Tauland
Tauland (Dutch: Taulandt, Chinese: 桃國), officially the Republic of Tauland and formerly Formosa, is a country in East Asia. Neighboring countries include China to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. New Hague is the capital, with the southwestern Zeelandia being the largest city on the island.
Republic of Tauland Republiek van Taulandt | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 | |
| Capital | New Hague |
| Largest city | Zeelandia |
| Official languages | Tauland Dutch |
| Common languages | Hokkien Corean Loetsjaans Others |
| Lingua franca | Tauaans |
| Ethnic groups |
|
| Demonym | Taaulandter |
| Establishment | 1624 - Founding
1816 - Dominion of Tauland 1891 - Independence from the Dutch |
Etymology
The name Tauland consists of two parts: tau (Siraja: tayw) and land (Dutch: landt). It was formerly called Dutch Formosa during its early colonial years, coming from the Portuguese name for the island - Ilha Formosa, or 'beautiful island'. It is unknown when the name was first used to refer to the island. The earliest mention the name Tauland was in 1739, when it was mentioned in a colonial document. However, it was not until the 19th century that 'Tauland' become a common name for the nation. The name was officially adopted in the Treaty of Batavia in 1891. Several renderings of the name Tauland exist in Banlam (thokok), Corean (도란, toran), Japanese (Tōgoku), and other languages. Dating from at least 1635, the Chinese name Tayowan (臺灣) is used colloquially by Chinese speakers.
Geography
The main island, known historically as Formosa or Tayowan, makes up 96% of the area controlled by Tauland, measuring 35,808 square kilometers and lying some 180 kilometers across the Tauland Strait from the southeastern coast of mainland China. Smaller islands include the Pescadores, the Ljoetsjoe Archipelago, and the territory of the Paracel Islands.
The eastern mountains, known simply as the Tauland Bergen, are heavily forested and home to a diverse range of wildlife. There are several peaks over 3,500 m, the highest being Mount Jade at 3,952 m. The tectonic boundary that formed these ranges is still active, and the island experiences many earthquakes, a few of them highly destructive. There are also many active submarine volcanoes in the Tauland Strait.
Tauland lies on the Tropic of Cancer, and its general climate is marine tropical. The northern and central regions are subtropical, whereas the south is tropical and the mountainous regions are temperate. The average rainfall is 100 inches per year for the island proper; the rainy season is concurrent with the onset of the summer monsoon in May and June. The entire island experiences hot, humid weather from June through September. Typhoons are most common in July, August and September. During the winter, the northeast experiences steady rain, while the central and southern parts of the island have sunshine.
History
Government and Politics
Tauland is a unitary constitutional republic with a parliamentary system, having evolved from the colonial administration of the Dutch East India Company and the dominion government. It takes heavy inspiration from the Dutch political system with some slight adjustments accounting for local traditions and realities. In general tho, it can be said that the political system
Executive
Tauland's head of state and government is called the Raadspensionaris, elected by popular vote. Unlike many other heads of governments in the “Staten generaal system” the Readpensionaris of Tauland has quite a bit of executive power. He dictates, together with the council of foreign affairs the foreign affairs of Tauland, as well as being the commander in chief of the Tauland Defense Force.
Legislature
The country has a bicameral legislature known as the States-General (Dutch: Staten der Tauland). It consists of a lower house called the House of Citizens (Huis van de Burghers), which is directly elected by the popular vote. The upper house, the House of Lords (Huis der Heeren), has its members appointed by provincial estates.
Administrative divisions
Tauland is divided into nine first-level administrative divisions.
| Name | Cities | Creation | Type | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | Largest | |||||
| Haagland | HL | New Hague | Province | |||
| Heuveland | HV | Heuvelstad | Hollandia | |||
| Schuylerland | SY | Schuylerstad | Oosthaven | |||
| Tusschenland | TC | Toekoe | Tenghoe | |||
| New Zeeland | NZ | Zeelandia | ||||
| Oostvanberg | OB | Zuiderzee | Lonckjouw | |||
| Bergen | BR | New Arnhem | ||||
| Loetsjoe | LT | Nafa | Overseas region | |||
| Pracel | PC | Rotzele | Overseas territory | |||
Governmental institutions
Demographics
Culture
Language
Dutch dialects
1.) Tauland Standard Dutch (TSD): Closest to Hollandic Dutch, but has some features distinct to Tauland; most notably unique vocabulary and a distinct phonology. There is no significant grammatical difference between Tauland Standard Dutch and Hollandic Dutch with TSD being considered little more than a dialect of Hollandic. It is the language most commonly used in school and government and is considered prestige language of the nation.
2.) Tauland Colloquial Dutch (TCD): More commonly known as "Tauaans" is an informal and unstandardized Dutch-based creole, infusing influences from Cantonese, Hokkien, Corean & Japanese. It is mostly spoken in urban areas, and particularly the strongest within the lesser educated groups, the youth and those descendent from recent immigrants. Tauaans is notable for it's simplification of Dutch grammar, fast-direct way of speaking and use of slang.
Demographics
Ethnicity
Tauland is a multiethnic society. Composed of several different ethnic groups most notably:
Taulanders: Miscegenation (Inter marriage) is commonplace and has resulted in the formation of an ethnic group known simply as the Taulanders, who make up around two-thirds of the total national population. Most have Han Chinese, Dutch, and Aboriginal ancestries. Taulanders are usually trilingual in Dutch, Tauaans, and a third non-Germanic language. They are mainly Protestant Christians but also practice Buddhism and Daoism.
Chinese: Chinese Taulanders are descendants of immigrants from mainland China from the 16th century to the 19th century. Most are from the Banlam region and the Leunggwong region and thus speak Banlam or Cantonese along with the two official languages. Most have syncretic practices combining Buddhism, Christianity, and Chinese salvationist religions. They make up one-fifth of the population.
Aboriginals: Taulander aboriginals make up around 2.5-5% of the country and are descendants of Malayo-Polynesians. They often speak a Formosan language such as Tayal, Paywan, or Pangtsja. Since the 18th century, aboriginals have been staunchly Christian, specifically adhering to the Calvinist tradition. Animism is also common amongst rural aboriginal communities. A few aboriginals have Ljoetsjoean ancestry from 19th century intermarriages.
Coreans: Coreans have been living in Tauland since the 17th century, specifically since the Battle of Chiangtung Bridge in 1652 when several soldiers settled around Hollandia. As a separate community they make up around 3%, while 10% of Taulanders have some kind of Corean ancestry. Corean spoken on Tauland is heavily influenced by the Tsjalla dialect and the Chinese languages. Most Taulander Coreans practice Catholicism or Protestantism, while a fraction are Buddhist.
Ljoetsjoeans: Ljoetsjoeans make up 4-5% of the country and mostly live in the Ljoetsjoean Archipelago. They usually speak one of the Ljoetsjoean dialects and Tauaans. Buddhism is the majority religion and is syncretised with indigenous shamanism.
Maynillamannen: A small minority from the Philippines exists along the southern shore and in urban areas, most of them descendants of late-19th century emigrants due to the Philippine Revolution. Maynillamen - as they are called - speak Tauaans and Dutch usually along with Spanish, Ilocano, Tagalog, or Pangasinan. Roman Catholicism is their dominant religion while a few adhere to the Protestant churches.