Vestric Commonwealth: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
m (removed Aeia category) |
||
| Line 312: | Line 312: | ||
TBA | TBA | ||
[[Category:UVSS]] | [[Category:UVSS]] | ||
Latest revision as of 11:56, 10 May 2020
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Vestric Commonwealth Repubblica Vespariana (Arday) Mancomunidad Vestriña (Veleazan) Comunidade Vestrina (Vvardenese) Vestrisk Commonwealth (Lhedwinic) Westrische Union (Alemannic) | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "E Pluribus Unum" "From many, one" | |
| Anthem: Ut ædificem libera Republica forti "To build a mighty, free Republic" | |
| The Commonwealth (green) in the xxx (light green) The Commonwealth (green) in the xxx (light green) | |
| File:DFmap2.png | |
| Capital | Costa d'Oro |
| Largest city | Weißerafen |
| Official languages | None at Federal Level |
| Recognised national languages | Arday, Veleazan, Vvardenese, Lhedwinic, Alemannic |
| Demonym(s) | Vestric Vesparian |
| Government | Democratic Confederation |
| Hadrian Avouré | |
• Tribune | TBA |
| TBA | |
| Legislature | Popular Forums |
| Secession from the Vestric Republic | |
• Discovery | 1492 CE |
• First settlements | 1499 CE |
• Independence | 1815 CE |
• Declaration of Confederation | 1842 CE |
• Vesperian Revolution and ratification of the Social Doctrine | 1904 CE |
| Area | |
• | 1,088,535.84 km2 (420,286.04 sq mi) (Xth) |
• Water (%) | 1.3 |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 210,014,793 (Xth) |
• 2010 census | 207,423,957 |
• Density | 192.9/km2 (499.6/sq mi) (Xth) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | 6.3 Trillion (Xth) |
• Per capita | $30,350 (Xth) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | 6.8 Trillion (Xth) |
• Per capita | $32,753 (Xth) |
| Gini (2018) |  21low (Xth) |
| HDI (2018) |  0.908very high (Xth) |
| Currency | Aure (Au) |
| Time zone | UTCT (T) |
| Date format | dd°mm°yyyy° CE |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +36 |
| Internet TLD | .vs |
The Vestric Commonwealth, also known as Vesperia, is a Confederation of 65,000 communes located in an area of central Vestrim known as the Avellian Isthmus, and is bordered by the XXX to the north, xxx to the east, the Columbian Sea and Uta to the south, and Varra and the Western Sea to the west. As of 2019 it has an estimated population of around 210 million, and spans a vast land area of roughly 1 million square kilometres, covering a wide selection of climates and unique geography, being one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
The Commonwealth's founding doctrines, the Declaration of the Confederation, ratified the transition from the political and economic union of the newly independent colonies of the Gold Coast towards a commonwealth of nations with a political structure based on the early Fiorentine League and the Asurene classical republics of Antiquity. Following the Vesperian Revolution in 1904, which saw an overthrow of the old government and the implementation of the Social Doctrine, which established gender equality and social justice as core national principles. On a national level, the nation is managed by the elected First Citizen and the Executive Plenum. On the local level, it is managed by the communes, and direct democracy is commonplace at all levels of government.
The Gold Coast was founded by Ardaiman explorers in 1492. Various expeditions into inland territories revealed large deposits of Gold and Silver which attracted many colonial powers and settler populations to the region, namely from Vvarden and Veleaz. The large amount of Fiorentine peoples that co-resided in the area effectively gave it the nickname of New Fiorentina and became a melting pot of Fiorentine cultures. The Kingdom of Ardaima asserted full control over the area following by 1797. Ardaiman rule was met with harsh resistance from other populations, resulting in the revolutionary wars and eventual independence of the original twelve polities by 1815. Immediately after its foundation, the newfound nations formed a protectionist policy in which trade was limited to each other, developing the countries over decades and instituting a period of interdependence and integration called Convergence leading up to the Declaration of Confederation in 1842 and the liberalisation of trade.
The rise of the Industrial Capitalist age up towards the revolution saw class tensions and inequality widen, eventually accumulating following the Great Depression which saw the start of the Vesperian Revolution after the Friday Massacre. After a brief civil conflict between the government, socialists and reactionary groups, the Commonwealth was established. The Commonwealth ranks highly in measures of income equality, human development and quality of life.
History
TBA
Geography, Wildlife & Climate
The Union is located in central Vestrim, being bordered by TBA to the north, TBA to the west, TBA to the east, and Utamucanee and the Columbian Sea to the south. The UVSS is one of the largest nations on the Vestric Continent, averaging in about 1,088,535.84 square kilometres, this makes the Union the Xth largest nation in Vestrim (behind XXX) and the Xth largest in the world by surface area.
Much of the coastal Union is dominated by a predominately humid subtropical climate, retaining a monsoon-like seasonal system (Wet Summers, Dry Winters) and is dominated predominately by subtropical forests and marshland, like the Chicula Marshes. Temperatures are often between 5 °C to 36 °C, with the area often barely receiving any snowfall and may sometimes receive intense flooding during the summer, often receiving over 1,400 millimetres of rainfall annually. The area is relatively flat and not so above sea-level. The highest non-manmade region, the Avelleva Hills, are 80 metres in height. The southwestern UVSS is a significantly more humid and has a tropical savanna climate, having extremely short but rather intense rainy seasons and long dry periods, often only getting 400 millimetres of annual rainfall, practically in only three or four months, often between March to June.
Further inland in the country is much colder, maintaining a subtropical highland climate (specifically Cwa and Cwb), with rainfall being more evenly distributed over the the year. Temperature in this area is often usually between 23 °C to 0 °C, with the area often receiving limited snow, primarily during December. The region is slightly more elevated compared to the coastal regions, but is relatively flat and only a few hills. The area is home to much of the Union's farmland, being extremely fertile, primarily as a result of the Belventti Rivers.
The east-central UVSS is generally dominated by the Great Wastes and is significantly more elevated, being on a Mikithras Plateau, and are dominated primarily by a cold semi-arid climate and cold desert climate, and is dominated by canyons and mountains and known for its intense temperature swings during its day-night cycle. It rarely receives any precipitation but does see limited snow during winter, mainly at higher altitudes. To the west, there exists the Avârde Plateau with a similar climate, both environments being separated by the Rocky Mountains, which effective cuts the country into two and are the main source of the Belventti Rivers. Much of the Vestric Syndicates passed the Rocky Mountains and the Plateaus is dominated by a humid continental climate that's generally dominated by temperate woodlands, temperate grasslands, temperate deciduous, temperate evergreen forests and coniferous forests, with hot summer temperatures barely reaching 22 °C to 28 °C, usually as being a low-precipitation season. Winters are commonly cold and can reach temperatures as cold as ―12 °C, with snowfall being commonplace in these areas.
Chicula Marshes
Vineyards in the Fertile plains of Florenea
The Black Mountains
The Oasis Canyons of the Great Wastes
Costa Sangosa, coastal inland port on one of the tributaries of the Belventti Rivers
Great Wastes
The Oceanic Climate of Esirel, Northern Union
Rocky Mountains of the Great Wastes
Mixed Forests of Persephonà in Autumn
.jpg)
.jpg)
Wildlife
The Union's ecology is megadiverse: housing over 23,000 species of vascular plants across the country and over 10,000 species of flowering plants are found at the Southern Coast. The UVSS is home to over 900 species of mammals, 1,532 avian species, 656 reptilian species, 524 amphibian species and a total amount of over 120,000 insects have been described. The TBA is the national animal of the Union, being an enduring symbol of the nation.
There are a total of 60 national parks, along with hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and wilderness areas across the country. The government owns 35% of the nation’s total land area. Most of these areas are protected, though some is leased for oil and gas drilling, mining, logging, or cattle ranching; about 2.68% is used for military purposes.
Environmental Issues have been on the national agenda since the 1970s. Environmental controversies include debates on the continued and excessive use of fossil fuels, dealing with air and water pollution, the economic costs of protecting wildlife, logging and deforestation, and international responses to global warming. Many federal and state agencies are involved. The most prominent is the Societae National Environmental Protection Agency (SNEPA), created in 1970 following a presidential order.
Demographics
Population
The Societae Statistics Bureau estimated the national population to be at 210.2 million people as of July 1st, 2017, and to be adding 6 person (net gain) every minute, or about 8,640 people per day. The Societae Population quadrupled during the 20th century, with it having a total population of 55 million at the start of the 20th century in 1900. The xth most populated nation in the world and first in Vestrim, the Union is one of the few major industrialized nation in which large population increases are projected. In the 1800s the average woman had 7.04 children, by the 1900s this number had decreased to 3.56. Since the early 1970s the birth rate has been hovering above the replacement rate of 2.1 with 2.3 children per woman in 2014. Foreign born immigration has caused the Union population to continue its rapid increase with the foreign born population doubling from almost 15 million in 1990 to over 30 million in 2010, representing one third of the population increase.The foreign born population reached 35 million in 2015.
Racial Makeup of the Vestric Syndicates (2018 census)
As of 2018, the Union has a birth rate of 20 births per 1,000 people. Its population growth is at a positive of 2.4%, one of the highest among the developed nations. In fiscal year 2016, over 3 million migrants were given legal residence. There’s been a recent and ongoing immigration shift starting from the 1990s which saw the amount of immigrants from the continents Majula, Catai, Rennekka and Savai outnumber the amount of immigrants from from Asura and Arabekh, which has been extremely high since the 40s. The Union saw a massive population boost following the Great War, which saw the migration of millions of Asurans to the country during the first three decades of the 20th century. The Cheonsam Population saw a massive spike throughout the 20th century. Roughly 43.7% of the national population claim to be of mixed race heritage. People of mostly Asuran and Majulo-Arabekhi descent dominate most of this group. 21.4% of the population claim to be of predominate Asuran, Western Catainese or White ancestry, followed by the Majulo-Arabekhi Negroids at 14.5%, Orientals and other Savainese at 7.2%, Iranic or Semitic Majulo-Arabekhis at 5.3%, Eastern Majulans at 3.4%, Native New Worlders at 2.11% and the remaining 2.39% describing themselves as "Other"
Ethnically, people of Midrasian descent comprise of most of the total white population and the main Asuran heritage of much of the nation's mixed race populace, accounting for at least 20%~ of the total population. Veleazan, Veyene, Ardaiman, Cebragai, Chalcian, and Miersian ancestry usually dominate the rest of the Asuran genetic makeup for the White and Mixed-race populous. The Almenno-Lhedwinic populations are growing and relatively recent due mostly to the tensions between the Vestric Republic and successor states during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which inhibited travel and limited trade. These strains on diplomatic relations were eventually lifted following the conclusion of the Great War, but migration was usually never on-par with other groups until much later in the early 21st century. The Majulo-Arabekhi Negroid populations are composed mostly of East Arabekhi and Kufini West Majulan ethnicities such as the Zulu, Shona, Xhosa, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba peoples, among various others, the latter three of which being the largest groups. Hispasians, Sarabs and Arian Iranics make up most of the Irano-Semitic Populace. The Eastern Majulan peoples are mostly dominated by non Arian peoples, such as Bengalis and Tamils, with Arian populations being predominately Sikh. Much of the Savainese populations are composed predominately of Orientals, with Cheons and Tangkuo peoples composing of most of national Oriental population.
INSERT MAJOR CITIES
Languages
Florentine and Greek are the de facto national languages. There are no real official language at a federal level but some laws—such as Union naturalization tests—standardize Florentine. In 2010, about 92% of the population aged five years and older was quadrilingual. Greek and Florentine being mandatory to learn. Languages like Arday, Midrasian, Northern Midrasian, Southern Modrasian, Veleazian, Newreyan, Motsvaran Ihedwinian, Arabic, Sisi, Igbo, Yoruba and Cheonsamese were the most spoken tertiary and quaternary languages.
Religion
TBA
Government & Politics
The UVSS is the world’s oldest, surviving Confederation, and the largest Vestro-Socialist Confederation in the world. It is a semi-direct cellular democracy which maintains a system of checks and balances to ensure that no singular political unit is given too much power over the other, defined in the Declaration of Democratic Federation, the nation’s legal document. Following the 1914 Revolution, Futurist Doctrines and Democratic Deliberative Economics were officially enshrined in the national constitution, mindset and ideology and a driving factor in the governmental and administrative process. The nation is commonly ranked as one of the most democratic nations in the world and one of the least corrupt nations in the world.
Communes, the smallest national subdivision, are governed by Regional Communal Syndicates; legislative assemblies composed of a Deliberative Plenum (which are further divided into Administrative and Economic Plenums) and a much larger Consultative Plenum and generally lack a executive head (speakers of the Communal Syndicate are sometimes equated to communal executives, a position that is democratically elected). Deliberative Plenums are composed of democratically elected representatives of various Trade Unions, Cooperatives, Associations, Research Institutions, Intellectual Guilds, Organisations and democratically elected political representatives of a recognised party, who partake in the administration and governance of the regional economy and politics. The Consultative Plenum is generally composed of ordinary citizens and membership is largely voluntary and is non-partisan in nature. Citizens are informed of the the legislation and are given a chance to make amendments (which have to be approved by the regional Administrative Directorate) and even propose ideas for new and resolutions to existing problems. The existence of Consultative Plenums is for the implementation of Praxis; a process in which the collective ideas and effort by a society are used initiate far-reaching changes, whereby the entire society is engaged in the process of governance, policy-making, social engineering and reformation. Members of a Administrative Plenum often have a term limit of two years.
.jpg)
Communes are organised and group together into larger states, where members of each commune democratically elect three representatives to represent them in the unicameral state legislature (usually always often called the Regional Senate). Regional Senates manage inter-communal relations, issues, organisation and relations, along with also organising the State Economy with the help of the Administrative Directorates. Political party require a minimum of 20% of the votes to gain a seat. Instead of directly voting, citizens of a commune are given the ability to rank the three ideal parties they would want in power, so that if a political party has more votes than it needs, the rest of the votes are transferred to the political party that most voters of the leading part or parties picked as second ideal. States often have elections for Regional Senators, Speakers of the Senate and State Governors every six years, with Elections for Speakers of the Senate and Governors often happening in Spring and Senators during Winter. During elections for the Governor and Speaker of the Senate, people are made to vote for campaigning parties rather than candidates, with the party with the highest percentage of votes being given the ability to appoint a member of their party as the Governor and Senatorial Speaker.
The National Government's Legislature is the National Assembly, which is composed of the National Ecclesia (the official lower body) and the National Directorate (the official upper body). The National Ecclesia is composed of 680 politicians appointed by their respective political parties and maintain a term limit of four years, with elections often happening alongside Consular Elections. Members of the Ecclesia are elected following nationwide elections, usually done region by region. Ecclesia seats are given in proportion to the percentage of votes a participating political party get in total. Voters are given two votes; one for their desired party to have a seat in the Ecclesia and one for their desired Consular Candidate.
The Directorial Plenum or National Directorate is a assembly of 380 scientific experts, intellectuals and philosophers of all fields and social concerns that have been democratically elected by their respective public institutes, organisations and research universities and are the main progressivist national body. Headed by a Prime Secretary that are elected in the same assembly. Members of the Directory don't really have defined term limits and if their respective institute or organisation allow, can hold the office for life, but members can be removed and democratically replaced with another representative by their respective institutes and organisations if they see fit. The Plenum review the plausibility of laws that have been approved by the Ecclesia and Magistracy and can veto laws that they see as destructive and/or implausible or suggest other ways of implementing those laws. While unable to propose laws themselves, they are able suggest legislative bills to the main government party or Consul. The Executive Consultative Plenum function as the collective speakers of the Directory alongside the Prime Secretary, while also acting as the national cabinet. The Directory differs from most other legislative bodies as it is a largely non-partisan and a largely consensus-based body that requires near-unanimous support when it comes to finalising amendments. There are six regionalism national associations of public institutes, organisations and research universities that make up the Administrative Plenums, which act as the Directorates for the states and communes they cover.
- Legislative: The bicameral core legislature makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government. Members of the Ecclesia have a term limit of six years
- Executive: The Consul is the commander-in-chief of the military, can veto legislative bills before they become law (subject to Ecclesial and Directorial override), and appoints the members of the Executive Consultative Plenum (subject to Directorial approval) and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies. Has a term limit of four years and can only partake in two elections, after which cannot participate in national elections for the next twenty years.
- Judicial: The Tribunal Magistracy and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the Consul with Senate approval, interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional and against the nation's core ideology. No term limit and can hold office until death.
Civil Law and Judiciary
TBA
Administrative Divisions
TBA
Foreign Relations
- Main article: Foreign Relations of the Vestric Syndicates
The Union's international relations are based on Article 8 of the Writ of Democratic Confederation, which establishes self-determination, international cooperation, the peaceful settlement of conflicts and collective intervention when truly necessary, as the nation's primary guiding philosophy and principles of the nation's relationship with other countries and multilateral organisations.
The Union's foreign policy is a by-product of the country's unique position as the regional power of Vestrim, an emerging international power and the history of the Vestric Republic, which encouraged collective interdependent and cooperation amongst Vestric nations and total independence of Vestric territories from their respective colonisers based on the principles of self-determination and the right to govern themselves. Multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement and international interventionism have always been the guiding principles of Vesperian foreign policy since the 1980s.
According to the National Constitution, the Consul has ultimate authority over foreign relations under the strict supervision of the Executive Consultative Plenum, while the Ecclesia is tasked with reviewing and considering all diplomatic nominations, international treaties and legislation concerning and relating too Vesperian Foreign policy. As of 2018, the Union is a full member of the Union of Vestric Republics, the Aeian Enviornment, the Ardaiman Heritage Community, the Aeian Public Health Organization, and the World Educational and Cultural Organization.
The Union maintains a "Special Relationship" with Ardaima, Carcossica, Sidi Synnia, and Motsvara, as well as strong ties with Midrasia, Songdang, Utamucanee, Ovandera and several members of the Commonwealth of Democratic Nations such as tir Lhaeraidd, Navack and Ústekia-Dýnaria and all members of the Ardaiman Heritage Community. It works closely with fellow UVR members on military and security issues and with its neighbours through the Vestric League and free trade agreements. The UVSS retains relatively strained relations with Ashihara and formerly with Varra.[...]
Military
- Main article: Armed Forces of the Vestric Syndicates
The Consul holds the title of commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Federal Department of Defence and the Century Assembly (latter being composed of the military's highest ranking officers) administers the armed forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. The Coast Guard is run by the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime and by the Department of the Navy during times of war. In 2017, the armed forces had 1 million personnel on active duty. The Reserves and National Guard brought the total number of troops to 2.4 million. The Department of Defence also employed about 1.2 million civilians, not including contractors.
Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime through the Selective Service System. Vestric forces can be rapidly deployed by the Air Force's large fleet of transport aircraft, airships, the Navy's 2 active aircraft carriers, and marine expeditionary units at sea with the Navy's Opal and Jade fleets. The military operates 52 bases and facilities abroad and maintains deployments greater than 100 active duty personnel in 4 foreign countries. The military budget of the Union in 2017 was XXX billion, account for roughly 1.2% of the national GDP, roughly US$82.7 billion. This makes the Union Xth, being part of the top 20 big military spenders of the world and the largest spender on military budget in Vestrim. The Union is an active member of the Union of Vestric Republics and is considered as the most powerful nation in Vestrim. The Union houses the world's largest and only active Airship Fleet, numbering at around 93 active airships, mostly serving as heavy transport vessels for supplies and troops, territorial patrol and surveillance.
Economy
The UVSS officially maintains a solidaristic economy where collective, corporatist and syndicalistic organisational norms dominate the national economy in opposed to private enterprise norms present in mixed economies, fuelled primarily by a abundance of natural resources and trade. Many of these collective bodies are organised into larger organisations and federations that usually partake in regional Economic Plenums. The primary institution that manages the national economy and fiances is the Vestric Economic Commission, which is further divided into several other sub-commissions, all of which collectively with regional economic plenums manage the national economy. As of 2018, the UVSS officially has a GDP of US$6.8 trillion, making it the largest economy in Vestrim and one of the largest in the world.
Modern Vestric economic policies are centred around mercantilism and protectionism in order to protect small business and limit over-reliance on external imports, transforming the nation into a regional trading giant on the vestric continent and the largest exporter in Vestrim and one of the largest exporters in the world. Most exports are centred around manufactured goods, capital goods, refined oil, electronics, firearms, metals, foodstuff, electrical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Ovandera, Motsvara and Utamucanee are the Union's primary regional export partners, with Midrasia, Ardaima, Crylante, Carcossica, Navack and Cebragas being major export partners. The Union is considered as a newly-emerged post-industrial economy, with the service sector accounting for 67.9% of the economy, the manufacturing sector accounting for 28%, mining and resource extraction sectors accounts for 2.7% and agricultural sector at 1.4%, with growth in the service sector being the main trend. The Union has a total labour force of 112 million people, the second largest in the world after Ashihara.
The UVSS has an annual income of 58% of its GDP, or US$3.944 Trillion, and spends 95.4% of it (or US$3.762576 Trillion) with a budget surplus of 4.6% of its GDP (or US$181.4 Billion). The UVSS gets 4.5% of its income from corporate taxes, 8.3% from personal taxes, 6.1% from consumption taxes, 2.7% from import tariffs, 0.5% from export taxes, 3% from inheritance taxes, 18.5% from real estate, 55.3% from public industries and 1.4% from other means. Out of its total spending, the UVSS spends 2.2% on defence, 15.1% on Healthcare and Welfare, 12.1% on Education, 11% on Science, 1.8% on Environmental Protection, 2.1% on Housing, 55.7% on Industries and a remaining 1.3% on various other things. Roughly 39.3% of most sectors are owned and ran by public institutions and government-owned enterprises, with main exceptions being Education and Healthcare centres, which are 87% and 88.3% owned and ran by public institutions respectively and funded primarily by government. The UVSS is often credited for having one of the highest corporate and personal tax rates in the world, with corporate taxes ranging from 35.2% to 50%, and personal taxes 32.6% to 64.9% as of 2018. Inheritance Tax rates range from 15.9% to 24.2%. Roughly 98.7% of business are unionised. The UVSS, housing the Opportunity Stock Exchange, the largest in Vestrim, serves as the economic hub for the Union of Vestric Republics and the Vestric continent in general.
Energy
Due to the Union's status as a progressivist polity, much of the Union's energy sources are derived from sustainable means following several decades of implemented laws centred around increased sustainability. As such, the Union is commonly ranked as having some of the lowest greenhouse emissions compared to other international powers. Due to the Union's interior being rich in its vast network of river systems, hydroelectric power saw itself becoming the dominate form of energy throughout the Union following the early implementation of eco-friendly laws in the Mid-'70s. Nuclear Energy Industry saw a brief boom during the '80s until the various incidents that occurred worldwide effectively destroyed the industry's public image, however, in recent years as seen a steady re-growth in support. The Union is the largest consumer of biofuel, such as Ethanol, and the research into the development algae-based fuel has seen massive government support over the years. Solar Panels are commonly found on rooftops in both urban and suburban areas.
Infrastructure
Transportation
A majority of the Urban Transportation Industry in the Union is publicly owned, with policies in the late '80s began the slow shift towards government-owned public transportation, with the central goal of many of those policies being centered around limiting ecological damage, mainly in the form of heavy carbon emission. Subways, Buses and Tram Systems became standards in the Union cities. Various cities in the early 2000s sought to limit the use of fossil fuel-powered cars and the construction of various bikeway systems to encourage biking. Electric Cars dominate the private transport industry. The former Minister of Transportation, TBA TBA, announced the government's plan to implement Shared Spaces completely nationwide by 2024, in 2016.
The Union's Railway network covers roughly XX,XXX,XXX kilometers of land, being the most extensive in Vestrim. They're operated by the NFRC. High-speed rail networks are dominated by homemade Mercurian 1 and 2 Trains, along with a few imported Asurostars, all of which travel at 320 km/h in commercial use. Railways are commonly used for both the national-wide transportation of peoples and goods. Intra-urban transport also supports several underground and tramway services, with major centers, like Greater Opportunity and Endeavour, housing railway, roadway, underground and tramway systems that help them to connect with virtual all areas of the country.
There are 523 currently operation airports in the country, with 92 of them being international. A majority of airports in the Union are publicly owned but most aviation companies operating in them are private enterprises. Gnaeus International Airport, in Endeavour, is the nation's largest and busiest, handling the vast majority of popular and commercial traffic and connecting the city with virtually all major cities across the world and seeing tens of millions of departures and arrivals annually. Federal Air is the national carrier. The Union is the largest user of Airships, with them commonly being used for air cruises and nation-wide transportation. There are 23 major ports in the Union, 17 of which being located in the Columbian Sea.
Science & Technology
Following the National Revolution and establishment of the current progressivist government in 1914, the progression of science and technology became a national responsibility and ushered a new age of funding for the scientific and technological industry. Various advancements in physics were carried out by various Societae Intellectuals, notable people such as Rebecca Cara and Andrei D'Estan are known worldwide for their work on Radioactivity. Various medical advancements such as the accomplishment of Hand and Face Transplants were made by Societae Doctors such as XX, XX, XX and the discovery of HIV by virologist XX.
XX has historically been referred to as the father of modern physics with his work on the Theory of General Relativity and Vincent Hendrix's work on Quantum Physics and being renowned for solving the Black Hole Energy Dilemma by proposing the idea that they evaporate, releasing energy in the form of Hendrix Radiation as they do, the development of the transistor is owed to engineer Gaûvre Delores. The Federal National Space Exploration Agency has been a known pioneer in space exploration and the detection of exoplanets. The Union has been the Xth nation to send someone to the moon (with a total of three manned missions being conducted), the landing of probes on Secundas and the construction and maintenance of various orbital satellites as well as deep space probes. The Union had two, now defunct, space stations
The Great Wars in Asura and Rennakka, along with the Civil War in Cheonsam, foresaw the fleeing of various scientific personnel to the Union, this resulted in the Union being home to some of Vestrim’s most notable minds, such as (TO BE ADDED).
Health
The Societae Healthcare System is universally provided to all citizens and financed primarily through taxes. In 2004, APHO ranked the the Union as having one of the best healthcare systems in Vestrim as part of the quadrennial report on continental healthcare systems. The Union spends roughly 15.1%, or $568 billion, of its total GDP on its healthcare system and its funding. One of the highest on the continent.
Care is generally free for people affected by Chronic Diseases, such as Cancer and ADDs. Average life expectancy at birth is 81 years for men and 85 years for women, one of the highest in Vestrim and slightly over the international average. There are 12.32 physicians for every 1000 inhabitants in the Union, and average health care spending was XX% of the national GDP ($XXX Million) in 2008. As of 2018, approximately 80,000 inhabitants of the Union are living with HIV/AIDS and 740,000 are living with some form of cancer.
The Union has the lowest obesity rates in the world, lower than that of most developed nations. The Union was previously facing a growing health pandemic during the late 80' but government campaigns in the later decade were proven to be successful against the growing obesity rate, healthier eating habits were popularized and government restrictions on fast food businesses concerning the healthiness of their products helped to decrease obesity rates. As of 2018, 0.72% of the population are suffering from obesity.
Education
TBA
Culture
Prior to the First Vestric Renaissance, and even still in the modern era, the core of the Union's culture was Ardaiman as well as Veyene and Cebragai, due to the nation's extremely strong colonial ties to its former colonizer and the mass migration of Cebragai immigrants to the Union during Ardaiman rule. Among other influences, the Ardaiman introduced the Arday language, Orthodox Alydianism and colonial architectural styles, while Cebragai and Veyes introduced Cebragai, [[Carcossica|Veyene}}, Ksaiism, Triskaidekatheism, Medieval Cebragai and Old Chalcian Architecture. The culture was, however, also strongly influenced by Majulo-Arabekhi, indigenous and non-Ardaiman Asuran cultures and traditions.
Several aspects of Societae culture were influenced by the contributions of Fiorentine, Midrasian Veleazan, Alemannic, Lhedwinic and other European as well Cheon, Yen, Hispasian and Semitic Arabekhi immigrants who arrived in large numbers in the South and Northwest of the Union during the 19th and 20th centuries. The indigenous Vestrics influenced the Union's music, art and cuisine; and the Arabekhis influenced cuisine, music, dance and religion.
Societae art has developed since the 16th century into different styles that range from Baroque (the dominant style in the Union until the early 19th century) to Romanticism, Modernism, Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism and Abstractionism. Societae cinema dates back to the birth of the medium in the late 19th century and has gained a new level of international acclaim since the 1960s.
Architecture
Prior to the Vestric Renaissance, Societae culture was heavily influenced by that of Fiorentinic Asuran styles during the colonial period, with the heaviest influences being from the Ardaiman. It has a history that goes back 600 years to the time when Raphael di Capra discovered what is now the modern day Union in the early 1400s. Cebragai and Ardaiman colonial architecture was the first wave of architecture to hit the Union during the colonial period and became a basis of Societae Architecture for the following centuries. Following the Vestric Renaissance and Independence in the late 18th century, Societae Architecture was heavily influenced by Antiquity Architectural Styles such as Rococo, Neoclassical and later on Imperial Fiorentinic. Following the construction of Endeavour in the mid-20th century, the nation experimented with the use of Modernist Architecture which quickly given rise to an new era of modernist architectural styles. The rise in Pan-Vestricism during the late 20th century, along with the 1914 Progressivist Revolution resulted in the nation-wide popularization of Futurist Architectural Styles, following the trend of most other Vestric nations, and too this day remains as the most predominant architectural style in the Union
Music
The music of the UVSS was formed mainly from the fusion of Asuran and Arabkehi elements. Until the nineteenth century, Ardaima and Cebragas were the gateways to most of the influences that built Societae music, although many of these elements were not of Ardaiman origin, but generally Asuran. The first was Fernando Garcia, author of sacred pieces with influence of Viennese classicism. The major contribution of the Majulo-Arabekhi element was the rhythmic diversity and some dances and instruments that had a bigger role in the development of popular music and folk, flourishing especially in the twentieth century.
Modern-day Societae music is often divided into three main categories: Classical Asuran, Nova Classical and Traditional music. Classical Asuran music refers to the popularization of Classical Asuran music during the First Renaissance, which has continued to greatly influence formal Societae music. Nova Classical, also known as New Classical, is a relatively new musical genre that remains extremely popular among the nation's youth, often a mixture of newer music styles and older classical music styles. Nova Classical styles often used the same rhythmic beats of that of pop or jazz (depends on the sub-genre) but adds some slight classical modifications and also often feature a wider array of instruments and natural sounds.
Traditional Societae music if the oldest form of music native to the Union, and has been influenced by several Asuran, Majulan, Arabekhi, Catainese and (to a much weaker extent) Yidaoese sources and elements. Samba is the most typical form of Societae traditional music and and listed as a cultural heritage. Maractu and Afoxê are two Arabekhi-Societae music traditions that have been popularized by their appearance in the annual Societae Carnivals. Capoeira, a tradition Societae dance and form of martial arts of Arabekhi origin, is often played with its own style of music, which is usually considered to be a call-and-response type of folk music.
Choro is an extremely popular musical style. Its origins are in 19th-century Sapoli. In spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtle modulations and full of syncopation and counterpoint. Bossa nova is also a well-known style of Societae music developed and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. The phrase "bossa nova" means literally "new trend". A lyrical fusion of samba and jazz, bossa nova acquired a large following starting in the 1960s.
Literature
TBA
Philosophy
The Vestric Renaissance saw the rise of Classical and Enlightenment Sophist thought in the Union, ushering in a new age of philosophers. Sophist Thinking became a major component of Societae Culture and Society throughout the late 19th century. The position of wisdom and knowledge being the highest and most valuable traits in human society, the rise of rationalist, epistemologist and empiricist schools of thought nationwide and helped to ignite a vigor for public support of the growing scientific community along with the questioning of imposed social norms with gave rise to the nation's earliest Liberal and Feminist movements which laid the foundations for many of the nation's social achievements that followed a decade later. Sophist Schools of Thought saw the greatest of support during the worldwide economic collapse following the First Great War, where the public's belief that much of the world's unqualified and ignorant leaders are the cause of much of the ensuing worldwide chaos. Later influenced by Communitarian, Egalitarian, Unitarian, Liberal, Socialist and Enlightened Republican Thought, the movement eventually morphed into what is know the Progressivist Movement that eventually took power following the 1914 Revolution. Progressivism, Liberal and the Idea of Progress have been driving factors in modern Societae philosophy.
Cinema & Theater
TBA
Visual Arts
Sports
TBA