Marone, other than being the jurisdictions of prefects and subprefects. Communes elect both a mayor and municipal council, and are responsible for services such as water management, sanitation, garbage disposal, keeping a civil register, and municipal police.