Uskad

Republic of Uskad
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Prosperity, Unity and Diversity
Anthem: My Beloved and Great Nation
Capital	Panpinangan
Largest city	Sampunuwu
Official languages	English Uskadian Malay
Recognised languages	Javanese Sundanese Koleknio Buleknik Lonedba Polosni
Demonym(s)	Uskadian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	S.R Martin
• Prime Minister	Peter Marjuana
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Commons
Independence from  the United Kingdom
• Christmas Uprising	25 December 1925
• Autonomy	12 February 1926
• Independence	3 March 1944
• Republic	18 May 1959
Population
• 2024 estimate	94,283,456 (17th)
• 94,129,281 census	2023
• Density	38/km2 (98.4/sq mi) (185th)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$2.91 trillion (7th)
• Per capita	$31,092 (37th)
HDI (2024)	0.810 very high (62nd)
Currency	stem (st) (STM)
Time zone	UTC+6 to UTC+8
Driving side	left
Calling code	+782
Internet TLD	.ud

Uskad, officially the Republic of Uskad, is a country straddling Southeast Asia and Oceania. It comprises the main island of Uskad, the Tapakrebon Islands, and other smaller islands in the Indian Ocean. It shares maritime borders with Indonesia to its northeast, and Australia to its southeast. The city of Panpinangan serves as the capital, while the large bustling city of Sampunuwu serves as the financial, commmercial and business centre of the country. With a population of 94 million people, it is one of most populous countries in the world.

The early population of Uskad began as Austronesian people migrating from modern-day Taiwan arrived in Uskad around 4,000 years ago. As the groups spread out around the island, they began to form distinct cultures and languages from each other as geographic conditions of the island allowed cultures to flourish. In around the year 500, the Native Uskadians began trading with the nearby Indonesian archipelago, and the Hindu and Buddhist religions began the spread to the island, although it was mostly confined to the northeastern parts of the island. After the collapse of the Majapahit Empire, Javanese and Sundanese Hindus began flocking to the island, and conflicts with native Uskadians in the interior began, known as the Interior Wars, which lasted 90 years.

The island was discovered by Europeans in around 1605, and was later colonised by Great Britain in 1750. Britain, seeing the conflicts between the Javanese settlers and the natives, exploited it using a divide and conquer strategy. The British saw Uskad as valuable as the extremely fertile land provided an almost unlimited source of income to the fledgling Empire. Stable British rule followed, until the 1925 Christmas Revolt, in which the United Kingdom began gradually providing Uskad with more autonomy, before granting it independence in 1944.

Uskad is a unitary parliamentary republic comprising of 11 provinces and territories. The capital is located in Panpinangan, while other major cities are Sampunuwu, Palangpalolu, Herrington. It is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, due to its unique geographical position.

Etymology

The name came from the Koleknio word "Uesa" which meant large, and the Bulenik word Pukad, which meant island. The word "Uskad" began to appear on Javanese inscriptions dating back to 1033, and after extensive trading, which resulted in the natives adopting the name themselves.

History

Prehistory (2000 BCE - 6th century)

The first Uskadians arrived in island at around 2000 BCE, as part of the Austronesian migration waves. It has been suspected that earlier prehistoric humans had a presence in Uskad, but this is mostly unconfirmed. Intially, the first people maintained a single cohesive language and culture, but as they spread out throughout the island, they began to develop separate cultures and languages.

Extensive trading and cultural influence (6th century to 16th century)

Contact was established with the nearby Indonesian archipelago, and a century long trade relationship began. The various Kingdoms of Uskad began sailing to the seas, and establishing trade contacts with many kingdoms. The trade made the Kingdoms of Uskad flourish, and this era is frequently referred to as the Golden Age of the country.

Javanese and Sundanese arrival and conflict (16th century to 1750)

After the collapse of the Majapahit empire and the spread of Islam in nearby Indonesia, Javanese and Sundanese Hindus began to arrive in Uskad in hopes of escaping persecution. Initially, the migrants and the natives lived in peace, but after cultural differences began to show, conflict emerged, known as the Settler Wars.

British rule and The World Wars (1750-1944)

The first documentation of Uskad in European maps was in 1232, and was known to the Europeans as an island of fertility. The British EIC, seeing this, exploited the conflicts between the migrants and the natives to conquer it, and eventually controlling the entire island by 1750.

Geography

Uskad consists of the main island of Uskad, The Taparebon archipelago, and numerous smaller islands. It borders Australia to the east, and Indonesia to its northeast. Uskad is entirely surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Uskad has one of the highest elevations in the continent of Oceania, in the inland Citapon mountain range. Uskad also is rich in natural resources, such as coal, ore, natural gases, forestry and most importantly, fertile soil.

Uskad has a variety of climates, with the northern part of the country and the Tapakrebon islands having a tropical climate, while the rest of the country has a subtropical climate.

Government and politics

Uskad is a unitary parliamentary republic, and heavily modeled on the Westminster parliamentary system. It has an elected president, while formally is vested with executive powers, is mainly the ceremonial head of state. The Prime Minister serves as the head of government and is usually the leader of the largest party in Parliament.

The Government consists of three branches:

Legislative: The Parliament, consists of two houses, the Senate and the House of Commons.

Executive: The Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, and consists of other Ministers.

Judicial: The Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice.

Economy

Despite its turbulent beginnings, Uskad has managed to develop a upper-middle income market economy, due to economic policies implemented by 25 year rule by the Conservative National Party. Uskad has one of the largest economies in the world, and the country has developed a large manufacturing sector, with manufacturing contributing to 56% of the total GDP. Mining, despite its continued decline, still contributes considerably to the Uskadian economy, making up 24% of the GDP. Uskad's current poverty rate is 7.2%, with poverty still a major issue in rural areas of country.

Uskad's currency is the stem, introduced in 1982 to replace the hyperinflating Uskadian pound. It is the eleventh most traded currency in the world, and one of the most stable currencies. The Central Bank of Uskad, issues stem notes and coins.

Transport

Uskad has an extensive railway network, with 14,232 kilometres of track. High speed rail, is currently under construction, with the first line, connecting Panpinangan with Palangpalolu, nearing completion. If completed, it will be the first indigenous high speed rail system in the Southern Hemisphere. Uskad also has a dense system of roadways, totaling around 698,000km of roads. Uskad's motorway system is also extensive, totalling around 128,219km.

The largest and busiest airport in Uskad is in Panpinangan, Robert Susilman International Airport. handling most international flights from all around the world. Sampunuwu, despite being the country's largest city, due to planning restrictions, is unable to construct an international airport. Uskadian Airways is the national flag carrier, with AirPan being the largest airline in the country. The Port of Sampunuwu is the main port of the country and also the busiest, handling 44% of the country's maritime traffic.