Tawantinsuyu (The Kalmar Union)

Tawantinsuyu, Tawantin Empire, is a huge autocratic monarchy occupying the entire western coastline of the continent of Tawantinland. It is bordered, from north to south, by Mexica, Guyana (United Netherlands), Tupinambana, Tijucoland, Abasuyu, Lulesuyu, Carijosuyu, Calchaquisuyu and Araucania. The capital is Cusco and the population is estimated to be over 90 million.

The Head of State is Emperor Yáhuar IV Cápac.

The official language is Quechua, though hundreds of separate languages have regional status.

The currency is the Tawantin Pachaka (TWP).

History
Whilst archaeologists have dated the beginning of Andean civilisation to 7000 BC and earlier, the Tawantin Empire has its roots in the small city-state of Cusco, founded in the 12th century. This was just one of many small kingdoms which spread along the Andes mountain chain. At the far northern end of this chain explorers from the Norse queendoms of Vinland and Álengiamark had reached the continent in around 1130 and over the next century trade would slowly bloom. Norse weapons, the wheel, domesticated animals and metal-working techniques flowed south, whilst metals and foodstuffs went north. Vinland's first population booms, and indeed its continued viability in the face of a declining climate, would partially be built on the adoption of the Andean potato.

The Teiruna kings on the northern coast would be the first beneficiaries of this new trade and soon had spread to occupy a considerable portion of north-west Tawantinland, their armies backed up with ranks of soldiers armed with crossbows and a small cavalry element. Further south similarly armed kingdoms arose, such as Chimor on the Roasjoinn coast or the Aymara Kingdom around Lake Titikaka.

In the late 15th century the Cusco statelet went under a massive and rapid expansion under the leadership of Pachakutiq, defeating their traditional Chankas enemies before seizing a vast area of land. Under his successors the small Cusco Kingdom grew into a massive empire overcoming their larger neighbours and annexing them wholesale. Populations were moved wholesale out to the furthest reaches of the empire to secure borders and forge loyalties to the centre. The Tawantin Quechua language was imposed upon the conquered peoples, though it would adopt the Teirunan alphabet (itself mostly borrowed from Norse characters), while internal trade and communication was maintained on the back of a vast network of roads which crisscrossed the mountains and a considerably large administration.

Chimor was overcome in the 1480s and Teiruna in 1515. Portuguese explorers who witnessed the conquest of the Teiruna were so impressed by the Tawantin army and their dominance that the entire continent was soon named after them on European maps. The Tawantin seem to have taken this to heart and, having subjugated their competition on the western coast, set about vassalising the less-developed eastern coastline. This came at the same time as trade with Asia began to pick up after Chinese vessels had reached Tawantin ports, and also rising tensions with the newly unified Mexica to the North.

The Tawantin had made small exploratory voyages in the 15th century discovering the Pichinchuwata (OTL Galapagos) and planting a small colony. Contact with the Chinese led to a revolution in ship construction which would allow it to cross the Roasjoinn for itself, making contact with many of the developing island kingdoms of the south Roasjoinn. They would introduce gunpowder weapons and diseases to the islands, disrupting old structures (especially in the Maori lands (see UMS and New Zeeland) and sparking 'Musket Wars' but enriching merchants with trade. Rivalry with Mexica over this growing trade would poison relationships and lead to massive wars, largely ignored by Europe but paramount for the Leifian countries fearing Mexic domination. In 1536 for instance the two empires staged the largest ever naval battle in which the two fleets pounded each other for four straight days off the Chinchaysuyu coast. Whilst much of their fighting would be in low-level skirmishes in the isthmus connecting Leifia to Tawantinland, occasionally the two empires would descend into all-out war. In 1702 a Mexic invasion reached the foothills of Anitsuyu, severely threatening Cusco, while in 1850 the Tawantin army, bloated by a full military call-up of the eastern suyus, would reach northwards as far as Maya. The border between the two is currently the most heavily militarised region in the world, bristling with fortresses.

The Empire's grip on the entire continent was severely shaken at the end of the 16th century as a disputed succession, and the effects of devastating wave of Black Death, led to civil war. Between 1587 and 1640 Tawantinsuyu effectively splintered into three competing empires; 'Cauqetío' based on the old Teirunian lands, 'Chamor' taking a considerable territory on the western coast and a rump Tawantinsuyu based on Cusco taking the south. With Tawantinland embroiled in a horrendously bloody struggle, it would allow Mexica the freedom to launch a massive invasion of Leifia. It is perhaps indicative of Europe's attitudes of the empire as source of wealth rather than a equal power that the civil war and the plague that began it (which together probably killed more than the Fifty Years War and the First Mexic-Leifian War) went almost uncommented on, apart from disrupted merchants.

The breakaway empire of Cauqetío had taken the northern Teirunian coast, obviously grabbing most of the continent's trade in the process. Desperate to regain the land and trading links the beleaguered and desperate emperor Huallpa Yupanqui, having only just defeated Chamor by a considerable stroke of luck invited Luxembourg to campaign on his side, offering them extensive lands as a reward. A small Luxembourgois force landed at Yaracuy in 1606 and quickly defeated the main army of the Cauqetío Emperor Mayta using the forces of various local tribes to bolster their own, overthrowing his corrupt rule and restoring Tawantin dominace. As thanks, Huallpa Yupanqui gave the land to the west of Lake Tuikii to Luxembourg 'forever'. Emboldened by this the Luxembourgois military leaders took advantage of the continued civil war to amass a huge swathe of the coastline, building the colony of 'Guyana'.

Much of the east coast of Tawantinland would fall out of Tawantinsuyu's sphere at the same time. Most of the eastern suyus were really only vassals, with their rulers allied to Cuzco through marriage. Tawantinsuyu's retreat from these areas to concentrate on recovering its western property allowed European and Leifian states to gain footholds. With easier access to the Atlantic trading routes these newly independent states would flourish, however several times during the 18th century Tawantinsuyu would invade the east, reacting with almost jealousy at European 'interference'. European technical expertise would help the states such as Tamoioland maintain independence in the face of huge invasion forces however.

As Tawantinsuyu pacified and restablised during the 18th and early 19th centuries it became more and more impatient with Luxembourg as its neighbour. Declaring Huallpa Yupanqui's grant of land null and void, Tawantinsuyu demanded tribute for the two centuries Luxembourg had governed the territory. The Tawantin-Luxembourg War of 1824-1827 erupted as a result. The entire territory was almost overrun in three months but the fortresses of Dutreux and New Hasselt held out and, as the Tawantinsuyu attempted to impose their laws on the previously lightly governed tribal nations, revolts in favour of Luxembourg soon sprang up. A re-eruption of war with Mexica effectively ended Tawantinsuyu's ability to conduct operations in Guyana and they soon made peace, officially recognising Luxembourg's authority in the territory.

Over the course of the later 19th century Tawantinsuyu made more of an effort to engage with the European and Leifian powers, establishing embassies in most capitals. This would slowly shift perceptions of the continent giving the empire more parity in their dealings with the rest of the world, as well as dispelling some of the wilder notions about the Tawantin religion and its culture. Cooperation with various nations continues, with Tawantinsuyu and Vinland jointly running the Yuraqsuyu/Queen Sofíasland in Antarctica. All of the sovereign nations of Tawantinland are allied to Tawantinsuyu, maintaining the unity of the continent, as well as ensuring the army enjoys almost unparalleled manpower (even if the army has fallen slightly behind technically speaking).

Tawantinsuyu is today a major world economy and a net exporter of foodstuffs, metals (especially gold, copper and zinc) and has a small but growing oil industry. The world's most extensive railway network runs along the entire length of the country. The world's largest canal is currently being constructed between the Atlantic and Roasjoinn in the thin Dulasuyu Isthmus. This will not only slash travel times between the oceans boosting trade but also mean that Tawantinsuyu can operate a single navy rather than split their forces like Mexica is currently forced to do. Obviously the canal has provoked Mexic passions and tensions have risen markedly.

Government
Each of the suyus, ruled by dynasties mostly allied by marriage to the Imperial line, has broad autonomy with the ability to make and enforce laws, however the Imperial Chamber in Cusco has the power to overrule the individual states whilst the army pledges allegience to the Emperor rather than each soldier's suyu. Democracy, while not frowned upon per se, features little in Tawantin politics, which on the whole tends towards military dictatorship.