Halfway: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox settlement

| name                            = Province of Halfway

== Etymology ==

The etymology of Halfway is not generally known. The original [[Ancient Istroyan civilization|Ancient Istroyan]] authors use a number of names for the island but primarily just refer to the city-states that existed upon it, using terms such as the "Island of Koureiros" and other city-states dependent on context. [[Adonerii]] people and the later [[Great Levantia|Great Levantines]] used the term ''Alvenensis'', the earliest documented form of "Halfway", though the source and meaning of this term is unclear. "Halfway" as a term emerged likely from [[Gothic people|Gothic]] sources probably from the [[Urlazian Kingdom]] and introduced into Ænglish later during the medieval period. A minority of scholars have suggested the "-way" originates as an [[Audonia]]n corruption during the island's brief control by allies of the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]], but this position has largely been characterized as speculation.

== History ==

Halfway has been home to continuous human settlement since the earliest emergence of {{wp|Cro-Magnon|early modern man}}, and has been home to agricultural societies for thousands of years. Halfway was the site of some of the earliest cities of the [[Ancient Istroyan civilization|ancient Istroyan civilization]]. Istroyan civilization thrived on the island for centuries, even during the reign of the [[Latin Kingdom]] and subsequent control of the island by [[Caphiria]]. The Istroyan civilization of antiquity on the island is considered to have ended with the arrival of the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] and its allies to eastern Sarpedon, some of whom conquered Halfway and ruled it as an independent Emirate. The destruction of the island's major cities and disruption of its economy by the arriving Audonians not only ended the island's ancient history, it also weakened it significantly allowing for its liberation during the [[Crusades#First_Crusade_(1084)|First Crusade]]. Halfway was ruled by Levantine nobles from the 1080s until [[1474]] when it was inherited by Urcea's [[House de Weluta]]. It has been ruled by Urcea since. As one of the longest-settled provinces of Urcea, which includes several periods of independence, Halfway has among the most storied histories of all Urcean territories.

=== Prehistory through Caphiric conquest ===

Archaeologists have uncovered significant early human activity on Halfway. While there is no consensus date for the rise of urbanization on the island, it is agreed that complicated urban centers based around fishing and trade developed very early on after the rise of agricultural civilization in Sarpedon. Traders from Halfway are attested to in Urlazic archaeological inscriptions as early as 1750 BC. By the time the [[Adonerii]] entered their peak, Halfway was considered to be an "old", respected trading island. The island's early political situation, which probably included semi-nomadic pastoral tribes in the interior, coalesced into six major cities by or before 1000 BC: [[Koureiros]], Elatia, Pertoulo, Damasa, Chasini, and Pedino, though all had earlier, non-Latinized names and other nicknames which appear common in the historical record. All six cities are among oldest continuously settled cities in the [[Occident]].

In the period 854-850 BC, the cities of Halfway were conquered by the [[Messisorian Kingdom]] based on nearby [[Herciana]]. The Messisorians had begun to exert more influence and authority over the cities of the island in the preceding century, falling in and out of the Messisorian orbit as clients. The emergent wealth and stability within that Kingdom led to a direct campaign against Halfway in the 850s. Koureiros led the defense and held for two and a half years before falling in a siege to the Mesissorians in June of 851 BC; most of the elites of the city were slaughtered or sold into slavery in mainland Sarpedon. Following the savaging of Koureiros, the remaining cities only put up half-hearted resistance, with many peace parties within those cities eventually gaining power by the end of 851 BC. In 850 BC, all of the cities of Halfway recognized the King of Messisoria as their overlord, ending the conflict on the island and beginning a half millennia of rule from Herciana. During the Messisorian period, the island was governed relatively loosely; a garrison of soldiers from Herciana was stationed on the island and paid for by the local cities in addition to a tax paid to the King, but otherwise the cities retained autonomy from one another. During the Messisorian Kingdom's peak, Halfway was a safe core part of the Kingdom, away from the conflicts on the mainland with Sarpic peoples and other Istroyan city-states. This period saw many men of Halfway serve in the Kingdom's armies on the mainland, having the practical effect of bringing mainland cultural innovations to the island. The island also served as a buffer for the capital in Taxades and Herciana itself against piracy, and by 600 BC a major Messisorian fleet was stationed on the island.

The establishment of the Principality only presaged greater troubles on Halfway related to the First Crusade. The larger crusader force led personally by the Emperor began to arrive in Halfway's different ports beginning in late November [[1085]]. By the spring of [[1086]], more than 120,000 crusaders were on the island, causing significant hardship for both the army and the locals. Prince Guy I was forced to balance the interests of the army and local prominent families, distancing the Prince from the Emperor but creating goodwill among local leaders. The crusading army began to rob and pillage the countryside looking for food and supplies, forcing Guy to push them further into the Pinefor jungle where many crusaders perished from malaria. After constant negotiating, Guy managed to get the crusaders off the island by the end of summer 1086 as they moved onto [[Thessia]]. The Principality gained a negative reputation among crusaders and Levantine nobility, and Guy was viewed negatively in Levantia for decades afterwards.

After the crusading army crisis had passed, Guy began to build the island's administration and reform society along Levantine lines. Guy divided the island into six counties with each including a major city, with borders roughly shaped as wedges running through to peak of Mount Pinefor, with the County of Koureiros remaining with the Prince. Additionally, the land in the island's interior were divided into nominal estates for farming according to the Levantine model. The unsuitability of the interior for agriculture, however, meant that many of the new nobility were immediately destitute. Manor lords became nominal titles by the end of Guy's reign, with Levantine transplants selling their "manors" and "estates" to prominent native merchants for a small figure and returning to Levantia. From this period on, "Pinefor Manors" became the common means of social mobility within Halfway society, as any individual with enough money could buy their way into titular nobility. A few industrious merchants attempted to make use of the land they held in the interior, with few success stories, though the enclosure of the island did contribute to the reduction of jungle by 15% between [[1050]] and [[1750]]. In order to ensure the Principality's longterm success, Guy brought in several other of his [[Bergendii]] countrymen to rebuild and operate the Principality's fleet. For the next four centuries, the Principality's military fleet would be unusually professional and take on a distinctly Bergendii character that established it as above its similarly sized peers, ensuring the Principality's independence. The longest lasting of Guy's reforms was the institution of the Great Court, an advisory body of the new lords of the realm that would assist him in governing the island. The Great Court, in this form, was comprised of a small clique of senior knights and prominent mercantile officials (lords of the Pinefor Manors) that provided feedback and suggestions to Guy as he solidifed rule over the island. The Great Court would survive Guy I's death in [[1112]] and would serve as an important source of advice to subsequent Princes of Halfway. The institution would receive formal rules and recognition in [[1231]] and would be reformed several times to eventually include democratic representation and two chambers; today it serves as the Provincial legislature.

At the end of the war, Halfway was among the most militarized places on earth and would remain so during the [[Occidental Cold War]]. Reduced trade between Urcea and Caphiria after the war as well as the effects of globalization on trade infrastructure made Halfway largely superfluous as a trade hub, and the major mercantile houses of Halfway's major cities went into terminal decline in the late 1940s. In their place, a new urban service-sector based economy emerged in support of the significant military bases that now dotted the island. The personnel of the [[Royal Air Force (Urcea)|Royal Air Force]] and [[Royal Navy (Urcea)|Royal Navy]] became the primary economic driver of the island, and industries emerged everywhere to cater to their needs individually as well as the needs of the armed forces on a contractual basis. In [[1952]], the [[Royal Orbital Service and Space Command]] relocated its major operations to Halfway due to its equatorial position. The presence of the ROSSC gradually attracted engineering and aerospace firms to the island, either in their corporate headquarters or major satellite offices, growing the urban economy. Due to both the military and the ROSSC, this period saw a significant influx of permanent Urcean residents on the island, as servicemen would return to Urcea following their discharge and relocate their families to the tropical island. These patterns generally led to a massive influx of Urcean visitors by the [[1960]]s, requiring the need of a major expansion of the tourism amenity economy. Tourism was also boosted by the travel of relatives and family of servicemen, who would come to Halfway to visit. In [[1900]], Halfway had forty-eight hotels, a number which exploded to eight hundred and forty by [[1980]]. The end of the [[Occidental Cold War]] with the [[Assumption Accords]] in [[1984]] threatened to disrupt the island economy again, but the military retains a significant presence on the island through today, though down from its peak. The service sector and tourism-based economy that grew around the military became self-perpetuating. Today, Halfway is known as a major tourist destination with a healthy urban economy, and [[Koureiros]] still serves as the base for the [[Royal Navy (Urcea)|Royal Navy]]'s Sarpedon Squadron.

== Economy ==

Besides tourist and military sources, a major cornerstone of Halfway's economy is the presence of the [[Royal Orbital Service and Space Command]] (ROSSC), Urcea's space program. The ROSSC's primary spaceport, the [[Royal_Orbital_Service_and_Space_Command#Luc.C3.A1s_IV_Starport_and_Launch_Facility_.28LSLF.29|Lucás IV Starport and Launch Facility]], is on Halfway, whose advantageous near-equator location allows for easy orbital launches. Consequently, the technology sector is very well developed on the island as many engineers and engineering firms have relocated to the island since the ROSSC's establishment in 1952. The ROSSC's service to other Levantine nations, such as Burgundie, has only served to further develop the island's economy and reliance on the technology sector, and the [[Government of Urcea]] has taken special care to use some of the fees assessed for ROSSC services for use in development of the island.

== Government ==

Halfway is a [[Government_of_Urcea#Province|Urcean province]]. As a province, Halfway as a chief executive known as a Governor and a bicameral legislature known as the Great Court. Like other provinces, the Governor of Halfway has extensive powers to propose laws to the legislature, execute the laws of the province and Kingdom, and to set forth executive policies while appointing a large number of public officials. Elections in Halfway take place every five years in conjunction with the national elections.

The Great Court has existed in several forms since the establishment of the Crusader principality and is arguably the oldest provincial legislature in Urcea. In its current form, the Great Court has an upper chamber, the Lion Chamber, and a lower chamber, the Principal Assembly. The Lion Chamber, so called for the large room in which the highest knights and lords of the Principality once convened to discuss military affairs, is comprised of 18 High Magistrates. The Principal Assembly, the lower chamber, has 82 members. Both bodies, as per Urcean law, elect their legislators in specific legislative districts determined after every decennial census. The Great Court is unusual from other Urcean provincial legislatures not only due to its vintage but also by its nomenclature; nearly all other provincial legislatures simply use the terminology of "Legislature", "Senate", and "Assembly", giving Halfway a unique signifying tradition.

== Society ==

Halfway has one of the longest and most storied histories of any of Urcea's [[Government_of_Urcea#Province|provinces]], being more similar to a [[Government_of_Urcea#State|state]] with respect to its long history as an independent or semi-independent polity. In almost every respect, civilization in Halfway is far older than that of anywhere else in Urcea, and accordingly its general cultural flare and some traditions far predate the [[Golden Bull of 1098]]. Long before the advent of jogging in the Occident, the people of Halfway were observed to regularly have morning jogs, a long tradition dating back to the athletic emphasis of [[Ancient Istroyan civilization]].  

In addition to its supreme antiquity, Halfway's society is heavily influenced by the societies and traditions of [[Sarpedon]] more than those of [[Levantia]]. Halfway is the only part of Urcea unambiguously part of Sarpedon; though it has become integrated within Urcea and it depends by age, class, and other factors, much of Halfway remains in [[Venceia]]'s cultural orbit rather than [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. Caphiric cultural influence has seen a major resurgence since the end of the [[Occidental Cold War]] in the 1980s. [[Julian Ænglish|Ænglish]] translations of Caphiric media, such as ''[[Bastrare (franchise)|Bastrare]]'' are extremely common and popular in Halfway alongside Levantine media.  

===Demographics===

===Sports===

Halfway does not have a team from any of the Urcean major leagues, but teams from the major leagues as well as college sports are very popular in the province. The University of Koureiros is the most popular sporting institution on the island. UK, as it is known, is generally competitive at the highest levels of Urcean college basketball on a perennial basis. The primary inter-island competition is at the {{wp|high school}} sports level. Indoor ice hockey at the school level is very popular among both students and spectators due to the island's hot climate. Matches in the Halfway Hockey Varsity Association - HHVA - are well attended and feature the largest on-island sporting arenas; attendance of 2,000 or more for a weekly varsity hockey match is not uncommon.

[[Category: Subdivisions of Urcea]]

[[Category:IXWB]]