Verdusa

Republic of Verdesa
Flag
Capital	Shanadu
Official languages	Verdusi, Emmirian, Hebbi
Demonym(s)	Verdusan, Verdusi
Government
• President	Valtena Leo
• Prime Minister	Yahya Deeb Nida
Population
• 2020 estimate	17,801,000
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy

The Republic of Verdusa, most commonly known as Verdusa, is a nation located in eastern Adula, bordered by Emmiria to the north, Rajihat and San Martina to the south, and coastlines along the Haifan Sea and Emmiria Sea. The capital and largest city is Shanadu, with other major settlements including the holy city Yerusalahm and the port city of Haifan. Eighty percent of Verdusa is mountainous, with Mount Grecia being the highest peak at 2,918 metres (9,573 ft). Verdusa is regarded to be one of the cradles of the world's civilizations, the center of the Holy Land, being the birthplace of democracy as well as many forms of philosophy, literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and drama. It is also considered the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity, and a religiously important land for Islam and Rajitism, with the city of Yerusalahm being one of the oldest and holiest cities in the world.

In antiquity, Verdusa was home to several Verdusi Jewish kingdoms, including Haifan, Verdus, Shanadu, and is referred to as the Land of Verdus in Jewish tradition. Over the ages, the region was ruled by powers such as the Emmirians, Quetanans, Skithans, and Behinians. In the Middle Ages, it was part of the Islamic Caliphates of Emmiria, while the late 19th century saw Jewish immigration to the region increase considerably, leading to tensions between Jews and the Rajit and Muslim majority populations. Verdusa was granted an autonomous government within the Islamic Republic of Emmiria in the early 20th century, led by a Jewish governing board. A nationalist movement after the World War, supported by many foreign governments, led to the Emmirian government granting Verdusa independence in 1957. Democratic elections were held under a constitution which insured shared power between the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Rajit populations. In 1987, a coup d'etat led by Rajit military officials attempted to overthrow the government of Verdusa, leading to a violent civil war that lasted until 1989. A CCA peacekeeping force, mostly made up of neighboring San Martinan and Emmirian troops, was sent to defend international workers and protect safe-zones established by the Coalition and the Verdusian government. Following the civil war, there have been sporadic clashes between fractioned groups, though the country has largely remained peaceful and developed into a growing economy.

Verdusa is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced middle-income economy, a high quality of life, and a very high standard of living. Verdusa's unique cultural heritage, large tourism industry, prominent shipping sector and geostrategic importance classify it as a middle power. It is a member of the Coalition of Crown Albatross, Coalition Trade Organization, and several other organizations. It has remained largely neutral in foreign policy historically, especially since the end of the civil war.

History

Emmirian occupation (1850-1957)

Jews worshipping in Yerusalahm, 1870

In 1837, the region was retaken by Emmiria at the conclusion of the Barretoan Wars, and in 1850 the region was formally declared an "oversighted-autonomous region" in Emmiria. In 1877, a Rajit revolt led to the destruction of Tasisas. Although the revolt was suppressed, Emmirian forces in the region consistently fell under attack by fundamentalist Rajits and Muslim factions.

Since the existence of the earliest Jewish diaspora, many Jews had aspired to return to the Holy Land, though the amount of effort that should be spent towards such an aim was a matter of dispute. Although the Jewish population shrank dramatically throughout the periods of Emmirian and Skithan rule, a Jewish presence continued to survive in the region. The Jewish population of Verdusa from the outset of Emmirian and Skithan rule comprised a minority of the predominantly Muslim and Christian population and fluctuated in size throughout the centuries. By 1881, Jewish activists internationally urged Jews to seek national recognition in Verdusa. In 1897, some 400,000 Jews settled in Verdusa, and this period also saw the emergence of Jewish armed militias which sporadically fought Emmirian occupation forces.

In 1907 during the Zanjana War, President Zaki Hamidi stated that Emmiria intended for the creation of a "Abrahamic-formed state" in Verdusa, attributed to both shared nationalism between the religious groups in Verdusa, and continued armed attacks against Emmirian forces in the region. Calls for this state's independence grew greater in the Emmirian "Reform Era" in the 1930s, and boiled over into widespread joint demonstrations by Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and moderate Rajit groups during the World War. Many Emmirian politicians echoed these desires to let Verdusa become independent, as the strain of the World War on Emmiria's capabilities to administer Verdusa were not worth the growing nationalism in the region, nor the international calls for an "Abrahamic homeland".

Independence

Nearly three years after the World War, both Verdusan and international calls for the establishment of an independent "Abrahamic-state" had become too much for the Emmirian government to ignore. Rida al-Hammad authorized Emmirian administrative units to pull out of Verdusa on April 24th, 1957, and the next day Verdusa's self-governing parties declared independence. On March 5th, transitional elections were held and a constitution was signed, establishing Verdusa as a "shared religious state", moving the capital from the Holy City of Yerusalahm to Shanadu, and insuring proportionally shared power between the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Rajit populations.

Civil war

Though widely accepted by most of Verdusa's population, fundamentalist Rajits long opposed the constitutionally shared power in favor of a Rajit-majority state, although Rajits only comprised of roughly 10 percent of the total population at the time. In 1987 Rajit military officers carried out an attempted coup against the Verdusan government, tried to capture Yerusalahm, and expanded into an insurgency under the Rajit Liberation Army, backed by the Rajihat and Behinian governments. After the CCA Security Council issued calls for a ceasefire and the rebels ignored the deadline, CCA peacekeeping forces largely consisting of Emmirian and San Martinan troops were sent to back the Verdusan government. By 1989, the rebels had been widely defeated and the conflict quelled, aside from sporadic and rare attacks. More than 30,000 people had been killed. The war proved to be a case of successful use of peacekeeping missions.

Since the civil war, the Rajit population declined as many migrated out of the country to neighboring Rajihat, San Martina, Emmiria, or Behinia. In 1992, parliament passed a law which authorized life-long prison sentences to any religious persecutors in an attempt to stave off sectarian violence and maintain a healthy relationship with the remaining Rajit populations.

21st century

In 2007, a terrorist attack in Yerusalahm carried out by Rajit Liberation Army gunmen killed 44 people, prompting demonstrations between Rajit fundamentalists, government security forces, and other religious communities.

By the 2010s, the increasing regional cooperation between Verdusa and neighboring countries were established.

In the 2023 elections, Yahya Deeb Nida was elected the first woman Prime Minister of Verdusa and the fourth Muslim to hold office, thanks to a coalition merger between the moderate Islamic Union Party, the Rajit bloc, the Christian Union Party, and several members of the Judiac Union Party. The merger of several religious parties as opposed to a split among religious groups signaled only the second time in Verdusa's history that all represented religious factions in parliament joined in a majority, and the result was applauded internationally as a major show of national unity. The optimistic cultural mood that followed the 2023 elections led to the passages of several historic legislations, including a long-debated religious freedoms act, a widening of health reform, and the striking down of a controversial bill which would have stripped away constitutional executive sharing between religious factions.

In April 2024, RLA suicide bombers struck targets throughout Shanadu, killing 78 people. The Rajihat government announced its support for the RLA, as did several Rajit militant groups in Jiddiya. A clash between Rajihat and Verdusan border guards in As-Sanha killed three Verdusan troops on April 19th, escalating tensions further. On April 27th, a Rajihat military vehicle was destroyed as it attempted to break down the border wall, and on April 28th Deputy-President Gian Kafni was assassinated by RLA gunmen in Shanadu.

Government and politics

Verdusa has a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage. A member of parliament supported by a parliamentary majority becomes the prime minister—usually this is the chair of the largest party, or a unified coalition of the parties. The prime minister is the head of government and head of the cabinet. Verdusa is governed by a 240-member parliament. Membership of parliament is based on proportional representation of political parties, divided in four proportionally held sections under the 1957 constitution for the four main religious groups in the country: Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Rajits. Each section holds their own elections. The President of Verdusa is head of state, with limited and largely ceremonial duties, alternating every three years among the main religious groups.

Verdusa has no official religion, but the definition of the state as "religious and democratic" creates a strong connection with the four main religious groups, as well as a conflict between state law and religious law. Interaction between the political parties keeps the balance between state and religion largely as it existed during the Emmirian administrative period (1850-1957).

Verdusa has a three-tier court system. At the lowest level are magistrate courts, situated in most cities across the country. Above them are district courts, serving as both appellate courts and courts of first instance; they are situated in ten of Verdusa's twelve districts. The third and highest tier is the Supreme Court; it serves a dual role as the highest court of appeals and the High Court of Justice. In the latter role, the Supreme Court rules as a court of first instance, allowing individuals, both citizens and non-citizens, to petition against the decisions of state authorities.

Military

The Verdusan Armed Forces are the military force of Verdusa, tasked with defending the country and quelling sectarian violence where it occurs. It consists of the Army, Air Force, and Navy. Most Verdusans are drafted into the military at the age of 18. Men serve two years and eight months and women two years. Following mandatory service, Verdusan men join the reserve forces and usually do up to several weeks of reserve duty every year until their forties. Most women are exempt from reserve duty.

Foreign relations

Verdusa has held a stance of neutrality since independence, due to its religious significance around the world and its government's consistent desire to not side with parties in disputes and conflicts.

Verdusa's sovereignty has not been recognized by all nations. Notably, the Elastani government and several authoritarian, Muslim majority countries have maintained that Verdusa is rightfully Emmirian territory, despite Emmiria's government opposing that outlook. Verdusa and Emmiria established full diplomatic ties in 1985, 18 years after its independence.

Verdusa is a member of the Coalition of Crown Albatross.

Demographics

A political map of the Holy Land and its major cities

Language

Verdusa has three official languages; Verdusi, Emmirian, and Hebbi. Most languages correspond with their predominant religious groups, though many citizens are bilingual or trilingual, and hundreds of languages are spoken among the country's many immigrant families.

Religion

Religion in Verdusa

  Judaism (43.6%)

  Islam (31.1%)

  Christianity (18.9%)

  Rajihat (5.3%)

  Sky Faith (0.5%)

  Pykyes (0.4%)

  Others and unclassified (0.2%)

Verdusa comprises a major part of the "Holy Land", a region of significant importance to all Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Rajitism.

The religious affiliation of the Verdusa population as of 2022 was 43.6% Jewish, 31.1% Muslim, 18.9% Christian, and 5.3% Rajit. The remaining 1.1% included faiths such as Sky Faith, Pykyes Faith, as well as "religiously unclassified".

Muslims constitute Verdusa's largest religious minority, making up about 31.1% of the population. The Christian population is composed primarily of Emmirian Christians and Verdusan Catholic Christians.

The city of Yerusalahm is of special importance to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, as it is the home of sites that are pivotal to their religious beliefs, such as the Old City

Culture

Verdusa's diverse culture stems from the diversity of its population. Jews from diaspora communities around the world brought their cultural and religious traditions with them, creating a melting pot of Jewish customs and beliefs. Muslim influences are present in many cultural spheres, such as architecture, music, and cuisine. Christian and Rajit customs are also blended into the national identity.

Cuisine

Verdusan cuisine includes local dishes as well as Jewish cuisine brought to the country by immigrants. Since the establishment of the state in 1957, and particularly since the late 1970s, a Verdusan fusion cuisine has developed. Verdusan cuisine has adopted, and continues to adapt, elements of religious and ethnic group styles of cooking. It incorporates many foods traditionally eaten in eastern Adulan cuisines, such as falafel, hummus, shakshouka, couscous, and za'atar. Schnitzel, pizza, hamburgers, French fries, rice and salad are common in Verdusa. Kosher restaurants, though rare in the 1960s, make up around a quarter of the total. The non-kosher retail market was traditionally sparse, but grew rapidly and considerably following the influx of immigrants in the late 1970s. Together with non-kosher fish, rabbits and ostriches, pork—often called "white meat" in Verdusa—is produced and consumed, though it is forbidden by both Judaism and Islam.

Sports

Ancient Verdusan nation states would set aside war in favor of sporting in Olympianus, creating the Olympic Games. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at sanctuaries across Verdusa. Competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Verdusa. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat sports such as wrestling and the pankration, horse and chariot racing events. It has been widely written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce. The modern Olympic Games were inspired by these ancient games. The first-ever modern games, the 1950 Summer Games, were held in Emmirian-administered Verdusa in Olympianus.

Football is Verdusa's most popular and widely played sport. The Verdusa national football team plays in international tournaments such as the World Cup and Olympic Games.