From SCJU Wiki

The Constitutional Monarchy of Calderwood

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Prosperity Through Equality"
Anthem: Upon this Land
Capital	New Haven
Largest city	New Haven
Official language(s)	English
Government His Majesty Prime Minister	Constitutional Monarchy King Gregor IV Rt. Hon David Mowatt
Democratic Monarchy Unification Shift of Power	802 1824
Area  • Total  • Water (%)	172,842 km² (91st) 2.23%
Population  • 2008 est.  • 2005 census  • Density	27,329,000 (45th) 158/km² (70th)
GDP (PPP)  • Total  • Per capita	2008 estimate 628 BillionEp (21st) 22,979Ep (37th)
HDI (2003|2007)	0.944 High – Density
Currency	Eparch (Ep)
Time zone  • Summer (DST)	GMT+2 (UTC-3) (UTC)
Internet TLD	.co.cw
Calling code	+66

Calderwood (Thirinich: Caildachweid, Transliterated: Cold Forest, Thirinich Pronunciation: Kayle-dach-wide), officially the Constitutional Monarchy of Calderwood is a country that occupies much of the central belt of the Atlantica-Alba Landmass in the North Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Movia, Demetae, Seldonia, Alba-Laetanna, Valicia, Ostalba, Royal Cytheria and Absalon. In addition to the mainland, Calderwood consists of 28 small islands around it's western coast. New Haven, the country's capital city and the largest city is one of Atlantica-Alba's largest financial hubs, and is a huge cultural centre for the country and region's Celtic influences. Caladian waters consists of a large section of the Atlantic Ocean, and holds one of the regions largest oil and gas reserves.

Etymology

Calderwood is a derivation from a Celtic phrase that sounded very similar, thought to mean "cold forest". The country was most likely first referred to as this when the first European settlers arrived, in keeping with the region's Celtic heritage.

History

Early History

Several instances of glacial activity in the region has destroyed any traces of pre-Mesolithic life in Calderwood. It is thought that the first hunter-gatherers arrived in post-glacial Calderwood about 11,500 years ago.

Dark Ages

Celts from Scotland and/or Wales began to colonise the region by about 1,500BC. Their lifestyle was basic at best, but they learned to live off the land and survive. By around 1000BC, Calderwood had become sparsely populated with bands of subsistence based farms and communities. It took another 500 years for true civilization to begin to develop. Towns began to sprout up, and a sense of order took control of the land, it was then that the first signs of a settlement resembling what is today New Haven were found.

Roman Influences

The Roman Empire was quick to try and establish a presence on Atlantica-Alba, and for a long time they were successful. But in around 110AD, the mighty Romans were forced back eastwards across the landmass by devoted natives who would not allow their land to fall under Roman control. It was around 200 years later that the first refernce was made to "Calderwood" and "Alba Isle" referring to the landmass. In 462AD, Calderwood installed it's Royal Family, with King Luke I being the nation's first recognised monarch.

The First Wars

In 740, a group of separatists in east Calderwood were growing increasingly tired of their monarchy's ignorance to events here. They insisted that they were too engrossed in events in the west to care about the current food crisis in the east, caused by months of heavy rain that washed away many crops, condemning many people to starvation. The separatists grew so strong, and gained such a voice that they began the First Trossichs War in 741. The war lasted 42 years, and when it finally ended in 783, the sepaartists claimed victory and began negotiations to establish their own country. The following year, the Celtic Republic of Central Alba was formed, annexing a large section of eastern Calderwood. Only six years later, the Caladian government attempted to reclaim this region in the Central Alba war. Their attempts were futile, as the siege of Achrie resulted in Caladian defeat, after they realised supplies were still somehow making it into the city. The war ended, but spawned negotiations between the two governments. In 802, King John II of Calderwood and King David I of Central Alba announced that the two countries would reconcile and reunify, with greater attention paid to the needs of east Calderwood.

Shattered Peace

Peace reigned in the country for over 400 years. It wasn't until the assassination of King Luke II in 1234 that the country began to see violence again. This time, it was the peasants who began to revolt, with the goal of gaining better rights in the country which they saw as elitist and kept them down. There were sporadic clashes between the peasants and the Army, who overcame the peasants the following year, quashing the revolution once and for all. However, this was not an end to the violence, two hundred years later, with countries all around begiining to upgrade their militaries, the government ordered the construction of a huge fortress in New Haven. And in 1421, New Haven Castle was completed, the biggest fortress the region had seen.

Around 50 years later, the castle saw it's first real action in the Second Trossichs Wars. It was a resurgence of the separatist movement quashed in the region 700 years earlier. A group of radicals began gathering force for a full devolution of the region previsouly known as Central Alba. The war lasted 3 years, the turning point being the Battle of Larangarich when government loyalist forces halted the separatist forces, and forced them to retreat to Benbardo. Here, the city was sieged, this time successfully, and the separatists eventually gave in.

Controversial Decisions

In 1723, due to increased tensions from the Trossich region to the east, the Caladian Royal Family made the controversial decision to move the capital status to Kingsmeadow, in the north. Kingsmeadow was further from the Trossichs and the Central Alba region, and it was felt that this would be a good move to protect the Royal Family and to discourage the rebellion.

However, the move was never meant to be permanent, and in 1808 when the Treaty of Achrie was signed, calling an official truce and ceasefire between the government and the separatists, the Royal Family announced that they would be moving back to New Haven. This was made official in 1811, and they moved into the a new residence in hnour of their return, Hayburn Palace.

However, further controversey was to follow. A strong movement in Calderwood advocated for the installation of a democratically elected parliament, rather than the undemocratic Royal Family. They argued that the Royal Family did not fairly represent their people as they had not been chosen to lead, rather they were born to lead. Surprisingly, the monarch at the time, Queen Katherine II, agreed with the people, and in 1824, she signed the Abdication Proclamation. Although the name suggests a full step down, this did not happen, and the Proclamation stipulated that the Royal Family would remain as a ceremonial institution. This is when Calderwood officially became a Constitutional Monarchy.

Modern History

The Industrial Revolution impacted hard on Calderwood, with many new jobs created. Calderwood became a hub for industries such as manufacturing and agriculture. The country became an industrial and commercial powerhouse, and was strongly recognised as one of the most economically powerful in the region, at the time ranking in the world's top 10. Due to it's location and the position of it's coastline, Calderwood was used as a sorting centre for goods from the Carribean, South America and parts of North America to be redistributed across Europe and into the Middle East and Western Asia. This seriously improved Calderwood's world standings.

This meant that Calderwood also fell victim to the effects of the Industrial Revolution in developing countries. After World War II, it's industries were at their peak, but they began to experience a downturn at the start of the 1960s. Industries in the poorer parts of the western world, that had previously used Calderwood for distribution and for some manufacturing processes found it much cheaper to do so in their own countries, where the workforce was willing to work for less.

In recent decades, the country has begun to experience a cultural and economic renaissance, as foreign investors have begun to realise the potential of Calderwood. Today, the country is growing as a place for hi-tech industries, higher end manufacturing, and office space. The country was also vastly boosted by the discovery of the Birnie Bank Gas and Oil fields off the western coast, casuing BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil to take an active interest in the nation's increasingly industrial coastline.

Government and Politics

Calderwood's Head of State is King Gregor IV (since 1993), although the monarchy in Calderwood is entirely ceremonial, in accordance with the 1824 Abdication Proclamation, true legislative power lies with the Parliamentary Congress, although critics have indicated they feel that the Royal Family still exerts a level of influence over the supposedly entirely independent matters in the Parliament.

The Parliament itself has the full title of the National Parliamentary Congress, and has absolute power over issues in Calderwood following the full devolution of powers in 1824. The NPC convenes in the Caladian Parliament, a new structure completed in 2004 in the Lysander district of New Haven. The NPC is a unicameral legislature that comprises of 114 Elected Representatives, 70 represent their consituencies; and 44 are elected in eleven electoral regions (each divided into four smaller regions).

Geography and Natural History

The mainland of Calderwood comprises a large part of Atlantica-Alba's western seaboard, the country shares multiple land borders, notably the tightly controlled southern border to Seldonia, and Calderwood's longest border with Royal Cytheria.

Geology and Geomorphology

Calderwood, along with the rest of the Atlantica-Alba landmass was covered by ice sheets Pleistocene ice ages, and the landscape very much reflects the major glaciation processes that occured. The south of Calderwood is mostly comprised of ancient rocks dating from the Cambrian and, in some cases, Precambrian periods. There are interspersions of recent igneous rocks, the remnants of what was once Atlantica-Alba's answer to the Himalayas. The Trossich mountains are mere stubs of what would have previously been among the tallest mountains in the world. Calderwood also hosts some bodies of freshwater, including Loch Bechanruan, the largest body of fresh water on the Atlantica-Alba landmass.

The majority of the north of Calderwood is made of paleozoic landforms, which boasts economic importance; the iron and coal held within being the catalyst to Calderwood's own industrial revolution.

Climate

Calderwood's climate is temperate and oceanic, though it is very variable, and is notoriously changeable. Despite the Gulf Stream warming the western coast of Calderwood, and it's proximity to the equator, Calderwood does not experience the same conditions as other countries on the same latitude like those on the Iberian Peninsula and grouped around the Mediterranean. However, Calderwood experiences a phenomenon only seen at a hanful of other locations around the world. Due to the Trossich mountains, most of Calderwood experiences climates more suited to the British Isles or Northern Europe, as the tropical continental air mass that gives the Iberian Peninsula it's dry and hot climate is unable to pass. Also known as a "heatshadow", this is an event seen at the Himalayas and causes most of China found north of the Himalayas to experience milder climes than other locations on it's latitude.

The Trossich mountains themselves due to their altitude experience extreme winters, and heavy snow often disrupts communities in the region, this can also happen to much of the lower-lying midlands. Summers are cool and wet, though Calderwood has experienced mild heatwaves in the past. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -28.4 °C at Porfarch in the Trossichs on the 15th of January 1914, while the warmest temperature ever recorded was 41.3 °C in Hultharay, West Midlands on the 23rd of July 2004.

Generally, the west is warmer than the east, a direct result of the Gulf Stream's effect. This is reflected by the fact that Gulbray Head (the most westerly point on the mainland) experienced 294 days of sunshine in 2006, rainfall varies, and the northern slopes of the Trossichs and the North West coast are the wettest places in the country, with each receiving 2,893 and 2,934 milimetres of rainfall in 2001 alone. The coastal areas receive less than 10 days of snowfall a year (ln average), but in 2007, Portfarch received around 60.

Flora & Fauna

Calderwood's wildlife is typical for a boreal country, and it shares many species with with the northern half of Atlantica-Alba. In historic times, several species have been hunted to extinction however, such as Lynx, Brown Bear, Wolf and Elk. There are numerous significant populations of seals, and important colonies of seabirds along the coast and north western islands. The rare Golden Eagle is also a highly treasured symbol in Calderwood, but not as much as the Caledonian Falcon, a species native to Calderwood and other northern parts of the landmass.

On the mountains, adapted species such as the Ptarmigan, Mountain Hare and Stoat are seen in a white coat during the winter months. In the remnants of the once vast pine forests, the Capercaillie, Wildcat, Red Squirrel and Pine Marten can be found. The flora is varying, with the northern slopes of the Trossichs, and much of the east and north of the country boreal, moorland and tundra species, while the plains of the midlands and the west coast are more deciduous. Large scale commercial tree plantations and the use of upland areas for sheep farming, as well as winter sports complexes have an impact on the growth of indigenous plant species. Calderwood's tallest tree is a Douglas Fir in Taring Glen near Achrie.

Economy and Infrastructure

Calderwood has a western style open mixed economy, which is closely linked with the rest of the SCJU. Traditionally, heavy industry has dominated the country's industrial infrastructure, with coal mining and steel industries. Petroleum related industry centred around Mossmorran and associated with the oil and gas reserves found on Birnie Bank off the west coast brought needed employment in the 70's and have remained an integral part of the nation's recent economical history. De-industrialisation in the 80's saw a shift from a secondary industrial infrastructure to a tertiary services one. New Haven is the financial centre of the country, and one of the largest financial hubs on Atlantica-Alba and in the SCJU.

In 2005, total Caladian exports were estimated at 25.75 bnEp, 65% of which were attributed to manufacturing. The primary exports include tourism, electronics and financial services. The nations of the SCJU make up the majority of the export market, but North America and much of Western Europe are also key markets. In 2007, Calderwood had a GDP (PPP) of 628 BillionEp, giving a GDP per Capita of appproximately 23,000Ep.

As of July 2008, the unemployment rate stood at 3.21%, lower than the average of the other SCJU nations, and the lowest it had been since 1961, suggesting that the industrial downturn was eventually coming to an end, and the nation was recovering by shifting it's economy to new industries.

Currency

Calderwood has rejected SCJU pressure to adopt the single currenct, the Unio, and has retained the Eparch, the currency it has used since the middle ages. The current exchange rate of Eparch to Unio is approximately 1Ep:Û0.8, giving Calderwood a slight edge in the inter-SCJU markets. In 2007, the total value of hard Eparch currency in circulation was estimated at 25 BillionEp.

Transport

There are five main international airports in Calderwood; New Haven International Airport, New Haven Thurslow Airport, Kingsmeadow International, Benbardo and Achrie International and East Midlands International. New Haven International is by far the country's cheif gateway, with over 100 destinations served from the airport alone. These airports are operated by CAA.

The motorways and other trunk roads are operated by the Caladian Highway Agency, while the rest of the roads are maintained by the local councils in the individual counties in which they are found.

Regular ferry services service the North Western Isles from Inveralban and Grangemouth, while the industrial ports are also found at Grangemouth and further down the coast at Mossmorran.

	The Constitutional Monarchy of Calderwood Background | Stats | Business | Transport | Government | Politics | Other Facts | Symbols | Elected Reps | Intelligence | Language | DEAWS |
Regions	Atlantic Coast | Midlands | Trossichs | East Borders | North Borders | The South | Mid North East | Southern Protrude | Northern Protrude
Major Cities	New Haven (capital) | New Haven (comparison) | Kingsmeadow | Achrie | Newbridge | Inveralban | Benbardo | Mayshiel | Dunbar

	The SimCity Journal Union
The SimCity Journal Union SCJU Executive Executive | Judiciary | General Assembly | Secretariat | Presidency | Vice-Presidency
Organs of the SCJU UDI | ESCI | TDFC | EEP | UHO | IRTC | ICJ | UNMC
Member-States CAS | CLW | CSD | DOM | DWS | FBR | IAE | KRC | NBR | NKS | OST | PHN | PRN | PRT | PRU | SAV | URP | VER Ambassadorial-States: CBR | DCL | LTU | MTB | SET | SKN Sub-ambassadorial-states: Perseus | Valicia