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Greater Agnolia 文_A 307 languages \/ :
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This article is about the country. For other uses, see Greater Agnolia (disambiguation). “Agnolia” redirects here. For the continent, see Agnolia (continent). For other uses, see Agnolia (disambiguation). “New Zealand” redirects here. For other uses, see New Zealand (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Australasia.

Commonwealth of Greater Agnolia
Te Kotahitanga o Agnōria Nui (Māori)

Flag

Motto
“The Great Southern Star”
Anthem
”The Blessed Land”
Map

Capital
Canberra
Largest city
Sydney (metropolitan)
Melbourne (urban)_[1]
Official Languages
English . Māori
Ethnic Groups
67.4% European
15.1% Māori
8.3% Asian
3.9% Aboriginal
3.2% Pacific
2.1% Others
Demonym
Agnolian . Greater Agnolian_{[Note 1]}
Government
Federal Semi-Presidential Republic
President
David Finch
Prime Minister
Ella Cowan
Legislature
Federal Parliament
* Upper House
Chamber Of Delegates
* Lower House
Chamber Of Representatives
Stages of Independence from the United Kingdom
* Treaty of Waitangi
(6th February, 1840)
* Federation (Agnolia)
(1st January, 1901)
* Dominion (New Zealand)
(26th September, 1907)
* Balfour Declaration_[2]
(15th November, 1926)
* Statute of Westminster Adoption Acts
(Agnolia: 9th October, 1942, New Zealand: 25th November, 1947)
* Union
(October 25th, 1951)
* Greater Agnolia Acts_[3]
(3rd March, 1986)
* Independence Referendum_[4]
(6th November, 1999)
* Proclamation of Independence
(22nd March, 2000)
Area
7,960,045 square kilometres
(3,073,391 square miles)_[5]
Population
64,801,230 (2051 census)_[6]
* Density
8.14/km² (21.1/sq mi)_[7]
GDP
* Total
^ $6.386 trillion (2051 estimate)_[8]
* Per capita
^ $98,548 c._[9]
Currency
Agnolian Dollar (AGD)
Time zone UTC+8; +9.5; +10; +12; +13
Date format dd/mm/yy
Calling code +61
ISO 3166 code AG
Internet TLD .ag

Greater Agnolia (Māori: Agnōria Nui), officially the Commonwealth of Greater Agnolia is a country comprising Mainland Agnolia, the islands comprising of New Zealand, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,960,045 km² (3,073,391 sq mi) and not only includes the world’s flattest and driest inhabited continent, but also its varied topography, including the Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana), lying across the Tasman Sea, which is itself completely surrounded by Greater Agnolia. It is a megadiverse country and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates across Greater Agnolia, from interior deserts to tropical rainforests along its coastline and mountain ranges over the Tasman Sea.

The ancestors of Aboriginal Agnolians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period and would subsequently settle in Agnolia to become its native population, however, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable land to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and subsequently developed a distinctive Māori culture. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke more than 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world._[10] Greater Agnolia’s written history however commenced with Dutch exploration of their coastline, however, formal colonisation did not commence until Britain established the penal Colony of New South Wales in 1788, followed by the signing of The Treaty Of Waitangi in 1740, which resulted in Great Britain assuming sovereignty later that year and establishing the Colony of New Zealand in 1841. Subsequently, a series of conflicts would erupt between the Crown and the indigenous communities of both Agnolia and New Zealand, resulting in their forced subjugation. By the late 19th century, not only had 5 additional Crown colonies been established on Agnolia, but all Colonies that would eventually make up Greater Agnolia achieved responsible self-governance by 1890. The colonies (excluding New Zealand) federated in 1901 to form the Commonwealth of Agnolia, starting a process towards unified independence from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster Adoption Acts, Union of Greater Agnolia_[11], the Greater Agnolia Act of 1986 and finally culminating with the Proclamation of Independence.

Greater Agnolia is a semi-presidential democracy under a constitutional republic and a federation comprising of 9 States and 6 Territories, and with a population of 64.8 million, it is highly urbanised and concentrated in major metropolitan centres. Canberra is the nation’s capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne respectively. Agnolian culture is diverse, and it has one of the highest foreign born populations in the world. Greater Agnolia has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita globally. Its abundant natural resources, its advanced industrial sector and its expansive service sectors, alongside well-developed international trade relations are crucial to its economic survival. It has consistently ranked highly for quality of life, healthcare, education, civil liberties and political freedoms.

Historically a middle power, ever since the Great Unipolar Collapse and the emergence of the Second Cold War between The United Imperial States of Neo Imperial America and The Unforgiving Cold of Arctic Lands, Greater Agnolia has witnessed a surge upwards to becoming a full fledged regional power as a global swing state. It is a member of international organisations such as the OECD, the Asian Development Bank and the Pacific Community.

Etymology

The name Greater Agnolia, or in simpler words, Agnolia is derived from the Latin word of Agnus Dei_[12] a word used in liturgical prayer during Communion in Christianity, and effectively means Land of the Lamb of God when translated therefore from Latin, and has been popularly described as being first named as such by Captain James Cook, however, it would only receive fame after Matthew Flinders popularised its usage after his circumnavigation of Agnolia, however, his original account used Terra Agnolis instead.

Following its rise to fame, it would soon afterwards replace the prior name of New Holland, given to it by Dutch explorers following a direct recommendation by Governor of New South Wales Lachlan Macquarie in December 1817, with the British Admiralty and British Parliament adopting the term respectively in 1824 and 1828.

However, it would only adopt its current name, that of Greater Agnolia following the Union of Agnolia and New Zealand, intended to signify that New Zealand was now part of a greater whole with Agnolia, and although it was initially controversial across New Zealand_{[citation needed]}, it was eventually accepted and has now become widely used within Greater Agnolia.

History

Main article: History of Agnolia
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Agnolian history.

Indigenous prehistory

Main articles: Prehistory of Agnolia and Indigenous Agnolians

Indigenous Agnolians comprise three broad groups:

* Aboriginal Agnolians, who are the various Indigenous peoples of the Agnolian Mainland and many of its islands, including in Tasmania
* Torres Strait Islanders, who are a distinct Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands
* Māori, who are a distinct Polynesian people of New Zealand and many of its respective islands

Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun 50,000 to 65,000 years ago_[13] with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. It is uncertain how many waves of immigration may have contributed to these ancestors of modern Aboriginal Agnolians_[14]. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is possibly the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Agnolia. The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains, which have been dated to approximately 42,000 years ago_[15]. Aboriginal Agnolian culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth, with wide ranges of societies spread across at least 250 different language groups_[16]. Estimates of the Aboriginal population before British settlement have been placed from between 300,000 to as high as 3 million. Aboriginal Australians cultures were and still remain deeply connected with the land and the environment, with The Dreaming maintained through oral traditions, songs, dance patterns and paintings.

The Torres Strait Islander people first settled their islands at least 2,500 years ago, with them being distinct from Aboriginal peoples culturally and linguistically, they were seafarers and obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and the resources of their reefs and seas, compared with the Aboriginals that were mainly hunter-gatherer and agricultural based. By the mid 18th century, cross-cultural contact and commercial trade had been established between both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the Makassar people_[17].

Meanwhile, over in New Zealand, the first peoples to reach New Zealand were Polynesians in oceangoing canoes, arriving in several waves between 1280 and 1350, which were seemingly deliberately planned out over the course of several decades, although the amount and extent are still being discussed. According to most Māori oral traditions, New Zealand was first discovered by Kupe, a legendary explorer while in search of a giant octopus. These traditions also usually agree that subsequently, a great fleet set sail from Hawaiki in 1350 that made landfall on New Zealand to permanently settle on.

The recorded migration patterns of the Polynesian people starting from approximately 3000 BC that eventually led to the human settlement of New Zealand

European colonialism

Main articles: European maritime exploration of Greater Agnolia, European land exploration of Greater Agnolia

In 1606, under the command of Willem Janszoon, the Dutch made the first documented European landing on Agnolian soil and made contact with the Aboriginal Agnolians, and later that year, another European sailing was made north of Agnolia through the Torres Strait by hugging around the coastline of New Guinea. However, it was only under Abel Tasman that Agnolia was properly documented, with expeditions sailing across most of its coastline, with Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen’s Land, eventually becoming Tasmania_[18] also being discovered by Abel Tasman’s crew. Subsequently, the newly discovered continent was named as New Holland due to the discovers being Dutch._[19].

In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed across the east coast, before subsequently claiming it for Great Britain, and after Britain announced its intentions to create a penal colony in New South Wales_[20], on 26th January, 1788, the First Fleet, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip made landfall on Sydney Cove and formally established New South Wales as Britain’s first colony on Agnolia.

Most early settlers were convicts and transported to Agnolia to serve as unpaid labourers or personal servants to “free settlers” (willing immigrants), and once emancipated, most would integrate into colonial society and settle permanently in Agnolia. The infamous Rum Rebellion of 1808, carried out by the New South Wales Corps led to a state of martial law until British authority was reasserted on New South Wales.

During this period of time, the indigenous population of Agnolia would also witnessed a massive spiral downward into decline due to infectious diseases and frontier conflicts between indigenous and settler people, which many historical scholars have since argued included acts of genocide against the pre-existing indigenous population_[21].

With settlements established on both Tasmania by 1803, and following the successful traversing of the Blue Mountains, which expanded huge portions of Agnolia to European colonialism, Great Britain would formally expand its territorial claims to include all of Agnolia in 1827, with settlements established on both Albany and Perth in 1827 and 1829 respectively under the newly formed Swan River Colony, which eventually evolved into becoming Greater Agnolia’s largest State by landmass, Westnolia. Beyond this, further Colonies were established independently of New South Wales, them being Tasmania in 1825, South Agnolia (Eventually became Centralia) in 1836, Victoria in 1851 and Queensland in 1859_[22]. Alongside this, growing opposition to the prison transportation system in Agnolia gradually resulted in its abolition by the 1850s.

Meanwhile, over in New Zealand, with the introduction of potatoes and muskets through trade with European merchants to New Zealand, a major spike in military hostilities amongst the numerous tribes of New Zealand would occur under what would eventually become known as the Musket Wars, killing approximately 30,000-40,000 Māori in intertribal warfare_[23], with it combined with a significant 60% population drop after contact with European merchants by the 19th century, mainly due to introduced diseases_[24].

A depicted scene of Agnolia rapidly becoming inhabited by free settlers during British colonial rule

With the appointment of James Busby as British Resident to New Zealand in 1832 by the British Government to protect settlers and merchants “of good standing”, prevent “outrages” against the Māori and to apprehend escaped convicts, that therefore formally began British interest in regards to New Zealand_[25]. In 1835, in response to an impending French expedition of New Zealand, the newly formed United Tribes of New Zealand sent their Declaration of Independence to King William IV asking for British protection, which was subsequently acknowledged and thereafter granted_[26].

However, due to growing unrest, especially over both the New Zealand Company’s land buying survey and the legal ambiguity of the Declaration of Independence, a new treaty would be negotiated between Great Britain and the Māori, resulting in the Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) being signed on 6th February, 1840, allowing Britain to thereafter exert sovereignty over New Zealand, even though full ratification had yet to be reached amongst the Māori.

Initially, New Zealand was administered directly by the Colony of New South Wales, but shortly afterwards, it would eventually become a distinct Crown colony, that of the Colony of New Zealand, while due to disputes of territorial control and sovereignty, Māori and British forces would exchange fire in 1843 with the Wairau Affray, sparking off violent hostilities known as the New Zealand Wars, which would eventually result in the violent suppression and displacement of the Māori by New Zealand, with it specifically targeting the Kīngitanga Movement for its open resistance against British colonial occupation.

Between the 1860s-1890s, responsible government were individually granted to each Colony, granting them self-control and therefore responsibility on most domestic issues while still remaining within the British Empire_[27], and with the Colonial Office still most notably retaining control over foreign policy, with such colonial Parliaments progressively expanding voting rights to adult men from the 1850s onwards, with adult women only beginning to be granted such voting rights from the 1890s onwards. Additionally, starting from the 1850s onwards, a series of gold rushes resulted in massive waves of migrants coming in from China, North America and Continental Europe into Agnolia, alongside massive spikes in bushranging and civil unrest, most notably, with the Eureka Rebellion against gold license fees and punitive taxation_[28].

Painting depicting The Duke of York and Cornwall opening the first Federal Parliament of Agnolia after Federation was achieved

Federation and World Wars

See also: Federation of Agnolia

On 1st January, 1901, after approximately a decade of intricate planning, numerous constitutional conventions and referendums, it would finally culminate with the establishment of The Commonwealth of Agnolia, and from 1901 onwards, Agnolia became a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire as a direct result of its successfully completed Federation. However, New Zealand would only become a Dominion in 1907, where at the request of New Zealand’s Parliament, King Edward VII proclaimed New Zealand as having become a Dominion within the British Empire_[29].

To resolve the then ongoing political dispute between Sydney and Melbourne on which metropolitan area would become Greater Agnolia’s official capital city, the Agnolian Capital Territory (Eventually became Canberra (state)) was formed in 1911 to host Canberra, but while Canberra was under construction, Melbourne would serve as the temporary capital from 1901 to 1927_[30].

In 1911, a huge amount of territory was transferred from South Agnolia to the Commonwealth, soon becoming known as the Northern Territory, and all the while, Greater Agnolia was granted control over the Territory of Papua in 1905 from Great Britain and the Territory of New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea) in 1920 from Germany as well, which were thereafter merged to form the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1949 following the Second World War and with it finally gained independence from Greater Agnolia in 1975 as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

In 1914, as the First World War erupted following the Sarajevo Assassination, both Agnolia and New Zealand joined the Entente and fought fiercely on numerous fronts under the Agnolian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)_[30]. The First World War greatly shaped both nations’s national identity and trajectory, especially with a national awakening in both nations following their defeat at Gallipoli, and with the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign still commemorated as Anzac Day, with it becoming one of the most important dates in Greater Agnolia and as a public holiday itself.

An alarmist Agnolian propaganda poster during the Second World War warning of a potential Japanese invasion of Mainland Agnolia

Following the end of the First World War, both Agnolia and New Zealand would experience a subsequent post-war economic and societal boom and deepening relations between both nations before subsequently crashing down into the Great Depression, which would eventually result in the establishment of a comprehensive welfare state and economic protectionism_[31], and furthermore, at the Imperial Conference of 1926, the Balfour Declaration was declared which made all existing Dominions officially gain equality and autonomous status with each other and the United Kingdom under the British Empire, followed by the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which formally blocked the British Parliament from being able to unilaterally conduct legislation for any Dominion without prior consent, however, Agnolia and New Zealand would only adopt the Statute of Westminster in 1942 and 1947 respectively. Alongside this, following the formation of the League of Nations, both Agnolia and New Zealand would join in and participate in the activities of the League of Nations.

After Nazi Germany launched its invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939, and with the subsequent eruption of the Second World War from 1939 to 1945, both Agnolia and New Zealand joined the Allies and fought across the Pacific, European, Mediterranean and Middle East theatres respectively_[32]. The disastrous performance by Britain during the Battle of Singapore in 1942, followed shortly afterwards by massive bombing campaigns on Agnolian soil, most notably with Darwin’s bombing led to a massive panic of a Japanese invasion of Agnolia, and subsequently not only a dramatic shift from trusting the United Kingdom to trusting the United States as the two nation’s primary protective ally, but also forged even closer connections and ignited debates on a potential Union between both nations, especially with the United Kingdom having dropped all potential opposition to such a Union by that point_[33].

Post-war era and Union

See also: Union of Agnolia and New Zealand, History of Greater Agnolia (1945-1991)

With the end of the [color=green]Second World War in a victory for the Allies, both Agnolia and New Zealand would begin seriously debating the idea of a Union of both nations now that relations were so warmly intertwined together, and following several years of of intricate planning, further constitutional conventions and referendums, with the consent of the British Parliament, Agnolia and New Zealand would finally merge together on October 25th, 1951 to officially form the Commonwealth of Greater Agnolia. In addition, significant increases to living standards, leisure time, economic vitality and suburban development would occur_[34], all the while Greater Agnolia heavily pushed for mass immigration from Europe and calling such migrants as “New Agnolians”, with the justification being the slogan of “populate or perish”_[35], and subsequently, to try to incentivise mass immigration from Asia, from the late 1950s and early 1960s onwards, the White Agnolia policy was gradually phased out, alongside with Greater Agnolia joining the United Nations after its formation in the direct aftermath of the Second World War, initially joining separately, as Agnolia and New Zealand respectively, but upon the conclusion of Union, both nations would then merge their United Nations seat into a singular seat there, which would serve as its final configuration until its own untimely end during the Great Unipolar Collapse_{[Note 2]}.

Being a member of the Western Bloc during the First Cold War, Greater Agnolia participated in conflicts such as the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War during the 1950s to 1970s. Additionally, fears of creeping Communism into Agnolian society resulted in several unsuccessful attempts at banning the Communist Party of Agnolia and subsequently a political split within the Labor Party on how to approach Communism_[36]. And additionally, following growing civic and political pressure spearheaded by Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori communities towards full representation and societal equality, and with the Federal Parliament being empowered to legislate on behalf of indigenous people and formally include them in Greater Agnolia’s population census following a Referendum held in 1967, civil liberties, political freedoms, land interests, cultural recognition and breach resolution (of the Treaty of Waitangi) were slowly but surely granted and addressed by Greater Agnolia, especially with many grievances in regards to prior violations of the Treaty of Waitangi eventually receiving negotiated settlements and compensation, especially following the landmark ruling by the High Court of Agnolia that Agnolia was not “terra nullius” (land belonging to no one) at the time of European colonisation, unlike what was previously accepted_[37].

Top: Flag of Greater Agnolia (1951-2000)
Bottom: Flag of Greater Agnolia (2000-present)

And with the abolition of the final vestiges of the White Agnolia policy by 1973, the demographics and cultures of Greater Agnolia, previously dominated by European and Anglo-American demographics and culture would be drastically altered with an explosive boom of non-European immigration, with the vast majority of such immigrants originating from Asia_[38], all the while Greater Agnolia would begin to adopt a more assertive and independent foreign policy in regards to the Asia-Pacific, especially with a post-war surge in national pride with Greater Agnolia resulting in a major push for greater sovereignty.

Such a surge in patriotic sentiments, with it especially soaring out of partisan divide in the aftermath of the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by the then Governor-General during the Dismissal in direct response to growing political paralysis between Prime Minister Whitlam of the Labor Party against an Opposition controlled Senate, which would all eventually culminate with the Agnolia Acts, which were passed by both the Federal Parliament and the British Parliament in 1986 to great public fanfare, which severed the final remaining constitutional ties that had bound Greater Agnolia with the United Kingdom, while still retaining Queen Elizabeth II’s position as Queen of Greater Agnolia for another 14 years until the abolition of the Crown in Greater Agnolia_[39].

However, such sentiments also helped result in the rise of republican sentiments across Greater Agnolia, which would especially explode out by the 1990s with growing uproar to shed all remaining colonial ties with the Crown, and following the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention being firmly in support of creating a Republic and also reaching consensus that the President should become the head of state while the Prime Minister should become the head of government instead, however, it would formally request a non-binding plebiscite over the election method of such a proposed President due to their inability to reach consensus on this matter_[40], and after Prime Minister John Howard acquiesced to this request, in the subsequent Presidential Plebiscite, a significant majority would end up voting in favour of a President that would be directly elected by the Agnolian people in future Presidential Elections over a proposal for the Federal Parliament to elect such a President amongst themselves_[41].

And finally, after another Constitutional Convention was assembled subsequently for finalisation of this massive Constitutional amendment towards a Republic, on 6th November, 1999, the Republicanism Referendum of 1999 saw approximately 64% of voters would vote in favour of becoming a Republic_[42], and following the reluctant acceptance of the referendum outcome by the Queen, a transitional process towards the full abolition of the Crown would occur within Greater Agnolia across the next few months, and with it even stretching straight into the 21st century. Soon enough however, the Constitutional Convention, following a thorough assessment of the then existing Constitution, it would reach a consensus that constitutional amendments alone were no longer sufficient and that Greater Agnolia by this point now required a complete constitutional renewal instead_[43], and therefore, after further work on creating an entirely new Constitution occurred through extensive consultation and numerous non-binding plebiscites, while already on a transition phase towards Greater Agnolia becoming a republic, the Constitutional Referendum, being successfully held on March 11th, 2000 would witness a resounding 59% vote in favour of replacing the prior Constitution of Greater Agnolia with an entirely new Constitution_[44]. Following this, the newly created Constitution would be formally ratified by the Constitutional Convention shortly before the Proclamation of Independence was made, which finally brought an end to the Crown and therefore also ending constitutional monarchy in Greater Agnolia.

Signage pointing towards a vaccination centre as well as providing medical advice near Auckland during the COVID-19 pandemic

Post-independence and contemporary eras

Main article: History of Greater Agnolia (1991-present)

With Greater Agnolia having now formally become independent of the Crown, much political debate erupted over whether immediate Parliamentary Elections were supposed to be held according to the Constitution or whether instead such Parliamentary Elections were still to be held in 2001, as had been originally planned before the success of both the Republicanism Referendum and Constitutional Referendum became unexpected spanners in the works, and especially since after the Proclamation of Independence, Presidential Elections had already been scheduled to occur on September 1st, 2000_[45].

However, following negotiated private political discussions between the then Howard Government and the then Opposition over this matter_[46], consensus was eventually reached between both sides that immediate Parliamentary Elections alongside an approaching Presidential Election were to be the way forward and that the Federal Parliament should therefore be dissolved, and after the Supreme Court formally approved the introduced motion of dissolution by the then Prime Minister, who was also Acting President at the time, on September 1st, 2000, newly designated elections for both the Federal Parliament and the President were simultaneously held across Greater Agnolia, becoming the first elections held since Greater Agnolia’s formal rupture from the Crown and its Proclamation of Independence as a federal semi-presidential republic_[47].