Shenewa
Empire of Shenewa Shenewa | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
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Motto: "Teshato Rate Nge Noine" "Ancient as the Seas" | |
 Location of Shenewa (dark green) in Anterra (grey) | |
| Capital | Wehanenepē |
| Largest city | Taunge |
| Official languages | Keumoine, Boenga |
| Ethnic groups |
24% Keumoine 9.28% Sumovafal 1%> Atēme ?% Uto-Aztecan peoples ?% other peoples |
| Religion |
?% Local polytheisms ?% Amadonian messianism ?% Non-religious 8% Zovatêle |
| Demonym | Shenewan |
| Government | |
• Emperor | Ēreheme II |
| Establishment | |
• Imperial Unification | 1813 |
• Imperial Restoration | 1943 |
• End of civil war | 1951 |
| Area | |
• Total | 774,001 km2 (298,843 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 8.4 |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 144,478,686 |
• Density | 186.6/km2 (483.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | $2,197.809bn |
• Per capita | $15,212 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $879.152bn |
• Per capita | $6,085 |
| Gini |
48 high |
| HDI |
0.69 medium |
| Currency | Noshawa, ¥ |
| Time zone | UTC-5 |
| Driving side | right |
Shenewa is a country in central Avalonia covering 774,001km2 on the shores of the Ingonian Sea. It is bordered to its west by Tilenno and Arroyo-Abeille and New Valentina to its north. Centred on the Tueawa and Yvyrayvate river basins and with its agriculture made plentiful by the seasonal rains off the Ingonian, the territory of Shenewa has always been a densely populated area. As of 2022, its population is estimated at 144,478,686. Its capital is located in the old imperial city of Wehanenepē on the shores of Lake Tehuilotl. However, its largest city is the former city state of Taunge on the shores of the Ingonian.
History
Pre-colonial era
Pre-history (before 1,500 BCE)
Traces of hominid activity in Shenewa can be found dating back to nearly a million years ago. In this early period, the hominids inhabiting what is modern-day Shenewa would have been hunter-gatherers. During the last glaciation period (between 150,000 and 15,000 BCE) much of Shenewa was hot, semi-arid desert. Agriculture spread to the area by around 7,000 BCE, seeming to have spread up from southern Avalonia along with the mound house culture, evidence of whom starts appearing in western Shenewa around the same time.
The Bronze Age
The Iron Age
The Tehuilotl Empire (c. 1014-1332 CE)
The Tehuilotl Imperial period is often dated to the battle of (?). Here, King Itzcuauhtli I crushed a Keumoine raiding party into the north decisively. From this point on, no more raiding parties attempted to go north into the areas under the Tehuilotl Empire.
Following his reign, the kingdom of (?) exercised undisputed control over the area around Lake Tehuilotl and more importantly the lucrative trade routes that ran north through it. Over the following centuries, his dynasty would use this wealth to expand their kingdom. Ruling over the western shores of Lake Tehuilotl and parts of the Tueawa and Caltentli rivers, this has sometimes been pointed to as the beginning of a Shenewan state. However, in reality, whilst the largest realm yet seen in Shenewa at the time, it did not rule over anything like the whole country. The coastal areas remained largely untouched by the Tehuilotl empire, as did much of the Tueawa river basin and the southern highlands.
The Tehuilotl Empire saw a flowering of art and culture in Shenewa. By this period, the predominant literary and courtly language of the northern areas of Shenewa was Imperial Tonge. Whilst still an (Uto-Aztecan) language grammatically, the bulk of Imperial Tonge's vocabulary was borrowed from Keumoine, as much as 80% by some estimates.
The Tlasemololtin (1354 CE-1526 CE)
Following the collapse of the Tehuilotl Empire, territories it had former ruled split off into a number of successor states, the Tlasemololtin. Whilst no longer a unified empire, these realms still continued to resemble the late Tehuilotl period in their art, literature and culture.
Colonial era
The arrival of West Artemians (1526 CE)
When the West Artemians discovered Shenewa, the first of its many cultures they encountered were the Keumoine dominated city states. As a consequence, they adopted the Keumoine name for it, Shenewa, meaning the "land of rivers". The first Artemian to properly explore the territory of modern Shenewa was an Agranian named X.
1526-1794 CE
The early colonial period in Shenewa was characterised less by colonisation and more by the West Artemians involving themselves in the conflicts between Shenewan powers. Whereas in other areas, the primary interest of West Artemians was in establishing colonies, in Shenewa the prize was favourable trading rights on the rivers at the heart of the area. Shenewan states often offered West Artemians these in exchange for aid, whether it be material, military or both. Whilst wars had not been uncommon in the pre-colonial period, the extra resources poured into them by the West Artemian powers led to wars of a scale, intensity and frequency that had never been seen before in Shenewa. In Ysyryñohára, this period is called "Ysyry Pytã Ára", or "The time of Red Rivers".
Due to this, Shenewan states became militarised to a degree that was uncommon elsewhere in the world. The primary purpose of Shenewan government's was to field and maintain armed forces able to engage in their frequent conflicts. Consequently, in many states, the army became a key piece of the administrative apparatus.
The Amadonian Crusades
First Imperial period
Wars of unification 1794-1813
(X) Rebellion (1849)
The Anskos Purchase (1861)
Shenewan-Valentine war (1873)
Defeat for Shenewa. Leads to the surrender of South-West Oersegen to New Valentine. The Julianus War
Warlord states period (1908-1943)
Whilst the Emperor still nominally ruled over all of Shenewa, the real power and unit of government became various states within states ruled over by warlords. This was made possible by the system of government put in place by the First Emperor. Rather than create a separate civilian administration, he had divided Shenewa into a series of military governorships. This system founds its roots in the wars that had wracked Shenewa for centuries, where the primary business of the machinery of state had been in place to raise and supply armies. To facilitate this, civilian administrators had answered to the local military commander. However, in the near century of relative peace since unification, this had allowed military governors to turn their governorships into private fiefdoms.
The roots of the practical dissolution of Shenewa into the warlord states is found in the constitutional crisis that occurred when Keaēreha died and his daughter Roamete took to the throne. Initially, much of the practical work of the rule of the empire was given over to her uncle and Prime Minister (name). However, when he was assassinated by an anarchist intellectual in 1908, the system broke down completely and generals in the provinces began to refuse orders from the capital. Her death in 1909 and the accession of her 6 year old son ensured there was no one powerful enough to stop the break up of the empire. When Emperor Temenua came of age and seemed to be making moves to reassert Imperial authority, he died suddenly at the age of 25 in 1934. Historical consensus is that he was assassinated.
War of Imperial restoration (1943-1951)
Second Imperial Period (1951-modern day)
Communist Insurgency (1951-67)
During the Warlord era, many communal defence militia sprung up across Shenewa. For the most part these organisations existed to defend their community against looting or conscription parties. However, some militias took their mission further, espousing the ideals of communism and fighting for a communist Shenewa, free from the tyranny of the warlords and incompetence of emperors. During the Wars of Imperial Restoration, these militias fought both the Imperial forces and the Warlords. However, they lacked the organisation to ever be more than an irritant for the warring parties. Following the Imperial victory, many of these communist militias still existed, particularly in the south east and west of the country. Therefore, the Imperial Army and Gendarmerie turned a great deal of their now free attention toward hunting down and destroying these militias. By 1954, the communist militias had largely either been destroyed or disbanded. Whilst the military campaign played a part, it's been argued that the principal reason for this was that the stability brought by the Imperial restoration made the Communist promise of revolution and the instability it would bring less attractive to the population. Consequently, support for the communists among the population eventually melted away.
However, in the years that followed, the methods used by the Shenewan government to undertake reconstruction, particularly the use of forced labour on infrastructure projects, gave the communist movement in Shenewa new life. What followed was a brutal, near decade long counter-insurgency campaign. Occurring concurrently with the Valentine Emergency, there was a degree of spill over between Shenewa and New Valentina as the communists in both nations tried to cooperate and equally the Valentinsk government sought to support Shenewan COIN efforts.
Reconstruction (1951-66)
Constitution riots (1967)
Following months of rioting, Keoue agreed to recognise the outcome of the election and sign a revised copy of the Shenewan constitution, reducing the powers of the Emperor, getting rid of conscription and solidifying democracy within the Shenewan constitution.
Sorland War (1975)
Osorra-Tilenno War (1979-82)
Geography
Physical Geography
Measuring 774,001km2 , Shenewa is the 24th largest country in Anterra. It is located on the east coast of Central Avalonia, on the shores of the Ingonian Sea. Shenewa is generally quite a flat country, with its highest point being 1,228m above sea level, with the majority of the country being between sea level and 600m.
Climate and seasons
Shenewa is a nation whose climate is characterised by wet and dry seasons of varying lengths. In the highlands, the wet season and dry season are similar lengths. Normally, the highland wet season will begin in May and end in September. In the lowlands, the wet season lasts substantially longer, beginning in late March or early April and extending until September. These seasons are caused by evaporation from the Ingonian sea. Gradually the rain drains into the Tueawa and Yvyrayvate river basins and from there away into the Ingonian sea, which is at its highest level in early March. The difference between temperature in the wet and dry seasons is more pronounced in the highlands, whilst in the lowlands the temperature is relatively static year-round.
Most of Shenewa can be classified as a tropical savanna. The exception to this is the far south east of the country, along the Yvyrayvate river, which can be classified as a tropical monsoon and tropical rainforest climate.
Flora and Fauna
Avalonia split fully from the rest of Anterra 70 million years ago and from the landmass that would become Artemia and Kesh 180 million years ago. Therefore, until it was rediscovered by Artemians in the 15th and 16th century, the flora and fauna of Avalonia evolved separate of the rest of Anterra. Because of this, historically and in the modern day, Shenewa is home to many species not to be found in the rest of the world. The most famous of these were the species of large crocodilians who were the apex predators throughout much lowland, south eastern and north eastern Shenewa for most of its history. These comprised both primarily terrestrial crocodilians (Purussaurus) and primarily riverine crocodilians (Barinasuchus). However, there were many other native species with no relatives outside Avalonia, for instance Toxodon who have historically been the go-to beast of burden in Shenewa throughout much of its history.
Government
Administrative Divisions
When it was unified in 1813, Shenewa was divided into 11 districts. The districts encompassed the number of households necessary to raise a corps for the army and were administered by the army, with the exception of the capital district. Whilst suitable for administration of a state in a near permanent-state of war, as most Shenewan states had been prior to 1813, during the nearly century of peace that followed, it was this system of military-centric administration which paved the way for the warlords. Upon the Imperial restoration and reunification of the country in 1951, a separate system of districts was establish distinct from the armed forces.
Modern Shenewa is divided into 21 administrative divisions. Of these, three are Separate Metropolitan Districts (Taunge, Tueteha and Pakoura), one Separate Capital District (Wehanenepē), one Separate Autonomous District (Sumovafal region) and sixteen Districts. Each regular district administers a population of about 10 million inhabitants.
International Relations
Cultural influence on foreign policy
It has been noted that the key driver behind the initial outline of Shenewa's "pillar" based foreign policy (first adopted in 1976) is a perception of Shenewa's bloody history since 1500 as having been caused by lacking the capacity to be an "agenda setter" and thus being subject to the agenda's of other states. Thus, the pillars foreign policy is a way of avoiding a repeat of history. This understanding of history has been noted to be deeply flawed, not least because Artemian discovery of Avalonia merely intensified wars that were already fought between Shenewan states, rather than causing them.
Civil Service
The Shenewan Civil Service employs 3.178m people and has a budget equivalent to $14.618bn
Military
The military of Shenewa is the Imperial Armed Forces (Te Ope Teue Enepē in Keumoine). The commander-in-chief of the Shenewan Armed Forces is the Emperor. Since the Constitution Riots of 1967, the Shenewan Armed Forces have been all-volunteer. It is made up of three branches: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The Imperial Armed Forces are optimised for operations in Central Avalonia, principally Shenewa and its near-abroad, and the Ingonian, possessing limited expeditionary capability outside of this area.
In times of war, the Gendarmerie fall under control of the Imperial Armed Forces however, they are separate in peacetime and receive their budget separately.
Private Military Contractors in Shenewa
Technically it is illegal for Shenewan citizens to take work as mercenaries. However, the wages offered as PMCs are enough to tempt many Imperial Army veterans into the line of work and provided the money keeps flowing into Shenewa government authorities are, for the most part, happy to let the practice continue. Following a scandal around this in 2009, a law was passed that veterans could not claim any of the benefits accorded to them if they lived outside of Shenewa. However, far from discouraging veterans working as PMCs, it has just meant that the companies they work for have created so-called "barrack cities", blocks of accommodation registered in the names of their employees and owned by subsidiary companies.
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services
Law enforcement in Shenewa is the responsibility of two different and sometimes competing organisations, the Imperial Gendarmerie and the National Police. The National Police are responsible for much of the day-to-day policing and border control of Shenewa and are answerable to the elected Prime Minister. The Imperial Gendarmerie are most visible in their roles as riot control, police tactical units and Shenewa's border security force. However, they also contain the Directory for Special Investigations (DSI), Shenewa's domestic secret intelligence agency.
Visas and immigration
In an effort to increase Shenewa's attractiveness as a destination for international tourism, Shenewa has signed agreements with a number of countries giving their citizens the right to travel in Shenewa visa free for up to 60 days in every 365 day period.
Politics
Political System
Shenewa is a unitary state. Executive power in Shenewa is split between the Emperor and his so called "Imperial Council" and the Prime Minister and his "People's Council". This arrangement came out of the Constitution Riots in 1967, prior to which all ministers were appointed by the Emperor, with elections being merely advisory. The Imperial Council consists of ministers appointed by the Emperor and is in control of defence, the gendarmerie, foreign policy and intelligence. The People's Council is headed by the elected Prime Minister, who also represents it on the Imperial Council. It is responsible for a variety of areas of government but most importantly it sets the budget. Legislative power in Shenewa is held by the Huihuinge Tengetē (lit: People's Assembly) but all legislation must be ratified by the Emperor before it enters into force. Any legislation which receives less than 80% of members' vote in favour can be vetoed by the Emperor. In addition to its elected representatives, the Huihuinge Tengetē also has a permanent seat for the Emperor's representative, appointed rather than elected (usually a more junior member of the Imperial family).
Legislation is typically proposed either through a "Popular Writ", a legislative proposal proposed by a member of the Huihuinge Tengetē (typically the Prime Minister). More rarely, it can be proposed through an "Imperial Writ", a proposal from the Emperor to the Huihuinge Tengetē .
Shenewan Prime Ministers are in office for 6 years. The Huihuinge Tengetē is elected for 4 years.
The Emperor and Imperial family
In Shenewa, the Emperor is both the head of state and a figurehead.
Whilst the Imperial family are of Itlatonkitlan descent and speak the language in private, in most of their public appearances they speak keumoine. In addition, all members of the Imperial family have a private name and their Imperial name. Their Imperial name is keumoine and is given to them when they are first officially revealed to the public, normally at the age of six. People who marry into the Imperial family are also required to take an Imperial name. This tradition began when the first emperor took the name Ēreheme, meaning "father of a mighty nation", when he unified Shenewa. There has only been one instance of an Emperor having two Imperial names, this being Emperor Hehone. Initially, he had been known as Renga but upon the conclusion of the Imperial civil war, he took on the name "Hehone", meaning healer in Keumoine.
Emperors since 1813
In historical convention, the emperors of Shenewa are divided into two dynasties which roughly correspond with the two imperial periods. The first dynasty, the Toe or warrior dynasty, are those emperors descended from Kekoe, the brother of Ēreheme I. This dynasty lasts until Temenua's assassination in 1934 and the passing of the throne to his brother Hehone. The emperors from Hehone onwards are part of the Whekeore, or healing, dynasty.
- Ēreheme I, reigned 1813-1815 (2 years). Died following a riding accident whilst touring the empire.
Toe Dynasty
- Kekoe, reigned 1815-1829 (14 years). Brother of Ēreheme I. Born 1774
- Toenua, reigned 1829-1852 (24 years). Born 1800
- Hohepe, reigned 1852-1865 (13 years). Born 1817
- Keaēreha, reigned 1865-1901 (36 years). Born 1838
- ?, reigned 1901-1909 (11 years). Born 1858
- Temenua, reigned 1909-1934 (25 years). Took to the throne aged 6, thought to have been assassinated.
Whekeore Dynasty
- Hehone, 1934-1966 (32 years). Brother of Temenua.
- Keoue, 1966-1994 (28 years).
- Keiwheketare, 1994-2016 (22 years).
- Ēreheme II, 2016-present (7 years).
Political Parties
Demographics
Populations
Keumoine: A Hauaauru people who migrated to the territory of modern day Shenewa in the 1st millenium BCE. Whilst treated as one large group by the Shenewan government, the Keumoine can be divided into three ethnic groups, the Kaimoho, the Te Tengo and Keumoinata. These groups are theorised to have their roots in the 7th or 8th century and the laws there were increasingly introduced to place barriers between the "true" Keumoine and the local populations who were increasingly integrated culturally and linguistically.
Atēme: Whilst the name means "Artemians" in Keumoine, it is used to describe people of mixed Shenewan-Artemian descent in Shenewa. As such, it is a broad category and in practice only applies to people who speak an Artemian language, or a dialect of it more commonly, as their mother tongue. These communities are normally found in the cities on the coast and are normally functionally bilingual. This is distinct from the Keumoine word for Artemians, "Awatu", from "Te awa utu", literally the mercenary tribe/people. Consequently, the traditional name for Artemia was "Shenue o te awatu" (literally "land of the mercenary people"). However, in modern times this has fallen out of favour for the shorter import from Typsprek "atēmai'a".
Sumovafal: Name means "people of the south". A Tavik people who migrated south in the 1st millenium CE and settled in the area of modern north western New Valentina and parts of north eastern Shenewa. In Keumoine known as "te awai kenekē", literally "the ginger people", so named for the prevalence of the hair colour among them. Historically were semi-nomadic animal herders. In the pre-modern period, many north eastern towns and cities in Shenewa had a Sumovafal district which served as permanent bases for the clans and families who controlled the north-south trade the Sumovafal conducted.
Uto-Aztecan peoples: Original inhabitants of much of the Tueawa basin and western Shenewa.
Other peoples: Original inhabitants of the Yvyrayvate basin.
| Ethnic Group | % of the population | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Keumoine | 24 | |
| Sumovafal | 9.28 | |
| Atēme | 1%> |
Diaspora
There are noticeable Shenewan communities in Theyka and New Valentina. In New Valentina, the Shenewan community tends to be concentrated in the north and west of the country, where it was easier to immigrate to in the early 1900s. As of 2018, approximately 23% of the New Valentine population spoke Keumoine as part of the Shenewan diaspora.
In Theyka, the Shenewan immigrant community established large numbers of Shenewan restaurants, which achieved popularity as takeaway restaurants. Famous members of the Shenewan diaspora include the musician Keuthe, famous for her album VIBE.
Urban Areas
The Shenewan capital, known as Wehanenepē in Keumoine, was originally called Texotlitlan, literally the crystal city, until Emperor Ēreheme I renamed it Wehanenepē or "Place of Emperors".
| City | Population | Area in km2 | Population Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taunge | 9,956,799 | ||
| Tueteha | 5,108,790 | ||
| Pakoura | 5,067,392 | ||
| Weharawe | 2,116,143 | ||
| Wehanenepē | 2,048,781 | ||
| Teone Noene | 1,972,644 | ||
| Kuwehe Katēka | 1,245,478 | ||
| Kuwehe Ewe | 1,029,402 | ||
| Teonuru | 764,100 | ||
| Tonēpo | 626,285 |
Religions
Throughout the 1500s-1700s, many Shenewan states converted to various forms of messianism. However, in most cases these conversions were principally for appearances sake and much of the population continued to practice their traditional religions. Even when messianism did take root, it was typically as an addition to local religions rather than in replacement of them.
Languages
Shenewa is home to numerous language communities. Since the arrival of the Keumoine, the keumoine language has been the lingua franca across much of Shenewa and is taught in schools across the country.
Sound changes, Theykan-Keumoine.
a-e
oa-oi
wh-sh
i-a
m-n
The Sumofaval people speak a Tavic language
Education
Before the announcement of the so-called "Golden Generation" plan in 2022, education in Shenewa was compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15, divided between Primary School (ages 6-10) and Secondary School (ages 11-15). Approximately 80% of Shenewan children then went on to enrol in High School (ages 16-18).
Tertiary Education in Shenewa
The Golden Generation Plan
In 2022, the Shenewan government announced what has since become called the "Golden Generation Plan" because of a speech given by the Prime Minister of Shenewa (although it's official name is "Education Strategy 2025"). Under this plan, education would be reformed to be compulsory until 18 and students who attain high enough marks on their school leaving exams being at least partially government funded to go on to university. The goal is to have 40% of Shenewan school leavers enrolling in tertiary education by 2025, up from 25% in 2022.
Healthcare
The Shenewan government spends the equivalent of nearly $60bn a year on healthcare. The costs of at least part of a patient's healthcare is to be provided by the patient, either through up-front payment or private insurance. However, a certain amount of their healthcare costs are reimbursed by the state depending on a variety of factors.
| % of healthcare costs reimbursed by the state | People falling into this reimbursement bracket |
|---|---|
| 100 | Children under the age of 10, Pregnant women and women who were pregnant within the last 24 months |
| 80 | Over 65s, Veterans of the Armed Forces of Gendarmerie |
| 50 | Unemployed |
| 20 | Generic reimbursement amount |
Age structure
Shenewa has a relatively young population, with a median age of 28 and 65% of the population being under the age of 40. The Shenewan fertility rate is 2.2, with this being predicted to fall over the coming decades. Average height in Shenewa is 171cm for men and 159cm for women.
| Age group | Percentage | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 7.49 | 10,821,453 |
| 5-9 | 8.22 | 11,876,147 |
| 10-14 | 8.90 | 12,858,603 |
| 15-19 | 8.72 | 12,598,541 |
| 20-24 | 8.92 | 12,887,498 |
| 25-29 | 8.36 | 12,078,418 |
| 30-34 | 7.59 | 10,965,932 |
| 35-39 | 7.28 | 10,518,048 |
| 40-44 | 6.21 | 8,972,126 |
| 45-49 | 5.99 | 8,654,273 |
| 50-54 | 5.88 | 8,495,346 |
| 55-59 | 5.16 | 7,455,100 |
| 60-64 | 4.13 | 5,966,969 |
| 65-69 | 2.48 | 3,583,071 |
| 70-74 | 1.77 | 2,557,272 |
| 75-79 | 1.29 | 1,863,775 |
| 80+ | 1.61 | 2,326,114 |
Culture
Artemianisation and de-Artemianisation
Following unification, the Imperial state went to great efforts to "Artemianise" in order to present itself as a modern, civilised state on the world stage. Consequently, "artemianisation" became fashionable among the middle and upper classes and later on among the urban population more widely. During the 1980s, there was a push to de-artemianise and reclaim Shenewan culture which has continued into the modern day.
Cuisine
Shenewan cuisine has historically been highly regional, with there being particularly notable differences between the cuisine of the Tueawa and Yvyrayvate basins and the colder, drier highlands to the west. This is largely due to the differences in what ingredients were historically available locally, with the river basins having greater access to foreign foodstuffs and ocean fish, whilst meat was more common in the highlands. However, throughout Shenewa historically three common points have been the use of rice, maize or cassava as staples (with rice being more common along the Tueawa) and an abundance of freshwater fish, which could be eaten fresh or preserved, typically by either smoking or drying and packing as fishcakes. Freshwater eel was also commonly eaten, often grilled. The freshwater Tueawa king prawn is commonly used across Shenewa, both fresh as an ingredient and dried to be used as a flavour enhancer.
Rice is typically served plain as an accompaniment to the main meal. Cassava flour is normally prepared one of two ways. One was to turn it into a type of dough which could then be served as loaves or dumplings, normally with a sauce of some kind. The other was to toast the cassava flour with spices, animal fats and smoked meat if available. The latter method, most common in the Yvyrayvate basin, has spread across all of Shenewa although more often as a condiment than as an accompaniment in its own right.
There are number of historical dishes in Shenewan coastal cuisine that can be found in other countries, notably poke (shared with Theyka, although normally eaten as a starter or side dish in Shenewa) and a honeyed fishcakes (frequently mixed with cassava flour), thought to have been a local attempt to imitate Zahavan globulae.
Barbecue in Shenewa
Earthen ovens, called amu (its keumoine name), have been used in Shenewa for cooking a variety of foodstuffs for thousands of years. Historically, it was thought that they found their way to Shenewa with the keumoine, as an oven that could be relatively easily prepared by the river side. However, recent archaeological evidence indicates that they were used by the pre-keumoine populations of Shenewa as well. This has led some to theorise that in fact it was the keumoine who adopted the custom from the native populations, not the other way round.
Regardless of the oven's origin, their use is attested throughout Shenewan history, particularly for preparing food for festivals and celebrations. This is where what is nowadays known as Shenewan barbecue comes from. The most well known dish prepared using these was a variety of pulled pork, typically served stuffed in plantain leaves. However, they would also be used to prepare alligator, eel and a variety of other meats. In the modern day, due to influence from New Valentina it has become very common for beef to be prepared this way as well.
Alligator in Shenewan cuisine
One of the parts of Shenewan cuisine often deemed strangest by foreigners was the use of alligator. Historically, the hunting of alligators was a common pastime amongst ancient and medieval nobility of Shenewa. These alligator would then often be the centrepiece of noble feasts, a way for the host to demonstrate his prowess. Barbecued, the nobility would typically only consume the tail and back meat of the alligator, the choicest cuts. Other, less desirable cuts of meat were left and dispensed as largesse to a noble's less wealthy retainers, who would often make it into soups or stews. One in particular, prepared using coconut milk and frequently with the addition of prawns, became a signature dish of Shenewan cuisine. However, in the modern day it is often made with just prawn, due to restrictions on the culling of alligators and expense of farmed alligator meat.
Sport
Rugby
Rugby is by far the most popular sport in Shenewa. There are two leagues, the Imperial Rugby League and National Rugby League. The National Rugby League was created in the 1970s, born out of a movement to make rugby more accessible to the wider Shenewan population and pay players. However, by the 1980s, National Rugby League had overtaken the Imperial League in both popularity and financial capital, having attracted substantial investment from private business. Seeing the National League's success, the Imperial Rugby League also began to pay players and look to attract commercial investment, leading to the merger of the two leagues in 1988. Following this merger, the Imperial League became the higher level of Shenewan rugby with the National League being the lower level. However, the cultural divide between "Imperial" teams and "National" teams based on which of the original leagues the team started in remains, regardless of which league they currently play in.
The final of the Imperial League always takes place in Wehanenepē, with the trophy being awarded by the Emperor. The final of the National League takes place in the stadium of one of the two competing teams, with the trophy being awarded by a more junior member of the Imperial family, typically the Emperor's eldest daughter.
Ulama
A game historically played by Shenewa's (Uto-Aztecan) populations, ulama saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s as Shenewan patriotism rose with the coming of age of the first generations to have lived entirely under the reunified empire. Since then, most Shenewan rugby teams have funded an ulama side, with games being used to fill gaps in the rugby calendar. Unlike rugby, whilst ulama players are paid, they are not typically professionals.
Music
Ingonian Rap
Ingonian Rap is a particular genre of rap with its origins in the late 80s and early 90s along the Shenewan and Huarangan coast, eventually spreading to Theyka.
Masked bands
As would be suggested by the name, a Shenewan masked band at its most basic is simply a band in which all of the musicians are covering their faces, typically with stylised masks. Beginning in the 1960s, masked bands were originally a means of performing politically charged music, typically going against the government line. Since then, masked bands have become a notable part of urban Shenewa's night life and culture. Whilst the political theme has remained, in the present day, a masked band is typically not a formed organisation. Instead, it is a group of musicians making an ad hoc, politically charged performance. Despite this, it is not unknown for more well known artists to perform "masked" shows. One example of this is Keuthe's "Masked tour" across Shenewa in 2023, in which she performed songs seeking to raise awareness of the problems of Shenewa's urban poor.
Meyu Dances & New Meyu Music
Meyu is a style of folk dance native to north eastern Shenewa. Originating with the Sumovafal, its name is linked to the Sumovafal word for worship, leading to consensus that it was likely religious in origin. However, as it spread across north eastern Shenewa, it lost its religious significance although becoming emblematic of the region as a whole in the process. By the late 18th century, it had become fashionable to hire troupes of sumovafal meyu dancers at weddings. This fashion died out over the course of the 19th century as Shenewa underwent a process of Artemianisation, however it has seen a revival in recent years in an altered form (now typically being done by the groom and groomsmen rather than a professional troupe).
Whether the dance is male or not varies between ethnic groups. Among the Sumovafal, it is gender neutral. However, this is an outlier, with it being male only amongst most other ethnicities in north eastern Shenewa. Why it underwent this shift is debated but the most prominent theory is that as it spread to other groups, it ran up against pre-existing cultural perceptions associating the dancing profession with prostitution and consequently became male only. As perceptions around gender roles have liberalised, the exclusivity of it as a male-only dance has also gradually changed. This has given rise to "New Meyu" dance and music, a style of music blending elements of north eastern Shenewan folk music with modern electronic dance music.
Art
Tattooing
Historically, tattooing has been widespread among the cultures inhabiting Shenewa. During the late 19th and much of the 20th centuries, tattooing declined in popularity, first among the Shenewan ruling classes and later in the Shenewan population more broadly. This was due to attempts to "Artemianise" and appear a civilised, modern nation. By the early 1900s, it had become a serious and visible divide between the more traditional rural population and the growing urban population, with city-born Shenewans lacking tattoos whilst those from the countryside were still heavily tattooed.
However, in recent decades (largely since the 80s), traditional tattoos have seen a resurgence in popularity, with a majority of Shenewan adults under 35 having tattoos. However, due to Artemian social norms remaining the global standard, middle and upper class Shenewans will typically get tattoos in places that are easily concealed in a professional context. This means that certain practices that were historically common, facial tattoos particularly, whilst having seen a resurgence, remain comparatively rare.
Personifications of Shenewa
Historically, Shenewa has always been a region united by its common geography rather than any single culture or ancient empire to which it traces its roots. Consequently, in its current form as a united state, Shenewan national identity and the Imperial family are difficult to separate. Most statues of the Shenewa personified depict her with an arm outstretched holding a wreath crown, symbolically representing the link between the emperors and Shenewa itself. In her more bellicose form, Shenewa is depected blowing a trumpet, symbolically calling Shenewans to war. This symbology is more popular with the Shenewan left wing, who tend to present Shenewan national identity in terms of a region united against (typically Artemian) invaders rather than united beneath an emperor. During the Imperial War of Restoration, this symbol was frequently used by the Imperial faction, although it has since reverted to its republican roots. In its republican guise, this personification of Shenewa is typically depicted without a crown in hand.
This personification is sometimes seen as controversial in Shenewan intellectual circles, with many arguing that Shenewa as she is often personified, as an angel, is very much an Artemian motif.
Infrastructure
Transport
For much of Shenewa’s existence, its principal means of transport across the country was the rivers that cross the entire country. So, when railways started to be built in the 19th century, they were not built as independent forms of infrastructure but rather to link and build on the natural infrastructure in Shenewa. This has continued to be the basis of Shenewa rail infrastructure planning. High speed rail lines, completed in 2017 and 2016 respectively, connect the coastal cities to each other and to the capital and connect Shenewa’s rivers where cargo can be shifted from rail to ships. Slower rail lines connect areas of Shenewa further away from its main rivers to them.
The largest trade port in Shenewa is Taunge, closely followed by Pakoura. Indeed, Pakoura's status as modern Shenewa's current financial capital finds its roots in the city's insurance industry which primarily existed to ensure shipping out of it.
Energy
Economy
Shenewa is a developing, upper middle income market economy. However, it is still marked by high levels of income inequality across the country, with its highlands further inland typically being a great deal poorer than the coasts. As a developing economy, the Shenewan services sector is still a relatively small part of the economy, just 54%, whilst industry and agriculture make up 32% and 14% respectively. The largest employer is the servicessector, at 41% of the labour force, with 32% employed by the industrial sector and 27% working in agriculture.
Shenewa has one of the largest labour forces in Central Avalonia and has the largest labour force of the Ingonian nations. However, its labour force is comparatively under skilled, with many still being employed in unproductive agriculture.
| |
| Currency | Shenewan Noshawa (ShN; ¥) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | |
Trade organisations | ECOSEAS |
| Statistics | |
| Population |
 144,478,686 |
| GDP | |
| GDP rank | |
GDP growth |
|
GDP per capita |
|
GDP by sector |
|
Population below poverty line |
|
 48 medium | |
|
0.69 medium | |
Labour force |
|
Labour force by occupation |
|
| Unemployment |
|
Average gross salary | ¥123,794 / $331 monthly |
| External | |
| Exports |
$246.162bn |
Export goods | Agricultural goods, ship hulls, automobiles, automobile parts, silver |
Main export partners | |
| Imports |
$210.996bn |
Import goods | Machinery & equipment, fertilisers, steel, oil, natural gas, coal |
Main import partners | |
| Public finances | |
 47.2% of GDP (2022 est.) | |
| -1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) | |
| Revenues | $177.336 billion (2022 est.) |
| Expenses | $187.006 billion (2022 est.) |
Foreign reserves |
$50.902 billion |
|
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. | |
10%
History
Following the War of Imperial Restoration, the Shenewan economy grew rapidly, aided by substantial government investment into infrastructure. However, in 1968, the first civilian Shenewan government, defaulted on its loans, leading to a period of slow growth and due to lack of credit and investment. As the economy recovered throughout the 70s, its growth was largely fuelled by primary resource exploitation and agriculture, with some landowners having taken advantage of the depressed growth of the late 60s to buy up peasant land and create large cash-crop farming estates.
In the 80s, government spending, both in subsidies and investment, began to increase alongside influxes of international capital into Shenewa, leading to a period of sustained high growth until the early 2000s. Whilst economic growth rates gradually slowed over the course of the 21st century, the entry of Shenewa into ECOSEAS recently began to revive GDP growth rates again.
GDP History
| Year | GDP (nominal) | GDP per capita (nominal) |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | $3,980m | $95 |
| 1960 | $7,939m | $152 |
| 1970 | $12,885m | $193 |
| 1980 | $25,581m | $319 |
| 1990 | $66,797m | $671 |
| 2000 | $182,092m | $1,537 |
| 2010 | $431,013m | $3,303 |
| 2020 | $772,209m | $5,446 |
Currency
Shenewa's currency is the Noshawa. This name's origin is the keumoine "noshata harawa", literally meaning "silver ring", derived from the keumoine practice of carrying the precious metals they used as currency in the form of rings on their hands. With their spread either by settlement or as traders across the entire area of modern day Shenewa, these rings became a recognised form of currency across the area. Gradually, the term "noshata harawa" was corrupted as it was used by non-keumoine speakers, leading to the name "noshawa". As a nod to their origins, modern noshawa coins continue to have holes in their centre, although they are no longer rings. The symbol used to denote the Shenewan Noshawa is ¥. It is derived from the representation of the Emperor's crown that was stamped on the first Emperor's noshawa coins.
As of December 2022, $1 was worth ¥374
Government Budget
Broken down by individual government department, state spending is distributed as follows:
| Government Department | % of state spending | Budget in $m | Budget in ¥m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 59,787 | ||
| Education | 37,217 | ||
| Infrastructure | 27,733 | ||
| Defence | 21,730 | ||
| Welfare & Pensions | 15,248 | ||
| Public Administration | 14,618 | ||
| Debt Interest | 4,553 | ||
| Police | 3,078 | ||
| Gendarmerie | 1,812 | ||
| Foreign Intelligence | 615 | ||
| Joint Border Force | 615 |
Reserves
The Shenewan government maintains $50.902bn in reserves. These reserves are primarily held in Zahavan Drachma, Chezzetcooker Livres and Kayan Won. However, $12bn of these reserves are held in a sovereign wealth fund.
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Agriculture
Agriculture is still a relatively large part of the Shenewan economy. Much of this value is derived from the large, industrial scale farms producing cash crops such as tobacco and sugarcane. However, there is still a large amount of production of foodstuffs such as rice both for domestic consumption and export. This production is less prone to domination by large farms and instead the production is largely by small land-owners. The government has attempted to counter the resulting inefficiency by establishing the (insert company name here). This is a state run and backed corporation which buys the agricultural produce of these small scale farmers and then sells them on at prices which mean it only breaks even rather than turning a profit. Whilst the idea behind this company was to mitigate some of the weaknesses in Shenewan agriculture caused by small farms and ensure small-scale farmers had enough money to expand and increase the sophistication of their farms, it is questionable if it has achieved this.
Historically, Shenewa could be divided into three staple zones: rice along the Tueawa and the coasts, cassava in the west and maize in the south.
Across Shenewa, the animals most often kept are chicken and pigs, due to their relatively small demands on space. However, there are some buffalo kept in Shenewa, both as beasts of burden and for meat and milk.
34% of Shenewa's territory is cultivated.
| Product | Amount produced (metric tons) | Amount exported (metric tons) |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 61,000,000 | 17,000,000 |
| Sugar cane | 44,400,000 | |
| Vegetable | 30,600,000 | 16,000,000 |
| Maize | 20,000,000 | |
| Palm Oil | 7,500,000 | |
| Soybeans | 3,200,000 | |
| Bananas | 3,000,000 | 2,400,000 |
| Oranges | 2,840,000 | 1,640,000 |
| Cotton | 1,600,000 | |
| Coffee | 1,000,000 | |
| Tobacco | 725,000 |
Animal Husbandry
The primary animals kept and bred for food in Shenewa historically are chickens and pigs. This continues to hold true in the modern day, with there being 57 million pigs and 4 billion chickens in Shenewa (with chickens being kept both in rural areas and in the suburbs of many cities).
Water buffalo have historically been kept in Shenewa primarily for their milk and as beasts of burden. However, in the modern day their role as beasts of burden has declined with the increase in the mechanisation of Shenewan agriculture. In the modern day, there are 3,711,000 buffalo kept in Shenewa, largely for purposes of dairy and meat.
Aquaculture
Shenewa also possesses a large fisheries industry, mainly farming fish and shrimp, with catching of wild fish having been in decline since the 90s. This decline is mostly explained by the depletion of stocks and increasing government legislation to safeguard endangered species. In the 2020s, just under 2.4m hectares of Shenewa's rivers and lakes are dedicated to aquaculture, producing 9.2m tons of aquaculture products a year. Of these, 6.8m are consumed in Shenewa, an average of 47kg per capita.
Energy
Shenewa is an energy importer, possessing only a small amount of oil and no domestic sources of gas or coal. Whilst there have been attempts to draw more energy from sustainable, domestic sources such as hydropower and windfarms, these are still only sufficient for a small part of Shenewa's energy consumption (c. 14%). Per capita, Shenewa consumes 2,670 kWh each year. In terms of energy sources, 47% of Shenewan energy is produced using oil, 25% using natural gas, 14% from renewable sources and 14% from coal. Shenewa imports its natural gas primarily from New Valentina.
Oil Production
Shenewa has proven reserves of 455 million barrels of oil and produces 33,000 barrels a day on average.
Industry
Automotive Industry
Shenewa's automotive industry, rather than producing whole vehicles, mainly focuses on producing parts for foreign companies. An example of this is the Aristoi Automotive Group factories in Shenewa. These factories produce parts which are then exported to Zahava where Zahavan factories assemble the cars and fit the more complicated components which are not manufactured in Shenewa. However, in 2013, Aristoi Commercial Group opened the first factory which was going to make vehicles entirely manufactured and assembled in Shenewa. Building on this, Aristoi recently opened another factory to produce 4x4s and other offroading cars in Shenewa. Again, these vehicles would be entirely manufactured and assembled in Shenewa.
Shenewa also has a substantial domestic motorbike industry, producing largely small bikes designed for cities.
Fertiliser Production
Shenewa has a sizeable fertiliser production industry, producing 5,035,000 tons in 2022. However, despite this it still imports more than half the fertilisers used in its agricultural sector, using 10,410,000 tons each year.
Defence Industry
Shenewa's defence industry is a notable part of its manufacturing base due to the government's preference for manufacturing even foreign designed equipment domestically when possible, a preference fuelled by a desire to take advantage of comparatively lower labour costs in Shenewa. However, Shenewa's defence industry still has substantial limitations on the complexity of what it can produce. This is evidenced by the example of Shenewan manufactured versions of the Ringeriker m/85 ATGM. Whilst nominally the same in its capabilities, Shenewan manufactured missiles are notably less reliable in their precision than Ringerike manufactured missiles. Consequently, for many complex systems (aircraft radars, precision munitions etc.) Shenewa remains reliant on imports.
A number of foreign defence companies have subsidiaries in Shenewa, notably Taumata Land Systems and Sannsystems AB.
Shipbuilding
Shenewa has a reasonably large shipbuilding industry, in no small part due to its prominence in the Ingonian carrying trade. For the most part, Shenewan shipyards specialise in the manufacture of bulk river freighters and shallow hulled sea freighters for use in the Ingonian and Alansoan Bay. However, there are larger shipyards which take advantage of lower labour costs in Shenewa to manufacture larger freighters for export at competitive prices. In recent years, Shenwan shipyards have become the main suppliers of civilian freight in Theyka. Many of the hulls for Imperial Navy ships are built in Shenewan shipyards however the complex systems housed within them are almost all imported.
In 2022, Shenewa produced 1,836,000 tons of shipping. The two largest shipbuilding companies in Shenewa are Weke Corporation, headquartered in Tonēpo, and Mengo Nua Industries, headquartered in Taunge.
Mining
Shenewa's has some deposits of silver, copper and some rare earths.
Services
Carrying trade
Whilst it no longer composes as large a part of the Shenewan economy as in times past, Shenewa is still a significant player in the shipping trade in and around the Ingonian. Unlike most surrounding nations, much of Shenewa's shipping fleet is composed of shallow-hulled freighters, better able to travel up the rivers of central Avalonia. Combined with its relatively loose laws around the sector, this has made Shenewa a major middle man for trade arriving on Avalonia's eastern coast to be transported to the rest of the continent, as well as goods from inner Avalonia being transported to Shenewa's coast for shipping onwards.
Tourism
The area around Lake Tsohtooh has long been a popular destination for domestic tourism. There have been efforts recently to attract more international tourism to the area and across Shenewa more generally. A major breakthrough in these efforts was made in 2020 when Hararei Entertainment announced its intent to build a theme park outside Pakoura.
Labour Abroad
The export of labour, particularly seasonal labour, is a growing part of the Shenewan economy. Shenewans who work abroad in their wealthier neighbours and send money back to Shenewa have been an important source of additional income for many families in Shenewa, especially in the poorer south west. A notable example is Shenewan seasonal labour in Theyka, typically employed in the agricultural and services (specifically tourism) sectors.
List of the largest companies in Shenewa
| Rank | Name | Industry | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pakoura Rōpū Anahue | Insurance | Pakoura |
| 2. | AUT Industries | Industry | Weharawe |
| 3. | Mengo Nua Industries | Shipbuilding | Taunge |
| 4. | Weke Corporation | Shipbuilding | Tonēpo |
| 5. | Peeke Koure International | Banking | Pakoura |
| 6. | Parata Mehenge Corporation | Construction | Kuwehe Kateka |
Trade Relationships
New Valentina
Shenewa imports large amounts of natural gas and industrial machinery from New Valentina. It also used to import large amounts of steel from New Valentina. However, in recent years this has declined as Shenewan industry has increasingly taken to importing cheaper Kodeshi steel.
Kodeshia
Shenewan trade with Kodeshia has increased greatly in the past two decades as Shenewa has industrialised. As of 2022, Kodeshia was the single largest supplier of the coal, steel and fertilisers imported by Shenewa.
Theyka
Theyka is a major destination for export of Shenewan manufactured goods. Shenewa imports large amounts of renewable energy production machinery from Theyka, as well as other infrastructure related goods.
