Federation of Yugoslavia
Royal State of the Federation of Yugoslavia Koroljevska Deržava Federacije Jugoslavije (Chernogorkan)
Kroľskája Straná Južslavénskoji Federácii (Cordomonivence Slavonic) | |
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.svg) Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: Jeden narod, jeden korolj, jedna deržava "One people, one king, one state" | |
| Anthem: "Hej Slaveni!" "Hey Slavs!" | |
 Location of Yugoslavia (dark green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Chernograd |
| Official languages | Chernogorkan |
| Recognised national languages | Chernogorkan, Cordomonivence Slavonic |
| Ethnic groups (2019) | Chernozemci (38%) Gorkanki (26%) Severki (11%) Storonci (10%) Morrawian (9%) Other (6%) |
| Demonym(s) | Yugoslav |
| Government | Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
• King of Yugoslavia | Paul I |
• Prime Minister | Nikolaj Novosel |
| Legislature | The Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia |
| The Royal Council | |
| The House of Peoples | |
| Establishment | |
• Arrival of the Slavs | 6th century |
• Duchy of Gorka | 10th century |
• Great Peasant Rising | 1493 |
• Kingdom of Gorka | 1711 |
• Liberation of Chernozemye | 27th August 1815 |
• Union of Severogorka | 5th May 1848 |
• Unification referendum | 18th November 1953 |
• Federation of Yugoslavia | 14th January 1955 |
| Area | |
• Total | 563,232.438 km2 (217,465.260 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 84,833,022 |
• August 2019 census | 83,772,916 |
• Density | 150.62/km2 (390.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | $3,828 trillion |
• Per capita | $45 695 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | $2,711 trillion |
• Per capita | $32 381 |
| Gini (2019) |  28.3low |
| HDI (2018) |  0.878very high |
| Currency | Yugoslav dinar (đ) 1đ:1.17€ |
| Time zone | UTC 0 |
| Date format | dd. mm. yyyy. |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +38 |
| ISO 3166 code | YU |
| Internet TLD | .yu |
The Federation of Yugoslavia, officially the Royal State of the Federation of Yugoslavia (Chernogorkan: Koroljevska Deržava Federacije Jugoslavije, Королйевска Держава Федерацийе Йугославийе; known informally as Yugoslavia) is a country located in the Southeastern Thrismari. It is surrounded by Lindstaten to the north, Wassilia to the east, Sacrofnia and the Kolpa Lake to the south, and the Kaldaz Ocean shoreline to the west. It has an exclave, the Krajina of Severje, bordering Cordomonivence to the south and Sarussia to the northeast, with a strategic coastline on Marmor Sea. It's four federated units, krajine/крайине, and the capital district comprise a total area of 563,232.438 km2 (217,465.26 square miles), on which reside 83,772,916 residents (2019 Census), corresponding to 150.62 per km2 (390.1 per sq mi). Yugoslavia is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, ruled by king Paul I of the House of Karažev since 1992. The federal capital is Chernograd (Chernogorkan: Černograd, Черноград; lit. black city), a city of more than 8 million people situated on the shores of Kolpa Lake; the city is the financial, industrial, and scientific centre of Yugoslavia, hosting the Royal Institute of Science and the University of Chernograd. The entire nation is mostly flat in the interior; the littoral region is moderately hilly and uneven, while the eastern borderlands with Wassilia are composed of mostly low summits and peaks of the Trizub mountain range. The highest summit is on the border with Sarussia, Sventovid Peak, measuring at 3,063 metres above sea level.
The first traces of human activity in the lands of contemporary Yugoslavia are about 1.1 million years old. About 350,000 years ago, there are traces of Neanderthal presence in Yugoslavia, located in Velika Plana cave of the Trizub mountain range. Cro-magnons appeared some 40,000 years ago, but have left no significant traces of their presence, possibly because the Homo sapiens arrived approximately 10,000 years later and became the dominant variant of modern humans. Neolithic era brought about Halka culture around the Kolpa Lake, and Janski culture in the littoral region, and both left several localities abundant with artefacts, which showed that these dwellers were technologically more developed than similar cultures, which is proved by evidence of their engaging in agriculture and livestock raising. These cultures were lost to us around 5 000 BCE, and traces of human activity reappear in 1000 BCE, with the arrival of Proto-Slavonic peoples to the shores of Kolpa Lake. It is not known who were these people, nor how they arrived, but by the time Slavs arrived in the 6th century CE they had largely disappeared. Slavs subdued the local population and lived in tribal societies, until the rise of the Duchy of Gorka in the 10th century (probably in 926) by the duke Nikolaj Mogelov. The Duchy lasted until 1231, when it crumbled under the Christianisation armies led by Methodius the Bright, who split the duchy into multiple bishoprics tasked with converting Slavs to Christianity.
Modern Yugoslavia was created after the Unification Referendum of 1953, which was the result of many economic and political crises in the Republic of Chernozemye and the Kingdom of Severogorka. The referendum received widespread support in both countries, and the results precipitated the unification of Chernozemye and Severogorka on 14th January 1955 into the Federation of Yugoslavia under the House of Karažev, which ruled Severogorka since 1711. The current King of Yugoslavia is Paul I, who ascended the throne following his father's death in February of 1992; his coronation took place on 1st September 1992.
Today, Yugoslavia is a regional pillar of scientific research and cultural heritage. The Royal Institute of Science, a prestigious facility in Chernograd running since 1972, is entirely funded by the royal family, and is the most prestigious education hub for STEM fields in the country, and beyond. Since 1990s, the standard of living in Yugoslavia increased dramatically, and today hosts productive populace and a resilient and diversified economy. It remains one of the most influential and developed Slavic nations in Anteria.
Etymology
The name Yugoslavia, an anglicised transcription of Jugoslavija, is a compound word made up of jug ('yug'; with the 'j' pronounced like an English 'y') and slavija. The Slavic word jug means 'south', while slavija ("Slavia") denotes a 'land of the Slavs'. Thus, a translation of Jugoslavija would be 'South-Slavia' or 'Land of the South Slavs'. It was used informally for the lands of Chernozemye and Severogorka since the beginning of the 19th century, popularised after the Slavic Renaissance movement. By the end, the people of Chernozemye and Severogorka widely embraced the name, giving it roots in national conscience.
History
Prehistory
Earliest evidence of human settlement around the Kolpa Lake dates back more than a million years back. Sediments around the lake built protective layers of earth which managed to preserve numerous specimens of fossilised bone from the Paleolithic era, as well as some tools and weapons. As the Paleolithic era progressed, the bones changed, which suggests the arrival and dominance of Homo Neanderthalensis (Neanderthal), which have left most of their traces in the Trizub mountains; in 1911, Velika Plana cave was discovered, and in it numerous artefacts, bones, tools, and pottery. It is by far the largest locality in Yugoslavia concerning the history of human settlement, as more than two hundred artefacts and seven fully preserved skeletons were found there. Most of the discoveries from Velika Plana cave are located in the Yugoslav Archaeological Museum in Krasna Gorka.
Around 40,000 years ago, the Homo Sapiens superseded the Neanderthals, who slowly vanished, as last confirmed Neanderthal remains date back from about 42,000 to 35,000 years ago. The arrival of modern humans brought about improvements in tool and arms quality; as the Mesolithic began, focus diverted from hunting to gathering. It is now that first sedentary people might have stopped moving around, but stuck to an area for a prolonged period of time, as proved by several quasi-settlements discovered near Chernograd, by Kolpa Lake. Around 8,000 years ago, the Neolithic began, which saw the emergence of Janski and Halka cultures. Dwellers of the Janski culture lived in moderatly hilly area of the Gorka Littoral, a region prone to droughts and instability, and the indicative of this is their mastery over weapons and metalware, and relative backwardness concerning agriculture. On the other hand, Halka culture seemed to be specialised toward agricultural activities; they are considered the pioneers of agriculture in the greater area. Helped by moderate climate and the vicinity of Kolpa Lake, this allowed the Halka culture to begin trading excess food with the neighbouring tribes, which marked the beginning of commercial activity in Yugoslavia. The cultures left many artefacts and evidence of their progress, such as Daždec and Běli Sašek localities, proving that they handled livestock and farming. Inexplicably these cultures fell some 5,000 years BCE, which left several thousand years without any major evidence of human activity.
About 1,000 BCE, unknown people arrive to the shores of Kolpa Lake, which are called Proto-Slavonic. Not much is known about them, but it is presumed they had to be skilled warriors to penetrate through other surrounding tribes and inhabit the mentioned territories. Several tribes, such as Bardini, Gorki, and Erjenci, are counted as Proto-Slavonic, and they inhabited these lands until the arrival of the Slavs some twelve centuries later.
Antiquity (7th century BCE–6th century CE)
Tribal societies of Proto-Slavonic people during antiquity rose in prominence, especially those surrounding Kolpa Lake, characterized by diverse cultures, each with its own rich history and traditions.
In the 7th century BCE, the land was inhabited by tribal confederations, each vying for control over fertile valleys and strategic passes. The tribes were known for their mastery of bronze metallurgy, especially the Bardini, crafting finely wrought weapons and ornate jewelry that reflected their distinct cultural identities.
As the centuries unfolded, the region became a crossroads of trade and cultural exchange, attracting merchants, artisans, and scholars from surrounding areas. Caravans traversed Trizub mountains to reach the Kolpa Lake and plains, bringing exotic goods and ideas from distant civilizations.
By the 4th century BCE, the emergence of city-states transformed the political landscape, with fortified settlements rising along the banks of Kolpa Lake and its tributaries. These city-states became centers of commerce, administration, and intellectual pursuits, fostering the exchange of knowledge and innovation. The most prominent one was Hurkovo, controlling many others and leading the trade in the area. Due to the transgression of the lake, it is today about 4 metres underwater.
During the 2nd century BCE, the influence of powerful cultures from neighboring realms began to be felt in the region. Diplomatic envoys from distant lands arrived at the courts of local rulers, seeking alliances and trade agreements that would secure their interests in the large markets of Kolpa Lake.
By the 1st century CE, the region had become a melting pot of cultures, with diverse peoples coexisting and intermingling in bustling urban centers. Temples dedicated to a pantheon of deities dotted the landscape, while scholars debated philosophy and the nature of the cosmos in grand academies.
However, the 3rd century CE brought challenges to the region as Slavic invaders from the northern steppes swept across the plains, disrupting trade routes and sowing chaos in their wake. The city-states rallied their forces to repel the invaders, forging alliances and fortifying their defenses to safeguard their territories, but to no avail. Slavs sold many into slavery and destroyed much of the rest.
Government and Politics
Overview
On 14th January 1955 the current system of parliamentary constitutional monarchy was instituted, when the governments of Severogorka and Chernozemye merged. The Constitutive Assembly of Yugoslavia was elected in February, and worked on a Constitution, which was delivered in May 1955. It clearly divided the government into three branches: the legislative (Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia), the executive (Yugoslav Vlada), and the judicial (headed by the Supreme Court of Yugoslavia). It is subdivided into four federal units, called krajina (pl. krajine), and they are Hetmanate of Severje, Hetmanate of Gorka, Voivodeship of Chernozemye and Free State of Vostna.
The federal government holds competence and only it is responsible for defence, foreign affairs, tertiary education, customs, monetary matters, and civil protection. Shared competences with the federal units are secondary and primary education, environmental protection, science and research, healthcare, welfare and social policy, consumer and worker protection, public transport, roads and railways, and nuclear energy. Federal units hold sole competence in energy (excluding nuclear), water management, culture, tourism, youth, sport, internal market, agriculture, and fisheries. If federal legislation was to be made which falls outside its competence (i.e. law regulating wind energy), the Constitutional Court would declare it unconstitutional. In the same manner, federal units cannot make laws concerning civil protection. The federal government cannot override laws of federal units that are not in its competence. It can override them in shared matters, although more often it happens that when a federal instititution is concerned, the federal laws and protocol is followed, and if an institution of a federal unit is concerned, than the unit's laws and protocol is followed, and this is called legislative symbiosis.
Federal units are subdivided into ten counties (Chernozemye), sixteen raions (Severje, Gorka), twelve districts (Vostna), and one capital district, which is nominally a part of Chernozemye, but acts much more autonomously. They have varying degrees of autonomy, resources, and oversight. In Severje and Gorka they have the sole competence in sport, tourism, local roads, and share competence in youth, public transport, energy, finance, and fisheries, as well as completely independent budgets and the ability to take out credits from banks independently. In Chernozemye counties may make laws concerning areas such as tourism, youth, energy, public transport, culture, or sport, but they can be overturned by Chernozemye; if they want to take out credit, government of Chernozemye needs to approve it (and it generally opposes county debts). In Vostna the districts have a very limited scope, mostly for infrastructure, energy, water management, and culture; they cannot take debt and are mostly guided by Vostna government.
The legislative branch is manifested through the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia (Savezna skupština Jugoslavije/Савезна скупштина Йугославийе), which is a bicameral legislature. The lower house is the House of Peoples (Dom narodov/Дом народов), and it consists of 551 deputies elected for a four year term. They are elected via single transferrable vote method in 110 five-member districts, and one deputy is a representative of the diaspora. The upper house is the Royal Council (Koroljevskiј savět/Королйевский савѣт), which consists of 201 councillors, elected via open list proportional representation using the d'Hondt method, with a threshold of 4% (1% for minorities) for a four year term. There are five electoral districts, and each federal unit is an electoral district, as well as the fifth which is for diaspora (it elects one councillor). The House of Peoples creates bills, and if they pass, the Royal Council can accept them and send them to get Royal Assent, alter them and send them back; if that happens, the House can accept the changes and the bill goes to get Assent, or it can refuse, when it goes for a second round of altering. The House votes again, if it votes yes, the changed bill goes for Assent, and if it votes no, the original bill goes for Assent. If the Council initially rejects it, it forces the bill not to be voted on, only potentially changed, for 20 days. After 20 days, the House can again pass the bill, and it goes for Assent.
The executive branch is vested in the Vlada, literally meaning government. Vlada is the ruling cabinet of Yugoslavia, and its job is to execute laws, enforce the budget, and oversee the work of public institutions and carriers of public jurisdiction. At the head of government sits the Prime Minister, formally called the President of the Vlada (Prědsědnik Vlade/Прѣдсѣдник Владе), who leads the Cabinet. It requires the majority of the House of Peoples to receive confidence. It does not require confidence from the Royal Council. The king gives a mandate to form the government to the leader of the biggest party after elections, and they have 20 days to find enough votes for. If it fails, the king gives it to the second largest party, and 20 days to form a goverment. If a government isn't formed within 90 days from an election, the House dissolves and new elections are called. The House of Peoples can, at any time, initiate a vote of no-confidence, and if it passes, the government must resign. If the Prime Minister resigns, the entire cabinet has to resign too. Cabinet members must also be Members of Parliament. The cabinet's term ends when the legislature dissolves, and it transfers to caretaker government until a new legislature is constituted.
The judicial branch consists of criminal courts (kazneni sudi/казнени суди), civil courts (graždanski sudi/граждански суди), trade courts (tergovački sudi/терговачки суди), administrative courts (upravni sudi/управни суди), traffic courts (prometni sudi/прометни суди), and family courts (obiteljski sudi/обителйски суди). The highest court of cassation, the court of the third degree is the Supreme Court, which may choose not to hear a case (hearing is not guaranteed). The judiciary uses civil law, as opposed to common law, and as such does not allow for jury trials. The Supreme Court consists of 11 judges. The Constitutional Court is a sui generis court which reviews decisions of all of the branches of government and checks if they abide by the Constitution; it consists of 17 judges.
The current government is composed of all parties in the Federal Assembly, except the Yugoslav Communist Party, which refused to take part in the government. The current prime minister was appointed on the 15th May 2024, retired admiral Sir Rostislav Prěk, who had previously been the Royal Envoy of Yugoslavia to the Veligrad Pact.
Republicanism v. Royalism
There is a vocal political battle ever since the 1960s over whether the Federation should continue as a monarchy or transform into a republic. Parties in the country are very clear as to where they stand, and their position on the matter greatly affects how they interact with others. So far, republican parties managed held a majority in either house of the Federal Assembly.