Amerikaens Free State
| Amerikaens Free State | |
|---|---|
| Amerikaense Vrÿstaet Estado Libre Americanereño | |
 | |
 Location of Amerikaens Free State | |
| Established | 1903 |
| Capital | Tuynswÿck |
| Largest City | Tuynswÿck |
| Area | 362 000 sq. km. |
| Languages | Amerikaens (official) Spanish (official) |
| Currency | Amerikaener guilder (AGD) |
The Amerikaens Free State (Amerikaens: Amerikaens Vrÿstaet; Dutch: Amerikaanse Vrijstaat; Spanish: Estado Libre Americanereño), shortened to AFS (Amerikaens: A.V.S) and commonly known as the Freestate, is a sovereign nation in the western portion of North America. It is bordered on the north by Tussenland, west by the Pacific Ocean, and south by Mexico. The modern nation was born as a result of Dutch-speaking settlers gradually migrating west from Tussenland and New Netherland. Before becoming an independent state, New Spain ruled over the region. Today, the majority of the population are of Dutch heritage.
Etymology
The country's official name is rendered in three different languages. In the country's official language, Amerikaens, it is known as the Amerikaens Vrÿstaet. In Dutch, it is known as the Amerikaanse Vrijstaat. The English name Amerikaens Free State is an amalgamation of the Dutch "Amerikaens" and English "Free State", and is the common name of the country when used in English language contexts.
History
The Pacific Northwest was originally occupied by a diverse array of indigenous peoples for millennia. Some scholars see the Pacific Coast as a major coastal migration route in settlement of the Americas by late Pleistocene peoples moving from northeast Asia into the Americas. Some areas were home to mobile and egalitarian societies. Others had very complex, affluent, sedentary communities.
The first Europeans to explore what is now the AFS were the Spanish. Juan Perez explored the sea around the Westerzee coast for the Spanish crown in 1779. Since then, Spain had been sparsely sending expeditions from New Spain. It was not until 1799 that the first Dutch-speaking Amerikaners started to trek out west and explore the region. Most of the trekkers were from New Netherland, who wished to escape religious persecution and the classism of the newly independent country. A majority of them were members of the Venerationists, a homegrown branch of Christianity that developed in New Netherland.
Throughout 1799 to 1830, the Dutch migrants began forming sparsely populated communities, eventually developing into five different polities called the "Boer Republics." This had angered Spain, who also laid claim to the region. In 1830, the Spanish began exercising force on their territorial claims. Throughout the 1830s, Spain would invade and annex these Boer Republics and made them special semi-autonomous provinces under the New Spain. In exchange for their loyalty to Spain, the Boers were allowed the freedom of religion. However, Spain offered special privileges and favoritism to settlers who converted to Christianity.
When New Spain became independent and became the Mexican Empire, the Boer provinces were at a precarious situation. The emperor of Mexico started meddling with the internal politics of the Boer provinces, to the disapproval of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who were sympathetic. Mexico also exercised intensive proselytization of the population to Christianity throughout the 1880s. The Mexican treatment of the Boers was used as one of the pretexts of the Dutch to launch the 1901-1903 Dutch-Mexican War. After the war, the three southern provinces (Nueva Orañe, Goudhaven, and Voorlandt) elected to remain under the Mexican Empire, given that their freedoms were guaranteed. The two northern provinces became one unified country: the Amerikaens Free State.
Despite being a republic after their independence, 20th century AFS politics was marred with corruption. The political landscape was dominated by political families/dynasties, and had adverse effects to their political maturity.
Politics
| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dirck Goudpaerdt | 1905-1914 (9 years) | Dirck Goudpaerdt was the first President of the Amerikaens Free State (AFS), and his tenure was marked by corruption, controversial policies, and the deportation and killing of thousands of Native Americans who refused to be placed in reservations and enrolled in the AFS Tax System. |
| Philippus Goudpaerdt | 1914-1926 (12 years) | Philippus Goudpaerdt was the son of Dirck Goudpaerdt and the second president of the Amerikaens Free State (AFS). His administration was marked by corruption, authoritarianism, and the use of repressive policies to maintain power, leading to his eventual downfall and the rise of the Ubincks family in AFS politics. |
| Barent Ubincks | 1926-1930 (4 years) | His rule in the AFS was marked by his fight against corruption and his efforts to establish a legitimate government, which was recognized by foreign nations after his victory in the 1926 elections. |
| Gerald Ubincks | 1930-1934 (4 years) | He was the son of the previous president, Barent Ubincks. |
| Joris Emontsz | 1934-1938 (4 years) | Emontsz was the cousin of the previous president, Gerald Ubincks. He had a government that was largely marked by inaction and stagnation. His administration failed to carry out any significant reforms or initiatives, and was perceived as being ineffective. |
| Lodewÿck Buys | 1938-1942 (4 years) | Buys took over as president from 1938 to 1942, and his government was similarly characterized by inaction and lack of progress. His administration failed to address the key issues facing the country, including rising unemployment and social unrest. |
| Goedelt Goudpaerdt | 1942-1952 (12 years) | He was the nephew of Philippus Goudpaerdt, second president of the AFS. He built stronger relations with Russia and ran on a national republican campaign. He was removed from power after the 1952 military intervention by the Association of North American Nations (ANAN). |
Culture
Flag
The modern flag features a simplified cross of Burgundy representing their historical status as Spanish subjects, with five stars for the five original Boer republics before Spanish rule, on an orange field (representing their Dutch heritage).
Historically, following its independence in 1903, the Amerikaens Free State flag was characterized by a red band set against a white background, adorned with five stars symbolizing the five original Boer Republics. During the presidency of Goedelt Goudpaerdt, the flag's star configuration underwent change to three stars, bearing resemblance to the flag of the Russian National Republic, as an effect of improving diplomatic ties with Russia. Following the 1952 ANAN coup, the modern flag was officially adopted.
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Original Independence Flag (1903-1942)
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National-Republican inspired (1942-1952)
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Modern flag (1952-present)
Economy
The Amerikaanse Free State (AFS) is a sovereign nation on the west coast of the North American continent. The AFS is primarily considered a newly industrialized country, which has an economy currently in transition from one based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing. Despite this, the AFS is today still considered to be an agricultural nation.
Demographics
As of present day, the Amerikaens Free State has a population of 9 million. Three-fourths of the population reside in the Pacific province of Westerzee and the inland province of Centraelia. It is the most ethnically homogeneous nation in North America, with 89% of the population of Dutch descent (2020). The majority of the AFS population is Christian. Two-thirds adhere to the Protestant denomination, while a third adhere to the Catholic Church.
Language
The official language of the AFS is Amerikaans, a Dutch-language variant originating from New Netherland to the east. Spanish is also a co-official language in the AFS due to 63 years of Hispanic rule (1840-1903) and is more common among the older population. 23% of the population claim to speak Spanish as a first language.
The variant of Amerikaans spoken in the AFS, called Voor Amerikaans, heavily borrows vocabulary from the Spanish language. Code-switching is common, especially among the younger generation. In writing, the spelling of most words adopted from Spanish is retained, with exceptions for older terms such as Kommestras (Hello; from Spanish 'cómo estás').
However, Standard Amerikaans is still the country's primary language in government, academia, and legal matters.
Gallery
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The Boer Republics, later annexed by New Spain throughout the 1830s. (Reddit post).
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The AFS in 1903 (Reddit post)
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The AFS in the modern day (Reddit post)
