DUCHY OF NEW COURLAND
Jaunkurzemes Hercogiste
Naujojo Kuršo Hercogystė
Ducado de Nueva Curlandia
Official name: Duchy of New Courland
Demonym: New Curonian (official), also (New) Courlander
Adjective: New Curonian (official), (New) Courland
Regime: constitutional monarchy
Establishment: 1962
National anthem: Be true my fatherland, written in 1964 by Orwell Baynes
National holidays: 15 September (independence)
Population: 168,978 (est. 1/1/2024)
- Growth: -0.19% (2023)
- Density: 375.51 inh/km2 / 972.53 inh/mi2
- Life expectancy: male 68.28, female 72.34 years
Capital and largest city: Louise Charlotte
Ethnic groups: Balts (Latvians, Latgalians, Lithuanians; 41%), Spaniards
and Venezuelans (22%), Britons (11%), Africans (9%), Indian/South Asians (7%),
Caribs (4%), French Creoles (2%)
Official language: English
Other languages: Latvian, Spanish, Lithuanian, African and South Asian
languages, Carib, French, Welsh, etc.
Literacy: >99%
Religions: Evangelical Lutheranism (28.4%), Anglicanism (28.3%), Roman
Catholicism (17.9%), Hinduism (7.9%), Islam (5.1%
Legislature: unicameral parliament of 29 members called the Diet
Head of State: Duke Charles (since 8 September 2022; = King Charles III of
the United Kingdom), normally represented by a Governor General
Governor General: Jorge Liñan (since 8 July 2024)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Herbert Dalrymple (CP, since 21 March 2023)
Minister of foreign affairs: Hugo Ochoa (CP, since 21 March 2023)
Membership international organisations: ACP, the Commonwealth of Nations,
Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, Exumbran Convention, FAO, FICT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, NAM,
OAS, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO.
Area: 450 km2 / 173.75 m2
Highest point: Mount Elizabeth (815 m/ 2674 ft)
Climate: tropical
Time Zone: UTC-4; no daylight saving
GDP (nominal): $3.43 billion (est. 2023)
GDP (nominal) per capita: $20,308 (est. 2023)
Currency: Thaler, divided in 100 Groats
Inflation: 4.6% (2023)
Unemployment: 2.8% (2023 est.)
Working population:
- agriculture: 9.1%
- industry: 40.4%
- services: 50.5%
Export: petroleum (products), LNG, ethanol, steel products, cereal (products),
sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers
Import: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals,
live animals
Main businesses: t.b.c.
Main trade partners: USA, EU, South American nations, China, Canada
Drives on the: left
Calling code:
Motor car code: DNC
Internet TLD: .dn
Main newspapers: New Courland Observer, the Louise Charlotte Daily, the Voice of New Courland
Geography and climate
New Courland consists of two inhabited islands and several smaller uninhabited
islands. Geologically, the country is part of South America, but the language
and culture of New Courland are generally considered closer to the West Indies.
The country exists of one large island (aptly called Grand Island), one
smaller island (Little Island), both of which are inhabited. There are
several uninhabited smaller islands, the most prominent of which are the three
lying in between Grand and Little Island: the Three Kings, individually
called Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior (from south to north).
The country's highest point is the Mount Elizabeth, which is 815 metres
above sea level. Other ultras of New Courland are Sunshine Peak (771 m),
Mount Relief (702 m), Mount Beatrice (638 m) and Sievasmāte
(485 m), the last of which is the highest point of Little Island. The climate is
tropical. There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first six months
of the year, and the wet season in the second half of the year. Winds are
predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the northeast trade winds.
Unlike most of the other Caribbean islands, New Courland has frequently escaped
the destruction of major hurricanes. Recent hurricanes to hit New Courland
were Ivan in 2004 (Category 3, passing between Tobago and New Courland), Elsa in
2021 (Category 1, passing near Barbados), and Beryl in 2024 (Category 4). Beryl
hit New Courland directly on 1 July 2024 and caused widespread devastation.
Etymology
The name New Courland is obviously derived from the original European
country of Courland, that however continues to exist only as a region in
modern-day Latvia. In Latvian the country is called Jauna Kurzeme, in
Spanish Nueva Curlandia, although only the English version of the name
is official. The official demonym is New Curonian, although New Courland
and, locally, variants without New are used as well. Similarly, the inhabitants
of New Courland are called (New) Curonians or (New) Courlanders.
Under British rule, the Grand Island (Liela Sala in Latvian, Isla Grande
in Spanish) was known as Carolina, the Little Island (Maza Sala
in Latvian, Isla Pequeña in Spanish) as the Far Island (Tāla Sala
resp. Isla Remota). The town of Louise Charlotte was called Port Carolina
before 1962.
Demographics
National identity
Since the country's independence, many governments have tried to revive some of the
Courland aspects of their history, although more than 150 years of British rule have
formed some sides of the country almost irreversably. English remains, as administrative
language, one of the most important bridges between the country's several ethnic groups
and the connection with the British crown isn't likely to be broken either any time soon.
Names of several towns that are mostly inhabited by Balts were changed however into
Latvian variants after 1962. The fact that the country is a duchy also reminds of the
original duchy of Courland, as do other symbolic names and institues (the parliament:
'Diet', the currency: 'Thaler', etc.)
Administrative division
New Courland is divided in eight municipalities, named after their administrative centres.
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Municipality
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Incumbent mayor
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Louise Charlotte
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Žaneta Hortona-Buķele (f, CP), since 2021
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Zelta Kalni
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Jevgeņijs Dreimanis (BAF), since 2023
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Yeovil
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Desmond Ellis (CP), since 2021
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Jauna Piltene
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Doris Emerson-Truro (f, LP), since 2019
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Penllergaer
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Samuel Warrender (CP), since 2024
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Kettler's Port
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Alison Stanley (f, CP), since 2018
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Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor
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Brenda Jankauskienė-Toussaint (f, PDP), since 2024
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Maza Osta / Little Harbour
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Indriķis Becers (BAF), since 2023
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Top 5 cities (+ inhabitants)
Louise Charlotte (63,015)
Zelta Kalni (30,073)
Yeovil (14,571)
Penllergaer (8,023)
Jauna Piltene (4,101)
Politics
Political parties
Conservative Party (CP, currently 15 seats)
Progress and Development Party (PDP, 9)
Social Consideration Party (SCP, 2)
Labour Party (LP, 2)
Baltic Action Front (BAF, 1)
Other parties that are currently not represented in parliament occasionally
gain seats as well.
Economy
Transport
Roads: a network of sometimes narrow roads across Grand Island; one
road on Little Island.
Public transport: buses, taxis and a railway connection between
Louise Charlotte and Zelta Kalni.
Ferries: connections between Louise Charlotte, Nuestra Señora del
Perpetuo Dolor and Little Harbour as well as with towns in Trinidad and Tobago
Airport: the international airport 'Willem Mollens' near Louise Charlotte
Society
Sports
Popular sports in New Courland include cricket and rugby, but football/soccer
and basketball are played a lot as well.
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