Baltica

United Federation of Baltica Jungtinė Baltijos Federacija
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: “If god is with us, who is against us ?”
Anthem: “The New Republic”
Capital	Kauni (administrative) Sveaja (economic)
Largest city	Goja, Kauni, Kretia
Official languages	Baltican Dolch Ras language Dolch language
Ethnic groups	Ras people Dolchic Baltians Jonikai people
Demonym(s)	Baltican
Government	Federation
• President	Algridas Banis
Legislature	Central Baltican Government
• Upper house	State Seim
• Lower house	Territorial Council
Independent
• Establishment of the Baltican Federation	2022 CE
Population
• 2022 estimate	14,653,254
• 2022 census	14,690,325
• Density	38/km2 (98.4/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	89,809,793,766
• Per capita	6,129
HDI (0.57)	0.47 low
Currency	Baltican Zedas
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+252
Internet TLD	.ba

The United Federation of Baltica, or simply known as Baltica, is a sovereign state in Argis on Eurth. The country is a Federation composed of four Republics (Raskia, Kauni, Liplan-Kretin and Dokestva) and three Sister Republics (Myask, Govir and Belgorta). The United Federation of Baltica is a product of the Second Baltican Civil War, having formed during the conflict. It is a very loose Federation, for the large part still suffering from the cultural divide between Dolch and Ras that led to the war that created it. Currently Baltica has two capitals: the administrative capital in Kauni is home to the Central Government, and Sveaja remains the economic capital of the nation. 14.6 Million people call Baltica home. The majority reside in the largest republic of Liplan-Kretin, home to 5.7 million people or about 40% of the total population.

Baltica is home to many swamps, bogs and wetlands that litter the Baltican east and south. Central Baltica remains home to the Grand Kretian Highlands, a collective of hills and mountains that are the source of many rivers that drain into the Amber Lake. The far west of Baltica is a deep Taiga, a land covered in thick forests and many lakes. Three main rivers flow through Baltica, this being the Visagris in the south, the Liplan in the Highlands, and the great Balandeli that runs through Perkunia, and splits the Baltican South from the North. Baltica it self is devoid of many natural materials, but what it does posses is one of the most fertile lands in Central Argis. The Kauni river basin is one of the most fertile regions in the wurld, and has remained Balticas largest bread basket.

Baltica is still recovering from the civil war and as such its economy remains considerably smaller than it was before the war. The current GDP per capita is only 6,129 Zedas, and its total GDP is only 89.8 Billion Zedas. The HDI is a pitiful 0.47, although efforts are being done to fix both the Baltican Economy and bring it back to its former heights.

History

Prehistory

Most of Baltica's initial settlement came from the migration of the “Balts”, who, according to speculation, were the group or a collective of tribes that are the possible ancestors of the modern-day Ras and possibly Latovians in neighbouring Transbaltia. Although it is unknown when they entered modern-day Baltica, scientists have been able to locate what they call the “first settlement” by the Balts in Baltica, this being the Vargas valley in modern-day Kauni county.

Modern-day excavations along the Central Baltican highlands as well as the northern wetlands suggest that most of the old Balts had been a largely separate group, but had somewhat formed into a distinct culture, separate from the Latovians. This first group had no written language, so little is known about them. However, they were prone to carving “wards and totems”, most of which have been destroyed (because they were carved out of wood) but some stone carvings exist to this day. The first written source of the modern Ras, came from the Dolchic, who would write about the Ras during their conquest of Baltica. This suggests that the Ras came after these previous Balts, although it's still unknown when the Ras would form into their culture group or even how they came to be the “only” culture group in Baltica. It is heavily implied that they were a warring people, who either assimilated or killed of all other Baltican tribes within the region.

Dolch Crusade and Settlement

Saint Casimir's Monastery on modern-day Casimir Island.

The Dolch invasions or “Crusades” against Baltica are the first well-documented events in Baltican history. Before the invasion, the native Ras had no written language of their own before. Because of this, most of the information about the Dolch expansion is largely not to be taken fully word for word. The Dolch conquerors had a motive to portray the natives peoples as barbaric and uncivilized. The Dolch would first arrive at Baltica in 1321, capturing the first of many islands that dotted the coasts of mainland Baltica. The first of which is Casimir Island, named after Saint Casimir, who built the first monastery on the Island. Casimir Island would act as the first Dolch haven in the Amber Lake, and it was slowly turned into a commercial hub between southern Balticans and Dolch merchants. Slowly the two groups would become interlinked as they traded Baltica's signature amber, for iron and refined metals from the great forges of Casimir Island. To secure a more permanent settlement in mainland Baltica, and increase trade, even more, the Dolch along with some local tribes would end up conquering some territory along a minor river where they hoped to establish a port. This small settlement would come to be known as Goja, and the river on which it was built became known as the Naman.

Order of Baltishtin

In 1338 the Dolch would go on to conquer yet more lands, including the Island of Dvenis along the coast of modern-day Dokestva. The Islands of Casimir, Dvenis and the city of Goja would eventually come to be controlled by a union of so-called “Lords”, known as the Order of Baltishtin. The first Leader of this order would be Lord Austen the Bloody ($born-$died). He would not be as kind as the Dolch merchants that came before him. Using the Ras warriors as mercenaries, he raided multiple territories along the coast of modern-day Dokestva, and would even take some territory and set up yet more cities. Among these were Tyver and Siela, which became gateways to greater western Baltica. His sudden expansions would offset the delicate balance of the hundreds of small clans and tribes that made up Baltica. This would bring on an age of war and conflict, as smaller tribes unified and became larger. The tribes that worked alongside the Dolch, predominantly the ones around their trade cities, would become powerful in their sense. The Curlis tribe located just east of the Dolch city of Goja would end up unifying the lands around the Svoyev river. With the help of Dolch minor nobles, they formed the principality of Kazirinas. Eventually, Lord Austen would go on an all-out war across the territories around Goja, successfully capturing them from the native Ras and either killing or forcing them north. Here he would establish his Principality of Goja, with his brother Bertolf ($born-1374) taking ownership of the territories whilst, while Lord Austen kept the city of Goja. When Lord Austen died in 1352, his Brother was voted as the new Lord of Baltishtin, and was officially sworn in as Lord Bertolf. Bertolf would continue his brother's conquests, helping push further north along the Naman, and would establish the city of Ingute. In the west, the cities of Siela and Tyver would come to expand rapidly as they slowly began pushing out and assimilating local Baltica tribes. The two territories would even come to join borders with one another after successfully conquering the small tribe of the Kestuti area. The Dolch language was cemented as the tongue of the strong. Most tribes along the Amber Lake would adopt Dolch as either a status symbol or to better trade with the Dolch merchants. Money with the Dolch double-headed eagle would become all too common throughout the lands, and coins were found as far as modern-day Raskia. Although Bertolf's conquests were nowhere near as large as his brothers, he would start a Dolch golden age in the Amber Lake, helping reaffirm the Dolch people's place in Baltica.

Bertolf's early demise in 1374 would bring in the long reign of Lord Arnold the Conqueror (1336-1397). Arnold was the first lord to have been born in the Dolch territories, and his ambition was to see an Amber Lake controlled by his people. To aid in his conquest, he set out a call for warriors from all over Argis to aid him in his quests. He also began conscripting the many men of Goja to his cause. His army grew rapidly, being anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 strong, and with over 500 heavy knights. The first ambition of the Order of Baltishtin was to unite their eastern and western territories, which would require them to fight the great Clan of Kretina. As Arnold's army advanced, it would be met by a great army of Baltican Kretinans. The infamous knight Tilke of Tyver would write of the battle.

When the great army of Baltishtin entered the great lands of the heathens, it did not take long for them to mount a response. The army that met us in the open field nearly matched our own. Their army was large, a mass of men that resembled a wave rather than an army. Although they had no soldiers clad in heavy armour, they wielded hordes of cavalry that could as easily charge us as we could block their flimsy blades. In the morning of the next day, the ground shook with movement as the cavalry we had so long anticipated finally let loose and met our shields. The battle had been hard-fought, our flanks caving in under the wave of cavalry. Luckily, the enemy was pushed back as our knights charged in with their steeds. A wave of silver and white would meet a swamp of brown and red. When all the heathens had been slain, the ground had been so mixed in sweat and blood that it had turned into thick mud. The many deaths of that battle will no doubt haunt these lands for the rest of its days…

Tilke of Tyver, The collected letters of Sir Tilke of Tyver, 1370-1395

A map detailing the Order of Baltishtins Expansions from the 14th-15th centuries.

The Battle of Tyver would be a decisive victory for the Dolch Forces, who would subsequently raise the many clan holdings of the Kretina, forcing them to migrate into Northern Baltica. Those fleeing Kretinans would eventually go on to settle the lands of the Northern Great Lakes, one day forming their own Great Kingdom. As the Dolch pillaged the lands of the West, they would go on to construct many great fortresses to protect their new holdings. These fortresses would earn the nickname, The Old Forts, and they would see near constant use, as raiders from the Baltican Highlands would launch raids against Dolch settlements within the territory. The raids ment that few would end up settling the region itself, meaning it largely remained a barren land. With the West having been secured, Lord Arnold and his large army now began marching South, to finally link their Southern Colonies, with the Northern Heartland. Here, he didn't see much resistance as the region was significantly less populated than the lands of the Kretina. After engaging in a few small battles, and after the construction of the fortress of Pilkas at the mouth of the Balendeli river, Arnold's dream of a united South and North would be complete. On paper, the Order of Baltishtin now stretched from the Western half the Amber Lake, all the way to the North West. Despite this however, the Order was far worse off than before the conquest. The land gained was barren, and always at risk of northern incursions by the Highlanders. The construction of many fortresses had also been greatly expensive, and the continuous patrolling of the area began to make up a great amount of the orders budget. Additionally, the hoped roads between the North and South were never really constructed, being simply too expensive to maintain and build. As such trade within the order mainly continued to be ship oriented, due to the larger presence of Ports than roads.

Castle Cidra, the supposed resting place of Lord Arnold.

Lord Arnold however, would not be satisfied and would begin to rally yet another army; this time significantly smaller, for an incursion into the Baltican Highlands south of the Liplan river, in 1395. Here, he wanted to put down the many Highland tribes, and solidify the Orders Border along the Liplan River. With a force of 15,000 Men, he would march to a known Highlander settlement, referred to by chroniclers only as Raneri, and put it to the torch. This saw the many desperate Highlander Tribes Unite for the only known time in their history, and together they engaged Arnold and his army in the infamous Battle of Liplan. Here Arnold would be handed his only known defeat, with the Highlanders coming up on top and routing the Dolch forces out from their lands. This single failure nearly bankrupted the state, with the Dolch Order having to take up many loans to rally a new Army to prevent the large-scale raid of Goja and Belgorta. Arnold himself would be Injured heavily in the fighting, losing both an eye and a hand at the hands of a Highlander Ambush. After returning to Cidra, he would pass from his injuries in Autumn of 1397, his last supposed words being “ If I only I could have done more “. His death would mark the end of the Baltishtins “Golden Age”, and shortly thereafter the Order would dissolve entirely, after a convoluted civil war, in which King Fresin I would assume power in the newly created Kingdom of Baltica.

Geography

Climate

The climate of Baltica is determined largely by the Amber Lake, which contributes to its typical cold climate. It is a continental subarctic climate throughout, with only small areas of the south being classified as Humid Continental Climates. The temperature is somewhat moderate considering how far north the area is. This region has a tremendous amount of variety in precipitation. Western Areas such as greater Kretia as well as the Goja region experience quite mild rainfall, roughly 50 to 100 cms of precipitation annually. However, southern Baltica, specifically the Visagris region, experiences extreme rainfall, roughly 150-200 cms of rainfall annually, making it quite humid in comparison to the rest of Baltica. Temperatures throughout Baltica typically average at the mid 30-35 °C in the summer, whilst during winters temperatures can reach as low as -27 °C in the Western Territories. Snow is common and rivers often freeze up in the west, although in the south the quick stream prevents them from freezing.

Climate data for Baltica
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	10.9 (51.6)	11.8 (53.2)	17.5 (63.5)	25.5 (77.9)	31.0 (87.8)	31.3 (88.3)	35.2 (95.4)	30.9 (87.6)	28.8 (83.8)	21.1 (70.0)	16.6 (61.9)	11.3 (52.3)	37.2 (99.0)
Record low °C (°F)	−32.2 (−26.0)	−38.6 (−37.5)	−36.4 (−33.5)	−26.4 (−15.5)	−18.2 (−0.8)	−7.0 (19.4)	−5.0 (23.0)	−10.8 (12.6)	−16.1 (3.0)	−26.4 (−15.5)	−34.2 (−29.6)	−40.6 (−41.1)	−51.5 (−60.7)
Source: Baltican Weather Administration

Environment

The primary territory of Baltica lies on what is known as the Western Lake Plains, with a majority of the nation being comprised of wetlands and flatlands. Roughly 21% of all land in Baltica is comprised of swamps, marshes, flood plains and bogs. This is a large decrease from the once 34%, which is often attributed to both the Baltican civil war, rise of industries and the draining of these areas to make the land for cities as well as agricultural land. Besides wetlands, forests make up the other large majority of land in Baltica, making up about 41% of all land in Baltica. The largest natural forest remains the Draigai Forest, which at one point used to be much larger but due to logging in the recent decades has greatly diminished in size. However, most of these forests can only be found in western or northern Baltica, as areas like Visagris had undergone large deforestation and land transformation during the 1970s. Although new legislation exists to prevent the type of deforestation Baltica experienced during the late 20th century, logging and land transformation remains rapid in some regions, and the yearly loss of both forests and wetlands is still quite high.

Flatlands near the city of Kauni.

Rivers are quite abandoned in Baltica, with over 300 rivers flowing all over the nation, the largest of which are the Kauni river in Western Baltica as well as the Uzli river in Northern Baltica. Balticas rivers have largely been uncontaminated by pollution, largely because of the lack of real industry on rivers as most Baltica industry is located on the Amber lake. Most of these rivers originate from mountains outside of Baltica itself, mainly around the Western Misty Mountain Range that makes up the Western border of Baltica. Rivers in the East mainly originate from internal Lakes and flow out into the Amber lake as well as other lakes. A few northern rivers originate from the nation of Mokhavia, and Baltica's eastern border is comprised of the [[Belgorta]] river.

Economy

Energy

The Krugiti Coal Power Plant, shortly before the great fire in 2001.

Energy mix in Baltica.

  Coal (46%)

  Oil (18%)

  Hydro (11%)

  Biofuel (8.7%)

  Solar (8.2%)

  Wind (5.1%)

  Geothermal (3%)

Baltica has historically had a track record of poor energy production. Due to the very high instability and consistent fighting between the German Balts and the Regular Balts, multiple so-called “mega projects” have been abandoned due to the government's failure to secure both funding and materials to construct them. As such, Baltica had to mainly rely on coal, and eventually oil, for most of its energy production. The Krugiti Coal Power Plant was the largest coal power plant in Baltica. For a while it was the main energy production site, supplying over 19% of all energy needs in Baltica.

However, following a large fire in 2001, the power plant had to be closed and Baltica had to begin expanding its energy variety. Currently, multiple of the “mega projects” have been pushed into the limelight. In particular, the large Ugadi Nuclear Power Plant, planned to be constructed in the city of Ugadi, and the Kretia Hydroelectric Power Station, a planned hydroelectric dam to be constructed on the Balandi river. Although currently these projects are only in the planning stages, if they were to be constructed they have the potential to turn Baltica into an energy exporter, and possible key player in middle Argis.

For now, about 46% of all energy in Baltica comes from coal, with 18% from oil, and 11% with Hydro. The rest make up a small minority, including: Biofuel (8.7%), Solar (8.2%), Wind (5.1%), and geothermal (3%).

Industry

A logging camp in Sveaja.

For most of its existence, Baltica had been an agrarian state. To fuel its economy, the country mostly relies on its southern territories, which have a strangely fertile soil. Today it still remains Baltica's largest Industry, making up over 21% of all total GDP, and employing over a million people. It's mostly known for its cheese, known as Dzugi, which almost makes up 2% of the whole economy. Dairy as a whole remains a big part of the Agricultural Sector. Strawberries, potatoes, wheat, and rye make up most of the crops produced by Baltica, rye especially, due to its use in alcohol and bread making.

Although Baltica's industry is comparably small, over the recent years it has begun to specialize in manufacturing, specifically furniture. Baltica has developed a taste for constructing mostly wood made items, relying on its abundance in forested areas in the North to fuel this recent expansion. Notably, the company Uklea has created a monopoly of wood manufacturing and harvesting, and is leading Baltica to an age of economic growth. Other companies have been opened in the mostly rural undeveloped North, leading to the northern economic boom.

Although Baltica doesn't produce many luxury goods, the nation has been renown for its alcohol, which some consider the best in Argis. It also led to Baltica becoming one of the highest consumers of alcohol in the world. Cigarettes also remain a very sought after commodity in Baltica, with local brand Uki being the favorite in Baltica by far; manly due to its low cost and availability. Although the fur trade is not as prevalent in Baltica as it once used to be, areas of the north are still regarded as producing some of the finest traditional fur clothing in the entirety of Argis.

Infrastructure

AT 53, the most common train in Baltica.

Most of Baltica is quite interconnected, with almost all settlements over 100 people having a main road going in and out. Despite this, much of the Northern Woodlands remain quite isolated from the rest of the nation, partly due to a lack of population, but also the large wood coverage making it difficult to build and maintain roads and train tracks. The “National Spine” or R1, is the main road spanning much of the nation. It connects the capital, Goja to the large settlements of Kauni, Sveaja, Kretia and Visagana. It's by far the most used road network, and subsequently the most maintained. Other road networks include the RA1, a road network made for connecting the region of greater Kretia, as well as the R15, a road network connecting the southern region of Jounikis.

Rail remains the most popular form of transport in Baltica, mainly due to its availability and the fact that it's much cheaper than owning cars (Which are heavily taxed). Most of Baltica uses electric trains, although some parts of the underdeveloped North still continue to run on coal or even oil powered trains due to a lack of funds. The main rail track (A1) goes from Sveaja, Kauni and into Bazinas. This rail line continues to be the most popular by far, mainly due to it being around the industrial and agricultural hubs of the Kauni region.

The Goja track (A11), which connects Goja to Kretia and Eleania remains an important track for industry, as it connects the larger ports of Kretia and Eleania to the nation's industrial capital, Goja. In recent decades, there has been a large push to create new rail lines along the National Spine. Even today, many large cities are still not connected to one another. This forces people to use the underdeveloped bus transport to get to large cities in order to access the trains. As such, the government has responded with the announcement of the creation of the A30. This train line will connect the previously mentioned A11 and A1, as well as connect the cities of Visagana and Jounikis to the wider train line system.