Gholestan

Pirate of Gholestan پیریه‌تیی گۆله‌ستان
Flag of Gholestan Flag State Seal
Motto: خولامێنی هاق Servants of Truth
Capital	Golkand
Largest	Menar
Official languages	Standard Gholani
Recognised regional languages	Jabeli Gheiravic
Ethnic groups (2017)	Gholanis 89% Gheiravis 10%
Demonym(s)	Gholestani
Government	Federal Theocratic-Republican Parliamentary republic
• Pir	Ostad Nêçîrvan Bawerd

The Pirate of Gholestan (Golani: Pîriyetî-yi Golestan) is a sovereign and theocratic state in West Catai, bordered by Hisaristan to the east and Fahran to the west. It has a population of nearly eight million, who are primarily located in rural areas. The capital city of Gholestan is Golkand, which is also the largest city in the nation. An anarchist federation, Gholestan has no official leader or legislature. The Imam of the Rohollahi faith exerts immense spiritual authority however, meaning he is often considered to be in command.

Gholestan was first settled by nomads originating in UNKNOWN, who founded several towns in the Vadi-e-Shirin region. Cut off from Hisaristan geographically, the settlers language and culture diverged significantly. The mountainous towns remained disunited as the harsh geography made ay large-scale conquests difficult. By the eighth century CE, forces loyal to the Davazdi Emirate had made several military incursions into the Vadi-e Shirin and spread Irsad to the lowland areas. The Highland clans, however, remained dedicated to their pagan beliefs and resisted Irsadic expansion. In the late eighth century, the heterodox Zikrist preacher Ibn Muadh was forced to flee from his teaching position in Muqtal on account of his radical beliefs. He fled north, eventually residing among the pagan Golanis who saw him as an alternative to the rigid and legalist Irsad of the lowlands. Following several 'miracles', several of these highland clans adopted Muadhi Irsad. Ibn Muadh passed away in 936 CE at the age of 82, cementing his teachings in Qaradag.

HISTORY STILL PAGING INPUT FROM NEIGHBOURS

• Some Kind of borderlabd states
• Rohollahism
• Eventually annexed
• Revolts
• Hisari wars

In the modern day, Gholestan is a poor country. The Civil War left the country a husk with poor infrastructure, while corruption is still a problem. Its unique system of governance, which is anarchist in nature, has left the nation unable to fully industrialise and left much of the nation in poverty. Gholestan is also isolated from its neighbours, due to the revanchist ideals of much of the Majlis-y Piran and Revolutionary Guards and heretical nature of the Rohollahi faith.

Geography

Golkand, showing the mountains that characterize the north.

Gholestan is a small coastal nation located in the [Sifhar]] region of Aeia. It covers an area of INSERT square kilometres. The north of the nation is often referred to as the Golani mountains and is heavily mountainous, with the Karsad and Mehetik mountain ranges dividing up much of the area. Nearer the coast, the terrain is far more gentle and fertile. There are several rivers which run down from the northern mountains to the sea, the biggest of which is the Muš River. The coastal seaboard borders the Sifhar Sea and is the most densely populated area in Naharin due to its more habitable terrain. The largest lake in Naharin is Lake Pilšu.

Climate

The climate of Gholestan depends on the region within the nation. The northern highlands are temperate, with cold snowy winters and hot summers. The southern seaboard is far more humid, with a wet-dry season cycle. The highlands are classified as a Cold semi-arid climate on the Aerh climate classification, while the coastal areas are a Tropical savanna climate. The median temperature varies based on region as well, but overall temperatures range from -14 to 29 in the north and 12 to 45 in the south.

Economy

Industry

The Economy of Gholestan has been industrialised since the late twentieth century when massive industrial reforms were put into place to account for the severe discrepancies in power between Gholestan and its Sifhari rivals of the time. While much of this was damaged during the Hisari wars, Gholestan remains a semi-industrial nation. The industrial sector of the Naharine economy is the second largest sector after agricultural exports, with the majority of industry of industrial production in Gholestan being concentrated in a variety of light and heavy fields. This includes steel, light arms manufacturing and light vehicle manufacturing, as well as light industrial fields such as textiles. High-tech industries are less well developed, with a small operation manufacturing smartphones outside Pabani.

Demographics

Education

Education has been a priority of the Gholestani government for years, with high-profile literacy campaigns and increased investment in educational facilities. Despite this, conservative Irsadic social attitudes have resulted in large gaps between gender education. For example, the literacy rate for males is 91.7%, but only 74.9% for females. There are five men in secondary education for every three women, and one woman for every four in post-secondary education. The Gholestani education system is perceived internationally to be of poor quality, with long school days and low teacher wages meaning standards have slipped. A major feature of the Gholestani education system is ideological training. This is present in all levels of education in the country, with the stated goal of "shaping a society based on Anwar Xâce Thought". There is a tradition of Irsadic education in Gholestan, in particular in the esoteric Rohollahi sect, which has been a major focus of the government. Students of Rohollahi theology from across Sifhar, in particular Sidi Synnia, come to study at seminaries in Golkand.

Religion

The majority religion of Gholestan is Irsad, which is practiced by around 99% of the population. Irsad came to the nation in the fourth century, through traders from the caliphate. While it spread quickly among the urbanised elites of the coastal regions, the highland clans were more resistant. This changed in the late eighth century, when theologian Ibn Muadh fled to Gholestan in order to escape persecution for his highly heterodox views. His teachings were disseminated quickly among the highland tribes, who soon adopted them with elements of their own traditional faith to form the Rohollahi sect. This sect soon came to dominate in Gholestan and became an essential part of Golani ethnic nationalism. The Muadhi school comprises of 87% of Gholani Muridin, with the rest following Malufi doctrine.