Apricus

The State of Apricus
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Apricus My Beloved Land
Capital	Ceva (de facto) Athema (de jure)
Largest city	Ceva
Official languages	English
Ethnic groups	78% Athemians 16% Zamareise 3% Betanians 2% Zords <1% Others
Demonym(s)	Apricusian
Government	Civilian Autocratic Aristocracy
• President	Giannino Rizzo
• Prime Minister	Ferdinanda Calabresi
• Speaker of the Parliament	Nico Costa
Legislature	The National Congress
Establishment
• Withdrawal of the Grand Queendom of Betancourt	3 August 1720
• Constitution	27 January 1723
• Independence declared	5 July 1723
Area
• Total	16,286 km2 (6,288 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.8
Population
• August 1825 estimate	189,421
GDP (PPP)	1825 estimate
• Total	₲230.693 million
• Per capita	₲1,217.885
Currency	Betancourtian Gizi (₲)

Apricus, officially the State of Apricus is a federal state located in Western Varisia along the Great Shomerisian sea that borders Hiraeth to the south. The geographical location of Apricus has kept it under the shadow of Hiraeth and largely dependent on it.

History

The borders of contemporary Apricus are the result of the gradual and slow mass withdrawal of the Grand Queendom of Betancourt. Its territory was part of the larger Athemian tribal land and hence was part of the Greater Athema province within the Grand Queendom of Betancourt. With the withdrawal of the Grand Queendom of Betancourt in 1698, Apricus gained independence under President Antonio Lorenzo in 1700. Apricus's history since independence has been marked by relative political stability and prosperity based on Ceva's position as a regional center for finance and trade.

Royal Era

Apricus was part of Greater Athema, and consequently became part of the Grand Queendom of Betancourt.

Independence

Apricus gained a measure of independence during the Betancourtian mass withdrawal. President Antonio Lorenzo, the Head of the National Athemian Convention, played a major role in the independence of the nation. Under political pressure from both inside and outside Apricus, President Antonio Lorenzo announced the independence of Apricus on 5 July 1723, and later on proposed that Apricus would mandate over the rest of Greater Athema upon the dissolution of the grand queendom. Elections were held in 1725 and Antonio Lorenzo was elected as the first president of Apricus.

The Ceva Broadcast

Niccolò Palazzo began planning to seize power shortly after his dismissal as the Governor of South Apricus. While Niccolò Palazzo had been in de facto command of South Apricus since 1730, Antonio Lorenzo and his supporters still held all the formal trappings of power there. Niccolò Palazzo was invite to attend the Annual Congress Meeting held on 1 October 1734. At the congress, Niccolò Palazzo was condemned by Antonio Lorenzo's congressional bloc for weakening the federal state in South Apricus. However, before attending the congress, Antonio Lorenzo had broadcasted to the southern territories of Apricus loyal to him that the congress had planned to officially withdrew their declaration of intent to mandate Greater Athema. The congress was swarmed by angry mobs that accused the congress of betrayal. Criticism of Niccolò Palazzo continued, but with the congress surrounded, the majority of delegates knew that they had lost the battle.

Niccolò Palazzo ordered loyalists to arrest the leading members of Antonio Lorenzo's government. While many leading middle men were offered posts in Apricus' embassies abroad, Antonio Lorenzo refused, telling Niccolò Palazzo, "The streets of Athema will be painted with your blood one day." In response, Niccolò Palazzo imprisoned Antonio Lorenzo who was later executed for treason.

Geography

The narrow and discontinuous coastal plain stretches from the Hiraethian border in the south to central Apricus. The Apricusian mountains rise steeply parallel to the Great Shomerisian coast and form a ridge of limestone and sandstone that runs for most of the country's length.

The mountains of Apricus are drained by seasonal torrents and rivers. Apricus has 24 rivers all of which are non navigable, 20 of which originate from Mount Ceva and run through the steep gorges and into the Great Shomerisian.