Vierzland

Vierz Federation Vierzische Föderation
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Gott und volk God and people
Anthem: Wir sind das Land der Treuen We are the land of loyalty
Location of Vierzland (dark green) in Patyria
Capital and largest city	Adtrus
Official languages	Vierz
Recognised national languages	Hauvic Isheric
Ethnic groups (2015)	92.8% Vierz 3.2% Caraqis 1.2% Artalians 0.8% Luepolans 0.3% Njataris 0.2% Isheris 1.5% other
Demonym(s)	Vierz
Government	Federal parliamentary republic
• Chancellor	Kaspar Vahl
• Deputy Chancellor	Nick Krämer
• President of the Federal Assembly	Eva Weiskopf
• Chair of the Supreme Federal Court	Thorsten Hopfer
Legislature	Federal Assembly
Formation
• Council of Annahof	18 August 895
• Treaty of Epirac	7 June 1766
• Werner Declaration	10 January 1990
• Current Constitution	4 January 1992
Area
•	531,756 km2 (205,312 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 estimate	95,613,152
• 2015 census	94,813,772
• Density	177/km2 (458.4/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$4.909 trillion
• Per capita	$51,775
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$4.376 trillion
• Per capita	$46,154
Gini (2020)	35.9 medium
HDI (2020)	0.916 very high
Currency	Vierz mark (ᛗ) (VZM)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+55
Internet TLD	.vz

Vierzland (/virslænd/, Vierz pronunciation: [ˈfɪʁtslant]), officially the Vierz Federation (Vierz: Vierzische Föderation), is a country in central Patyria. It is bordered by Vyzinia to the northeast, Luepola to the southeast, Lairea to the southwest, and Apelia and Borland to the west. The border with Luepola is intersected by the Volker Sea. Its northern coast flanks the Veisian and Savic seas of the Cercian Ocean. Vierzland's total population of 95 million people, the second-largest in Patyria, is spread across 14 states, with many located in major cities such as Adtrus, Bertenau, or Kasenberg. The country's land area is the second-largest in Patyria, totaling 531,756 square kilometers (205,312 sq mi). The economy of Vierzland, measured in nominal GDP, is the third largest in the world.

Settlement by Veisic tribes around the Bertenau Delta in antiquity gradually led to the establishment and expansion of numerous Vierz kingdoms in central Patyria. The Vogatian Empire was founded in 535 after the fall of the Deoran Empire, and came to dominate most of west-central Patyria until its fall in 853. The western-situated Vierz Kingdom was founded in 895. A collection of Vierz states in the east organized as the Vierz League in 1112. In 1766, the Kingdom and the League united as the Vierz Empire under Constantine the Great. The empire quickly established itself as a paramount economic and cultural force in the world. Over 150 years, the Vierz colonial empire expanded in West Oridia, Tusola, and South Artalia, especially in the aftermath of Vierz victories in the First Apelic War. Further victories in the Caberran Wars cemented Vierzland's position as a great power. Constitutional reforms in the late 19th century resulted in small-scale social and political liberalization.

Vierzland experienced significant turmoil in the wake of its defeat in the Frontier War in 1919 and the Great Crash of 1924. Socialist leader Lars Hencke was elected chancellor in 1927 but was overthrown in a coup led by Hermann Eschau, who instituted a military dictatorship. Eschau brought Vierzland to war with Luepola after its invasion of Zacotia in 1942, starting the Great War. Vierzland and its allies defeated the Socialist Internationale in 1947. Vierz forces created client governments in much of southern and eastern Patyria, leading to a rift with the western allies that evolved into the Silent War, a cold conflict between Vierzland and the CSO.

The Silent War saw significant social, economic, and technological progress in Vierzland, and the country rose to superpower status. Vierzland experienced instability and geopolitical decline amid conflicts in West Oridia, Luepola, and Tusola during the 1970s and 80s and the sociopolitical upheaval of the Vierz Revolution. Emperor Victor IV abdicated in 1989 as a result of widespread unrest, and then-chancellor Heinrich Werner dissolved the empire and presided over the constitutional transformation into the Vierz Federation. The country’s last overseas holdings were relinquished by 1994.

Vierzland is a founding member of the International Assembly, the Vierz Community, the Vierz Language Organization, and the Leisau Group. It was an associate member of the Union of Patyrian States from 1993 until 2013. Vierzland is a federal parliamentary republic with a high standard of living, universal healthcare, globally-renowned universities, and a historic reputation in the arts, sciences, and philosophy. Over 90% of the population is Vierz, with immigrant populations from West Oridia and eastern Patyria. Vierz, which is the sole official language and is native to Vierzland, is spoken worldwide as a global lingua franca. The Vierz Armed Forces are one of the largest in the world and the country is one of few on the planet to legally possess nuclear weapons.

Etymology

The name "Vierzland" is derived from the name of a Vierzic tribe, the Virsi (Wiersi), that inhabited the area around the Abenhal River from the 4th century BC. "Wiersi" comes from the Proto-Veisic word "weraz," meaning "man." This word is derived from the Proto-Bahsaro-Patyrian "wiHrós," which carries the same meaning.

The term Wirz was first used to describe the Vierz ethnic group in the 700s, as a self-descriptor by early Vierz nationalists who aimed to create a sense of identity among the Vierzic groups who inhabited north-central Patyria. The term was first used officially in 895 with the creation of the Vierz Kingdom, which was written as Wiersisches Kuningrīki in the Old Hauvic dialect of Vierz. The language shift from Old Hauvic to Modern Hauvic resulted in the shift from Kuningrīki to Königriek by the 1600s.

The Vierz League, which was situated in what is now eastern Vierzland, was founded in 1112 and carried the name Virzische Bund in Middle Vierz. Due to the orthographic shift during the transition from Middle Vierz to Early Modern Vierz, Virz gradually became written as Vierz in the constituent states of the Vierz League.

With unification of the Vierz Kingdom and the Vierz League in 1766, the Constitution of the Vierz Empire determined the official name of the state to be Vierzisches Reich, or "Vierz Empire". The collective dialects spoken in the east, known as Standard Vierz or just Vierz, were designated as the official language of the empire, with the Hauvic dialect of the west enjoying official status in some municipalities. This practice continued with the establishment of the Vierz Federation (Vierzische Föderation) in 1990.

History

Main article: History of Vierzland

Middle Ages

Main articles: Vogatian Empire, Vierz Kingdom, and Vierz League

Unification and Empire

Main article: Vierz Empire

Great War

Main article: Great War (Vasarden)

Silent War

Main article: Silent War

Luepolan War

Main articles: March Uprising and Luepolan War

Revolution and imperial collapse

Main article: Vierz Revolution

Stefan Vogt (middle-left) announces his resignation as Chancellor, February 1985.

In February 1985, Vogt was ordered to resign as chancellor by Victor IV. Uwe Scholz was appointed his successor. Considered a puppet of the Kaiser, no significant reforms were made under his chancellorship, and the situation continued to worsen; by the end of 1985, GDP had decreased by 6% over the course of the year as a result of major reductions in military manufacturing at the end of the Luepolan War. Protests against skyrocketing inflation began all over the country, signaling the beginning of the Vierz Revolution.

Organizations like Congress for the Republic (KfdR) were advocating for the dissolution of the monarchy and the introduction of a new, republican constitution. In January 1986, the pro-republican mayor of Gidenburg, Paul Bachmeier, was dismissed by the Kaiser. Months of protests resulted in his reinstatement in April, but protests continued throughout the year against worsening living conditions, inflation, corruption, and police brutality.

In August 1986, Scholz and four ministers were killed in a bombing in Adtrus. A state of emergency was declared, and a nationwide curfew was imposed. Mass protests against the Kaiser ensued, and Victor IV appointed KfdR leader Heinrich Werner as chancellor to appease popular sentiments. Civil unrest was temporarily quelled until February 1987, when protest activity resumed. Victor IV assumed executive powers and bypassed Werner, ordering a national lockdown in March 1987. A curfew was imposed, and most schools and businesses were shutdown. After two days of relative calm, rioting, looting, and striking began. After eight days of official lockdown, Victor IV reneged the order, and the chancellor regained executive authority.

Protests against Victor IV, March 1988.

Werner then began to introduce liberal reforms; he removed trade barriers, permitted local democracy, and removed restrictions on the press. While economic growth became positive by the middle of 1987, public opinion remained against the Kaiser. In September 1989, it was leaked that Victor IV threatened to fire Werner over the reforms, resulting in thousands of protestors gathering outside of the Royal Palace in Adtrus. On 28 October 1989, after the military declared they could not guarantee his safety, Victor IV abdicated the throne.

No member of the royal family wanted to take the throne, and the pro-republican government was not eager to instate a new monarch. On 10 January 1990, Werner issued a document known as the Werner Declaration, announcing the official dissolution of the Vierz Empire and elections in February 1990 to elect a constituent assembly.

Federation

Main articles: Politics of Vierzland, Constitution of Vierzland, and 2011 Bertenau bombings

The 1990s saw Vierzland undergo intense social, political, and cultural change after the dissolution of the empire. The 1992 Constitution of Vierzland formally reestablished the country as a federal, parliamentary republic. Liberal conservative and republican groups, the primary authors of the constitution, synthesized into the United Republicans under Werner.

The general elections of 1992 and 1997 saw the continued dominance of the United Republicans. Werner, who had been serving as President from 1992, retired from politics at the end of his term in 1997. Wenzel Dahlke's administration collapsed in 1998 amid a scandal that implicated members of the federal government in a corruption scheme with the state-owned steel corporation Higmon AG.

Vierz police guarding Bertenau Central Station, June 2011

Vierzland was devastated by the 1999 Vierz financial crisis. Vierzland defaulted on its external debt, and its credit rating was downgraded. The financial crisis resulted rapid inflation, increasing capital flight, high state budget deficits, and four quarters of GDP decline into 2000. Vierzland's economy was saved by a $42 billion economic stimulus package passed in 2000 by the social democratic government of Paul Bachmeier. The remaining years of the 2000s saw the construction of the Vierz welfare state and a rejuvenation of Vierz cultural society.

On 11 May 2011, five near-simultaneous explosions occurred on the Bertenau Metro around 08:30. 135 people were killed and another 1,120 injured. It was declared a terrorist attack by the Vierz government. Three Vierz-born Caraqi men were found guilty of the attacks and given the death penalty. A Caraq-based Tariqa terrorist group, the Army of God, claimed responsibility for the attacks and that it was in retaliation for Vierz military intervention in the Caraqi insurgency. The attacks saw the passage of the first anti-terrorism laws since the dissolution of the empire and increased national intention on security. It also led to a renewed, ongoing debate about immigration to Vierzland and the integration of migrants from West Oridia.

The economy again sunk into recession in October 2011 amid the worldwide financial crisis. It recovered in 2012, but left a significant impact on Vierz society and politics.

Geography

Urbanization

Largest cities and towns in Vierzland Federal Statistical Office
	Rank		States of Vierzland	Pop.
Adtrus Bertenau	1	Adtrus	Adtrus Capital Region	5,103,837	Kasenberg Friedrichstadt
	2	Bertenau	Hauvel	4,252,458
	3	Kasenberg	Lonzig	2,344,591
	4	Friedrichstadt	Hauvel	1,894,342
	5	Tilleda	Vogach	1,523,293
	6	Strauben	Geismar	1,246,785
	7	Talheim	Kastor	1,187,474
	8	Schattendorf	Annahof	1,108,245
	9	Gidenburg	Rastede	1,051,959
	10	Jesselitz	Jeien	998,043

Politics

Main article: Politics of Vierzland

Kaspar Vahl, Chancellor since 2012

Vierz politics take place within the framework of a federal, constitutional, parliamentary republic. The Constitution of Vierzland (Verfassung), ratified in 1992, creates the governmental structure of the federation in its first four chapters. Broadly, the constitution separates the government into three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Legislative matters are handled by the unicameral, 745-member Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung), which is elected by a system of mixed-member proportional representation every five years. The Federal Assembly is tasked with declaring war, making federal law, approving treaties, controlling the budget and taxation, and both selecting the Chancellor and removing them from office if need be. The last election was held in January 2017, with the next scheduled for January 2022.

The executive branch consists of the Chancellery (Kanzlerei) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat), the entirety of which is led by the Chancellor (Kanzler[in]), who is both the head of state and head of government. The Chancellor serves at the confidence of the Federal Assembly, and is elected by a ballot of the assembly a month after a general election. The Chancellor and the ministers (Minister), comprising the Federal Cabinet, are responsible for implementing laws, commanding the military, directing policy initiatives, and overseeing the activities of the Federal Regions.

The legal system in Vierzland operates under the system of civil law with the inquisitorial format. The judicial branch is compromised of the Supreme Federal Court (Oberstes Bundesgericht, OB), which handles matters of constitutional law and maintaining the rule of law, and the High Criminal Court (Hoher Strafgerichtshof, HS) which is responsible for criminal procedures at the national level. Both courts are staffed by 7 judges (Richter), who are appointed by the Chancellor and approved by the Federal Assembly, and three investigators (Ermittler), who are appointed by the government-independent Federal Judicial Office (Bundesamt für Justiz).

Political culture and history

Main article: Political parties in Vierzland

The Vierz constitution declares that the politics of the federation shall take place "under the guiding leadership of civic organizations, including trade unions, political parties, citizens' groups, and other factions relevant to the pluralistic nature of government." The constitution also sets forth the principles of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the freedom of association as the paramount political rights that the government is instructed to uphold.

The Ehrepalast, the seat of the Federal Assembly (front) and the Wernerhof, the offices of the Chancellery (back)

Upon the creation of the Vierz Federation in 1990, the big tent political group known as the United Republicans (Vereinigte Republikaner, VR) came to dominate national elections. The party was created as a merger of numerous republican organizations that had existed secretly during the imperial era, and was ideologically bent towards centre right liberal conservatism. The first three Chancellors of the Vierz Federation, Heinrich Werner (who was also the first and sole President of the federation), Wenzel Dahlke, and Gregor Naumann were VR leaders. The Higmon Affair scandal, in which it was revealed that assistants to then-chancellor Dahlke held illegal business relationships with the national steel corporation Higmon AG, caused the downfall of Dahlke's government and snap elections in June 2000. The scandal caused a mass exodus of party members to other parties, and the VR was disbanded after it lost all of its federal seats in the snap election.

Since 2000, Vierz politics have been dominated by two parties: the centre-left, social democratic Democratic Labour Party (Demokratische Arbeiderpartei, DAP), and the right-wing, national conservative National Democratic Party (Nationaldemokratische Partei, NdP). Both parties have respectively held the majority or plurality of seats in the Federal Assembly since the 2000 elections, occasionally leading coalitions with other parties. A number of other political parties take an active role in politics at the state and federal level, including the Conservative People's Party (Konservative Volkspartei, KvP), Centre Party (Vierzische Zentrumspartei, VZP), Royalists (Royalisten), and the Worker-Farmer Green Party (Arbeiter-Bauern Grüne Partei, A-BGP).

From 2000 to 2012, the Vierz government was ruled by the Democratic Labour Party, led by then-chancellor Paul Bachmeier until 2010, and his successor Erhardt Preisner until 2012. The two governments were responsible for large expansion of social programs and infrastructure spending, as well as the decriminalization of homosexuality. Preisner's government fell in the 2012 election, in which the NdP, led by Kaspar Vahl, secured a supermajority in the Federal Assembly. Vierz and international media noted a colossal shift to the political right that hadn't been seen since the pre-Great War era. Vahl's, and broadly the NdP's, campaign focused on appealing to nationalist and populist sentiments among the population, asserting the idea of Vierzland being a Wedian Vierz nation state.

In the most recent election, the NdP gained over 60% of seats in the Federal Assembly. Vahl and the NDP's rule has been defined by nationalist, anti-establishment, and anti-liberal rhetoric and policies. Vierzland has seen a steady decline in civil liberties, electoral integrity, and media freedom since 2012, with most experts labelling the country as a definite case of ongoing democratic backsliding.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Vierzland

Foreign relations

Savic prime minister Trond Lauritzen and Vierz chancellor Kaspar Vahl at the 2017 Leisau Group summit

Since the end of the Great War, Vierzland has had an active role in world affairs. The country is a founding member of the International Assembly and a fixed member of the IA Committee of Security. It is an active participant in the annual, intergovernmental summit held in Leisau, Vonzumier. The country is considered a great power with strong geopolitical influence in Patyria and the rest of the world.

At the end of the Silent War in 1990, the Central Patyrian Cooperation Association was dissolved and Vierzland's existing foreign relationships had to be revamped. The fall of the Vierz Empire prompted a mutual desire for a closer relationship with West Patyria, resulting in Vierzland's accession as a Union of Patyrian States associate member state in 1993. Relations with West Patyria remain strained however, specifically over Vierzland's interventions in Ekalla and the Caraq Union, the eventual withdrawal of the country from the UPS in 2013, and its friendly relationship with Bhasar and the Aitic Federation.

Savland, Vyzinia, and Zacotia are considered Vierzland's closest allies according to a 2015 report by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vierzland has operated intelligence-sharing and military training programmes with those countries since the end of the Great War, and Savland in particular enjoys a "special relationship" with Vierzland according to foreign policy experts and the Savic foreign ministry.

Vierzland maintains close relationships with its former colonies in the Artalias and West Oridia. These relationships are carried out via the Vierz Community and the Vierz Language Organization. Vierzland promotes close connections with "Vierzo-Artalian" states due to shared history, language, culture, and "common values of democracy, freedom, and human rights." Since 2010, Vierzland has invested $44.5 billion in programmes promoting the freeflow of "ideas, people, and opportunities" between the country and Artalian states.

The relationship between Vierzland and Vonzumier, its largest former colony and a world superpower, have been largely strained since the latter's independence in 1871. The two countries were enemies during the Silent War, but the fall of the Vierz Empire led to a period of détente, especially after Vierz chancellor Heinrich Werner made the country's first state visit to Vonzumier in 1994. Foreign policy experts argue that relations have mostly worsened since 2000, as the two states maintain conflicting geopolitical goals in West Oridia and Tusola.

Defense Minister Heiko Felder with Vierz troops deployed to Ekalla, 2018

Military

Main article: Wehrmacht (Vierzland)

The Wehrmacht ("Defense Force") is the national armed forces, responsible for maintaining the sovereignty of the country and responding to external threats. It is controlled by the Ministry of Defense (Verteidigungsministerium), and is directly responsible to both the minister and the Chancellor of Vierzland. Constitutionally, solely the Federal Assembly maintains the power to declare war and authorize the deployment of military units. Currently, there are an estimated 10,000 Vierz troops stationed abroad in Ekalla, Caraq, and the South Hadranes.

The armed forces consists of the Navy (Marine), Army (Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe), and the Gendarmerie. As of 2018, the military comprised over 1.1 million total personnel, with 353,462 active personnel, and 770,135 reservists. Under Vierzland's conscription system (Wehrpflicht), a male citizen from age 18 to 25 must perform one year of active military service; as of 2018 however, the government has announced plans to expand conscription exemptions for "career and educational purposes," which would exempt a number of potential conscripts.

The 2019 government budget allotted $89.6 billion (ᛗ137.5 billion) to the Ministry of Defense, constituting 2.22% of nominal GDP, and a 2.6% increase in military spending over the previous year. The country is arms self-sufficient and the Vierz weapons industry is one of the most advanced in the world. Vierzland is one of the sole possessors of nuclear weapons, maintaining an estimated arsenal of 800 nuclear warheads. The military has warhead delivery mechanisms such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and strategic bombers.

Economy

Infrastructure

Vierzland's infrastructure is overseen by the federal and state governments, who work in tandem to administer the airports, railways, roadways, and ports of the country. At the federal level, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs maintain the workings of the country's transportation systems, with the latter primarily handling customs.

The recently-completed Adtrus Capital Airport.

The country's extensive railway network is controlled by the state-owned Vierz National Railway Corporation (also known as Vierzische Eisenbahnen, "Vierz Railways"), which operates both passenger and cargo rail services between major cities and towns in Vierzland. Since 2000, the VNRC has been introducing new high-speed rail routes between the largest cities. The federal highway system, known as the Bunde Chausseen (Federal Chausseen), is controlled by the Verkehrsamt ("Traffic Office") of the Ministry of Transportation, which sets speed limits on federal highways and funds road-building projects.

A number of airports deliver air transport services to Vierzland, the largest of which being Adtrus Capital Airport, built in 2007, and Bertenau-Hauvel Airport for domestic and international flights. Until 2007, Adtrus was serviced by Lars Hencke Adtrus Airport, which is now used solely by the Vierz Air Force. Maritime transport is handled by a number of ports on the country's coast, with Friedrichstadt Port and the Port of Adtrus being among the busiest container ports in the world.

Demographics

Ethnic groups and migration

Ethnic groups in Vierzland (2015)

  Vierz (92.8%)

  Caraqi (3.2%)

  Other (1.5%)

  Artalian (1.2%)

  Luepolan (0.8%)

  Njatari (0.3%)

  Isheric (0.2%)

Vierzland is officially a nation-state for the Vierz people, who constitute 92.8% of the population according to the 2015 census. Nonetheless, there are significant populations of ethnic minorities. The official results of the 2015 census in regards to self-identified ethnicity are:

• 92.8% Vierz (87,506,299 people)
• 3.2% Caraqi (3,017,459 people)
• 1.5% "Other" (1,414,434 people)
  • A combined category of all "non-designated" ethnic response groups that do not cross the 0.5% reporting threshold.
• 1.2% Artalian (1,131,547 people)
  • For those who arrive from North or South Artalia, regardless of their actual ethnic or racial origins.
• 0.8% Luepolan (754,365 people)
• 0.3% Njatari (282,887 people)
• 0.2% Isheric (188,591 people)

6.1% of the population are considered immigrants, as either one or both of their parents were not Vierz citizens at birth. This has increased from 5.1% in 2005 and 3.2% in 1995. Recent immigration largely originates from former Vierz colonies in West Oridia or North Tusola, while the large population of ethnic Luepolans are from formerly-Luepolan territories annexed after the Great War or the descendants of guest labourers during the Silent War.

Vierz imperialism resulted in large-scale emigration from Vierzland to settle colonial territories during the 1700s and 1800s. It is estimated that there are 200 million members of the Vierz diaspora worldwide, and roughly a total of 300–400 million people with some Vierz ancestry. Most of these people are in South Artalia; as of 2018, 100,840,224 people in Vonzumier alone are reportedly Volksvierzische. There are small populations of ethnic Vierz in Oridia and Tusola.

Languages

Vierz is the official language of the country, and the native language of 93.3% of the population. Studies indicate that 99.7–99.8% of the population speak Vierz at a fluent level as a first, second, or third language. Hauvic and Isheric are designated by the constitution as national languages, but are seldom used in national communications.

A bilingual sign in the town of Aurich, Hauvel. The Hauvic name Auerk is listed below the Standard Vierz name.

Hauvic is primarily spoken in the western states of Hauvel, Steres, and Vogach. The 2015 census indicated that it has 4,809,075 speakers, comprising 5.1% of the overall population. Hauvic has seen a decline in usage due to the dominance of Standard Vierz in culture, education, and politics. The vast majority of Hauvic speakers maintain fluency in Standard Vierz as a first or second language. There is still debate amongst linguists as to whether or not Hauvic constitutes a separate language from Vierz or is only a dialect of the language.

Isheric is mostly spoken in Orthodox Isheric communities throughout Vierzland. Like Hauvic, it has seen a decline in usage over the last few hundred years and is only spoken by 47,148 people in Vierzland today; or roughly 0.05% of the overall population and a quarter of population of ethnic Ishers.