Helena

Helena is an English-speaking nation, with a sizeable minority of Celtic and Nordic ethnicities. There is a popular accent often associated with Helenan English Speakers, merely called a Helenan accent (In Real Life known as an American Western Accent). The following wiki article is designed to allow a greater understanding of Helenan History, and Culture.

Uniting the Tribes
Before the nation was known as Helena, it was known as Durham. However before there was even Durham, the english speaking tribes of the island were not united and constantly warring with one another. A man by the name of George Dagnall I decided to lead his tribe to war against all the others. In the year 315, Dagnall achieved his goal, and created the Kingdom of Durham, and named himself the first king of this new country. King George I brought about many changes for the people of the island. He christianzed the citizens, and created a feifdom.

Hattie, and the New Dynasty
In the year 911, the last King of the Dagnall Dynasty launched a major invasion of the Celtic island of Hattie. The war lasted for 34 years, but eventually ended with a Durham Victory. However the war cost the Durhamen people their King, who was killed in the last month of the war. This was when the Thompson Dynasty began. Alexander Thompson, Lord of Laurel, seized control of the government and crowned himself King and his wife Queen. After the invasion of Hattie, Durham entered into a several century long period of peace.

The Helenan Revolution
Queen Helen Ford of the Ford dynasty was crowned Queen in the year 1778 at the age of 27. She was the only living child of King Henry Ford (yeah i did just do that), and was the first women to become the despot of Durham, and would prove to be the last. Just the mere fact that she was a woman angered most of the nobles, but that wasn't all that angered them. She proved to be more concerned about the common people than the interest of the nobles. For 2 years she had created many new taxes that hurt the nobles treasuries, and gave the serfs many new freedoms. However on January 15, she emancipated the serfs. After the decree had been announced to the serfs, the nobility had had enough. They assassinated her three days later. However, the nobility greatly under-estimated the pent up rage of the peasentry. One naval commander, named Raphael Semmes took it upon himself to organize the serfs and declare revolution.

States Of Helena
There are currently seven confederated states within Helena. This is not including the various territories that Helena remains in posession of.

Capitol Territory (Helena City)
In 1903 the Capitol Territory, known also as Helena City became a state. It has a population of about 5 million, which is compromised mostly of immigrants.

Laurel
Laurel's state motto is simply "Agriculture". They reflect their motto by growing massive amounts of wheat, corn, sugar, and various other cash crops. They also raise more livestock and produce more dairy products than that of any other state. The state government has abolished all land taxes and all taxes on farming equipment, allowing citizens to start up their own farms with almost nothing. The government makes money by massive fines on mistreatment of livestock, and fairly large income taxes. However the econonmic growth of Laurel is slowing dramatically, since all the land that can be purchased has already been purchased and is normally either rented out, or passed down through families.

Capitol: Sheridan (pop. 20,000)

Cheyenne
Agriculture has little to do with the Cheyenne economy, instead the focus remains, as it has for a hundred or so years, on mining. The largest producer of coal in the Confederacy, Cheyenne produces just over 50% of the nations power. However, in recent decades Cheyenne's coal reserves have begun to dwindle and the Helenan government has begun to set up massive oil operations in The Green Sea, using Kauai as it's base of operations.

Capital: Riverton (pop. 230,000)

Victoria
The most diversified economy of Helena, Victoria has long been a symbol of affluence in Helenan and Durhamen culture. With a thriving manufacturing industry (mostly focused around vehicles and weapons), a thriving mining industry (like Cheyenne mostly coal), aligned with a well off agriculture industry (which produces mostly tobacco and alcoholic beverages) its no wonder Victoria has the highest GDP Per Capita of the seven states. However Victoria has a fairly low population, coupled by even lower population growth. The reason for this is high costs of living which keep many newcomers out of the state.

Capitol: Laramie (pop. 15,000)

Durham
Named after the old kingdom, this state is home to the largest city in the Confederacy, Preston. Durham is a sprawling mass of urban and suburban towns and cities. There is very few things going on in the name of agriculture, and the focus remains on electronics and manufacturing.

Capitol: Preston (pop. 12,000,000)

Missoula
Conservative, Anti-Immigrant, Racist, all terms that can describe the 'Bonnie Blue' State, so named for it's flag. Economically like Laurel, and Socially like the anti-thesis of Helena City.

Capitol: Jackson (pop. 30,000)

Hattie
A part of Helena since 945 a.d. when it was invaded by the Durhamen King, Hattie remains a very economically depressed state. In fact it sports the lowest GDP Per Capita of all seven states. This was part of the reason behind the Helenan Civil War (1876-81), in which Hattie fought against the other (then five) states of Helena. Even today there is still a lot of resentment between Hattie and the prosperous 'mainland'. The only real important industries are fishing, small scale farming, and manufacturing.

Capitol: Derry (pop. 1,000,000)

Infrastructure
With 80% of Helenans having access to wifi-internet, 85% living in walking distance of a Helenan Bullet Train Station, and an interstate system that provides a fast way to travel via car from one side of Helena to the other, Helena is a highly advanced nation infrastructurally wise. Since the 1930's the Helenan Federal Government recieved authorization to build an interstate system, and since then the public transportation sector has become more-or-less the responisbility of the Federal Government. In 2002 the Helenan Bullet Train System was completed by the government. In 2009 the Federal Wireless Internet System was completed, bringing public (but considerably slower than private) internet to 80% of the nation.

Military
The Military of Helena relies heavily on the massive navy to transport, and support military personell. There are very few infantry forces, but a considerable amount of Marines. Military personell are viewed as heroes in most places in the Confederacy. Joining the navy or marines is considered a great honor, while most regular infantry forces are viewed as either lazy, or just less honorable then the navy. However, the elite infantry, known as The Rangers, is the most prestigous branch of the military to get into. A career in the Helenan Military means a pension after retirement, and huge discounts on practically everything.

Kauai
Since the ealry 1600's the Old KIngdom had held onto this territory, which it used as a naval base in the Green Sea. After the Helenan Revolution, Kauai was the only territory not to be granted independence. This understandably angered many Kauains. However it took them almost 300 years before they organized a full-scale revolution. In the year 1968 the Kauains many Kauains took arms and attacked John Shepard Naval Base on the southern half of Big Kauai Island. The attack failed, but still the Kauain Revolutionaries attacked other Helenan troop positions on the island for a period of 6 months. Eventually however, 1st Fleet was called in to intervene, and for the next 6 months the revolutionaries were crushed. At the end of the war however, Helena allowed the Northern half of Big Kauai Island to become an Anarchical society. For 41 years North Kauai's society has thrived peacefully, while a terrorist organization known as the Collective recruits young Kauain men to be trained in guerilla war in preparations for either an assualt or an expected re-invasion by Helenan forces. It is not clear yet which is the Collective's reasonings behind recruiting and training soldiers.

Nowadays, the territory of Kauai still under Helenan control is used as the base of operations for the massive oil operations that provide the other 50% of power that coal cannot provide for Helena, making Kauai an absoluetly crucial territory for the Helenan economy.