South Tussenland

South Tussenland
Republic of South Tussenland
Zuyd-Tussenlandt
Location of South Tussenland
Established	1852
Capital	Elegasthaven
Largest City	Elegasthaven
Population	23 Million
Government Type	Republic
Languages	Amerikaans (Official) Zuyd-Tussenlandt Creole

South Tussenland, officially the Republic of South Tussenland and formerly the Tussenland province of Elegastlandt is a country located in southern North American. South Tussenland borders the former Spanish colonies of Florida and Mexico to the east and west (respectively) and Opdamsland and Tussenland to the North. The country's capital and largest city is the historic port city of Elegasthaven.

Much of the nation's lands were formed from sediment washed down the Mississippi River, leaving enormous deltas and vast areas of coastal marsh and swamp. These contain a rich southern biota; typical examples include birds such as ibises and egrets. There are also many species of tree frogs, and fish such as sturgeon and paddlefish.

History

16th Century

Before the arrival of Europeans, the region of what is now the country of South Tussenland was inhabited by Native Americans for many millenia. The first European explorers to visit South Tussenland came in 1528 when a Spanish expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez located the mouth of the Mississippi River. Two decades later, an expedition by Hernando de Soto skirted the northern region of South Tussenland and followed the Mississippi River arriving at the Gulf of Mexico in 1543. Although they were the first to explore and chart the area, the Spanish lost colonial interest in the region over the next decades.

Opdam's Expedition (1674-1679)

In the late 16th century, Dutch explorer Cornelis Jacobszoon van Duvenvoorde Opdam was hired by the Dutch West India Company and led an expedition from the Dutch Tussenland Colony to find a route to the Pacific, following the Ohio River and then down the Mississippi River. He claimed the land around the river for the company and named it the Dutch Possessions on the Mississippi (Amerikaens: Nederlands Besittingen ter Misisibie) (although the country of Opdamsland formed in 1903 would be posthumously named after him). Along the journey halfway into present-day South Tussenland came an escort of Chitimacha Indians who Opdam had befriended. Opdam reached the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1679.

Government and politics

Administrative divisions

Administratively, South Tussenland is divided into six departments (shown here). The departments are listed below, with the departmental capital cities in parentheses.

• Acola-Pisa (Vogels)
• Elegastlandt (Elegasthaven)
• Natchez (Ouispe)
• Oost-Taensa (Willemstadt)
• West-Taensa (Roosendaal)
• Zuyd Tussenlandt (Oosterhout)