New Courland,
officially the Duchy of New Courland, is a
country in the Caribbean, close to Trinidad and Tobago.
Originally a colony of the
duchy of Courland and Semigallia (together with a
part of Tobago), it was occupied by several other
colonial powers, including the Dutch and the Spanish,
before it became part of the British Empire in 1814 as
part of the Trinidad and Tobago colony; the main island
of New Courland was renamed Carolina. In the
interbellum and after the second world war, many
Latvians and Lithuanians settled on Carolina and when
the colony became independent in 1962, Carolina left
Trinidad and Tobago, forming its own duchy within the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Official name: Duchy of New Courland
Conventional name: New Courland
Demonym: New Curonian, New Courland
Area: ca. 450 km2
Inhabitants: 168,978 (est. 1/1/2024)
Population density: ca. 375.51 inh./km2
Form of government: constitutional monarchy
POPULATION
Growth rate: -0.19% (2023)
Life expectancy: 72.34 years (women), 68.28 years
(men)
Largest settlements:
▪ Louise Charlotte (63,015)
▪ Zelta Kalni (30,073)
▪ Yeovil (14,571)
▪ Penllergaer (8,023)
▪ Jauna Piltene (4,101)
Ethnic groups: Balts (Latvians, Latgalians,
Lithuanians; 41%), Spaniards and Venezuelans (22%),
Britons (11%), Africans (9%), Indian/South Asians (7%),
Caribs (4%), French Creoles (2%)
Languages: English (official), 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%).
GOVERNMENT
Capital: Louise Charlotte
Administrative divisions: eight municipalities:
Louise Charlotte, Zelta Kalni, Yeovil, Jauna Piltene,
Penllergaer, Kettler's Port, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo
Dolor and Maza Osta/Little Harbour
Head of state: Duke Charles (= King
Charles III of the United Kingdom), since 8 September 2022; he
is normally represented in New Courland by a Governor
General
Governor General: Mr Satyavant Bhandare, since 1
June 2013
Parliament: unicameral parliament of 29 members
called the Diet
Main political parties: the Progress and
Development Party (PDP), Conservative Party (CP), Social
Consideration Party (SCP),
and Labour Party (LP) have seats in the current Diet.
Head of government: Mr Herbert Dalrymple (CP), since
21 March 2023
Current minister of foreign affairs: Mr Hugo
Ochoa (CP), since 21 March 2023
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Membership of 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.
COMMUNICATION
Internet code: .dn
Country code: DNC
Time zone: UTC -4. New Courland has no daylight
saving.
ECONOMY
GDP: 3.43 billion US$; 20,308 US$ per capita
(est. 2023)
Currency: Thaler, divided in 100 Groats
Inflation: 4.6% (2023)
Unemployment: 2.8% (2023)
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 partners: USA, EU, South American nations,
China, Canada
Main businesses:
Main newspapers:
New Courland Observer, the Louise Charlotte Daily,
the Voice of New Courland
TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
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
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Highest mountains: Mount Elizabeth (815 metres),
Sunshine Peak (771), Mount Relief (702)
Climate: tropical
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
Anthem: "Be true my fatherland", written in 1964 by Orwell Baynes
Flag:A rectangular field divided vertically in three parts: one dark blue,
one white, and one light blue. The white part contains a red star in the centre.
National holiday: 15 September |
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