Araucania

Amidst the towering peaks of the Andes lies a region within modern-day Chile known as Araucania. It is a land of angry volcanoes, mighty rivers, and hundreds of emerald lagoons. The resilient Mapuche people have lived here for generations, holding fast to their culture and traditions against the onslaught of the Spanish and others. The Andes frame the west coast of Araucania, sheltering the inner central valley from the effects of the Pacific Ocean. Eagerly sought after by the Spanish, this central valley provided the bulk of this land’s agrarian economy. For over 100 years, the Mapuche successfully defended this land against Spanish attempts at conquest. After Spanish tenure in the region, the Mapuche faced years of additional assaults by the governments of Chile and Argentina. In 1860, the Mapuche selected a French lawyer named Orelie-Antoine Tounens to be King of Araucania (also called New France), and established their own government, flag, and coinage. Chile and Argentina refused to accept Tounens and had him deported several times. He died in France in 1878, stripped of his crown and any authority.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.