Oceanic Defense Alliance and Commonwealth

The Oceanic Defense Alliance and Commonwealth (The Commonwealth) is a centralized political and economic union of states that are located primarily in Oceania, although some are located in Africa and Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km2 and an estimated total population of more than 600 million. The Commonwealth has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, where members have agreed to act as one. Commonwealth policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market; enact legislation in justice and home affairs; and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Passport controls have been abolished for travel within the Main Area. A monetary union was established in 1993, coming into full force in 1999, and is composed of all Commonwealth states which now use the Commonwealth Dollar. The Commonwealth has often been described as a sui generis political entity (without precedent or comparison).

The Commonwealth was established when the Oceanic Charter of 1883 came into force in 1883. The original purpose of the Commonwealth was an alliance between Engrandonica, Tricentennial, and Yuktobania to safeguard and protect oceanic trade routes. After World War I, Helmanstend was admitted to the Commonwealth, and the Treaty of St. Svergrad saw the admission of Jaipuria after their defeat in World War II. The 1960s saw the admission of Asuria after their independence was gained during decolonization. During the Cold War, the Commonwealth over time became more centralized in control, leading up to the Commonwealth Economic Act of 1993 which established a unified economy for all nations. The latest major addition to the Commonwealth was Malta, joining in 2021 after the Philippines joined in 2018.

Containing some 5.8% of the world population in 2020, the Commonwealth had generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of around COM$26 trillion in 2019, constituting approximately 18% of global nominal GDP and being one of the most powerful economies on earth. Additionally, five out of seven countries have a very high Human Development Index according to the United Nations Development Programme. In 2012, the Commonwealth was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the Commonwealth has developed a role in external relations and defence. The Unified Commonwealth Armed Forces are the one of the largest and most advanced on earth, with a centralized command structure between all nations and the sharing of numerous different resources and research development. It also maintains permanent massive embassy complexes throughout the world, however does not represent itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7 or the G20. Due to its global influence, the Commonwealth has been commonly described by people as the undisputed superpower and world policeman.

Background
The Engrandonican Empire, the world superpower up until that point, had been in economic downturn primarily due to a series of wars and conquests that included the beginnings of the Scramble for Africa, the Crimean War against the Russian Empire and debts incurred from the Second Opium War. The final nail in the coffin for the Engrandonican Empire at this time was the Panic of 1873 that brought the general state of economies worldwide downward. Due to these factors, as well as rising fears within the population that the Royal Navy would be unable to protect trade going into the metropole would force the Engrandonican Prime Minister at the time, William Ewart Gladstone, to consider the possibility of an alliance with other nations.

At the same time, the Yuktobanian Federation, having formed from not only a mix of Engrandonican immigrants from the former Colony of Australia, had grown in power and size due to not only a series of gold and metal rushes but also due to the First American Civil War disrupting the growing influence of the former United States of America. The Yuktobanian Federation, having received many immigrants from notably Engrandonican India, the United States, and the Qing dynasty, was industrializing at a fast pace as they took advantage of the abundant resources on the Australian continent. A massive part in the growing strength of Yuktobanian influence in the Pacific was the end of the Edo period in Japan. These factors allowed the Yuktobanian economy to withstand the initial effects of the Panic of 1873.

The small nation of Tricentennial, encompassing the North Island and South Island to the east of the Yuktobanian Federation had achieved the status of crown colony underneath the Engrandonican Empire in 1841. In 1852, the representative government of Tricentennial was formed and the Tricentennial parliament met in 1854. Due to their geographic location, they relied less on the Royal Navy for protection and relied on the Yuktobanian Navy for patrol of their coastal waters. They soon became a self governing entity underneath the Engrandonican Empire and would eventually remain so until the declaration of the Dominion of Tricentennial by King Edward VII in 1907.

Oceanic Charter of 1883
The Engrandonican Empire and its colonies would approach Yuktobania in an effort to not only establish favorable trade toward the growing power in the pacific, but also help in the creation in a routine naval patrol around the globe to protect both Engrandonican and Yuktobanian trade going through major thoroughfares such as around Africa and through the Suez Canal that had recently opened. Many historians also agree that a major impetus of this was recovery from the Panic of 1873, which caused both Engrandonica and Yuktobania to enact protectionist policies against other nations to help stem the impact of the economic depression.

On 4 July 1883, the nations of Yuktobania and Engrandonica would sign the Oceanic Charter of 1883, establishing a "Common Wealth" between the two nations led by a newly created Secretary-General that was the de-facto leader of the organization. Both nations (and Engrandonica's colonies, by extension) were able to call upon each other if one were to go to war, thus setting a precedent for future conflicts that would involve the "Common Wealth".

Despite not being an independent country at the time, Tricentennial would be a signatory under the charter due to their unique self governing status. Tricentennial would formalize and popularize within Yuktobania and Engrandonica the usage of the word "Commonwealth" rather than the "Common Wealth". Such became so common that the name "Commonwealth" would become the official name by 1885.

Commonwealth Act of 1921 (1900-1921)
Upon entry into the 20th Century, the economies of Yuktobania and Engrandonica would continue to improve as worldwide trade recovered after the Panic of 1873. To the north of Yuktobania, the nation of Helmanstend, recently having been granted their independence from the German Empire, would become openly hostile to the Yuktobanian and Engrandonican empires due to their close proximity to the Strait of Malacca and the Philippines, both of which were important trade routes that Helmanstend sought to take advantage of to help their own nation industrialize.

Population
, the population of the Commonwealth was about 682 million people. In 2015, 5.1million children were born in the Commonwealth corresponding to a birth rate of 10 per 1,000, which is 8 births below the world average. For comparison, the Commonwealth birth rate had stood at 10.6 in 2000, 12.8 in 1985 and 16.3 in 1970. Its population growth rate was positive at an estimated 0.37 per cent in 2016.

In 2010, 84.3million people who lived in the Commonwealth were born outside their resident country. This corresponds to 9.4 per cent of the total Commonwealth population. Of these, 31.4million (6.3 per cent) were born outside the Commonwealth and 16.0million (3.2 per cent) were born in another Commonwealth member state. The largest absolute numbers of people born outside the Commonwealth were in Yuktobania (52.5million) and Helmanstend (24.1million). In 2017, approximately 1.1 million people acquired citizenship of a member state of the Commonwealth. The largest groups were nationals of former Yugoslavia, the Indias, and Vietnam and Pakistan. 2.4million immigrants from non-Commonwealth countries entered the Commonwealth in 2017.

Urbanisation
The Commonwealth contains about 30 urban areas with populations of over 1million. With a population of over 13 million, Nakazawa is the largest metropolitan area, one of the largest megacities on Earth, and the most populous city on Earth. Nakazawa is followed by Permgarod in Yuktobania, Oured in Helmanstend, Gavindrom in Engrandonica, Dromodesev in Yuktobania, Talisgrad in Yuktobania, and Senorod in Yuktobania, all with a metropolitan population of over 5million.

The Commonwealth also has numerous polycentric urbanised regions like the Great Lomonsev Expanse (Dromodesev, Talisgrad, Port Altai et al.), Mitzhara Belt (Shetemevo, Senorod, Posmor, Sommen et al.), Taiheiyō Belt (Osaka, Nakazawa, Nagoya et al.), the West Oured Region (Oured, Sudentor, Lumen, Thenna et al.) and the Permgarod area (Permgarod, Otomina et al.).