Livonia (Principia Moderni III Map Game)

The Duchy of Livonia (Livonian: Hercogiste Līvõmō) is a small nation in north-eastern Europe. Since its declaration of independence from the Kingdom of Prussia in 1594, the nation has been led by Hercog Jaagup Vaalgamaa Jelgavast.

Livonia is a Baltic nation, lying primarily along the Baltic Sea. The Eastern, or Livonian, Coast, is the primary region in the nation, but the northern region, along the Gulf of Finland, is also populated with cities like Reval and Narva. Livonia shares borders with Pskov to the east, Poland-Lithuania to the south, and Prussia  to the southwest. The Duchy also shares an ocean border with Scandinavia along the Gulf of Finland and in the Baltic Sea.

Early History
The region currently owned by the Duchy of Livonia was first settled many millenia ago by Aestii, as the Roman scholar Tacitus would call them. The Aestii were a Balto-Finnic people who lived primarily in Estonia, Courland, and Livonia. The Aestii would become the predecessors of the Estonians, Courlanders, and Livonians.

The Aestii then split off into two distinct groups - one that adopted the Slavo-Baltic languages and one that maintained the Balto-Finnic languages. The two would coexist in the Baltic region for quite some time in ancient history.

Livonian Crusades
By the 1200s, feudalism and religious furor spurrend many Germans into the region to go crusading.

Subsequent oppression of local culture in favor of Christianization and Germanization

Under Prussia
By 1400, there were only 5 nations in the Baltic region: the Teutonic Order (later as Prussia), the Bishopric of Dorpat, Bishoprtic of Courland, Bishopric of Osel-Wiek, and the Archbishopric of Riga. In 1410, the Bishopric of Dorpat fell under the Archbishopric of Riga, which was then alligned with Prussia.

Independence
Redistribution of land

Close to serfdom

Small colonial empire

Imperial Mint at Riga - 1598

Government
The government of the Duchy of Livonia a feudal hereditary duchy that operates under the frameworks established by the Holy Roman Empire. The government is led by the Duke of Livonia, currently Jaagup I Vaalgamaast, who maintains fealty and vassalization contracts with his vassals.

The Duke is a de jure vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor, Wolfgang I von Habsburg.

Divisions
Note: Italics represent an autonmous vassal that is not a de jure part of the Duchy of Livonia but ruled by a Count who swears vassalage to the Hercog.

The Duchy of Livonia is comprised of 1 archbishopric, 1 bishopric, 4 free cities, 10 counties, and 5 margraviates.

All vassals are listed by type, and then clockwise from 12 o'clock. Gold - Archbishopric of Riga Yellow - Bishopric of Dorpat Light Blue - Counties Dark Blue - Margraviates]]'''Duchy of Livonia
 * '''[[File:Labelled_Livonian_Sub-Divisions_(1607).png|thumb|300px|Green - Free Cities
 * Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Archbishopric_of_Riga.pngishopric of Riga
 * Bishopric of Dorpat
 * Free City of Reval
 * Free City of Narva
 * Free City of Wenden
 * Free City of Riga
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * County of
 * Margraviate of Aluksne
 * Margraviate of Rezekne
 * Margraviate of Daugavpils
 * Margraviate of Selpils
 * Margraviate of Koknese
 * County of Osel-Wiek (Saare-Lääne)
 * County of Courland (Kuramo)

Colonies
There are two primary colonial regions of Livonia. The first is in the OTL Bahamas (ATL Seichtes Wasser or Vȯiti Vež [Shallow Water] Archipelago). The second is the OTL Leeward Islands (ATL Kōlaisa Jõugõisa [Sandy Islands]).

Here is a list of islands under the control of Livonian colonies, with OTL and ATL names, as well as the largest city (if applicable):
 * Vȯiti_Vež_1600.pngas - Vȯiti Vež (Shallow Water)
 * Acklins - Tilbrēḑig (Good Friday)
 * Crooked Island - NAME/NAME
 * Long Island - NAME/NAME
 * Great Exuma - NAME
 * Rum Cay - NAME
 * San Salvador - NAME
 * Cat Island - NAME
 * Kōlaisa_Jõugõisa_1610.pngrd Islands - Kōlaisa Jõugõisa (Sandy Islands)
 * ​Antigua - Tēḑ Kōla (Star Island)
 * ​St. John's - Svētais Jāņi (Saint John's)
 * Barbuda - Uddi Kōla (Foggy Island)
 * St Kitts and Nevis - Tōvaiza Kōla (Stormy Island)
 * Anguilla - Aņgõr Kōla (Eel Island)
 * Anegada - Jōra Kōla (Lake Island)
 * St. Croix - Arm Rišt (Peaceful Cross)
 * Tortola - Keīza Kōla (Imperial Island)
 * Road Town - Ūž Cēsis (New Wenden)

Economy
The economy of Livonia is a combination of agricultural and trade-based economic functions. Although relying almost entirely on various primary sector fields for production, Livonia manages to be one of the fastest growing economies in both the Holy Roman Empire and Eastern Europe.

Production
Production in Livonia is based mostly on utilization of natural resources...

Trade
Largely ocean based, with over 12,000 sq km of coastline in Livonia, Courland, and Osel-Wiek.

Military
The military of Livonia is the Livonian Maavägi,

Culture
The culture of Livonia is predominantly based upon the Balto-Finnic tradition, but also comprises a unique blend of Finnic, Baltic, Slavic, and Germanic cultures.

There are three predominant, distinct cultural groups in Livonia. They are, in order of approxiamate population: Livonia (46%), Courlander (32%), and Estonian (22%).

Art
Art in Livonia is largely religious, but also has some Renaissance elements (as a result of the proximity to Pskov)

While are in Livonia had been relatively silenced by Prussian authorities, there were a few notable Livonian artists who worked in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and Königsberg. After independence was attained in 1594, a number of ethnic Livonians stdying around the world came to Riga to create their art. A few notable artists of the early 1600s include:
 * Vīsvaldis Šimoneit - An artist of the early 1600s, Šimoneit's are it very humanistic in its nature. Trained in Pskov by the art masters from there, and also exploring art forms from the Mediterranean world, Šimoneit returned to Livonia in 1601, a few years after its independence. Šimoneit would found his own school of art in Livonia, which would become the basis for the Questionist (OTL Baroque Humanist) style to emerge in the mid-1600s.


 * Kristjan Pāavö - The foremost apprentice of Simoneit, ... ARCHITECTURE

Architecture
Late Medieval Architecture, normally people live in small houses and serfs formerly lived in huts

Emergence of Questionist Architecture
 * Aīvars Baltgālis

Language
The official language of Livonia, and the language in which almost all trade and all government actions take place in, is Livonian. Livonian, although technically a Finno-Urgic language, is very similar to Balto-Slavic languages, due to centuries of mingling of culture.

Livonian was always a relatively major language along the Livonian Coast, which encompasses the most populous region of Livonia. As the failed Prussian policy of Germanization began, Curonian and Livonian tended to grow closer in both vocabulary and grammar.

By the time of the fall of the Prussian rule of the northern Baltic, An ancient language...

Finno-Urgic History?

Most similar to OTL Estonian

Alphabet of Livonia

Religion
Religion plays a major role in the daily lives of most Livonians. The early history of Livonia's interactions in Europe are based around the Northern (aslo known as the Livonian) Crusades.

Western Church

Foreign Relations
The foreign relations of Livonia, while still being developed by the Duke and other officials, tend to be positive with a majority of nearby nations.

The first major nation to reach out to Livonia was, ironically, the Kingdom of Prussia from whom Livonia had split. This odd coincidence was because

As a member of the Holy Roman Empire, the Duchy of Livonia is under the protection of the Holy Roman Emperor, and therefore Austria.

Other nearby nations and there foreign relations are listed below.
 * Poland -- Dynastic Ties, positive
 * Russia -- Dynastic Ties, neutral
 * Pskov -- Positive relations
 * Scandinavia -- No formal relations, tense
 * Hamburg -- No formal relations, positive

To Do
An OOC list of things I want to accomplish.
 * University of Riga (based off of Jelgava Gymnasium)
 * Fertilizers
 * Water mills
 * Wheat
 * Paper
 * Textiles industry
 * Build this and this