Zhen
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Great Zhen Empire | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital and largest city | Zhenmenjing |
| Official languages | Ascalonian Caoyan Gojan |
| Demonym(s) | Zhen |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Emperor | Vacant |
• Regent | Princess Shi |
| Long Shen | |
| Legislature | Provisional Assembly |
| Formation | |
| 2009-2010 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 1,265,000 |
• 2020 census | 1,245,105 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Per capita | $25,443 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Per capita | $12,110 |
| Gini (2020) | 34.4 medium |
| HDI (2020) |  0.793high |
| Currency | Yuan |
| Time zone | DST |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| ISO 3166 code | ZH |
| Internet TLD | .zh |
Zhen, officially the Great Zhen Empire, is a country in South Iteria. Alternatively, the state refers to itself as the State of Zhenmen or Zhenmen. It consists of the archipelago of the Zhenmen Islands and it totals an area of approximately 836km². The islands have a small population of 1.2 million, but Zhenmen recognizes the 31.5 million people in mainland Zhen as its citizens. According to the Zhen Sovereignty Declaration, the United States of Zhen, which controls the mainland, is an illegitimate state and the State of Zhenmen has sovereignty over all Zhen territory. The capital city, Zhenmenjing, is the largest city in the archipelago with a population of 148,147.
While the Sinnitic peoples spread out from South Iteria, there were tribes who opted to settle in the nearby areas. The nomadic Caoyan hordes controlled northern Zhen and the south was cultivated by the sedentary Ascalonians, who found prosperity in trade by the southern coast. This later became the center of the Empire of Dazhou, which controlled the region and expanded further into Zhen, conquering the Caoyans.
In the 17th century, the Empire of Dazhou began to decline and its power weakened over the outlying territories. The ruling clans of the Zhen states renounced their allegiances to Dazhou in a scramble for power over Zhen. In 1637, Goyanes conquers Dazhou and the territory became a colonial possession, which would later become Ascalon. Some prominent clans were disgruntled by idea of foreigners ruling former Dazhou. One of them, the Zhen family, sought the backing of Syrixia, a rival to Goyanean interests in Iteria. With Syrixian support, the Zhen conquered and united the fragmented states of Zhen and formed the Great Zhen Empire, a tributary state of Syrixia.