Damak Var

Commonwealth of Damak Var Damak Var
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: The high tide draws near
Capital and largest city	Avantine
Official languages	Derrian
Recognised regional languages	Oharic creole
Demonym(s)	Varian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• High Executor	Lucas North
• Speaker of the Grand Council	Dominic Ustral
Legislature	Grand Council of the Thirteen Provinces
Population
• 2020 estimate	15,500,000
Currency	Varian Nitch
Driving side	right

The Commonwealth of Damak Var is a sovereign nation located within the Meteorolan Archipelago of the South Europan continent on Eurth. Nearest neighbouring countries include: Byzantium Nova and Miiros to the north, Bainbridge Islands to the east, Ayubi to the southwest, and Mahdah and Hakenium to the west. The capital and largest city is Avantine. Damak Var has a total population of 15.5 million.

Geography

Damak Var is part of the geographical area of south Europa, strongly influenced by Azania, Amutia and the Orient. Damak Var shares no land borders. Damak Var lies along the Equator. The climate has a significant maritime influence. There are two seasons: a wet season and a dry season. There are no extremes of summer or winter. There are a few protected wildlife reserves. When leaving the main cities and passing through the outskirts you will see hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of forest. Evergreen trees dominate the countryside creating a beautiful landscape. The peninsula in the east is the only flat land in Damak Var which serves as its agricultural center. Damak Var's national animal is the Kraken, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Map of Damak Var, detailing the 13 provinces.

The country is divided into thirteen provinces. Each provinces is named after the largest city which also serve at provincial capitals. Much of the population live in the suburb outskirts and well populated counties outside the city, as well as some large towns and villages in the countryside.

• The northwestern 2 provinces Avantine and Alesia are densely populated. Avantine (Vonrickover) is the capital of the nation and the largest city in all of Damak Var. This city was renamed to its original name preceding the fall of the old fascist regime. The city also happens to be the financial center of the country. In it there are countless skyscrapers, as well as a very efficient public transportation system. Alesia is another skyscraper-infested city. Many information technology and software companies are based in Alesia. Avantine and Alesia have been vigorously competing against each other in business for over three hundred years with a slight pause during the time of Emperor Imbel.
• The northeastern 4 provinces on the peninsula. Durimanica, Wallerton, Northern Selfax, and Southern Selfax (The Peninsular Cities). Almost all agriculture products of the country come from these four provinces. The Peninsular Cities are small, with low crime, and generally pleasant to visit.
• Central 4 provinces of Cascade, Covingtal, Ravensdale and Blenheim. These cities first began as small fishing villages but grew into something even larger. Today they host the largest of all Varian fishing fleets, and have grown other industries as well. Deeper the these provinces towards the center of the island the altitude grows higher, creating some of the coldest regions in Damak Var.
• The southern 3 provinces of Kenland, Renwick, and Gannington are the countries largest manufacturing centers, with the most prominent being Renwick. All Southern cities, however, are poorer compared to the other provinces. Crime rate are higher than average. High levels of smog and pollution in the air have made these cities a very unpleasant place to visit.

History

Facade of a temple, dated 3500-3300 BCE.

Damak war outrigger.

Orinese built citadel from 1514.

Former colonial flag of Daini island (1472-1908).

• Prehistory — Varian peoples have inhabited Damak Var since prehistoric times. Early human presence when Azanians took to the sea. First stop towards Meteorolan islands to the east and Marenesia to the southwest.
• Ancient — Part of the Chulo Empire throughout the Meteorolas.
• Medieval — Influence of Salam.
• Early modern — Damak Var became an Orinese colony in 1472 after it was conquered and colonised by Orioni as Daini. The occupier resettled thousands of veterans to Daini. These in turn took enslaved people with them and established plantations on land grants.
• Modern —  Independence from Orioni in 1908. Corporatocracy morphed into fascist state. Economy grew after independence. Stagnated mid-century but reinvented itself during the 1960s.

Politics

Government

Lucas North, High Executor and Head of State.

Dominic Ustral, Speaker of the Grand Council.

The Grand Council appoints a High Executor to manage day to day affairs and carry out the will of the Grand Council. The High Executor appoints his own Executors to run each government department. Though they have the right to replace him and his cabinet at any moment. The current head of state is Mr Lucas North. Mr Dominic Ustral is the Speaker of the Grand Council of the Thirteen Provinces. There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, pro-business individuals juggles the competing demands of Commerce, Education, and Public Transport. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Avantine. The country is notable for its keen interest in outer space

Military

Varian Armed Forces. Clockwise from top: Army during training session, Sukhoi Su-30, Anoa APC, and naval vessel.

Damak Var is a state of corporate opportunists. Varian corporations regularly take interest in armed conflicts around the globe due to their lucrative nature, assessing the need for construction contracting, financing, and any other "reconstruction" needs once the war is over and New Edom needs to rebuild. Crime, especially youth-related, is relatively low. Condemned prisoners spend hours a day sitting in lotus position looking perplexed, cities are engulfed by smog, the nation is ravaged by daily union strikes, and mining is the nation's most dangerous occupation.

Foreign relations

Damak Var is a member of the Group of Island Nations (GIN) and an observer of the Entente of Oriental States (EOS).

Economy

Damak Var maintains its own currency, the Varian Nitch, controlled by the central bank of Damak Var. The hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population billion are either ruled by a sleek, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Beef-Based Agriculture industries. (WIP. Energy. Transport. Media. Investment opportunity described in Damak Var, Investment Opportunity (20 September 2012).)

Culture

Junkanoo celebration in Alesia.

Varian-Orinese women in the 1970s.

The culture of the islands is a mixture of Azanian (being the largest ethnicity), Orinese (as the former colonial power) and Miirosi (as the source of most tourists). (WIP. Literature. Visual arts. Music. Cuisine. Sport.) Damak Var has an estimated population of 15,500,000. The population are mainly the descendants of Orientals to the west and Azanians to the west. A small portion are also descended from Amutian labourers who came to help develop the recently independent industrial economy in the 1910s. The population is predominantly Salamid. There are also smaller communities with practitioners of traditional religions. The official language of Damak Var is Derrian. Many people speak an Oharic-based creole language as well. According to 2021 estimates, approximately 96% of the adult population are literate.