Grand Duchy of Grindle

Grand Duchy of Grindle Welsh: [Ymerodraeth Aenopia] FrenchEsperento: [Grand Duchy of Grindle]
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Doin
Anthem: "Gustav Holst- Jupiter" (orchestral)
Capital	TBC
Largest city	Arbo (by land area) x (by population)
Official languages	English Esperento
Religion	State Atheism
Demonym(s)	Grindlian
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
Legislature	Parliament of Grindle
Establishment	13 September 2021
Currency	Pound sterling Euro
Time zone	Aenopian Mean Time
Not a member state of the Grand Unified Micronational and the Cupertino Alliance Microcode:

The Grand Duchy of Grindle, (/eɪnjoʊpiːɑː/ ( (listen))) also known as Grindle, was a de facto autonomous region that claims to be a sovereign state, commonly known as a micronation. Founded in the United Kingdom, Grindle declared independence on 13 September 2021. Grindle was primarily located in the northwestern area of England, and was comprised of one non-contiguous enclave territory bordering the British county of West Yorkshire. The capital city of Grindle was Arbo, which located in the Grindlian territory of Arbo Administrative Region.

Grindle was a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy, with the Duke serving as the Head of State. At the time of dissolution, the reigning Duke was Simon Reeve, whom ascended the throne upon the establishment of Grindle on 13 September 2021. The legislature of Grindle was unicameral, with the Parliament of Grindle serving as the primary governing body of Grindle. The Parliament of Grindle held significant power within Grindle, with both the Duke and First Minister serving as the heads of parliament.

Etymology

The town of Grindleford, located in the Peak District. Grindleford is the namesake of Grindle.

The origin of the name Grindle was initially conceived by Simon Reeve himself prior to Grindle's establishment in September 2021. The name originated from the town of Grindleford in the Peak District, from which the town is the namesake. Despite this, Grindle exists in the English language as a term to describe a small stream or ditch. Grindle is also another name for a Bowfin (Amia calva), a bony fish found throughout much of the eastern United States, and in southern Ontario and Quebec. However, neither of these usages of the word are related to the state.

'Grindlian' is the official demonym used to describe something belonging to Grindle, whilst also serving as the demonym for someone from Grindle.

Technically, 'Grindle' can refer to the whole Grand Duchy, or to the sovereign state of Grindle, which does not include the territories or sections; there is a small distinction between the two. 'Grindle' is also the ac name for the Grand Duchy of Grindle, which is often used by other nations in informal discussions and ease of communication.

History

Pre-history

Main article: Empire of Aenopia

The earliest direct influence to Grindle was Aenopia, for which Ross serves as the Emperor. Aenopia was initially established on 1 July 2019 as a dominion of the Empire of Emosia before declaring independence on 16 August 2019. As the primary, and for some periods of his career only nation to be led and represented by Ross, parts of Grindle including its culture, foreign and defence policies were heavily influenced by Aenopia.

The concept for Grindle arose in early September 2021 as a side project. At the time, Ross was serving as Emperor of Aenopia and Prime Minister of Qaflana respectively, however expressed an interest in establishing a Grand Duchy for entertainment. The concept of a Grand Duchy was partially inspired by the Grand Duchy of Australis, whilst relying on ideas and concepts adopted by Aenopia. On 11 September 2021, Ross posted a screenshot of the proposed Coat of Arms of Grindle, which was still a concept at the time, to the Academy of Arms Discord server, stating:

It's for a Grand Duchy idea that I've been playing around with for the past few days.

— Simon Reeve, 2021

This subsequently became the biggest factor in support of the establishment of a Grand Duchy, by then known as Grindle. Ross subsequently produced the first flag of Grindle whilst simultaneously drafting the declaration of independence on 12 September 2021.

Foundation

The Grand Duchy of Grindle was initially established on 13 September 2021 after the ratification and subsequent publication of the declaration of independence.

Government and politics

Legislature

Main article: Parliament of Grindle

Up to 5 Members of Parliament may serve in the Parliament of Grindle, the primary legislature of Grindle.

The legislation of Grindle was a five-membered unicameral Parliament colloquially known as the Parliament of Grindle. The parliament serves as a formal venue to represent regions of Grindle under a Westminster system of government, with each territory being represented in parliament by the Governor, whom assumes the position of MP. The parliament was the primary law making institution within Grindle and was comprised of five members who are elected through a direct election. Elections are hosted every 6 months following the expiration of the standing parliament's term or on the recommendation of the monarch. Parliament holds administrative powers within Grindle and maintains the ability to dissolve and establish bills as a collective, however remains answerable to the Grand Duke of Grindle. The primary duty of parliament was to serve as a democratic body for citizens of Grindle to propose and amend bills, laws, etc.

The parliament of Grindle was chaired by the incumbent First Minister which served as the Head of Government. The First Minister would serve a tenure of 6 months, and would be appointed based on the ruling party in parliament. Elections for the position of First Minister may have been hosted at the discretion of the Grand Duke under exceptional cases, such as the resignation of the standing First Minister or if there is no majority party in parliament.

The current tenure of the legislation would the 1st Parliament, which would have taken office following a future election. No elections would ever be held.

Political parties

The Grand Duchy of Grindle was a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy with an six seat parliament. Elections would have been hosted every 6 months, which in turn results in the appointment of a First Minister based on the party majority. Political parties were established by Grindlian citizens, however said party would have been formally approved by the Grand Duke to be recognised as an official party. As of 27 September 2021, two parties are officially recognised as national parties: National Union and Grindle First.

This list consists of all political parties in the Grand Duchy of Grindle which are officially registered.

Party			Logo	Party leader	Ideology(s)	Status	Seats in parliament
	National Union	NU		TBC	Big tent Secularism Progressivism Militarism	National	0 / 5
	Grindle First	GF		TBC		National	0 / 5

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Grindle

Map showing the Arbo Administrative Region and its divisions.

The Grand Duchy of Grindle was a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy composed of one administrative region and one capital city. The geographical division of Grindle primarily consists of administrative regions and overseas territories. Each administrative region was governed by a Regional Minister, which was determined every 6 months under regional elections. Regional Ministers were responsible for representing their administrative regions on a local, regional and national level, declaring regional parliamentary and ministerial elections, etc. Administrative regions were represented in Grindlian Parliament by their Regional Minister.

The capital cities were the capital regions of the administrative region. The capitals were governed by the Mayors who were appointed by the Duke of Grindle, or in exceptional cases, appointed via regional elections. They served in office for a term of 6 months. They were responsible for representing the city on a local level, maintaining law and order, security, etc. in the capital cities. Mayors were typically represented in Grindlian Parliament by the Regional Minister of their respective administrative regions.

Foreign affairs

Main article: Foreign affairs of Grindle

Grindle's foreign policy was primarily based on principals such as international cooperation, non-intervention and self-determination. Foreign affairs are handled by either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Duke. Both maintain absolute authority over foreign policy and maintain the ability to establish diplomatic relations with other sovereign states without the explicit permission of Parliament. Despite this, international treaties are typically discussed by Parliament.

Grindle maintains a stringent foreign policy, generally revolving around the decision of the Duke or Minister of Foreign Affairs. As part of this, Grindle actively engages in both formal and informal diplomacy with other nations through these means and others, which are formally conducted by either the Minister of Foreign affairs or the Duke. As of September 2021, Grindle has signed formal documents with 1 other sovereign state and recognises the existence of 219 other nations, without the signing of treaties to legally bind this. Grindle is also a signatory state of 3 international treaties and conventions, namely the Wrythe Convention, Edgbaston Convention and Sough Convention on Global Climate Change.

Military

Main article: Grindlian Armed Forces

The badge of the Grindlian Armed Forces.

The Grindlian Army, Navy and Air Force collectively form the Grindlian Armed Forces, under the command of the Grand Duke. The Armed Forces are charged with protecting Grindle and supporting international and national peacekeeping efforts. In addition, the Armed Forces also maintain patrols across the New Llandudno Region in participation with Aenopia. The Grindlian Armed Forces are managed by the Ministry of Self-Defence Despite this, Grindle maintains a non-interventionist defence policy under the Foreign Policy Act and as a signatory of the Wrythe Convention.

Geography

The total surface area of Grindle is approximately 223 square metres (2,400 sq ft). Grindle is comprised solely of one administrative region enclaved solely by the United Kingdom, with the Arbo Administrative Region accounting for the entirety of Grindle's surface area. The area of Grindle primarily consists of woodland, with a majority of Grindle's surface area being covered in forest. Approximately 70% of Grindle's total surface area is covered in forest, particularly Pine forests. The rest of Grindle's surface area is covered by water, which accounts for roughly 30% of the total surface area of Grindle. Grindle contains only one ecoregion: Celtic broadleaf forests. Celtic broadleaf forests cover 100% of Grindle's total surface area, primarily due to its location in the United Kingdom.

In comparison to the surrounding region, Grindle primarily consists of level land. The Arbo Administrative Region is located at the peak of a minor hill and is surrounded by open moorland. Grindle consists solely of landlocked territory, despite claiming a lake which borders the city of Arbo.

Climate

Grindle
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     72     7 2     51     8 2     61     10 3     54     13 5     57     16 8     66     19 11     64     21 13     77     20 12     72     18 10     93     14 7     82     10 4     81     7 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Climate-Charts.com
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     72     7 2     51     8 2     61     10 3     54     13 5     57     16 8     66     19 11     64     21 13     77     20 12     72     18 10     93     14 7     82     10 4     81     7 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Grindle experiences a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), like much of the British Isles, with warm summers and cool winters. Summer daytime temperatures regularly top 20 Celsius, quite often reaching 25 Celsius on sunny days during July and August in particular. In more recent years, temperatures have occasionally reached over 30 Celsius. There is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Temperatures are usually within a range of 2 °C - 7 °C in winter but can drop as low as -11 °C. Winters are characterized by rain and, in recent years, large downfalls of snow. Summers are warm and humid with occasional heavy rainstorms, however, there are usually only about one or two thunderstorms per year. Grindle's average annual rainfall is 806.6 millimetres (31.76 in) compared to a UK average of 1,125.0 millimetres (44.29 in),

Grindle is a signatory of the Sough2020 treaty, and is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions. This is partially achieved due to its abundance of trees and other wildlife covering the majority of its surface area.

Wildlife

The flora and fauna of Grindle is similar to that of other areas in the British Isles with a diverse range of vertebrate and invertebrate life in a diverse range of habitats. Grindle is a rich and varied habitat, containing a wide range of plants, mostly large mature trees and supports a large number of animals especially birds such as Wrens, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Bullfinch (declining in numbers in the UK), Greenfinch, Jay and Pheasants. Grindle's wildlife is fairly similar to the Aenopian city of New Llandudno due to Grindle's close proximity to the city. Foxes, Rabbits and occasionally hedgehogs are seen.

Frogs, Salamanders and Newts are commonly found in Grindle, particularly in close proximity to the small lake. Amphibians are especially common during the mating season in spring.

Demographics

Languages

Grindle officially recognises both English and Esperanto as its official languages. English is the most commonly spoken language in Grindle and the only language used on a daily basis for communication; it is the only language used for government and diplomatic business. It is estimated that 100% of Grindle's population are monolignual English speakers. In addition to recognising English as the primary language, Esperanto is also de facto recognised as an official language of Grindle. Unlike English, Esperanto is not recognised as a spoken language by the Grindlian population, and instead is only recognised symbolically.

Other languages spoken by the Grindlian population include Spanish, however this is neither used in common conversation or recognised as an official language of Grindle.

Culture

National symbols

National symbols of Grindle
Flag	Coat of Arms:	Plant:	Animal:	Dish:	Patron saint:
National Flag of Grindle	Coat of Arms of Grindle	N/A	European pine marten	N/A	Neil Peart

National holidays

Date	Holiday	Remark
1 January	New Year's Day	Beginning of the New Year.
13 September	Independence Day	Celebrates the initial formation of Grindle on 13 September 2021.
28 September	National Talk like Mr. Krabs Day	Dedicated to talking in a similar manner to the fictional character Mr. Krabs from the children's television show Spongebob Squarepants - initially declared by the Aenopian government.
22 November	Start your own Country Day
21 December	Winter Solstice	Not officially recognised by the Emperor due to it being a religious holiday, however it's still celebrated by many people.
25 December	Christmas Day	Not officially recognised by the Emperor due to it being a religious holiday, however it's still celebrated by many people.
26 December	Boxing Day
31 December	New Years Eve

See also

• Grindleford
• Empire of Aenopia

External links

• Discord server