Federation of Yugoslavia

Royal State of the Federation of Yugoslavia Koroljevska Deržava Federacije Jugoslavije (Chernogorkan) Kroľskája Straná Južslavénskoji Federácii (Cordomonivence Slavonic)
Flag Coat of Arms
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	Rostislav Prěk
Legislature	The Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia
• Upper house	The Royal Council
• Lower house	The House of Peoples
Unification  Severogorka and Chernozemye
• 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)	28.3 low
HDI (2018)	0.878 very 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 Melvenia 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. By the 6th century significant Slavic habitation was attested, and their arrival concludes Antiquity in the territories of Yugoslavia.

Mediaeval Period (6th century–15th century)

Early Slavic society (6th century–10th century)

Slavic tribes and inhabitants haven't left us a lot of evidence before the Duchy of Gorka. It is known that they didn't have advanced scholars or academic activity, and mostly focused on agriculture and livestock. It is presumed based on advanced pottery and furnaces that, after the 7th century, most Slavs started living in sedentary societies. Number of temples and monuments to Slavic gods and deities are attested and documented, as well as names of localities that are derived from heavenly figures and mythical creatures (Zorjavik, from goddess Zora; Sventovid Summit, named after god Sventovid). Even today, ancient gromoviti znaci (lit. lightning signs), a series of special signs denoting Perun, highest Slavic deity, can be found across Yugoslavia, as it is thought that his signs protect houses and localities from being struck by lightning. Perun's mythological talismans, such as axes and golden apples, are signs of Slavic activity and permanent habitation, and were found mostly in Severje and Chernozemye regions.

Several settlements propped up by the Kolpa Lake, and across Gorkan Littoral, which grew into important city-states. The most prominent is Stara Gorka (lit. Old Gorka), a naval city-state which specialised in trade and commerce across sea. It is believed that Gorkanki and Severki encountered each other for the first time sometime in the 7th century, ever since Slavs separated and ventured south in the 4th-5th century, based on artefacts in Gorka of Severje origin. Slavs did not utilise any alphabet or literary standard, and as such left us none written attestations from this period. Money from Stara Gorka was found as far east as Vostna, giving insight into the importance of the city for trade and merchants of the time. First confirmed Hetman of Stara Gorka (ruler) is believed to have been Mogel the Wise. Only his death, and consequently end of reign, is known, it being 721 CE. Surnames weren't utilised by the population, but historians agreed to call Mogel's lineage and heirs by a given surname, it being Mogelov for males, and Mogelova for females (lit. "of Mogel"). Mogel's son was Bogumil I Mogelov, and his rule was marked by subduing local towns and settlements to pay tribute to Stara Gorka, as well as expanding commercial reach of his polity. By the end of his reign, a period called Gorkan Hegemony by modern historians is considered to have started, and denotes largely peaceful, prosperous, and lasting dominance of Stara Gorka over local towns and territory. While adjacent territories weren't de jure a part of a single, unified polity, Stara Gorka commanded lordship over all of them. Bogumil's reign ended in September 765 when he was killed in a plot by his younger brother, Klukas Mogelov, known better as Klukas the Terrible (Klukas Groznij). Most accounts of Klukas are probably exaggerations made by subsequent historians, but his reign was marked by raise in taxes and general disregard of his subjects. Several accounts accuse him of threatening nobles with decapitation if they didn't lend him money; when they agreed to, he mostly refused to return the money. He had overseen the introduction of feudalism in 772 or 773, something the peasants revolted against, but failed to overcome. City-state of Dolen Dabar refused to pay tribute to Stara Gorka as a result of Klukas' unpopular rule, but the city's army was decimated, and the Dolen Dabar was looted and burned to the ground by Klukas' armies. His reign was short, as he succumbed to an unknown illness in 777.

Klukas' son Bogumil II died several days after assuming the Hetmanate, for, to this day, unknown reasons. Bogumil I's son, Časlav Mogelov, better known as Časlav the Holy (Časlav Svjatij), became the hetman after nobility decided on him to become the next one. His reign was marked by religious advances. In 779 he convened the Synod of Roč, in which he assembled all relevant shamans and priests of Slavic folk religion, and it codified all deities, important festive dates, holy places, and relevant rite of religious customs. It was documented using the novel Glagolitic alphabet, and the ensuing document is known as Shumarnik (Ⱎⱆⰿⰰⱃⱀⰻⰽ, Šumarnik). Today, Shumarnik is the most sacred book of Slavic folk believers in Yugoslavia, and is held as the principal holy text of the Gorkan rite of the Slavic folk religion. In 788 he had the Perun's Temple built atop the remains of ruined Dolen Dabar, and it was the central place of worship for Slavic believers. Časlav died in February 802, and after his death he was honoured in almost the same manner as deities. Even today Časlav is considered to have taken first steps in realising Slavic national self-conscience.

Rulers after Časlav cannot be confirmed, and it is a matter of great contention between archaeologists and historians as to who inherited Časlav. While his son, Bogumil III Mogelov, is considered to have been the most viable and likely individual to take the Hetmanate, several others, such as his powerful and rich sister Nadežda Mogelova, or his nephew Ratimir Mogelov, could have also inherited it, as both left evidence of legal decisions. This period is marked with general scarcity of verifiable evidence and artefacts. One notable artefact is a stone piece from a portal to a building, most likely a temple, found near modern-day village of Moranin Mir, which says "Slovja[n]sk[o]mu r[o]du", meaning "to the Slavic kin". It is the first mention of the Slavonic name known, and is believed to be from late 9th century. In 884, first confirmed hetman of Stara Gorka is known to have assumed the position, Nikolaj Mogelov. Assumed to be the grandson of Nadežda Mogelova, he was one of the wealthiest and the most influential people in all of Gorkan Littoral. Chronicler Desimir of Potok wrote extensively about him. Among other, he wrote:

"Nikolaj was a man of great ability. He knew that unruly [city-states] surrounding [Stara] Gorka are always waiting for moment of weakness to break away from the tribute, away from being his vassals. Instead of waiting for the established class of [politicians] in the City to weigh and consider conquest (toward which most were very abrasive) of the cities, he drew from his personal wealth to raise an army. [...] This made him intensely popular with the people, who viewed him as a resolute leader against unfaithful neighbours. [...] Once he demanded that cities, settlements, villages and hamlets alike recognise his rule and authority, and relinquish their armies, everyone knew that a storm was coming. Thankfully, Perun was on his side." - Desimir of Potok, Of Folk and State

Government and Politics

Prime minister Sir Rostislav Prěk

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 in favour. 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 not 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.

Royal Council mandates, 2024

House of Peoples mandates, 2024

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.