Scandinavia (Principia Moderni II Map Game)

Scandinavia (formally the United Kingdom of Scandinavia) is a large country in Northern Europe, situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Novgorod/Russian Federation on the east and the Holy Roman Empire (a particular state) to the south of the province of Schleswig-Holstein (a part of Denmark). Scandinavia is a rising economic and colonial power; it has several growing colonies in Antillia and its economy is improving with the years. Its military and its navy are fairly large and growing like the rest of Scandinavia. The most populated areas are in the south while the north remains sparsely populated. A recent population boom is increasing the populace exponentially and is encouraging immigration to the Scandinavian New World. The country was born during the reign of King Erik III of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark when he acquired Finland for the Crown in 1507. King Erik is revered in Scandinavia, especially following his death in 1547.

Pre-Unification (???-1507)
The stage for the unification of Scandinavia was largely set by the Kingdom of Sweden, in contrast to the Danish-instigated and ill-fated predecessor state (the Kalmar Union). Sweden took steps to ensure the permanence of the Union and to prevent any destructive civil wars like the one that destroyed the Kalmar Union. After the Scandinavian civil war that eliminated the KU, Norway and Sweden campaigned against Denmark. At the end of the war, Sweden and Norway vassalized Denmark jointly.

In 1500 the King of Sweden was Gustav I, largely unknown in Scandinavian history. His biggest accomplishment was successfully securing the marriage of his only child, heiress presumptive Christina, to Norwegian Crown Prince Erik with the permission of Norwegian King Haakon. Gustav authorized expeditions to Antillia and was awaiting for news of the voyage to the New World when he suddenly died in 1503, three months before the expedition returned. Upon King Gustav's death, Erik (Christina's husband and heir to the throne of Norway) replaced his wife as heir and succeeded his father-in-law as King Erik III of Sweden.

Shocked to have inherited the throne of his wife's country, Erik quickly took the reins and began to expertly maneuver Sweden. Erik was educated in the Holy Roman Empire and spent several summers in Venice. When King Erik received news of a successful settlement in the Bukten Sverige (Bay of Sweden-OTL Chesapeake Bay), he decided to honor his late father-in-law by naming the settlement Gustavstad and giving the colony a royal charter. Just one year later, Sweden experienced another tragedy; King Haakon of Norway dies of old age, and King Erik III of Sweden inherits the Crown of his native Norway. Erik therefore unified Sweden and Norway, a step in creating Scandinavia.

King Erik had a lot of work to do upon acquiring the throne of Norway; his father poorly led the nation in a war with Scotland in which they lost the Shetland and Faroe Islands. On top of that war, Norway was still reeling from the Kalmar Civil War; its economy was doing as poorly as it did in both those wars. Erik began taking measures to recover the Norwegian economy before its integration into the Swedish economy. So far, it is showing great signs of recovery.

Between 1503-1507, King Erik began to vassilize the Finnish states: The Grand Duchy of Helsinki, the Grand Duchy of Turku, and the Saami nation. Most of these nations accepted vassalization peacefully. The Saami proved much more difficult. They refused to become part of a country that wouldn't respect their sovereignty; after almost three years of deliberations, the Saami accepted a Scandinavian treaty of vassalization with the condition of the creation of a Special Saami Autonomous Region. With the acquiring of all Finnish states, King Erik successfully recreated all of the original Scandinavian land with more than what the KU had. He also annexed Denmark in 1506.



After placing all Scandinavian regions under his influence, King Erik announced the creation of the United Kingdom of Scandinavia from the steps of the Palassen Skandinavia in Stockholm. Upon this announcement, all areas under vassalization were annexed to the new country. Helsinki, Turku, and the Saami areas were amalgamated into Finland. Scandinavia was born; "Scandinavia Day" is celebrated every 17th of May.

Kings/Queens

 * Gustav I (1450-1503) -- was King of Sweden and not Scandinavia, he played a part in its formation and is therefore considered an honorary king of Scandinavia.
 * 1) Erik III(1503-1547)*
 * 2) Victoria I(1547-1564)
 * 3) Alfonse I(1564-)
 * Did not rule Scandinavia as a unified kingdom until 1507

Colonies
Scandinavia began colonial ventures in 1501 (as predecessor state, Sweden), with its first successful establishment of a colony in 1503.

Nya Sverige (New Sweden)
Established in 1503 in the OTL Chesapeake Bay Region, Nya Sverige is the oldest Scandinavian colony; however, it was founded under the Kingdom of Sweden and was later transferred to Scandinavia in 1507 upon its founding. Nya Sverige (abbreviated NS) is the most prosperous colony due to the huge amounts of tobacco being exported per year. It is the most rapidly expanding colony in Antillia and it has given Scandinavia a monopoly over the exportation of tobacco to Europe, enriching the country. Nya Sverige occupies OTL Virginia, Maryland,and Delaware

Nye Norge (New Norway)
Established in 1509 on the site of OTL Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nye Norge is the most strategic Scandinavian holding in Antillia. Its capital and chief port city, Ny Norg Stad (New Norway City) is the most thriving and important colonial port in Antillia. Nye Norge has a booming shipping and insurance industry. Its residents are commercial merchants and international businessmen looking to make themselves prosper in the Scandinavian New World. Nye Norge (abbreviated NG) is often regarded as the financial capital of Antilia, with one important stock exchange and several banks. NG occupies OTL Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the middle of New York up to the Hudson river in order to leave the Brandenburgian colony of Neu Berlin space to expand. It is projected to expand enough to reach OTL Vermont-- bordering the Portuguese colony in Connecticut/Massachusetts and Nya Danmark.

Nya Danmark (New Denmark)
Established in 1511 on the OTL island of Nova Scotia, Nya Danmark is an important naval base for the grand and powerful Scandinavian Royal Navy. Its chief port, Vikstig (OTL Halifax) competes directly with Ny Norg Stad and is currently the second most important colonial port in Antillia. Nya Danmark is a fast-growing shipping and naval center in the Scandinavian New world and is considered to be the center of future Scandinavian expansions into OTL Canada. Nya Danmark(abbreviated ND) occupies OTL Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, and is soon to be in New Hampshire-- enough to border the Portuguese colony in the south and Neu Berlin in the west. Hamnoradet (OTL Portland) is a port in Nya Danmarkan Maine that is soon-to-be the third most important colonial port in Antilia.

Uusi Suomi (New Finland)
Established by the Nya Nordbord in OTL North Carolina/OTL southern border of Virginia with North Carolina in 1510. It is the first proprietary "colony", however it is administered as an extension of Nya Sverige and is not an official colony. It is much like Nya Sverige, though it lags in tobacco production. It is the only part of the Scandinavian New World not to be named in Swedish, Uusi Suomi is "New Finland" in Finnish.

Private Companies in the Scandinavian New World
A company known as Erik's Bay Company(named after the massive bay that Scandinavian expeditions found the OTL Hudson Bay in 1511, named Saalskap Av Bukten Erik in Swedish) set up shop in the bay in 1512. They intend on settling the region and capturing/monopolizing the rich fur trade either through force or diplomacy. They are not affiliated with King Erik III or the Scandinavian government. In 1553, the Saalskap av Bukten Erik's holdings in the Bukten Erik were organized into a crown colony called Eriksmark to be governed by the same company.

Special Dependencies
These areas are not colonies but are unincorporated territories of Scandinavia(most of which originally came from predecessor state Norway)
 * 1) Greenland: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia.
 * 2) Iceland: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia.
 * 3) Orkney Islands: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia.
 * 4) Faroe Islands: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1504 when Scotland seized the isles following Norway's defeat in the War of Scottish Aggression. Scotland returned the islands in 1532.
 * 5) Gibraltar: Became an official Scandinavian Overseas territory in 1585 following the defeat of Morocco at the hands of Granada.

Positive
Brandenburg: Important ally, trade partner

Venice: Chief trading partner, important ally

Russian Federation (Novgorod, Muscovy): Important trade partner, important ally

Saami: Special autonomous region of Scandinavian Finland governed by the Saami, loyal to the Scandinavian Crown

Papacy: Revered, but no formal relations

Aragon: no alliance/trade offer, they granted us a port in Rouissilon (Northern Aragon)

England: alliance signed

Castille: trading partner

Portugal: trade agreement pending

'''Scotland: Warred with predecessor state Norway before its admission to Scandinavia, not formally an enemy. They seized the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands from Norway in the Scots-Norwegian war from 1404-1406. Formal relations opened up in 1512 when King Erik III approached Scottish King James II with a proposal: the formation of an Anti-Piracy League that Scotland would chair. They accepted.'''

Neutral
Austria: actively looking for good relations

Bavaria: same as Austria

Saxony: same as Austria

Other HRE states

Negative
Powhatan Indians: Possible threat to settlements in Nya Sverige, danger looms.

Huron Indians: Same

Mohawk Indians: Same

'''The Caliphate: An entity that is abhorred by all of Europe and that threatens to engulf the continent with heresy. Relations with the Caliphate were initially good, with Scandinavia even importing Syrian wheat after a terrible winter in the 1540s. Relations turned for the worst when they invaded and annexed Russia, a country considered a sister nation by Scandinavia due to extremely close ties.'''

The Kappelist League: Bunch of heretics that we dislike.

Wars
Scandinavia has formally participated in two wars so far:

Scandinavian War on the Huron(1522-1527): Huron attacks on Scandinavian trade posts along the Snavt River (St Lawrence) angered the traders and they appealed to King Erik. King Erik responded with the deployment of 4,000 troops and the movement of several Scandinavian Royal Navy warships from Hamnoradet and Vikstig (Royal Navy's bases in the New World, Halifax and Portland respectively). Scandinavia crushed the Huron and annexed/vassalized their nation, leading to the lasting defeat of the tribes in this region of Scandinavian Canada.

The Great Mediterranean War(1557-1560): The overextended Neapolitan state was deemed to be a threat by ally Venice; Our countries devised a plan in the 1540's in which we would knock Naples down a few notches. The Coalition that formed was massive: Venice, Scandinavia, Modena, Mantua, Siena, Brandenburg, Luxembourg, Burgundy, Cyprus, Granada, Bosnia, Serbia, etc. The last three mentioned were vassals of Naples who turned against their liege and supported the Coalition for their independence. In the end, it was a crushing Coalition victory in which Naples-Savoy was stripped of its colonies, had most of its land annexed to Venice, and the remainder of Naples joined the new Italian League as a Venetian puppet.

Royal Family
*designates the child who succeeded the parent

House of Oldenburg
King Erik III (1485-1547) - Queen Christina of Sweden (1485-1549)
 * Prince Erik IV (1504-1541) - Theresa of Brandenburg (???)
 * *Princess Victoria (1505-) - Pedro II of Portugal (1506-)
 * Prince Haakon (1512-1541) - Selena of Anhalt (???)
 * Prince Christian (1513-1541) - Princess of Muscovy (???)
 * Duchess Margrethe (1521)-
 * Duke Aleksander (1530-)-

House of Avis-Oldenburg
Queen Victoria I (1505-1564) - Pedro II of Portugal (1506-1562) King Alfonse (Afonso) I (1527) - Selena of Bavaria
 * Princess Urraca (1523-)
 * Prince Denis (1525-) - Catherine of France (1522-)
 * *Prince Afonso (1527-)