Altered Maps XVI: Gerardus Mercator Must Die

[Hrothbern]

Frisia has the same issue. The economy is not really diversified, despite state infrastructural support and fundings. It is mainly pastures with Frisian cows.
Being for 25% Frisian: Frisia is much to small on the map.

 

[Kyriakos]

Being small didn't stop Feroes from being its own 'country', though

Or a number of other microstates, all clients of France/Germany, naturally, and then there is the purely artificial country of Belgium.

Some other states on the map are obviously made-up, though. Moreover: Ireland actually gains land (i think that Hungary also does). Fyrom (which currently has something like 40% albanian population, is constitutionally dual-ethnic, and most of the albanians live in the eastern part) is intact, the ridiculous Girocaster i already mentioned, no free Pontic or Assyrian states in Turkey, etc etc etc.

Btw, is Trondheim even in Norway in this map? (apparently it possibly remains as the absolute northern edge?)

 

[Hrothbern]

and then there is the purely artificial country of Belgium.

Belgium is one of the first modern nation states in Europe that originated from secession and rightfully so, because adding the Spanish Netherlands to the Netherlands at the Vienna congress (1815), only to create a bigger buffer state against the instable and belligerent France (at that time), did not recognise the identity of the Belgium people, so they revolted in 1830 to get their own nation, in the heart of the original much bigger territory they had at the time Caesar conquered Gallia (the map).

 

[Arakhor]

Those are really silly borders. At least Normandy can apply to become a British Overseas Territory, as the Queen is still their Duke.

 

[AdrienIer]

Wait Elizabeth is technically Duchess of Normandy ? How does that work ? Do we have to cut her head off like we did to the other nobles ?

 

[Arakhor]

Channel Islanders often still refer to her as La Reine, notre Duc, as her lapsed titles, notably the Duchies of Lancaster and Normandy and the Lordship of Mann, are retained in the male style.

(And no, you can't, because the French royal family ceased to recognise the English claims to Normandy a long time ago. )

Besides, the Outer Hebrides, with a population less than Liechtenstein, would become independent, yet all of Ireland would become united, rather than splitting into (say) Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster?

 

[AdrienIer]

Channel Islanders often still refer to her as La Reine, notre Duc, as her lapsed titles, notably the Duchies of Lancaster and Normandy and the Lordship of Mann, are retained in the male style.

WTH ?? Living on an island really makes people crazy.

 

[sophie]

Channel Islanders often still refer to her as La Reine, notre Duc, as her lapsed titles, notably the Duchies of Lancaster and Normandy and the Lordship of Mann, are retained in the male style.

(And no, you can't, because the French royal family ceased to recognise the English claims to Normandy a long time ago. )

Besides, the Outer Hebrides, with a population less than Liechtenstein, would become independent, yet all of Ireland would become united, rather than splitting into (say) Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster?

I mean, if we're just doing separatism for the sake of separatism, then where's Mercia? Where's Dyfed? Where's Powys? Wheres Gwynedd? Germany and Italy are both way too big.

 

[JohannaK]

Mercia is actually there, but agreed: why does France extend so far beyond Paris? Why is Germany not a billion microstates?

 

[Traitorfish]

You're right. I mistakenly read the "numbers fewer" as "total speakers". There's about ~57k speakers of Gaelic in Scotland, just above 1% of the population. But it still holds that less than half of the speakers aproach full or native ability.

But the highlighted area has a combined population of maybe 100,00, so while Gaelic is not the majority-language it implies, it's still an important minority language.

While I don't want Gaelic to go the way of Cornish or Mannix, I still find it funny that the ancestors some of the biggest supports of Gaelic in Scotland never even spoke the language.

Who are you referring to? Most of Scotland was Gaelic-speaking around 1200CE, and the majority of some now-"Lowland" areas like Perthshire, Angus and Stirlingshire were mostly Gaelic-speaking into the fifteenth century. The "Highland-Gaelic/Lowland-Scots" division didn't really crystalise until the early modern period, and even then, as much a stereotype as an ethnographic truth.

 

[Takhisis]

The Balkans and Anatolia are insufficiently fragmented, I'd say.

You're right. I mistakenly read the "numbers fewer" as "total speakers". There's about ~57k speakers of Gaelic in Scotland, just above 1% of the population. But it still holds that less than half of the speakers aproach full or native ability.

While I don't want Gaelic to go the way of Cornish or Mannix, I still find it funny that the ancestors some of the biggest supports of Gaelic in Scotland never even spoke the language.


While we're with the Celtic languages, it's sad that Breton may be within a few generations of a crisis themselves.

Let's hope it doesn't.

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

I mean, if we're just doing separatism for the sake of separatism, then where's Mercia? Where's Dyfed? Where's Powys? Wheres Gwynedd? Germany and Italy are both way too big.

#FreeRheged God Save Old King Cole!

Also, why on Earth did the English decided to start going with "the Midlands" over Mercia!?!

 

[Traitorfish]

Also, why on Earth did the English decided to start going with "the Midlands" over Mercia!?!

It doesn't really translate into a specific grouping of counties with a shared identity, so it was never revived. "East Anglia" came back into use as a shorthand for "Nortfolk & Suffolk", and "Northumbria" as "Northumberland & Durham", despite the fact neither is identical to the old kingdoms; most of Northumbria, and the center of political power, was in what's now considered Yorkshire. "Mercia" would cover a dozen or more counties without a strong shared identity.

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

Who are you referring to? Most of Scotland was Gaelic-speaking around 1200CE, and the majority of some now-"Lowland" areas like Perthshire, Angus and Stirlingshire were mostly Gaelic-speaking into the fifteenth century. The "Highland-Gaelic/Lowland-Scots" division didn't really crystalise until the early modern period, and even then, as much a stereotype as an ethnographic truth.

By the 11th century, Scots was already spreading among towns and urban centers as well as becoming a lingua franca between those who spoke Gaelic and Cumbric dialects. And the influx of English, Norman, and Lowland nobles and merchants into the region further led to Scots' adoption. However, southeastern Scotland had abandoned the use of Gaelic well before the 11th century. Its really impossible to tell exactly what the commonfolk were speaking, but the rise of French in court and Scots in commerce may lead one to conclude that Gaelic was generally on the retreat, and those upper Lowland areas as you mentioned probably began to speak numerous varieties of Scots-Gaelic creoles than just straight Gaelic.

Also, this isn't even addressing the original use of Norwegian in the islands, particularly in those regions where is Gaelic is holding on today (history loves its ironies doesn't it).

It doesn't really translate into a specific grouping of counties with a shared identity

Today, the term doesn't mesh anymore with the understood geographic area. However, the use of the the "Midlands" didn't really begin to take hold until after the 17th/18th century. My question is why, particularly since much of the region was as distinct and diverse before as it has become after the name shift. What about the name "Mercia" became less useful to the early modern Englishmen than his grandfather?

 

[Traitorfish]

By the 11th century, Scots was already spreading among towns and urban centers as well as becoming a lingua franca between those who spoke Gaelic and Cumbric dialects. And the influx of English, Norman, and Lowland nobles and merchants into the region further led to Scots' adoption. However, southeastern Scotland had abandoned the use of Gaelic well before the 11th century. Its really impossible to tell exactly what the commonfolk were speaking, but the rise of French in court and Scots in commerce may lead one to conclude that Gaelic was generally on the retreat, and those upper Lowland areas as you mentioned probably began to speak numerous varieties of Scots-Gaelic creoles than just straight Gaelic.

That's all besides the point, though, that Gaelic was historically widely-spoken. Even after the retreat to the Highland fastness, it was still spoken by half of the population. So where are you discovering these Gael-less family trees?

 

[The_J]

Germany and Italy are both way too big.

Germany looks realistic though, IMHO.
Italy for sure not ^^.

 

[Lohrenswald]

That Sapmi is like 45 % norwegian and 50 % russian

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

So where are you discovering these Gael-less family trees?

Ancestry.com of course

But seriously, I admit with being too liberal with my use of "ancestors" and apologize for it. However, its still true that the average Scotsman is multiple generations removed from the Gaelic language, a language which was one of many used during the history of the country. And is often being championed for political causes removed from the root desire of simply preserving a particular piece of the human experience from the world. I feel like I come off a little too harsh sometimes, as someone who has extensive Welsh ancestry on both sides of my family tree I have a soft spot for the Celtic languages, even the rebirth of Cornish. Yet, it often seems that there's a particular section of Scottish political culture today which are trying to promote a mythical form of the unique Scottish culture in an effort to create a division in a region that hasn't existed for over a millennium.

 

[metatron]

Frisia

Yay!

Why is Germany not a billion microstates?

What is being represented is that England (to pick just one random example, with no ill intent whatsoever) is a massive fecalshow with lots of burning-dog-poop-filled ice cream scoops attached to lots of hamster wheels filled with hamsters on crack...

... and Germany isn't.

(except for Bavaria and eastern Saxony - hence their exposutre on the map).

(And yes, i understand how the first half of my post completely and without remainder undermines the credibility of the second half.
No need to tell me.
)

 

[Kyriakos]

The Republica Srpska would join Serbia if split from Bosnia as well.