Zamorodna
Zamorodnian Hetmanate Замородинський гетьманство | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Capital | Kostyanopol |
| Official languages | Zamorodnian |
| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym(s) | Zamorodnian |
| Government | Confederal minarchist elected autocracy |
• Hetman | Oleh Bohdanuk Petrenko |
• Koshovyy Otaman | Volodymyr Matvyyuk Nesterenko |
| Legislature | Starshyna Rada |
| Establishment | |
• Great Kvor Migration | 1332-1426 CE |
• Unification of the Hosts | 1538 CE |
• Independence from Suvarova | 1672 CE |
| Area | |
• Total | 147,136 km2 (56,810 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 6.8 |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 14,293,012 (2021) |
• Density | 97.14/km2 (251.6/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $178.6 billion (2021) |
• Per capita | $12,494.43 |
| Gini |  39.9medium |
| HDI | 0.67 medium |
| Currency | Hrysh (₴) (ZHR) |
| Date format | yyyy-mm-dd (CE) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +443 |
| Internet TLD | .zam |
The Zamorodnian Hetmanate (Zamorodnian: Zamorodyns'kyy Het'manstvo), also known as Zamorodna or Zamorodina, is a small, landlocked nation in northern Belisaria. Zamorodna is the homeland of the Kvor; descendents of the Qavar peoples who migrated westward from the Altunid and Ikdemid Khanates in the high middle ages. The Kvor settled in a harsh, swampy region in the western hinterlands of Suvarova. The migrants formed an autonomous nation under the Crown of Suvarov, but gained independence in 1672.
In the present day, Zamorodna is a culturally integrated but politically disunified entity. The various constituent polities of the Hetmanate, the tovarystva, have varying degrees of authoritarian or democratic and capitalist or socialist elements. As such, the tovarystva can often be isolationist, particularly from very different neighbours. However, the unified culture, language, and traditions of the Kvors tie the tovarystva together.
Economically, Zamorodna is self-sufficient but only moderately-to-poorly industrialized. Approximately one-third of the population are traditional pastoralists. Mining and other resource extraction are growing industries and leading sectors in the export economy. Domestically, economic figures can be difficult to ascertain due to limited governmental oversight and a widespread informal economy.
Name
The name of Zamorodna is inconsistently associated with the Kvor peoples who inhabit it. The term originally referred to the land before the Kvor hosts arrived and occupied it. Since then, however, it has come to refer more specifically to both the ethnic Kvors living on the land and their language. The remaining groups who identify with the original population of the region are referred to as the Staryzamians. The Zamorodnian language is distinct from that which was spoken by the first migrant Kvors, drawing heavily from the Slavic language of the Staryzamians.
The etymology of Zamorodna can be broken down into three components. The first component, "zam" or "sam", means "on its own", or "independent". The second component "o" is a linking element between the first and third components. The third component is etymologically uncertain and may stem from "rodna" or "rodina" and either means "fertile" or "of nature", or "of family". Read together, "Zamorodna" has the sense of either "fertile wilderness" or "free families". The former is likely descriptive of the harsh marshes and swamps of the region, while the latter has been widely accepted abroad as a reference to the Staryzamians, it has since been co-opted as a reference to the Kvors. There is no academic consensus on which interpretation is more likely the original.
History
The history of Zamorodna is inseparable from that of the Kvor people. The original inhabitants of the land, the Staryzamians, occupied a cultural, linguistic, and historical continuum in eastern Belisaria. The region was a longtime hinterland of the Crown of Suvarova and exchanged hands between different societies and kingdoms in antiquity and the middle ages. The migration of the Kvor significantly altered the cultural makeup of the country and redefined its history.
Pre-migration
The Qavars lived on the northwestern frontier of the disunified khanates in western-central Ochran. A nomadic people, the various tribes had erratic relationships with the sedentary peoples to the south and east. Some Qavar tribes paid tribute to local governors or fought in their armies in exchange for food and grazing grounds. Others exacted tribute and land rights under the threat of raiding. By the beginning of the 14th century CE, however, the Qavar tribes had grown and the local governors organized to put an end to those who threatened to pillage their lands.
The early inhabitants of Zamorodna similarly lived on the fringe of eastern Belisarian polities. Suvarovan marcher lords ostensibly ruled the lands in the early middle ages but began to migrate to developing urban cores in the first years of the second millennium CE. The Staryzamians thus emerged as a minor but distinct group, predominantly peasants and early gentry. While the region was fertile for agriculture, marshy grounds made the creation of medieval fortifications difficult and the region was frequently contested by neighbouring states.
Early hosts
Autonomous nation
Independence
Modern era
Geography
Zamorodna is a relatively flat, low-lying, landlocked plain, dotted with extensive swamplands and forest groves. The predominant climate is humid continental. Summers are hot and humid while winters are exceedingly cold. The transitional seasons of fall and spring are particularly long, wet, and muddy. Despite cold winters and extensive wetlands, the land is extremely fertile and well-suited to both cereal agriculture and livestock grazing due to heavy pockets of chernozem soil, in contrast with the common, sandy, and less fertile podzol soil common in the rest of the region.
The Zamorodnian plain was formed through the world's last major glaciation period, receding from the Nordic Sea to the mountains to the south. The major breaks in the flat topography are primarily light foothills in the south and moraines in the north. A number of rivers cut through the geography, most draining into the Nordic Sea though a number flow southwest to Lake Kupalnitsa.
Moraine formations
Wetland brush
Oilseed fields
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Government and politics
The Zamorodnian Hetmanate is, in effect, a confederation of different Kvor polities descended from the hosts that migrated to occupy the present area of Zamorodna. These 15 polities are referred to collectively as the tovarystva (singular: tovarystvo) but belong specifically to one of two categories. The first and most numerous of the rovarystva are the osavulstva (singular: osavulstvo), or "chiefdoms". The second and less common tovarystva are the sovyetstva (singular: sovyetstvo), or "council realms".
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At the upper level of the Hetmanate's government, is the Starshyna Rada, or "Elder Council". The Starshyna Rada is composed of the 15 elders of the tovarystva. The process for appointing an elder varies according to the tovarystvo. The Starhyna Rada meets at Kostyanopol at least yearly, and every three years it appoints a Koshovyy Otaman ("Domestic Executor") who in turn appoints a Hetman ("Chief Executor") to act as the head of state of the Hetmanate. Both candidates are then subject to ratification by a popular referendum.
Traditionally, an individual is limited to two terms as either Koshovyy Otaman or Hetman, though this rule is not always observed in practice by the Starhyna Rada. Some conflict between the incumbent executors and the Starshyna Rada has occurred in the past and the peaceful transfer of power is not universal. The elders of the Starshyna Rada remain, effectively, the chief representatives of their respectively tovarystva and can withhold the military power from the Hetman if they deem it necessary.
Each of the executors has different roles and responsibilities. The Koshovyy Otaman appoints members of federal courts, acts as supreme justice, manages land division between the tovarystva, manages federal lands, and exercises taxation and budgeting. The annual tax and budget plan, however, must be approved by the Starshyna Rada. The Hetman is charged with managing foreign relations, the organization of the military, public education, and any residual responsibilities of a federal nature. The tovarystva are otherwise free to manage affairs of a local nature, land division and management within the borders of the tovarystvo, and the budgeting and taxation of their own programs.
Laws and justice
The legal system of the Zamorodnian Hetmanate is a common law system with no written constitution. Courts apply principles established in time immemorial to cases presented before them. Most of these principles come from the Kvor peoples but a limited number of principles of land division are derived from Starzamian traditions.
Courts are also, in a way, the major legislative bodies. Rather than a parliament or an individual Rada drafting or proposing legislation, any Zamorodnian is entitled to put an issue before the courts, even a hypothetical issue. The court is only obligated to hear cases that directly affect an individual's rights or property but may grant leave to hear hypotheticals or create their own hypotheticals to be heard. Thus, the court may render preemptive decisions on how the common law principles of Zamorodna may apply to a given hypothetical and any future cases. The ultimate legal distinction between the osavulstva and the sovyetstva is that the former is managed by a singular executor who appoints the courts, while the latter is often a group of judges who are popularly elected and also manage executive tasks.
Administrative subdivisions
| Name | Capital | Flag | Population | Type | Starshyy |
| Sertsys'ka Serednya | Kostyanopol |  |
2,803,735 | Sovyetstvo | Ondrey Premysluk Shumeyko |
| Pyvnychny Bolota | Barabanopol | .svg) |
1,963,452 | Osavulstvo | Petr Tymofyyuk Syrko |
| Karashch | Doshchovysto |  |
1,519,499 | Sovyetstvo | Olha Vasylchuks'ka Zhdanyva |
| Shchytsyn | Svyatyy Mayklhorod |  |
1,496,952 | Osavulstvo | Bondar Ylyuk Federenko |
| Verhny Potyk | Shumhorod |  |
1,264,517 | Osavulstvo | Mykyta Mykytanuk Belesarenko |
| Pshenytsyn | Pshenytsynopol |  |
1,075,923 | Sovyetstvo | Bohdan Oleksandruk Melnyk |
| Katyvyna | Katyhorodka |  |
758,832 | Osavulstvo | Martyn Volodymyruk Koval' |
| Nyzhny Potyk | Eshchyn |  |
713,605 | Osavulstvo | Yevgenya Antonuks'ka Huperyvna |
| Shlashkya | Petrohorod |  |
662,648 | Osavulstvo | Prokop Yvanuk Nosach |
| Pyvdenny Bolota | Kosutyn |  |
542,421 | Osavulstvo | Les' Lavrynuk Gryshenko |
| Hrodnyv | Hrodnyv |  |
456,727 | Osavulstvo | Fyodor Fylonuk Fyodoryvych |
| Nerovya | Nero Zamok |  |
371,660 | Osavulstvo | Oleksandr Olehuk Pototsky |
| Kozelets | Ypelnych'horod |  |
262,923 | Osavulstvo | Yvan Petruk Vygyvsky |
| Dalekosych | Myshchy Zurychy |  |
215,966 | Sovyetstvo | Vyacheslyv Dmytryuk Nykonyv |
| Sars'ka Spyl'nota | Sarsky Myr |  |
187,151 | Osavulstvo | Lukyan Maksymuk Barabash |
Osavulstva
Of the 15 tovarystva in the Zamorodnian Hetmanate, 11 are osavulstva, or "chiefdoms". An osavulstvo is a polity governed by an osavul. The process for appointing or electing an osavul can vary, but typically the osavul is either a hereditary position or it falls to the eldest of the community. In two cases, Nerovya and Sars'ka Spyl'nota, the osavul is an elected position. Regardless, after assuming the role, an osavul governs for life or until they step down.
The other key aspect of an osavulstvo is the independent judiciary. Judges are appointed by the osavul but otherwise, act independently. The osavul has the power to govern the osavulstvo in all local matters but does not have the right to make unilateral decrees. Any decree that an osavul wishes to make must be considered by the local judiciary. The osavul is also the starshyy of their osavulstvo, though they may elect to delegate this responsibility to a subordinate.
Sovyetstva
Despite being outnumbered by the more autocratic osavulstva, the sovyetstva generally count among the more populous and powerful tovarystva in Zamorodna. The sovyetstva, or "council realms", are characterized by more democratic governance in addition to a blended legislative, judicial, and executive system. At the centre of a sovyetstvo is the sovyet ("council"). The members of the sovyet are collectively elected by their communities for fixed terms as judges. During the first meeting of a new sovyet, executive roles are distributed by consensus.
Legislative functions are effectively undertaken by the members of the sovyet through the legal reference system. In sufficiently large communities, the sovyet may delegate most of its criminal and civil judicial functions to a certain number of its members while the rest abstain from adjudicating legal matters in order to more effectively conduct their other functions. The starshyy of a sovyetstvo is typically appointed at the beginning of a new sovyet, though occasionally the role will be left vacant until shortly before the Starshyna Rada is convened.
Military
The military forces of the Zamorodnian Hetmanate are organized at a local level, with each tovarystvo responsible for forming a militia. The Hetman is responsible for the organization of all the elements of the armed forces, and coordinates air units directly, even if the air assets are technically on loan from the tovarystva. Exact figures for the numbers of active service, reservists, and able combatants are difficult to ascertain, particularly as certain tovarystva only assemble units when necessary, but provide universal training, including to people who would be unfit for actual service. An estimate of active service members would be approximately 60,000. Reservist forces likely number over approximately two million.
The Kvor people have a martial tradition and private ownership of weapons for hunting, farm management, and self-defense is common. While not technologically cutting edge or particularly innovative, Zamorodna also has a healthy domestic arms manufacturing industry. At least two internationally prominent private military companies are based in Zamorodna.
Economy
Zamorodna has a primarily free market economy with elements of a dual economy in some areas. In two sovyets, market socialist and communalist economic modes are more prevalent. At the federal level, elements of a mixed economy are minimal and the majority of divergent economic regulation or lack thereof occurs at the tovarystvo-level. Unemployment and underemployment are major issues in Zamorodna at present.
The gross domestic product per capita is $12,494.43, with major disparities between dual economy osavulstva, socialist sovyetva, and capitalist osavulstva and sovyetstva. Zamorodna is in the lower third of countries in the world in terms of the size of its economy both nominally and in proportion to its population. The Gini score, measuring wealth inequality, is moderate. Zamorodna's human development index score is moderate-to-low in comparison with other countries in the world.
Zamorodna's economy is largely self-sufficient but has a strong import/export component. Natural and mineral resources, grains, animal products, and other raw materials are the major exports of the country, while complex manufactured goods, alternative foodstuffs, and luxury goods are major imports.
Major industries
Approximately one-third of Zamorodnians maintain pastoral lifestyles and economic modes of life. The pastoral industry is split relatively evenly between dual economy traditionalists and conventional capitalist industrial animal agriculture. Horticulture is the next largest industrial sector by participation and the largest in terms of measured economic product. Major horticultural products include oilseeds, wheat, buckwheat, barley, and common vegetables. Mining and logging are the next two biggest industries with various forms of processing and manufacturing following suit.
Informal economy
Despite traditional, non-market modes of living occupying approximately one-sixth of Zamorodna's labour participation, proportionally little of the product of these activities are measured as official economic product due to the prevalence of informal exchange in the country. The informal economy extends past pastoral lifestyles and includes many participants in extractive and processing industries. In addition, many participants in the informal economy also nominally participate in the formal economy on a near-full or part-time basis as well.
Infrastructure
Zamorodna has very little public infrastructure and inter-tovarystva transportation and electricity networks have always been privately held with minimal standardization. As a consequence, among the nine railways that operate in Zamorodna, there are four different rail gauges in use. Road networks crossing borders require tolls to cross in either direction in 14 out of 15 tovarystva, though driving on the right side of the road was standardized by general consent in 1954.
The primary source of electricity in Zamorodna is coal power, with some hydroelectric generation in two sovyetstva. Each tovarystvo generally has its own powerplants and either purchases its own coal domestically or imports oil from abroad. Power is not commodified for sale across internal borders at this time.
Demographics
The population of Zamorodna is estimated at 14,293,012 as of 2021. The urban/rural divide across the population is roughly even, with 53.8% of the population living in cities. Zamorodnian cities tend to be highly dense, slightly skewing population density. Rural communities in the country tend to be small and sparsely populated, with small communities sprawled across long distances.
In terms of human statistics, life expectancy is moderate with a significant gender gap. Male-identified persons have a life expectancy of 67 while female-identified persons have a life expectancy of 77 years, for an average of 72 years. The gap in life expectancy has been attributed to a variety of factors, chiefly workplace hazards and risky behaviour. Leading causes of death across all sexes and genders are heart disease, liver disease, vehicle or machinery accidents, and old age illnesses.
Unemployment is presently a major social and demographic issue for Zamorodnians.
Language and ethnicity
The dominant ethnic group in Zamorodna is the Dvor. In general, ethnic groups are defined along linguistic lines. However, some communities are more strongly defined by kinship ties. The other major exception is between the Dvor and the Staryzamians which largely share the same language. Most Staryzamians were subjugated and assimilated by the Dvor centuries ago. The remaining people who continue to identify as such typically live in remote communities, intentionally isolated from the rest of Zamorodna. Staryzamians have been historically subjected to violence and discrimination.
The Zamorodnian language, adopted by the Kvor, is primarily still a Slavic language with some imported Turkic influences. The language of the Staryzamians had begun to diverge from Suvarovan in the 14th century under the influence of western languages. The 13th to 15th century language of the Starzamians is typically referred to as Early Zamorodnian. The Great Kvor Migration which began in the latter half of that century accelerated the differentiation, but in a different direction. Middle Zamorodnian is considered to have been heavily Turkified before gradually succumbing to Slavic influences from its neighbours, forming the modern Zamorodnian language.
Religion
The Kvor people had been exposed to the Aletheic Church prior to the 11th century. National historians posit that the pre-migration Kvor were distinguished from other Qavar groups in the area by their Nazarist faith, but this is unconfirmed. It is more probable that the Kvor broadly converted to Nazarism after the migration was complete. The Alban branch of the faith was the common religion of the Staryzamians and subsequently Became adopted by a large portion of the settled migrants. The newer Docetic branch of Aletheic Nazarism also gained prominence in the same era.
Zamorodna presently and historically lacked religious unity. Sectarian violence became common in the 17th and 18th centuries but declined in the following years. Religious differences remain the source of deep divisions in the present day.
Education and healthcare
Education is a matter of local jurisdiction in Zamorodnian law. In practice, all but a couple tovarystva have single-payer primary education and most have public secondary education. Three tovarystva have public post-secondary education schemes. There are no consistent standards for what curriculum is taught or for the qualifications of educators. Many schools, especially in rural areas, are oriented heavily toward vocational training or apprenticeships. There are three major universities in Zamorodna: the Kostyanopol Institute for Post-Secondary Education, the Baraban Academy, and the Karashch'skyy Sovyet University.
Healthcare follows a similar pattern to education, wherein there is no nationwide mandate for public healthcare services, but a broad portion of tovarystva provide single-payer services in at least some capacity. Only two osavulstva do not have any form of public health coverage whatsoever. Two Sovyetstva rely entirely on public health services in most circumstances, though certain specialist treatments may need to be sought elsewhere.
Culture
The culture of Zamorodna has been formed over nearly a millennium by many different elements. These include the Aletheic Church and its branches, Qavar traditions, and the different ways of living of its inhabitants. In many ways, including architecturally and linguistically, Zamorodna is a bridge between the east and the west. Equestrian and pastoralist traditions tie the nation to its eastern heritage while religious and architectural traditions have been modified by the west.
Zamorodnian literature has two major traditions. The first tradition is that of the Kvors'kyy Kobzar, or the Kvor Bardic tradition. The Kobzar tradition contains stories of honourable or mischievous but goodnatured heroes, often in wartime settings. The second major tradition is called the Bahno or "muck" tradition. These stories have gritty and nihilistic themes, set either in wartime or in more mundane settings. Bahno writings tend to philosophize either in the text or directly through asides written by the author between chapters.
Music and dance
The Zamorodnian traditions of music and dance were largely imported from its eastern heritage and blended with endemic sounds and instruments. Traditional singing includes rhythmic chanting and cheering in driving cadences. String instruments are most common in traditional music, including the kobza, the torban, and the bandura. In the mid-20th century, jazz music, called "dzhaz", became popular in Zamorodna, melded with local music. In the present day, Zamorodna is occasionally referred to as the Eastern Belisarian Capital of Jazz.
The quintessential Kvor dance is the Hopak, a carefully choreographed and often acrobatic dance performed solo or in groups of any gender composition. The Hopak is often practiced by militia members and athletes as general exercise. The Boyovyy Hopak, or "Combat Hopak", was developed in the 20th century as a Zamorodnian martial art based on the dance. The "Equestrian Combat Hopak" is reportedly being developed by a troupe in Kostyanopol.
Cuisine
On account of its fertile soil and intersection of cultures, Zamorodna has a rich culinary tradition. Dishes are typically made from a multitude of ingredients, most of which are produced locally. A typical diet is heavy in both dairy and gluten. Major spices include black pepper, paprika, dill, and beetroot. Herkyns and other pickled vegetables are also common.
The most well-known dishes from Zamorodna are boryshch, varenyky, and holobchy which are all consumed either as lunch or dinner foods. Rye bread, heavy sour cream, and salted meats accompany these meals. For breakfasts, cold bread, milk, and porridge are common. In terms of caffeinated beverages, tea consumption edges out coffee among Zamorodnians, typically consumed with milk and honey.
The national alcoholic beverage of Zamorodna is horylka, produced from grain or sugar beets and typically distilled to 20% alcohol per volume. Horylka is occasionally distilled to 40% alcohol but this is more commonly known as samohon. Pertsyvka is another variant of the beverage produced with hot peppers. Consumption of potato-derived vodka is also common. Beer and wine have less cultural prominence but are also homebrewed, typically in urban centres where private acquisition of a distillery may be difficult.