Veltria

Sanctified Republic of Veltria Svētā Veltrijas Republika (Veltrian)
Flag Great Seal
Motto: Uz visiem laikiem zem Dieva acīm (Veltrian) ‘’"Forever under the Eyes of God"’’ National Ideology: Astąhvist Unitism
Anthem: Savienībā Cauri Laikmetiem (Veltrian) ”In Union Through the Ages”
Veltria (dark blue) and its protectorate states (blue) on the continent of Aslaria (light blue).
Capital	Amlaí
Largest city	Vontíris
Official languages	Veltrian Parronise English
Recognised regional languages	Kroatavian Suberian
Ethnic groups (2020)	67% Veltrian 15% Kroatavian 13% Parronise 4% Suberian ~1% assorted ethnicities
Religion	Astąhvism
Demonym(s)	Veltrian
Government	Unitary One-Party Theocratic Republic
• Consul	Valik Sindaris
• Proconsul	Liza Erviam
• Foreign Secretary	Paria Talsyn
• First Praetor	Mikus Jianis
Legislature	Supreme Republican Congress
• Upper house	Apostolic Assembly
• Lower house	Veltrid Senate
Establishment
• Athrinian Conquests	778 BCE
• Formation of the Amlaíite Dominion	496 BCE
• Veltrid Kritarchy	217 BCE
• Ezhari Wars	411 CE
• Sanansian Union	682 CE
• Kingdom of Aylania	1284 CE
• Reorganized into the Aylanian Federation	26 April 1890 CE
• Unitist Revolution	10 November 2000 CE
• Formation of the Sanctified Republic	18 December 2000 CE
Area
• Total	2,257,161 km2 (871,495 sq mi)
• Water (%)	7.7
Population
• July 2018 estimate	112,809,727
• 2020 census	112,332,835
• Density	11.9/km2 (30.8/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$2.2 trillion
• Per capita	$19,982
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$1.8 trillion
• Per capita	$16,023
Gini (2020)	31.6 medium
HDI (2018)	0.822 very high
Currency	Díali (DIL)
Time zone	UTC+1 to +3 (ECT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	(+ 310)
ISO 3166 code	VLT
Internet TLD	.vl

The Sanctified Republic of Veltria (Veltrian: Svētā Veltrijas Republika - Latin: Reipublica Veltriae Sanctificatus) (commonly referred to as Veltria, the Sanctified Republic, Veltrian Republic, and the S.V.R.) is a unitary one-party theocratic republic located on the Aslarian continent. Situated in what was once the heartland of the ancient Amlaíite Dominion, the Sanctified Republic also claims limitedly recognized territorial hegemony over the “Magisterial Protectorates” of Kythira and Kroatavia in northern and mid-eastern Aslaria respectively, and administers a military outpost on the Akkasti Islands. Bordered to the east by the Halcyon Ocean, and to the west by the Sea of Azhar, Veltria's only land borders are shared with the Kythiran People’s Democratic Republic and the Principality of Maldania in the north, and the Kroatavian Republic in the south. Comprised of a land area of 2,257,161 km2 (871,494 sq mi), Veltria is the largest nation on the Aslarian continent, and seventh largest in Undria by landmass. With 112.3 million inhabitants, Veltria is also Aslaria’s most populous nation, and the only nation on the continent that controls access through the Strait of Šauralis.

Veltria is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations. First settled by nomadic tribes 8,000 years before the founding of the ancient city of Amlaí, the plains along the western Orientalis peninsula emerged as the home of several diverse polities by the end of the 9th century BCE. First united through the military conquests of the Athrinians, the region would be later ruled by the Amlaíite Dominion, which from 496 to 217 BCE continued to expand into neighboring lands – eventually encompassing a territory spanning from the Sassani Ocean in the north, to the Asyran river valley in the south. Overtaken in an internal coup by Astąhvist religious leaders in the 3rd century BCE, the Amlaíite Dominion gave way to the Veltrid Kritarchy, which ruled the Dominion’s former territories for nine centuries, and contributed to a period of significant artistic and scientific advancement known as the Veltrid Golden Era. Effectively assimilating most of the polities and cultures on the Oriantalis by the 4th century CE, the Kritarchy era largely laid the foundation for a culturally and religiously homogenous “Veltrian” society.

A series of civil conflicts and devastating wars with the Ezhari Empire during the early 5th century CE however rapidly weakened the Kritarchy, and it eventually succumbed to the expansionist conquests of the Sanansian Union in 682 CE. Rule by secular nobility was restored in the Sanansi period, but most of the institutions and administrative traditions that characterized the Veltrid era were preserved and adopted by the ascendant Sanansi elite. A Veltrian rebellion six centuries later in 1284 allowed many of the Union’s territories in northern Aslaria to break away, subsequently leading to the formation of the Kingdom of Aylania, and a reestablishment of Veltrian home-rule. Descendants of King Saulius Vesaiti, claiming lineage to an ancient Amlaíite royal bloodline, ruled the country for the next several centuries, and reasserted the kingdom’s traditionally powerful position in the region. Conflicts with great seafaring powers in Efia however led to significant territorial losses and economic catastrophe for the Kingdom by the early 1880s, and in 1890 the Vesaiti dynasty was overthrown in the Asharib Revolution. Influenced by democratic movements in Efia, the Asharib “Revolutionary Fathers” laid the foundation for a new constitutional order and reorganized the Kingdom into the Aylanian Federation. A tumultuous succession of governments in the early 20th century coincided with significant social upheaval in the Federation - brought on by the pains of industrialization and social liberalization championed by progressive administrations. The disastrous repercussions of the Federation’s participation in the War of Krumaarian Succession, and fears of encroaching Vogrian socialism, led to the formation of an organized and politically robust Astąhvist authoritarian movement by 1950. Under the charismatic leadership of Arturs Vectirāns, the Unitist Party emerged in 1975, and garnered massive public support for institutional reformation and the preservation of traditional Astąhvist values. Maneuvering in and out of several coalition governments to further destabilize the Federation politically, the Unitist Party eventually used the disputed 2000 parliamentary elections to effectively seize power in a coup d’état – overthrowing the Aylanian federal government and establishing the Sanctified Republic of Veltria as a single-party, theocratic republic.

Longstanding animosity between Veltria’s nationalist government and several major international powers, particularly the Latin Empire and the Vogrian Federative Socialist Republic, has left the Sanctified Republic comparatively isolated on the international stage. Relations with its communist northern neighbor, the Kythiran People’s Democratic Republic, have remained sour since the 2002 Veltrian invasion of XXXXX. The Sanctified Republic’s alleged support for separatist and terrorist cells operating in Kythira has also further isolated the religious regime, though the country’s leaders continue to wield strong influence over the nearly 800 million Astąhvists both within Aslaria and across the globe.

Long considered a nation of great geostrategic importance because of its control of the Strait of Šauralis, as well as its domination of the oil-rich Sea of Azhar, Veltria ranks as one of the largest regional trading powers on Aslaria, and has consistently been a leading economic force in Undria since industrializing in the early 20th century. The country boasts significant reserves of rare earth minerals in the Kirijil Mountains, as well as a burgeoning industrialized sector focused intensely on technical hardware manufacturing and research. Though primarily a regional power, Veltria wields considerable influence over international security issues and energy policy in Undria. Amlaí, the country’s capital and second largest city, is the ancient seat of the Veltrid Prophets, as well as Veltria’s primary governing institutions, and remains a leading center of economic and cultural exchange in Aslaria. The city also boasts one of the lowest overall urban crime rates in the world, despite dealing with a rising population living beneath the national poverty line.

Veltria is a member of the Aslarian Economic Community, the Undrian Regional Council (URC), and a leading signatory of the Akkria Mutual Assistance Pact. Veltria’s longstanding cultural legacy has been further reinforced by the designation of twelve Global Heritage Sites by the URC within its borders. Its unique political system, based on the 2000 Code of Republican Union, blends elements of a parliamentary republic with a single-party Astąhvist theocracy dominated by the country's religious officials. Veltrians, the ethnic descendants of the Amlaíites, constitute a vast majority of the nation’s ethnic makeup, although a small multitude of minority ethnic and linguistic groups also exist. Most Veltrians identify as practicing Astąhvists in communion with the Veltrid Magisterium, and Veltrian (a western- Aslarian based blending of Amlayan and old Sanansic) is the official national language.

History

Main article: History of Veltria

Veltria in the Unitist Era (1956-present)

Main article: 1956 Unitist Revolution

Geography

Geography of Veltria

• 

  Vontíris, on the Strait of Šauralis

• 

  Izbirna Sanctuary, Kiriji Mountains

• 

  Veltris River

• 

  Mt. Aylitheia, Sútigor mountains

The town of Skiarvas is one of many high-elevation communities in the mountainous Province of Alkisar

View of the Sútigor mountains in Amlaí, Valtrissia Province

Veltria's internationally recognized territory of 2,257,161 km2 (871,494 sq mi) lies between latitudes 13° and 29° S, and longitudes and 97° and 73° W. An additional XXXXX km2 (XXXXX sq mi) is claimed by the country in the neighboring regions of Kythira and Kroatavia to Veltria's south and northeast, but these "historic" claims have limited international recognition. It shares its northern border (1678 km or 1042 mi, 847 km of which runs along the Nisaros River) with the Kythiran People’s Democratic Republic and the Principality of Maldania, and its southern border (712 km or 442mi, consisting largely of the Khos River and Bizeri Heights) with the Kroatavian Republic. The Halcyon Ocean borders Veltria's eastern coastline, and to the Republic's west lies the expansive Sea of Azhar.

Veltria's northern and central regions are considered some of Undria's most rugged terrain, dominated by the Karzin desert and two large mountain ranges - the Kiriji mountains, stretching from the southeastern Karzin to the Bay of Lazaris, and the Sútigor mountains stretching from central Valtrissia to the Velkhad peninsula. Mount Aylitheia, Veltria's highest point (7,543 m or 24,747 ft), is located in the Kanadris section of the Sútigor mountains, and is the third highest mountain on Aslaria. Veltria's arid desert territories and salt lakes, often closely associated with Veltrian culture, geography, and history in film and art, are mostly contained within the provinces of Khuzian and Kroatvia. In contrast, the Sanctified Republic's populous coastal provinces are covered predominantly by lush riverlands and fertile foothills - with some of the nation's largest and most important population centers built along the Veltris and Khirvas rivers. Three other rivers - the Elissar in northern Sivissia, Andis in southern Sirnai, and Khos in southeastern Kroatvia - also innervate the territories of the Sanctified Republic.

Since the early conquests of the Amlaíite Dominion, Veltria and its precursors have controlled the Strait of Šauralis, through which today an estimated 28% of the global market's traded oil supply (and roughly 18% of all commercial maritime shipping) travels on an annual basis. The Republic's largest metropolitan center, Vontíris, situated on a prominent and controlling position on the Izalia Horn, has historically been a major trading hub since the late Kritarchy period.

Climate

Veltria's climate is highly diverse. The arid climate of the central mountain ranges running along the spine of the Orientalis peninsula, and the unforgiving deserts to the peninsula's north, have encouraged settlement and growth in the region's more temperate coastal plains and riverlands - particularly in the present-day provinces of Cibariz, Valtrissia, and Varia (which together, account for nearly 42% of Veltria's population). These regions boast climate conditions ranging from the hot-summer mediterranean regions in the coastal south, to the warm-summer continental climates of northern and central Valtrissia.

The cold, semi-arid Kiriji mountains to the far north shield a number of population centers in Alkisar Province from blistering desert winds and sandstorms, which frequently sweep down to batter the region each year (typically from mid-November to early-April). The arid desert lands of Khuzian province are primarily hot and dry year-round, while the deserts of Kroatvia experience lengthy, cool winters. Veltria's eastern coast, stretching from Lakkari in the north to Sirnai in the south, experience a generally oceanic climate year-round.

Regions and Vilayets

Khuzian Sivissia Alkisar Valtrissia Kroatvia Varia Aegia Çibariz Lakkari Malgir Sirnai Kova'ar

Veltria is divided into 12 regional provinces - each administered by a governor and constituent assembly elected by citizen residents for triennial terms. Veltrian provinces are further divided into counties, and subdivided into districts and municipalities. Provincial administrations rule officially through devolved powers and permissions from the central Unitist government, and are not permitted to negate or challenge national law. Provincial governorships and other state offices have existed in some form since the Kritarchy Era, but largely came into their present form following the overthrow of the Aylanian Federation – which ruled the territories as partially-independent states. The administrative reforms Consul Valik Sindaris' Unitist government in 2000 reestablished the provincial system and reorganized the nation’s local legislatures - replacing the older patchwork of state, municipal, and district councils, and centralizing local governance under Unitist Party control. In practice, most political observers note the vast majority of contemporary Veltrian lawmaking still takes place at the provincial level, albeit under the guidance of Unitist legislators. Unitist control of provincial politics, virtually unchallenged by any real opposition force in the aftermath of the 2000 Revolution, has largely mitigated serious friction points between Veltria’s provincial and national governments.

Since the Unitist agricultural and economic reforms of the mid-2000s, Veltria's urban growth rate has rapidly accelerated, with modern estimates predicting 74% of the Republic's population will live within the metropolitan region of a city by 2025. Varia, Cibariz, and Valtrissia provinces have seen the highest rates of internal population migration since the 1980s, with their larger job markets and more developed access to amenities being the primary motivating influencers. Home to over 16 million people, the coastal capital of Varia province, Vontíris, is Veltria's largest city by population. Along with the nation's capital, Amlaí, Vontíris is a major nexus of Veltria's national communication and transportation infrastructure, and is the home of the republic's primary stock exchange.

Amlaí, Veltria's capital and second-largest city, has itself seen its population grow at a rate between 4-6% annually since 2003, prompting major infrastructure and housing development investments from both the national government and the country's private construction sector. It is the primary cultural nexus of the Sanctified Republic, nestled along the Veltris River in the foothills of the Sútigor mountains, and the location of many of the holiest sites in the Veltrid Astąhvist faith (including the Asklerian Sanctum and the Palace of the Prophets).

Ascarit, with just under 7.9 million inhabitants, is Veltria's third-largest city, and the capital of the fertile Cibariz province. Situated on Lake Tzpár, Ascarit historically used its natural access to the Khirvas River to exert political control over the region's surrounding floodplains, which have for centuries served as the vital breadbasket of the Orientalis peninsula. Prior to the Amlaíite era, the city served as the cultural and political capital of the Ascalid Kingdom - one of the many coastal polities brought under the Dominion's influence in the 5th century BCE. Ascarit’s twin city at the end of the Khirvas, the port of Yimlan on the Sea of Azhar, is also a major trade and industrial hub in Cibariz - home to the Izbari docks and the Karlık shipyards.

Name	Flag	Seal	Capital	Governor	Total area		Land area		Population	Number of Senate Seats	Abbreviation	GRP in million Díali (2016)	GRP per capita in Díali (2016)
					km2	mi2	km2	mi2
Alkisar			Akkria	Farzil Esfalis (AVP)	298,938	115,421	282,782	109,183	7006742000000000000♠7,420,000	30	ALK	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Malgir			Leriki	Azjer Mizaris (AVP)	23,691	9,147	17,726	6,844	7006443100000000000♠4,431,000	18	MAL	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Cibariz			Ascarit	Iasamin Daghzalis (AVP)	243,773	94,121	239,192	92,353	7007106900000000000♠10,690,000	43	CBZ	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Kroatvia			Aizkoria	Sasha Auslim (AVP)	162,516	62,748	159,281	61,499	7007117200000000000♠11,720,000	47	KRT	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Varia			Vontíris	Lelia Azadis (AVP)	89,383	34,511	88,933	34,337	7007266800000000000♠26,680,000	107	VAR	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Khuzian			Vepilnis	Kamrin Jaksti (AVP)	396,267	153,000	395,844	152,836	7006626000000000000♠6,260,000	26	KHU	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Kova'ar			Ustrai	Karl Bazdairis (AVP)	19,482	7,522	16,264	6,280	7006441000000000000♠4,410,000	18	KOV	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Lakkari			Aralosk	Ervin Daihros (AVP)	153,486	59,261	140,113	54,098	7006582000000000000♠5,820,000	23	LAK	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Sirnai			Velmaris	Soraya Naskali (AVP)	297,945	115,037	283,928	109,625	7006865000000000000♠8,650,000	35	SRI	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Sivissia			Tareslejas	Nilia Cesalik (AVP)	169,738	65,536	153,552	59,287	7006679000000000000♠6,790,000	27	SIV	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Aegia			Saurikesh	Delhar Skavjelis (AVP)	207,658	80,177	205,722	79,430	7006580600000000000♠5,806,000	24	AEG	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Valtrissia			Amlaí	Vahid Sahlmakir (AUP)	193,279	74,625	188,727	72,868	7007109100000000000♠10,910,000	44	VAL	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX

Demographics

Ethic Groups in Veltria (2016) Affiliation Pop. Percentage Veltrian   67.4 Kroatavian   15.3 Parronise   12.5 Suberian   03.7 Other   01.1 Ascarit National Census Analytics Institute

By far the largest ethnic population, Veltrians comprise roughly 67% of the country's population, forming demographic majorities across 10 of the Sanctified Republic’s 12 main provincial holdings. Veltria is also home to several sizeable ethnic minorities - incorporated primarily via the country's historic expansion during the Amlaíite and Kritarchy eras. Kroatavians and Parronise, the second and third largest ethnic groups in the country, are descendants of the tribal polities that once ruled over the southern desert and western plains of modern day Kroatvia and Aegia provinces respectively. A large Suberian community, many of whom arrived in Veltria as refugees during the 1978 Aylanian-Taijud War, is settled throughout various enclaves in the province of Khuzian, and comprise roughly four percent of the nation's total population. Though many Suberians living within Veltria today are professed Astąhvists, the vast majority adhere to the Shanshari branch of the Iskshuri sect. They however remain a protected religious minority by decree of the Unitist government. While Veltria's population is comparatively large to its neighbors in Aslaria, the nation's large territorial size has fostered relatively low population density (though it is considerably higher for more developed regions).

Decimated by the Red Plague in the 1700s, Veltria's population has since recovered slowly over three centuries of development, climbing to a new peak in 2014, with 112.3 million inhabitants. The Aylanian Federation’s wartime conflict with the Kroatvian Republic and its Efian allies during the 1938-1947 War of Krumaarian Succession crippled critical agricultural infrastructure in the country's fertile southwestern provinces - indirectly leading to the starvation of an estimated 850,000 Veltrians, Kroatavians, and Parronise over the final two years of the war. Mass starvation in the barren northern provinces, which relied heavily on food supplies from the south, drove a significant migration to the more temperate territories till the calming of hostilities towards the late 1940s. In the mid 1950s however, focused rebuilding efforts and family protection programs encouraged population growth across the nation once again. Following the Unitist Revolution in 2000, the new Astąhvist government presided over a national "Era of Rebirth" - encouraging the raising of new families through a series of social reforms and overhauling the nation's agricultural infrastructure. By the mid-2000s, the reforms had been credited with yielding a growth of the national population by 34%, and a tripling of the Republic's agricultural output in the later war years. Since 2015, Veltria's population has continued to increase, though analysts have noted at a comparatively lower rate. A continued drop in death rates and improved birth rates still contribute to the nation's overall growth, but slowed immigration, as well as an increasing preference of Veltrians to raise smaller families, have had a moderating effect on population growth.

With roughly 11.3 births per 1000 people recorded in 2016 data, Veltria's birth rate is higher than those of most Undrian countries. Predictions made by the Institute for National Health that Veltria’s birth rate will slow to approximately 10.6 births per 1000 over the next 10 years appear due in part to rising cost of living in urbanized Veltrian regions - driven particularly by education and housing. Despite fluctuations in growth, as well as strong international resistance, the Veltrian government remains implacably opposed to the widespread distribution and use of contraception, demonstrated most recently in a 2013 move by the Apostolic Assembly to block a legislative initiative, led by the National Reformist Caucus in the Veltrid Senate, to legalize the possession, distribution, and use of certain forms of contraception (including condoms, birth control implants, and ingested pills). The controversial measure was supported internationally by the Federal Republic of Auraliae, as well as numerous social-reform advocates in Veltria seeking to loosen the grip of the Veltrid Magisterium over domestic politics. From 2010 to 2014 however, monthly government child-assistance payments were doubled for low-income families in the 20th tax percentile and below - an initiative spearheaded by the Principlist wing of the Unitist Party, and passed with the support of the Apostolic Assembly.

Declining immigration rates prompted the government to enact several reforms in 2008 to simplify access to Veltrian citizenship. Following the 2008 "Immigration Reform Act," Astąhvists abroad seeking to obtain Veltrian citizenship may apply for expedited temporary resident status, and receive full citizenship upon completion of one of the nation's civil service programs. An amendment to the act, attached by the Principlist wing in the Veltrid Senate, stipulated however that this offer of full citizenship was contingent on the renunciation of allegiance to all other foreign powers, and forfeiting all other citizenships.

Government

Main article: Politics in Veltria

The Veltrian government, formed by 1956 Constitution, is officially a unitary theocratic republic - composed of an intricate collection of governing bodies, divided conventionally into institutions that exercise executive, legislative, and judicial powers. Separated into civilian and clerically-administered sectors, ultimate "custodianship" of the nation rests in the person of the Hierarch, who is charged with overseeing the country's national interests, while the day-to-day management of the country's legislative work and civil administration are entrusted to an elected legislature and various civilian institutions. Though governing power has historically been highly centralized in some form of national government for much of Veltria's history, a measure of legislative authority has been gradually granted to provincial assemblies in the decades since the 1956 Unitist Revolution, while municipal councils have been extensively involved in local governance and the maintenance of public order since the early years of the Imiri Vizierate in the late 12th century.

Executive

Khosri V is the current Hierarch of the Veltrid Astąhvist Magisterium.

Under the constitution ratified in the aftermath of the 1956 Unitist Revolution, the Hierarch (or Májiskoi in native Veltrian) of the Veltrid Astąhvist Magisterium is the Sanctified Republic's ex officio head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In addition to his or her primary role as High Prophet of the Veltrid sect of the Astąhvist faith, the Hierarch serves as the ‘’Mahraji’’ of the Holy City of Amlaí (an honorary title reserved for the Prophet), and the head of the Sacred Veltrid Dar. As a general term (coming from the transliterated ancient Imrinaic term for "door"), the "Sacred Dar" represents not only the temporal power of the Hierarch, but also his spiritual and pastoral authority over religious and civil matters. The Prophet serves a life term following his election by the Collegium of Sages during Kapal'shrir, and may not be removed from office after his ascension to the Hierarchate (though voluntary resignation is legally permitted). The office wields broad administrative powers, including the right to issue Prophetic "Juridicti" that carry the full force and effect of national law (when so stipulated), and the power to declare war and offer peace. Despite this official concentration of authority, Veltrian Prophets have largely delegated most powers to legislative procedure and civilian oversight. Hierarch Khosri V, born Darius Imran Al'khil, was elected on the 19th of May, 2014. Prior to his election, Councillor Al'khil served as the Councilor of Foreign Affairs, and has since become a polarizing figure in Undria. Hierarch Khosri's vigorous focus on serving the poor and marginalized portions of Veltrian society was seen as the primary initial focal point of his hierarchate until international events largely overshadowed most of his domestic work. A civil uprising in the Emirate of Iskasha'ar, sparked by the disputed results of the country's 2015 presidential election, kicked up an international firestorm which saw a major falling out between the Sanctified Republic and its southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Hashabia. Among more positive circles, Prophet Khosri is regarded as a champion of religious self-determination and a protector of Astąhvist communities around the region. Less enamored observers have frequently characterized his military exploits in Iskasha'ar as that of a "hapless warmonger," driven by a misguided "holy warrior" mentality, and a dangerous sense of "Veltrid supremacism".

Veltrid Senate
289th Session
Senate Seal
Type
Type	Lower House of the Supreme National Council
Term limits	None
History
Founded	25 December 1956
Leadership
Majority Overseer	Aydin Inönü (AUP/UPC)
Minority Overseer	Ekrem Jaskanu (AUP/NRC)
Structure
Seats	470
Political groups	AUP National Coalition (356)   United Principlist Caucus (249)   Clerical Patriotic Caucus (49) AUP Popular Coalition (162)   National Reformist Caucus (106)   Patriotic Labor Caucus (48)   Green Cooperative Caucus (18)
Elections
Voting system	Proportional
Motto
Birlik sayesinde, güç
Meeting place
Senate Chamber Palace of the People Amlaí, Valtrissia
Website
npa.vel.gov

Legislature

The Veltrid Senate, a 470-member chamber of elected representatives, serves as the national legislature. 442 senators are elected sexennially to represent single-member districts containing approximately 250,000 citizens. "Resizing," a process by which constituent districts are redrawn according to population, is conducted every twenty years following the national census. Two senators are elected specifically to represent the capital, Amlaí, while 16 senators are elected from overseas territories. An additional 10 senate members are directly appointed by the Hierarch. At the beginning of each new session, the Veltrid Senate nominates a State Vizier from among its members to serve as the nation's head of government and highest civil authority under the Hierarch. After nomination, the nominee must be approved by at least three members of the Guardian Standing Committee, and not opposed by more than four (the nominee may also be confirmed by direct appeal to the Hierarch). As "first citizen of the state," the State Vizier is responsible for the day-to-day executive management of the government's civil responsibilities, and appoints a Cabinet of Ministers to oversee various national departments and agencies. The State Vizier is not, however, empowered to interfere with the internal administration of the Magisterium, and may not influence or direct changes to the powers of the Hierarch - who reserves supreme authority over all matters of state. Additionally, several key government departments and agencies fall specifically under magisterial control - most notably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (administered by a Majir, or "Sage," appointed by the Hierarch), and the Institute for the Advancement of the Sacred Vision, whose leadership is exclusively controlled by religious authorities. Veltria's 1956 constitution delegates several powers to the Veltrid Senate, including the powers to draft legislation, approve budget proposals, and ratify treaties with foreign nations. "Magisterial Assent" however, is required for legislation to become law.

Guardian Standing Committee

Structure of the Veltrian government.

To facilitate Magisterial Assent, a Guardian Standing Committee consisting of 12 Majiri is charged with the review of all legislative proposals passed by the Senate. The GSC may only veto legislation by unanimous agreement, though it is empowered to attach "mandatory amendments" to proposed legislation. Such amendments, carrying the support of two thirds of the Sages on the committee, function as editorial prerequisites for a bill's enactment. The amended bill, if not challenged by the Senate over a period of ten days, becomes law. If the Senate challenges the amended bill, it may move to the floor for debate again, followed by a "nullification" vote. A four-fifths vote may override a GSC-amended bill, but it must be sent to the High Prophet for final enactment. At any time, the Senate or GSC may appeal to the Prophet to strike down or approve the law. The GSC is also responsible for vetting and approving candidates for political office appointments, and national elections. Citizens wishing to run as a candidate for the national Unitist Party must be reviewed by the Committee, and successfully petition the support of three Sages (and not opposed by more than four). Committee members (who serve septennial terms) are exclusively appointed by the Magisterium, with six directly appointed by the Hierarch, and six elected from within the Collegium of Sages.

The Amlaíc Içtima

Within the Veltrid Magisterium itself, a vast bureaucracy works in coordination with civilian government branches to facilitate effective governance. The Amlaíc Içtima is comprised of ten Institutes, thirteen councils, four ministries, and three tribunals. Among the most active of the major Içtima institutions are the Institutes for the Evangelization of the Peoples (IEP), which oversees the Magisterium's various missionary activities across Undria (and within the Republic itself), and the Institute for Communal Harmony (ICH), which functions as the nation's primary social aid provider. Most Veltrian social welfare, job training, food stamp, and public assistance programs fall under the administration of the ICH (typically working with funds provided by the Institute for Works and Means), although standards of national healthcare fall under the jurisdiction of the National Health Council.

Legal System

Main article: Law and order in Veltria

Modham Kazair (left) was appointed Veltria's Chief Justice in 2011.

The authority to appoint the nation's "Hasidjir" (or, "Chief Justice") rests with the Hierarch, who selects a candidate from a list of four. Two names are submitted by the Chairman of the GSC, and two more by the State Vizier (both the Chairman and State Vizier may concur on candidates, and stipulate such in the submitted list). In turn, the Chief Justice directly appoints the other 6 justices of the Supreme Procuratorate and the chief public prosecutor. Courts in Veltria are largely divided along secular and religious lines. For the most part, the secular courts of the nation bear the brunt of the civil cases and criminal prosecutions that make their way through Veltria's judicial system on a yearly basis. At the local level, 112 District Courts administer justice for both criminal and civil cases. Decisions made at the district level may be appealed to one of 17 Circuit Courts, which have appellate jurisdiction over specific regions across the country. At the highest civil level, the 7-judge panel of the Supreme Procuratorate, exercises total authority to reconcile discrepancies (constitutional or otherwise) between decisions made by Circuit Courts.

Under Veltria's 1956 constitution, several religious courts within the Veltrid Magisterium also exersize various forms of judicial power. Legal disputes on religious matters are brought before magisterial courts, officially convened by a Zaidir, but typically administered by a designated local religious jurist. Decisions by magisterial courts may be appealed to one of 13 Venerate Courts (one for each province, and one for Veltria's overseas territories), which are each overseen by three appointed Venerate Judges. These courts fall under the supreme jurisdiction of the Harmonic Tribunal, which functions as the highest appellate and administrative court of the Velrid Magisterium. The Harmonic Tribunal both oversees and regulates the legal framework that innervates the Amlaíc Içtima's administration, and wields broad authority to provide oversight on the administrative decisions of magisterial officials.

The Superior Inspections Court deals primarily with matters of conscience and morality - functioning as the judicial wing of Veltria's internal security service, the IVB. While magisterial courts are not empowered to hear criminal cases under normal circumstances, the Superior Inspections Court wields loose powers to conduct trials and carry out sentencing for certain categories of offenses, including: crimes endangering national security, treason, and heresy. Like the High Harmonic Tribunal, the decisions of the Superior Inspections Court are final and cannot be appealed - rendering it ultimately answerable only to the Hierarch. The Guardians' Court of Review, a sub-court of the IVB, handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics and citizens closely associated with the Veltrid Magisterium. The IVB's jurisdictional claim to legitimately investigate, detain, prosecute, and punish clerics and other magisterial officials has been the subject of considerable criticism between Astąhvist sects in Undria, particularly in cases where an alleged offending party has been a foreign national who sought refuge in his or her home country. The Superior Inspections Court generally falls under the broad categorization of an Içtima institution, though its administration and operation is largely kept separate from the Içtima itself.

Military

Main article: Veltrian Armed Forces

VAF S-80 stealth fighters during a training exercise in the Sutigor Mountains.

The Veltrian military is divided into the Veltrian Army, Navy, and Air Force. In a 2009 administrative audit, the Department of Defense reported 377,000 personnel on active duty status, as well as roughly 267,000 trained reservists in the Home Guard. The Republican Guard, a separate regime security force answering directly to the Unitist Party, is estimated to number around 187,000 troops, divided among 11 infantry divisions, 4 armored divisions, various independent brigades, and several classified special operations units. The Sanctified Republic also maintains a paramilitary volunteer militia known as the Citizens Vigilant, of whose 4.7 million civilian members 58,000 are uniformed active duty personnel dispersed throughout the country. In peacetime, the Citizens Vigilant operates under the direction of the SIA, though in wartime Prophetic Decree may place the militia under the overall command of the Republican Guard.

Abandoning the Republic of Imir's previous mandate compelling all male citizens aged 18–25 to serve one year of military service during the 1956 Unitist reforms, Veltria's armed forces have since consisted of strictly volunteer personnel. The Sanctified Republic also boasts a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing most of its own military equipment, and exporting considerable amounts of hardware to regional allies and organizations. The International Arms Overwatch Committee of the Undrian Regional Council estimated that Veltrian small arms accounted for as much as 8.7% of all internationally traded firearms in 2013. The same 2013 report concluded that other Veltrian military hardware accounted for roughly 12.2% of the Undrian arms economy.

A Veltrian Army U-55 at the Lavirma Training Center, Sivissia Province.

On March 22, 1968, following a significant escalation of tensions between the Sanctified Republic and the Kingdom of Hashabia, Veltria announced its first successful nuclear weapons test in the Khalibi desert. The announcement had followed eight years of dedicated research and development conducted under a classified program begun under the administration of State Vizier Lhora Balik in 1960. In spite of international pressure to denuclearize, the Veltrian Republic continued to advance its nuclear research, successfully testing its first thermonuclear device over the Marmis atoll in 1977, and its Işıkyan V inter-continental ballistic missile delivery system in 1991. For security reasons, the Veltrian government has repeatedly refused to disclose the number of field-capable warheads it has stockpiled for service, but international arms experts believe the Astąhvist regime could have as many as 211 thermonuclear devices, and a missile fleet with a maximum targeting range of 14,000km. Heavily invested in unconventional research and development defense programs as well, the Sanctified Republic is also reported to wield one of the largest stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons claimed by any nation in Undria. Since the 2007 Havenport Conference, pressure has grown within Veltria in to reevaluate its nuclear position (if only to alleviate constraints on the nation's economic growth due to international sanctions), but observers have noted this pressure has yet to materialize as a coherent legislative force that could overcome the coordinated protests of hardline nationalists and military figures. Veltria administers the fourth largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines in Undria, and operates a sizable strategic bomber force of domestically designed and produced aircraft. Veltria's ground forces, specifically its armored vehicle force, currently ranks as the largest on Phaegia, and is the fifth-largest conventional military force in the world.

Branch
Veltrian Army
Veltrian Air Force
Veltrian Navy
Republican Guard

The Veltrian government's longstanding refusal to publish its military expenditures has drawn the ire of several Undrian nations, particularly members of the Undrian Security Initiative (USI), which following the start of the XXXXX Independence Crisis, has frequently lobbied the URC to mandate military expenditure publication for all member states. Several international think tanks estimate the Sanctified Republic's military expenditures to fluctuate between 92 to 98 billion dialí per annum (ref. Escera Strategic Arms Institute), although they warn these figures reflect only the operating costs of Veltria's known forces and programs. Other estimations, particularly those released by the Sanctified Republic's geopolitical adversaries, claim Veltria's military spending may be much higher. One Auralian report indicated that the operating cost of the Republican Guard alone may account for no less than 33 billion dialí, with the rest of the military pushing beyond 128 billion in spending. Despite the criticism, the Veltrian government continues to deny its secretive budget is used to disguise threatening programs, claiming it is instead intended to simply protect the nation's national security interests in the face of threatening international secular powers.

Education

Main article: Education in Veltria

Culture

Religion in society

Main article: Religion in Veltria