Ovandera

The Ovan Common State Ovänitschgemeinstaat
Flag
Motto: "Die Leute Herrschen" "The People Rule"
Anthem:  Das Lied der Freiheit "The Song of Freedom"
Capital	Vannerr
Largest city	Hannensburg
Official languages	High Almannic Achibahn
Recognised national languages	Hochalmannische Ostovanitsches Achibahn
Ethnic groups (2016)	52% Ovänitsch 32% Alemannian 12% Native 2% West Asuran (Veleazan, Midrasian, Vrnallian, Newreyan)
Demonym(s)	Ovänitsch Ovanderan Ovan
Government	Confederal Economic Republic
• Economic Directory	General Council
Independent from
Area
•	1,920,743.31 km2 (741,603.14 sq mi)
• Water (%)	3.2%
Population
• 2017 estimate	115,640,000
• 2017 census	112,455,092
• Density	85/km2 (220.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Per capita	$2,300
Gini (2015)	23 low
HDI (2015)	0.45 low
Currency	Gemeinsmark (GM)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Ovan Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	AST-8
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	516
Internet TLD	.odr

Ovandera, officially known as the Ovan Common State (Almannic: Ovänitschgemeinstaat pronounced: /oːvaːntschgɛm̩aɪnʃtaːt; English pronounced: /ˈˈōvan kɑmən stāt/) is a Revolutionary Socialist Democratic Confederation in Southern Vestrim, located on the planet Aeia. It shares a maritime border to the East with Koningsland, and borders Utamucanee to the Northeast with the Valheimer Range taking up the near-entirety of her northern border. Most of the nations population is situated on the southeastern coast, with large metropolises located on major rivers or Colombian and Jade coastline, with rural agricultural communities in the highlands and covering the countries core. Its capital, Vannerr, is found on the the eastern coast of the country and is home to the Volkshauptgebäude, the de facto capital and main meeting place of the Ovan Communist Party. The land is well known for its ranging climate, with tropical and subtropical lowlands and yet is also known for its cold and mountainous highlands providing water for several major rivers. Today, Ovandera itself stands as the most recent communist state to arrive in Aeia, with the nation following a diverse doctrine of Cardinal Socialism.

The Commonwealth is divided up into roughly 9 autonomous Cantons, although these borders more represent loose political regions than hard-set administrative polities. The nation maintains a system of Economic Democracy under one Economic Party, with all political parties unable to participate in the Communist Party, itself more an industrial Union than formal political polity. Ovandera maintains its system of legislative power in the form of a directorial body known as the "Allgemeinrats", which consists of recallable-representatives from local communities and cooperatives in an environment representative of an economic forum. Executive authority is executed through public referenda on either a local or national scale.

Ovandera was first formed under the Hergic Vestric Colonial Society, a collaborative effort of several aristocratic families focused on exploiting the region of its natural resources and abundant farm land. The colonial government, in practice an aristo-corporate conglomerate, would then populate its region with an army of native and Arabekhi slaves, while also accepting an influx of penal colonists from the fatherland. Coming to be known as the Ovan Viceroyalty, the colony would organize itself into a strict racial hierarchy of Natives, Arabekhi, Mixed, and Alemannian, with an elite of aristocratic families controlling almost all land along the regions coasts.

After decades of internal instability from the Alemannian middle and slave class, the Colony would gain her independence from the Empire in 1852, at the same time abolishing slaver under the new Ovan Commonwealth. The new government would be an unstable democracy lead by a mixture of the white middle and upper class, with the "Kreolen", a word referring to the members of the once-slave population, forming a distinct under-caste of the new culture. The Kreolen population would be barred from "participating in white society", essentially banning them from owning land, using money, or participating in government or the marketplace, in essence forcing them into the same plantation-system as before the abolition of slavery. Instability would reign supreme as, across the 1900's, a myriad of military governments, in part funded by the white-aristocracy, would lead the country in a back-and-forth with the underlying democracy.

Socialism and various Republican ideologies would flourish under the Commonwealth as the Middle-Class and Aristocracy jockied for control of the country, and a diverse array of ideologies under the blanket of Cardinal Socialism would develop. Internal instability eventually leading to the Cardinal Rebellion in 2014 that established the current confederation.

Etymology and Flag

The name Ovänder, Ovandera being the widely used international pronunciation, comes from Ulrich von Hoffendor, who named the region after an early Vestric explorer: Zander van Ovänder en Getz. Von Hoffendor officiated the title after the Hergic Empire laid claim to the region.

The flag of the Ovan Commonwealth, also known as the Vereinigte Front (literally "United Front"), is divided into three general parts, the Theme, Piece, and Bands. The Theme consists of a standard dark red background representing the colors of Socialism and the Revolution, alongside two gold bands running just away from the border meaning Unity and Order. The Piece is located on the central red panel near the hoist and bears an encircled Gear and Grain, representing the unity of the agrarian and industrial class, while the Circle represents both the Communist Party and the Unity of Everyone as equals to the Workers. The flag was adopted following the formation of the the Ovan Communist Party in 2017.

History

Main article: History of Ovandera

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistory of Ovandera

Early Colonization

Beginning in 1423 when early Asuran explorers first made contact with the various tribes inhabiting the Ammersdorf Peninsula, the lowland coastline of the Ovan Peninsula would be quickly fortified by a string of colonial fortifications put in place by the [[]] Imperial Military. The initial impacts of first-contact would be devastating, as almost 2/3rds of the native population would be eradicated due to contact with Asuran and Alemmanian diseases. The [[]] Military would capitalize on this, capturing swaths of territory along the coast and throughout the Erhört and Valheimer Ranges. By the end of the initial Native Wars, [[]] Military strength would stretch along much of the Ovan Coastline and throughout the Valheimer Mountains.

The Colonial Government

Main article: Ovan Colonial Period

In 1440 the Vestric Colonial Society, a political society and corporate conglomerate made up of various members of the lower and upper [[]] aristocracy, would be given exclusive rights to the lands and resources found on the Peninsula. By 1450, the port-colonies of Vannerr, Hannensburg, and Ammersdorf located along the Colombian Coast, would form the economic core of the growing colonial effort. For the first half century, colonial power would be organized primarily along the coast, with most major settlements forming in the coastal territory east of the Erhört Mountain Range.

The early government would spawn from the initial Colonial Society, forming around a board of directors made up of the main shareholders, with a few seats mandated for representatives of the Imperial government. Shareholder families would be afforded huge land grants, establishing a string of plantations across the coast and later migrating inward toward the countries interior. Colonial authority would be quickly followed by an influx of foreign and native slaves. Peoples from conquered native polities would form the initial backbone of the colonial labor force, before an influx of Asuran debt workers and slaves brought in from [[]] colonies in Arabekh added to the population of forced-laborers. The nature of Ovan colonization would establish a strict, 3-tiered class system organized around Slaves, Free, Indebted, or Penal Alemmanians, and the Shareholder elite. What Alemmanians who would resolve their debt or serve their sentence would find themselves trapped, as they lacked the funds to leave the colony, and didn't have the ability to acquire land, as what land wasn't already soaked up by the Shareholders would be nationalized under the Ovan Colonial Authority. This would lead to a growing "Tenant-bourgeoisie" as they became dependent on administrative jobs on private estates or in colonial ventures, such as the silver mines of northern Ovandera or southern irrigation projects.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Ovandera

With a mainland surface area of 1,920,743.31 km^2 (741,603 sq mi), Ovandera is located in southern Vestrim, sharing land borders with Utamucanee across the Valheimer range to the north; the Colombian sea to the east; and the Mid-Opal Ocean to the east; for an overall land border length of ### km (### mi).

Ovandera's highest point is Perlenspitze in the Olfenberg canton (6,959 m (22,831 ft) above sea level), also the highest point on the continent. The lowest point is the Nachtteich lagoon in the Swellein Great Depression, Schweisenbrücke canton (−105 m (−344 ft) below sea level.

The northernmost point is at the southern shore of the Dalegard lake in Königsfelde canton; the southernmost is Cape Varga in the Ostvaßer canton; the easternmost is on the Von Maas peninsula, Schweisenbrücke canton; and the westernmost is the tip of the Dagra Peninsula in the Alorenstadt canton. The maximum north–south distance is ### km (### mi), while the maximum east–west one is ### km (### mi).

The largest river is the Arnheln running from the Valheimer mountain range to Vaulbelt Bay in Alorenstadt; some of the other major rivers are the Varda running through Olfenberg and Schweisenbrücke — which flows and connects into the Arnheln. These rivers are discharged into the Colombian Sea, the shallow area of the Opal Ocean over the Ovan Shelf, an unusually wide continental platform. Its waters are influenced by two major ocean currents: the warm Colombian Current and the colder Opal Current.

Most Ovan rivers originate in the peaks of the Valheimer or Erhorst mountain ranges and drain into either the Krün Basin or the Colombian coast. Those that drain toward the Colombian Sea are steep and short, flowing only intermittently. Tributaries of the much greater Arnheln River have a much larger flow, and are longer and less steep.

Regions

Ovandera is divided into nine geographical regions:

• Valheimer, a major mountain range marking the northern border; defined by high peaks; leading to major temperature differences based on elevation such as more subtropical features at lower altitudes; set upon by more rugged topography to the far-east; filled with narrow valleys and to the mid-west.
• Patagan, a large northern plateau consisting mostly of arid, rocky steppes to the east; with moister grasslands to the south.
• 878, A small river basin located in the north of the country by the Opal Coast, south of the Valheimer and west of Patagan.
• Erhorst, the second major mountain range in the country running parallel to the Colombian coast; marked with rough topography
• Von Maas, a tropical wedge covering the Von Maas and Ammersdorf Peninsulas, as well as the lowlands to the northeast of the Erhorst range and the south the Valheimer.
• 767, a subtropical wedge covering the eastern Colombian coast neighboring the Ërhorst mountain range.
• Gastreude, a massive and hugely fertile alluvial plain located in the south and center south along the shore of the Opal ocean leading into 767
• Krün, a thin, tropical coastline and gulf south of Gastreude along the Opal coast.
• Kolombien, a region encompassing the tropical island territories of Lien and Ostvaßer

Climate

Although the most populated areas are generally temperate, Ovandera has an exceptional amount of climate diversity, ranging from subtropical in the south to near-polar in the far north. The average annual precipitation ranges from 150 millimetres (6 in) in the driest parts of Gastreude to over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) in the westernmost parts of Ulreven and the southern and eastern parts of the country. Mean annual temperatures range from 5 °C (41 °F) in the far north to 25 °C (77 °F) in the south and far east.

The Meßan and Zanë Coasts, as well as the Kruen Basin, are characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperatures except for the interior Gastreude region, which has colder winters and more seasonal rainfall. The western coastal regions have moderate to high temperatures, lower precipitations, and high humidity, except for its warmer, wetter southern reaches. In the mountain regions, Valheimer especially, rain is frequent in summer, and temperature and humidity diminish with altitude up to the frozen peaks of the Valheimer.

Major wind currents include the cool Panne Winds blowing on the flat plains of Gastreude; following the warm front, cold currents blow from the north in middle and late winter, creating mild to cold conditions in the countries core. The Sudetann —the Ovan name for a climatic phenomenon common to the Arnhëln— usually moderates cold temperatures but brings very heavy rains, rough seas and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumn and winter along the central coast and in the Arnhëln estuary. The Föhen, a dry wind, affects Olfenberg and the Gastreude region. Squeezed of all moisture during the sharp descent from the Valheimer, Föhen winds can blow for hours with gusts up to 120 km/h (75 mph), fueling wildfires and causing damage; between June and November, when the Föhen blows, snowstorms and blizzard conditions usually affect higher elevations.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Ovandera

Government

Ovandera is a federal constitutional republic and socialist economic democracy. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the Bürgerliche Vereinbarungen, or Civil Accords, the country's supreme legal document. The seat of government is the city of Vannerr, as designated by the Ovan Communist Party. Suffrage is universal, equal, and secret. By definition the Commonwealth is considered a Communist One Party State; This leading party is known as the O.S.V.K.P. or the Ovan Syndicate-Administrative Communist Part, although in actuality the Party operates as an association of cooperative elements which democratically manage the Economy, rather than a formal or traditional political party.

The federal government is composed of two primary branches:

The traditional Legislative and Executive branch are combined into a singular directoral body known as the Zentralpartei, or Central Party, consisting of the Allgemeinrats, or General Council, and Allgemeinkammer, or General Chamber. The Allgemeinrats is an internal body made up of representatives from each of the cantons, which makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties and has the power of the purse and of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government. In practice and technicality there is no difference between the Allgemeinrats and the Ovan Communist Party. The Council represents the people and has 72 members elected at-large to ten-year recallable terms; one third of Councilor seats are up for election every other year. The Chamber is more formally an Economic institution, and while the Council has a voice in Economics most decisions are handled by the Chamber; the body has 257 voting members elected to a 5-year, recallable term. Seats are apportioned among the cantons by population every tenth year. As of 2014 ten cantons have just five representatives while the Alorenstadt Canton, being the most populous one, has 70.

The Judicial branch includes the People's Court, Volksgericht, and lower federal courts which interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional. The Judiciary is independent of General Council. The People's Court has eleven members appointed by the Canton's —subject to Senate approval— who serve for life. The lower courts' judges are appointed by the Council of Magistrates (a secretariat composed of representatives of judges, lawyers, researchers, and the General Council).

Administrative divisions

Ovandera is divided on a local level into 456 Communes managed by a democratic Labour Council. Smaller communities within each commune are managed each by their own democratic forums. Each of the Communes are organized into collections based on geography and economic base known as Cantons. Given the main council of the Ovan Communist Party acts more as a common forum for the cooperation of the communes, these communes have power substantially devolved to them, with each guaranteed to have a voice in any matter significantly affecting them. Cantons have no official power and more act as general means for the cooperation of related Communes.

Canton	ID	Population	Representative	Region	Communes	Wards	Collectivities
Alorenstadt	AT	###	Abigale Aaij	Ulreven	34	0	245
Hannensburg	HB	###	Sylesia Vorbraun	Meßan	0	6	0
Königsfelde	KF	###	Moritz Langbroek	Patagan	0	6	158
Lien	LN	###	Oskar Valentin	Columbian Sea	9	0	23
Ostvaßer	OR	###	Paula Oster	Columbian Sea	2	0	7
Sargahn	SN	###	Kathrine Maas	Meßan	42	0	202
Schweisenbrücke	SE	###	Regina Panders	Zanë	20	0	189
Stravenberg	SG	###	Alek Pauv	Ulreven	0	3	0
Vanner	VR	###	Ofelia Reijnder	Kruen	0	4	0
Olfenberg	OB	###	Theresa Smit	Valheimer	40	26	287
Amerswald	AW	###	Anna Dach	Gastreude	24	9	146

International Relations

Main article: Foreign Relations of Ovandera

Since the implementation of the post-revolutionary Constitution in 2017, Ovan Foreign Policy, handled by the Communist Party and Department of External Affairs have been primarily guided both the public and the first Sekretär der Außenpolitik, Cheryl Zahn. Ovandera's position as a Socialist state has strained relations with several nations on principle, and because of this, Zahn set to work sending the first ring of delegates toward Asura and other Vestric nations in order to rekindle the Commonwealths ties to the international world.

Migration & Tourism

The Department of Foreign Affairs is relatively unchallenging when it comes to citizens control, this of course ties into Migration and Tourism. By law no force may forcefully keep citizens of the Common State within the country, nor deny them reentry. In the case of arrest, the Division is required to apprehend them once they return to the country should they evade police capture, as opposed to keeping them out. The Division's main goals are to ensure that hazardous materials don't enter the country, and to maintain positive foreign relations. In terms of Tourism, the Division retains the right to apprehend individuals deemed dangerous by other nations and those breaking the Law in within the Common State.

The Division also is involved in the process of Migration and Refugee's; By Law it is the Departments duty to help Migrants enter the country, and in the case of mass migration, protocol is to designate temporary housing toward Migrants while their citizenship applications are processed, providing them with a legal status of "Internationale-Asylant". The Department also, in the case of those individuals seeking Asylum, is required to aid the person in question first into Ovan Custody, where they will be processed for Asylum status within the relative Safety of the Common State.

Economics

In recent years Ovandera has been ranked rather low among the world in nominal and PPP GDP per capita; the Commonwealth utilizes whats often considered a self-managed economy under Cardinal Economic Principles, a system built on economic cooperation and compromise. The Ovan Currency is the Gemeinsmark, Common Mark, which has a value of .14 to every international dollar.

The modern Ovan Economy is run based on the ideas and concepts of Cardinal Socialism, discouraging competition and private property in favor of a cooperative economy mixed with state management of selective sectors of the economy, a system known as Economic Democracy. As such, the Communist Party provides free public healthcare and other services funded by state taxes. Like most other Decentral Socialist systems in Aeia, private enterprise and private property is illegal, with all economic activity being handled decentrally through the the Ovan Communist Party. Almost all ownership of property is either Collective or Public, however this does not extend to personal property, which still retains its legality as private property.

Since its establishment, Ovandera has maintained a steadily growing industrial economy, focusing primarily on manufacturing and technical research-development. Significant Mining and Agricultural sectors do exist, largely in the central regions of Alorenstadt, Königsfelde, and Amerswald, with major mining projects taking place in Olfenberg and Sargahn.

The Central-Party does maintain a heavy hand in certain strategic sectors, such as power production , mining, mass-transit, and telecommunications. The Communist Party also owns shares in the [[Union of Vestric Republics|Union der Vestrisches Republiken], an international military-economic organization of left-wing Vestric states. Especially since the establishment of the Cooperative Syste home ownerships have been shrinking rapidly in modern Ovandera, especially as a key tenet of the Ovan Welfare-system is an abundance of social housing; Public housing that can be rented for affordable rates.

Property Division in Ovandera, circa 2017.

  Collective ownership (55.2%)

  Public Ownership (23.4%)

  Communal ownership (15.8%)

  Personal ownership (5.6%)

All organizations and workplaces active in Ovandera operate under some form of Industrial Democracy which accompanies the overlying system of Economic Democracy. While practices differ from Co-Op to Co-Op each fall under a philosophy of Self-Manegement. The two most common forms of workplace democracy are directly democratic systems - in which all workers have a say on all decisions - and managerial-elect systems, where specialist managers are elected by the workers to manage the workplace. Many workplaces incorporate aspects of both, with some for example having an elected manager who has control over few decisions, with the rest being controlled via direct democracy. Regardless of differences, all workplaces share the commonality of some explicit form of democracy. Many workplaces that employ elected management also operate on the co-leadership principle. However, regardless of the system implemented, all members of each workplace elect that Cooperatives Delegate to the Labour Councils, wherein they work alongside other Organizations to freely manage the economy, and work out their wages.

Property Divisions

Property in Ovandera is divided into 4 different sections, Public, Collective, Communal, and Perosnal; By far the most common form of ownership in Ovandera is collective ownership, which in this instances refers to Property owned by local divisions —Communes and Collectivities— and managed by those who work them, i.e. workers cooperatives. Alongside Collective ownership lies public ownership. Similar to collective ownership, the workers manage the economic property, however in this case the property is directly allocated and owned by the Central Party. Public Property is not as common, but usually includes "National Scale, and Vital Industries", such as Power, Water, Housing, Transportation, Distribution, etc. Public Property also operates differently than Collective Property, in the case of Public Property, Workers still directly-operate or elect their local leaders, but their decisions are able to be questioned and overruled to some extent by the Central Party Representatives.

There are some instances of communal ownership of property as well as Collective and Public. Communal Ownership is difficult to define, but includes Property that is free for universal use, equipment technically considered Personal Property that is owned by multiple owners, and public housing that is managed by those living on said property. Finally, Personal Property is Property that is owned by a single person, and is usually defined as anything that can be carried, however the definition has extended to personal transport and furniture.

Companies & Organizations

In regards to Foreign For and Non-Profit Companies and Organizations, the Commonwealth has strict laws regarding their selling of goods and services within the Commonwealth; To begin with in every Canton apart from Ostvaßer, Foreign Companies are not allowed to set up permanent residencies, and instead need to sell their wares directly to the Local Party. In the unique case of Ostvaßer, the Canton requires that systems set up in the region by Foreign companies abide by Party-law, act as Cooperatives to the greatest extent, and while they are allowed to send delegates to the local party, the Delegate is barred from most activities available to Ovan Delegates. Foreign imports are allowed, and in certain cases encouraged, however these imports are required to pass Ovan Customs & Regulations.

Demographics

Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity (2010 Census)
By race:
White (East-West Asuran)	58.4%
Mälter	18.4%
Ovan-Qyredi	11.3%
Achibahn	7.6%
Multiracial	5.4
Other	1.1%
By ethnicity:
Hergic Almannic	35%
Ostovanitsche	23%
Mälter	17%
Ovan-Qyredi	11%
Achibahn	4%
Uaygmi	2%
Amnay	1%
Feretibi	.7%
Aōbe	.4%

Colonized by the Hergic Empire in the 1400's, the Ovan Peninsula is historically an ethnic mixing pot of different peoples. This is enforced by numerous non-Rohstian colonists arriving in Ovandera from Tyronova, to Pruvaria, who make up major populations across the Commonwealth. Almannic Languages, the Low and High Dialects, also form the unquestionably dominant language in the country. Currently, the two major groups are the Hergic Almannic and Ostovanitsche groups, Hergic Almannic being the majority while the Ostovanitsche peoples are generally confined to the southern and eastern coasts — The Ostovanitsche group is also a point of contention as they themselves claim a cultural independence from their Hergic cousins, while others argue that they should be classified with Hergic-Almannics under a standard "Ovan-Almannic" title.

The second largest group in the country comes in the form of the Mälter people group. Originating from both the native Achibahn as well as Arabekhi Slaves brought through the Asuran Slave Trade, the Mälter bear striking resemblance to either group (thick and curly hair as well as the less common reddish undertones being the general standard) but are also surprisingly diverse. Amnay Mälter for example have much darker skin tones while those more closely connected with the Feretibi have more of a coffee complexion.

Unlike in the northern portions of the continent, as well as most Colombian Islands, Ovandera would hold onto a substantial population of Natives throughout its multi-centennial history; while a vast majority were killed during the first contact when exposed to Asuran and Arabekhi diseases and forced-relocation by the Colonists, Vestric Native peoples would survive in distinct pockets in the northern and central regions. The remaining natives, the Achibahn, are most represented in Amerswald while Uaygmi, Amnay, Feretibi, and Aōbe (all of whom are ethnic subgroups of the Achibahn, and are often included in the Achibahn "Umbrella") exist in groups throughout the country.

Finally, and most interestingly in terms of historic diaspora of peoples, Ovandera is one of only a few Vestric countries to continue to hold a substantial Yidaoan community. Primarily from Qyred, the first wave of immigrants came in the form of Kongsi, companies fleeing their home country, and arrived on the western shores of the peninsula. Kongsi-Immigrants formed fairly successful economic communities along the northern and southern ends of the Coast, trading and competing with the Achibahn in the area as well as what Ovan Colonial Authority could be projected into the region. Several Centuries later, different small migratory periods were eclipsed by a series of mass migrations of Qyredi people groups into the country in the 17' and 1800's and whose effects are still being felt in the Ovan cultural sphere.

Language

Regional Languages (2014 Census)
Language groups:
High Almannic
Ostlander
Toakau
Achibahn
Regional languages:
High Almannic
Ostovanitsches
Sarayesch
Schweiser
Haarten
Vannische
Arschayesche
Achibahn
Uaygmi
Amnay
Feretibi
Aōbe

Due to her history, Ovandera has a varied set of linguistic groups, but each can be divided into two subcategories, Almannic and Achibahn, with Almannic being the largest of these language groups, followed by Achibahn, the primary native-vestric language group in the Ovan Peninsula.

The majority language in Ovandera, Standard High-Almannic is almost universally spoken, being printed alongside other dialects and languages throughout the Commonwealth. Because of its universality, when considering the different Ovan Languages, in almost all cases it usually means what language is spoken-written alongside Standard Almannic in any given region. Dialectically, Almannic in Ovandera is divided between Westovanitsches and Ostovanitsches — those in the west being closer to High Almannic, while those in the East originating directly from the first Ostländer settlers in the region.

Almannic continues to diversify in Ovandera due to colonists and migrants from East Asura bolstering the original Ostländer populations, spreading and diversifying the variety of languages within the region. Westovanitsches (or Nordovanitsches depending on ones location) is often used as the catch-all term for the variety of Ovan High-Almannic dialects located in her western regions. West Ovan Langauges are most similar to Standard High Almannic and Tyronovan with the dialects sharing linguistic traits of both. The most distinct in this comes in the form of Könixische a dialect of Westovanitsche located in her western most canton of Königsfelde. Alongside Könixische is Südaloreneche and Nordaloreneche both spoken in the southernmost Canton of Alorenstadt. Finally, and interestingly, due to Tyronovan migrants arriving later in the region, several eastern cities have developed dialects wholly separate from those of their surrounding region, the most pronounced being Arschayesche located in the city of Hannensberg.

Known and referred too collectively as Ostovanitsches, spoken in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country. The language is an offshoot of the Northwest-Almannic spoken historically by the earliest Almannic settlers in the region — Ostovanitsches is for the most part mutually intelligible with Northwest-Almannic apart from dialectical and grammatical differences, alongside the adoption of several Achibahn words to supplant their Almannic counterparts. Eastern dialects are divided into several subgroups, the largest being Sarayesch, followed up by Schweiser, Haarten, and Vannische. Schweiser and Sarayesch are the dominant dialects in Schweisenbrücke and Sargahn respectively, with Haarten being a major dialect in Amerswald. Vannische is the City dialect of Vannerr, the capitol of Ovandera; it is distinct from written Standard Northwest Almannic in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation and shares many characteristics with both High and Low Almannic; because of this it is often considered as a variant of one of these language.

Alongside Almannic, the largest minority language comes in the form of the Achibahn Languages, a group of native-vestric languages spread around Olfenberg, Königsfelde, and Amerswald regions. This ethnolinguistic group is generally separate from the regions surrounding them, oftentimes leading to historical tension. The Achibahn langauges are split into 4 general groups: Uaygmi, Amnay, Feretibi, and Aōbe. These languages are linguistically different, yet share the overall Achibahn tongue, with each of the groups being able too speak to some extent to each other.

Religion

The largest religious group in Ovandera is Alydianism, particularly its Eastern "Almannic" variant — one that places different and heavier emphasis on the different Saints of the Religion that its western varieties. This has actually been expanded in Ovandera, with the Countries "Alydian Philosophies" being far more focused on the Divinity and importance of the different Saints. The different Cantons and Local regions all have a variety of different Patron Saints which have often been used to represent that community or regions distinctiveness from the Ovan Whole — different festivities and cultural practices have also been attributed to these Saints. This has also carried over to the Native system, with an almost "Hybrid" religion forming between the native Achibahn and Alydianism under which the Manifestations have themselves evolved and adapted to native beliefs, and different Saints have cropped up representing previous Gods and interestingly, ethnic communities.

Religion in Ovandera continues to be one of the more controversial aspects of the modern Regime however; After the Ovan Civil War, the victorious Cardinals implemented an institution known as Staatatheismus, making it difficult to impossible to show religious affiliation on ones person or on public property — with all land in the country being Public, the the Communist Party has taken multiple strides to lessen Religions strengths within the country.

Holidays & Festivals

Despite the political institution against Religious expression, Ovandera still retains several unique traditions in regards to its Religious affiliation, many of which are shared with other Almannic states. One such is a yearly tradition practiced at the Winter and Summer solstices, where towns, cities, and communities come together for a wide variety of street celebration and the sharing of food. Another such tradition, far more prevalent in the north in this instance, consists of specialized festivals in honor of local Patron Saints, with bi-monthly holidays being held in that deity's honor. However these Festivities and Rituals have been met with varying levels of criticism both in the cultural sphere and in the political one, with numerous people being arrested, primarily in the south, on charges of Public Proselytization.

Education

Schooling

Schooling in Ovandera is directly administered by the CommunistParty; Education is free, universal and compulsory from ages 6 to 18, although many stay in education until 21. Overall, education in Ovandera has benefited from the implementation of Socialist values, pushing self-exploration, curiosity, distrust of authority, and positive psychology. Schooling in Ovandera is delegated into several initial phases; Kinderschule, Grundschule, Oberschule, and Hochschule. Kinderschule lasts from ages 5 to 8, children are taught cultural and social etiquette, character building, art, among other pre-academic skills. Grundschule, or Primary School, goes from ages 9-12 and focuses on "General Learning", such as Language, early Maths, basic History, Arts, and early Sciences and is meant to build off of Kinderschule, promoting academic exploration and curiosity and building a close bond between students and teachers. Kinderschule also implements Civic's, teaching a student their Rights and Freedoms and build a sense of what a student wants in later life and further defining their interests.

Oberschule, or Secondary School, usually lasts around 4-5 years, starting directly after Primary and is the final stage in education that is mandated by the Communist Party. It is divided into four different types of schooling, each focusing on specific topics of Academia;

• Technikerschule, which focus on scientific studies.
• Handwerkerschulen, which focus mostly on the humanities with some influence from the sciences.
• Handelsschule, which focus on economics and politics.
• Berufsschule, or Professional Education which focuses on training for a specific job, involving a mix of apprenticeship and teaching.

Finally, Hochschule, or Higher Education, is a voluntary series of Universities located around the Commonwealth. These Universities, like previous schoolings, are managed by the State, however they are far more autonomous on what they teach, and promote a much higher standard of student-leadership in School life, choice education, and Student-Faculty Cooperation. There are almost 200 Faculties of Higher Education within the Commonwealth, each focusing on a variety of educational topics; Because Hochschule is Voluntary, it does have a general tuition, however in most cases this can be either funded totally or majorly by the Universal Basic Income provided by the Communist Party.

Teachers

The Communist Party has worked hard post-war to ensure that teachers in both Primary and Secondary school qualify to the best extent, with most regions requiring that a prospective teacher have a Master's degree to qualify. Teacher's are in an interesting position, with a lot of respect being delegated to them culturally, but a growing sense of "Anti-Hierarchy" pushing a social philosophy that Teachers should work with students and not the other way around. Regardless, unlike many other "High-Income Jobs" pre-war, Teaching has yet to lose its position as a well respected profession, with many Pre-war teachers being rehired across the nation, with oversight from Party officials, to help ease the need for education.

Culture

Due to her history, Ovandera has a varied and rich culture, gathering influences from the many of the Almannic states, Cheonsam, and the Vestric Natives. This stems from the early Rohstian Empire who, alongside numerous other Almannic Settlers, from Volgaria to Tyronova, colonized the territory that would become Ovandera. As of now there are two general groups of Almannic peoples in Ovandera, Almannisches and Ostovanitsches, Almanisches being descendent from the High-Almannic speaking Rohstains, Volgarians, and Tyronovans, and Ostovanitsches being descendent from the Low-Almannic Rohstians focused on the Eastern portion of the peninsula.

This also had the effect of forming numerous Native communities primarily in the Northern and Central regions of the Peninsula, as they were pushed away from the coast, with them having their own distinct Ethnolinguistic identity. Rohstian expansion would eventually lead to an influx of Cheonsamean peoples into the early Ovan Colony, forming the largest minority group, even more so than the natives. Cut off from the rest of Vestrim by the Valheimer Mountains, this melting pot of different cultures, alongside a Revolution led by many minority groups for proper emancipation, has led into a distinctly "Ovan" Culture.

Ovandera is very varied on her Social and Political outlook, however in most respects the Commonwealth is considered an incredibly progressive country. With a growing culture in line with an Ideology of Populist Cardinal Socialism, Ovandera has gained an international reputation for having one of the lowest Power Distances in the world, leading too a swing in favor of Racial and LGBTQ+ rights, recreational drug use, Abortion, and Euthanasia.