Aquaria

Aquaria, also Akirala, is an island country located in northern Aritonesia that shares a maritime border with Luciferia. It is the third-largest country in the archipelago by area.

First settled around 2700 BC, Aquaria has spent most of it's history being associated with other countries, with it being a territory of the and the  from 1789 until 1941, when both islands were colonized by. This occupation lasted for 4 years, as it would soon be invaded again by the and Sentan to liberate it from the Axis. Following a two-year long occupation by both countries, Aquaria eventually declared independence in late 1947 and has remained autonomous since, although it was considered a satellite state of the Vlokozu Union from 1971 until 1989.

Pre-1789
Aquaria was first discovered by humans in around 2700 BC, when they came from the Engotu reigon of the northern Arito subcontinent via canoes.

1789-1947: Colonization
In 1789, the southern island was colonized by the Portuguese Empire. Shortly afterwards, the city of São Clemente (now known as Aqua City) was founded by a group of Catholic missionaries on the island's northeast coast. Later in 1865, the British Empire colonized the northern island. It was around this time that the islands were first given the name Aquaria, an English transliteration of the native name Akirala.

In 1941, both islands were invaded by Imperial Japan, who sought to establish a foothold in Aritonesia following their loss of New Japan in 1835. This annexation was soon followed by a mass deportation of the residents of the northern island to the southern island, where they were kept as POWs. For the remainder of the war, Aquaria was essentially turned into a hotbed for military bases, with aircraft regularly being dispatched from the northern island to bombard locations in Aritonesia; most infamously the Ralander cities of Norikoritoa and Villamonte. In 1945, the United States and Sentan invaded Aquaria and split it into two zones, with the United States occupying the north and Sentan occupying the south. This occupation lasted until 1947, when the First Republic of Aquaria was established.

1947-1971: First Republic
On November 4, 1947, Aquaria declared independence from the United States and Sentan, with the first prime minister being Eduardo Padilha. The next few years would see many changes being made to the government, culture, and infrastructure of Aquaria; the most notable of which being the mass demolition of most of the leftover Japanese military bases, and the country's readmittance into the Commonwealth of Nations. The official language also changed back to English, due to the increased influence of American and British immigrants.

1971-1989: Vlokist era
In 1971, shortly after the election of Nathaniel Mendoza as prime minister, Aquaria became a satellite state of the Vlokozu Union. This was also the year in which the city Clemente was renamed to Aqua City and became the capital. In 1972, an economic miracle occurred in Aquaria, causing the country's economy to become the fourth largest in the world.

Following the end of Mendoza's 12-year premiership in 1983, public support for Vlokist policies took a nosedive, as the economy declined and the people of Aquaria started to resent the Vlokozu Union, wanting a stronger national identity and a return to the policies of the First Republic.

1989-present: Modern era
Shortly after the assassination of Michael Vlokozu and the dissolution of the Vlokozu Union in early 1989, a revolution, now known as the Youth's Revolution, broke out, leading to the overthrow of the Vlokist government and the instatement of Saul Warwick as prime minister. Warwick, a staunch critic of Vlokism and a former anchor for ABN News, had helped to popularize anti-Vlokist sentiments in the years preceding his premiership, cementing him as a prominent figure in the Aquarian anti-Vlokist movement alongside others such as political analyst Luca Maduro (whom he would appoint as his deputy prime minister) and Archer Greenwood. Under his rule, Aquaria would become increasingly isolationist and conservative, as most of the policies established by Mendoza and his successors were revoked in favor of ones modeled after those which the First Republic had held.

While Warwick was initially very popular with the Aquarian public, support for him would gradually decline throughout his premiership due to a lack of financial stability and his controversial social policies, which were often described as regressive and authoritarian by his critics. These issues would ultimately prompt him to resign prior to the 1999 general election, handing the title of prime minister over to Simon Poole. Despite initial projections of a victory for the SDP, Poole would ultimately retain his position as prime minister, leading to widespread accusations of voter fraud. These tensions would come to a head in December of 2000, when a police raid on the house of Terry Takagi, a key person in Poole's campaign, uncovered several thousand stolen ballots, leading to a national political crisis and widespread protests. Following these revelations, Poole would resign in February of 2001, giving his deputy prime minister Isaac Joyner the premiership; however, Joyner's tenure as prime minister would infamously last only 23 days, as a coup d'état led by the Royal Aquarian Armed Forces would dispose of him and the government set up by Warwick.

In 2015, Stephen Colt was elected as prime minister, and took office on November 19, 2015. Later on in 2017, a bombing occured in the city of Oakham, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people. Stephen Colt sent out his condolences to the families and friends of the people who lost their lives in the bombing, with him visiting the city on New Years Day 2018.

On December 8, 2019, Stephen Colt announced that Aquaria would rejoin the United El Kadsreian Nations on January 1, 2020, with him stepping down on said day and being replaced by his deputy prime minister Chris Nishihoro. This move would be met with mixed reception globally; some people (most of whom were nationalists from countries that were already members of the UEKN) criticized it, claiming that Stephen Colt only decided to rejoin the UEKN in order to gain more notoriety - however, the majority of Aquarians supported the move.

Geography
Aquaria is located in the northern, sharing latitude with the states of  and , as well as Utikalor, Engotu, Haalis, and parts of Raland, Narthernee, and Matoranesia. It is a part of Aritonesia, the northern half of the continent of Aritonazca.

Climate-wise, both islands are humid, with heavy snowfall being common on the northern island during late fall and winter. Both islands are dominated by temperate rainforests similar to those seen in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, although beaches, grasslands, taiga, and mountains are also common; the latter especially so on the west coast of the northern island, which is often referred to as the "spine of Aquaria".

Economy
The economy of Aquaria is highly developed. As of 2023, it has a GDP nominal of $1.02 trillion USD and a GDP PPP of $1.48 trillion, making it the ?th largest economy in Aritonesia. The Aquarian dollar has been the nation's main currency since 1990, replacing the Vlokozu dollar. Aquaria has underwent numerous recessions; the first in 1983, and the second in 1996. Despite its history of financial instability, Aquaria was notably unaffected by the, being one of the few countries in Aritonesia to avoid economic devastation.

Most of Aquaria's exports come from the steel, forestry, electronics, and entertainment industries. Some of the most profitable companies in the country include Nova, Joyware, Kawafune Steel, and Menemento.

Culture
Aquaria is a very culturally diverse nation, taking influence from East Asian nations, European colonial powers, and native Aritonesian cultures. The dominant language in most of the country is English, although Japanese and Portuguese are also widely spoken. As such, over 90% of the country's residents are proficient in more than one language, making Aquaria one of the most multilingual countries in the entire world.

A few unique staples of Aquarian cuisine include toastburgers, coconut twists, and coconut pizza.

Education
The Aquarian school year traditionally begins in late February and ends in late November, although there are a few schools primarily on the southern island that start in March and end in December. The school week goes from Monday to Friday, with each day starting at 7:30 AM and ending at 2:30 PM.

In Aquarian public education, children are typically taught six subjects; math, history, science, the arts (language and visual), a secondary language (either Japanese or Portuguese, depending on the region), and health. Most private schools retain these subjects, although some swap out either secondary language or health for theology.

People/Trends

 * The life expectancy for Aquarians is 92.5 for men and 92.9 for women.
 * The drinking age is 19 in Aquaria.
 * Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2001.