About Rockway
Country Factfile
Name: Rockway
Long-form Name: Her Majesty's Overseas Dominion of Rockway
Long-form Name: Her Majesty's Overseas Dominion of Rockway
Demonym: Rockean
Official Language: English
Other spoken Languages: Scots, French, German.
Population: 473,555
Capital: Johnstown (pop. 65,712)
Largest City: Old Town (pop. 79,905)
Land Area: 5035 miles²
Location: North Atlantic Ocean, 250 miles northeast of Newfoundland
Time Zone: GMT -4 hours
Granted Dominion Status: 1878
Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Key Products: Coal, Livestock, Fish, Gold, Iron, Ale
Time Zone: GMT -4 hours
Granted Dominion Status: 1878
Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Key Products: Coal, Livestock, Fish, Gold, Iron, Ale
Currency: Pound Stirling (£)
National Day: Dominion Day (7th July)
Anthem (Official): God Save the Queen
Anthem (Unofficial): Moon on the Ocean (Ode to Rockway)
Anthem (Official): God Save the Queen
Anthem (Unofficial): Moon on the Ocean (Ode to Rockway)
A Brief History.
An old Scottish legend once told of a far-away island land; a land of spectacular scenery, plentiful foods and peaceful people. That when the land was found, great gifts would be bestowed upon it's finders, but for those who set out to find it and failed, great peril would lie ahead. For many people, the legend was just that - a myth, a rumour, an old story to tell around the fireplace. But for a few, the talk of the wondrous lands held sway. Scholars wondered whether the lands were among those that the Vikings had found many centuries ago. And so it came, as the first medieval voyages were made to the New World, that the legend came back into fashion.
John Cabot, an Italian sailing under contract to King Henry VII of England, made the first European footfall on North America, at Newfoundland in 1497. The Portuguese Corte-Real brothers returned in 1501, searching for the fabled northwest passage. And in 1507, a little-heralded expedition set sail from Leith, in Scotland, searching for fame, glory and new lands.
The Scots ship Reenger, under the command of Macrath Fearghasdan, left port with a royal charter from King James IV. His goal was to find new wealth for Scotland, to seek trading routes, and - perhaps most importantly - to stick it to the English. Unofficially, Fearghasdan was seeking out the island of legend. That island was Rockway.
The discovery of Rockway bought Fearghasdan much acclaim back in his homeland. Sadly though, it brought neither the trading partners nor the riches that the intrepid explorer and his King had wished for.
Still, Rockway was clearly a place of beauty, with plentiful natural resources, and so sailors from all nations returned over the course of the next century, charting its coastlines and seeking out its hidden treasures. Finally, in 1603, a band of pioneers was dispatched to the island from England in order to create a permanent settlement and claim the lands for the now unified crowns of England and Scotland.
Over the next centuries, Rockway witnessed the arrival of settlers and outcasts from all manner of nations, providing a welcoming home to all. The staunchly British colony was one of North America's most culturally diverse by the early 1800s, and one of the most equal. Slavery had never been permitted on the islands, and people from all races made their homes freely alongside one another.
As Britain organised its North American territories in the mid-1800s, Rockway remained separate from the newly created Canadian Confederation. Instead it was granted a charter as one of Britain's first Overseas Dominions, largely self-governing with a high degree of autonomy. The arrangement has so far worked well for both sides, with Rockeans benefiting from security provided by the Royal Navy, and Britain receiving a share of the islands' growing wealth.
Rockway Today.An old Scottish legend once told of a far-away island land; a land of spectacular scenery, plentiful foods and peaceful people. That when the land was found, great gifts would be bestowed upon it's finders, but for those who set out to find it and failed, great peril would lie ahead. For many people, the legend was just that - a myth, a rumour, an old story to tell around the fireplace. But for a few, the talk of the wondrous lands held sway. Scholars wondered whether the lands were among those that the Vikings had found many centuries ago. And so it came, as the first medieval voyages were made to the New World, that the legend came back into fashion.
John Cabot, an Italian sailing under contract to King Henry VII of England, made the first European footfall on North America, at Newfoundland in 1497. The Portuguese Corte-Real brothers returned in 1501, searching for the fabled northwest passage. And in 1507, a little-heralded expedition set sail from Leith, in Scotland, searching for fame, glory and new lands.
The Scots ship Reenger, under the command of Macrath Fearghasdan, left port with a royal charter from King James IV. His goal was to find new wealth for Scotland, to seek trading routes, and - perhaps most importantly - to stick it to the English. Unofficially, Fearghasdan was seeking out the island of legend. That island was Rockway.
The discovery of Rockway bought Fearghasdan much acclaim back in his homeland. Sadly though, it brought neither the trading partners nor the riches that the intrepid explorer and his King had wished for.
Still, Rockway was clearly a place of beauty, with plentiful natural resources, and so sailors from all nations returned over the course of the next century, charting its coastlines and seeking out its hidden treasures. Finally, in 1603, a band of pioneers was dispatched to the island from England in order to create a permanent settlement and claim the lands for the now unified crowns of England and Scotland.
Over the next centuries, Rockway witnessed the arrival of settlers and outcasts from all manner of nations, providing a welcoming home to all. The staunchly British colony was one of North America's most culturally diverse by the early 1800s, and one of the most equal. Slavery had never been permitted on the islands, and people from all races made their homes freely alongside one another.
As Britain organised its North American territories in the mid-1800s, Rockway remained separate from the newly created Canadian Confederation. Instead it was granted a charter as one of Britain's first Overseas Dominions, largely self-governing with a high degree of autonomy. The arrangement has so far worked well for both sides, with Rockeans benefiting from security provided by the Royal Navy, and Britain receiving a share of the islands' growing wealth.
Though Rockway often tends to get referred to as though it is a single island, it is in fact a nation made up of 10 separate islands. They sit in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 250 miles to the northeast of Newfoundland.
The biggest of the islands is Rockway Main. The name Rockway tends to be used fairly interchangeably among locals for both the country as a whole, and for its largest island. South of Rockway is the island of Monda, the second largest Rockean island. To the southwest is Ruste Isle, and to the north are the three islands that make up Taton – Taton Main, Mid Isle and Far Isle. Finally, to the west of Rockway Main are the Wester Rocs – Wester Main, Victor, Rader and the tiny Harald's Rock.
Small, but perfectly formed, getting round Rockway and the small isles is done mainly by train. The growing national rail network now links most of the biggest towns – and the fierce competition between train companies help make sure that fares are always cheap. There is a network of wagon trails across the islands, but they follow the terrain along winding paths, so driving between places tends to be quite slow. Rockeans are also well known for their love of walking, and won't think twice about walking a dozen miles to the next town. Finally, there is a fantastically comprehensive system of steam ferries that shuttle back and forth between the islands.
While the transatlantic telegraph cable has brought Rockway closer to the old and new worlds, it continues to be the outstanding local and national newspapers that allow Rockeans to keep up with current events.
