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Valenciennes
Flag of Valenciennes Coat of arms of Valenciennes
Flag of Valenciennes Coat of Arms of Valenciennes
Motto: For Democracy. It lights the path.
Official languages French, Spanish (in some areas)
Capital Edgardia
Largest city Franciscania
Lord des Montagnes Jean Michel Leclerc
Premier Damien Clouseau (Liberal Party of Valenciennes)

The province of Valenciennes is the second largest province of the Empire of the Alexandrians, and the largest province in the French sector.

Valenciennes, together with the province of Baudrix, comprises what is commonly called “mainland Alexandria”. The capital of Valenciennes is the city of Franciscania, the second largest city of the Empire after Geneva.

Important Cities[]

The largest cities in Valenciennes are:

  • Franciscania population 961,814.
  • Ouinville population 175,841.
  • Edgardia population 197,800 (The City of Gold, capital of the province).
  • Vranscia population 124,943.
  • Poitou population 110,000 (Home of the University of Valenciennes.)
Franciscania downtown

Franciscania's downtown viewed from the sea.

Government[]

The Alexandrian Constitution of 2005 allows every Alexandrian province to form its own provincial government. Following the ratification of the 2005 Constitution by the Imperial Parliament, Valenciennes became the first province to assemble its own provincial government under the stewardship of Jean Michel Leclerc.

Valenciennes's provincial capital is Edgardia, which is currently home to the provincial government. The legislature passed a law in October 29, 2005 to move the capital to either Franciscania or Ouinville, but the move still has not taken place. The chief executive is the First Minister, currently Damien Clouseau. The legislative branch consists of the unicameral Valenciennes Provincial Parliament. All residents of Valenciennes have a voice and a vote in it and may propose bills as well.

Valenciennes has a representative to the Imperial Parliament as a province of the Empire. The Member of Parliament from Valenciennes has a term of three months and is elected by the people of the province at every general election.

History[]

Fictional History[]

Valenciennes was originally an independent realm ruled by small tribes, who together formed the Occetian nation. These tribes had come together into a large confederation to fight invading Lerians from the south. From 58 – 51 B.C.E, the Kingdom of Occetia tried to fight the Lerian Empire with virtually no success. In the summer of 51 B.C.E, the King of Occetia was captured while attempting to escape from the capital of the kingdom, Cangerliam. With the capture of the King and his capital, the Lerians had conquered the kingdom. In honor of their leader, Emperor Gerniens I, they renamed Cangerliam to Gertenia.

After the conquest, the Lerian Empire began to use Occetia as a base for the campaign against a whole constellation of marauding Madlandian tribes bent on seizing new territory. These tribes came from the Kingdom of Markionii (modern-day mainland Baudrix) and were led by King Ichnalteriox. In 13 B.C.E, the Lerians defeated King Ichnalteriox during the siege of the capital city of Markion.

The Lerian Empire dominated mainland Alexandria, or Madland as it was called by the local tribes, from 51 B.C.E until 485 C.E. Madland not only received the defending Lerian armies, but also the Lerian bureaucracy, language, commerce and culture. Madland adopted Lerian as its official language and developed a written culture. They later adopted Lerian Christianity as the official religion. The Lerians used the established precedent and used the tribe as the basic unit of their administrative districts. The nobles of Madland received Lerian titles and administrative duties, the warriors were incorporated into the Lerian army, and the peasants only paid light taxes. In 215 C.E, Emperor Lucianus granted Lerian citizenship to all Madlandians, who by the fourth century were almost universally called “Lerians”. Under the rule of the Lerian Emperors, the provincial economy of the Occetian province focused on wine, hemp, geese and flax. These items were in demand throughout the Lerian Empire, making the province of Occetia an economic powerhouse in the region. Neighboring Markion focused on grain, sheep and gold.

In the fourth century C.E, Leria began to suffer an irreparable decline. Depopulation, high tax rates and constant attacks and invasions from neighboring tribes had put immense pressure on the Lerian administration of Madland. The largest and more powerful of the invading tribes, the Alexandrii, was able to topple the Lerian administration in 485 C.E. and took firm control of Madland.

Out of the disintegration of the Lerian Empire emerged an Alexandrii kingdom –created by the Alexandrii dynasty which ruled until the disintegration of the nation and the rise of the Alexandria-Sardinia. The Alexandrii Kings saw themselves as continuing the Lerian imperium. They may have had their own legal codes, but these were written in Lerian and were based on Lerian models. In addition, the administrative structures remained essentially unchanged.

Now under the rule of the Alexandrii, the names of provinces and cities began to change. The province of Occetia was renamed Valencinnia, in honor of the sister of the new Alexandrii ruler, King Artegnus I.

Over time, the successors of King Artegnus I established the Kingdom of Alexandria, and slowly changed the subdivisions of the country. They divided Valencinnia into three possessions: Gradlia, Kettle and Occetia. Members of the Alexandrii dynasty were named rulers of these areas. Slowly, the centralized powers of the Alexandrian Kingdom were devolved to these areas. In 498, the Kingdom of Alexandria was dissolved after a brief civil war in which King Manterio I was defeated by the Alexandrii nobles. As a result of the civil war, King Manterio I became King of Gradlia, while the nobles that defeated him assumed control of Kettle and Occetia.

Many within Valencinnia were opposed to the results of the civil war. Many wished to see the return of a unified Valencinnia within a unified Alexandria. The rulers of Markion, the Alexandria-Sardinia, began to support such a movement. It wasn’t until the year 518 when King Manretcio of Gradlia, in order to appease his subjects, called for a conference of all Alexandrian rulers to meet in the city of Gradlia. It was in that conference that the Alexandrian Confederation was created. Within this confederation, it became clear that Markion and Gradlia were the most powerful states. Over time, the Gradlians with the support of the other Valencinnia realms, assumed control of the top positions of the Confederation council, known as the Tynwald, to ensure that the confederation would not turn into a unified state.

In 664, a Markionian was elected by the Tynwald to the executive post of Chief Magistrate by the Tynwald. Also in that year, the reorganization of the Tynwald caused the Markionians to have the largest delegation in the Tynwald. In 669, the King of Markion, Francis Joseph II, was elected as King of Occetia when King Heribert II died childless. With the advancing power of the Markionians, the Gradlians and the Kettleians allied themselves to fight against King Francis Joseph II. In 670, the Alexandrian War of Unification exploded.

In 679, after the Markionian victory over Kettle, the bulk of the Gradlian and Markionian armies met at Vouillons. In this legendary battle, Francis Joseph was able to thrash the armies of King Clodovis of Gradlia. The King died in battle, and his only son, Julius, was captured two days later after escaping the crush at Vouillons. The defeat marked the end of the national fragmentation and the foundation of a new, united nation. In 680, the Second Kingdom of Alexandria was created, and King Francis Joseph II of Markion became King Francis Joseph I of Alexandria. The capital of the new Kingdom was established in the city of Geneva.

Under the reunification, the provinces of Kettle, Gradlia and Occetia were dissolved. Fullfilling his promise, Francis Joseph I recreated the province of Valencinnia. However, he changed the spelling to Valenciennes. He proceeded to rename the province of Markion to Baudrix soon after. The city of Gertenia was renamed Franciscania after the new King.

Fictional History of Alexandria is currently being written. Please keep checking the history articles for more updates as the history is published.

Micronational History[]

The province of Valenciennes was officially formed by the Golden Triangle Reforms of 2005. The old Madlandian provinces of Gradlia, Kettle and Franciscania were merged to create it.

Soon after its creation, the province took up Franciscania’s reputation for being the most liberal province of Alexandria. Liberal politicians such as Russell DuBois, Damien Clouseau and Jean Michel Leclerc became residents of the new province.

On October 12, 2005, Jean Michel Leclerc petitioned the Emperor for the establishment of the Valenciennes Provincial Parliament. Residents of the province quickly supported the petition and it was created on the same day. This made Valenciennes the first province in Alexandria to have its own provincial government.

Following the establishment of the Provincial Parliament, the residents of Valenciennes began to work on a local constitution and on different laws. Valenciennes began offering free health care to its residents, and since then, the system has been used as a model for national health care proposals.

Economy[]

Valenciennes is primarily known as the birthplace of the Alexandrian industrialization. However, it is also home to a thriving tourist industry, with destinations such as Franciscania, Poitou, D'Perpignone and others, drawing vacationers, nature enthusiasts and history enthusiasts from all over the world. Although it has an urban image to non-visitors, Valenciennes is actually 50 percent forested, much of it quite remote. Both the forests and thousands of miles of beaches are top attractions. Tourists also flock to many of the museums, particularly those in the Franciscania area.

Mining is a major component of Valenciennes's economy. The province has an extensive network of railroads, and much of the materials mined are transported by rail. Gold mining is the main mining component.

After Geneva, Edgardia is the center of Imperial economics. Most of the banks operating in Alexandria, including the Imperial Bank of Alexandria are headquartered in Edgardia.

Major industries/products include mining (Societe d' Or et d'Argent), automobiles (Voiture Alexandrien, Vranscia Automobiles, Ateliers d'Automobiles et d'Aviation), cereal, aircraft (Ateliers d'Automobiles et d'Aviation, MOSAIC Corp.).

Political divisions of the Empire of the Alexandrians Flag of Alexandria
Provinces Asunción | Puerto Nuevo | Rio Grande | Valenciennes | Baudrix | Ibelin
Territories Santa Gertrudis | Anglien | Isla Gera
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