ECONOMY

New Courland is a modestly wealthy country with an economy based on a small petroleum industry, tourism and manufacturing, but financial services can also be found in the country. However, in many aspects New Courland stands in the shadow of Trinidad and Tobago. Export goods include petroleum and petroleum products, LNG, ethanol, steel products, cereal and cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers. The country's main export partners are the U.S., the E.U. and South American countries. Import goods include machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals. The main import partners are the US, Brazil, China, Canada and South Amercian countries.

The currency of New Courland is the Thaler, divided in 100 Groats.

The estimated unemployment was 2.9% in 2022.

In 2022, the estimated GDP was 3.36 billion US$ (19,861 US$ per capita). By sector: agriculture 9.1%, industry 40.4%, services 50.5%.

Transport and infrastructure
The transport system of New Courland consists of a network of roads across the main island, ferries connecting Louise Charlotte with Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor and Little Harbour as well as with towns in Trinidad and Tobago. Near Louise Charlotte, the 'Willem Mollens' international airport is located. Public transportation include public buses, private taxis as well as trains between Louise Charlotte and Zelta Kalni.

New Courland's infrastructure is developing steadily; around the capital the roads are of good quality, but further remote much still needs to be improved. All major towns on the Grand Island can be reached by car, but the way to Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor makes a significant detour; therefore most people prefer to take the ferry to Louise Charlotte instead of driving. The international airport has been too small for the traffic that it processes for several years, and expansion has been planned but has not started yet. In the '80, a railroad was built between the capital and the town of Zelta Kalni (resulting in the construction of the country's only tunnel as well), much to the dismay of many, as its necessity was (and according to some remains) questionable; Zelta Kalni has however grown slightly faster than expected since the railway was put in use, as it has proven a much more reliable connection than the roads that connect it to Louise Charlotte.

New Courland's internet code is .dn

MUNICIPALITIES

The current municipal division largely dates from 1955, but at that time there were only six municipalities. Jauna Piltene seceded from Zelta Kalni in 1989 and Maza Osta/Little Harbor from Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor in 2004. Mayors are normally elected for a four-year term. They can be re-elected indefinitely. Resigning early is very normal, especially if a mayor has already served more than one term.

Louise Charlotte
Louise Charlotte is the capital of New Courland. It was founded in 1834 as Port Carolina when New Courland was still a British colony and grew out to the capital of the island. After the 1962 independence, Port Carolina was renamed Louise Charlotte; margravine Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg (1617 - 1676) was a duchess consort of Courland; she was married to duke Jacob Kettler of Courland (1610 - 1682).

The municipality of Louise Charlotte has ca. 64,000 inhabitants in total. The city of Louise Charlotte itself is truly the capital of the country, in that it hosts parliament (the Diet) and government buildings, and most of the embassies of other countries. Cultural activities take place in the Theatre, which is a multifunctional building that includes a theatre, which is also used for small classical concerts while modern bands play in the nearby Leonard Winter Hall. Furthermore, there are a cinema, a conference hall and many other features. At the western border of the city, the Gustavs Bļodnieks Stadium can be found, the largest stadium of the country which hosts most rugby and football matches. Nearby, one finds the Commonwealth Grounds, where cricket is played.

Apart from Louise Charlotte proper (which has a population of mixed origin), there are the villages of Green Hill and Ainava. Green Hill is mostly inhabited by wealthy former Britons, and plays host to some foreign countries' embassies. Ainava (Latvian for 'Landscape' or 'Scenery') is almost completely inhabited by Baltic New Courlanders.

Mayors of Louise Charlotte
1955 - 1961    Tommy Linlithgow (CP) two terms
1961 - 1969    Geoffrey Macfadyen (CP) two terms
1969 - 1973    Arnold Cever (ind.)
1973 - 1977    Surendra Prasad (PD)
1977 - 1982    Chandreswar Atkins (CP) two terms
1982 - 1986    Rufus Linlithgow (CP)
1986 - 2001    Ignacio Méndez (PDP) four terms
2001 - 2005    Satyavant Bhandare (PDP)
2005 - 2021    Harry Griffith (CP) four terms
2021 - 2025    Žaneta Hortona-Buķele (f, CP)

Zelta Kalni
Zelta Kalni is the second largest municipality (in population) of New Courland. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The most important settlement in the municipality is the town of Zelta Kalni proper, founded in 1815 as Port Wellington. Due to its increasingly Baltic population after 1920, the city was renamed Zelta Kalni ('Golden Hills') in 1962. The other places in the municipality are Las Palomas and Elles Vārti. In the 80's Zelta Kalni was connected directly to Louise Charlotte by a controversial railroad, which proved however beneficial for the municipality.

Mayors of Zelta Kalni
1955 - 1964    John Key (CP) three terms
1964 - 1983    Elmars Krastiņš (LP) five terms
1983 - 1987    Archibald Daunt (CA)
1987 - 1995    Charles Jurdzs (PDP) two terms
1995 - 1996    Óscar Núñez (CP)
1996 - 2003    Clifford Baxter (PDP) two terms
2003 - 2015    Ilga Lieckalniņa (f, CP) three terms
2015 - 2023    Andris Volperts (PDP) two terms
2023 - 2027    Jevgeņijs Dreimanis (BAF)

Yeovil
Yeovil is, with ca. 22,000 inhabitants, the third largest municipality of New Courland by population. It is also the largest municipality by surface. Yeovil can be considered the most British municipality of New Courland, as a large majority of the inhabitants are of British origin or from one of the other former British colonies. The largest settlement is the town of Yeovil. Apart from that, there are the villages of Port George, Round Bay and Vicar's Lane. Also, New Courland's highest point, Mount Elizabeth, is located in Yeovil municipality.

The municipality is known for its broad beaches and especially Round Bay attracts a lot of tourists. The road to Round Bay however is in bad shape and not particularly straight, so most of the transport from and to the village is done by ship.

Mayors of Yeovil
1955 - 1957    Jeremy Young (LP)
1957 - 1961    Mahendra Joshi (CP)
1961 - 1965    Eric Seymour (CP)
1965 - 1977    Harry Samuels (CP) three terms
1977 - 1977    Jimmy Hamilton (PDP)
1977 - 1987    Frank Stilton (CP) three terms
1987 - 1997    Albert Lloyd (CP) three terms
1997 - 2009    Daniel García (CP) three terms
2009 - 2021    Thomas Seneviratne (PDP) three terms
2021 - 2025    Desmond Ellis (CP)

Jauna Piltene
The municipality of Jauna Piltene, created in 1989 from parts of Louise Charlotte and Zelta Kalni, has approximately 18,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest municipality of New Courland. The larger settlement is the town of Jauna Piltene, the smaller one is the village of Draudzība.

Mayors of Jauna Piltene
1989 - 1993    John Stanley (PDP)
1993 - 2007    Imants Veldre (PDP) four terms
2007 - 2015    Edgars Ķīlis (CP) two terms
2015 - 2019    Everett Bailey (PDP)
2019 - 2027    Doris Emerson-Truro (f, LP) two terms

Penllergaer
Penllergaer is a town in a municipality of the same name on the eastern coast of New Courland. It has a mixed population of people originating from other Commonwealth realms as well as Spaniards and some minorities. Few people of Baltic origin live here, but there are some mixed groups of part-Baltic origin. Penllergaer has some 14,000 inhabitants. Apart from the town, there are the villages of Restless and Altitude. Penllergaer is home to the Saint David's Marine Park, a small sanctuary for marine animal life.

Mayors of Penllergaer
1955 - 1970    Hugh Fry (CP) four terms
1970 - 1978    Albert Wood (IP) two terms
1978 - 1985    Bobby Lloyd (CA) two terms
1985 - 1989    Tony Baxter (CA)
1989 - 1997    Mary Campbell-Thompson (f, ind.) two terms
1997 - 2000    William Fry (CP)
2000 - 2012    Donald Tufton (CA) three terms
2012 - 2024    Maxwell Becerra (ind.) three terms
2024 - 2028    Samuel Warrender (CP)

Kettler's Port
Kettler's Port is a municipality in north eastern New Courland. It consists of the settlements of Kettler's Port and New Persia and has about 10,000 inhabitants. Kettler's Port was named after duke Jacob Kettler of Courland (1610 - 1682). It is home to the Alexander Urquhart National Park, a popular site for New Courlanders for a day out, weddings, music festivals etc. New Persia was known for a long time as the settlement which had the largest church of New Courland.

Mayors of Kettler's Port
1955 - 1960    Ralph White (CP) two terms
1960 - 1964    Prakash Roghuvir (PDP)
1964 - 1972    Arthur Fowke (IP) two terms
1972 - 1980    Eddy Bland (PDP) two terms
1980 - 1983    Horace Reffle (CA)
1983 - 1991    Jagganath Bhandare (CP) two terms
1991 - 2007    Robert Curzon (PDP) four terms
2007 - 2008    John Fowke (CP)
2008 - 2018    Benjamin Urquhart (CP) three terms; died in office
2018 - 2026    Alison Stanley (f, CP) two terms

Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor
The northernmost municipality on the Grand Island of New Courland is Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor, often just called Nuestra Señora. Some 6,000 people live here of mainly Spanish and Baltic origins, although New Courlanders of other origins live here as well. Apart from the main town of the same name, the settlements of Paradise, Santa Monica and Valda Brauciens can be found here. By land, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor can be reached through one road only, which is of bad quality and detours from Louise Charlotte along a large part of the island. Therefore, most people prefer to sail. Despite the difficulty to get there and its somewhat ominous name, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor is a popular holiday destination for foreign tourists, after Round Bay.

Mayors of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor
1955 - 1961    John Eastwood (LP) two terms
1961 - 1965    Herbert Blunt (LP)
1965 - 1975    Rafael Esquivel Fernández (CP) three terms
1975 - 1987    Tomás Flores (CP) three terms
1987 - 1990    Peter Hunter (LP)
1990 - 2000    Federico Álvarez (CP) three terms
2000 - 2011    Mario Rodríguez Herrera (PDP) three terms
2011 - 2015    Imelda Villazón de Ortuño (f, PDP)
2015 - 2024    Jorge Liñan (ind.) three terms
2024 - 2028    Brenda Jankauskienė-Toussaint (f, PDP)

Maza Osta / Little Harbour
Maza Osta, also known as Little Harbour, is the smallest municipality of New Courland. It lies on the Little Island, off the northern shore of the Grand Island and can be reached by boat from both the national capital of Louise Charlotte and Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Dolor, although private skippers may be persuaded to sail there from other ports too, depending on the price you are willing to pay.

Maza Osta was made a municipality in 2004. The population on Little Island is both British and Baltic, the former slightly in the majority. There are 2,000 inhabitants who live in one of the two settlements: Maza Osta/Little Harbour or Saules Gaisma. The island is one large national reserve, divided in two only by the road between Maza Osta/Little Harbour and Saules Gaisma.

Mayors of Maza Osta / Little Harbour
2004 - 2007    Alexander Salisbury (CP)
2007 - 2019    Roger Halkett (PDP) three terms
2019 - 2023    Guna Pauļuka (f, PDP)
2023 - 2027    Indriķis Becers (BAF)