Austenasia breaks population record
Earlier today Austenasia’s population reached its highest number in history, with the registration of six new residents in New Richmond pushing the number of Austenasians up to 89. New Richmond is already the most populous inhabited claim of the Empire, with twenty residents now living in its five different boroughs. The previous population record had been 88, between March and June 2016, reached after a period of almost uninterrupted growth since Austenasia’s foundation (with the sole exception of former emperor Declan I losing Austenasian nationality in August 2013). The population began to decline with a net loss of one person upon the simultaneous cession of Harenfall and annexation of Ionathanopolis on 27 June 2016. This culminated in a low point of 74 after Zephyria, Thanasia, and Porthbokon were dissolved in August the following year. However, the number of Austenasians has since begun to steadily climb, and out of Austenasia’s population of 89, at least 53 will be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election. Austenasia itself is home to 71 people, with 18 Austenasian nationals living abroad; the largest populations of expatriate Austenasians are in the United Kingdom (8 people) and the United States of America (4 people).
Further expansion for the Empire
The population and territory of Empire of Austenasia grew yesterday, despite the Town of Ionisia being ceded back to Greece. In an Act of Parliament passed yesterday morning, Ionisia was dissolved whereas Amerdansk – a Territory annexed in 2016 – was expanded into a Town with the annexation of an adjoining house. Amerdansk, which had previously consisted of an uninhabited garden, now includes a residential property inhabited by three. Lord Anthony Clark, former Governor of the territory, now serves as its Acting Representative. Ionisia joined Austenasia on 6 August last year, precisely one year before its dissolution. Inhabited by dual citizens of the Kingdom of Imvrassia, the town was founded in an exercise of national friendship between Imvrassia and Austenasia. Its three residents have retained Austenasian subjectship in a ceremonial capacity in a sign of the enduring friendship between the two states. The expansion of Amerdansk has outweighed the territorial loss of Ionisia, with Austenasia actually making a net gain of roughly 187 square feet. In addition to the new Austenasians living in Amerdansk, non-residential subjectship has been granted to Admiral Shiro Mephistopheles, the Empire’s new Minister of Defence. His eight days in office prior to gaining subjectship mark the only time a non-Austenasian has ever held a position in Cabinet. The population of Austenasia now stands at 82.
Two new Towns annexed as Axvalley dissolved
This morning, an Act of Parliament was passed dissolving the Crown Dependency of Axvalley while annexing two new Towns, Jovanovo and Ionisia. Axvalley, a farming estate bordered by Brazil, had joined the Empire in February 2013, one of the first of the great territorial expansions that Austenasia had seen under Emperor Jonathan I. As a Crown Dependency, Axvalley functioned with complete autonomy under its Governing Commissioner, Rubens Machado. However, after four and a half years under Austenasian sovereignty, the people of Axvalley decided that they wished to return to Brazil. Their right to political self-determination being respected, legislation was drawn up to dissolve the Crown Dependency. However, at the same time, the government received requests from two other places to be annexed as Towns. The first, Jovanovo, consists of two rural properties bordered by Montenegro, measuring nine and a half acres. The second, Ionisia, is comprised of a residential property on the Greek island of Samos. Jovanovo and Ionisia have populations of twelve and three, respectively, and are both wholly Orthodox Christian in the religious composition of their residents. Ionisia is home to Prince Aggelos of Imvrassia, who has been appointed Acting Representative of the new Town. These latest changes leave the Empire of Austenasia with a population of 84, and a land area of roughly eighty one acres.
Three towns dissolved in unprecedented Act of Parliament
At 9:00 am Wrythe time yesterday morning, an Act of Parliament was passed ceding the Towns of Zephyria, Thanasia and Porthbokon back to the United Kingdom. Zephyria, which was the first inhabited territory to join the Empire outside of Wrythe, was annexed in April 2009. As the residential property of which it is comprised is soon to be rented out by the Town’s residents – the family of Lord Marshal William – while they move to another property, it was considered best that it no longer be part of Austenasia. However, Zephyria’s former population of three have retained their status as Austenasian subjects. Thanasia and Porthbokon have both been ceded absolutely, with their populations also having lost their Austenasian nationality. Thanasia was ceded by the request of its population, whereas Porthbokon was ceded unilaterally by the government due to it having been unable to contact its Representative, Lady Evren, for over a year. Two non-residential subjects, contactable only via Thanasia, have also had their status as such revoked. Speaking earlier to Parliament, Prime Minister Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy stated that the cessions “should not be misinterpreted as a sign of the Empire stagnating. The Government is working on a series of reforms that will soon be presented, and first among those reforms is guaranteeing that the House of Representatives will be comprised of active Representatives who will actually partake in the governance of our beloved Empire.” The House of Representatives now has six instead of nine members. The three towns which have been ceded rarely voted, meaning that legislation required near unanimity of all voting rather than a simple majority; with the three less active towns gone, the legislature should become far more efficient. Despite one third of the Empire’s Towns having been ceded, less than a tenth – 9.75% – of Austenasia’s population has been lost. Of even less magnitude has been the effect on the Empire’s land area, with Zephyria, Thanasia and Porthbokon together having comprised a mere 0.21% of Austenasian territory. One demographic effect of this has been to push the proportion of Christians in the Austenasian population into the majority, from 49% to 54%, with both Thanasia and Porthbokon having been entirely atheist. The total population of the Empire now stands at seventy four people, including thirteen non-residential subjects.
Changes to New Richmond
An Act of Parliament was passed this morning which ceded some areas of New Richmond to the United States of America whilst annexing some to it back from the USA. North New Richmond and the western half of Saint Josephsburg were ceded to the USA, while two new areas of land were annexed to New Richmond. These two new areas are yet to be named by its town council. As a result of these changes, New Richmond (and therefore the Empire as a whole) has made a net gain of roughly 23,895 square feet and a net loss of one resident. New Richmond is set to gain the status of a city on 9 January next year, meaning that they will elect a Mayor in their next local election.
Religious affiliation information updated
The Home Office has released an updated overview of the religious affiliations of the Austenasian population. The last time this information was publically released was in August 2014. Since then, the percentage of the population that is Christian has risen from 46% to 48%, and the percentage that follows no religion has fallen from 38% to 26%. Also included is “Unknown”, for the five members of the population who have not been asked or preferred not to answer. Out of Austenasia’s population of eighty four, between fifty seven and sixty two (taking into account the “unknowns”) – 68-74% – are religious. Out of the Empire’s Christians, there are four Orthodox, six Roman Catholics, one Anglican, six Methodists, eight Pentecostals, thirteen other Protestants, and three Mormons. After Christianity, the two largest religions in the Empire are Sunni Islam and Hinduism, both with five adherents. The exact data is as follows: Christian (Orthodox): 4.76% – 4 Christian (Roman Catholic): 7.14% – 6 Christian (Anglican): 1.19% – 1 Christian (Methodist): 7.14% – 6 Christian (Pentecostal): 9.52% – 8 Christian (Other Protestant): 15.48% – 13 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 3.57% – 3 Muslim (Sunni): 5.95% – 5 Hindu: 5.95% – 5 Other: 7.14% – 6 Unknown: 5.95% – 5 None: 26.19% – 22
Annexation restrictions introduced as Lichtenstein and Heischierland ceded
Stringent restrictions were introduced in regards to the Empire claiming new land this morning after Austenasian sovereignty over the town of Lichtenstein and the crown dependency of Heischierland was abandoned due to a single person wishing to leave the Empire. Lord Charles Clarke – also known by a variety of pseudonyms throughout his political career – became an Austenasian in June 2013 after offering the then Territory of Emperorsland to Austenasia. Emperorsland expanded in 2014, annexing a neighbouring house inhabited by Lord Charles and his family, to become the Town of Lichtenstein. Later that year, the family’s holiday home was annexed as the Crown Dependency of Heischierland. Lord Charles has been an Austenasian official for over three years, and held four Cabinet positions at varying times. However, after announcing that he no longer wished to be a part of the Empire, the government found itself forced to cede Lichtenstein and Heischierland after losing the only person who was able to administer them. In the Act of Parliament passed this morning which ceded said land, tough new regulations have been introduced to prevent any future annexations of land which could be rendered ungovernable by the departure of a single person. From henceforth, any offers of land to the Empire must be approved by the Home Secretary before being considered by Parliament. The Home Secretary must ascertain (amongst other criteria) that more than one person is willing to administer the offer of land, and that the majority of any inhabitants wish (rather than just consent, as was the case with Lord Charles’ family) to become Austenasians. With the loss of the two areas of land administered by Lord Charles, the Empire’s population has dropped by three to 84.
Sanjib Bhattacharya granted non-residential subjectship
H.E. Professor Sanjib Bhattacharya has been made a non-residential subject of Austenasia, raising the Empire’s population to 88. Since August last year, Professor Bhattacharya has served as Austenasia’s Ambassador-at-Large for the States bordering India, as well as Consul-General at Mumbai. He was instrumental in the appointment of the Empire’s incumbent ambassadors to Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, and has worked hard to increase awareness of Austenasia online and in his local community. In gratitude for his hard work for the publicity and diplomatic advancement of Austenasia, Professor Bhattacharya was granted Austenasian nationality in an Act of Parliament passed yesterday. As well as working as an Austenasian diplomat, Professor Bhattacharya is also the CEO of an award-winning translation service. Non-residential subjectship of Austenasia is held primarily by governors of uninhabited land. The granting of it by Parliament to others is a rare honour.
Two new Crown Dependencies join the Empire
An Act of Parliament was passed yesterday morning which saw two new Crown Dependencies join Austenasia. The first, Imperia, consists of a residential property bordering India. Imperia’s five residents – one of whom, Ketan Uzagi, has been appointed its Governing Commissioner – have raised the Austenasian population to eighty six people. With the annexation of Imperia, Austenasia now has land on every continent of the world except for Antarctica. The second Crown Dependency to have joined the Empire yesterday was Esmondia, named after the former Emperor Esmond III. This new addition is bordered by Argentina, and administered by Tarek Kârjasary. In December last year, Kârjasary established the Crown Dependency of Achem, but in August moved from his former home to Argentina, making government of Achem impossible. Esmondia has therefore been founded to replace it, with Achem dissolved yesterday.
Administrative changes coincide with more territorial expansion
The Empire expanded yet again yesterday evening with the annexation of a house in Bury St Edmunds and a patch of land in South America. Meanwhile, the Crown Dependency of Terentia (situated in North America) has been transitioned into a Town, with the now Lord Legate Jacob Lewis as its Acting Representative. A house in Bury St Edmunds has been annexed as a March, a new form of administrative division. Marches have been created as inhabited territories associated with a Town for electoral but not administrative purposes; effectively autonomous parts of a Town, voting for and represented in Parliament by the Representative of the associated Town, but not officially part of it and administered independently by a Margrave and/or Margravine living in the March. The house, annexed as the March of Caldari, has been associated with Palasia. It is inhabited and administered by John and Maria Alexis, the grandparents of Lord John of Palasia, who have been appointed its Margrave and Margravine. This has raised the Austenasia population to 61. Furthermore, a 35,000 square foot area of land in South America has joined the Empire as the Crown Dependency of Achem. Bordered by the Venezuelan city of Mérida, Achem is administered by Tarek Kârjasary, who has been appointed its Governing Commissioner. In other news, the Emperor announced the start of Winter 2014/15 in the Austenasian calendar on 1 December.