Skith

Federation of Skith
Flag
Capital	Skithiana
Recognised national languages	Caticeze-English
Government
• Prime Minister	Cláudio Moreira
Establishment
• Empire of Skith	1302
• Monarchy abolished	1918
• Federation of Skith	1986
Population
• 2020 estimate	48,292,000
Currency	Skithan skod
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy

The Federation of Skith is a nation in eastern Adula bordered to the north by Andaluni, to the west by Mulfulira, to the south by Villorvi, and to the east by Quetana, with a narrow coastline on the Cantalle Ocean. It has a population of 48.2 million, making it one of the most densely populated countries in Adula. Its capital and largest city is Skithiana, with other major cities including Adiwan, Sanpio, and Erlitouna.

It has a small maritime connection to the Cantalle Ocean through the De Felice Inlet. It was the powerhouse behind a massive empire which existed from 1302 until its assimilation in 1918, a period of over 600 years, once ruling up to an eighth of the world's landmass, namely in eastern Adula, the Northern Cantalle Islands, and much of Western Euronia. The empire's decline began in the early 19th century, as a direct result of losing many of its colonies in the aftermath of the Zamastan War of Independence and the Barretoan Wars. The empire had three distinct dynasties: the Qua'pi Dynasty, the Caparrós Dynasty, and the Almarez Dynasty. The overthrow of the monarchy in the 1918 Skithan Civil War brought Melcion Suau and later Markusa Shikai into power as a largely authoritative government formed. The aftermath of the World War strained the Skithan government, and in the wake of several antagonistic foreign policy motions culminating in the 1983 Kuye War, Skith lost much of its territorial integrity as Villorvi and Khaytan became independent. Skith subsequently reformed into a representative federation and mended its relations with neighboring countries, most notably leading to democratic elections in 1989 and joining WEDA in 2005.

Skith is a member of the Coalition of Crown Albatross, WEDA, TAFCA, and is an observer of the C21.

History

Early Age

10,000 years old pottery, Danot Cave culture (18000–7000 bce).

Archaeological evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited Skith between 2.24 million and 250,000 years ago. The hominid fossils of Skothia Man, a Homo erectus who used fire, were discovered in a cave at Shandia near Skithiana; they have been dated to between 680,000 and 780,000 years ago. The fossilized teeth of Homo sapiens (dated to 125,000–80,000 years ago) have been discovered in the same region. Skith proto-writing existed in Adiwan around 7000 bce, Erlitouna around 6000 bce, Rolan from 5800–5400 bce, and Sanipo dating from the 5th millennium bce. Some scholars have suggested that the Danot symbols (7th millennium bce) constituted the earliest Skithan writing system.

The Qua'pi Dynasty

According to Skith tradition, the first dynasty was the Qua'pi, which emerged around 2100 bce. Qua'pi dynasty marked the beginning of Skith's political system based on hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, which lasted for a millennia. The dynasty was considered mythical by historians until scientific excavations found early Bronze Age sites at Erlitouna in 1959. It remains unclear whether these sites are the remains of the Qua'pi dynasty or of another culture from the same period. The succeeding Caparrós dynasty is the earliest to be confirmed by contemporary records. The Caparrós ruled the plain of the Skithiana River in eastern Skith from the 17th to the 11th century BCE. Their oracle bone script (from c. 1500 bce) represents the oldest form of Skith writing yet found, and is a direct ancestor of modern Skith characters.

The Caparrós Dynasty

The Caparrós Dynasty is the longest of the three main dynasties, lasting from around 600 BCE until 1503 CE, a time period of over 2000 years. This time was largely marked with the southward conquest of Emmiria and Verdusa.

The Almarez Dynasty

The Skith Empire at its greatest extent in 1800

The Almarez dynasty, which lasted from 1644 until 1918, was the last imperial dynasty of Skith. This period was marked notably by a massive outward expanse of the Skith Empire, with colonies being founded in modern day Quetana, Raviannas, Rio Palito, Zamastan, and Gladysynthia. The population of Skith doubled in size to around 100 million people, mostly because of the expansion of rice cultivation in central and southern Skith, and the production of abundant food surpluses from colonies. The Almarez dynasty also saw a revival and a flourishing of philosophy and the arts, as landscape art and porcelain were brought to new levels of maturity and complexity. Under Kings Hang Almarez I and his son who succeeded him, Hang Almarez II, the Skithan colonist forces began utilizing slave labor. This led to tensions which ultimately culminated in the Zamastan War of Independence in 1804 and the Skith Empire's turn for downfall. Over the next century, the empire deteriorated extensively, with Skith losing most of its colonies in the wake of their defeat in the Barretoan Wars. The empire officially collapsed during the Skithan Civil War in 1918, with the Almarez family being forced out of power and the monarchy abolished.

General Melcion Suau toasts Markusa Shikai in Skithiana following their overthrow of Chico Almarez in 1918.

Modern era

On 1 January 1924, the New Land of Skith was established, and Melcion Suau of the Nationalist Party was proclaimed provisional president. However, the presidency was later given to Markusa Shikai, a former Almarez general who in 1927 proclaimed himself King of Skith. In the face of popular condemnation and opposition from his own army, he was forced to abdicate.

After Markusa Shikai's death in 1929, Skith was politically fragmented. Its Adiwan-based government was internationally recognized but virtually powerless; regional warlords controlled most of its territory. In the late 1930s, Shikai's successor, Mona Silvestre was able to reunify the country under its own control with a series of deft military and political manoeuvrings, known collectively as the Northern Expedition. The Silvestre Army moved the nation's capital to Skithiana and implemented "political tutelage", an intermediate stage of political development outlined in Shau's program for transforming Skith into a modern state.

During the World War, Skith commercial shipping was attacked multiple times by Drambenburgian u-boats, resulting in Skith joining the Allied Powers in 1951. Skithan sailors and warships fought during the Battle of the Toyana while their armies fought during the invasion of southern Drambenburg in 1953.

In 1983, after years of percieved aggression from Skith, Emmiria invaded and annexed the Kuye region, kickstarting the Kuye War. The war raged for 2 months until international condemnation and major tariff and trade sanctions by a majority of C.C.A. member nations ceased hostilities on both sides. In the aftermath of the war, Skith fell into economic depression. The adverse occurred in Emmiria, when in 1991 its government fell back into good favor with the international community, co-helming a coalition peacekeeping task force with Durnstaal during the Jiddiyan Civil War. Skith's government reorganized dramatically following the war, becoming a representative federation and adopting a more friendly international policy. In 2005, it joined WEDA, and Emmiria followed suit 6 years later, officially mending relations between the two countries when President Abolhassan Neeshaan met Prime Minister Temmeni Olarro in Kuye.

Demographics

Cities

Largest Census Metropolitan areas in Zamastan by population
No.	CMA City	Population
1	Skithiana	7,320,000
5	Adiwan	4,293,000
6	Sanipo	3,160,000
7	Erlitouna	839,000