Mauritsland

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

Mauritsland

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Mauritsland | Mauricia (pt)

Capital: Mauritsstad

Demonym: Mauritslander

Official Language: Dutch

Recognized Languages: Portuguese, Potiguara

Population: 49,310,000

Religion: Catholic - 63% Dutch Reformed - 23% Jewish - 5% Other - 9%

Government: Council of Governors

Current Stadtholder: Ubiragara Hagels

Currency: Mauritsland Guilder (MLG) 1 MLG = 0.90 USD

GDP (nominal): $1.73 trillion (US) Per capita: $35,084

GDP (PPP) $2.47 trillion (US) Per capita: $50,091

Time Zone: UTC -2.5

Driving side: Left

Mauritsland (Mauricia in Portuguese), formerly Nieuw Holland, is a nation on the northeast coast of South America. The region was settled in the early 1500s by the Portuguese, with the colony of Nieuw Holland being founded by the Dutch in 1630. Mauritsland gained its independence peacefully in 1960. Today Mauritsland is a developed nation with a strong agricultural and trade sector. It is a former Dutch colony, and maintains strong ties to other Dutch colonies in the region. Mauritsland is also deeply interconnected with the history of the GWC, who remain one of the most powerful companies in the region to this day. Mauritsland is a relatively stable country, with a high standard of living and a strong economy.

Contents

History

Demographics

Politics

Military

Economy

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

History

• Portuguese Settlement: early 1500s

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The lands that are now considered part of Mauritsland were originally claimed by the Portuguese under the Treaty of Tordesillas in the year 1500. However the first Portuguese settlements didn't begin until closer to the 1550s. Early Portuguese settlement was limited to the coastal areas and defined by conflicts with the native people of the land. The northeast region quickly became one of the wealthiest sugarcane growing regions in the world at the time.

• Dutch conquest: 1630 - 1654

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In 1630 the Dutch West India Company (GWC) launched an invasion of the Portuguese holdings and conquered the city of Recife. In the following 7 years the Dutch also managed to conquer much of the coastline in the north east. By 1641 the Dutch had extended their control to the entire northern coastline, from the Amazon river to the Sao Francisco river. In May 1638 Maurits launched a risky assault on the city of Salvador, successfully taking it and securing the future of Dutch Brazil. In 1642 Portugal agreed to a truce with the Dutch, temporarily ending hostilities. By 1654 the Treaty of the Hague was signed between Portugal and the Dutch Republic, officially agreeing upon the new borders of the colony, and forcing Portugal to pay around 4 million reis to the Dutch. This money went into repaying some of the military expenses from the war, as well as to Maurits and the GWC to further develop the new colony.

• GWC period (Nieuw Holland): 1630 - 1799

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In 1637 the GWC gave control over their new Brazilian lands, now known as Nieuw Holland, to Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen (John Maurice of Nassau). Maurits had a deep love for Brazil due to its beauty and people, and under his rule the colony thrived. During his rule he founded the town of Mauritsstad across the bay from Recife, also known as Mauricia in Portuguese, which would go on to become the capital of the colony. The GWC would also make Mauritsstad their capital, like Jakarta (Batavia) was for the VOC, lasting until the British Occupation. Mauritsstad was considered to be the crown jewel of the GWC, who invested heavily into the city over the years. During his rule Maurits also invested heavily into the entire colony, modernizing it and building bridges and paving streets in Mauritsstad, and building roads throughout the rest of the colony.

Additionally, Maurits established municipal and rural councils with both Portuguese and Dutch members to represent the population. This system was later expanded to include the native Potiguara people, and would become the foundation for the modern governmental system of Mauritsland. Further, Maurits established a law of religious freedom, allowing Catholics, Protestants, and non-Christians to come to the region and practice their religion freely. Under these freedoms many Jews came over to the colony to escape religious persecution in Europe. Similarly, this policy permitted the Catholic monastic orders to maintain their monasteries and friaries and to preach Catholicism amongst the population. Which in turn resulted in Mauritsland becoming a predominantly Catholic nation. After the peace with Portugal, Maurits also recognized the various native groups in the region, integrating them into his council system, publishing a Potiguara dictionary (and Bible), and granting them the same rights as Portuguese and Dutch settlers. Many Potiguara would go on to own slaves and become rich from the plantations.

One of the major obstacles Maurits faced was an overall lack of Dutch colonists coming to the region. Though many Portuguese would settle in Nieuw Holland instead of Brazil due to the freedoms of worship and the security of property laws. Following the war with the Portuguese, Maurits began advertising campaigns in Europe, promising a new start, a peaceful life, and a loan for up to 12 slaves for those wishing to start a plantation. These advertisements proved successful, especially in the Spanish/Austrian Low Countries and for those seeking to escape the 30 years War, and around 25,000 people migrated to the colony. Further, following the Treaty of the Hague in 1654, Portugal passed a law forbidding Portuguese settlers from moving to Nieuw Holland.

Over the years after Maurits' death the GWC strengthened its rule over the colony, investing heavily in the development of the colony. After Maurits' death, it became company policy to appoint his heirs as Governors of the colony, leading to the dynastic system that was in place during the home rule period. During the subsequent years, the GWC used their position in Nieuw Holland as a base of operations throughout the Atlantic, favouring the cities of Mauritsstad, Salvador, and Saint Louis. These three cities grew over the years as the trade through the region increased significantly. GWC colonies in the region included Amazonia in the Amazon, several Caribbean islands, and Suriname, however they were administered separately from Nieuw Holland, and never incorporated into the colony.

There continued to be a steady flow of Dutch colonists to the colony over the years, with the Dutch settlers overtaking the Portuguese as a majority by the early 1700s. As the Dutch population grew, both through immigration and natural population growth, the GWC began expanding their language laws to favour Dutch over Portuguese, thus further increasing the use of the Dutch language over the population. Similarly, in order to prevent slaves from being able to converse without their owners being aware, it was mandated in the late 1600s that slaves could only converse in Dutch or Potiguara.

• British occupation: 1799 - 1815

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In order to prevent Napoleon from gaining extra income during his war in Europe, the British occupied all the Dutch colonies during the Napoleonic War. During the occupation the mindset of those living in Nieuw Holland began to gradually change, as they began to see themselves as separate from the Dutch in Europe. Similarly, this period marked a gradual decline in the GWC's power, as the British refused to let them operate their trade routes to the same extent as they had been. After the Napoleonic War had ended, the British returned the colony to the Netherlands due to increased unrest amongst the population who were displeased by the British occupation. Despite British regulations over the GWC the company managed to survive the occupation. Though it lost its exclusive grasp over the colony, as Nieuw Holland became a Dutch crown colony after being returned by the British. The GWC continued on as one of the major companies in the colony, and although they never fully managed to reclaim their former glory, they have managed to survive to this day as a significant economic force in Mauritsland.

• Abolition of slavery: 1809 - 1814

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Slavery had been practiced in Nieuw Holland since the Portuguese settlement of the area in the early 1500s, since slavery was seen as the only way in which to viably run a sugar cane plantation, and later other plantations as well. However many have argued that the slaves were better treated under Maurits than they were under the Portuguese, as Maurits viewed them as one of the key aspects of Nieuw Holland, and as such passed laws regulating the treatment of slaves. These laws included giving the slaves a day off (usually Sunday), allowing them to marry, allowing them to earn some money and possibly buy their freedom, and allowing them to own a small house with a garden. Despite this, slavery continued in Nieuw Holland up until the British occupation during the Napoleonic War. During the period of slavery, most of the slaves in Nieuw Holland came from the GWC trading posts in Angola and the Congo. In 1807 the British officially abolished slavery, which the local GWC government was pressured into recognizing in 1809, beginning the process of ending slavery in Nieuw Holland. Following fierce debates with the Dutch government in the Hague, slavery was officially abolished in the colony in 1814, with slave owners being compensated at a rate of 20 Guilders per slave.

• Home rule: 1815 - 1954

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Following the Dutch regaining the colony of Nieuw Holland they were faced with a dilemma, as the colony was no longer able to bring in the income that it once had, nor could the Dutch continue managing the colony as it had in the past under the GWC. As such, and in part to avoid a revolution akin to what was happening in many of the Spanish colonies in the Americas, a bill was passed and the colony was granted home rule in 1820. This home rule permitted the colony of Nieuw Holland to govern itself, much as it had been under the GWC, but this time with the power to appoint its own Governor and the power to tax itself. It would also decide how these taxes were spent, and only had to send a minimal amount back to Europe. This was partly due to the fact that the colony was not bringing in as much money as the Dutch East Indies were, and as such was viewed as less valuable than it had been. This new ability to tax themselves was used to help fund further inland development in the colony.

Under home rule the colony decided upon continuing the tradition of a hereditary Governor from Maurits' line, as they had under the GWC. It was during this period that a marble statue of Maurits was built in front of the Vrijburg Palace and the Palace underwent renovations to replace some of the old wooden facades with marble. A new chamber was also added to the Palace for the new parliament for the colony. Shortly after home rule was granted to the colony the people voted to rename it from Nieuw Holland to Mauritsland, after Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, the one who founded Mauritsstad and implemented many of the policies behind the nation. To this day he is seen as the father of the nation. After the ending of slavery a policy of indentured servants was instituted, with the colony bringing over many people from the Dutch East Indies, primarily of Javanese descent. However these indentured servants were treated little better than slaves were, and were forced to abandon their language and adopt the Dutch language. Interracial marriages were also quite common, and before long the new arrivals started to become part of a new developing ethnic identity: Mauritslander.

Members of Maurits' line ruled as Governors of Mauritsland through until 1843, when a disgruntled Javanese indentured servant smuggled in gunpower and bombed a government meeting in the GWC headquarters the city of Mauritsstad. This explosion killed not only the current governor of Mauritsland, but also his wife and three children, who had been visiting the headquarters at the time. Following this the Dutch government in Europe intervened, officially outlawing the practice of indentured servitude in the colony, and beginning the implementation of a more democratic home rule system, based upon Maurits' representative council system. Despite this change, indentured servants would continue to be shipped to the colony for another 7 years. The new representative council reformatted the ruling of the colony to be an elected Stadtholder who would govern with a council of governors, each also elected from across the colony, all elected for a period of 14 years, with an unlimited number of terms. This new representative council also changed the policy from the Vrijburg Palace being the residence of the Governor of the colony to being the official site of the government. This new elected council began a period of what is known as 'Dutchification', adjusting the language policies to promote the use of Dutch in all aspects of life and decreasing the usage of Portuguese and Potiguara. These policies, although focused on Dutch, would still permit the use of Portuguese and Potiguara in the home settings, with any official business needing to be conducted solely in Dutch. Schools were also taught solely in Dutch during this period. This period also saw the beginning of a focused 'Mauritslander' identity, with the government pushing education and other policies to eliminate the multiple identities of the people, focusing instead on a singular Mauritslander identity.

The 'Dutchification' policies were overturned in 1881, being replaced with a new language policy of recognizing the Portuguese and Potiguara heritage of the nation. This new policy, which remains to the present day, allows the use of Portuguese and Potiguara by their native speakers, with schools being permitted to teach in both languages. However Dutch is recognized as still being the official language of the colony, and the Portuguese and Potiguara schools are still expected to ensure students are fluent in Dutch. After the implementation of this policy the number of those speaking Portuguese as their first language was 17%, down from over 35% in the 1840s, and Potiguara was around 13%, numbers which remain constant to this day. The focus on establishing a single identity was not changed, however, and continued to be used. This policy remains in place today, and is responsible for creating a unified Mauritslander cultural identity throughout the nation. By the mid 1870s people were no longer identifying as 'Portuguese', 'Potiguara', or 'Dutch', but rather as 'Mauritslander'.

Throughout the 1800s, as trade between Europe, America, and Asia increased, the cities of Mauritsstad, Saint Louis, and Salvador saw a significant increase in trade as ships going to and from Asia stopped over in their ports for refueling and resupplying. This let to a significant increase in trade and profits, which were subsequently funneled into the cities, their ports, and the colony as a whole. This helped contribute to the overall development of the colony, allowing it to develop at the same pace as the Netherlands. Although Mauritsland was lacking in many natural resources necessary for industrialization, the colony, utilizing its home rule and freedom of trade, formed strong trade agreements with the United States, Britain, and France, in addition to the Netherlands. These trade agreements allowed Mauritsland to gain the resources it so desperately needed in order to further speed the development of the colony, leading to a rapid industrialization in the early 1900s. During the late 1800s and early 1900s more freedoms were slowly granted to the colony, including the ability to raise its own military, which served during the Second World War to help liberate the Netherlands from Germany, and the minting of its own currency - the Mauritslander Guilder.

• Constituent Country: 1954 - 1960

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After the Second World War the Dutch government officially passed laws granting their colonies the status of constituent countries within the new United Kingdom of the Netherlands. As these laws were being discussed, there were also discussions to integrate the Dutch colonies of Suriname, Amazonia, and Mauritsland into one constituent country. But the talks ultimately failed. Although an official reason for the failure of the integration talks was never given, the people believe that it was caused by outside factors, and to this day most Mauritslanders believe that Amazonia and Suriname should be rightfully part of Mauritsland.

Upon being granted the status of a constituent country, Mauritsland began a final reform of its government system, changing the period of office for Governors from 14 to 3 years, with the Stadtholder's office being brought down to 5 years. The number of Governors was also increased to be based upon population, in keeping with the historical municipal and rural council system. It was also decided that electoral zones would be drawn up, with one Governor representing every 500,000 people, rounded up, for the elections. Further, in keeping with the historical municipal and council system, the nation would not be divided into provinces or states, but would be governed directly from Mauritsstad by the Stadtholder and the Governors. Being able to see the chaos caused by different parties running against each other for office, it was decided to officially outlaw any creation of a party system, instead allowing the governors to run directly to represent their municipalities and rural areas. The Council of Governors, as it came to be called, was set with a majority needed to pass laws and the like being 55% +1, with a 2/3rds majority being needed to declare war, and with a 2/3rds majority plus a 55% +1 referendum by the people being needed to institute changes to the constitution or governance system. The Stadtholder would have veto powers, and was viewed to be the one in charge of the nation's military. Unelected ministers for key areas of running the nation (military, healthcare, economy, etc), who were mandated by law to be experts in their fields (having 10+ years of experience), were also to be appointed by a majority vote of Governors after the election of each new Stadtholder. Further, this new government officially decreed the creation of a court of 7 judges to interpret the laws created in accordance with the constitution and the over 300 years of pre-established laws of Mauritsland. These judges would be appointed by majority opinion by the Council of Governors for 5 year terms. One of the first actions of this new government, upon finalizing their system of rule, was to officially create a constitution.

• Independence: 1960

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The status of Mauritsland as a constituent country within the Netherlands lasted for only 6 years, long enough for one stable election of the Stadtholder to take place, before the population requested a referendum on independence from the Netherlands. This referendum saw a massive turnout, with almost 89% of the population turning out to vote. In the end 73% voted for independence, well over the 2/3rds required, with 27% voting to stay part of the Netherlands. Unlike many other South American nations who gained their independence, Mauritsland did not suffer from any coups and was a relatively stable nation, due in large part to its developed nature and high standard of living.

Shortly after gaining their independence, the Dutch colonies in the southern Caribbean held a referendum, voting overwhelmingly to join Mauritsland. The Mauritslander government, after some debate, approved their request and the islands were welcomed in as fully fledged parts of the nation.

In the years following independence, Mauritsland has continued to invest highly in its trading capabilities and its ports. It has also maintained strong relations with its neighbours, as well as the former Dutch colonies both in the region, and across the world. Mauritsland has also invested heavily in its agricultural resources over the years, both prior to its independence, but especially after gaining it. These investments have allowed the nation to become one of the largest agricultural producing nations in the world. This is believed to have been due to a policy of creating desalination plants for water used for plants and livestock, in order to effectively weather droughts, as well as a policy of government subsidies encouraging the diversification of crops. Being just south of the equator, Mauritsland is also well suited for the growth of many crops year round, further helping the growth of its agricultural industry. The strong focus on trade and development of its ports over the years has greatly benefited its agricultural industry, allowing for multiple ports for the export of Mauritslander agricultural products.

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

Population

Due to the various policies of the Portuguese, the GWC during the Nieuw Holland period, and the local government under the home rule period, the people of Mauritsland are very diverse. Over the years there has been a lot of interracial marriages between the various people groups, with Portuguese, Dutch, Potiguara, African slaves, and Javanese indentured servants intermixing heavily over the years. As a result Mauritsland is a very multiethnic nation, and many have argued that it is one of the most diverse nations in the world. There is no one ethnic majority in the nation, with many people today being from multiple ethnic backgrounds. The large majority of the population today has darker skin tones, bearing features from the different cultures of its past. The standard naming convention in Mauritsland is a mixture of Dutch and Portuguese names, with neither being overly dominant.

Unlike many other nations in the Americas, Mauritsland does not have a separate native identity as the natives were assimilated into the broader Mauritslander identity during the 1800s. Although the native Potiguara language still exists today, it is no longer a uniquely native language, and is spoken by many people from varying backgrounds.

Language

During the early days of the colony, until the Treaty of the Hague in 1654, there was no real push for one language over another, and all people living in Nieuw Holland were free to speak which ever languages they wished. However as the Dutch population grew, both through immigration and natural population growth, the GWC began expanding their language laws to favour Dutch more than Portuguese, thus further increasing the use of the Dutch language over the population. Similarly, in order to prevent slaves from being able to converse without their owners being aware, it was mandated in the late 1600s that slaves could only converse in Dutch or Potiguara. These changes led to a gradual shift in the dominant language from Portuguese to Dutch throughout the 1700s.

In the mid 1800s the new elected council began a period of what is known as 'Dutchification', adjusting the language policies to promote the use of Dutch in all aspects of life and decreasing the usage of Portuguese and Potiguara. These policies, although focused on Dutch, would still permit the use of Portuguese and Potiguara in the home settings, with any official business needing to be conducted solely in Dutch. Schools were also taught solely in Dutch during this period. This period also saw the beginning of a focused 'Mauritslander' identity, with the government pushing education and other policies to eliminate the multiple identities of the people, focusing instead on a singular Mauritslander identity. The 'Dutchification' period caused the decrease of Portuguese first language speakers from over 35% to close to 17%, and the decrease of Potiguara from 23% to 13%.

The 'Dutchification' policies were overturned in 1881, being replaced with a new language policy of recognizing the Portuguese and Potiguara heritage of the nation. This new policy, which remains to the present day, allows the use of Portuguese and Potiguara by their native speakers, with schools being permitted to teach in both languages. However Dutch is recognized as still being the official language of the colony, and the Portuguese and Potiguara schools are still expected to ensure students are fluent in Dutch. After the implementation of this policy the number of those speaking Portuguese as their first language was 17%, down from over 35% in the 1840s, and Potiguara was around 13%, numbers which remain constant to this day. The focus on establishing a single identity was not changed, however, and continued to be used. This policy remains in place today, and is responsible for creating a unified Mauritslander cultural identity throughout the nation. By the mid 1870s people were no longer identifying as 'Portuguese', 'Potiguara', or 'Dutch', but rather as 'Mauritslander'.

Speakers of Portuguese as a second language is around 31% today, in addition to the 17% who speak it as a first language. Speakers of Potiguara as a second language is around 23% today, in addition to the 13% who speak it as a first language. Around 98% of the population is fluent in Dutch, either as a first language or a second language. Despite the rise of the English language as an international lingua franca, many of the people of Mauritsland are not taught it growing up, as knowing Dutch and Portuguese or Potiguara is seen as more important. As a result only around 10-15% of the population knows English (or its equivalents).

Dutch:

The Dutch spoken in Mauritsland is very similar to that spoken in Europe, with a few differences. Namely that there are several Portuguese and Potiguara loan words, replacing words that might be heard in Europe. The Mauritslander accent is also different from that of Europe, with the 'g' and 'ch' sounds being softer than in Europe, with the language as a whole sounding more lyrical than European Dutch.

Portuguese:

The Portuguese spoken in Mauritsland is almost identical to that spoken in Brazil, with the only exception being that it has more Dutch loan words. The Portuguese accent from Mauritsland is decidedly Dutch.

Potiguara:

The Potiguara language is the Tupi language of the Indigenous people of coastal Brazil. The language is known elsewhere as Tupi, and although split amongst various tribes, all spoke the same language. The Potiguara were the Tupi tribe located near Mauritsstad when the Dutch conquered the region, and as such overtime the Dutch came to identify the language as Potiguara, after the tribe, rather than Tupi. There are quite a few Dutch loan words in Potiguara today, thoughly mostly of things that the Potiguara people had no names for prior to first contact. The Potiguara accent is different from both the Portuguese and Dutch accents, and native Potiguara speakers can be identified by their accents regardless of which language they are speaking (Dutch or Portuguese).

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

Government

The Mauritslander government system is known as the Council of Governors. The Council of Governors is made up of elected Governors who serve for 3 year terms. Governors are elected by population, with one being elected for every 500,000 people, rounded up. However political parties are officially outlawed, with the Governors being expected to represent their municipalities and rural areas directly. The Governors can pass laws with a majority of 55% +1, and need a majority of 2/3rds to declare war. In order to change the constitution or the governance system of Mauritsland the Governors need a 2/3rds majority, and a referendum by the people with 55% +1 being in favour.

The head of the Council of Governors is the Stadtholder, who is elected in a national election, has veto powers, represents the nation internationally, and is the head of the military. The Stadtholder serves for a 5 year term. In the event of the death of the Stadtholder, a new election will be called within 2 months to elect a new Stadtholder, the Council of Governors will nominate one member to represent the country until said election can take place. There is no limit to how many terms that a Governor or a Stadtholder may serve, but traditionally both serve a maximum of 5 terms. Today there are 99 Governors who help govern the nation alongside the Stadtholder.

The Council of Governors appoints a court of 7 judges every 5 years, in line with the elections for Stadtholder, who serve to interpret the laws of the nation. The Council of Governors also appoints unelected ministers to key areas of running the nation (military, healthcare, economy, etc). These ministers are mandated by law to be experts in their fields (10+ years of experience), and also serve for 5 year terms, in line with the elections for Stadtholder. Both policies were put in place to ensure a strong government. Unlike many other nations, Mauritsland has a form of direct government, with the Council of Governors ruling the nation directly, and is not subdivided into provinces or states.

Current Stadtholder: Ubiragara Hagels | #0B72FF
Current Minister of War: Sérgio Kleinman
Current Minister of Trade & Economics: Álvaro Rezende | #BF0000
Current Minister of Foreign Affairs: Maurits Storm van Nassau-Siegen | #8080FF
Current Minister of Health: Marieke Fonkert
Current Minister of Agriculture:
Current Minister of Development:

Vrijburg Palace

Vrijburg Palace was established by Maurits in the early 1640s in Mauritsstad and was, at the time, the most monumental structure built in Brazil. It housed the residence and offices of Johan Maurits, as well as a large gallery containing many of the paintings he had commissioned of the region. The palace takes up much of the northern part of the island, and consists of a large botanical garden on the grounds. Over the years the palace has been expanded and updated, with a white marble finish being installed in the mid 1800s. Despite the updates over the years, the palace still retains much of its original look, and is clearly visible from the harbour. Today the Vrijburg Paleis houses the Council of Governors of Mauritsland.

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The outline of the palace can be seen on the north side of Mauritsstad.
Take a tour of the palace.

The West India Company (GWC)

The GWC is historically one of the largest companies in the Netherlands, owning land in North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. The GWC operated much like its more famous cousin, the East India Company, or VOC, and could own land, raise its own military, and even wage wars. The GWC historically operated in Africa and the Americas, although today is only operates in former Dutch colonies. The crown jewel of the GWC was Mauritsstad, the capital of Nieuw Holland. By the 1640s Mauritsstad was the capital of the GWC, and remained as such until their decline during the British occupation of Mauritsland during the Napoleonic wars. This ownership is reflected throughout Mauritsstad, with much of the older architecture in Mauritsstad reflecting the wealth and power of the GWC, who often funded major construction projects throughout the city. Despite their decline after the British occupation, the GWC maintained a strong presence throughout Mauritsland and surrounding colonies, staying a major player in trade in the region. With the spread of industrialization, the GWC broadened their reach, investing in various methods of transportation, funding railways throughout the nation, as well as planes. Today the GWC is the most powerful company in Mauritsland, often receiving preferential government treatment over foreign competition, and focuses strongly on trade. The GWC also owns the largest telecommunications company in Mauritsland, and accounts for nearly 17% of the Mauritslander GDP. High ranking officials from the GWC are often elected to ministerial positions in the government. Despite the power of the GWC, competition laws of Mauritsland ensure that their prices are kept low for the people.

The GWC historically had five offices, called chambers (kamers), which contributed to the company, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Hoorn, Middelburg, and Groningen. Today the five chambers are located in Salvador, Mauritsstad, Schoonenborch, Saint Louis, and Nieuw Utrecht. The board of the GWC consists of 19 members, known as the Heeren XIX (Nineteen Gentlemen). The structure of the GWC follows a federal structure, with extensive discussion needed for any decision, and has regional representation: 6 from Mauritsstad, 4 each from Salvador and Schoonenborch, 2 each from Saint Louis and Nieuw Utrecht, and one representative from the Council of Governors. The representative from the Council of Governors is almost always the Minister of Trade. Companies owned by the GWC, such as the national rail company, the telecommunications company, and others, are each based out of one of the five chambers, and have their own boards of directors who subservient to the Heeren XIX.

Cities

Dutch name - Portuguese name

Mauritsstad (IRL Recife) - Mauricia
Frederikstad - Joao Pessoa
Nieuw Amsterdam - Natal
Sint Lodewijk (or Saint Louis) - Sao Luis
Fort Schoonenborch (or Schoonenborch) - Fortaleza
Nieuw Utrecht (IRL Belem) - No different name in Portuguese
No different name in Dutch - Salvador

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

WIP

Total troops: 300,000
Total airforce: 232 aircraft
Total tonnage (navy): 250,000

[Wabanaki Confederacy]

Resources
23.32 million barrels of oil produced per year, enough for national use only; a uranium mine, again for national use only; and a strong agricultural sector including cashew nuts, cocoa, sugar cane, cotton, and fruits. Being within the 'bean belt', Mauritsland's agricultural sector also includes coffee beans. Mauritsland is today one of the worlds top producers of agricultural products, due mainly to many years of investments in the agricultural sector by the government. An investment in desalination plants over the years has allowed Mauritsland's agricultural sector to effectively weather periods of drought, and to eliminate any need for water restrictions, thus furthering the agricultural output of the nation.


Trade
Mauritsland has always been well situated for trade, and thanks to the GWC some of its largest cities have histories of being major trading hubs for hundreds of years. Mauritsland contains three major trading hubs, namely Mauritsstad, Salvador, and Saint Louis. These three trading hubs are responsible for moving billions of dollars worth of resources through the region, and contribute a sizeable amount to the Mauritslander economy.

In order to better facilitate the growth of the company, and any possible shady transactions, the GWC founded the West-Indisch Bank (WIB). The bank is centred in Mauritsstad, but has offices in all major cities of the nation: Salvador, Frederikstad, Nieuw Amsterdam, Saint Louis, Fort Schoonenborch, and Nieuw Utrecht.

Infrastructure


Transportation
- train network, MS (Mauritslandse Spoorwegen), owned and operated by the GWC (WIP)

Science and technology

Health
The healthcare system in Mauritsland is a merging of private and public healthcare. With all residents required to purchase private healthcare, and all healthcare providers being required to accept all applicants. More information on the healthcare system can be found here

Education

Media and communication