Nation/Ironcastle

The Federal Republic of Ironcastle
The Federal Republic of Ironcastle
	Motto: United We Stand
	Anthem: The Republic Forever; March: Up With the Stars
	The location of Ironcastle (green) within Moneylania.
	Ironcastle, Aelcrest, all state capitals, and several major cities.
Capital	Aelcrest
Official languages	English
Demonym	Ironian
Government	Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
Legislature	Congress
Formation
Area
Population
GDP (nominal)	2030 estimate
Gini	35.2; medium
HDI (2025)	0.935; very high
Currency	Ironian Dollar (IRD)
Time zone	IST (UTC+ 1)
	Only during summer months
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+68
ISO 3166 code	ICL
Internet TLD	.iron

This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final.

The Federal Republic of Ironcastle, commonly referred to as Ironcastle is a federal republic located in the centre of Moneylania. It is comprised of twenty states and several island posessions. It shares its land borders with four other nations, and borders the Moneylanian Sea. It is the largest nation in western Moneylania, both in population and size. It has a population of 171 million and a size of 3,285,173 square kilometres.

Ironcastle's government is a representative democracy, with a single-house system and its capital city is Aelcrest. The current Ironcastle President -since 14 January 2023- is Bradley Lister. Ironcastle is a developed nation with a large GDP, estimated at $12.46 trillion. The per capita GDP is $71,461. It was also one of the first industrialised nations and a major power since the early twentieth century. The economy is fuelled by manufacturing and technology, with a highly developed infrastructure, high productivity, while its economy is post-industrial. It is a recognised nuclear state, and has large military expenditures. It is also a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.

History

Native History

The first inhabitants of Ironcastle migrated from modern-day Platacia by way of land over fifteen thousand years ago. However, due to inter-tribal warfare, disease and other factors, the nomadic natives were nearly wiped out multiple times before Ironcastle was permanently settled by colonists from Organiuet. Prior to the common era, several attempts were made by various parties to colonise Ironcastle, but each failed for varying reasons. However, a large population of natives did survive in the more arid regions south of the White Mountains.

Settlement

The earliest records of permanent non-native settlement in Ironcastle date back to 622 CE, when Organiuetish settlers established their first settlements in the modern day states of Northern Ironcastle, Bardney, and Rinteln. The fertile land lent itself well to agriculture, and soon multiple towns and cities had sprung up. The city-states began to wipe out the natives, either accidentally through disease, or deliberately through wars of extermination. Over time, these city-states began to become less and less reliant on Organiuet. One by one, they declared independence, with the first, Aelcrest, declaring independence in 1077. Organiuet was experiencing a devastating civil war, and as such was unable to defeat the city-states declaring independence. With dozens of independent city-states in the region, they soon began to war with each other.

By the fifteenth century, there were only eight city-states remaining, having conquered the rest. As they were evenly matched in power, each state was unable to attack any other. With the threat of a united Organiuet to the north and the Sibarian Empire eyeing the bountiful lands from the east, in 1431 the states voted to unite into a single nation. The Act of Unity was signed in Aelcrest's strongest hold, known as the Iron Castle on the third of August. As such, the nation was named after the fort. Despite fears from Empirica and Contia that Aelcrest would dominate the politics of the new nation, being the capital, the Declaration of the Rights of Man signed at the same time as the Act of Unity enshrined the rights of both citizens and the states.

Expansion

With the lands north of the impassable White Mountains secured, the new nation began looking for its next conquest. Off the coast, the island kingdoms of Valedge and Wellok controlled significant natural resources, both on land and in the sea. With their powerful navies, they had resisted all attempts of conquest for over two thousand years. In 1434, Ironcastle began a significant shipbuilding drive, and began importing naval advisors from Platacia and Sibaria. While Ironcastle's army was battle-hardened from years of war, only Aelcrest and Empirica possessed navies at all, and were mostly for deterring pirates.

In early 1444, Ironcastle launched a naval invasion of Valedge. Despite fierce resistance from Vallian forces, Ironian troops captured the Royal Castle and forced the King of Valedge to surrender. Although efforts to secure the island took several years, Valedge was firmly in Ironian hands. Notably, the assault on Granton was one of the largest pre-modern opposed amphibious assaults, with over fifteen thousand Ironian soldiers taking part in battle.

Twenty years later, however, the Ironian Navy was defeated by the Wellokian fleet at the Battle of Westersea. Over three quarters of the Ironian Navy was sunk, with only light losses to the Wellokians. This put an end to Ironian ambitions in Wellok for the time being.

In 1535, Ironcastle defeated Organiuet in the Five Years War, annexing the modern day state of Bardney. In 1548, the territory of Rinteln was annexed from Azurie, in addition to the northern half of the modern day state of Aurimont.

This period was also marked by an expansion in science and the arts, as part of the greater Renaissance period. Lothinese, Scuroian, Sibarian, Platacian, and Sevedran immigrants arrived in Ironcastle in significant numbers, creating a "melting pot" of cultures. Many ports were utilised by traders moving from the countries west of Ironcastle to the Uzmorr Bay. In addition, multiple small port towns were set up in the deserts south of the White Mountains, but they remained small for the time being.

Ironian Civil War

In 1582, many Catholic priests began to protest the growing link between religion and state in many Catholic countries, Ironcastle included. They gained popular support from the commoners, who disliked the religious tithes they were forced to pay. In addition, Contia and Lacrea felt that the government in Aelcrest was gaining too much power, and wished to decentralise it back to the states. This movement was supported by militarists in South Point, who admired the large empires in Platacia, Organiuet, and Sibaria. Consular edicts against the colonisation of Plantana and Acrisia added to the tension, with the significant number of traders in the southern states (especially Aurora Bay and Princeton) voicing significant opposition.

Following The Ironian Civil War began in 1613, when the Confederation of Ironian States was proclaimed in Lacrea, with the states of Preston, Vinnia, Coren, Monvir, Litcoe, and Valedge declaring a state of rebellion. Despite significant setbacks early in the war, Federal forces prevailed. An armistice was signed at the Bristol Court House following the defeat of the last CIS army and the siege of the Black Fort. The war was costly for Ironcastle, with several cities, including the largest in the south - Contia - having been destroyed in the fighting. However, it did allow the Consul, Elise Porter, to enact sweeping reforms.

A formal constitution was established in 1620, formalising the role of local, state and federal government, guaranteeing rights formally, and codifying many laws. The document, considered by many scholars to be one of the most important in Moneylanian history, and is still the basis of many other constitutions to this day.

Following the Civil War and the centralisation of the nation, Ironcastle fought several conflicts with Organiuet and Azurie until the late 17th century, which were a mix of failures and successes.

The Great Crusade

Further information: The Great Crusade

With the election of President William Sharp in 1805, a firm believer in abolitionism was leading Ironcastle. One of his first acts as President was to announce that slavery would be abolished across Moneylania. With significant support from Congress, Ironcastle formally abolished slavery later that same year. The Federal Navy was ordered to intercept and board ships suspected of carrying slaves wherever possible. This created significant tensions with Platacia, who was the main trader of slaves in Moneylania. Scuro, Ironcastle's western ally, abolished slavery in 1806 following significant abolitionist movements funded by Ironcastle. Organiuet too abolished slavery that same year.

In 1807 Ironcastle, Scuro and Organiuet formed the Grand Alliance, which was dedicated to opposing slavery in Platacia. By 1809, tensions had reached a point where Platacian fleets began raiding Ironian and Scuroian ports. In response, the Grand Alliance declared war on Platacia. The President of Ironcastle, Kaiser of Organiuet and Stadtholder of Scuro met together in Aelcrest to announce the Great Crusade Against Slavery, encouraging volunteers for their respective armies, and for the slaves in Platacia to rise up against their masters. A massive slave revolt in the Platacian colony of Mallowmooral coincided with the initial Organiuetish attacks. Former slaves were added to the Grand Alliance armies, bolstering their numbers to nearly match Platacia's. Despite the large increase in numbers, and a multitude of other revolts within Platacia, the balance of forces between the two sides remained even. After eight years of back-and-forth fighting between the main Platacian and Organiuetish forces, the war came to a close following a joint Ironian-Scuroian amphibious assault on Gravida, capturing both the city and Emperor Robert I Ostberg. Platacia was made to outlaw slavery and cede significant amounts of territory to the Grand Alliance, in addition to war reparations.

Industrialisation

The discovery of significant quantities of coal beneath the ruins of Contia, which had been left as a deterrence against future rebellion, sparked the government to rebuild the city, naming it New Contia. The coal fuelled the burgeoning factories, but didn't come without cost. In 1825, Aelcrest was significantly damaged by fire, destroying much of the medieval city. The government held a contest to rebuild the city. The winning submission was from a group of architects from Empirica, who envisioned 'a great, and modern city, ready for the future of man'. The streets were designed wide with large building lots and included dedicated zones for residents, businesses and industry.

In addition to a massive expansion in civilian life, the Ironian military began to expand. New weapons of war such as ironclads, gatling guns and railroads came in to use in the decisive Islands War of 1855, when Ironcastle invaded Wellok for the first time in centuries. Wellok was devoid of coal, and an Ironian blockade prevented the nation from importing it. This left their wooden, sail-powered ships at the mercy of Ironian gunboats, which destroyed the majority of the Wellokian fleet in three battles. The Ironian Army landed soon after, making use of gatling guns and breech-loading rifles to quickly take over the main island. After the surrender of the government, the Army and Navy began to clear the islands surrounding Wellok. However, the two forces had difficulty working together, and led directly to the formation of the Ironian Marine Corps.

The 1870s marked another period of expansion, as the discovery of gold (and later oil) in the arid deserts sparked mass migration to the region, at the expense of the native inhabitants. Although the region was nominally claimed by Ironcastle, it wasn't until the late 1890s that three states were formally admitted to the Republic - Cresswell, Republica, and Agaria.

By 1900, Ironcastle was the centre of manufacturing in Greater Moneylania, and the hub from which technological advancements spread. Inventions such as the telephone, airplane, radio and automobile originated in Ironcastle. The military again began expanding, with the first dreadnoughts coming into service with the ICS Dreadnought.

The Great Wars

Despite being landlocked, Organiuet had significantly expanded its military to rival Ironcastle's. In September 1914, Organiuet attacked Ironcastle, pushing Ironian border garrisons back several kilometers from the border. Ironcastle, who had since aligned itself with Scuro and Banana Federation, called upon them to defend its territory. Despite much of the war spent in trenches, there were significant mobile segments. However, the combined might of the three nations forced Organiuet to surrender in 1917. Following many punitive measures forced on the defeated, Ironcastle and the BFSCM deployed an expeditionary force to the east to aid the struggling Sibarians.

After the end of the war, a period of economic prosperity fell across Moneylania, and Ironcastle was no exception. However, in 1928 the Great Depression struck, crippling the Ironian economy. Ironcastle, the centre for commerce in the region, was completely devastated by the Depression. Across the border, however, Organiuet began to rebuild its military against the Victor's Treaty. By 1936, Ironcastle's economy had returned to its pre-Depression state, but was still sluggish. In comparison, the highly nationalist Organiuet had rapidly expanded its military. In 1939, Organiuet, despite warnings from multiple nations, invaded Freivia, ostensibly to reclaim territory it had lost in the First Great War.

Ironcastle entered the war in 1941, following rapid expansion by Organiuet and the Axis towards Sibaria and the former Platacian empire. Although there was little fighting on the highly fortified Ironian-Organiuetish border, there was significant combat in Azurie, Lothi, Luklond, and Seabersia. After the Allies push Organiuet back to its original territory by 1945, Ironcastle detonated a nuclear bomb over the city of Stettin. Several days later, on the 15th of August, 1945, the government of Organiuet surrendered. The peace treaty resulted in the annexation of modern-day Northern Ironcastle and the establishment of a democratic government in Organiuet.

Cold War

While the war had been won, the cost had been great. Three hundred thousand Ironians had died in the war, but the majority of Ironcastle's industry was undamaged. This led to another post-war consumer boom. With the newfound revenue, the Ironian government began supporting democratic governments across Moneylania, such as Banana Federation and Scuro. The fear of communism in Sibaria led to the creation of the Moneylania Alliance Treaty Organisation, also known as MATO, in Aelcrest. The detonation of a nuclear device by Sibaria in 1949 led to the commencement of a cold war between the two superpowers. A subset of this cold war was a space race, which ended when Ironcastle landed two astronauts on the moon in 1972. Despite an economic recession in the 1970s, the 1980s were a period of economic prosperity. With tensions growing around the region, and the emergence of terrorism, many people flocked to Ironcastle as a safe haven. The cold war ended in the 1990s, when the communist states in east Moneylania began to collapse.

Present Day

The dawn of the new millennium heralded in new technology, such as the internet and mass-market computers. In 2006, Ironcastle invaded the nation of Lothi following a major terrorist attack by Islamic extremists against Ironcastle. Following the contentious presidential elections of 2014, Ironcastle was known as 'the most divided nation in Moneylania'. President Anthony Garret narrowly won re-election in 2018, but lost in 2022 to newcomer Bradley Lister. In 2025, Daminy launched a surprise invasion of Banana Federation, which was repelled following several weeks of conflict. An assault on Youthsville and an internal uprising against the socialist government led to the surrender of Damanian forces. Moodie Kelovik, the leader of Daminy, was arrested and put on trial for crimes of aggression. The landmark case Moodie Kelovik vs. the State of Banana Federation saw Kelovik found guilty. Following the war, Ironcastle stationed troops in Auxillary and Lucklond in search of weapons of mass destruction. While forces have since left, the occupations have caused widespread anti-Ironian sentiment across the region.

In 2026, the Northern Alliance was founded on Ironcastle's northern border. War soon broke out in the Seven-Day War, which was primarily fought between Platacia and Seaberisa in the north, and Ironcastle and Freivia in the south. Following the war, Ironcastle intervened in the Freivian Civil War, assisting the rebel forces in overthrowing the Ralston Regime. Ironcastle also intervened in Cassio following a coup by General Amus Humiston.

Geography and climate

The land area of the entirety of Ironcastle is approximately 3,300,000 square kilometres, with continental Ironcastle making up 2,802,889 square kilometres of that. The three island states of Wellok, Valedge, and Morelle comprise 430,805 square kilometres. Other overseas possessions (such as the Wolf Archipelago near Platacia) account for the remaining 51,479 square kilometres. Ironcastle is the second largest country in Moneylania, behind Sibaria.

The cold forests of the north warm further south, eventually giving way to open plains and the grasslands of the Midsouth. The flat, fertile plains eventually give way to the foothills of the White Mountains further south. Past the White Mountains lies the Seca Desert.

Demographics

Population

Language

Religion

Government and Politics

Ironcastle is one of the oldest surviving federations in Moneylania. It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances, set forth in the nation's constitution, which is the supreme legal document. The nation has often ranked high in democracy indexes in Moneylania, and moderately high on corruption perception indexes.

In the Ironian federal system, citizens are subject to three layers of government: federal, state and local. Local government duties are split between municipal and county governments. In almost all cases, governments are elected in a proportionally representative system.

The federal government is comprised of the following three branches:

Legislative: the bicameral Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government.
Executive: the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, can veto legislation before it becomes law, can appoint cabinet and other governmental officers, and represents the nation diplomatically.
Judicial: the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the President with Senatorial approval, can interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional.

Political Divisions

Main article: Political divisions of Ironcastle

Ironcastle is a federal republic of twenty states, several overseas territories and a number of uninhabited island possessions. The states are the principal administrative districts in the country. These are divided into subdivisions of counties and independent cities. The states and territories choose the President of Ironcastle through majority vote.

Congressional Districts are reapportioned among the states following each decennial Census of Population. Each state then draws single-member districts to conform with the census apportionment. The total number of voting Representatives is 300.

Parties and Elections

Ironcastle has operated under a multi-party system for most of its history. State elections are usually organised by the state's regulatory electoral officials, with individual parties having their own systems for selecting candidates. The two main parties in most states and the federal Congress are the Liberal Party and the Social Democrats. Other large parties include the Greens Party, the Ironcastle First Party and the Socialist Alliance. The President and Vice-President are elected through a first-past-the-post system.

Foreign Relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Ironcastle

Ironcastle has an established system of foreign relations. It is a member of the World Assembly, the Moneyzone and the Moneylania Alliance Treaty Organisation (MATO). Most nations in Moneylania have embassies in Aelcrest, in the Embassy District, and there are multiple consulates around the country. Likewise, most nations host Ironian diplomatic missions.

Military

Main article: Ironcastle Armed Forces

The President holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Ironian Armed Forces, and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. All branches of the military are administered by the Department of Defence. As of 2029, there were approximately one million actively deployed personnel, and four hundred thousand in reserve. Service is completely voluntary, although Congress may enact conscription in the event of a foreign invasion of Ironian territory.

Ironian forces are capable of rapid deployment, either via the Air Force's large quantity of transport aircraft, the Navy's six supercarriers, or the Marine Corps' three expeditionary forces. In 2028, the military budget was $448 billion.

Crime and law enforcement

Law enforcement in Ironcastle is primarily the responsibility of local police departments and sheriff's departments, with state police providing broader services. The Aelcrest Police Department (APD) is the largest in the country. Federal agencies such as the Federal Crime Agency (FCA) have specialised duties, such as protecting civil rights, national security and enforcing federal courts rulings and federal laws. At the federal level and in every state, the legal system operates on common law. States conduct most criminal trials, federal courts handle certain designated crimes and appeals from state courts.

Economy

Ironcastle has a capitalist mixed economy which is fuelled by abundant natural resources and high productivity. The nominal GDP of Ironcastle is estimated to be $12.04 trillion as of 2030. The country ranks first in Moneylania in nominal GDP per capita and first in GDP per capita at PPP. The Ironian dollar is Moneylania's primary reserve currency. The Ironian economy is also one of the fastest growing in Moneylania.

Ironcastle is the largest importer of goods and second-largest exporter in Moneylania. In 2025, the total Ironian trade deficit was $452 billion. Banana Federation, Scuro, Xianuan, and Sibaria are its top trading partners. In 2025, oil was the largest import commodity, while transportation equipment was the country's largest export. Banana Federation is the largest foreign holder of Ironian public debt. The largest holder of the Ironian debt are Ironian entities, including federal government accounts and the Federal Reserve, who hold the majority of the debt.

In 2024, the private sector was estimated to constitute 83.2% of the economy, with federal government activity accounting for 11.4% and state and local government activity (including federal transfers) the remaining 5.6%. The number of employees at all levels of government outnumber those in manufacturing by 1.7 to 1. While its economy has reached a postindustrial level of development and its service sector constitutes 67.8% of GDP, Ironcastle remains an industrial power. The leading business field by gross business receipts is wholesale and retail trade; by net income it is manufacturing. In the franchising business model, MacArthur's and Metro are the two most recognised brands in Moneylania. Bepis is the most recognised soft drink company in Moneylania.

Infrastructure

Science and technology

Education

Health

Culture