Lemovicia

Lemovician Socialist Republic Mendiluŕaren Errepublika Sozialista
Federal subject of the Champanois Federative Socialist Republic
Flag Seal
Lemovician Socialist Republic within the Champanois FSR Lemovician Socialist Republic within the Champanois FSR
Government
• Type	Single-party socialist republic
• PSOL First Secretary	Anha Onhatebias
• Presidency of Lemovicia	List Anha Onhatebias (president) Arin Municcica Laurentsi Artasot Hauritsa Olanha Xavier Àtagona
• Premier	Jaime Nunhes
Area
• Total	21,826 km2 (8,427 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,864,790
• Density	85/km2 (220/sq mi)
Demonym	Lemovician

The Lemovician Socialist Republic (Lemovician: Mendiluŕaren Errepublika Sozialista; MES) is a is one of the constituent republics of the Champanois Federative Socialist Republic. It was created in [YEAR] following the annexation of the region into Champania during [war]. In [YEAR], it was granted with the Bregalian canton of La Marcha following a referendum. Lemovicia is composed of the cantons of Lemovicia and La Marcha. As of 2022, Lemovicia has a population of 1,864,790 people, making it the smallest republic within Champania. Despite this, the Lemovician capital of Topagunha is the 5th largest city in the nation.

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Etymology

The area of Lemovicia was the named after the Lemovices, a Tenic tribe who inhabited the present-day region of Lemovicia at the time of the Solarian Empire. The name of the Lemovices derive from the term lemo, meaning elm, and vices, meaning "those who win," which indicates that the Lemovices meant "winners with elm," due to their weaponry being made of elm. However, there are claims that the name may have been what the Tenic inhabitants of present-day Lemovicia referred to the Paleo-Lemovician people, who have inhabited the territory.

The name used by the native Lemovicians to refer to the land is Mendiluŕa, which is a shortened form of Mendien luŕa meaning land of the hills, due to the terrain where the Lemovicians traditionally lived.

Historically, Małomiersa was used to describe Lemovicia, meaning "little Miersa" in Miersan and other Marolevic languages, as it was smaller than Miersa after the Lordship of Lemovicia was partitioned in 1491 between the Miersan Commonwealth and the Unio Trium Nationum. It is still commonly used in Marolevic countries, and among those who refuse to acknowledge the Lemovician government's sovereignty.

History

Prehistory

Evidence of human habitation of present-day Lemovicia dates back from 16,000 BCE to 12,500 BCE, with stone tools and ruins of paleolithic settlements within the area dating back to around that period of time, particularly in the lowlands of Lemovicia. The highlands of Lemovicia began to be settled from around 9,000 BCE onward, and by around 5,000 BCE, most of Lemovicia had been settled by humans.

However, it is unclear which language or culture they belonged to, although many ethnic Lemovicians claim that they are directly descended from the proto-Eucleans who inhabited Lemovicia.

By the time of the Solarian Empire, Tenic peoples moved into the lowlands, where they were called the Lemovices, while the Lemovicians enter the historical record as the Menes people.

Solarian Empire

Ruins of a Solarian villa near Sechia, 2009

The area of southern Lemovicia was conquered in 311 CE by Proculus Floridius Auxientius, primarily to help strengthen the Solarian Empire's control of what is now western Champania, and protect the area from Tenic and Marolevic tribes in the Miersan Basin. Despite occasional efforts to expand Solarian control northward into the rest of Lemovicia and into present-day West Miersa, these efforts were generally unsuccessful.

Due to Lemovicia being right at the northern extremity of the Solarian Empire, Solarian rule over the area was largely marked by the construction of castra at strategic passes, although there are some archaeological records which suggest that a small population of Solarians did settle in the area, although these Solarians were primarily military personnel and veterans. During the period of Solarian rule over southern Lemovicia, while Lemovicians were generally left alone, it had to deal with constant raids from both Tenics and Marolevs, which only grew worse as Marolevs migrated into lands that were previously inhabited by Tenics. These raids, combined with internal instability in the Solarian Empire, eventually forced the Solarians to abandon present-day Lemovicia around 400 CE.

Despite only being ruled for less than a century by the Solarians, they left behind a mark in Lemovician society, as the Solarian Empire introduced Sotirianity to the Lemovicians, which would spread across the land and into present-day West Miersa. This process would lead to the near-complete extinction of the traditional Lemovician religion by around the ninth century CE.

Middle Ages

A medieval castle near Topagunea, 2016

Following the collapse of the Solarian Empire, much of present-day Lemovicia fell under the control of the Empire of Arciluco, as... (TBC)

As Arcilucan control weakened over its hinterlands, the area in present-day Lemovicia fell into squabbling, lasting until around 870 CE, when Tomas Urdina united the area of present-day Lemovicia and TBD to create the Duchy of Dražovice. While initially ruled by Lemovician nobles, as the Lemovician nobility in Dražovice assimilated to the local Marolevic populations, the Lemovician population in the duchy became more opposed to Golubović rule over their lands, as they were seen to be a foreign power by the Lemovicians, leading to several peasant revolts from the eleventh century onward.

In 1462, with TBD becoming part of the Unio Trium Nationum, a revolt led to the creation of the Lordship of Lemovicia, with Bikendi becoming the first Lord of the country. Despite this initial success against the Unio Trium Nationum, Lemovicia would struggle, as it became vulnerable to both the Unio Trium Nationum, which sought to reconquer the Lordship of Lemovicia, and the Miersan Commonwealth, which sought to expand southwards to the Mendija Mountains. This would lead to conflict between the three, with the Lordship of Lemovicia losing land to both sides.

In 1491, both sides came to an agreement at TBD, which saw the partition of the Lordship of Lemovicia, with areas to the north falling under Miersan control, and areas to the south returning to the Unio Trium Nationum. This marked the end of Lemovician independence for nearly five centuries, particularly as present-day Lemovicia became part of the Miersan Commonwealth, and marks the permanent divergence of the history of Lemovicia with the history of the present-day TBD.

Renaissance

integration with Miersa, union with Kingdom of Lemovicia dies in 1638 when it gets annexed into Soravia, Lemovicia becomes part of the Soravian Empire

Industrial Revolution

increased migration from Miersa and Soravia, increasing Slavicization of Lemovicia, native Lemovician language is threatened by increasing Marolav population, especially in the lowlands

Great War

Due to Lemovicia's geographic location on the border with Gaullica, who controlled portions of present-day Champania as soon as Soravia entered the Great War in 1927, Lemovicia became a strategic target for the Entente forces, as although the southern regions of Lemovicia were mountainous, beyond the Mendija Mountains laid an easy path for the Entente forces to advance into Soravia.

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Miersan rule

A street in Mistózburó, 1953

In the aftermath of the Great War, the area of present-day Lemovicia initially remained part of the Miersan Governate. However, as tensions rose across the region, which culminated in the Miersan general strike which also affected Lemovicia, due to its majority Miersan population.

Despite efforts by the Lemovician community to remain part of Soravia, when the Godfredson Plan was drafted up, as the region of Małomiersa had been "thoroughly integrated" with the Miersan Governate, combined with assurances that Soravia would continue to have influence over West Miersa, it was decided that Małomiersa was to become part of the newly-established Miersan Sotirian Republic, as the Małomiersan voivodeship, with its capital to be in the city of Mistózburó (present-day Topagunea).

Over the following decades, the Lemovician community were subject to a policy of Miersanization, with the Lemovician language being prohibited from being used in schools and in governmental jobs. Thus, while in 1936, the share of ethnic Lemovicians was at 46% of the voivodeship's population, by 1977, it had fallen to a mere 34% of the population, as many Lemovicians either emigrated or assimilated into the dominant Miersan identity.

During this period, coal and iron remained the dominant natural resources of Lemovicia, with these resources being extracted by the government in Żobrodź, but by the 1970s, as coal and iron mines began closing, many ethnic Lemovicians began reasserting their ethnic identity against the Miersan identity, with tensions growing between the two communities due to rising unemployment. At the same time, two factions sought to assert control of Lemovician nationalism: the Lemovician Cultural Alliance on the right, and the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International on the left of the political spectrum. The latter sought a more "political solution" to the plight of Lemovician nationhood, while the former sought to focus on Lemovician culture.

By the late 1970s, terrorism became a common occurrence, with the Aranoak being established in 1978 to wage a campaign of terrorism to "cripple northern rule [over Lemovicia]." This led to the West Miersan government cracking down on Lemovician activities, which in turn increased anti-Miersan sentiment in the region.

War of independence

Aftermath of the Battle of Zubihaŕa in 1983

Main article: Lemovician War

As Soravia began to collapse on itself with the outbreak of the Sostava War in August 1979, West Miersa found itself without a backer. This gave ample opportunity for East Miersa to launch an invasion of West Miersa in TBD, 1979. With East Miersa invading West Miersa, the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International, led by Nikolas Lezana and Ociote Sasiambarena, took the opportunity to lead Małomiersa to independence as a "sovereign Lemovician state."

Thus, on 21 November, 1979, in Topagunea, the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International seized control of the government buildings, and proclaimed the independence of the socialist State of Lemovicia, thereby starting the Lemovician War. From the beginning, the fledgling state found itself dependent on East Miersan support to maintain control, given Lemovicia's small population, and the opposition of most ethnic Miersans to the fledgling state of Lemovicia.

However, due to East Miersan support, by 1980, the Lemovicians were able to take control of the entire voivodeship. That year, they promulgated a constitution, which proclaimed Lemovicia to be a socialist state, largely based on the East Miersan model, although there were direct elections to the newly-established National Assembly. Elections were held that November, which saw the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International take 109 of the 110 seats.

Upon the end of the Miersan War with the Treaty of San Alessandro, Lemovicia's position became untenable, as the government was reliant on East Miersan support. This allowed the Miersan communities in northern Małomiersa to rebel against the Lemovician authorities, while the Miersan National Armed Forces, with Soravian support, began supporting the Miersans in their fight against the Lemovician government. At the same time, the East Miersan authorities were able to successfully pressure the Lemovicians into taking parts of areas that were under the control of the Nadmorzem voivodeship, in order to provide a direct supply line between East Miersa and Lemovicia.

Thus, by 1983, although the Lemovicians lost control of northwestern Lemovicia to West Miersa, they were able to secure control over what they called the Corridor Security Zone, allowing the East Miersans to supply the Lemovician forces through Checkpoint Gamma. At the same time, ethnic Lemovicians began fleeing into Lemovicia, while ethnic Miersans fled into West Miersa. In 1986, Lezana died, and was succeeded by Sasiambarena as the undisputed leader of Lemovicia.

By 1988, Ipaŕateja and the regions of Ibaiak which were still under Lemovician control finally fell to the West Miersan forces, resulting in Lemovicians in these areas fleeing to Lemovician-controlled territory or to foreign countries. A stalemate gradually fell into place, and by 1992, the Arciluco Agreement was signed, which established a ceasefire and a demilitarized zone based on the front lines at the time of the war's end. This meant that West Miersa and Lemovicia would maintain control over the regions of the voivodeship that they already had at the time.

Geography

View of the Andia River, 2006

Lemovicia is traditionally divided into the lowlands (Lemovician: eskariak, Miersan: niziny), situated in the northern regions of the country, and the highlands (Lemovician: mendialdean, Miersan: wyżyny), situated in the southern regions of the country, which is home to the Mendija Mountains, and the country's highest point, at 2,655 metres high, is at Mount Amalur.

The lowlands of Lemovicia have traditionally been more suitable for agriculture, as they are flat and have fertile soil, with the most fertile lands situated along the longest river in Lemovicia, the Andia River. However, the flatness of the lowlands has historically made it vulnerable to foreign invasion, as the lack of geographically defensive features within the region made it an easy target for foreign invasion. In contrast, the highlands are not as suitable for agriculture, but in addition to its defensive capabilities, it is home to much of Lemovicia's natural resources, particularly coal and iron.

Climate

Due to Lemovicia's geographic position in the middle of Euclea, it is on average colder than other places on the same latitude, such as southern Gaullica, northern Bahia, or the west coast of Rizealand.

The lowlands of Lemovicia have a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cool winters: average temperatures there range from a low of −10.7 °C in January to a high of 25.1 °C in July, with the highest recorded temperature set in Sechia on 13 August, 2019, at 40.3 °C.

In the highlands, although it is closer to the equator, the higher elevations gives it a hot dry-summer continental climate, with average temperatures ranging form a low of −8.0 °C in January to a high of 30.8 °C in July, and the highest elevations give an alpine climate. The lowest recorded temperature in Lemovicia is found in the highlands, with a temperature of -43.9 °C recorded at a weather station near the summit of Mount Alamur on 2 February, 1962.

Economy

Central Bank in Topagunea, 2010

For much of Lemovicia's history, the economy of the area was largely based off of agriculture, with fertile valleys along the shores of the rivers, including the longest, the Andia River, helping provide the area with much of their income. While forestry was significant, by the eighteenth century, much of the primeval forests had been cut down.

However, with the discovery of coal and iron, the economy of Lemovicia shifted as these materials were vital for the industrialization of certain countries, especially of Soravia, which Lemovicia was part of at the time. With this migration, a manufacturing sector emerged, although compared to the rest of Soravia, this sector was small.

Over the coming decades, its economy became largely based on the extraction of coal and iron, as its manufacturing sector was destroyed by the Great War. With the manufacturing sector was rebuilt in the 1940s under West Miersan rule, Lemovicia would contribute significant amounts to the West Miersan economy, although outside of Sechia and Mistózburó, little of that wealth went to the ordinary citizenry.

However, following the start of the Lemovician War in 1979, the Lemovician economy was destroyed, with the result that by 1992, it had one of the smallest economies in the world. Due to its political status as a partially recognised state, economic recovery was very slow, while its socialist economic system discouraged significant levels of investment into the Lemovician economy. Today, the Lemovician economy is dependent on (TBC).

Officially, the currency of Lemovicia is the denar (Ð), divided into 100 kobreak, but in practice, the East Miersan grosz is the most commonly used currency in Lemovicia, with Lemovicia's economy being tightly linked with the East Miersan economy.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Lemovicia

As of the 2017 Lemovician census, 1,014,866 people live in the area controlled by the authorities in Lemovicia, although if combined with the 2017 West Miersan census results for Malomiersa, which is claimed by Lemovicia to be a part of the country, the combined population for Lemovicia would be at 2,502,577 people.

Ethnicity

As of the 2017 census, the largest ethnic group, at around 95.5% of the nation's population, or 968,497 people, are the indigenous Lemovicians, spread out across territory controlled by the Lemovician authorities.

Of the remainder of the country's population under Lemovician control, 20,297 people, or two percent of the nation's population, are Miersans, of whom most are those who chose stay post-independence, although a sizable proportion of East Miersans live in Lemovicia as well, while 15,222 people, or around 1.5% of the nation's population, are Savaders. The remainder of the population in areas controlled by the Lemovician government belong to other ethnic groups.

Religion

Rural Episimialist church, 2014

As of the 2017 census, around 28% of the population under Lemovician control, or 284,162 people, are adherents to Sotirianity, while around 21% of the population, or 213,122 people, are irreligious, and two percent of the population, or 20,297 people, follow other religions. The remaining 49% of the population, or 497,285 people, are either undeclared or unknown.

The largest sect of Sotirianity practiced in Lemovicia is the Episemialist Church, with 274,013 adherents, making up around 27% of the Lemovician population. From the sixteenth century until the twentieth century, the Miersan Episemialist Church served as the church of present-day Lemovicia. However, since Lemovicia's independence, the Lemovician government has cracked down on the Miersan Episemialist Church in favor of the Lemovician Episemialist Church, which uses the Amathian rite, but uses Lemovician as a liturgical language instead of Miersan and Church Marolevic.

Other prominent sects of Sotirianity practiced in Lemovicia include Catholicism, practiced by 3,383 people, or 0.3% of the population, and Witterism, practiced by 2,167 people, or 0.2% of the population, with a whole slew of other sects making up the remaining Sotirian population, or 4,599 people.

Since independence, the number of irreligious people have grown, in part due to official policies encouraging state atheism. As of the 2017 census, around 21% of the population, or 213,122 people identify themselves as being irreligious, which the census defines as being either agnostic or atheist.

Finally, among the remaining 2% of the population who follow other religions, most of them follow Lemovician neopaganism, with a sizable minority of Marolevic neopagans.

Language

Since Lemovicia's independence in 1979, it has one official language, the Lemovician language. However, it recognises two minority languages under the Constitution of Lemovicia: Miersan, and Savader, and allows government services to be provided in these languages where there is a sizable population of Miersans or Savaders.

As of 2017, 618,559 people, or around 61% of the population, speak Lemovician as a first language, mostly ethnic Lemovicians and among younger generations. Miersan is the first language of around 37% of the population, or 375,500 people, mostly by older ethnic Lemovicians, or by the Miersan community, although Miersan is still a common lingua franca inmany parts of the country. Finally, Savader is spoken as a first language by 1.2% of the population, or 13,091 people, virtually all among the Savader community. Finally, 6,923 people, or around 0.7% of the population, speak other languages that are not recognised by the Lemovician government, mainly TBD.

Education

Main article: Education in Lemovicia

Per the Lemovician constitution, education is the responsibility of the national Ministry of Education.

While for the most part, the education system in Lemovicia is still based off of the West Miersan and Soravian models, as a consequence of Lemovicia's independence and alignment with the Association for International Socialism, the curriculum of the two polities have grown more different, most notably in the use of Lemovician in the education system, and in the promotion of socialist ideology in the country's education system.

Healthcare

The healthcare system of Lemovicia is regulated by the national government, as per the Lemovician constitution. Thus, the main ministry responsible for overseeing the Lemovician healthcare system is the national Ministry of Health, currently held by Aiora Harambure as of 2020. The Ministry of Health is responsible for licensing doctors, nurses, clinics, and regulating the operations of doctors, nurses, clinics, and hospitals.

As of 1993, Lemovicia has a single-payer universal healthcare system, and since the Lemovician Civil War has improved the nation's healthcare system. As of 2017, life expectancy is 77.13 years, with 81.53 years for women, and 72.73 years for men.

Transportation

Section of the A1 near Illarduya, 2005

Transportation in Lemovicia is regulated by the Ministry of Transportation on the national level, as well as by both the constituent entities and the provinces.

The motorway network in Lemovicia is sparse: as of 2019, the only motorway is the A1, which starts at Checkpoint Epsillon in Topagunea, and connects the cities of Topagunea with Kocija, Bailaŕa, Zubizurija, and Heŕibeŕija before ending at Checkpoint Gamma with East Miersa.

Railways are operated by Lemovician National Railways. Lemovician National Railways is responsible for operating passenger services and maintenance of the railway infrastructure, which all use the standard gauge of 1,500 mm.

There is only international airport in the controlled territory of Lemovicia: Topagunea International Airport, located just south of Topagunea, and serving as the hub for the state-owned flag carrier Lemavia.

Culture

Arts

• some art

Since independence, Lemovicia has promoted the arts: to this end, the Lemovician government has given extensive funding to art collectives, such as the Topagunea Art Collective, the Lemovician Orchestra, and the National Film Cooperative, of which the latter is known for their 2005 film, Nor zara?

Cuisine

Gazta gogoŕa with salad and tartar sauce

Traditionally, Lemovician cuisine is dictated by Lemovicia's geography, as well as the ethnicities inhabiting the country, with Miersan cuisine being more influential in the northern parts of Lemovicia, and Lemovician cuisine more influential in the south of Lemovicia, due to the fact that Miersans form the majority of the population in the north, and Lemovicians form the majority of the population in the south.

Despite the historically poor relations between the two communities in Lemovicia, common pan-Lemovician foods consumed by both the Lemovician and Miersan communities include śeŕa, gazta gogoŕa, kielbasa, pierogi, ospakizun, and pączek. As well, since the end of the Lemovician Civil War in 1992, and the subsequent opening-up of Lemovicia to the world, globalisation has led to foods such as pizza and hamburgers becoming popular, particularly among the younger generations residing in cities.

Sports

An eremu for pilota in Sechia, 2005

Traditionally, ethnic Lemovicians played traditional Lemovician sports, with the most popular traditional sports that continue to be played by the Lemovician community including haŕi-jasocailejak, sokatira, oilar jokoa, and the country's national sport, pilota.

However, due to rule by foreign powers throughout its history, such as by Miersa and Soravia, combined with migration by Miersans into Lemovicia during the industrial revolution, sports from these countries, such as basketball, zadany, ice hockey, and football have gained popularity in Lemovicia, and are today widely played among all peoples in the country.

Of these, the most popular sports are pilota and football, although pilota is more popular among ethnic Lemovicians than Miersans, while football is more popular among Miersans than ethnic Lemovicians.

Media

Lemovicia has an unfree press since the end of the Lemovician War, as the state maintains a monopoly over radio and television broadcasts, and only a handful of newspapers are allowed to operate in the country, which are operated by pro-government organisations.

The Lemovician government operates the Lemovician language Lemovician National Television and Radio, which is the only television and radio network allowed to be based in Lemovicia, although foreign television and radio broadcasts from other socialist nations are allowed to be received.

Newspapers are still popular among Lemovicia, with the newspapers of record, and the most popular newspaper being the Lemovician language Aztercaileja, which is published daily, while the most popular newspaper from a foreign language is the Miersan Obserwator z Przejścia, which is published weekly.