Vestamiado

Republic of Vestamiado Vestamiado
Flag
Map within Aeroran region
Status	Soverign Country
Location	Located at the south of the Aeroran Sea, directly above and bordering Hondome and Goda, with Markira and Hetarnea to the east, ULI north and Celesterra to the north east, with Saurada and other smaller states to the west with Jrynao towards the north west.
Capital and	Kanzanov
Official languages	Callaisian, Celesterran
Signed	Callaisian Sign Language, Celesterran Sign Language
Religion	Strongly Secular
Demonym(s)	Vestamiadonian
Government
• President	Aleksandr Petrovich
Legislature	Parliament
Formed from Vestastrana and Aljamiado
Population
• 2020 census	105,057,143
Gini (2023)	20 low
HDI (2023)	0.930 very high
Currency	Marques (€) (VEM)
Date format	DDMMYYYY
Driving side	right
Calling code	+13
Internet TLD	.ve, .va

Vestamiado is a country in Saurth located along the south of the Aeroran Sea and it shares borders with Celesterra's dependency, Barmar, Hondome, Steincara, Goda, Markira, Hetarnea, Zerunitev and ULI. It also shares a maritime border with Celesterra. The capital city and largest city is Kazanov which is the main cultural and commercial hub. The country is a democratic presidential republic and the president is Aleksandr Petrovich and has a population of over 100 million people who speak up to two of the official languages which are Callasian and Celesterran. Most of the population is of Aljamiadonian descent with a minority from Vestastrana. These used to be independent countries until they were formed to create Vestamiado in 1985. Vestamiado is a developed country and is among some of the largest economies in Saurth. It has a significant influence on world order and global affairs and is a founding and leading member of the Aeroran Group, making its military capability one of the strongest, as well as a permanent member of AIDS (Assembly of International Delegates). Furthermore, the country is a recognised nuclear-weapon state and provides security and regional stability within its region and abroad. Vestamiado is best known for it's liberal population, its strong attitude to a secular society, as well as being a world leader on its highly capable extensive railway network which is the backbone of the economy. Additionally, the country is a world leader in science and technology and as a result, all of Saurth's big technology companies are headquartered there.

Etymology and terminology

The adjective Vestamiadonian refers to a national who holds citizenship of the country, as defined in law. It is also sometimes used when referring to a person's origins to the country, however this is not officially used in law, additionally, most of the population uses Vestastranian or Aljamiadonian depending on what region of the countries that used to exist they were from.

Infrastructure

Vestamiado invests heavily in its infrastructure which has led to it having one of the most connected, efficient and fastest railway networks in the world, amongst some of the highest average internet speeds in Saurth and state of the art healthcare. Almost all infrastructure is state owned. Due to its world leading railway network, the roads can be of poor quality, especially in rural areas as this has always been underfunded. Vestamiado's electricity originates from a mix of nuclear, wind, hydro, gas and solar power, with small contributions from tidal, oil, coal and waste. It is a net exporter of electricity and is planning to cement this by opening 5GW of nuclear power capacity by the end of the decade. Tap water is clean and of a very high standard and 99% of all housing is connected to the national sewer network. Most homes use electric heating with some using gas, and rural areas using wood or charcoal, furthermore, the government has launched an insulating program to help households save energy and money. There are significant oil reserves which is mostly exported abroad. Vestamiado handles 14% of all cargo moved in Saurth. The bulk of this is carried to and from ports using freight trains within the country and across borders. In the 1980s, Vestamiado started building its LGV network (Ligne à Grande Vitesse), aiming to slash travel times between cities and increase railway capacity. There are several lines open, allowing Kanzanov to be accessed by anyone in the country within 7 hours of their local station. This high speed network is the 3rd largest in Saurth and new lines are under construction. The main urban areas have good transport using buses, trolleybuses and trams. Cities also have extensive metro networks. Vestamiado has the highest amount of railway stations in Saurth. It is the most commonly used form of transport, and encouraged by the government through the use of unlimited travel per month or year for a set fee, made cheaper than driving. The postal system can transport cargo anywhere in the country within 24 hours, using freight trains on the LGV, the fastest freight trains in Saurth.

Each town has a state services building, known as the Mairie in Callaisian, which provides council services such as planning permission, passport support, support on local issues, care,citizen services and other support as required by the locals. They often provide clubs and groups to help combat loneliness and provide help to the public. These include parenting groups, recreational activities such as chess or sports clubs, therapy, digital technology assistance, coffee groups, knitting and more.

Economy

Vestamiado has a mixed market economy, where state owned companies operate in the same economy as privately owned ones. There is substantial regulation to promote fairness and prevent private monopolies. Vestamiado has a high level of innovation and a low amount of manufacturing. However it has a significant agricultural sector in the rural areas, however most produce is consumed within the country with a small amount exported. Vestamiado is home to all the major technology and health companies in Saurth, if not it is a major base. This means there are lots of engineering and development jobs in the country. Vestamiado also has a large amount of insurance companies, with trillions worth of assets insured globally. Vestamiado uses the Marque (€) currency, the strongest in Saurth, giving it strong purchasing power and cheap imports of quality goods. However this also it is very expensive to export items and exports are low except for high value items. Due to Vestamiado's position south of the Aeroran Sea, it functions as a transport hub for the continent for both cargo and passengers. Cargo generally travels from landlocked neighbouring countries to the sea ports, which allows these countries to trade on the world market. Vestamiado is highly dependent on its railway network which is one of the fastest in the world, which helps to increase economic performance. It also has busy airports that have destinations all over Saurth.

Languages

There are two official languages of Vestamiado: Callaisian and Celesterran. All important documents, manuals and governmennt information must be distributed in both languages. Callaisian is more widely spoken, over 90 million people can speak this language, of which 60 million are native speakers, with 45 million native speakers of Celesterran. Generally the west and centre of the country speaks Callasian, with the exception of Vestastrana, which speaks Celesterran. The eastern parts and southern parts of the country speak primarily Celesterran, but all schools educate the other language, so that children can speak their second language at least to language level A1. About 40 million inhabitants can communicate in more than one foreign language, and 10 million in at least two.

Education

Education is mandatory for all children between four and eighteen years old. Infant schooling starts from three to seven years old, junior from seven to eleven, secondary from eleven to sixteen, tertiary from sixteen to twenty five. Education is free until age twenty five for all citizens and long term residents. Vestamiado is a popular destination for university (tertiary) education and these qualifications are recognised all over Saurth. The government grants visas for students that wish to study there.

Defence

Vestamiado spends 3% of it's GDP on the military. This makes it one of the highest in the world, but far behind Celesterra and other large powers. Vestamiado is considered a regional power, and is capable of projecting its power anywhere in the Aeroran continent with relative effectiveness. It can also deploy its military further afield, however this will require extra logistics. Vestamiado is also a recognised nuclear weapons armed state, with a credible deterrence protecting the nation from the most extreme threats. Generally the nuclear deterrent is only used for defensive purposes, such as a nuclear missile strike against the state from another state, however the military reserves the right to use them as they wish, should all other options be unsuitable. Vestamiado is a leading member of the Aeroran Group and its military is entirely under the command of the Aeroran Group Command/Defence Council. Vestamiado is able to request assistance from the Aeroran Group should it be threatened by an aggressor, or needs personnel for other missions. This defacto protects all other members under its nuclear deterrent role. However, all military equipment is owned and operated by Vestamiadonian soldiers, except in unusual circumstances.

There are currently 410,000 active soldiers, 100,000 civilians and 800,000 soldiders in reserve in the armed forces. Civilians perform jobs such as administration and logistics and supply away from the front lines. Soldiers in reserve recieve training three times a year and are paid a partial income even if they are not deployed. Vestamiado's military consist of seven forces/sections: army, navy, air force, marines, special forces, territorial defence and logistics. The army is the strongest force, but requires air support for offensive operations, and requires the navy to deliver its equipment.

All military personnel and vehicles of the country fly the flag of both the Aeroran Group and Vestamiado.

Navy

The navy maintains a fleet of 100 patrol boats which protect the coastline and inland waterways. These are also used for search and rescue missions should the national lifeboat service be unavailable. There are also 14 combat ships, used for reinforcements for patrol boats and external assault resources, 20 frigates for general purpose operations, 10 Corvette Warships for patrolling areas of interest (shipping lanes, vital routes etc). Furthermore there are 16 Destroyers (+4 on order), 8 Replenishment ships, 2 submarines (+6 on order) and 4 Cruisers (+2 on order). Cruisers are used for displays of power and external assaults. Generally, 20% of these are being maintained and repaired, 10% remain in storage with a readiness of 2 days. The navy is responsible for the newly formed Submarine Service, which there are 2 submarines currently in service. These have two purposes. Firstly, submarines can be used for offensive warfare to sink enemy ships and launch missiles targetted at land targets. Secondly, the service also carries nuclear missiles, used as part of the national nuclear deterrent. These can be launched at a few minute's notice and allow the country to attack its aggressors should the rest of its forces be defeated. Vestamiado's navy is also able to deliver army assets via landing ships and has a strong presence in the Aeroran Sea.

Army

The army is the primary force for Vestamiado. It is responsible for land warfare and defends the land borders but can also be delivered via the Air force or the Navy. There are almost 1500 tanks in active service, some of which are actively deployed and others in reserve, strategically located so they can be used quickly if needed. There are also 130 tanks on order.

• 450 Alpha main battle tanks: These were introduced in the 1980s and are the oldest tanks in the fleet. They are a 1st generation tank. There is a main 120mm gun for firing all sorts of artillery. There are three machine guns which combined allow the tank to shoot in any direction regardless of direction. The tank weighs about 50 tonnes and has twin diesel engines each making 600HP and adequate torque for driving through just about anything using its tracks
• 590 Bravo main battle tanks: 2nd generation tank introduced in 2000s. Like the Alpha tank, there is a 120mm gun for firing all sorts of artillery. There is also 4 machine guns for defence. It weighs 40 tonnes and has twin diesels of 700hp. It features a high tech IR camera system and high frequency radio systems, allowing the crew to operate in complete darkness unaided.
• 170 Charlie specialist capability tanks: 3rd generation tank introduced in 2010s. Like other tanks in the fleet there is a 120 mm gun, 2 machine guns, plus 4 missile tubes for low range rockets and missiles. It weighs 65 tonnes and has twin diesels of 700HP. Also features new computer systems, including IR, GPS, automatic terrain mapping, active radar, IR cameras, radio systems. This tank is able to survey the ground for later analysis by leaders.
• 210 Delta main battle tanks (+80 on order): These are 3rd generation tank introduced in late 2010s. This will eventually succeed the alpha tanks over the next 10 years and additional tanks will be used to increase current capabilities. This tank type has many of the capabilities of the Charlie tanks, with the exception of the missile capabilities and also has more interior space. It is slightly lighter as a result and faster as it has the same power as the Charlies. Some of these tanks will be converted to hydrogen propulsion once infrastructure is built along the borders.
• 300 "Big Rammers" (+50 on order): This is a utility vehicle with 6 large wheels and a bullet proof and IED proof cabin. It is armed with a single machine gun on the roof. The vehicle is about 7m long,  2.5m wide and it can have any armoured configuration behind the main control cabin. These include command centres, ambulance, water pumps, fuel, cold food, general containerised or pallet cargo or passengers. There is a main 800hp diesel engine and a 100hp auxiliary power unit for use while stationary or for low speeds. There are 2 crew (driver+navigator/commander) + extra crew onboard depending on configuration. It is a very versatile vehicle with many uses on front line and logistics.
• 600 General Advancement Vehicles
• 100 combined rocket, low range missile launching and drone piloting vehicles
• 75 amphibious landing craft, capable of carrying tanks and other equipment from ships offshore to land
• 50 semi permanent mid range missile carriers

Science and Technology

Vestamiado heavily invests in its science and technology sectors, it is the home country for Saurth's main tech enterprises with most countries headquartered at it's cities. There is a lot of innovation and design that happens within the country and this is supported by the government. Grants are available for new start ups. These can provide funding, resource or skilled workers to a new idea or project to help it prove it's concept.

Space

The government Vestamiado owns and funds Vestamiadonian Space Agency (VSA). This is operated separate to the government, meaning it governs itself and chooses what to spend its funds on. However in real terms, the VSA works on projects at the request of the government. These comprise of:

• Space Intelligence Service (SIS) which controls reconnisance satellites and provides images and data to Aeroran Group Command and allied states.
• Weather Service, which uses satellites for weather analysis and forecasting.
• Positioning system (VSP) which uses satellites to send signals to enable on ground and aerial positioning.
• Space exploration, exploring beyond Saurth and observing distance objects.
• Space safety, which co-ordinates satellite positions and paths with other states, regulates space activity and disposal and investigates incidents.
• Space Communication Services (SCS), which co-ordinates communications between space projects, their probes, orbiters and satellites, using a network of distributed ground antennas and other spacecraft to enable ground communications. This service can also be made available to other space agencies should they be needed for their projects.

Vestamiado's space program has led to many discoveries and developments in the space and technology sectors.