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The national symbols of Aucuria are those symbols which represent the Aucurian Republic and its identity as a sovereign state. These symbols, whether official or unofficial, seek to represent Aucuria and Aucurian identity by typifying or embodying its history, people, culture, political values, and geography.
Official emblems
National flag
The flag of Aucuria, as established by the country's constitution and its current legislation on national symbols, is a vertical bicolor of red and green with a white eight-pointed star emblazoned in the middle of the flag. Originally designed by Vilimas Kuzleika in 1786 and adopted by the Revolutionary Saeimas shortly thereafter during the Aucurian War of Independence, it has been used in some form by every iteration of the Aucurian state since; the First and Second Aucurian State, both regarded by later Aucurian governments as illegitimate, used a version without the central star. Additionally, government entities sometimes use a state flag variant in which the central star is replaced by the country's coat of arms.
The flag's symbolism, originally outlined by Kuzleika himself, is well-established in the country's popular consciousness; green is held to represent the country's natural wealth and duty, while red symbolizes the blood of patriots shed in defense of liberty and independence. The star's eight points are held to represent the "guiding values" (liberty, equality, independence, justice, honor, purity, fraternity, and fidelity) adopted by revolutionaries during the Aucurian War of Independence, with its white color representing the triumph of hope over tyranny; the star has also been interpreted as a compass rose or as a cynosure.
Aucuria celebrates Flag Day on March 22, the anniversary of the flag's original adoption during the Aucurian Revolution. The banner is known by several nicknames in Aucuria, including dvispalvė ("the bicolor"), raudona-žalia ("the red-green"), baltažvaigždėtas ("the white-starred"), and vieniša žvaigždė ("the lone star").
Aucuria's flag is widely regarded as one of its most recognizable and respected national symbols; the eight-pointed star in the middle of the banner has become a particularly potent symbol of Aucuria and the Aucurian Republic both nationally and internationally, widely incorporated into the emblems and logos of other entities, both public and private, as a way of showing "Aucurianness". However, the Aucurian eight-pointed star is sometimes confused with the Ardesian octagram by non-Asterians.
Coat of arms
Aucuria's coat of arms was detailed in its current specifications in 1937, shortly following the Great War, but some variant of the coat of arms has been used since 1786, when the first version of it was created amidst the Aucurian War of Independence. The creation of the original version of the coat of arms is attributed to Klemensas Brazauskas, tbd, and tbd, drawing heavily from the national flag created by Vilimas Kuzleika.
The full official description of the coat of arms is as follows:
Crest: A mural crown of four turrets or.
Blazon: Party per pale gules and vert, a mullet of eight points argent.
Other elements: Around the shield a console or and a wreath of coffee branches vert.
Supporters: Flags of Aucuria, two on each side.
Compartment: A scroll argent with the motto "libertas omnia vincit" upon it in sable.
The coat of arms created during the Aucurian Revolution replaced an earlier coat of arms used during the Ruttish colonial and United Kingdom periods, which depicted a three-masted sailing ship sailing to the sinister alongside the motto "damus petimusque vicissim". During the United Kingdom period, this coat of arms was commonly used alongside the Ruttish coat of arms, with the Ruttish crown in the crest and both coats of arms inside a wreath of coffee and tobacco.
Cockade
The national cockade of Aucuria is red-white-green, with the white stripe being thinner than the green and red. These colors were taken from the Aucurian flag, with the green and red predominating due to their being the colors of the flag's field and the thinner strip of white representing the eight-pointed star emblazoned in the middle of the flag. Several variants have existed historically, some changing the order of the colors or forgoing the thinner white strip in favor of placing the eight-pointed star itself in the middle of the cockade; however, these variants do not have official status.
The cockade was created during the Aucurian Revolution... [created by women and/or militiamen to show support for the revolutionaries, bla bla bla, inspired by the use of cockades to symbolize revolutionary sentiment during the concurrent Weranian Revolution]
During the 20th century, as the cockade became increasingly associated with socialism due to its use in countries such as Valduvia, East Miersa, and Amathia, the use of the cockade as an Aucurian national symbol became less common, particularly during the 1949-1980 military dictatorship. Nonetheless, the cockade has retained official status as a national symbol in Aucurian law, with its position being reaffirmed following the Velvet Revolution.
Anthem
[i still have no clue what to do for aucuria's anthem]
Motto
The official motto of Aucuria is "libertas omnia vincit", a Solarian phrase which translates to "liberty conquers all". The phrase was described as the "briefest possible summation of Aucuria's official national ethos... the steadfast belief that those who wrong the people shall eventually, invariably, have their sordid works undone" by cultural analyst tbd.
"Libertas omnia vincit" was adopted as the country's motto in 1786, during the Aucurian War of Independence, having been proposed as such by Bendiktas Klimantis. Klimantis's precise inspiration for the motto is unclear; the phrase follows the same structure as two quotes from the Solarian poet !virgil, "labor omnia vincit" ("labor conquers all") from the Georgics and "amor omnia vincit" ("love conquers all") from the Eclogues, as well as the quote "veritas omnia vincit" ("truth conquers all") from the pre-Amendist Reaction reformist theologian !jan hus, but - as a very short phrase - could just have easily been coined by Klimantis himself without any deliberate outside reference.
"Libertas omnia vincit" replaced the motto used during the Ruttish colonial and United Kingdom periods of Aucurian history, which was "damus petimusque vicissim" ("we give and take in return"), a phrase ultimately taken from the Ars Poetica of !horace.
Biology & geology
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Animals
A megadiverse country on account of its geographic and climactic diversity, at least 54,000 plant and animal species inhabit Aucuria, more than 9,000 of which are endemic. Accordingly, the country has several official and unofficial national animals, as well as a variety of animal species associated with specific regions of the country.
Mammals
Aucuria's national carnivorous mammal, and the animal most commonly used to symbolize Aucuria, is the jaguar (Panthera onca). The only living member of the genus Panthera native to the Asterias, the jaguar's natural range once encompassed almost all of Aucuria; however, deforestation and habitat fragmentation have seen it extirpated from the country's northern pakrantė region. The vicuna (Lama vicugna), a species native to the Vaskaranas Mountains and the likely wild ancestor of the alpaca, is Aucuria's national herbivorous mammal; the species produces small amounts of very fine wool which, during the Cutinsuan period, only royals were allowed to wear. The country's national aquatic mammal is the giant otter (Pteronura satucinensis), which is the longest member of the family Mustelidae and native to the rivers of the Sythe-Juoda Rainforest; the otter has been classified as endangered since the 1990s due to poaching.
The Aucurian herding dog is Aucuria's national dog breed. Associated with the pakraščiai region of the country, the breed likely emerged in the 19th century and is believed to be derived mostly from collie stock; while primarily used a herding dog, the dog's intelligence and temperament also make it ideal as a watchdog and companion dog. Aucuria's national horse breed is the Aucurian risčia, a breed of saddle horse known for its ambling gait, which is smoother than a typical trot; the foundation stock of the breed is believed to have arrived in the country in the early colonial period.
As a cradle of civilization, Aucuria is home to multiple mammal species and breeds which were domesticated or created within the country, and which are not officially national animals but are nonetheless widely associated with Aucuria as a result. The llama and alpaca were both domesticated in Aucuria in the 6,000s BCE from wild guanacos and vicunas respectively; llamas were the primary pack animal in what would become Aucuria throughout the pre-colonial period and have continued to play this role into the present, and both llamas and alpacas have long been used for their meat and wool in Aucuria. The guinea pig was also domesticated in Aucuria as a source of meat. The Aucurian hairless dog is believed to date back to the 700s CE, appearing in artworks by the late Tirakvas culture, and has often been proposed as an alternative national dog breed.
Other mammal species unofficially associated with Aucuria or with regions of Aucuria include the puma, maned wolf, culpeo, ocelot, capybara, and chinchilla.
The jaguar is Aucuria's national carnivorous mammal.
A herd of vicuna in the Vaskaranas Mountains.
The giant otter is native to the Sythe-Juoda river system.
The Aucurian herding dog emerged in the 1800s.
An Aucurian risčia parent and foal.
Birds
The national bird of Aucuria is the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), one of the largest and most powerful birds of prey in Asteria Inferior. Once found throughout much of Aucuria's lowland regions, the destruction and fragmentation of rainforests along the country's northern coast has caused the extent of its Aucurian range to shrink, and the species is now primarily found in the Juoda basin within Aucuria. The rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus), also known as the red ovenbird, is Aucuria's national songbird, and can be found widely in the country's plain and savanna regions.
While neither holds official status, the Vaskaranan condor and crested caracara are also widely associated with Aucuria; the condor is particularly strongly associated with the Vaskaranas Mountains and the country's aukštumos region, and is often more strongly associated with Aucuria in public consciousness than the harpy eagle. The tunki, or Vaskaranan cock-of-the-rock, is another bird species commonly associated with Aucuria.
Various species of macaw, toucan, hummingbird, and vireo are sometimes popularly associated with particular states or regions of the country.
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Reptiles
Aucuria's official national reptile is the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), which is the world's largest species of snake by weight and the second-largest by length (behind only the reticulated python). The country also has an official aquatic reptile, the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), a keystone species in the Sythe-Juoda ecosystem; however, in spite of its official status, the caiman is rarely used to symbolize Aucuria in public contexts due to the strong association of crocodilians with neighboring Satucin.
Reptiles associated unofficially with Aucuria, or associated with particular regions of Aucuria, include the hawksbill sea turtle, green iguana, boa constrictor, fer-de-lance, and cascabel rattlesnake.
Others
The national amphibian of Aucuria is the yellow-banded poison dart frog (Dendrobates leucomelas), which is endemic to the country. Aucuria is also known for poison dart frogs generally, as many species of poison dart frog are endemic to the country; unfortunately, due to limited ranges and the threat of deforestation, many of these species are also seriously endangered.
Aucuria's national fish is the slender arapaima (Arapaima leptosoma), a freshwater fish endemic to the area between the junction of the Juoda & Isana rivers and the junction of the Juoda with the Sythe River. The slender arapaima is the largest freshwater fish in Asteria Inferior and, like other members of its genus, has a modified and enlarged swim bladder which allows it to breathe air.
The zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia), a species of butterfly, is Aucuria's national insect. Capable of surviving in a variety of environments, it is not to be confused with Heliconius atthis, a mimic species which takes advantage of the zebra longwing's aposematism.
Poison dart frogs are some of Aucuria's most famous amphibians.
A pair of slender arapaima.
Aucuria's national butterfly is the zebra longwing.
Plants
Aucuria's official national flower is the cantuta (Cantua buxifolia), sometimes referred to as the "Aucurian magic tree" or the "sacred flower of the Cutinsuans". Found in the high valleys of the Vaskaranas Mountains, the flower plays an important role in Cutinsuan legend as a symbol of fertility, reconciliation, and peace. The flowers of the cantuta vary in color, ranging from white-and-yellow to gold-and-orange to reddish-pink; cantuta with reddish-pink flowers are held in particular regard as patriotic symbols, with the green of the leaves and red of the blooms being held as evocative of the colors of the Aucurian flag.
The pink ipe (Handroanthus impetiginosus), also known as the pink lapacho or pink trumpet tree, is Aucuria's national tree. The pink ipe is widely used as a lumber tree, ornamental tree, and honey plant in Aucuria specifically and Asteria Inferior more generally. Additionally, the tree's inner bark is sometimes used in indigenous communities to make an herbal tea, lapacho, which is a traditional medicine for treating respiratory infections; while there is little scientific evidence to confirm this belief, and evidence suggests that the active compound lapachol is actually cytotoxic if consumed excessively, there is ongoing investigation into whether it could be used as a topical antibiotic.
Several species of crop plant are associated with Aucuria due to the fact that they were originally domesticated within the country. Potatoes and cassava, the fourth- and fifth-most produced staple crops globally, were both domesticated in Aucuria between 8,000 BCE and 5,000 BCE; quinoa, coca, and common beans were all also domesticated within the country in the 3,000s and 2,000s BCE. Accordingly, these crops - particularly potatoes and quinoa - are widely associated with Aucuria. Additionally, several crops which are not originally from Aucuria but are widely produced in Aucuria are sometimes associated with it; the most notable of these is coffee, of which Aucuria is a leading producer.
Metals and minerals
Aucuria's national precious metal and gemstone are silver and emerald, respectively. The country is a major producer of both, as well as several other precious metals; silver has long played an important role in the art of Aucuria's indigenous civilizations, while Aucurian emerald production emerged mostly in the 20th century and has particularly taken off in the last three decades. Aucurian emerald production is marked by the occasional discovery of trapiche emeralds, a rare variety of emerald with a six-pointed radial pattern of dark impurities that produce a dramatic starburst shape.
A silver artifact of the Kulkinčas culture.
A trapiche emerald mined in Aucuria.
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History & culture
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National personification
[do i name the national personification with a normal name or just smth like "mother aucuria" or "effigy of the republic"]
[several other types of individual regarded as unofficial representations of the country, a region thereof, or a part of its demography - kamajukai, užkariautojai, vėliavininkai, vaučai, redutojai, etc.]
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Patres patriae
[revolutionary figures - in particular bendiktas klimantis and juozapas kairys - the first and most obvious to be patres patriae]
[the colonial figure jurgis leikauskas also quickly joined the roster, as the founder of ruttish aucuria]
[later, as aucurian identity increasingly encompassed precolonial stuff, cutinsuan figures get involved - mankojupankis is the actual founder of cutinsua, but capatipomas is the one most widely-invoked today]
Other icons
[patron saints - the immaculate heart of mary and onamarija of apvaizda]
[national monuments or historic buildings/locations]
[natural wonders - mountains, rivers, etc.]
[cultural stuff - cuisine, music and dance, etc.]
State symbols
The nineteen Aucurian states each have their own set of symbols - including flags, coats of arms, mottos, plants & animals, minerals, and nicknames - which represent their local histories and regional traditions. Many of these were adopted during the late 19th or early 20th centuries, though some are much older and some are much younger. As with the country's national symbols, some have official status enshrined by law while some are unofficial or popular in nature.
[state flags, CoAs, mottos]
[other state symbols - state animals, state plants, state metals/minerals]
[other state symbols - state historical figures and cultural traditions]
[state nicknames]
