Placentia

  

Kingdom of Placentia Placentia Atsegina (Spanish) Plaisanta (French)
Flag National arms
Motto: "A Mare Labor" (Latin) From the Sea, Work
Anthem: Placentia the Prosperous Royal anthem: God, Country, and Crown
Map of Placentia in North America
Capital and largest city	Saint-Pierre 46°49′30″N 56°16′30″W
Official languages	Basque, French, Algonquian creole, Spanish, English, Mi’kmaq
Ethnic groups (2010)	78% White 8% Amerindian 4% Mixed or other
Demonym(s)	Placentian
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Paramount	Xanti III
• Prime Minister	Edorta Membertou
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Palace of the Sachems
• Lower house	House of the Cosmos
Independence  from Kingdom of France
• Declared	1 March 1848
• Monarchy proclaimed	9 July 1867
• Constitution	20 August 1953
Area
• Total	242 km2 (93 sq mi)
• Water (%)	Negligable
Population
• 2020 census	35,741
• Density	65.05/km2 (168.5/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	1,926,000,000 (198th)
• Per capita	$185,883.997 (4th)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$725.1 million (4th)
• Per capita	$85,320 (2nd)
Gini (2014)	0.49 low · 23rd
HDI (2020)	0.939 very high · 4th
Currency	Placentian dollar ($) (PCD)
Time zone	UTC−5.25 (PCT)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
ISO 3166 code	PC
Internet TLD	.pc
Website www.placentia.pc

Placentia (Basque: Atsegina; French: Plaisanta; Spanish: Agradable), officially the Kingdom of Placentia, is a sovereign, island country located in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Canadian Maritimes, specifically south of the island of Newfoundland and the Maritime Republic. Placenta is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. With a population of 35,741 people and an area of 242 km2 (93 sq mi), Placentia is considered one of the smallest sovereign nations by both population and by area, and is considered a microstate—the smallest nation in North America. The nation’s capital of Saint-Pierre is located on the island of Saint-Pierre proper, the smaller of the two main islands within the nation, after Miquelon to its northwest. Similar to many European microstates, Placentia in modern times remains famously neutral and has refused invitations to the Conference of American States, the Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development, and other such organizations.

The earliest inhabitants of the future nation of Placentia are believed to have been the Beothuk, who often visited the islands but made no permanent settlement at the time of European colonization. The island’s position off the coast of Newfoundland led to it becoming a frequented trade post for both indigenous peoples and European traders alike. The first confirmed European explorer to land on the islands is Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes, who on 21 October 1520 landed at Saint-Pierre, naming the islands the “Eleven Thousand Virgins”, in honor of Saint Ursula and her companions. In 1536 the islands were formally claimed by French explorer Jacques Cartier in the name of France, incorporating the islands into the later colony of New France, however, he discovered that by this time the island had already become frequented by European traders and fishermen, especially the Basques and Bretons, as well as the indigenous Miꞌkmaq people. In 1598 the islands were formally settled by the Kingdom of France for the first time, marking the settlement of Saint-Pierre as the earliest surviving city in New France, a year before the next candidate Tadoussac. The island’s advantageous position for whaling and fishing, as well as French policies, attracted numerous peoples from Western Europe, whereas in French Canada harsher requirements for settlement persisted.

The islands were intermittently conquered and colonized by the British, most notably from the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht after the War of the Spanish Succession to the 1763 Treaty of Paris after the Seven Years' War. Placentia was considered the last remaining vestige of the once vast territory of New France, a French colony spanning across the North American continent from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic. With the exception of Placentia, the remainder of the colony was transferred to Great Britain by 1763—the signing of the Treaty of Paris returned Placentia solely to the Kingdom of France. The colony was likewise seized or attacked during other conflicts that pitted the British and the French, such as during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars, before it was returned to France conclusively in 1815.

On 1 March 1848 the nation declared its independence during the French Revolution of 1848, forming the Placentian Republic, with founding father Isidore Laboa becoming the nation’s first elected president. On 9 July 1867, President Orélie-Antoine de Tounens declared the creation of a monarchy with himself as the first Paramount, becoming known as Orélie I of Placentia. During the Continental Revolutionary War and Great War I, the nation established amicable relations with the Continental United Commonwealth, but worked to ensure the nation’s continued sovereignty in the face of the Continental sphere’s expansion into Canada. In 1938 Placentia became the first and only nation to voluntarily, democratically elect a communist government, which it subsequently removed by election in 1954.

Etymology

The name "Placentia" is derived from the Latin word verb placere, meaning "to please", and as is the case of the Italian city Piacenza as well, the name "placentia" means "pleasant place". The earliest surviving mention of the name "Placentia" in reference to the future nation is from the last will and testament of a prominent Basque fisherman named Domingo de Luca, dated 1563, which asked “that my body be buried in this port of Plazençia in the place where those who die here are usually buried.” A French settlement known as Fort Plaisance was also built on Newfoundland at the end of the century, but was later abandoned, leading to speculation that its survivors settled Placentia and named the islands accordingly. An alternate etymology has been proposed that the name is from the Latin for "smooth", in reference to its desirable beaches for salting and drying fish.

Saint-Pierre, both the city and the island, are named for Saint Peter, the patron saint of the nation and of fishermen. The island of Miquelon was first noted in the forms Micquetô, Miqueton, or Micquellon by French Basque sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal in his 1579 navigational pilot for Newfoundland, Les voyages aventureux du Capitaine Martin de Hoyarsabal, habitant du çubiburu. It is often claimed that the name Miquelon is a Basque form of Michael, therefore, from Mikelon it may have been written in the French way with a q instead of a k. Miquelon may also have been influenced by the Spanish name Miguelón, an augmentative form of Miguel meaning "big Michael". The adjoined island's name of "Langlade" is said to be an adaptation of l'île à l'Anglais (Englishman's Island).

History

Main article: History of Placentia

Prehistory and Exploration

Main article: Indigenous peoples in Canada and History of Basque whaling

Miꞌkmaq Women Selling Baskets, Saint-Pierre, nineteenth-century.

Part of a series on the
History of Placentia
Prehistory and Colonial Era Dorset culture Beothuk people Basque Whaling European Exploration John Cabot Gaspar Corte-Real João Álvares Fagundes Jacques Cartier New France
Nineteenth Century Bourbon Restoration in France French Revolution of 1848 Placentian Revolution Isidore Laboa Jean Urdaneta Izaskun Harinordoquy William Bickerton Placentian Fish Wars Monarchy of Placentia Orélie I
Twentieth Century ...
Related topics Culture Economy Education Geography of PlacentiaGeography History Leadership Politics

Although at the time of European discovery the islands were believed to have been abandoned, there is evidence of indigenous habitation as early as 6000 BC. Artifacts discovered in the vicinity of Saint-Pierre have been linked to the Dorset culture, a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Thule or Proto-Inuit peoples. The Dorset culture inhabited much of northeast Canada and the Arctic Circle between 500 BC to 1000-1500 AD. The Beothuk people, who inhabited neighboring Newfoundland, have also been known to frequent the islands, and archaeological evidence has confirmed a presence there dating to centuries before European arrival, however, the Beothuk seem to have not permanently settled the islands by the beginning of the sixteenth-century. The Miꞌkmaq, who primarily inhabited the lands south of Placentia across the Gulf of St. Lawrence (later the Anglo-Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), also frequented the islands. The Miꞌkmaq referred to the island of Saint-Pierre by the name Senpir and Miquelon by the name Milkiin, while Wen’juikjikan became the Miꞌkmaq name for the European settlement of Saint-Pierre itself.

The earliest European sighting of Placentia is disputed. It is theorized that during the final voyage of English explorer John Cabot, which set sail in 1498, the islands of Placentia may have been spotted or visited, although the exact whereabouts of the Cabot voyage are unknown. Additional English voyages took place after Cabot in search of the Northwest Passage, such as those led by William Weston in 1500 and Sebastian Cabot (John Cabot’s son) in 1508, reached Newfoundland and possibly Placentia as well. On the Mappa mundi map created in 1500 by Juan de la Cosa, the islands referred to as “Illa de la Trenidat” are believed to be the islands of Placentia. In the 1470s Portuguese explorer João Vaz Corte-Real claimed to have discovered a series of islands in the Atlantic, as did his son Gaspar Corte-Real in 1501, which could potentially refer to Newfoundland and/or Placentia. The first definitive naming of the islands and claim by a European power would come on 21 October 1520, when Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes landed at Saint-Pierre, naming the islands the “Eleven Thousand Virgins”, in honor of Saint Ursula and her companions.

Basque and Breton fishing sites in the sixteenth-century.

Around this same time, the Portuguese were joined by Basque fishermen and whalers, who frequented the islands and their vicinity. For centuries numerous peoples frequented the waters off the coast of western Europe in pursuit of fishing and whaling. The Basque people are considered the first people to catch whales commercially, and dominated the trade from the eleventh-century onward, with French explorer Samuel de Champlain writing that the Basque were “the cleverest men at this fishing.” In pursuit of new fishing grounds, sailors pushed westward into the North Atlantic, leading to speculation that the Basques may have sighted the New World prior to any other European explorers. Although the earliest recorded mention of Basque visitors to Placentia dates to just after Fagundes’ landing, in his History of Brittanny (1582) the French jurist and historian Bertrand d'Argentré made the claim that the region was known to Basques, Bretons, and Normans prior to the Portuguese discovery, and that they were also the first Europeans to reach the New World. A similar claim was put forward by Bordeaux jurist Etinne de Cleirac in 1647, who stated that in pursuit of whales across the North Atlantic, the French Basques discovered the New World a century before Columbus. Pierre-Joseph van Beneden (1809–1894) put forward 1372 as a probable discovery of Newfoundland by Basque fishermen.

Whale-Fishing. Facsimile of a Woodcut in the "Cosmographie Universelle" of Thevet, in folio: Paris, 1574.

The 1520s saw the earliest definitive French presence around the islands of Placentia, as explorers returning to France from the North Atlantic reported rich whaling grounds off the coast of Newfoundland, then known as Terranova. The Basques referred to the area north of Newfoundland, which separates the island from Labrador, as Grandbaya (Grand Bay), while between Placentia and Newfoundland became known as Fortunabaya (Fortune Bay). Although initially explorative and cautionary, these early whaling expeditions proved a major financial success, leading to France, Spain, and Portugal all commissioning voyages to the region throughout the sixteenth-century. “Lumera”, or whale oil used for lighting, became prized across northern Europe, while “Sain” or “grasa de ballena” was mixed with tar and Oakum for caulking ships, and in the textile industry, as baleen could be used in the production of farthingales and numerous other products. Early expeditions often whaled throughout the summer, creating temporary encampments on the coast of Newfoundland, but perhaps as early as the 1530s the first semi-permanent settlements were created. These settlements functioned as habitation for fishermen seasonally, stored reserves, housed tryworks for processing whale oil, and became hubs for indigenous trade.

It is theorized that as early as 1531 the first semi-permanent settlement near the future site of Saint-Pierre was founded by French Basques who encamped for the winter. While northern Newfoundland was considered the most popular destination for whalers, the southern approach became more sustainable in the later half of the century, and also benefited from a more central location. This initial settlement may have been unnamed, or its name has become lost, however, the islands are believed to have become associated with the name “Placentia” by the end of the century. The earliest known use of the term originated in the last will and testament of a prominent Basque fisherman named Domingo de Luca, dated 1563, which asked “that my body be buried in this port of Plazençia in the place where those who die here are usually buried.” A French settlement known as Fort Plaisance was also built on Newfoundland at the end of the century, but was later abandoned, leading to speculation that its survivors settled Placentia and named the islands accordingly. The name itself is believed to come from the Latin for “smooth”, in reference to its desirable beaches for salting and drying fish.

European fishermen to the region frequently interacted with native peoples of the region, such as the Beothuk of Newfoundland, the Miꞌkmaq, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, and the Innu or Montagnais. This led to a symbiotic trading environment, in which Europeans traded finished goods, swords, guns, and other items for food, necessary supplies, expertise, and furs. As a result the Algonquian–Basque pidgin developed as the lingua franca of the region, combining Basque and French vocabulary with that of indigenous languages’.

Colonial Period

Main Article: New France#Early exploration (1523–1650s)

Jacques Cartier (1491–1557) claimed Placentia for the Kingdom of France.

In 1535 French explorer Jacques Cartier stopped at Placentia during his second voyage, noting evidence of a whaling presence: “We stayed to the so-called Saint-Pierre islands where we found several French and Breton ships, from St. Barnabe's day, 11 June, until 16th day of said month.” This marked the formal beginning of French claim to the islands, although for decades the French crown did little to action this claim regarding Placentia. In 1598 the first attempt to permanently settle the islands was made. Led by Troilus de Mesqouez, a group of mostly convicts was settled on the island of Saint-Pierre to establish a fishery and fur trading post. Poorly planned, the initial settlement lost half its population within a year, although in 1600 a second group arrived on the island replenishing its numbers to 58. Because of this, Saint-Pierre would claim to be the earliest permanent settlement in French Canada, beating Tadoussac (in present-day Quebec) by about a year. The settlement was soon eclipsed by the far more successful series of settlements founded on the Saint Lawrence River, beginning with Quebec in 1608, although Saint-Pierre survived as a trading post and halfway point for those en route to New France proper.

During the tenure of Jean Talon, Count d'Orsainville as Intendant of New France efforts were made to bolster the population of New France, including Saint-Pierre to safeguard against British attack. The island’s position east of the mouth of Saint Lawrence made Talon envision a forward bulwark protecting Quebec should war arise with the British. As such, in 1670 a detachment of 70 French soldiers and another 102 settlers were stationed on the island with instructions to create a permanent fort. As the islands were already frequented by Miꞌkmaq traders, Talon encouraged native allies to settle on Saint-Pierre to act as auxiliaries. The island attracted a Catholic mission in 1679, which made inroads into neighboring Newfoundland for converting local peoples. During the War of the Spanish Succession in Europe, and its accompanying Queen Anne’s War in North America, Saint-Pierre was raided by British sailors, pillaging the trade post and setting a French vessel ablaze before being driven off. The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht subsequently saw the islands transferred to Britain, who renamed Saint-Pierre to St. Peter, and dispatched a number of British and North American settlers to bolster their claim. A second settlement was also started on Miquelon by Anglo-Canadians—the population of the islands as whole reached an estimated 2,000 people by the mid eighteenth-century.

A 1746 English copy of a map originally prepared by Jaques Nicolas Bellin in Paris in 1744; showing "St. Peter's", Miquelon, Grand Colombier islands, and the "St. Peter's Bank" off the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland.

Under brief British control, the British commissioned two surveys of their new possessions between 1714 and 1716. Fortune Bay and “Placentia Bay” were subsequently surveyed by William Taverner for the British Board of Trade, while Lieutenant John Baudy of the British Admiralty followed in 1716 with a cartographic survey. The vast majority of inhabitants of the island swore allegiance to Britain due to the country’s largely hands off approach, and additionally trade between the islands and the port of Saint-Malo in France continued, despite its illegality. Rights to the island of Miquelon were sold in part to three British settlers with association to the military: Capt. Diamond Sarjeant, a Massachusetts resident, Samuel Cutt of New Hampshire in 1756, and Robert Trail of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Under their leadership, a group of about 300 settlers, mostly fishermen from New England and their families, settled on the western island. The famous British admiral James Cook mapped the islands in 1763, writing, “The Island is as subject to Fogs as any part in Newfoundland yes if we may credit the late Planters it is very convenient for catching and curing of Codfish.”

During the Seven Years’ War and its accompanying theatre in North America, known commonly as the French and Indian War, the French colony of New France in its entirety was ceded to Great Britain, however, as part of the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763, Britain guaranteed fishing rights to France off the coast of Newfoundland and returned the Placentian Islands. Centered at Placentia, the French exercised fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland for the next two centuries after the Treaty of Utrecht, in what became known as the French Shore, or Côte française de Terre-Neuve. During the American Revolutionary War the French sided with the American colonies against Great Britain and the islands were again attacked in 1778. During the French Revolutionary Wars and following Napoleonic Wars the islands frequently changed hands. In 1793 the British captured Saint-Pierre and attempted to install a new British colony, landing 500 settlers to the island, however, this settlement was then recaptured by the French in 1796. The 1802 Treaty of Amiens confirmed the islands as French, but upon the resumption of hostilities the British seized the islands in 1803, holding them until the 1814 Treaty of Paris. They were then returned to France, until the return of Napoleon in the Hundred Days Campaign, where they were again occupied until 1815.

French Restoration

Main Article: Bourbon Restoration in France

Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot, an important Acadian military leader and refugee to Placentia.

The population of the islands continued to grow as it attracted settlers from across Western Europe. During the expulsion of the Acadians, or the removal of French settlers from British Canadian possessions between 1755 and 1764, the Placentian Islands attracted a large number of Acadian refugees. During this period farming increased on the island, although that venture proved poor, and the majority of settlers relied on fishing. Trade ties became strong with that of New England, as a number of English settlers continued to frequent the islands even after the transfer back to France. During the settlement of Newfoundland by the British, a number of Irish settlers were forced to the island. With Catholicism illegal in Newfoundland until 1784, many Irish settlers would travel to Saint-Pierre to hold weddings and baptisms performed by a Catholic priest, and many Irish also remained on the island, despite British attempts to discourage trade and interaction between the two groups.

However, the largest groups on the island remained ethnic and religious minorities from France, namely Basques and Bretons. The earliest inhabitants of the islands, the Basque presence remained strong and was encouraged by the absence of strict religious laws that had existed in New France. During the French Wars of Religion, numerous Huguenots were exiled to the island, or voluntarily resettled there in the seventh-century, due to this relatively lax position on religion that existed on the islands. This presence would make the islands unique compared to other French possessions; although French was the official language and language of formality, the Basque language was often spoken, and culture reflected Basque customs as well as influence from indigenous groups. The islands also attracted a large seasonal population of visiting fishermen, which would increase the population by as much as 8,000 during certain months of the year. This period saw the islands’ first post office in 1818, the first bank in 1827, and a newspaper, the Feuille Officielle, in 1830.

Independence

Main Article: French Revolution of 1848

The proclamation of the independence of Placentia, by Isidore Laboa, 1848

The early nineteenth-century saw both the French and Spanish governments gradually erode the freedoms and privileges enjoyed by the Basque people. As part of the ideals of the French Revolution, administration in France was designed to abolish all ethnic and traditional bonds, and so home rule among the Basques was abolished, despite protests from the Basque members among the National Assembly. During the War of the Pyrennes (1793-1795) during the French Revolutionary Wars, French soldiers were garrisoned in the French Basque region overseeing a swift and brutal suppression of Basque culture. As a result a number of Basque speakers emigrated to the Placentian Islands, as they were soon outside the control of the French government. Similarly, the leadup to the First Carlist War in Spain saw similar reprisals against the Basque, creating a Spanish Basque presence in Placentia.

With the fall of Napoleon and the return of the House of Bourbon to France, authority over Placentia was renewed and attempts were made to assimilate the Basque-speaking population. Placentia’s reputation as a refuge for ethnic and political minorities led to it becoming the ire of the conservative government of Charles X. The monarch’s policies proved unpopular in France as well, leading to protests in July 1830, known as the July Revolution. In Saint-Pierre, news of the revolution reached after the fact, but was met with similar enthusiasm, and on 3 August the pro-Charles administrators of the colony were cast out by a popular uprising. This event led to the creation of a Supreme Junta on 5 August, spurred on by military leaders Jean Urdaneta and Isidore Laboa, which formed as a local assembly representing the people of Placentia. Fierce debates began regarding a course of action, with many calling for outright independence to ensure the safety of the islands. With news of the ascension of a new king in France, Louis Philippe I, the islands recognized the new king but called for the appointment of their own governor.

Economic downturn empire-wide, as well as a series of decisions by the new king caused the Supreme Junta to reconsider in the leadup to the French Revolution of 1848. On 26 February, mass defections occurred among the small garrison stationed on the island, and numerous others took up arms as a militia. After a series of brief skirmishes, the French garrison in the capital surrendered to the rebels, leaving several dozen people killed. With the news of the abdication of Louis Philippe reaching the islands soon after, Placentia’s assembly called for a vote for independence spearheaded by Laboa, after the islands received confirmation from both the United Kingdom and the United States of assistance. The United Kingdom accepted, hoping to see the island annexed into the emerging confederacy of Canada, while the United States, as part of the Monroe Doctrine, warned against any military action against the state. With the new French Republic suffering economically and politically, and with Placentia’s value deemed extremely low, this was recognized on 30 May 1848.

Placentian Republic, 1848-1867

Main articles: Placentian Revolution and Placentian Fish Wars

Isidore Laboa as president, 1856.

The first Placentian state, known as the Provisional Placentian Republic, was declared in 1848 alongside a constitutional convention. The nation’s first assembly created a loosely American-inspired constitution, enshrining religious toleration and recognition for all the islands’ ethnic groups. Elections were held in September 1848, in which revolutionary leader Isidore Laboa was elected as the nation’s first president. Under his leadership, the fledgling nation would negotiate treaties with numerous great powers: the United Kingdom in 1852 concluded a favorable treaty in which Placentia inherited the French fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland, and in which French Canadians would be allowed to migrate to the islands freely. Although controversial among the existing people of Placentia, Laboa concluded that the nation should encourage further immigration to bolster its workforce. In 1856 Placentia concluded a treaty in which the nation would take in indigenous peoples forcefully relocated from Canada in exchange for a stipend, as part of Canada’s assimilation policies. A number of Métis leaders were also exiled to the islands after a failed rebellion in the Canadian mainland.

Fishing remained the mainstay of the Placentian economy, and its competition with Newfoundland led to controversy. The continuation of the French Shore being given to Placentia was protested by the people of Newfoundland, leading to Placentia being pressured to surrender its rights in 1866. In the meantime, the local Newfoundlander government passed a series of laws meant to sabotage the Placentian economy, such as the Bait Act in 1856, which limited the sale of fishing supplies to Placentian merchants. The islands’ many ethnic and religious groups also led to increased tension, especially after the arrival of a breakaway Mormon sect led by William Bickerton in 1861. Attracted by the country’s tolerance but small population, Bickertonite Mormons flocked to Saint-Pierre.

President Izaskun Harinordoquy, 1858.

In 1857 Laboa left office following his third (non-consecutive) term of two years, dying of natural causes the following year. Izaskun Harinordoquy, was elected his successor at Laboa’s endorsement, however, by this time cracks had begun to show in the politics of Placentia. A nativist party that appealed to the French Catholic elite, being highly anti-Mormon and anti-immigration, rose in popularity to challenge Harinordoquy’s election. Additional factions formed that were pro-America or pro-Canada, with some on each side advocating for annexation to one or the other. In 1861 a French adventurer and famous veteran of the Unification of Italy, Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, arrived in Placentia. Tounens championed a faction that believed that Placentia could achieve international recognition and prestige by aiding in the just causes of nations worldwide, and used his experience in the Italian wars to attract a number of volunteers to his cause. In 1864 Tounens was appointed to the newly founded Placentian military, which was envisioned as more of a police force, however, Tounens self-organized an expedition of 200 men to volunteer in the American Civil War.

Tounens’ battalion, nicknamed the Blueshirts, fought in a handful of battles toward the end of the conflict, achieving little, but nonetheless earning the nation of Placentia a great deal of fame, even if purely as an oddity. Returning to Placentia in 1865, Tounens was hailed as a hero. Tounens was elected President of Placentia the following September. Inspired by Napoleon III of France doing similarly, on 9 July 1867 Tounens declared himself “paramount”, a hereditary position, and was crowned Orélie I.

Early Imperial Era

Main article: Orélie I of Placentia

Orélie I, the founder of the Placentian monarchy.

As paramount, Orélie I attempted to stabilize and improve the economy of the struggling island nation. With fishing at the forefront of the nation’s economy, the nation renegotiated treaties with Newfoundland in which fishing grounds were shared more amicably in exchange for the removal of sanctions. In the late 1800s numerous attempts were made by various powers to annex the nation. Legislators of the Northeast Union recommended that the nation be purchased and annexed, concerned about the French influence in the region and competition for fishing and whaling. Annexation to the Maritime provinces also remained a high possibility, although the collapse of a unified Canada delayed such talks. Firmly in favor of independence, Orélie I campaigned against either of these options.

The nation remained in competition with New England for valuable whaling operations, usually falling behind. WIthin Placentian politics, a rising faction called for the creation of infrastructure and industrial sectors to limit the nation’s reliance on foreign powers. Led by Haimar Zubeldia, the Liberal Party advocated for the government to fund luxury shipbuilding as a potential industry, and to create a national bank to attract private investors. The nation attracted the first French submarine trans-Atlantic telegraph cables in 1869, which were typically routed from the French mainland through Saint-Pierre, then onto Nova Scotia or the United States. Due to government intervention and the close connection the French had to the nation, half of all French trans-Atlantic telegraph cables ran through the islands, allowing the islands to become closely connected to the outside world. Nonetheless, the nation experienced an economic downturn at the later half of the century. The monarchy struggled to generate revenue, especially after the market for saltfish crashed in the 1880s, and the introduction of the steamship made Saint-Pierre less important as a stopping point.

Orélie I personally invested highly in styling himself as a proper monarch, and in ingratiating the nation to other newly formed nations in the continent. He opened diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Hawaii and wrote a strongly worded letter in protest of the Sierran annexation in 1870. He “cut off diplomatic ties” to the Kingdom of Sierra for the next three years. In 1873, after a transcontinental voyage on the continent-spanning railroad, Orélie spent time in the court of Sierra and arranged a marriage between his family and a Sierran dynasty, the House of Norton. Fascinated by modern rail, Orélie ordered one for Saint Pierre to connect various communities on the island. The project became an enormous cost and required investment from the United Commonwealth to face completion in 1877, but nonetheless was a source of pride within the country. Orélie, having celebrated the fall of the Second French Republic and basing his reign on that of Napoleon III, wrote to the French monarch proposing amicable ties between the two nations.

Horse drawn brewery carriages are a popular tourist attraction from the 1910s.

The nation experienced a windfall with the passage of prohibition in the United Commonwealth and other neighboring nations, as Placentia became a hub of transshipment of illegal alcohol. Placentia would briefly become the sole legal destination for alcohol in the eastern seaboard in the late 1910s, and early 1920s, until the Continental Revolutionary War. The nation’s brief time at the center of anti-prohibition led to it establishing a distillation industry; the company Crown Royal relocated to Saint-Pierre in 1916 and established a lucrative factory. Local legends also persist that many of the United Commonwealth’s most famous mobsters, and many early Continentals, frequented Placentia or considered it an ally.

Relationship with the United Commonwealth

After the Continental Revolutionary War concluded in 1922, Placentia feared that one of its largest trade partners had effectively collapsed, further slumping the economy. However, this also bred opportunity, and later that year Placentia became the first nation in the world to recognize the Continental government. For this, the United Commonwealth opened relations with the small nation and established a profitable relationship. Placentia gained a potential protector and benefactor, and the United Commonwealth wielded Placentia’s endorsement as proof of continental cooperativism. However, Placentia was forced to carefully toe the line between Landonism and those against it, fearing retribution from the other states of North America. Attitudes toward Landonism became a dividing issue in the small nation throughout the 1920s and 1930s, with several politicians campaigning on an anti-Landonist platform. Seeking to strengthen the island against a perceived Landonist plot, Placentia received a large amount of foreign aid from Sierra as part of its containment policy.

During Great War I the nation remained neutral, although some volunteers served in the conflict in foreign contingents. The nation attempted to retain cordial relations with both sides and profit off the war, with Placentia being an important shipping hub in the region. During the major Continental advances into Quebec, Placentia changed course and gave verbal support to the United Commonwealth in early 1938, fearing that Continental forces would continue northward and threaten the independence of the country. With the establishment of the Maritime Republic as a Continental puppet state with a Landonist government, Placentia narrowly escaped annexation despite debates among Maritime leadership to pursue it. This was because the nation’s first premier, Isaac Stirling, had been given refuge in Placentia after being outlawed in Nova Scotia and had become fond of the nation, so he personally pushed to leave Placentia be. Nonetheless, Placentia was now surrounded by Landonist powers and was highly influenced by their politics. In 1938 Placentia became the first and only nation to voluntarily, democratically elect a communist government – specifically a coalition of the Placentian Continentalist Party and the Placentian Socialist Party – and pursued close relations with the United Commonwealth thereafter.

During the reign of Rupert Gardner in the United Commonwealth, Placentia took inspiration from the capitalist experiment in Manhattan and envisioned the creation of a pro-gambling, pro-business epicenter for the Canada region. Under prime minister Ion Izagirre (1958-1966) the nation undertook increasingly boisterous attempts to establish itself as a tourist and entertainment destination. The nation has also differentiated itself by pursuing a policy of diplomatic neutrality, rejecting offers to join both the Landonist and anti-Landonist blocs, or any foreign institution, such as the Conference of American States, the Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Placentia

The archipelago of Placentia comprises ten islands off the coast of Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula, totalling 264 square kilometres (102 sq mi), of which all but two are inhabited. The islands are rocky and bare, with steep cliffs on their coasts, and only a thin layer of peat to soften the hard landscape. The islands are geologically part of the northeastern end of the Appalachian Mountains along with Newfoundland. Of the ten islands, two are considered major and house the majority of the nation’s population. Although the smaller of the two major islands at 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi), Saint Pierre Island houses the majority of the nation’s population, and is the commercial and administrative center of the archipelago. The island is also home to the Saint-Pierre Airport, which has been in operation since 1999 and is capable of accommodating long-haul flights to Europe, the only airport in the country. Miquelon-Langlade, the largest island, is in fact composed of two islands; Miquelon Island (also called Grande Miquelon, 110 square kilometres (42 sq mi)) is connected to Langlade Island (Petite Miquelon, 91 square kilometres (35 sq mi)) by the Dune de Langlade (also known as the Isthme de Langlade), a 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) long sandy tombolo. In the eighteenth-century a storm severed the connection between the two islands for several decades, before currents reconstructed the isthmus. Placentia's third largest island is Brunette Island (also called Île Brunette, 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi)), which is the largest island in Fortune Bay, located 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

The highest point in the country, at 240m, is Morne de la Grande Montagne, located on Grande Miquelon. The waters between Langlade and Saint-Pierre were called "the Mouth of Hell" until about 1900, as more than 600 shipwrecks have been recorded in that point since 1800. The third island housing a significant population center is A third, formerly inhabited island, Isle-aux-Chiens, located a short distance from the port of Saint-Pierre.

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  Map of Placentia with its settlements

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  3D image of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago

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  Saint-Pierre aerial photo, 2013. Saint-Pierre Airport is at the lower right.

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  Aerial view of St Pierre, the capital and largest town

Environment

Main article: South Avalon-Burin oceanic barrens

Among the islands’ most common fauna are Seabirds. Seals and other wildlife can be found in the Grand Barachois Lagoon of Miquelon. Every spring, whales migrating to Greenland are visible off the coasts of the Placentian Islands. Trilobite fossils have been found on Langlade. The stone pillars off the island coasts called "L'anse aux Soldats" eroded away and disappeared in the 1970s. The rocky islands are barren, except for scrubby, yews, and juniperss, and are covered in thin, volcanic soil. The forest cover of the hills, except in parts of Langlade, was first deforested during the colonial period.

Climate

Port of Miquelon during the winter

In spite of being located at a similar latitude to the Bay of Biscay, the archipelago is characterized by a cold borderline humid continental/subarctic climate, under the influence of polar air masses and the cold Labrador Current.For a subarctic climate, the milder winters also mean Placentia has influences of subpolar oceanic climate, thus being at the confluence of three climatic types. The February mean is just below the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm for that classification. Due to just three months being above 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperatures and winter lows being so mild, Placentia has a Köppen Climate Classification of Dfc, if bordering on Cfc due to the mildness of the winter and either Dfb or Cfb due to the closeness of the fourth-and fifth-warmest months to having mean temperatures at or above 10 °C (50 °F).

Typical maritime seasonal lag is also strong with September being warmer than June and March being colder than December. The average temperature is 5.3 °C (41.5 °F), with a temperature range of 19 °C (34 °F) between the warmest (15.7 °C (60.3 °F) in August) and coldest months (−3.6 °C (25.5 °F) in February). Precipitation is abundant (1,312 mm or 51.7 in per year) and regular (146 days per year), falling as snow and rain. Because of its location at the confluence of the cold waters of the Labrador Current and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the archipelago is also crossed a hundred days a year by fog banks, mainly in June and July. Two other climatic elements are remarkable: the extremely variable winds and haze during the spring to early summer.

Climate data for Placentia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	9.8 (49.6)	9.0 (48.2)	12.2 (54)	13.8 (56.8)	22.0 (71.6)	25.1 (77.2)	28.3 (82.9)	25.8 (78.4)	26.8 (80.2)	20.0 (68)	14.4 (57.9)	12.8 (55)	28.3 (82.9)
Average high °C (°F)	−0.1 (31.8)	−0.7 (30.7)	1.0 (33.8)	4.3 (39.7)	8.5 (47.3)	12.5 (54.5)	16.7 (62.1)	18.7 (65.7)	16.0 (60.8)	11.2 (52.2)	6.8 (44.2)	2.7 (36.9)	8.2 (46.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−2.6 (27.3)	−3.2 (26.2)	−1.4 (29.5)	2.0 (35.6)	5.6 (42.1)	9.6 (49.3)	14.1 (57.4)	16.2 (61.2)	13.5 (56.3)	8.9 (48)	4.5 (40.1)	0.4 (32.7)	5.7 (42.3)
Average low °C (°F)	−5.2 (22.6)	−5.7 (21.7)	−3.7 (25.3)	−0.4 (31.3)	2.8 (37)	6.7 (44.1)	11.5 (52.7)	13.8 (56.8)	11.0 (51.8)	6.6 (43.9)	2.3 (36.1)	−1.9 (28.6)	3.2 (37.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−17.4 (0.7)	−18.7 (−1.7)	−18.1 (−0.6)	−9.8 (14.4)	−4.5 (23.9)	0.8 (33.4)	4.9 (40.8)	5.8 (42.4)	1.7 (35.1)	−2.6 (27.3)	−9.2 (15.4)	−14.6 (5.7)	−18.7 (−1.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	102.3 (4.028)	101.0 (3.976)	100.8 (3.969)	97.6 (3.843)	102.6 (4.039)	103.7 (4.083)	99.5 (3.917)	93.3 (3.673)	141.4 (5.567)	135.9 (5.35)	133.9 (5.272)	114.7 (4.516)	1,326.7 (52.232)
Average rainy days	3.03	4.07	5.17	8.83	12.87	14.60	18.50	11.27	6.33	4.13	4.70	3.53	97.03
Average snowy days	22.63	19.00	15.25	7.36	0.89	0.04	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.00	4.40	3.20	73.77
Mean monthly sunshine hours	49.6	70.2	115.5	131.9	165.8	172.6	164.8	173.5	156.1	119.0	63.0	45.4	1,427.3

Economy

Main article: Economy of Placentia

Fishing boats in Saint-Pierre harbor.

Traditionally the inhabitants of Placentia have made their livelihoods through fishing and other jobs relevant to the fishing industry off the coast of Newfoundland. The climate and environment of Placentia historically left few options for immigrants, as very little land in Placentia is adequate for farming. Despite this a small farming and livestock raising industry exists, confined by a narrow growing season. Since the 1990s the economy has been in decline due to the depletion of fish stocks due to overfishing and regional laws preventing fishing or fish export. With the decline of wild fishing, the nation had invested heavily in crab and fish farming, which now marks a significant percentage of all products raised from Placentia. Other government initiatives to counteract unemployment include the creation of the Saint-Pierre airport, which revitalized construction and travel-related jobs.

Another primary industry is related to tourism, with Placentia billing itself as a gambling and entertainment hub to its Landonist neighbors, with limited success. The business sector includes notable percentages of public service and retail. Since the 2000s, the country has also made advancements in oil and natural gas exploitation, causing a revitalization of the economy. Exports are very low (6.8% of GDP) compared to a significantly high number of imports (46.5% of GDP). Unemployment reached a high of 12.1% in 1998, and has been slightly decreasing with the exploration of the energy industry, although it still remains steadily high compared to its neighbors, at 9.1% in 2009 and 6.8% in 2015.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Placentia

Settlements

Main article: List of settlements in Placentia

Almost all of the Placentian population lives within one of of eight recognized settlements or communes. The largest settlement in the archipelago, and its only officially designated city, is Saint-Pierre, with a population of 12,287 as of 2020. Due to the island's relative lack of adequate farmland, almost all of the population lives in a clustered population center on the coastline.

Population

Historical populations

Year	Pop.	±%
1750	2,000	—
1800	7,280	+264.0%
1815	6,850	−5.9%
1830	9,565	+39.6%
1840	11,944	+24.9%
1850	13,113	+9.8%
1870	14,431	+10.1%
1890	15,030	+4.2%
1910	16,349	+8.8%
1930	19,498	+19.3%
1950	21,914	+12.4%
1970	23,110	+5.5%

The total population of the islands at the time of the January 2020 census was 35,741, of which 20,713 people lived on Saint-Pierre island. Approximately 72% of the population was born on the archipelago, while an additional 9.5% reported being born in France; Placentia reports one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the world.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Placentia

A multitude of languages are used by Placentians, with Basque and French being among the most common, and considered the mother tongues of 52 percent and 30 percent of Placentians, respectively. Significant other officially recognized languages include English, Mi’kmaq, and Spanish. Other languages are spoken among immigrant communities, such as Chinese (all dialects), with an estimated 148 speakers based on the 2020 census.

Rank	Language	Population	Percentage
1.	Basque	18,200	52.4%
2.	French	10,500	30.1%
2.	French	31,110	30.44%
3.	English	1,869	5.34%
4.	Spanish	1,120	3.2%
5.	Mi'kmaq	614	1.75%
6.	Arabic	231	0.66%
7.	Chinese (including all dialects)	148	0.42%
8.	German	126	0.36%
9.	Scottish Gaelic	87	0.25%
10.	Dutch	66	0.19%

Religion

Main article: Religion in Placentia

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Religion in Placentia

  Roman Catholic (37.95%)

  Avignon Catholic (5.3%)

  Mormon (30.43%)

  No religious affiliation (13.9%)

  Protestant (3.1%)

  Jewish (1.2%)

  Muslim (0.5%)

  Other religions (7.62%)

The largest religious group in Placentia is Catholics, however, this number is split between Roman Catholic and Avignon Catholic, at 37.95% and 5.3% respectively, or 43.25% collectively. The second largest group is Mormonism with 30.43% of the population, although this number has been steadily declining, being 32.1% in 2016. The nation also has a large irreligious population, at 13.9% of the total population.

Health

Main article: Healthcare in Placentia

The health care system of Placentia is entirely public and free. Since 1974, an agreement has also existed between Placentia and the Maritime Republic, allowing Placentian citizens to be treated in the nearby city of St. John’s. Since 1980, Hôpital François Dunan has served as the largest provider of basic and emergency care to the residents of the nation. The nation’s first hospital was the military hospital opened in 1868, followed by the first civilian facility the following year. Basic care is also offered by the nation’s fire services, which are stationed at the Saint-Pierre Airport, and at one station in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon each.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Placentia

Ioaldunak dancers, a tradition from Navarre.

The culture of Placentia is often described as closely related to that of traditional Basque culture, but with elements from French, English, and Indigenous traditions. Every summer a Basque Festival is held, with contests in traditional Basque games, such as harrijasotzaile (stone heaving), aizkolari (lumberjack skills), and Basque pelota. Ice hockey is also highly popular, with a number of local teams competing in Maritime-based leagues. Local cuisine is mostly based on seafood, with strong cooking traditions with cod, lobster, snow crab, and mussels.

Placentia is famous for being the site of the only execution by guillotine in North America. On 30 December 1888, Joseph Néel was convicted of killing Jean Coupard on Île aux Chiens, and ordered to be executed. A guillotine had to be shipped from Martinique in the Caribbean, which was then reconstructed in Saint-Pierre. After much difficulty, the execution took place on 9 September 1889. Today the infamous guillotine is on display in the country's national museum.