| Kingdom of Wardia | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
|
Motto: Supra nos, Noctus ("Above us, Notch") | |
|
Anthem: Royal March | |
| Capital | Zeblington |
| Largest city | New Princing (incomplete) |
| Official languages | English |
| Recognised regional languages | Jangelian Patois, Danish (in Snowdon Exclave), Arabic (in Wardian Sahara) |
| Ethnic groups | White, Black, Asian, African |
| Demonym | Wardian |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy |
• King |
Aydan I |
• Speaker of the Commons |
TOPGJ |
| Legislature | House of Commons |
| Population | |
• Census |
18 |
| Currency | Cobb System |
| Drives on the | right |
Wardia is a sovereign state located in the world of Minecraftia, consisting of the main continent, two islands (Prince Aston Island off the coast of Wolfton and Kitakakita near the city province of Jangelia) and an exclave city (Snowdon) surrounded by the Danish Empire. Its mainland is bordered to the Danish Empire by a large indestructible wall, which was constructed after the Wardia-Danish War.
Wardia is the largest country in the Union of Unrecognized Microstates, and the second oldest after Nay Island.
Wardia is a democracy organized in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy, currently led by King Aydan I. It does not have an elected head of government or Prime Minister, but the powers of the head of government are executed by the House of Commons, which is formed by the Governors of each city-province (these governors are elected by the citizens in their city-province. They used to be appointed by the King alone until the country became a democracy in 2000 under Gary I). It is a middle power and a developed country. Its capital is Zeblington, where the Royal Palace, the House of Commons and the famous River Twine are located.
There are five city-provinces, one of them being on the other side of the Great Wall: Wolfton, Jangelia, Zeblington, New Princing (incomplete) and the exclave of Snowdon. Each one has its own regional flag, but their usage is very very limited. There also exists a colony in the Maghreb called the Wardian Sahara, under the direct rule of the Crown, with its administrative centre in the town of Laayoub. These provinces are very multicultural: even though English is the official language of the country, some areas employ different dialects or languages. For example, Jangelia has a different English dialect (Jangelian Patois, an English-based Creole language with West African influences, very similar to the Jamaica accent) and Snowdon has Danish as a second language because it was taken from the Danish Empire by the army of King Harold during the war in which the Wall was built.
History[]
Roman province[]
In ancient times, the land that is now Wardia was conquered by the Romans and was a province known as Cimpuria. The Romans built several impressive structures across Cimpuria, including the Zeblington Colosseum and the old Roman Mines in Wolfton. The Romans left the area not long after the collapse of the Empire in 476, and the area was soon taken over by Germanic tribes.
Wyatup (476 - 17th century)[]
A small kingdom known as Wyatup was founded, which acted as a collective elective monarchy ruled by a small group of leaders known as the Kamachuti Kings. The language spoken in Wyatup was basically Old English. It is likely that the barbarians that settled in the land after the departure of the Romans were mainly of Anglo-Saxon origin. Jangelia, meanwhile, was completely unaffected and was still ruled by Jangelian Creole natives. It is believed that this old kingdom had its "capital" or centre in the south of the continent in what would now be southern New Princing (where the only remaining ruins have been discovered).
Wyatup disappeared in the 17th century very suddenly. The exact cause is unknown, but whatever it was it left the land completely unpopulated and deserted. All that remains of this old society are a couple of books written by friars and missionaries from Spain and a few ruins in the south.
The birth of Wardia. King Harold I.[]
On the 6th January 1929, British explorer Harold Woodward, accompanied only by his pet wolf Christopher Johnson, arrived in what is now Wolfton. They searched the land, getting into conflicts with hostile creatures along the way. In one of these battles, Harold lost his beloved wolf. In his honour, Harold built a town called Wolfton.
Then, he began to have dreams of territorial expansion and of building a great empire. So, he decided to gather the villagers and build a kingdom, with himself as King. Establishing Wolfton as their temporary capital city, he proclaimed himself king Harold I of 'Wardia' (the name being the result of the combination between the last part of his surname Woodward and the territorial suffix -ia) and advanced with his army to new locations. Harold I also set up a group he called the "House of Commons", his close circle of confidants and advisors, which during its first couple of years of existence was nomadic and simply stuck by Harold's side wherever he went.
His Majesty Harold I of the House of Woodward, first King of Wardia.
Together, they conquered the tribal town of Jangelia, two small islets off the coast of the continent (North Island and Kitakakita) and Western Sahara in Africa; and they built a much bigger new city named Zeblington, which the King decided would be the new capital upon completion.
Zeblington was officially completed in 1948, and the actual "House" of Commons was built that same year on an empty piece of land on the other side of the River Twine.
A decade later in 1958, Zeblington was attacked by barbarian warriors coming from behind the Royal Centre. It was the Danish Empire: they were invading the kingdom. Harold I declared war on the Danish and fought against them in several battles. Luckily, the war didn't last too long, and Wardia won the war in 1960. In the peace treaty, King Frederick IX of Denmark was forced to hand their town of Blomstrende over to them. Wardia renamed it 'Snowdon' and built a large indestructible bedrock wall to separate the two large kingdoms so that no war could ever happen between them again.
The old town of Zeblington, 1950. A noticeable feature is the absence of the Royal Palace grounds, because the current Royal Palace wasn't built until 1966. The House of Commons did exist, but it isn't visible in the photograph.
Reign of Gerald I (1966-1984)[]
Harold I passed away in 1966, handing over the Crown to his son Gerald. A massive funeral was held in St Jeb's Cathedral in Zeblington, and the grand and ornate coronation ceremony of King Gerald reportedly cost thousands of millepieces.
Gerald I oversaw the construction of the Royal Palace of Zeblington that same year, the current official residence of the royal family, taking over the role from Wolfton House. He did some good to the nation, constructing streets around the capital and welcoming businesses from outside to trade and boost Wardia's economy.
King Gerald I officially inaugurating the Pedersen Bank of Jangelia in 1970.
However, in the latter years of his reign, he usually ignored the people's demands for social change, for advancement towards becoming a democratic monarchy like the United Kingdom and their wish to be able to elect their own local representatives. Not only that, but Gerald I passed a radical law declaring that civilian vehicles could not traverse the old road and that only truck drivers could use the old road to deliver goods between the capital and Wolfton; causing the King's approval ratings to plummet and general outrage and much anger among the people.
The Wardian Republic (1984-1989)[]
A revolution led by ultraliberal William Tyrell occurred in the 1980's which brought down the monarchy, and the Republic was proclaimed, with Tyrell as it's President. This republic was very liberal, and gave many freedoms to the citizens, planned to hold general elections, and established the city-provinces (which have their own laws and ways of doing things, much like US states or Spanish autonomous communities).
The government of the Republic of Wardia also had the royal House of Woodward exiled: Prince Sean, the Duke of Snowdon, was exiled to the territory of the Wardian Sahara to live out his days under house arrest in the city of Laayoub, and his brothers the princes Gary and Ryan were sent away to Switzerland and Canada, respectively.
The Civil War. The dictatorship of Sean I[]
However, this Republic did not last long. In 1989, Prince Sean, the first son of the ousted king Gerald I; gathered most of the traditionalist generals stationed in the Wardian Sahara in an attempt to return to Wardia, overthrow the republic and restore the monarchy that his family started. The generals flew him over in a small plane from Laayoub to Snowdon without being detected, and begun gathering weapons. They staged a coup d'etat in Snowdon, beginning the Civil War. Eventually, the monarchists prevailed and overthrew the Republic, bringing back the Kingdom of Wardia with Sean I as its restored King. He started an almost fascist regime, spreading propaganda around the nation and purging all those who supported democracy and the old Republic. Citizens called him "the African", because of both his fondness of Laayoub (which some say is what alienated him) and because of his behaviour similar to that of a typical African dictator.
Being an ultra-conservative, the new king also made the Church of Notch the supreme ruling body and organization in the land, inferior only to the Crown, granting the church the judiciary power (giving it control over justice, effectively making the church the supreme court). Notchism was also was the only religion to have legal status; other worship services could not be advertised, and no other religion could own property or publish books. Religious instruction was mandatory, even in the two public schools of the kingdom.
Despite the purges he instigated and the strict laws he passed, he was viewed favourably in Wolfton, the most socially conservative region of the country, and he was praised for bringing back the royal Woodward family, founders of Wolfton and of the nation and a family considered "neighbours" by the villagers.
Gary I and Aydan I. The transition to democracy.[]
Eventually, in 2000, even the House of Commons grew tired of his ways, and King Sean was forced to step down by the majority of both the common people and the government. Sean I mysteriously passed away three days later for undisclosed reasons. The government is highly secretive about it, to the point that some have speculated that he is still alive and living in hiding abroad. After this, instead of being succeeded by his daughter Princess Amelia, the crown was handed down to Sean I's younger brother Prince Gary, who upon becoming King, transformed Wardia into a parliamentary monarchy like the UK or Spain. The new Constitution, made by the House of Commons and approved by Gary I, greatly limited the power of the monarchy and made the country a democracy. He had married Amanda Wyatt, a member of the noble House Wyatt and daughter of Lord John Wyatt (the leader of the Tory Party back in the days of the Republic), in 1994.
In 2014, Gary I abdicated in favor of his son Aydan, Prince of Wolfton, supposedly having grown exhausted by the ruling of the nation. It is commonly believed that Gary I never wanted to be king and simply accepted the responsibility of ruling in order to depose his widely despised brother and open the country to democracy. Despite his hesitation to be monarch, most Wardians view him favourably, placing him as the second best ruler in their history only below Harold I. He was succeeded by Prince Aydan, who at the time of his coronation at 18 years old was the youngest monarch in Wardia's history.
Aydan I, the current King, has done many things to help the country thrive, opening many new buildings and renaming the island off the coast of Wolfton 'Prince Aston Island' after his maternal cousin. Aston, the current Prince of Wolfton, is also the current heir to the throne, because the King has no siblings and no issue. Therefore, the heir apparent is his younger cousin. If he is ever crowned, this would make Aydan I the last monarch of House Woodward, as Aston would be the first King of Wardia of House Wyatt.
However, Aydan I's reign hasn't been entirely wonderful. The Governor of Zeblington, Lord Pedersen (who is primarily known as the current head of the large Pedersen Bank and therefore of the aristocratic Pedersen family, and also a very close friend of the King), in power since 2014, has been widely accused of corruption, manipulation of politics, and of using his status as an extremely wealthy banker to enter office and hold onto his power in the city-province.
In 2018, Aydan I made history by finally removing the judiciary power from the Church of Notch and ordering the construction of a real, secular Supreme Court in Zeblington, a major step towards the separation of church and state and national secularization.
In March 2019, David of House Wyatt and his wife Amber Fyw, Duke and Duchess of Plyjudge, welcomed to the world their son Milo River. With this new addition to the Royal Family (and with still no direct Woodward heir), Milo River is the second in line to the throne of Wardia below Aston, Prince of Wolfton.
Geography[]
Politics[]
Six of the main components of the royal House of Woodward (from left to right): King Emeritus Gary, Queen Emerita Amanda, King Aydan I, Aston Prince of Wolfton, Princess Amelia and Prince Edgar.
Wardia is a constitutional monarchy. However, it is not one in the usual sense, due to the fact that there is no Prime Minister or elected head of government. It is technically a democracy because the governors of each city-province are elected by the people in local elections every year (in Minecraft waiting 4 years is a bit too much) and they collectively decide on national laws in the House Of Commons in Zeblington, with the King giving the final say by signing the drafted bills. In a sense, the King is both head of state and head of government, much like the role of the President of the United States.
The governors of the city-provinces are currently:
• Zeblington: Nick6739 (Lord Pedersen)
• Wolfton: x22Ciinoo
• Jangelia: lyutauras
• New Princing: N/A
• Snowdon Exclave: rockaboy6ter
The King, according to the Wardian Room of Rules, is Head of State, the symbol of its unity and permanence. He arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions, assumes the highest representation of the Wardian State in international relations, especially with the nations of its historical community, and exercises the functions expressly conferred on him by the Constitution and the laws. The current king is Aydan I, of the royal House of Woodward, since 2014.
If the King abdicates or dies leaving no living heirs or relatives, the House of Commons will elect one of their own to become the new King who will start a new hereditary lineage, with the son or a close relative of said parliament member becoming his heir-apparent.
Economy[]
Wardia is currently the only country in the world that still uses the Cobb System in their economy. Game City was the last country to abandon the Cobb System after they replaced it with an only currency called the Erin.