Fascinating Fridays (Map of Europa 1)

I'd like to start today with thanking all the people who have visited my blog, for their support, for their compliments and also for deciding to become subscribed followers. I enjoy doing this blog, writing the stories, taking the photos and making the jewellery. It is my pleasure and the apex is knowing that their are people who enjoy it. 

For today's post I chose to shed some light on the Royal topic from a bird's eye-view. I thought it would be nice for everybody to see a map of the continent of Europa and where all the various Kingdoms and Nations are situated in relation to one another. This will help paint the picture in our mind's eye when stories related concerning wars, revolutions, restorations and social events are being relayed. I hope the plain geography lesson doesn't bore too many people but I promise to return to glamorous Royal pics over the weekend. 

The little crown icons signify the countries that have current reigning monarchies. Two of these, Normandia and Syldavia have regained their monarchies in the last two years. The remaining five have had Royal families of one form or the other since before medieval times. All the countries on the Europan sub-continent had reigning Royal families at  some time except for the Switzer Confederation that has always employed a decentralized municipal form of government with a ruling council headed by an elected Chancellor. Each municipality does have a non-titled wealthy ruling class but government offices are gained through election only. 

The first Kindom to abolish their monarchy was Franconia in the mid 1700's. They had an internal revolution that ousted the King due to economic strain and inequality in the government system. The new Republic of Franconia consists of a 3 semi autonomous states that fall within the greater country. These are the Free Provinces of Champagne, Andor and Greater Franconia. Other reigning monarchies like the Empire of Ruskiana, the Kingdom of Romagna, The Island Kingdom of Corsis and the Arch Duchy of Fulco de'Este fell after the Great war. The rest were literally victimized in the tragedy that was the 1996 Revolution which toppled the monarchic systems of;  the Empire of Scot-Britania, the Kingdom of Normandia, the Kingdom of Syldavia, the Kingdom of Serbieski, the Kingdom of Reichenthal, the Sultanate of Turkmenistan, the Kingdom of Ophiri, the Principality of Monagask, the Principality of Thurn und taxis, The Duchy of Lancaster, the Margravate of Montrose and the Palatinate County of Bo'hemia. These are not shown on the modern map as many have been absorbed into the new democratic countries as provinces or like in the case of  Serbieski and Montrose have been mediatized during the Royal restorations. Mediatization means that a former ruling monarchy now falls under another monarchy but still has legal Noble status. So, for example, the former independent Kingdom of  Serbieski fell during the revolution and was absorbed as a province of Syldavia but has been restored as the Grand Duchy of Serbieski within the new Kingdom of Syldavia. 

I don't want the Fridays to become too technical but I do want to take some time at least to explain some of the technical aspects within the history of the Royals. I hope it helps those who really appreciate the intricacies portrayed in this blog. Just wait until we start dealing with the genealogies.