Ardalia

The Republic of Ardalia Republika Ardaska
Flag
Anthem: Dramasc Vuszt Ardaska
Status	Independent
Capital and largest city	Hran
Official languages	Ardalian
Recognised national languages	Standard Caropsyne
Religion	Catheric Church
Demonym(s)	Ardalian
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
• President	Lenar Orvos
• Premier	Tereza Darvas
Legislature	National Assembly
History
• Kingdom	1000
• First Republic	1910
• Letzek Regime	1945
• Second Republic	1983
• Third Republic	2000
Area
• Total	168,630 km2 (65,110 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.80
Population
• 2020 census	15,890,448
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$205.09 billion
• Per capita	$12,907.00
Gini	33.7 medium
HDI	0.620 medium
Currency	Ardalian Mark (ARM)
Time zone	UTC +2
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+14
ISO 3166 code	AR
Internet TLD	.ar

Ardalia (Ardalian: Ardaska), officially the Republic of Ardalia (Ardalian: Republika Ardaska) is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic in Southern Thearea. It borders the Caropsyne Pontanore to the northwest, Rygaria to the east, Loslakia to the northeast, and Prassia to the southeast, and shares maritime borders with the Pontanore and Prassia. Its capital and largest city is Hran. The country has a population of 15.8 million. In total, Ardalia covers an area of 168,630 square kilometers organized into fifteen districts.

For over nine hundred years, the country was ruled by a unbroken line of monarchs from the House of Mazga. At the start they were seen as benvolent leaders but with each successive century, they had turned into cruel autocrats. The monarchy was overthrown in a popular uprising in 1910 which brought about the establishment of the First Republic. Ardalia's first Premier, Frenc Letzo, led the country over its first decade and oversaw a new golden age. The nation suffered from economic and political instability during the thirties. While it ended in 1935, Ardalia joined Caropsyne Pontanore and her other allies in the Great War in 1938 when Loslakian soldiers were spotted preparing to invade the country. After the war, General Frelno Letzek a staged a military coup and toppled the First Republic. He would go on to rule Ardalia with an iron fist for thirty-seven years before being removed from power in 1983 following the disastrous loss in the Ardalian-Caropsyne War. The Second Republic was formed in the aftermath, marking a high point for the country (including the full restoration of relations with the Pontanore) but collapsed in 1996 due to the outbreak of the devasting Ardalian Civil War. After four long years of bloodshed, the nation remained intact and the current Third Republic was established.

Due to Ardalia's geographic location, it has long been considered a crossroads between eastern and western Thearea enabling it to create a unique and vibrant culture. It is a land of rich fertile plains, snow-capped mountains, and illydic scenic coastlines. The Republic is classified a developing middle-income country. Ardalia's economy is largely dependent on industry and agriculture, particularly grains, livestock, minerals, and timber. Tourism has grown over the decades due to its warm sandy beaches, breathtaking mountains, relaxing spas, and charming old cities. While known for its relatively high gender equality, Ardalia suffers from a high crime rate (attributed mostly to drug usage, drug trafficking and corruption). It's a member of the United Nations, the Thearean Community and other major international organizations.

History

The Kingdom of Ardalia (1000-1910)

The people of modern-day Ardalia originally organized themselves around dozens of small territories led by a chieftain. Each of these focused around a river valley or basin with the villages in it, bound by the surrounding elevated terrain. They farmed and herded animals on the rich plains and fished along the coast. Several chiefdoms formed a principality with the four most powerful being Hran, Taerisz, Kanryk, and Greszin. Through a combination of shrewd diplomacy and fights against his rivals spanning a five year period, the Prince of Hran Elek Mezga, had secured the entirety of the country. He would be crowned on the first day of 1000, formally creating the Kingdom of Ardalia. The House of Mezga would go on to rule for over eight hundred years. Four years into his reign, the entire Ardalian people were converted to the Catheric faith. To show his dedication to his newfound belief, he instructed the construction of Saint Kozak's Cathedral. The ediface in the name of the prophet who convinced his conversion was not completed for nearly a century.

As the centuries passed, the monarchy kept the Ardalian people safe, protecting her from the ambitions of neighboring Caropsynes and Loslakians. Though the borders of the Kingdom remained unchanged, the Ardalian kings could not ignore the growing Empire to their west. The Lindites of Carops in the span of three decades took possession of the island of Casona, established colonies in Polythia, and subjugated the Jaj. King Nandor V decided that Ardalia could not afford to stand by. In 1749, he claimed the Forlæan Islands in the Thearean Sea as soverign Ardalian territory. He also attempted to compete for colonies in Polythia but none of them were successful.

By 1843, the last Caropsyne King, Olimand the Great, agreed to the downgrading of the monarchy from a Royal Family to merely a Royal House, enabling a democratic government to manage the country's affairs. Ardalians observed the progress being made across the border and calls for a elected Assembly (which would transition Ardalia into a constitutional monarchy) to take a dominant role in leading the nation grew rapidly. The Megzas would not give in and their once benevolent leadership turned to one of outright cruelty. Throughout the remainder of the their reign, the Kings would put down riots with lethal force but still provided the common people with some notable reforms during the 1860's and 1870's including a national education system, the first state-sponsored health clinics, limited workers rights, and the formation of an independent judicary. Railways connecting Ardalia with Loslakia, Carops, Prassia, and Rygaria were all constructed during the final decades of the Megzas.

One of the most horrendous acts by the monarchy occured in 1905 where three-thousand individuals were massacred in Hran, all of whom were peacefully requesting the right to participate in the governance of their country. Up to that point, only a very small minority of people wanted to remove the monarchy even in light of the limited rights they possessed. The events on that dark day would seal the fate of the monarchy. In the wake of the Hran Massacre, pro-democracy movements (including one such cell led by Frenc Letzo) secretly rallied military resources and stirred up the public. For five years, there were regular riots and worker srikes, all of which were put down by the King's army. As the time approached to spark their coordinated revolution, secret contact was made with the-then Caropsyne Premier for support following the demise of the Mezgas.

On a bright sunny morning in the fall of 1910, a hundred-thousand individuals descended upon the Royal Palace in Hran, holding banners demanding the King's abdication and calling for a free democratic Republic. The crowds get right up to the edge of the palace but the guards did not react: they held their positions at the gates and along the walls. Inside, the King's advisors urged him to appease the masses outfront and give them their elected parliament, but he would not budge. He felt betrayed by his people for going against their 'father,' a viewpoint the Megza Kings had always maintained throughout their reign. The monarch called in military reinforcements to disperse the crowd but unknown to him the soldiers surrounding Hran had been persuaded to defect and join the revolution. Their commanders had lost control of them and informed him that other forces were barely hanging onto control in other cities where other protests had broken out or defected to local revolutionary groups elsewhere in the country. Night befell the capital when the King gave up.

A three sentence proclaimation announcing his abdication was drafted by his personal secretary and he proceeded to sign it. With a stroke of a pen, over nine hundred years of monarchical rule was ended. He emerged from the palace with his family. He called out to the crowd and asked them to select one individual to speak for all of them. The gates were opened and Frenc Letzo, the leader of the largest pro-democracy movement, approached him. No words were exchanged, just the signed proclaimation. He nodded for him to take it and go back to the crowds in front of the palace - a cascade of microphones and megaphones were hurried to the front so he could read it aloud. Before he could finish, cheering broke out. Several minutes later, he and his family were escorted from the palace and taken to one of their estates along the Dracian Coast to await their fate.

The following day, the leaders of the ten largest movements met in the former Royal Palace and convened a constitutional committee to write Ardalia's first-ever constitution. Letzo invited Caropsyne scholars to help guide them as they outlined their new republic's fundamental principles, individual rights, and political structure. At first snow, the nation's first-ever election was held to approve the 1910 Constitution and determine the composition of the first Assembly. Letzo's Democrats won a solid majority, making him Ardalia's first premier. On the last day of 1910, the First Republic was officially born. The fate of the royal family remains unknown to this day though some suspect that Premier Letzo secretly ordered their execution.

Early Days of the First Republic (1910-1938)

For the first two years, the National Assembly would use the now-vacated Mezga Palace while a new National Assembly Building, built in the Classical Caropsyne style, was constructed on the shores of the Koros. This was completed in 1912. Under Frenc Letzo's two Premierships, the nation would grow by leaps and bounds. The new Government undertook a program of aggressive industralization (while furthering worker rights) in Ardalia's major urban areas, extensive land reforms, and the largest overhaul in the national educational system since the monarchy provided free education to the masses in the 1860's. A cultural and intellectual revolution took hold in Hran which saw a wave of intellectuals, scientists, and artists move in. The University of Hran became one of Thearea's most notable institutions for philosophy while the National Gallery became the center of experimental cubist artwork. Farmers taking advantage of the land reforms passed by the Assembly and utilizing the latest in agricultural technology and horticultural science managed to reap some of the great harvests the plains of Central Ardalia had produced in over a hundred years.

Despite the prosperity being experienced much of Ardalia, the hardy people of coastal Dracia felt left out. The monarchs of old had always considered Dracia to be secondary to the concerns of the plains and were looked down with disdain. Additionally, the Dracians were distrustful of the new democratic government, viewing it nothing more as a continuation of the monarchy by another means. Premier Letzo attempted to reduce tensions by assuring them that Dracia was not being forgotten. Little progress was made and in 1915, protests broke out in Kanryk and other communities throughout the region demanding greater political autonomy to look over their own affairs or face secession. The Government neither afford a war so early in the life of the new republic nor permitting them to separate and turn Ardalia into a landlocked country. Protests would continue on and off throughout 1915 until the National Assembly passed legislation granting devolving some powers from the central government specific to local matters.

Letzo decided to not run for reelection in 1920. The Democratic Party continued to maintain control of the Assembly and Premiership throughout the twenties. One of their major policies was to finally remove the old currency, the Leva, with today's Mark. This occurred in 1924 and sparked economic instability for over three years before signs of stability could be seen. Any stability and potential growth was stopped in its tracks when an global economic depression set in 1931. In an effort to mitigate the worst effects, Ardalia abandoned the gold standard but action completely upended markets. Factories and mines shuttered and austerity measures had to be implemented to protect vital services. The Democrats were a precarious position during the depression but managed to retain control of the Assembly, even if they had to establish unofficial cooperative agreements with other parties to get some policies through.

While Democracy still lived in Ardalia during these challenging times, the unelected upper house of the Caropsyne legislaure, the Fostana, seized power using ancient emergency powers in 1933 justifying their reasons for navigating the economic depression and to prevent the far left from destroying Caropsyne heritage. This alarmed the Ardalians and any attempt to convince them to reliquish control fell flat. This would test relations between the neighbors for years to come. The world began seeing the end of the depression in 1935 but the peace would be destroyed in short order as Loslakia (and those in their bloc) increased their aggression towards other nations in Thearea and around the world.

The Great War (1938-1942)

The Great War broke out in 1938. At the start of the conflict, Ardalia was a non-participant while neighboring Carops was. Public opinion was mixed with many desiring firm neutrality. Emissaries from the Fostana requested the-then Democratic Premier Vernez to join the war against Loslakia. They shared with him intelligence their own forces had obtained stating that their northerly neigbor and her eastern ally were preparing to invade Ardalia soon. This was backed up with photographs and maps showing armored columns heading south towards the Canthasian Mountains. He politely sent the Caropsyne emissaries away and discussed the information with the Government - who were also mixed. They recommended it be brought before the entire Assembly for a full discussion.

It resulted in chaos and created a political stalemate. The Loslakians took advantage of the situation, and moved their tanks within five miles of the Ardalian border. After four days of debate, there were calls for early elections. Before the motion could be made, the Premier was informed of the Loslakian armored columns proximity to their mutual border and stood before the Assembly. He called for an emergency unity government, made up of all seated parties (including the single socialist), as war was eminent. He shared the news with his colleagues and the chamber was silent. From where the Loslakians were, they could be in Hran in two weeks. Action was taken an unity government was immediately created.

The Premier was quickly reelected and affirmed by the President. His first act was a general moblization of the Republic's forces and instituted conscription (the first of only two times in the nation's history). Following that, he called for an meeting of the Government to discuss his previous conversation with the Caropsyne emissaries. The meeting went well into the night about allying with the Pontanore in the rapidly-approaching war. All of the political parties were on the record condeming the Fostana dissolution of democracy in Carops a few years earlier. Some of the more right-wing parties believed Ardalia could face the Loslakian threat on its own. The alliance with Carops was only made possible by the passionate speech of the Moderate Party leader stressing that while they could not ignore the Fostana's actions, the threat of Loslakian dominantion of their homeland and all of Southern Thearea could not be tolerated. They could deal with their political disagreements with their ally after the war had been won. The council uanimously agreed, and the Foreign Minister was instructed to inform the Fostana that the Ardalian military would be beside their forces.

The Loslakians and their allies declared war when news broke of the alliance between the Pontanore and the Republic. In the first twenty-four hours, the majority of Ardalia's standing army had been deployed to the shared borders between Loslakia and Rygaria. The Ardalians took an aggressive posture and took advantage of the momentum and began to drive into Loslakia. Once they had gained control of the entire mountain pass between them, they began to fortify their position. The Caropsyne counterparts would attack further north and attempt to cut the enemy forces in half. They were not successful and before long, the war became into a stalemate requiring more and more men committed to the fight.

The front lines would not change for over two years - and over a million Ardalians and Caropsynes would lose their lives in the slog. Things changed for the better in the third year of the war when General Frelno Letzek's 5th Army had been ordered to throw the Loslakians stationed in Balakovo off guard so as to enable the Caropsynes to advance towards the capital of Kilow. Letzek divided his tanks into two separate pincers and had the infantry come in from behind. His entire plan required secrecy. Double agents back in Hran transmitted fake information to counterparts abroad and convinced them at the Ardalian 5th Army had been turned eastwards to Novikov. Confirming that the deception had worked, Letzek sprung his trap on the city and completely surrounded his enemy. Caropsyne military forces then charged northeast towards Kilow. The battle would mark a major turning point in the war and the General's success would lead to the end of the conflict a year later.

The Fall of the First Republic (1942-1945)

Peace returned to Thearea but not within the halls of Ardalia's Assembly. Premier Vernez decided he wanted to retire from politics and called early elections since he believed that under his leadership during the war that his Democratic colleagues would be able to win two-thirds or more of the chamber. The results from the election would say something completely different: while the Democrats held a pluraity of the seats to retain the Premiership, they did not have enough to form a Government. Right-wing parties for the first-time ever made up almost a quarter of the chamber. Three separate attempts were made to form a coalition between the Democrats and more moderate parties but none held. This prompted another round of elections in both 1943 and 1944 and with inconclusive results, effectively paralyzed the country.

Members of the military, led General Frelno Letzek, could see the burning desire for strong leadership to guide the nation in the aftermath of the war and that Ardalian culture was being subplanted by foreign influences. To add to the mixture, fears over a potential communist revolution with support from the defeated Loslakians was circulating in many parts of the country, stoked by the Government's inability to function. Over the course of 1944, the general met with other senior commanders who also shared his concerns for their nation's future, all but one said that they'd join a possible coup to restore order and bring the leadership the people wanted.

Letzek unveiled his hand during the last week of 1944 when he announced the creation of the Ardalian Restoration Movement. He ordered his soldiers and those of the units who had pledged their support to him to leave barracks and move on Hran. The-then Premier proclaimed him an enemy of the state and called for his arrest. He attempted to order soldiers to comply but every military unit, except for the Hran garrison, joined the coup. Letzek swifted encircled the capital within a week. The local garrison were quickly routed letting Frenlo march in. By the end of the day, a press conference was assembled where he said his actions were being taken for the good of the nation's security and that it would only be temporary until political stability could be achieved. As he carried on with his speech, the President was removed from office, the Assembly dissolved, and the Constitutional Court replaced with loyalists. Letzek proclaimed himself Ardalia's sole ruler. It was clear it would not be temporary - democracy would not return for nearly forty years.

The Dictatorship of General Frenlo Letzek (1945-1983)

A reign of terror eveloped Ardalia as tens of thousands of left-leaning individuals were arrested by the military and sent to forced labor camps in the Canthasian Mountains. Hundreds of others suspected of potentially being involved in plotting a communist revolution were killed in cold blood. Military forces were deployed in all of the country's major cities to maintain control over the populace. Though the neighboring Caropsyne Pontanore was controlled by its unelected upper house, the Fostana, these aristocrats still held some belief in democracy and condemned Letzek at first for the coup, and then threatened diplomatic and economic sanctions for his actions against the populace. The General was never fond of the Caropsynes and believed that they were responsible for the destruction of Ardalia's ethnic heritage and culture. He banned the learning of Standard Caropsyne in schools and closed their churches (along with those of the native faith). The Fostana proceeded to withdraw its embassy (which he seized after they departed), ceased all financial assistance, evacuated their expatriates, and promolgated strict rules concerning border crossings between the two country. The wartime alliance was essentially dead by 1950.

As relations between Ardalia and Carops were on the rocks, Letzek and his innermost circle of advisors had been secretly meeting with Loslakian officials for over six months. Both nations had decided that they would privately settle their differences from the war. In exchange for General Letzek granting clemency for many 'low-risk' left-wing individuals using a cover story that 'new evidence had been uncovered by authorities showing they are not a threat to domestic stability' and providing Loslakia with an defined amount of money and resources for a period of five years, they would provide the country with financial support and technical experts to assist the country in building critical infrastructure. Both leaders announced the positive shift in their relations in 1952. Everything about this arrangement was a matter of political expediency and not one of genuine commitment.

The 1952 agreement enabled the border between the countries to be reopened since they were closed back in 1937. The timing couldn't have been better for the General as it completely eliminated possible outcry from the populace as they would quickly see improved economic conditions. When western relations crashed, Ardalia's economy shrunk considerably. Though Letzek was still seen as a tyrant, the clemencies he issued did gain him positive response. Keeping their end of the deal, the Loslakians sent hundreds of well-trained engineers and technicians to transform Ardalia's national infrastructure. Ardalia reestablished relations with Rygaria in 1954 which increased demand for Ardalian goods and prompted development of new industrial developments and mines.

Over the next decade and a half, a frenzy of construction projects were undertaken and largely financed with Loslakian rubles. The Ardalian Railways saw its trackage increase three-fold with many lines expanded with double-tracking. The mainline was increased to four tracks and electrified. Tens of thousands of regional and local roads were paved, many of which were nothing more than dirt paths for longer than a century. Letzek's road construction program would spur more and more individuals to drive prompting the development of the national motorway system. Hran saw its first metro line constructed, its stations adorned with patriotic mozaics and lavish lighting installations. Letzek was a fond environmentalist and took steps to move Ardalia away from coal with the construction of the Sirok Hydroelectric Dam in 1964 along with four others (today providing over half of all electricity in the country). Throughout this entire period of time, hundreds of thousands of state-supported housing units were constructed. Several all-new cities were built including Vaposk and Ustane.

From 1952 to 1977, General Letzek experienced no threats to his rule, thanks in large part to the effectiveness of the secret police. While he released thousands with the signing of the 1952 Agreement with Loslakia, he still would send over seventy-thousand individuals to forced labor camps, some left-wing individuals but most were anti-Letzek dissidents. He would manage to establish a degree of a personality cult and was able to some extent be perceived as a benvolent dictator (made possible by Loslakian funds). Meanwhile in Fostana-led Carops, they continued to keep their easterly neighbor far away but came to an understanding with Letzek which allowed the Caropsyne ambassador to return to Hran in 1974. However relations between the two countries would remain nigh non-existent until 1983.

By 1977, the General believed that his standing agreement with Loslakia had reached its limits, but not before he had purchased several billon Marks worth of weapons, armored vehicles (including artillery), and aircraft. He invited the Loslakian Secretary-General to a state dinner and accused him of secretly organzing communist cells to rise up against him. According to the evidence (which had been fabricated by his political advisors), he stated that he had sent them weapons, money, and military trainers to stage a communist revolution later in the year. What was supposed to be a friendly dinner because a full-on fist fight by dessert. Ardalian-Loslakian relations completely dissintergrated overnight. Rygaria followed suit. Fearing an attack from both the non-existent communists within Ardalia and those across the border in Loslakia, he deployed his military along the shared border. In neighboring Carops, the Fostana did not issue a statement but privately greeted the separation of the Loslakian Bear and the Ardalian Wolf.

Claiming the nation was more at more at risk now since the days of the Great War, his paranoia grew and thousands more were sent to the labor camps. The paranoia he felt prompted him to shift funding priorities away from some of the domestic programs he had introduced to maintain his grip on power in the earlier days of his rule to bulking up the military and spending the nation's dwindling tresaury on pet projects including the construction of an ornate 88-room residence for himself and his family in the capital and the challenging and expensive Kanryk-Odrgez Railway. Ardalia's economy was declining once more and the people began to grumble. 1980 saw the worse harvest in sixty years and his advisors informed him that the nation was on track to potentially experience a food shortage. The General needed a distraction to hold onto power. One arrived but it would lead to his own demise and death. The Caropsyne Fostana secretly got in contact with anti-Letzek organizations and helped them organize his ouster through their embassy.

Ardalian-Caropsyne relations had been more or less frozen since 1950, thawing only slightly in the mid-1970's with the Caropsyne embassy was reopened. Clouds gathered over Thearea in late 1981 when a series of senseless killings were carried out in the city of Ariatra by Ardalian extremists originating from the Forlæan Islands. They had killed sixty-one and injured hundreds more over a span of a week. The Fostana was outraged and immediately undertook an investigation. Three months later, there was circumstantial evidence pointing to General Letzek's possible involvement. He denied any responsibility and expelled the Caropsyne ambassador. Caropsyne forces were mobilized towards the frontier. Unbeknownst to him, forces were conspirating against him: the Fostana had brought their old enemy on side and resolved their long-standing differences and there were small anti-regime forces gathering support waiting for the right moment to strike. Early in May 1982, a final ultimatium was issued and Letzek refused, sparking the Ardalian-Caropsyne War - the only conflict to ever occur between the two nations in their entire history.

The Caropsyne and Loslakian forces crossed the border and won a string victories culminating in the fall of Taerisz four months into the conflict. In their advance, they caused considerable damage to farms, mines, and small villages like Litka. Losing the heart of Ardalia's industrial production caused a decline in troop morale. Despite being outnumbered 2 to 1 (and lacking in the latest military technology), Ardalian soldiers did managed to capture thousands, sending most to POW camps set up in the Canthasians. The Ardalian Army would fight a tactical retreat and set up a defensive parameter around the capital. The opposing navies engaged off the Forlæan Islands but having long been neglected, Ardalia's fleet of ships were completely sunk to the bottom of the Thearean Sea. By first snow, the combined might of Carops and Loslakia were within twenty miles of Hran. After a two-week battle outside Hran, the capital fell to the Caropsyne forces in January 1983. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Hran resulting in Ardalia's loss of the Forlæan Islands to the Pontanore.

Most of his power evaporated in the aftermath of the conflict. Anti-regime forces took full advantage and rose up against him. Refusing to accept the end was at hand, he ordered the military to fire upon the people but no commander compiled. in the wake of the conflict, most units announced their intention to join the rapidly-growing uprising. Only the intelligence service remained by his side but they were quickly overwhelmed. He was forced out of his stronghold after two days and arrested by the soldiers, tried for his various crimes against Ardalia and executed in Letzo Square. Members of Letzek's secret police were hunted down and arrested. General Letzek's thirty-eight year regime was over. The Second Republic was formed with a new constitution. Elections for the first National Assembly in many decades were held in mid-1983.

The Second Republic (1983-1996)

TBD

The Ardalian Civil War (1996-2000)

TBD

The Third Republic (2000-Present)

TBD

Geography

Ardalia is located in Southern Thearea. The country has a total area of 168,630 square kilometers (65,108 square miles). The country lies between latitudes 45°N and 47°N and longitudes 15°E and 19°E. It shares land borders with the Caropsyne Pontanore to the northwest, Loslakia to the northwest, Rygaria to the east, and Prassia to the southeast, and maritime borders with the Pontanore and Prassia. Ardalia has a coastline of 700.70 kilometers (or 435 miles) along the Thearean Sea.

There are two predominant mountain ranges in the country: the Canthasians in the north which define Ardalia's borders with the Pontanore, Loslakia, and Rygaria while the Dracians separates the interior from the coastline. Between these ranges lies the fertile Ardalian Plain. Ardalia's highest point is Mount Borzas (2,169 meters or 7,116 feet) and its lowest point is the seaside resort town of Odrgez. The longest river is the Koros (449.15 miles or 722.84 km) which flows from the Canthasians south through the central plains on its way to the Thearean Sea. The Drina, Pusta, and Rasina are the three other important rivers which also flow from north to south.

Climate

Owing to Ardalia’s geographical location and geography, the climate varies. The Dracian Coast experiences warm dry summers and cool rainy winters. On the Central Ardalian Plain mainly experiences a continental climate with cold winters and warm to hot summers depending on the prevailing western winds. Central Ardalia's climate is very favourable to agriculture which has helped the nation earn the nickname as "Thearea's Breadbasket." The average temperature on the plains is 11 °C (52 °F) and 16°C (61°F) along the coast.

Environment

Ardalians hold environmental sustainability close to their hearts. The majority of the nation's electric power is generated by renewable hydroelectricity. Although a small amount is generated from fossil fuels, imported from abroad, the current Government is committed to eliminating those sources by the end of the decades. Due to the important role agriculture plays in Ardalia's economy, there is always the threat of occasional river flood caused by excessive rainfall due to climate deivations influenced by the western winds. There are twenty-five national parks and 74 landscape protection areas making up 10% of total the land area. Ardalia's forests are primarily in the mountainous northern areas, taking up 19% of the land area.

Politics and Government

Political Structure

The Ardalian Republic is a democracy which consists of the President, the National Assembly, and the Judiciary. Hran is the capital of the Republic.

The President of Ardalia is the nation's Head of State and symbolizes the unity of the Ardalian people. The Constitution empowers them to oversee the democratic functioning of state institutions. They are the commander-in-chief of the Ardalian military but the Government, chaired by the Premier, decides on the deployment and operations undertaken by the armed forces. The President may accept or veto legislation by the Assembly or request the Constitutional Court to check a law's conformity to the nation's founding document. They can initiate national referendums and call general elections. They are responsible for the convening of the legislature and can dissolve it. With the agreement of the government, the head of state "exercises the right of individual pardon", "decides matters of organization of territory" and "cases concerning the acquisition and deprivation of citizenship." The President is elected by the Assembly every five years by secret ballot. The current President is Lenar Orvos.

The Premier is the Head of Government in Ardalia. The Government, led by the Premier, is collective accountable for their policies and actions to the Assembly, to their political party, and ultimately the electorate. The current holder of the office is Tereza Darvas, leader of the Socialist Party, who has served since 10 January 2020. She is both the youngest and first female to ever hold the Premiership. Constitutionally, the President is required to nominate the leader of the political party who wins a majority of seats in the National Assembly as Premier. If there is no party with a majority, the President holds an audience with the leaders of all parties represented in the Assembly and nominates the person who is most likely to command a majority in the Assembly, who is then formally elected by a simple majority of the Assembly. In practice, when this situation occurs, the Premier is the leader of the party winning a plurality of votes in the election, or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. The Premier invested with the de facto executive power in the Republic to 'define the general policy of the Government.' He or she selects the members they wish to serve on the Council of Ministers (the Government) who are first accepted by the Assembly and then approved by the President.

The National Assembly (Ardalian: Vuszt Skupstina Ardaska) is the unicameral legislature of Ardalia. There are 386 deputies elected to five-year terms. The composition of the body is determined by proportional representation. The deputies elect a Speaker who presides over sessions. There are 24 standing committees to debate and report on introduced bills and to supervise the activities of the Government. The Constitutional Court has the right to challenge legislation on the grounds of constitutionality. The Assembly originally met in the Mezga Palace before they moved into their own building in 1912. Prior to the current building's construction, the Assembly met in the vacated Mezga Palace. There are several major political parties who have seats in the chamber: the two largest being the left-wing Socialists and the center-right Moderates who have controlled Ardalian politics since the beginning of the 1990's.

The Ardalian people were given an independent judicary by the late Mezga Kings after a series of strikes rocked the country in the 1870's. The judicary's independence was continued with the establishment of the First Republic in 1910 and reaffirmed when democracy was restored in 1983 following the fall of the dictator Frenlo Letzek. While the nation's highest civil court is the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court is in fact Ardalia's highest judicial authority. They are empowered to review and adjudicate the constitutionality of laws passed by the National Assembly - their decisions are final. The Constitution defines them as the protectors of the Constitution and the guardian of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the People. The fifteen members are nominated by a special committee of the legislature consisting of one member of each seated political party, and elected by the entire Assembly for a single ten-year term. Ardalia's legal system is based upon the principles of civil law.

Military and Law Enforcement

The Ardalian military (Ardalian: Vojna Ardaska) is responsible for ensuring the soverignity and territorial integreity of the state and to defend against any possible aggression made by air, land, or sea, and carry out non-traditional tasks such as humanitarian support during floods, fires, and other natural disasters. The military consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Forces. The President of Ardalia is the commander-in-chief of the military but decisions pertaining to their use are made by the Government led by the Premier (when seated as the National Defense Council). The military is a full-time, professional fighting force with currently 51,904 on active duty, far smaller in size than during the four years of the Great War or under the Mezga Kings. Besides the Great War, conscription has only been instituted over the course of the Ardalian Civil War.

The Ardalian National Police (Ardalian: Vuszt Polipija Ardaska) is responsible for all local and national law enforcement. They are also charged with the control and security of the Republic's borders. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There are 28,765 uniformed officers stationed throughout the country. The Police have a dubious reputation for sometimes being willing to look the other way for the right price.

Foreign Relations

Ardalia has a degree of influence in central and eastern Thearea and is considered a middle power in international affairs. The nation's foreign policy is grounded in the mutual alliance and security arrangements it has with the Caropsyne Pontanore spelled out in the Treaty of Taerisz. Policy is also built on the principles of furthering co-operation, economic development, and integration with the other member states of the Thearean Community. Ardalia has been a member of the United Nations since the end of the Great War, the Thearean Community, and other international organizations.

Since 1983, the nation's top foreign policy goal was improving relations with the Pontanore and its other neighbor states. In 1994, Ardalia signed basic treaties with Loslakia, Rygaria, and Prassia in which they renounced all outstanding territorial claims in their respective countries, laying the foundation for constructive relations. However, the issue of Ardalian ethnic minorities and their rights in these three countries peroidically cause bilateral tensions to flare up. Since 2000, Ardalia has dramatically increased its commitment to implementing the reunification of divided families and is considered the best in all of Thearea.

Although the Republic is relatively peaceful, there are a number of international disputes it is currently engaged in including:

• Illicit drugs: due to Ardalia's geographic position, it is a major trans-shipment point for eastern heroin destined for other parts of Thearea; and shipment of amphetamines and methamphetamines from other nations.
• Ardalian minority rights: Ardalian-Prassian relations have deteriorated for the past four years over the issue of rights afforded to Ardalians residing in Prassia and claims that certain legislation passed by that nation's legislature violates Thearean Community directives.

Economy

Tourism

The tourism sector has grown by leaps and bounds since the Thearean Community was established and began with the signing of the Treaty of Taerisz with the Caropsyne Ponatnore. Ardalia offers visitors a rich historical and cultural heritage and natural beauty. Visitors can explore a variety of landscapes from the snow-capped peaks of Canthasia, to the sunny beaches and scenic coastline of Dracia, and the wide open plains of Ardalia. In 2019, over 42 million tourists visited Ardalia - a large percentage from other Thearean nations (especially the Pontanore), contributing X% of the nation's GDP. Ardalia's tourist season is generally from April through October. July and August are the best tourist months.

The nation's capital, Hran, is a tourist destination itself. Major attactions include Saint Kozak's Cathedral, Republic Square, the National Gallery, the historical city center with its mixture of Art Nouveau and Baroque architecture, the Thermal Baths, and the elaborate Mezga Palace. The city is well known for its immense selection of bakeries, bars, and restaruants. There are also many festivals and events throughout the year, and is home to the continent's largest open-air music concert offering tens of thousands of attendees everything from classical to electronic to jazz and rock and roll in summer. Taking a short train trip or driving a short distance outside of the capital, visitors will find opportunities to go horse riding, cycle the countryside, fish the many rivers, or hike in the many national parks.

To the south lies the mountanious and scenic coastlines of the Thearean Sea in Dracia. The center of tourism in this region is the seaside resort town of Odrgez offer visitors sandy beaches, casinos, and yachting. Throughout the mountain chain, individuals can find numerous spas, scenic vistas to observe the beauty of the sea from above and even Frenlo Letzek's expansive summer home in Mavas. This area was only reachable by car until the height of Frenlo Letzek's regime when he ordered the construction of a railway through the mountains and down to the coast. This railway is perhaps his most positive legacy from his time leading Ardalia. Night trains between Hran and Odrgez are offered and almost always sold out. This has prompted the National Railways to evaluate the feasibility of offering more trains during the height of the season. The Forlæan Islands can be reached by ferry to Fazona from Odrgez.

Meanwhile far to the north in the Canthasian Mountains, tourists can take in the beauty of the peaks that separate Ardalia from the neighboring countries of Loslakia and Rygaria. Dozens of mountains have been molded to enable skiing. Much of the nation's forests can be found here giving those who enjoy hunting a chance to track down many beasts including deer, bears, and lynx. Located at the foot of Ardalia's second-highest peak is the spa town of Urzok.

Infrastructure

Transport

Ardalia has long served as a critical link in connecting all corners of Thearea. The Republic is well connected to by roads, railways, airports, and seaports. The Socialist Governments, with continued financial aid from the Pontanore, have been investing billions into maintaining, expanding, and optimizing the system.

The nation possesses a roadway network totaling 231,571 kilometers of which 37,937 kilometers (23,573 miles) are national roads (including 4,215 kilometers of motorways and 'B' express roads). 156,902 km are local roads maintained by local and district authorities with the remainder being private though these are considerably of less quality (some of which are even unpaved). The number of road vehicles has risen steadly since the early 1960's with traffic across international borders growing especially fast following the restoration of with the Caropsyne Pontanore. Today there over 5.3 million cars registered passenger cars or appoximately 1 car per 2.9 inhabitants. Coach transport is very extensive: almost every place in the country is connected by buses, from the largest cities to the tiniest villages. These services are scheduled to operate in coordination with the railway timetable.

The railway network consists of 12,740 km of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge track, 100% electrified at 25 kV AC. A majority of the tracks laid and operated on today were originally built during the late 19th century. Rail links exist with all of Ardalia's neighbors though there is a break of gauge with Loslakia and Rygaria due to them using a broader gauge of track. Ardalia is home to what was one of the most challenging railway lines in Thearea: the mountainous Kanryk-Odrgez railway constructed at the height of Frenlo Letzek's regime. Both freight and passenger services are operated by Ardalian National Railways. The Hran-Fornænda service is the highest-ridden on the continent and both governments have committed to increase the frequency of trains from hourly to four times an hour by 2025.

Although Ardalia is a coastal country, access to the sea is limited due to the Dracian Mountains. There are three major ports: Kasza, Dras, and Odrgez. Of the three, Kasza handles the bulk of the container freight traffic. This port also posseses a ferry terminal for services to Fazona in the Forlæan Islands and the Caropsyne port of Lazana. Fish disembarkation and processing is centered on Dras. The continual growth in the tourism sector encouraged a Moderate-led Government to open a cruise passenger terminal in Odrgez.

Air travel in Ardalia is heavily slanted towards international travel rather than domestic because of the high frequency of service to every large city and most medium-sized communities by the national railways. There are 24 airports across the country. Amongst all of them, Hran Frenc Letzo Airport (HRN) is the most used airport in Ardalia and serves as the main aviation gateway into the country. Ardalian Airlines is the national flag carrier but a new low-cost carrier Zipp! recently commenced operations to compete with other Thearean legacy airlines due in part to recent Union legislation.

Tranzitna Hran operates the capital's extensive network of trams, buses, and metro lines. Outside the capital area, urban public transit is primarily composed of buses. The Darvas Government is currently evaluating the construction of a ten-line tram network in the second-largest city, Taerisz.

Energy

53% of Ardalia's electricity is generated by hydroelectric dams high up in the Canthasian Mountains. A further 13% is solar and 10% wind. The remaining 14% is by fossil fuels like coal. Ardalia is a signatory of the Tarkhos Accord passed by the members of the Thearean Community to have all energy produced by renewables by 2035.

Communications

Radiotelevizija Ardaska (RTVA) is the national broadcaster, operating 3 radio and 4 television channels. A small number of private channels exist though they are generally catering to regional audiences. 95% of Ardalians possess a radio and nearly 99% have a television.

Ardaska Telekom is the government-owned company which provides telephone and internet services throughout the Republic. The number of fixed land lines have dropped considerably since the mid 1990's with the introduction of cellular phones. 95% of Ardalians own and maintain a cellular line. Most can access stable 3G service, though faster 4G are primarily in focused in the capital region. The trend towards cellular connectivity aligns with other Central and Eastern Thearean nations over the past two decades. There has been consistent growth in the use of internet since 2000 with 50% being connected to fixed broadband networks, but many rural parts of the country still have dial-up only. Ardalia's calling code is +14 and its top-level internet domain is .ar.

Ardaska Posta is the postal service of Ardalia. Besides normal mail delivery, it also offers logistics, banking, and marketing services. There are post offices in every community. Posta makes use of the national railways to move letters and parcels swiftly across the country.

Demographics

Population and Ethnicity

Ardalia's population is 15,890,448 per results of the 2020 census, making it the x most populous country in Thearea and a medium-sized member state of the Thearean Community. Population density stands at 94 inhabitants per square kilometer. A little over a fifth of the entire population lives in the Hran metropolitan area, 42% of the entire population reside in cities and towns overall. According to the 2020 census, there were 14,937,021 (94%) ethnic Ardalians, 635,617 (4%) Caropsynes, and 317,810 of other ethnicity including Prassians, Rygarians, Corsimenians, etc.

Education

Education in Ardalia is publically-supported and overseen by the Ministry of Education. The very first schools were established in the 1860's during the late Mezga Kings as a way to not only prepare the nation for industrialization but to reduce the possibility of individuals rising up against their rule. Preschool-kindergarten education is compulsory and provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is also compulsory until the age of sixteen. Primary education usually lasts for eight years. Secondary education includes three traditional types of schools focused on different academic levels: the Gymnasium enrolls the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies; the secondary vocational schools for intermediate students lasts four years and the technical school prepares pupils for vocational education and the world of work. The system is partly flexible and bridges exist, graduates from a vocational school can achieve a two years programme to have access to vocational higher education for instance.

Most of Ardalian universities are public institutions, and students traditionally study without fee payment. The general requirement for university is the Matura. The Ardalian public higher education system includes universities and other higher education institutes, that provide both education curricula and related degrees up to doctoral degree and also contribute to research activities. Courses in higher education are not only taught in Ardalia but also in Standard Caropsyne and Loslakian, attracting many international studies every year. Ardalia has a long tradition of higher education: the University of Hran is one of the oldest in Thearea, having been established in 1412. Over the decades it has become one of the continent's most prestigious intitutes of science and technology.

Religion

Historically, religion in Ardalia has been dominated by the Catheric faith as far back as the Kingdom's founding in the 11th century. Contemporary Ardalia has no official religion. While the constitutions of 1910 and 1983 "recognizes Catheric's nation-building role", freedom of religion is declared a fundamental right. According to the 2019 Thearean Community Study, 65% of Ardalians are Catheric, 20% have No religion, 10% are Reformed Catheric or other rites, 1% are Juish, 2% follow other faiths, and 2% are undeclared. Though these figures may look like the Ardalian people are very religious, amongst those in the 16-29 age group, three out of every four stated they were not religious. This follows a trend seen across Thearea where attendance and participation in relgious congregations are on the decline.

Languages

Ardalian is the official and predominant spoken language in Ardalia. Ardalian is one of the working languages of the Thearean Community. Outside Ardalia it is also spoken by communities of Ardalian people in neighboring countries and diaspora communities worldwide. Standard Caropsyne is an recognized language and is used in business, government documents, road signs, and so forth. It is the de facto second language for most Ardalians who learn it in the educational system. Loslakian primarily spoken in communities close to the shared border.

Healthcare

Ardalia has a universal healthcare system built on the Caropsyne model but its origins go back to the establishment of a small chain of medical clinics by the late Mezga Kings in the 1880's. Life expecenties have increased three-fold since the Frikasz Health Reforms in 2002. Although people are living long than before, Ardalia is still experiencing sub-replacement fertility resulting in both a declining and ageing population. Exccessive drinking and drug use are still major health problems that must be confronted. Smoking has dropped considerably since 2014 when the first Raszan Government consolidated all tobacco sales under state control. Health in general is poorer in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

One of the more controversal policies implemented by the Raszan Government to help increase the nation's birth rate was to provide lifetime tax-free status for women who The Raszan Government attempted to increase the birth rate with a focus on ethnic Ardalians by providing lifetime tax-free status for women who have four children or more and offering mothers 3 years of maternity leave with nearly all of it paid for by the state. Additionally, they offered finanicial incentives to newly-weds to create families. This set of controversal policies is still in effect today but it has proven to work. A steady increase year over year has been seen since 2017.

Culture

Media

Radiotelevizija Ardaska (Common: Radio-Television of Ardalia) - usually abbreviated to RTVA is the national public broadcasting organization. Transmissions originate from Hran to the rest of the country, throughout Thearea, and around the world. RTVA has 3 radio and 4 television channels. Individuals must pay an annual receiving licence of ℳ130 regardless of the number of televisions or radios (or other devices capable of receiving signals). Businesses and the self-employed pay this amount for every seat, and pay higher rates where they are intended for public viewing rather than private consumption. A portion of the licence fee finances the RVTA Symphony Orchestra and Big Band.

Czin-Hlan is Ardalia's most read newspaper with over 2 million subscribers. It has been printed daily since 1884. During the last years of the monarchy, the King attempted to shut down the paper but faced fierce resistance from the populace and condemnation from abroad. It maintains a strict centrist approach to its editoral section but it does not hold back from criticizing the Government when it needs to.

Holidays

Date	Name	Recognized?	Notes
January 1	New Year’s Day		Marks the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.
February 14	A		B
February 19	A		B
February 26	A		B
March 8	Women's Day		Celebrates women and the women's rights movement.
March 21	A		B
April 14	A		B
May 1	Labor Day		Celebrates the working class and the international worker's movement.
May 2	A		B
June 21	A		B
July 15	A		B
August 10	A		B
September 7	A		B
September 21	A		B
October 7	A		B
October 25	A		B
November 14	A		B
November 30	A		B
December 21	A		B
December 26	A		B