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Overseas Territory | Arván
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Flag | Coat of Arms |
– in Gael
Capital | St. Recont |
Official Language | |
Demonym | Arvanan |
Prefectorial Council - Monarch: | . Tytus I |
Population - Total | 2016 estimate 510,080 |
GDP Nominal - Total | 2016 estimate $9,342,567,432 |
Currency | Noronnican Noron |
Date Format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
Drives on the: | Left |
The Prefectorial State of Arván, (Ar-v-ahn) commonly known as Arván, is a Noronnican Overseas Territory classified as a Prefectorial State in the northern coast of Gael, a north-eastern landmass in the Western Isles. Situated at the northern tip of mainland Gael, Arván comprises of the Arvanan peninsula and the island of Mer. The Prefectorial State of Arván shares one land border with the country, Dormill and Stiura, and the peninsula is also just outside the Exclusive Economic Zone of Noronica. With a large land area and a population of 510,080, the Isles are one of the largest dependencies in the Western Isles.
The Noronnican Prefectorial State of Arván is a democratic semi-autonomous state which is governed by a democratically-elected council. As it is an overseas state, the Overlord is represented by a Prefectorial Governor, currently Bartholomew Montague. Under the new Arvanan Constitution of 2017, Arván governs most of its own affairs under the Prefect and their Council, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the sole responsibility of the Government of the Overlordship of Noronica. The largest settlement in the Prefectorial State of Arván is St. Recont, a city that contains a population of 190,020.
Pre-Settlement
The earliest record of human activity in Arván has been dated to 13,000 BC due to mass migration from Gael. These people were called 'Proto-Nyssicens' and were the first people to ever have set foot in Noronica. A minority seemed to stay in Arván as there is evidence to suggest Arvanans and Noronnicans share the same ancestors. Not much is known about them other than their bone structure and a few pieces of evidence of tools used by them.
Arván was widely untouched for many centuries. The only inhabitants living a very simple agricultural life, uninterested in the outside world. When the Khas-Kirat Empire came, they took control of the peninsula and a Kirat-Sunuwar minority migrated to Arván, a fact that remains very controversial to some Arvanans who believe the Khas-Kiratis had no right to settle in Arván.
Noronnican Colonisation
Arván remained a very poor and isolated state, its population slowly aided by groups of migrants throughout the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries. However, the peninsula soon came under the imperial gaze of Noronica as, after their humiliating defeat in both Yorrkon and Michigonia, the Noronnican Government was faced with increasing pressure from the populace who were out for blood. Unable to attempt to enter another attempt at regaining their two losses, they turned their eyes to Arván. It was a perfect target as it was virtually uninhabited and allowed a key trading route into Gael. Lindastir already gave Noronica access to the landmass but under vassalage, Lindastir was not a fully-incorporated part of the empire, a factor that meant Noronica could not assume total control of Lindastir’s economy. Having a directly administered colony would be of great benefit to Noronica, and it would satiate the fears of the populace that the Noronnican Empire was declining. Another reason for their choice was the fact that historically, some of the migratory Proto-Nyssicens settled in the peninsula during the time of the land bridge between Noronica and Gael. Early Noronnicans were also forced to migrate due to increasing violence and turmoil in the warring factions of early Noronica.
In 1768, the Noronnican aristocrat James Guarder petitioned to allow funding for him to lead an expeditionary force to the peninsula of Arván. Desperate to turn the public’s favour, the Crown granted him funding and a large expeditionary force. James Guarder landed several months afterwards, landing on the northern shores of Arván. The peninsula did, in fact, have an established government, but as he was soon to find out, it held hardly any power. It was a failed state and what was the populace was a complex system of various villages and townships lead by corrupt warlords. Guarder, reporting his findings to Noronica, was given permission to settle on the peninsula. His force set up a military camp, but this angered the local warlords as Guarder’s portion of land cut off parts of fishing access. Several attempts to attack the force were made, but Guarder and his force were able to repel them with superior numbers and tactics. Guarder stretched his forces thinly as he attempted to launch his capture of Arván, but this allowed for some of the smaller divisions to be attacked. Still appealing for reinforcements, Guarder pulled back to what was later named, ‘the Guarder Line’, a famous stand against the tides of local forces who attempted to retaliate against the Noronnicans. On 11th January 1769, Guarder launched an offensive that hit hard against the local militias, pushing the local forces back several miles. Once Noronnican reinforcements arrived, Noronica had most definitely won. The Treaty of Arván was signed by the Crown and the Warlords, handing over all territory to the Noronnican Empire. Guarder was given the position of Governor-General over the peninsula and was hailed as one of Noronica’s most famous war heroes, especially after the colonial defeat years prior.
Aware of the military importance of Arván, the Noronnican government ordered that the island be heavily fortified in strategic positions around the peninsula. Most of the fortifications still stand today, although a vast majority are World Heritage sites. Arván also grew in prosperity once it began trading with others, especially Noronica. The way of life improved, seeing a great increase in agriculture, milling, fishing, shipbuilding and production of animal products. Transport links brought tourism to the peninsula in the 19th Century, further advancing and strengthening the Noronnican colony.
Independence
In 1973, after the Overlady Victoria was forced to abdicate by the Republican authoritarian regime in Noronica, Arván legally became independent, inspired by the independence movements of Noronica's other colonies. The government formed a Republic and Arván became a Presidential democratic nation. This system worked for several years, but soon the political system became sluggish, allowing the entering of corruption and the increasing power of militant groups and crime organisations.
First Arvanan War
The new Arvanan state’s sovereignty was tenuous however, as it came under the ever-increasing gaze of the fledgeling Federal Republic of Dormill and Stiura, who had a strong claim to the peninsula throughout Arván’s tenure as a dominion of the Noronnican Empire. There was a strong call by the jingoistic citizens of Dormill and Stiura, and especially within the Center-National Government led by President Siskind who desired to invade and succeed in the War for Cape Blanche d’Aigle. As Noronica was nearing the climax of its civil war, it was a prime opportunity for invasion of the small peninsula Republic.
On 3rd January 1988, after the increasing build-up of troops and artillery across the border, Dormill and Stiura swiftly invaded the southern Arvanan territories, occupying major settlements and introducing martial law to the South’s inhabitants. An emissary was later sent to the Government in St. Recont, demanding the immediate surrender of the Republic of Arván on the 6th January. All Arvanan military resistance ceased and the flag of Dormill and Stiura was flown outside the Presidential Palace of St. Recont. In the immediate days following, the National Congress debated on the ownership of the new territory, with both the states of Kapoler and New Friesland claiming it for themselves. This would mark a brief standoff between Federal Guards of both states along their borderlands known as the St. Recont Crisis.
A missive from the Government of the People’s Republic of Noronica expressed their dismay at what they viewed as an ‘illegal seizure of Noronnican territory’, yet no military action took place due to most military resources being put towards the civil war. This left the Arvanan peninsula open to the complete invasion and subsequent annexation by the Dormill-Stiuran state.
There would be no further response by the Noronnicans until the final stages of the civil war in 1990 as the commander of the rebel forces, Tytus Alexander, declared that he would ‘ensure the restoration of the sovereignty and dignity of Arván’. In late 1991, under Operation Restoration, the new Noronnican armed forces which were tired from their efforts in the civil war, launched an amphibious assault on the coast of the Arvanan peninsula at 4:39 AM, taking the coastal defences by surprise as the forces invaded from the west, ignoring the heavily defended island of Mer. The forces managed to gain a solid footing before the occupying forces of Dormill and Stiura could be reinforced, undergoing sea-borne bombings of key positions from the NRS Republic, the only aircraft carrier built during the period of the Noronnican People’s Republic. The DSN Dormill, and her newly granted Coastal Defense Squadron, which had been in Kapolder as a preventative measure against any naval sortie against the occupation, quickly sailed northwards to challenge the NRS Republic before too much damage can be done to ground forces. Admiral Landon Berger, who was in command of the Dormill-Stiuraian Carrier, employed a new tactic he had been studying. Understanding that he couldn't take on another equivalent navy head-on, he ordered his ships, particularly his submarines, to perform sea denial missions against both the Noronnican fleet and their supply chain to their ground forces. His contemporary on land, Lieutenant General Modeste Monet, had additionally taken notice and directed his forces to cut off the invading forces.
The first major battle in the war was the Battle of Rippen, in which the Noronnican forces were forced to retreat to the town of Rippen after being repelled by the stronger 2nd Army Corps that met them, led by the Kaelectian-Dormillian Modeste Monet, who had learned manoeuvre warfare from the likes of Dimitri Lévesque. The decision to split the Noronnican invasion force had been a mistake on the part of General Patrick Lipton as his forces were too thinly spread, and he had totally underestimated the numbers of the occupying forces in the south of Arván. The force in Rippen held the town for a month until they finally gave way due to lack of supplies and support. The fighting was intense and bloody, seeing close-quarters urban combat that is irregular for modern combat with Dormill-Stiuraian Tanks having a challenge rooting out entrenched urban combatants, which would become the driving point behind the development of more capable Infantry Fighting Vehicles such as the IVg Bull. Both sides lost large swathes of their troops, so while it was a victory for Dormill and Stiura, it was at a horrendous cost.
When General Lipton was informed of the Battle of Rippen, he consolidated his position in Alimenter and called for immediate reinforcements including a large flotilla of Noronnican ships. This was granted to him, yet on passing the heavily fortified island of Mer, Dormill-Stiuran Flotilla managed to sink the NRS Dexterous destroyer which was a large blow to Noronnican morale, boosting Dormill-Stiuraian morale and vindicating Berger's new strategy, which would come to earn him high praise in the Navy after the war. Recognizing the need for victory for the homeland, the new Noronnican Government sent a missive warning Lipton of the stakes, reportedly including a personal message from the newly-crowned Tytus, although this has been refuted by some historians as ‘jingoistic nonsense’. Ignoring the details of this letter, the newly reinforced Noronnican forces launched a powerful offensive towards the east of the peninsula, ruthlessly cutting down any resistance from the occupying forces. Combined with the resistance efforts in towns in the north of Arván, the forces of Dormill and Stiura were forced to retreat towards St. Recont, Monet's effort to cut off Noronican supplies had failed as the DSN Dormill began to retreat from the larger fleet arrayed against it.
Naval clashes following the loss of St. Recont were rare due to both sides’ wariness of each other’s naval capabilities. However, the one other major naval battles occurred between the eastern tip of Arván and Base Mer where the two navies came into close conflict. The Battle for the Tips as it became known lasted for a day, with the Noronnicans coming to a close victory after volleys of anti-ship missiles and the use of diesel-submarines underneath the two fleets. The Noronnican fleet then pushed through to the waters outside St. Recont, holding the city under land-attack cruise missiles.
Meanwhile, the Noronnican land forces reached the outskirts of St. Recont. The city was already under heavy fire from both cruise missiles and bombings from the NRS Republic, so artillery fire from the Noronnicans forced the temporary territorial Government to surrender after increasing resistance from within the city.
After the fall of St. Recont and the victory of the Liberal Party in the 1992 Congressional and Presidential Elections in Dormill and Stiura, the citizens of Dormill and Stiura began to stir anti-war sentiment, with major protests taking place in New Avillon against the war effort. Desiring to be the ones to end the legacy of the previous government and establish that the new Dormill-Stiuraian state will focus on peaceful relations going forward, the newly inaugurated President Dreher and her Administration pulled troops out of the southern territories of Arván and entered talks with the Noronnicans , causing major uproar from the political right in Dormill and Stiura against peace. Their lack of power in the National Congress that year left them powerless to halt the negotiations. The Treaty of St. Recont was signed in June 1993 where both sides agreed to protect the integral sovereignty of the reformed Republic of Arván much alike how the Treaty of Haalban did the same between Ostehaar, Dormill and Stiura, and the Federation of Tjiravik in 1985. To this day Arván remains to be a contentious subject for both Noronica and Dormill and Stiura.
Second Arvanan War
In 1990, President Raoul Sartin reformed the nation into an autocratic nation, giving the position of President several constitutional provisions to allow him full executive power. Since then, the Noronnican Foreign Intelligence Service had been operating on the peninsula since 2002. Operatives had been gathering intelligence about the various factions and their activities. Operatives in the country bribed the officials and gained support from the population to be pro-Noronnican. The activities in Arván were called "Operation French Isle".
On the 19th December 2016, through the Noronnican Media Corporation, the Noronnican Government revealed its concern towards the small nation who had become disdainful and militaristic towards the Noronnican government. On the 20th December, 15 Arvanan MiG 23's entered Noronnican Airspace. The Noronnican Early Warning Squadron was mobilised, but one of the planes was shot down, the Noronnicans forced to return fire. This entered Noronica into a state of emergency, eventually leading to Noronica's and Arván's mutual declaration of war.
Read the entire conflict 
here.
Noronica annexed its former colony Arván after a war spanning several months against the Republic of Arván which had shot down Noronnican aircraft and was seen as an unstable state in Gael. On 31st January 2017, Noronica and its allies took control over Arván, Noronnican troops entering St. recont and declaring the creation of a new government. A new constitution was drafted by the Noronnican government and the new Arvanan Prefectorial State Council, the Prefect being declared as Lord Bartholomew Montague.
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Prefectorial Governor Lord Bartholomew Montague |
The Prefectorial State of Arván is a Noronnican overseas-state with Executive power being vested in the monarch which is exercised through the Prefectorial Governor on behalf of the monarch. The Prefectorial Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Noronnican Prime Minister. The current Prefectorial Governor of Arván is Lord Bartholomew Montague, former Prime Minister of Noronica and former Field General in the United Noronnican Army. The Prefect is also in charge of a Bureau of Internal Security branch in Arván which act as the government's guard. Judicial and other appointments are made on behalf of the Overlord in consultation with the Prefect. The Prefectorial State of the Noronnican Black Isle has a democratic semi-autonomous government through an elected council, elected for a term of up to four years. The unicameral government presently consists of 10 elected members.
As an overseas territory of the Overlordship of Noronica, the Prefectorial State of the Noronnican Black Isle is not responsible for foreign affairs or defence. The state is permitted to maintain a small defence force, but it must work in tandem with the Noronnican Armed Forces. Noronica must also approve any constitutional changes of the state.
Arván is a large peninsula at the tip of the northern coast of Gael at the direct centre of three protrusions of the north of Gael. It is mostly isolated from its eastern and western borders with only one land border in the south and a large island off of its northeastern shores called the Island of Mer.
The peninsula has very diverse landscapes, spanning from flatlands to mountains to expansive forests. The north of Arván is mostly flatland with densely populated towns and villages, including St. Recont was is situated in the northeast of the peninsula. Arván also has dense forests in the south, making settlement difficult but they harbour extensive wildlife. Arván's south is mostly known as the more dangerous part of the territory firstly due to border tensions and secondly due to the smaller villages being rife with crime. In the centre of the peninsula lies Arváns mountainous region, with sizeable peaks populating the land.
The peninsula of Arván has a temperate maritime climate (Köppen Cfb). The peninsula experiences arbitrary weather throughout the entirety of the year, maintaining distinct yet less noticeable seasons compared to other nations in Gael. The highest recorded temperature for Arván was 31.2 °C in the south of the peninsula in 1983 and the lowest recorded temperature was -17.8 °C in St. Recont in 1999. Average temperatures are around 18.3°C in the summer, while winters average around 7.4 °C.
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Economic and Infrastructure Overview
Arván is still redeveloping after the two Arvanan wars with 5.8% of the state living under the poverty line, however, the economy is growing. Arván's economy is based on financial services, tourism, hospitality (hotels, restaurants, bars, transport & communications), retail and wholesale, construction, and agriculture, with 59% of the land area being agricultural land. Arván relies heavily on tourism, with $210 million spent by tourists in 2015. It also relies heavily on Noronnican businesses due to Noronica's almost constant influence over the peninsula historically. This system works vice versa, with one of Noronica's top import nations being Arván.
The nation's transportation is maintained through a variety of ways, the most common form of transportation being roads. The government places great emphasis on maintaining the roads and highway systems throughout the north of Arván, however, the south of Arván isn't as well maintained. Arván has two airports; St. Recont International and Highfield Airport. Due to the recent Noronnican annexation, a lot of Arvanan businesses have merged with Noronnican businesses, therefore Arván's main airline is a branch of Norolines.
Allegiance | |
Branch | Joint Service |
Size | 4,086 |
Commander | Maj. Gen. Jeremy Bernard |
The Prefectorial State of Arván maintains its own part-time volunteer defence force known as the Royal Arvanan Defence Force. The force is a light infantry force comprising of 1,508 personnel with a permanent training officer from the United Noronnican Army. They are also trained by the Royal Navy on how to operate naval weaponry.
The Noronnican Navy maintains a port facility outside Base Vert called 'Green Harbour', and the Navy retains a presence in the area with four Gwynon-Class Corvettes accompanied by a Noronnican Auxiliary Fleet vessel and a patrol ship, currently NOS Hammerhead, permanently close to the peninsula. The warships and NAF vessel carry out the Gael Patrol Task mission, which "provides a maritime presence to protect the Overlordship of Noronica's interests in the region". The Arvanan Patrol ship is a Naga class patrol vessel. It is planned that she will stay permanently in Gael until 2018. The Noronnican Navy also has Dagordh class nuclear submarines that it can deploy to the area, though such deployments are classified.
The United Noronnican Army maintains a garrison of 2,500 armed personnel, an engineer squadron, a signals unit, a logistics group and supporting services. The Army also maintains several Épée surface-to-air missile units on the peninsula to aid with air defence.
The Noronnican Air Force maintains a small air wing in Base Vert. Four F-19 fighter jets provide air defence for the peninsula and aid defence for surrounding territories such as Base Mer. They also have a secondary ground attack role. The Air Force also use Elk helicopters which provide air transport missions.
Under the Noro-Covonatian agreement in early 2017, the island to the northeast of Arván contains Covonatian sovereign territory with Base Mer being under the jurisdiction of the Union Armed Forces. Noronica supports air defence and naval defence around the island, but Covonant provides most of its defence.
Inventory:
Branch | |
Arván Infantry Regiment (2,500) | |
4 x Gwynon Class Corvette (rotation) | |
4 x F-19 Aingael |
Rank | City | Population |
1 | St. Recont | 190,020 |
2 | Alban | 90,543 |
3 | Alimenter | 70,212 |
4 | Rippen | 30,439 |
