Maltropia

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**Maltropia** (Irish: *Maltrópa*), officially the **Most Catholic Empire of Maltropia** (Irish: *Impireacht is Caitlicí Maltróipea*), is a large sovereign state located in northern Paradoxia. It is made up of two nations, the Kingdom of Maltropia (sometimes Maltropia proper) and the Maltropian Islands. Maltropia is bordered by Northern Bigfootia to the east, Nefreedia to the south and Ishgar to the west, and is bounded to the north by the Johan Sea. It has a total land area of 2,424,437.11 square kilometres and a population of 2-500,000,000. The two national capitals are Corcaigh Nua and Argensborough, with the former being the imperial seat.

Maltropia is governed as a constitutional monarchy consisting of two nations, the Maltropian Islands and the Kingdom of Maltropia. The current monarch is Brendan. The state's legislature two nations share an upper house in the Council of Nobles and possess independent lower houses both consisting of elected representatives. Legislation is unique to each nation and may be vetoed by the king or translated from one nation to the other by the king. In its regional policy, Maltropia has developed a reputation as an interventionist power committed to exerting its influence by its powerful navy and an export-oriented economy. Outside Paradoxia, its policy is more economic in focus, and Maltropia possesses one of the most globalised economies in the world with numerous major international firms operating out of, and within, the country.

Maltropia is a founding member of the Pact of Righteous Vindication. The country is also a member of the World Assembly, the Commonwealth of Free and Democratic States, the Ellorea Commercial Union and the Sovereign League, as well as a signatory of the Amistad Declaration on Slavery and the Rights of Man and the Eternal Accords of the Three Crowns.

## Etymology

The origin of the name Maltropia is a long-considered and debated one. The name first appears in records in its archaic Irish form, *Maltróipea*, and it is not until the mid 16th century that the form Maltropia came into common use. What exactly the term means is ambiguous, with theories ranging from the Latin-Greek mixture meaning "bad turning", a possible allusion to the fact that the colony never reached its intended destination, to the Irish "*Malairt troipeach*", meaning "Tropic exchange". Possible origins of the latter are fewer, as Maltropia experiences a cold climate, and had little trade with tropical or oriental cultures.

### Prehistory

 File:Knowth.jpg
Prehistoric Maltropia is known only from archaeological evidence, although early medieval annals attempted to offer a chronology of human settlement dating back to the Biblical Deluge. The earliest human habitation in the archaeological record, tentatively dated to 3000 BC, consisted mainly of coastal settlement along the eastern shore. This settlement was characterised by shellfish middens and wooden huts identified by their postholes.

Between 2500 and 1500 BC, as Maltropia transitioned from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, its inhabitants erected large earthworks and megalithic structures. Such structures ranged from simple hill forts, such as those of chieftains in Tirucca and Argalium, to the vast burial complexes at Cnoc Gae and Úag Mor.

### First Kingdoms era (c. 500-785)

 File:Stari Ras.jpg
Rather than indicating the emergence of Maltropia's first kingdoms, the First Kingdoms era actually refers to the period of Maltropian history when the Espian civilisation, on the southern shore of Winter Bay, and the kingdoms of the Uí Chairbre and Uí Midire, among others, consolidated their power in their respective regions. Control over key trade routes, both on land and sea, around the two Maltropian peninsulas allowed these túatha to establish themselves as prosperous overkingdoms over numerous lesser powers. Monarchies in a recognisable sense had existed in Maltropia since the first millennium BC, but it was not until about the year five hundred that a hierarchy of kings and overkings developed and identities began to emerge on a scale superior to local or tribal identity.

This period also saw further development of the hill forts and other hilltop strongholds that had facilitated the initial rise of chieftaincies and kingdoms. Sites such as the Espian fortress of Pelira Lium were rebuilt as stone citadels that controlled trade along major arteries and also acted as storehouses and places of refuge in times of famine or war.

### "The Tumult" (785-812)

Towards the end of the eighth century, a series of succession crises provoked by a combination of Svedic raids and famine led to a period of civil war, known as the Tumult, in northwest Maltropia. Winter storms were also noticeably worse in this period than previously, and the *Annals of Ecriu* recorded that "each winter is worse than the last, bringing dearth and death and misery". Rendered impassable by snow and bandits, traditional trade routes collapsed, compounding the shortages from poor harvests. Royal authority broke down in many of the north's statelets, and by the mid-790s more remote powers such as Psantholing and Espin were facing their own troubles as many of their northern neighbours migrated south from the spreading cold. The Tumult reached its most calamitous in the winter of 803, when marauding bands from Tirucca crossed the frozen Cladagh River, looting the kingdoms around Escir, then a vassal state of the Uí Charbre which was unable to defend them. By the close of the period, Carberian hegemony in the region had been virtually eradicated by the nascent Corcagian power to its east and other groups in the south, while the kings of Espin were forced to cede swathes of land to the Argalic princes who had become established on Winter Bay after moving south to avoid the worst of the changing climate. The collapse of traditional power centres paved the way for minor states to reach new heights of power and, more immediately, for ecclesiastic centres to enter the realm of Maltropian high politics.

### Church politics (812-1153)

 File:BallinskelligsPriory.jpg
The ninth century saw the emergence of city-states and bishoprics in the aftermath of the Tumult. The city-bishoprics of Ivory and Ardencross emerged as states independent of their former lieges, the Uí Midire and Uí Chairbe, respectively, as did numerous other cities across Maltropia. Ivory in particular found itself in a vastly changed landscape, as Montrose was free of Eochaill's hegemony and quickly became divided among competing lordships. In addition to casting off their temporal overlords, many of these lordships rejected the established diocesan hierarchy, undermining the authority of the archbishops at Eochaill, Ardencross and Tallaght. A number of church synods attempted to resolve the fractured diocesan politics, and in 844 the Synod of Uisneach recognised the primacy of Ivory over its rivals in Eochaill, Lisdare and Cloghroe, while Ardencross and Tallaght retained their primacies in the west and [X] was granted primacy in the northeast.

The old power centres of the First Kingdoms era, and even those which had emerged during the Tumult, proved unable to prevent Maltropia from fragmenting into small statelets and federations of church centres which fielded their own armies to prevent their secular neighbours infringing on their own domains. By the early tenth century, the Prince-Bishopric of Ivory was as powerful an entity as the Uí Midire, controlling a vast hinterland and heading a major federation. Except in the northwest, where the Corcagian monarchs had a symbiotic relationship with the Archbishopric of Tallaght, Maltropia's kingdoms and chiefdoms found themselves subordinate to spiritual rulers.

### Second Kingdoms era (1153-1482)

 File:Cath Cnoic Ifrinn.jpg
The ecclesiastical hegemony began to break down in the mid-1100s, as the kings of the ancient monarchies reasserted their authority at the expense of the bishops. Growing tensions came to a head in 1148, when Congalach of Seilide refused to attend a synod convened by the bishop of Ivory. The result, after some escalation, was a war between the Ivorian Federation and the Uí Midire of whom Congalach was king. The war lasted five years and saw most of the Ivorian Federation defect to Congalach one by one until the Peace of na hÍsle was signed on the sand flats in the Lisdare fjord. Ivory swore fealty to Eochaill and the federation was dismantled. It was the end of the era of church rule and the start of the Second Kingdoms era.

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### (1625-1730)

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### (1730-1890)

The War of the Kings and Princes broke out in late 1737 and lasted until mid-1739. This was the last major conflict arising from the expansion of the Maltropian Empire and it saw the monarchy extend its authority eastward at the expense of the Maltropian princes, financially and politically. In the aftermath of the conflict, the princes turned to the merchant classes for finance in order to resecure their position, creating a dependency on the merchants who gained substantial political sway from the new arrangement. In March 1758, King Diarmuid Fionn moved to introduce a constitution to protect the peasants and the traditional rights and lands of the princes. Alarmed by the threat to their incomes and political sway, the merchant classes rebelled in the Constitution Riots, seizing control of Tallaght and forts throughout Newmarsh. By April, a leadership of the rebels had coalesced and compiled a list of guarantees they wished the king to make, including protection of the property they had purchased from the princes over the two previous decades. Low-level conflict continued until 1 May, when the king agreed to what became known as the May Guarantees, enshrining the right to property and its inviolability as a fundamental right under the new constitution.

### Modern history (1890-present)

#### Civil War

 File:The Last General Absolution of the Fusiliers.jpg
## Geography

Main article: Geography of Maltropia
Maltropia is the most northerly country on the Paradoxian continent of Continentname. It is divided into two constituent nations: Maltropia and the Maltropian Islands. The former is often colloquially referred to as 'the Mainland', and consists primarily of two of the large peninsulæ in the northwest of the so-called "Paradoxian platypus", including a large stretch of land southward towards the Nefreedian border. The Maltropian Islands are separated from continental Maltropia by the Johan Sea.

 File:Hvannadalshnjúkur.jpg
Maltropia is predominantly a mountainous country, with major ranges running the length of each of the two peninsulae. Other ranges include the Ardawns, running through Tirucca, Snowheight and the Angle, and the mountain ranges of the Maltropian Islands.

As a whole, the empire's population totals some 6.8 billion people, of whom roughly three fifths live on the mainland. Much of the populace resides in major urban centres, such as Corcaigh Nua (also the nation's capital), with a population of 186 million, Sráid-bhó and Eochaill in mainland Maltropia; and Argensborough and Sturnetown-on-Railte in the Maltropian Islands. The highest population densities are found on the coasts of the Islands, and in the north and west of the mainland. In contrast, the southeast consists largely of sparsely populated bog and moorlands, grouped into one large territorial division called An Deasóir.

 File:Panorama from Torc Mountain (2) - geograph.org.uk - 777017.jpg
Topographically, most of the country is mountainous or hilly, the steepest mountains being those straddling the Nefreedian border in the south. However, the region of Claon Eogh consists of low plains about the River Dúisc, and as such it is considered Maltropia's breadbasket. The MBR consists of a number of plateaux and plains, marked by rivers flowing down from the mountains in the north and east. Flatlands are generally present on the coasts, rising to the high mountains in the nation's interior. The land between the mountains and the sea, however, is quite expansive, and provides ample room for a high-quality motorway and rail network and much urban development. In the west, a wide plateau on the border between Tír Midire and Ard Abhainn is the location of one of the nation's larger conurbations, that of Terestown-Westfort. These two cities both have major airports within a number of miles from their respective centres, as do most Maltropian cities. Given the high percentage of mountainous land in the nation, government policy has encouraged the construction of numerous airports and several airlines in order to avoid the difficulty of land-based travel.

 File:Skipness-linden-norway-113-1.jpg
The Maltropian Islands are a seismically active archipelago northwest of Paradoxia. Formed by volcanic activity on a now ancient plate margin, the Islands still experience small tremors with relative frequency. The Insí Ritta were formed within the last 3,000 years, however, as a result of a hotspot which briefly existed under the plate. This activity has not yet had any major impact on the Islands or their economy, though local building regulations require the use of earthquake-resistant designs. Due to the position of the Islands, they have served a key historical role as the main international base of the Maltropian Royal Navy, which operates out of the city of Farranree. Like all coastal Maltropian cities, Farranree boasts a wide and deep port, sheltered from most storms and capable of accommodating several thousand vessels.

Landscapes of MaltropiaCuan Cluain Ciúin.jpgSilent Vale Bay, in SordInchyritta.jpgThe Insí Ritta, or Inchyritta, in the Maltropian IslandsMahon Falls Maltropia.jpgEas Drúchta, or Dew Falls, in the Lower ArdawnsKnocknarea, Sligo.jpgArdragh, overlooking Winter Bay, is one of a number of Espian acropolisesBoreal forest of Maltropia.jpgBoreal forest in South ChetwyndInagh Valley, Connemara.jpgLoch Timint, CarberyBeardmore Glacier - Antarctica.JPGGlaciers in the \*Islands Mountains\*ARG-2016-Aerial-Tierra del Fuego (Ushuaia)–Valle Carbajal 01.jpgPeat bogs in TiruccaMaplin Sands - the Broomway.jpgThe sand flats of Na hÍsle, between Montrose and Tymidra
### Flora and fauna

 File:Seal Cubs-Palliser Bay-20070331.jpg
Maltropia's diverse animal life is mostly well-adapted to its temperate and arctic climate regions.

 File:Ivory Gull Portrait.jpg
## Politics

Main article: Politics of Maltropia
 File:StGillesTownHall.jpg
### Subdivisions and local government

Main article: Principalities of Maltropia
### Law

See also: Judiciary of Maltropia
Maltropia has a common law legal system with a written constitution which establishes a parliamentary monarchy over its two nations. Legislation is distinct and unique between its two constituent nations, although a regularly exercised function of the monarch is the ability to introduce passed legislation from one nation's legislature to the other's to maintain consistency and unity. Laws are applied by the national judiciary which consists of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Circuit Court and the District Court.

### Military

* Maltropian Inter-Continental Missile Array Command (MICMAC)

## Economy

 File:Façade of Príomhbanc Maltróipea, Corcaigh Nua.jpg
The Maltropian economy is one defined by a market with minimal regulation or government intervention. From the 1940s, government policy was guided by the principle of laissez-faire, and the crown gradually broke its monopolies in markets such as air transport and energy production. It nevertheless maintained partial ownership over several major companies, such as the Ardencross Naval Yards and Príomhbanc Maltróipea, as a source of income in lieu of falling tax revenues as the highest income tax rate fell from 25% to its current rate of 5%.

Because of its low tax rates and low regulation, Maltropia has become a haven for international business. In addition to major Maltropian firms such as Maritime Imperial and deAlaya Motorworks, the country hosts the operations of foreign multinational corporations such as Yohannesian shipwright Royal Beaufort, major Confederate MNC Griffincrest Oil, and \_Nik pls\_ and National Bank of Romberg from Maltropia's EATC allies Nikolia and Romberg.

 File:Maltropian sea freight.jpg
Until the 1930s, the Maltropian economy was mainly industrial, focused on arms-manufacturing. It was in this period that the city of Ardnacrusha and its associated naval yards grew to become one of the most prosperous areas in the country. A long period of peace in the mid-20th century saw the decline of the manufacturing sector, balancing at the present employment rate of roughly 30% of the population. Maltropia's manufacturing sector includes such major international firms as the Norn Ironworks, Maritime Imperial and automotive companys such as Diamond Star and deAlaya Motorworks.

The tertiary sector employs roughly 62% of the population, and is focused mainly on information technology, finance (banks and insurance), retail and tourism.

### Transport

Main article: Transport in Maltropia
 File:Terøya..jpg
## Demographics

### Population distribution

See also: List of cities and towns in Maltropia

## Culture

### Music

Maltropia has a rich musical culture, with some folk songs surviving from the first millennium BC. Traditional music remains vibrant in modern Maltropia, though production of such music has declined since the early nineteenth century. Songs such as *The Whaler* provide substantial insight into historic Maltropian culture and society.