Culture: Saland is a country entering into a stage of maturity. The nation has, on a world-scale, been inactive since (and indeed before) its foundation, but its new mode of progress has turned it into an emerging cultural powerhouse. On a global level, Saland is considered "laid back" due to its lack of military or excessive policing, as well as its overall easygoing nature. A hotbed of tourism, Saland has more recently become intermixed with the cultures of its trading partners and allies. Because of these factors, the nation is regarded as one of the better places in the world to live, in spite of its lack of military to give the populace a perceived sense of safety.
History: In medieval times, the territory now known as Saland was a series of poor warring kingdoms. The overall population of the region was insignificant, and the ruling class was ignorant of their own lands natural resources - far more focused on eliminating the immediate opposition of other royalties than on improving conditions in what was already their own territory. As centuries of fruitless conquest and subsequent reconquest progressed, the Kingdoms eventually came under pressure of outside occupation. Colonialism and foreign takeover became ever present dangers, and the threat proved enough to force the bickering Monarchs to find a truce.
The Commonwealth of Saland was formed, an intergovernmental body dedicated to protecting Saland, its people, and its newly exploited resources from the scourge of the outside. It was under this Commonwealth that Saland flourished, and finally began to tap its considerable natural wealth. Population exploded, and several new territories were adopted into the Commonwealth through both diplomatic and military means. The changes to the military were, in truth, the largest of the many differences between the former kingdoms and the Commonwealth. No longer an infighting mess of brutality, the Commonwealth's military was organized, streamlined... modern. Their military gave them power and respect, but it also made them a target, and a threat. The Commonwealth carried with it an absolute hatred towards the rest of the world, and with it, of course, a complete refusal to collaborate with any other nation. It was this xenophobia that brought about the Commonwealth's downfall.
A revolution was in order. The people, everyday men, women and children, took up arms and rebelled against the Commonwealth. For nearly a decade, it was total anarchy. Provinces and their resources were constantly being won and lost, and what was a military stronghold one month was an abandoned battlefield the next. Technological and cultural advancement was nil, but contact with the outside was improving. Foreigners became less hostile to the rebelling Salandians, and the Salan less hostile in turn. When the last of the Commonwealth was finally defeated, with perhaps more foreign aid than the rebels would have liked, the people of Saland found themselves with a broken nation. The powerful military of the Commonwealth and the security it offered was wiped out, and the days of warring Nation-States seemed doomed to return. Improved conditions with outsiders, however, proved to be the saving grace of the country. An era of cultural development and mass-production took root. Trade opened up, and Saland quickly (almost overnight) turned into an economic powerhouse. Emerging into an era where consumption of resources and mass-paranoia was higher than ever, having a dependable, quiet, unobtrusive ally was truly a blessing. The New Commonwealth of Saland, as, after the revolution, the nation was henceforth called, had become a crucial part of the world stage for perhaps decades to come.
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Originally Posted by Syllanna
