Scapa
Scapa is a protectorate of the Kiravian Federacy comprising an offshore island of the same name on the southeastern rim of the Kilikas Sea, adjacent to northwesten Faneria.
| Chieftaincy of Scapa Dál Scapa | |
 Flag | |
| |
| Scapa in dark green, other Kiravian territories in medium green, disputed Kiravian territories in lime. | |
| Sovereignty | Kiravian Federacy |
| Capital | Runrik |
| Population | 30,738 |
| High Commissioner | N. Síkurin Krósseden |
| Taoiseach | Ualraig McRaven |
| Táinaiste | Ciarán MacShithich |
| Legislature | Council |
| Stanora seats | 0 |
| Official languages | Kiravian Gaelic Standard Coscivian |
| National language | Scapa Gaelic |
| Postal Abbreviation | SKP |
| Time Zone | Central Levantine Time |
History
Scapa has been inhabited continuously since the Neolithic Age. Its rich archæological inheritance, its culture, and the genetic makeup of its people reflect several waves of cultures and peoples taking root on the island, including the pre-Aryan Old Levantine indigenes, the Impaxi, and the Goidelic Celts.
Kiravian protectorate (15XX?-Present)
Probably some shit like the local chieftain fell out with whomst'veever the High King of Fanerianaeran was and swore fealty to the Marble Emperor instead "lmao how a statue gonna tax my ass bottom text". - based, agreed.
After the imposition of single-party Kirosocialist rule in Great Kirav, Chief Aidan McRaven refused to recognise the Kiravian Union as the successor to the Kiravian Federacy's rights and treaty obligations in Scapa, and instead pledged allegiance to the Kiravian government-in-exile based in Æonara. Much of the Kiravian Navy also rejected the new government, and many vessels that succeeded in escaping Kirosocialist control found safe harbour at Scapa Naval Base, where they were welcomed as a deterrent against potential invasion by the Kirosocialists or absorption into Faneria. The island continued to serve as an important base for Restorationist Kiravian military and intelligence operations, as well as a refuge for many defectors and dissidents from the Home Islands.
The Scapa-Mainland Bridge connecting Scapa to Faneria by road was completed in June 2027.
Governance
Pretty standard British-style protectorate arrangement. Islanders not automatically Kiravian citizens, but rather carry Kiravian passports as "Kiravian-Protected Persons", though about 40% of islanders have acquired Kiravian nationality.
Basically a clan tanistry system pressed into the mould of a semi-presidential republic, with the Chief (Taoiseach) fulfilling the role of president and the Tánaiste that of Prime Minister. The legislative body is the Council, and the constituencies are hereditary Septs + two seats reserved for Outlanders. The representative of the Kiravian gov't in Scapa is the High Commissioner (Ixtilinaren).
Legal system is an idiosyncratic mix of Brehon law, feudal stuff, and Coscivian law.
Society & Culture
The Kiravian Overseas Development Executive estimates that the "effective resident population" of Scapa, for purposes such as infrastructure and economic planning, is around 28,500 , while the Government of Scapa claims a higher figure of 33,428. The Kiravian Census Bureau counted 30,738 people in its latest enumeration. The Scapa Family Register, analogous to the Kiravian household registration system, lists 53,676 living people with registered domicile in Scapa, a large percentage (40-45%) of whom are not habitually present on the island. Most of these Scapan expatriates live and work in Faneria or the Kiravian Federacy, particularly Suderavia.
The overwhelming majority (80-90%) of Scapallines are Gaels, most of whom have deep roots on the island and have a substantial genetic and cultural inheritance from the pre-Gaelic inhabitants of Scapa. Native Scapan Gaels belong to the broader Sheafhainn people who inhabit the adjacent Fanerian mainland. Other Gaelic-Scapallines have more recent ancestry from Faneria - again mainly Sheafhainn, with some contributions from other Fanerian Gaelic subgroups - or Kiravia, or Fiannria, though in general Gaels from overseas have quickly assimilated into the prevailing indigenous Gaelic culture.
9-14% of the population of Scapa are Coscivians. Some Coscivian families have lived on the island continuously for centuries and may even be monolingual Gaelic speakers, while others are only temporary residents, such as governmental and military personnel. Most are somewhere in between. Suderavian Coscivians are the largest single Coscivian ethnic group on Scapa, owing to the close proximity of the two islands. Scapa is home to hundreds of 10th-12th generation refugees descended from the Kiravians expelled from nearby Wintergen by Burgundie. Between 200 and 500 people on Scapa are neither Gaelic nor Coscivian, but rather a heterogeneous assortment of Meridian Finns, Burgundines, non-Gaelic Fiannrians, and other national minorities from Kiravia such as Tryhstians. The Kiravian Census, which is extended to Scapa, returns larger figures for the non-Coscivian population, as it includes more temporary residents domiciled in Kiravia and excludes many Scapalline citizens working abroad, whereas the Scapa Agricultural & Revenue Survey does the reverse.
Scapan Gaelic, a conservative dialect of Faneria Fhasen with a pronounced Impaxic substratum, is the predominant and national language of Scapa, and the Chieftaincy is actively promoting its literary and educational development to counter the influence of mainland Fhasen broadcasts and imported media. Gaelic is the primary official language, however, the register of written Gaelic used in administration is closer to Kiravian Gaelic than to the local speech, as most local officials completed their higher education at Gaelic-medium universities in the Kiravian Federacy. Suderavian Coscivian is the second-most spoken native tongue on the island, followed by Kiravic Coscivian, although Kiravic has more speakers overall, as it is the standard foreign language taught in Scapalline schools. A 21203 survey found that 32% of native-born, natively Gaelic-speaking Scapalline adults have a "reasonable" command of Kiravic or better, and an additonal 12% have "some command" of Kiravic. Several dozen islanders of Suderavian origin speak Covine as their mother tongue.
Like their neighbours in Faneria, Scapans are predominantly Levantine Catholics following [whatever rite Faneria uses], though retaining some elements of the old Celtic Rite and other local traditions. There is one Catholic parish of the Coscivian Rite in Runrik. The next largest denomination is the Celtic Rite Insular Apostolic Church, adhered to by much of the Coscivian population (especially Suderavian and Wintergen Coscivians), as well as some old-stock Scapans. A small Coscivian Orthodox chapel in Runrik is served on holy days of obligation by a visiting priest from Suderavia. The largest non-Christian religion on Scapa is the Bahá'í Faith, which had a period of rapid growth in Kiravia in the 21180s. The Scapa National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís claims 44 enrolled members (0.19% of the population) and 19 active congregants.
Economy
Not much, really. Pretty much just sheep raising, handicrafts, subsistence farming, fishing, some tourism. The economy is heavily dependent on remittances from Scapallines working in Kiravia and Faneria.
Scapa Naval Base, a Kiravian Navy installation, is the largest employer on the island.
In terms of public finance, most government revenue comes from Kiravian federal aid, administrative and registration fees, and proceeds from the sale of stamps, .sp domain names, and the like. A sovereign wealth fund, the Scapa Community Future Trust, was established in 21189 to contribute to the island's long-term fiscal stability.
Peat is the primary energy source for households and small businesses on Scapa. The right of households to cut peat is governed by time-honoured Gaelic and feudal custom. The Peat Office, directed by the Secretary of Peat, issues guidelines for sustainable peat harvesting and consumption, oversees an initiative to install high-efficiency peat-fuelled generators, and bears responsibility for the conservation and regeneration of peat bogs. The Chieftain's 2030 Clear Horizon Initiative seeks to develop the island's wind and tidal energy capacity, in order to replace hydrocarbon fuels and reduce dependency on peat for domestic energy.