Anglian Indian Ocean Islands (The Kalmar Union)

The Anglian Indian Ocean Islands, are a wide collection of small islands distributed around the Indian Ocean and administered by Anglia. The administrative capital is Hannahsdort and the combined population is around 2,478,000. It encompasses the two Sultanates of the Maldive Islands and the Comoros Islands which are protectorates.

The Head of State is King William V, however in the Comoros and Maldive Islands he is considered to be co-ruler with the local Sultans.

The official language is Anglian (outside of the Comoros Islands which commonly use Arabic and the Maldive and Laccadive Islands which use Dhivehi).

It uses the Anglian Guilder (ANG)

History
While the leading Kalmar states set up trading forts directly with India, China and the East Indies, Anglia usually followed behind in a support capacity, with small depots on strategic islands able to resupply the Kalmar fleets. This led them to build up a virtual monopoly of all the Indian Ocean islands. The real change came with the revolt of Kakinada in 1818. Anglia had copied other European countries in setting up trading forts on the Indian coastline. After various wars and local agreements by the 1790s Anglia was left with the sole fortified coastal village of Kakinada. However the calibre of the governors was not equal to those of competing nations and within 30 years the port was virtually abandoned and the punitive taxes to recoup the shortfall had the populace in revolt. The 'Night of Fire' on December 3rd 1818 led to the capture of the fortress by the locals. Anglian troops boarded their ships and sailed for the nearest Danish trade fort. Essentially barred from India after wards, Anglia decided to claim and develop the islands to the south as a means to help control the trade in the Indian Ocean and support the efforts of other Kalmar nations.

In 1863, the Anglian government offered rights of settlement on the islands for the setting up of lighthouses and supply depots. After a few notable disasters and deaths of whole populations a proper ruling board was created. Now potential settlers had to prove their financial viability and maintain a seaworthy vessel capable of reaching nearby land. This reduced the numbers of potential settlers but ensured those who did settle were backed by wealthy individuals or corporations, were governed by competent individuals and ultimately successful. In return, the Anglian government agreed that each colony would be supplied as regular intervals (which inevitably led to various islands claiming independence if their boat was late).

In 1870, the Kalmar Union offered Anglia a portion of their Australische claims, however this was politely declined and the development of the Indian Ocean islands continued.

The islands were deeply affected by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. Beside the countless deaths, many small islands were completely abandoned and have only just begun to rebuild.

The islands are a full member of the Kalmar Union and the Indian Ocean fleet has its base at Hannahsdort.

New Devon
(OTL Reunion)

Known as St. Apolonia by the Portuguese, New Devon was claimed by Wessex as the country attempted to muscle its way into the Indian trade in the 17th century. The small settlement was captured during the Kalmar-Wessex War and awarded to Anglia on its conclusion in 1701. The descendants of those original Wessexian settlers comprise about a quarter of the current population, with a heavy influx of Anglians after 1863.

South Lindesfarne
(OTL Mauritius)

Originally a Luxembourgiose colony known as Mauritius, the islands were subject to intense Kalmar-Luxembourg rivalry. In 1840 the Treaty of Singapore defined the respective zones of the powers and the Luxembourgiose mostly evacuated the islands to settle in the new Singapore Territory. A brief period of Danish rule was then swapped for Anglian rule as Denmark began concentrating on Australische.

The capital Hannahsdort is named after King Charles VII's wife Queen Hannah.

Maldive Islands
(Includes OTL Chagos islands & Diego Garcia)

The Maldive Islands had been settled since at least the 300 BC by Dravidian fishermen. Under Caliphate influence and the periodic rule from India itself the Buddhism Kingdom was transformed into a relatively wealthy Sultanate. Concerned by the increasing warfare between the Indian states during the the 19th century, and aware that it would be unable to defend itself, it signed a protectorate agreement with Anglia.

Laccadive Islands
Taken 'by mistake' by a Anglian fleet in the 1890s pursuing pirates, the Laccadive islands form the AIOI's most northernly chain.

The islands are claimed by Madras and tensions regularly flare up as Anglian shipping is banned from Madrasian ports (and of those European countries with trade forts on Madrasian land) on the whims of the port authorities and local rulers.

Admiralty Islands
(OTL Seychelles)

Those islands to the North of Madagascar were mostly discovered by Caliphate traders but not claimed or settled by them. Byzantine explorers claimed them for the empire during the 1620s but an agreement with the Caliphate in the 1640s made them drop the claim. After wards there was a brief period of Portuguese and Leonese counter claims and a smattering of Portuguese settlement but generally the islands remained unsettled. During the Iberian Revolution Kalmar ships captured the islands to prevent them falling into Del Olmo's hands. Thereafter they were passed to Anglian control and extensively settled by Anglians.

Comoros Islands
(OTL Comoros)

Much like the Maldive Islands, the Comoros Islands have been inhabited for centuries by African and Arabic settlers and long resisted attempts by the Europeans to claim the islands. It would be an attempted invasion by Madagascar in 1903 that propelled the Sultanate into Anglian hands as a protectorate.

Drenthe Island
(OTL Ile Amsterdam)

A former Frysian possession, this and Little Drenthe to the South were passed to Anglia at the end of the Luxembourg-Anglia War. A small population of sheep and cattle farmers is in residence on Drenthe Island, whilst Little Drenthe has been made a national park.

Kerguelen Territory
(OTL Kerguelen, Heard & McDonald Islands, Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Saint-Paul Island)

Generally discovered by Dutch and Frysian sailors these sub-antarctic islands were passed to Anglian control in 1738 after the Luxembourg-Anglian War.

Former whaling islands under the jurisdiction of the Anglian Antarctic Company, the islands were only historically inhabited by whaling crews or occasional shipwrecked sailors. The decline in whale numbers led to an abandonment of the minor settlements. The AAC has recently authorised the permanent settlement of Kerguelen and a small sheep farming community has been established.

The islands in general have a problem with rats and feral cats destroying the native bird populations. The AAC has been contracted to eradicate the pests.

Norfolk Island
(OTL Cocos (Keeling) Islands)

The most Easterly group of islands under Anglian control. The small population is chiefly engaged in naval supply.

Europa Island
The smallest of the AIOI territories. Its population is mainly engaged in phosphate mining and maintaining the numerous lighthouses that protect shipping from the treacherous reefs that lie between Africa and Madagascar.

Government
The governor of the collective islands is Sir Peter Robinssen. He presides over a single house assembly comprised of representatives from the islands and their internal divisions. All inhabited islands are welcome to send representatives to the assembly but distances and expense mean many do not. No islander pays any kind of taxation, the government's budget being provided through trade incomes and occasionally subsidy from Anglia and the Kalmar Union.

All inhabited islands are required to fly the Anglian flag. The 'AIOI Flag' is flown on government buildings, with the Maldivian and Comoros flags flown in its place within the two Sultanates. In addition, many of the individual islands have adopted their own territorial flags which are flown in unofficial capacities.