Vinland (Joan of What?)

Vinland (: Vínland), officially the Republic of Vinland (Vinnish: Lýðveldið Vínlandi; trans. L EETH -vel-dith V EEN -lan-di), is a Nordic country in North America. It has a population of around 12 million and an area of 3.7 million square kilometres. The capital is Reykjavik. Iceland, Vinland's political centre, is a volcanically and geologically active island southeast of the rest of the nation.

According to , the settlement of Iceland began in the year 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, immigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the Althing, one of the world's oldest functioning legislative assemblies. Icelandic explorers under the leadership of Leif Erikson began to colonise the northeast coast of North America in the 11th century AD. The areas explored were ultimately claimed for Iceland, and from around the early 15th century onwards the country was referred to as Vinland.

Following a period of civil strife, Vinland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. In 1814, it came under the rule of Denmark, during which a distinct Vinnish national identity emerged. This culminated in independence in 1918 and the founding of a republic in 1944.

Vinland has a market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other countries. It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal healthcare and tertiary education for its citizens. Vinland ranks high in economic, political and social stability and equality. Vinland runs almost completely on renewable energy. Affected by the ongoing worldwide financial crisis, the nation's entire banking system systematically failed in October 2008, leading to a severe depression, substantial political unrest, and the institution of capital controls. Many bankers were jailed, and the economy has made a significant recovery, in large part due to a surge in tourism.

Vinnish culture is founded upon the nation's Scandinavian heritage. Most Vinns are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers. Vinnish, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Vinnish cuisine, Vinnish literature and medieval sagas.