Kingdom of Aspen

Aspen (Espenisch: Espen), officially the Kingdom of Aspen, is a self-declared, unrecognized country in North America. Aspen is situated on the Atlantic coast with the Atlantic ocean and the Chesapeake Bay to the east and the blue ridge mountains to the west. Aspen has known borders with three US states Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland, and with the micronation of Misberia. The Capital of Aspen is Konigshaven and its largest city and financial center are Wilhelmsborg.

The territory of Aspen has been inhabited by various Native American tribes since around 16000 BC when the first Algonquian-speaking tribes arrived in the area. From the period when the Spanish arrived in 1570  to the settlement of Jamestown in 1607  the Powhatan confederation  was the largest of the Algonquian tribes, occupying a large portion of southeastern Virginia up into Maryland. After English colonization the area was under the control of the Colony of Virginia which it remained until 1776 when it declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. During the revolutionary war the area switched between British and American occupation until the Siege of Yorktown after which, in the aftermath of the surrender of George Cornwallis, the area was firmly under American control. During the civil war, the region was under confederate control, except for Fort Monroe which remained under Union occupation. After the civil war the region became more urban and during the first and second world wars, they were subject to a heavy military presence. The Kingdom of Aspen was founded on 27 November 2018 as the Aspen Empire. Initially simulationist, the Aspen Empire slowly grew and became more secessionist as it came into contact with the Microwiki community. The Aspen Empire joined the Grand Unified Micronational in January 2019 and united with the Kingdom of Misberia to form the Aspen-Misberian Empire in February of the same year. However, the union of Aspen and Misberia was short-lived and Misberia declared its freedom in March of 2019. After a period of instability, Aspen left the Grand Unified Micronational in June 2019 and soon after dissolved. On 4 October 2020, after a period of instability, constant reform, and inactivity Aspen was revived as the Kingdom of Aspen and since then it has entered into an era of unprecedented stability.

Aspen is a micronational middle power and is beginning to exit a period of political and economic stagnation, as well as diplomatic isolation. As of 2020 the Kingdom of Aspen has an estimated population of fifteen and is continuing to grow. Aspen is a member of the Confederation of The Northern Coast and is represented in several micronational organizations through confederal representation.

Etymology
The name of the present territory where the Kingdom of Aspen currently inhabits has been known by many different names with the original name of the area being Kecoughtan after the native Algonquin tribe that inhabited it. Other names that have been used for Aspen are Appalachia and Cordonia, the former referring to the Appalachian mountains located near Aspen, and the latter being a created name.

The name Aspen is derived from the tree of the same name. The origin of the use of that name can be traced to early 2016 when the town of Aspendale was established on a Minecraft towny server. The name Espen is ultimately derived from this original name, the word Espen being the direct Espenishe translation of the name Aspen.

History
The Aspen Empire was founded on 28 November 2018 by the Charter of the Aspen Empire. Initially simulationist, the early Aspen Empire was composed primarily of Minecraft nation role players and a few friends of the Emperor. The government was largely a simulation and the charter that provided its powers was short and confusing, however, this time was also a time of prosperity as the nation was active and functioning. The structure of the empire resembled the German Empire, a confederation of states with a hereditary presidency under the Aspen Emperor. The Chancellor was the head of government and presiding officer of the six-member Federal Council. The nature of the government was initially authoritarian with the emperor having vast influence over the politics of the empire. The authoritarian nature of the state changed with the election of Chancellor Cai O'Gorman who unveiled the corruption behind the election of former Chancellor Suyash Adhikari and fundamentally changed the course of Aspen's history. Under Chancellor O'Gorman, the Aspen Empire was successfully admitted to the Grand Unified Micronational as a full member and became an active player in global micronational politics.

The Aspen Empire participated in two mergers, first with the Commonwealth of Pazistan, a simulationist, and socialist state, and then with the then Republic of Misberia. the initial merger was quite successful with Pazistan becoming a member state within the empire, however, the merger with Misberia proved to be much more difficult.

Aspen-Misberia and Collapse
The Aspen-Misberian Empire was founded on 8 January 2019 with the signing of the treaty of Newport and thus an agreement to a unified constitution. The Aspen-Misberian Empire, however, proved to be an unstable union. The Republic, the Kingdom of Misberia was unhappy with its treatment under the treaty, and the Aspen Empire, which had up until then been very isolated diplomatically, began attempts at growing the confederation through coercive and unethical means. The instability of the union proved to be too much when on 15 March 2019 the Kingdom of Misberia officially seceded from the confederation, bringing the early empire to an end and pushing both nations into a period of trouble.

After the breakdown of Aspen-Misberia, the Aspen Empire entered an era of civil war between the Republic of Aspen, an unrecognized breakaway state, and the Aspen Empire. After the Aspen Civil War, the Empire was once again united, however, the toll of both the breakup of Aspen-Misberia and the Civil War proved to be too much and the Aspen Empire was dissolved on 02 June 2019.

Instability Period
After the Empire's collapse, various successor states were formed by the former Emperor, however, none proved to be successful, the most successful was the Kingdom of Appalachia, established directly after the Empire's collapse, it retained much of the population, as well as government. It was in this Kingdom of Appalachia that Thomas Bainbridge was first elected Prime Minister. During the Bainbridge Ministry, the Kingdom of Appalachia became more visible and welcomed in the microwiki community, however, this was not to last. Upon the success of Appalachia, the Aspen Empire was reformed which lead to a collapse of both nations.

Appalachia was succeeded by the Principality of Aspen which ultimately ended up joining the Kingdom of Hrafnarfjall as a member state in the North Sea Empire. This union was also short-lived, however, the involvement of Thomas Bainbridge in Aspen's affairs did not end there as he remained Prime Minister of future Aspen states on an interim basis until the reforms of October 2021 reformed the old Aspen and established the Kingdom of Aspen.

The Kingdom of Aspen
The Kingdom of Aspen was officially established on 8 October 2020 after the collapse of the final empire, since the October reforms, Aspen has grown stronger and has participated in micronational diplomacy once again. Presently, the Kingdom of Aspen has been in a period of relative stability since the founding of the kingdom, it has increased its citizenry as well as established more permanent institutions. The final reorganization of Aspen occurred on 24 July 2021 with the reform of the Aspen Parliament into a bicameral body with the parliament becoming the Riksdag and an upper house, the Bundesrad, being created.

Geography
The Kingdom of Aspen is located near the Chesapeake Bay with the capital, Konigshaven, being located along Aspen's Chesapeake Bay coastline near the Hampton Roads Harbor. Aspen is located primarily in the coastal plain of Virginia known locally as the Tidewater, an area of low-lying land, marshes, and pine forests. both the capital and largest city are located on the Virginia peninsula, created by the James and York Rivers. Aspen's local territory includes many beaches, creeks, and wetlands.

Climate
Aspen primarily has a humid subtropical and humid continental climate with hot, wet summers and cold, dry winters. Average summer temperatures average well into the 80s with winter temperatures averaging in the 50s. Hurricanes and other tropical systems are common in Aspen, occurring with regular frequency between May and September, although most years only result in one direct landfall if any. The most severe climate risk to Aspen is flooding, which is common in low-lying areas near creeks and waterways.

Climate change is of particular importance to Aspen due to its proximity to the coast. With water surrounding Aspen's primary territory, sea-level rise, accompanied by erosion and the destruction of wetlands has increased flood risk in the immediate area.

Biodiversity
Aspen is not particularly biodiverse, many species in Aspen include the Gray Squirrel and Virginia Cardinal.

Politics
Aspen is a federal, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament, consisting of the Riksdag (Diet of the Realm) and the Bundesrad (Federal Council), which together form the legislative body of the Kingdom of Aspen. The Riksdag is elected in free, secret, and democratic elections through a method of proportional representation. The Bundesrad, however, represents and is appointed by the governments of the individual provinces. The Constitutional framework of the Kingdom of Aspen is laid out in the Instrument of Government, a document that sets out the foundation of human rights, separation of powers, federalism, democracy, and rule of law. Amendments to the Instrument of Government can only be enacted by a constitutional act, which must secure a two-thirds majority of both the Riksdag and Bundesrad to become law.

The monarch of the Kingdom of Aspen, currently James II Christian, is head of state and is vested primarily with ceremonial and representative duties. However, the monarch is not powerless, they perform an important role in the selection of a Prime Minister and the formation of a government. The next highest office in the order of precedence is the Speaker of the Riksdag, who is elected from among its members and serves as a neutral mediator of that house. Lastly, the Prime Minister, currently Robert Smith, is the head of government and together with the cabinet forms the Government of the Kingdom of Aspen.

Provinces
Main article: Provinces of Aspen

The Kingdom of Aspen is a federation and is composed of six provinces (Espenische: Provins). Each province has its constitution and laws and they are generally autonomous in their internal affairs. In addition to provinces, there are federal cities that are effectively city-states and have all the functions of a province. Provinces are each divided into cities and counties each with equivalent powers. Aspen is unique as its provinces use a similar system of defining cities (kommunen) and counties (Fylken) as the state of Virginia where counties and cities operate differently constitutionally.

Law and justice
Aspen has a mixed system incorporating elements of both civil law and common law. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the Kingdom of Aspen, it is responsible for not only constitutional matters, with the power of judicial review, but also civil and criminal cases as the court of highest instance. Administrative law is conducted by the Supreme Administrative Court which has exclusive jurisdiction over cases related to the civil service and government administration.

Criminal and civil laws are codified on the federal level in the Federal Penal Code and Civil Code respectively. The Aspen justice system seeks the rehabilitation of criminals and the protection of the public. Except petty crimes and misdemeanors, which are tried before a single professional judge, all charges are tried before mixed tribunals including both professional and lay judges. The Aspen judicial system includes three distinct forms of the verdict" "guilty", "not guilty", and "not proven". "not guilty" and "not proven" result in an acquittal, however, a "not proven" verdict is different in that it means that there was not enough evidence to convict someone as either "guilty" or "not guilty".

The National Police service of the Kingdom of Aspen is responsible for the administration of justice throughout the entirety of Aspen and reports to the Home Ministry. Special services including the National Prisons Service and the National Border Police service are special services that report to the Chancellor of Justice and the Home Ministry respectively.

Foreign Relations
The Kingdom of Aspen is a member state of the Confederation of the Northern Coast to which it has delegated most of its foreign affairs too, however, the Kingdom of Aspen maintains several unofficial or regional relationships with the Republic of Elysium and the Fesmarian Empire, it is also a member of the Gulf-Atlantic Union.

Military
The Aspen Armed Forces consist of three professional service branches: the Royal Aspen Navy and Royal Aspen Marines, the Aspen Royal Army, and the Aspen Royal Air Force. The armed forces of the Kingdom of Aspen are managed by the Ministry of Defense. The commander-in-chief is the Aspen Monarch, to whom all members of the armed forces swear an oath of allegiance. The armed forces are charged with maintaining the neutrality of the Kingdom of Aspen, peacekeeping efforts, and assisting the Confederation Forces during times of conflict with the entirety of the Confederation of the Northern Coast.

Economy
Aspen's economy is heavily based on agriculture and food production with primary goods sold in Aspen being Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Peppers, Squash, Zucchini, and Pumpkins, as well as bread and cookies. The economy is also heavily service and education-oriented.

The National Bank of Aspen: the Bank of Aspen, is the highest economic and financial regulatory agency and is the sole issuer of currency in the Kingdom of Aspen. The Bank of Aspen was created in October 2021 by an act, however, it is a part of the Northern Coast Banking System and it maintains a stable 1:1 exchange rate with the New England Conifer, the currency of the two other members of the Confederation of the Northern Coast.

Culture
Aspen culture is unique in that it has been influenced by several other cultures including British, French, German, and Scandinavian cultures. Initially, Aspen developed a culture primarily based on that of Imperial Germany, however, this culture served as more of a political culture than a practical or universally adopted one. The culture of the Old Empire continued until the Parliament Act which introduced a notably British cultural scheme. Aspen flipped between a more Germanic culture and a more British culture until late 2021 when the King introduced specific cultural measures that established a single, unified cultural model for Aspen.

The cultural decision reached in August 2021 created a uniquely post-Christianization Scandinavian culture based heavily on the culture of Sweden and Norway, this included the creation of a constructed language: Espenisch, as well as renaming many government institutions in the new language, with Prime Minister becoming Staatsminister, the National Assembly becoming the Riksdag, etc. In addition to the new language, Aspen adopted Christianity as its national religion and its state church as the Church of Aspen with the King as its head. These cultural reforms also introduced new endeavors in education and art with the creation of Konigshaven University.

Cuisine
Aspen cuisine is a unique hybrid of cuisine found in the southeastern United States and Scandinavian cuisine with the national dish of Aspen being Kottbullar or meatballs, traditionally served with Cranberry or Lingonberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Although the official dish is meatballs, fish, specifically fried cod, is also a very popular dish inspired by traditional British fish and chips. The fishing industry around Aspen has created a distinctly maritime cuisine with crab-based dishes and fried oysters common in nearby restaurants.

Cinnamon rolls are very popular in Aspen, especially around Christmas. Traditionally cardamom buns and gingerbread are eaten on St. Lucia's Day, a public holiday in Aspen.

Sport
Aspen's traditional sport is Tennis, although Football (American English: Soccer) is commonly considered the most popular sport. in addition to tennis and football, popular recreational sports in Aspen include cycling, sprinting, and swimming with swimming being a very popular introductory sport and a popular sport for students.

National Symbols
The Kingdom of Aspen has several national symbols, these include the national flag and coat of arms. The first Aspen Flag was created on November 30th, 2018, and used a maroon and gold vertical bicolor with a black eagle in the center, since this flag, all other flags have been bicolor flags with the notable exception of the tricolor which was used between 7 June 2020 and 10 October 2020. The current Aspen flag is a maroon and gold bicolor with a white cross. The cross as a symbol of Aspen became prominent after the second redesign introduced a white and black cross with a shield emblazoned with an eagle in the center of the cross.

The Coat of Arms is also prominently displayed, the Coat of arms appears on several government documents and is composed of a gules shield emblazoned with a lion rampant and pearl. The colors red, white, and gold are very prominent in Aspen symbols as the colors of the Royal House of Aspen, the red symbolizes bravery, valor, and liberty, gold symbolizes courage and justice, while white symbolizes purity and equality.

Other national symbols include the Aspen eagle which appears on several government logos, the eagle was Aspen’s first national symbol, and is still used as a symbol of the Aspen monarchy and government.