Poncaland (The Kalmar Union)

The Republic of Poncaland, Poncaland, is medium-sized military dictatorship in north-central Leifia. It is bordered by the Lakota Federation, Isanyathimark, Omahaghenu and Mexica. The capital is Keya and the population is around 49,000.

The Head of State is General Moniaki.

The official language is Poncan.

There is no official currency and it tends to use the Isanyathi Hinah (IYH).

History
A settled tribe, rather than a migratory one, the Ponca were pushed out of their original homelands by the expansion of the Aniyunwiyan Empire in the 13th century. Small in number (historians beleive the tribe only numbered 1,000 at this point) they would settle on the southern bank of the Missouri river where they farmed maize and vegatables and hunted buffalo when they came through their territory, fighting off raids from the less-settled tribes to their north and west who followed the migratory herds.

During the 16th century the region would suffer from Mexic raids and Aniyunwiya would erect a fort at Keya which would form one of the dozens of staging posts for the yearly mercenary armies deployed to ward off raids. It would be occupied by Mexica during the First Mexic-Leifian War and virtually the entire population escaped northwards into Isanyathimark until a Vinlandic-Lakotan force seized the fort in 1630. The Poncan and their neighbours would return to their abandoned lands following the peace treaty.

When Álengsk adventurers seized the gold producing area of Snjorjamark (see Atsugkriga) they required a clear path to bring the gold back to the east coast. In this regard they made deals with several tribes along the route, and where the 'Gullvega' met the Missouri River in Poncan territory they could transfer the gold to river barges to bring the cargoes southward to friendly Aniyunwiyan ports. The Ponca soon found themselves at the heart of a considerable industry but as the tribe was small it had little say over the land which the Álengsk army now carved out for it. Keya became an Álengsk-run fort and military advisers were soon essentially running the state. The Álengsk Althing seriously debated the outright seizure of Poncaland, and its other client state Ní Btháska (which it called Nibraskaland) to the south. Queen Elin VI sank a small fortune into the venture however it would not come to pass. A native revolt in 1649 derailed outright Álengsk control of the Ponca and Ní Btháskans and a slightly less onerous arrangement was established which left government in native hands but maintained Álengsk hold on trade. There would be limited Álengsk settlement during the 18th century which would help develop cattle ranching on the prarie.

Continued Álengsk military presence saved it from being subsumed within the rapidly growing Lakotan state in the later 17th century however the severing of the Gullvega during the second Mexic-Leifian War (1774-1792) effectively put an end to direct Álengsk involvement in the country. Poncaland was occupied during the war and much of the infrastructure put in place by the Álengsk was simply ripped apart. The later to-and-froing of the opposing armies ruined what was left of the farmland. However, at the end of the war it retained its independence with guarantees from Álengiamark, Vinland and Aniyunwiya to protect it.

During the 'Leifian Crisis' Mexica took advantage of the disruption in Eastern Leifia to seize several weakened states in the sparsely populated region including Nibraskaland. Alarm soon spread and Vinland would issue its 'ultimatum' sparing Poncaland from annexation. Poncaland regards much of the Ní Btháska salient to its south as a 'lost' province and is part of a broad alliance with the other nations encircling Mexica.

Government
All executive power is concentrated in the hands of the military and involvement in what little free political action the state has is strictly restricted to those who are serving or have served in the army.