|
Join the AAF Cartographer: Vlaskovic Historian: Artstotszka Guardian: Freechrist |
 Founded: January 20th, 2016 Motto:Where Dreams Become Story. We prefer a small closely-knit active community, than that of a large inactive loose-knit community |
The regional roleplays now can be found on the region's Regional Roleplay Dispatch that's pinned onto the WFE. |
| Welcome to Audaxia. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| A Church in the Wildwood; Basic Info on Canton Valley | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic Started: Aug 22 2016, 10:54 PM (86 Views) | ||||||||||
| Canton Valley | Aug 22 2016, 10:54 PM Post #1 | |||||||||
|
 Fortis est non pertubaris in rebus. A CHURCH IN THE WILDWOOD The Free Land of Canton Valley commonly called Canton Valley, Canton, or “the Valley”, is a Baptist Primacy in Terra Cognita. The Valley covers 40,243 square miles and has an estimated population of 6,121,892. Canton Valley comprises of four Districts, twenty Provinces, eighty Counties, and one special administrative region. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Environment 4 Demographics 4.1 Population 4.2 Language 4.3 Race 4.4 Largest Cities 5 Government 5.1 Foreign Relations 6 Economy 7 Culture 8 Infrastructure 8.1 Energy Etymology Canton Valley is named after Jeremiah Ananias Canton, the founder of the nation. Canton Valley was originally confined to the valley where the City of Haywood is now located, and its name did not become ironic until the nation grew enough to incorporate the surrounding mountainous areas. Haywood, where Canton allegedly settled down after retiring from his job as a wealthy metal foundry owner is located in a valley in the east-center of the nation, and the Valley has spread out since its founding. It is believed that the nation was originally called “Canton’s Valley” in the possessive sense, but over time the ‘s’ has been dropped from the nation’s name. No historical documents appear with “Canton’s Valley” as the official name of the nation, this is merely a plausible speculation by leading historians. The standard way to refer to a citizen is as a "Cantonian." History
Environment Canton Valley is composed of several mountainous areas that more or less surround the valley where Haywood, the capital city is located. Canton Valley has some flat spots suitable for farming, but the majority of farming is done at the subsistence level. Somehow, through hard work and perseverance, the people of the Valley make enough food to eat and still have time to do other things as well. Mountain balds are fairly common sights, as are mountains that are completely covered in tall trees. Mountain hollows (pronounced holler) are abundant, and a large part of the rural population lives in hollows or other valleys. Others live on flat mountain summits, around the base of mountains, or there are even those who are brave enough to terrace out a homestead on the side of a mountain. Most of Canton Valley’s towns have been artificially-levelled or have several different levels of elevation. There are only five “cities” to speak of—Haywood, the capital, and the four Archdeaconries: Swain, in the north, Macon, in the south, Jackson, in the west, and Buncombe in the east. Big cities grew up around the archdeaconries, not the other way around—most of the population is spread around, with only a small portion living in the densely populated cities. The Valley climate tends to be temperate: temperatures remain fairly normal, with a high in the 80s or (rarely) the low 90s during the peak of summer, and temperatures that range down to about 5 below during the middle of winter, though they usually don’t hit those extremes. Spring is usually considered the best time to visit, with average daily temperatures in the mid 60s and 70s that only drop about 10-15 degrees at night. It can get windy during spring, with scattered showers, but mountain valleys protect cities from strong winds and tornados are an extremely rare occurrence. Temperatures can heat up during summer, straying into the 80s and sometimes 90s, but usually hovering around 85 on the average day. Light breezes are not rare but thunderstorms are an almost daily happening on humid summer afternoons and evenings. Fall shows the most variation in temperature with daytime highs that can reach the mid 70s and nighttime lows that can get down to the mid 40s. Fall is almost prone to a near constant morning drizzle that usually clears up by 9 or 10 AM. Temperatures gradually get colder as winter approaches, with highs of about 55 during October. During winter, drizzles turn into light snow flurries that become occasional snowstorms and blizzards during November and December. High temperatures usually reach 50 at the most, but most days during midwinter only manage to see a stark 40. Nighttime temperatures can easily drop to 10, or below zero in mid-December and early January, when blizzards are most likely. Fog adorns the mountain crowns and seeps down into the valleys in the mornings and evenings, regardless of season. Visitors to Canton Valley claim that mornings almost look like the mountains are on fire with the blue ‘smoke’ that dances around their tops. However, Canton Valley is still home to an amazing amount of biodiversity. Many species of salamander and bird are endemic to the old, soft-flowing peaks of the Cantonian mountains, as are a staggering amount of flowering plants, as well as trees and shrubs. Fungi, mollusk, and fish species also number very high. Favorites of visitors often include the elusive black bear, bobcat (Canton Valley’s national animal), river otter, both gray and red wolves, elk, and flying squirrel, not to mention the bird varieties include several species of woodpeckers, swallows, turkeys, and several birds of prey such as owls, eagles, and falcons. Demographics Population Canton Valley is a very small nation compared to most on the world stage. The people of the Valley have developed an endemic culture based around the Primacy and the harsh terrain, and few Cantonians emigrate from the country in search of a better life, due in part to an ignorance about the surrounding world (and a correspondingly low rate of higher education), and in part to strict regulations regarding the border. Most Cantonians, even those that live strictly in poverty or those that live subsistence lives, consider the mountains and valleys home. They have developed strong endemic accents that make them more difficult to understand, even to other English speakers. The growth rate is small but continues to increase, as many Cantonian citizens have rather large families (though not all children survive). Cantonians are usually regarded as hospitable and compassionate, usually refusing to turn strangers and company away. Cantonians are also a rather devout people as the Primacy is a constant reminder of the link between salvation and faithfulness. Language Cantonians speak English…or they originally did, anyway. While the official language is still English and the words are mostly the same, Cantonians have developed strong accents and endemic vocabularies that have to be learned by most outsiders. Canton Valley also plays host to several unique idioms and phrases that don’t make much sense to those not in the know. Once you’ve been to Canton Valley and you’ve been told to “hitch yeh a ride wit’ us back inta tha holler ‘n’ stay a spell” you’ll understand. Religion The Canton Valley Baptist Church, the sole official church of the country, heads both the spiritual and political leadership of the nation. The Elder acts as head of the Mother Church in downtown Haywood, as well as the final authority in all matters spiritual and temporal in Canton Valley. The CVBC is best described as a hard-shell Baptist church that has not changed much in its beliefs since it was founded. The basic beliefs of the church are summarized in their manifesto.
Race About 74% of Canton Valley is Caucasian in descent, with another 14% being of African Diasporic descent, and the final 2% a mix of Asian and Native North American descent. Race relations are not a large problem in Canton Valley as the CVBC notes that Jesus Christ excluded no one from religious services based on race. There has so far been one Black Elder, Elder Matthew II Reeves, but all other Elders have been white. Government The government of Canton Valley is a full-scale hardshell Baptist theocracy. The Elder of the Canton Valley Baptist Church serves as the final authority on any matter, spiritual or political. The governing body of the church also serves as the executive branch of the government. There are four Archdeaconries (Districts) under the Primacy (Federal Government), five Deaconries (Provinces) underneath each Archdeaconry, and four Parishes (Counties) under each Deaconry. Each Parish may have an unspecified number of churches within it. The Elder holds the Primate, the spiritual head of the country, each Archdeaconry is held by one of four Archdeacons, and a Deaconry is similarly held by a Deacon. A Parish is held by a Reverend, and the leader of any lower church is referred to simply as a Pastor or Preacher. The legislative and judicial functions are exercised by the executive body as well. Each Archdeaconry and Deaconry has some level of autonomy when enacting laws, but is absolutely subject to the authority of any higher branch of government. When the Elder establishes a law, all divisions of government must follow it. When an Archdeacon establishes a law, all Deacons within that Archdeaconry must follow that law, and so forth. The Elder is the only government official with the power to make ecclesiastical decisions. The CVBC has surprisingly liberal views on social policy, as they do not accept the epistles as the divine word of God and do not enforce the laws written in the Old Testament. Same-sex weddings are officiated by the church, door-to-door and aggressive proselytization are greatly frowned upon, and nonbelievers are allowed to attend all church services (but they are forbidden to take part in the Eucharist). Healthcare is government-provided, as a Ministry of God (the CVBC holds that since Jesus worked to save the sick and the lost, so should the Church). All corporations are owned by the State, but any individual private enterprise faces little regulation, and the State provides subsidies to small businesses and small farms. Foreign Relations and Military Canton Valley is largely an insular nation, preferring not to deal with the damned who reside outside the reach of the CVBC. The Valley exports heavy and precious metals as well as coal and lumber, but imports are rare as the Cantonians pride themselves on self-sufficiency. Luxury goods are rather sparse among the frugal Cantonians, but the Church preaches that simple lives are in imitation of the life of Christ, and the people of the Valley go along their daily lives, most of them without any knowledge of the world outside Canton Valley. The Church does not aggressively proselytize, but has made some effort to plant churches in nearby nations, believing that church plants under the watchful eyes of the Elder are missions in the vein of Christ’s work. Other than church plants and exports, Canton Valley is isolationist. The Cantonian Military is small but devoted, and well adapted to the mountainous terrain that can be treacherous to invaders. The small standing army is used almost exclusively defensively, in the belief that unprovoked violence is a sin, and that the Valley has no need to invade or expand. Aside from the small army regulated by the Church, many Cantonians own their own weapons and form militias to defend their own local holdings. Any violence that is not in self-defense is condemned. Economy The Cantonian Economy is based almost exclusively around mining, fishing, and tourism industries. Cantonian folk arts are becoming more desirable on the world stage, as art traditionally made for functional purpose has designs endemic to the Valley and is becoming more aesthetically appreciated. Culture Cantonian cultural revolves around family life and the church. In the typical family, the father/husband works a 60 hour work week, while the mother stays at home. Children may or may not attend school (while Christian academies are provided free of charge, typically only the first-born child will be educated). Life revolves around Sundays: on Saturday, all of the food for the following day is cooked and all other necessary activities are taken care of. All businesses are closed on Sundays, and although in some rural areas, church services may only be held once a month by an itinerant minister, Sunday is considered a sacred day of rest (allowed activities include sleeping, prayer, reading scripture, etc.) and it is unusual for anyone to leave the home on Sunday except for an emergency. Cantonians are usually considered thrifty as the economy mainly relies on the purchase of goods that one cannot make at home. Common goods such as soap, produce, clothes, molasses, alcohol, honey, etc. are typically made at home or bartered for with neighbors rather than purchased. Typically each family grows their own produce, as well as producing one or two other items that can be used to trade for other essentials. Canontian fine arts do not typically include painting or sculpture but rather are focused around earthworks, clay pottery, metalworking, quilting, and other trade goods. This often leads to derision from so-called “cultured” nations, but the arts of the Valley are slowly but steadily gaining more widespread appreciation and value. Infrastructure The Valley is not known for its infrastructure. With less than ten total airports, flying is not the most popular way to get to and from Canton Valley. While most of its roads are well maintained by the State, accidents such as rock- or mudslides often devastate stretches of curving mountain roads for weeks at a time, and blizzards or severe storms may seal off the only road into a town. Rail lines, however, crisscross the nation and serve as the most reliable method of transportation. Most Cantonian rail lines still use coal-fired steam engines, so journeys can be lengthy, but it is often much safer to take a passenger train most of the way to your destination than try to drive unfamiliar and dangerous roads. Public services (fire and police stations, hospitals, cemeteries, schools, etc.) are easy to find in major cities, but the accommodations in the more rural areas of the Valley can be scarce. Post offices and schools (albeit small ones) can be counted on in every community, but certain towns may only have a Bailiff (subservient to the Parish Sheriff, who is subservient to the Deacon), a doctor and a fire brigade, and even those basic provisions are not always guaranteed. There are some parts of Canton Valley where a medicine woman is the best hope of healing the sick and crime is regulated on the honor system. Energy Energy resources are, ironically, mostly non-coal based. Some coal plants operate in Canton Valley’s flatter areas, but the local terrain makes hydroelectricity, wind, and solar powers very affordable and effective, and easily able to keep up with the electricity demands of the country. Wind and solar farms are not uncommon to see beside the roads, and many of Canton Valley’s mountain highways even cross over hydroelectric dams. While coal continues to be a huge export, the Cantonian system is projected to be coal free by 2025, allowing all coal and coal products to be used as exports. Edited by Canton Valley, Aug 24 2016, 01:01 AM.
|
|||||||||
 |
 
|
|||||||||
| Canton Valley | Aug 24 2016, 12:58 AM Post #2 | |||||||||
|
Important Figures in Canton Valley
Edited by Canton Valley, Aug 25 2016, 03:14 AM.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | ||||||||||
| « Previous Topic · National Factbooks · Next Topic » |
4:48 PM Jul 13