Ostrothia

Republic of Ostrothia Ostrii Vabariik
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Isamaa eest! For Fatherland!
Capital and	Rõlva
Official languages	Ostrothian
Demonym(s)	Ostrothian
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Republic
• President	Artur Jõeäär
• Prime Minister	Leana Aarma
Legislature	Rahvakogu
Independence from Republic of Valkea
• Tribal Era	1st Century AD
• First Crusades	1217
• Duchy of Ostrothia	1350
• Reformation	1509
• National Awakening	1867
• 1905 Revolution	1905
• Valkean Assimilation	1906-1917
• War of Independence	1917
• Republic of Ostrothia	1923
Area
•	63,400 km2 (24,500 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	2,890,000
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Per capita	$52,543
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$58.97 billion
• Per capita	$25,752
Gini (2021)	38.4 medium
Currency	Ostrothian Mark (OMK)
Date format	yyyy-mm-dd
Driving side	right
Calling code	+530

Ostrothia (Ostrothian: Ostrii), officially the Republic of Ostrothia (Ostrothian: Ostrii Vabariik), is a country in Astyria. Ostrothia covers a total area of 63,400 km2 (24,478 sq mi), and is influenced by a humid continental climate. Ostrothia is a member of the Lorecian Community. Rõlva, the capital of Ostrothia and Laadu are the largest cities and urban areas in the country. Other notable cities include Haku, Novessaare, Jõhku and Soulu. The official language of the country, Ostrothian, is a Valkenic language.

Ostrothia has been settled since 10,000 BC. In the first century AD counties known as Maakond were formed which were frequently raided by Vikings who founded the modern Ostrothian capital of Rõlva. Valkean crusades brought christianity to Ostrothia and by the 14th cemtury most of Ostrothia was under Valkean rule in the form of The Duchy of Ostrothia which was established in 1350. In the early 1500's the rerformation brought lutheranism to Ostrothia. In the 1860's the National Awakening saw the reemergence of the Ostrothian language and Ostrothian culture. This culminated in the 1905 revolution in which Ostrothian nationalists attempted to create an Ostrothian Republic. The revolution ended in 1906 as Valkea assimilated Ostrothia into Valkea proper. The Ostrothian language and national symbols such as the Ostrothian triband were banned. This caused Ostrothian nationalism to rise. In 1916 as Valkea fell into civil war Ostrothian nationalists claimed independence. The Valkean army invaded in early 1917 and the Ostrothian war of Independence insued. It lasted until August of that year as the Valkean armed forces was forced to focus on the civil war in Valkea. Ostrothia became a de facto independent state not gaining full recognition from the Valkean government as independent until 1923. Ostrothia joined the Lorecian Community in 1997.

History

Prehistory

The earliest traces of human settlement in Ostrothia date back to 10,000 BC. The earliest settlements in Ostrothia include the mesolithic Rälti settlement is located by the Rõlva River. Bone and stone artifacts similar to those found at the Rälti settlement have been found all over Ostrothia. Among minerals, flint and quartz were used the most for making cutting tools.

During the Bronze Age the first fortified settlements, Lauju and Haku, began to be built. The development of shipbuilding facilitated the spread of bronze. .

The Iron Age began in Ostrothia about 500 BC and lasted until the middle of the 1st century AD. The oldest iron items seem to have been imported. Settlement sites were located mostly in places that offered natural protection. Fortresses began to be built.

Tribal Era

In the 1st centuries AD political and administrative subdivisions began to emerge in Ostrothia. Subdivisions appeared known as the county (maakond). The counties were headed by an elder. By the 13th century the following major counties had developed in Ostrothia: Lauju, Haku, Soulu, Lääpe, Varõi, Jotsaküla and Novasaare.

In the 11th century raiders known as Viikngid are recorded as frequently raiding the Ostrothian coast. Among their most notable actions was the founding of the city of Rõlva the modern capital of Ostrothia. The rise of Christianity brought from the northern Valkea lands eventually led to crusades. The Ostrothian tribes were overwhelmed which led to baptism and military occupation.

Crusades

The Northern Crusades from Valkea established the city of Rõlva (the capital of modern Ostrothia) to be the new centre of christian Ostrothia. Ostrothian tribes fiercely resisted the attacks from Rõlva and found themselves sacked and their territories controlled by the crusaders. Battles persued in 1217 abd 1219 also known as the period of the ancient Ostrothian fight for independence.

In 1229 Valkenic raiders conquered the indigenous stronghold at Haku. After the conquest, all the remaining local pagans of Ostrothia were ostensibly Christianized. The conquerors exercised control through a network of strategically located castles.

Despite local rebellions and frequent invasions from other Ostrothian tribes, the local the Valkenic upper class continued to rule most of Coastal Ostrothia bar the Lauju Maakond.

Under The Kingdom of Valkea

In the mid 14th century the Valkenic upper class soon spread their influence from the coast to cover all of what is now known as Ostrothia. Ostrothia at this time was made a satellite state of The Kingdom of Valkea under the form of The Duchy of Ostrothia. Nonetheless, the legal system, Lutheran church, local and town governments, and education remained mostly Ostrothian.

By 1401 the majority of Ostrothia accepted the rule of the Valkean King (Under the title of Duke of Ostrothia). Valkean forces gradually conquered the majority of Novasaare, there were minor rebellions throught the 15th and 16th centuries in Novesaare and Lauju counties.

Through the centuries Ostrothia was to be the battleground of many wars fought between the powers that surrounded it.

The Valkean era lasted from the 1350s to the Ostrothian Republic. Unrest and rebellion was uncommon. The Valkeans were Lutherans, and so were the vast majority of the Ostrothian population so there was little religious greivance. Universities were opened in Rõlva and Laadu.

The Reformation

The Reformation in Ostrothia was inspired and organized by local and Valkenic secular and religious authorities Lutheranism spread literacy among the young. However, the peasants were traditionalists and were firmly Catholic. After 1590, Lutheranism began to dominate. The Valkenic elite promoted Lutheranism, and language, education, religion and politics were greatly transformed. The Ostrothian Church was founded at this time. Church services were now given in the local vernacular, instead of Latin, and the first book was printed in Ostrothian.

Ostrothian National Awakening

A cultural movement was pushed by student orginisations which saw many adopt the use of Ostrothian as the language of instruction in schools and a national literature in Ostrothian developed. Ostrothian folklore and songs were popularised. With this national awakening cane the emergence of Ostrothian nationalism. Many started to belive in the fact that an an independent Ostrothian Republic was possible. There were brief protests in 1861 and 1863 which were subdued by local authourities. As the Valkean Revolution of 1905 was in full swing, the Ostrothians at the time called for more national autonomy as many came to understand the extent to which Valkea controlled its government and foreign policy. Ostrothian protesters took to the streets of Rõlva and Laadu.

The 1905 Revolution

During the 1905 Revolution many Ostrothian nationalists took to the streets to advocate for Ostrothian independence. Many paramilitary resistance groups were established but none could take control of all of the Ostrothian lands and by 1906 Ostrothia had been fully reclaimed by Valkea. Unlike before Ostrothia no longer had the pretence of being autonomous and was fully subjected to the Republic of Valkea. In opposition to this further marches for independence or increased autonomy were subdued by police and by 1907 they largely died out. To halt the spread of nationalism symbols like the Ostrothian triband were banned. Throughout the period from 1905-1917 civil disobedience was practised by many Ostrothians and symbols of Valkean rule were frequently vandalised. Frequent skermishes between nationalist groups and Valkean authourities led to many Ostrothians increasingly seeing the Valkean state as their enemy.

Valkean Assimilation

After the revolution, The assimilation of Ostrothia into Valkea proper began, as the central government initiated various administrative and cultural measures to tie Ostrothia into the new Valkean Republic. The Valkean language was used throughout the education system and many Ostrothian social and cultural activities were suppressed. In this period, there was a new surge of Ostrothian nationalism and many rebel groups were formed to oppose Valkean rule.

War of Independence

In 1916, the Republic of Valkea fell into civil war. Ostrothian nationalists quickly seized the opportunity to achieve independence from Valkea. Unlike 1905, where Ostrothian nationalist elements could not take control of the whole country, by 1917, Ostrothian nationalism and national identity had become a popular ideal due to Valkean policies in years past that were enacted to assimilate Ostrothia as a part of Valkea. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to advocate for independence and when Valkean authorities attempted to subdue the protests they turned violent. The National Assembly of Ostrothia was established and the committee declared the independence of Ostrothia on 29 March 1917, forming the Ostrothian Provisional Government.

In response to this, Valkea sent troops to restore order in April 1917, starting the Ostrothian War of Independence. The Valkean forces took the north but were stopped before they reached Laadu as a counter offensive pushed them back to Varõi Maakond. They were pushed out of Ostrothia within a few months as the Valkean army refocused its efforts on containing monarchist and syndicalist revolutionaries. Renewed offensives by the Valkeans continued until August 1917 but failed to achieve a breakthrough. With the Valkean civil war in full force by 1918, the Valkean government gave up interest in invading Ostrothia, and de facto independence was secured. In 1923 the new Valkean government under Tatu Sibelius pledged to recognize Ostrothia as an independent nation and relinquished Valkea's claims over the territory.

The Ostrothian Republic

An Ostrothian national assembly was convened. In October 1918, the Ostrothian National Assembly was elected. The National Assembly passed a sweeping land reform expropriating large estates, and adopted a new highly liberal constitution establishing Ostrothia as a parliamentary democracy. Nationalist movements won the 1918 election and many ethnic Valkeans were forcibly removed from counties like Rõlva and Varõi.

Geography

Ostrothia is a relatively low lying nation with an abundance of lakes, bogs and forests. Average elevation reaches only 50 metres (164 ft) and the country's highest point is Lõuna mägi in the south at 350 metres. There is 5,600 kilometres of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets.

The Suur Põhja nature reserve in the Northwest

Ostrothia has a number of islands dotted around its coast. Ostrothia has over 2,000 lakes. Most are very small, with the largest, Lake Võit, being 2,150 km2. There are many rivers in the country. The longest of them are the Rõva, Rõlva which the capital of Ostrothia takes its name and Pätsemaa. Ostrothia has numerous fens and bogs. Forest land covers 48% of Ostrothia. The most common tree species are pine, spruce and birch.

Climate

Ostrothia is a northerly nation. The climate is more continental in the eastern part of the country and more maritime in the western part. Ostrothia has four seasons of near-equal length. Average temperatures range from 17.8 °C (64.0 °F) inland in July, the warmest month, and from −1.4 °C (29.5 °F) inland in February, the coldest month. The average annual temperature in Ostrothia is 6.4 °C (43.5 °F). Annual average precipitation is 662 mm. The average for the year is 1829.6 hours of sunshine. The duration of sunshine is highest in coastal areas and lowest inland in northern Ostrothia.

Enviroment

Ostrothia agreed to cut carbon emissions by at least 20% of 1990 levels by the year 2020 and by at least 40% by the year 2030. Also, by 2020 at least 20% (27% by 2030) of the country's total energy consumption should be from the renewable energy sources. In 2016, Ostrothia introduced especially effective container deposit legislation, which resulted in collecting 92% of all packagings in 2017.

Ostrothia does not have high mountains and its landscape is dominated by blooming meadows, dense forests and fertile fields of cereals. However it stands out by the abundance of hillforts. Ostrothia is a particularly watered region with more than 2,000 lakes, mostly in the northwest. The country is also drained by numerous rivers.

Forest has long been one of the most important natural resources in Ostrothia. Forests occupy half of the country's territory and timber-related industrial production accounts for almost 11% industrial production in the country. Ostrothia has five national parks, 18 municipal parks, 500 nature reserves, 1,668 state-protected natural heritage objects.

Biodiversity

Ostrothian ecosystems include natural and semi-natural (forests, bogs, wetlands and meadows), and anthropogenic (agrarian and urban) ecosystems. Among natural ecosystems, forests are particularly important to Ostrithia, covering 48% of the country's territory. Wetlands (raised bogs, fens) cover 7% of the country, with 52% of wetlands having been lost due to drainage and peat extraction between 1952 and 1983. Changes in wetland plant communities resulted in the replacement of moss and grass communities by trees and shrubs, and fens not directly affected by land reclamation have become drier as a result of a drop in the water table. There are 23,000 rivers with a total length of 59,000 km in Ostrothia.

Agricultural land comprises 32% of Ostrothia's territory (roughly 70% of that is arable land and 30% meadows and pastures), approximately 400,000 ha of agricultural land is not farmed, and acts as an ecological niche for weeds and invasive plant species. Habitat deterioration is occurring in regions with very productive and expensive lands as crop areas are expanded.

An Ostrothian wolf in the forests of the northwest

The wildlife populations have rebounded as the hunting became more restricted and urbanization allowed replanting forests (forests already tripled in size since their lows). Currently, Ostrothia has approximately 250,000 larger wild animals or 5 per each square kilometer. The most prolific large wild animal in every part of Ostrothia is the deer, with 200,000 of them. They are followed by boars (48,000) and the largest one: moose (~12,000). Among the Ostrothian predators, wolves are the most common (~29,000). The large animals mentioned above exclude the rabbit, ~280,000 of which may live in the Ostrothian forests.

Politics

Ostrothia is a unitary parliamentary republic. The unicameral parliament Rahvakogu serves as the legislative and the government as the executive.

The unicameral Ostrothian parliament, the Rahvakogu, has 190 members who are elected to five-year terms. Those members are elected in a nationwide vote by proportional representation. A party must receive at least 5% of the national vote to be eligible for any of the 190 national seats in the Rahvakogu. It is elected by citizens over the age of 18. The Rahvakogu's responsibilities include approval and preservation of the national government, passing legal acts, passing the state budget, and conducting parliamentary supervision. On proposal of the president appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the chairman of the board of the Bank of Ostrothia and the Chancellor.

Rahvakogu, the Ostrothian unicameral parliament

The Government of Ostrothia is formed by the Prime Minister of Ostrothia at recommendation of the President, and approved by the Rahvakogu. The government, headed by the Prime Minister, represent the political leadership of the country and carry out domestic and foreign policy. Ministers head ministries and represent its interests in the government.

The head of the state is the President who has primarily representative and ceremonial role. The president is elected for a five-year term and serving a maximum of two terms. The President proclaims the laws passed in the Rahvakogu , and has right to refuse proclamation and return law in question for a new debate and decision. If Rahvakogu passes the law unamended, then the President has right to propose to the Supreme Court to declare the law unconstitutional. The President also represents the country in international relations. The president oversees foreign affairs and national security, and is the commander-in-chief of the military. The president also appoints the prime minister and, on the latter's nomination, the rest of the cabinet, as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts.

law enforcement

Crime in Ostrothia has been declining rapidly. Law enforcement in Ostrothia is primarily the responsibility of local Ostrii Politsei (Ostrothian Police) commissariats. Capital punishment in Ostrothia was suspended in 1986 and fully eliminated in 1989.

An Ostrothian Police Vehicle

The Ostrothian Police Service is divided into police departments, which encompass the area of multiple municipalities; municipalities do not have police forces of their own. The function of each police department is to maintain general law and order, prevent crime, investigate crime and other events that threaten public order and safety, to carry out traffic control and surveillance and promote traffic safety, and perform all other duties prescribed by law or otherwise assigned to the police in their area. Local police also processes licenses and permits such as ID cards and passports and enforce immigration laws by the Ostrothian Immigration Service.

Military

The Ostrothian Armed Forces consist of land forces, navy, and air force. The current national military service is compulsory for healthy men between ages of 18 and 28, with conscripts serving 8 or 11-month tours of duty, depending on their education and position provided by the Armed Forces. The peacetime size of the Ostrothian Defence Forces is about 8,000 persons, with half of those being conscripts. The planned wartime size of the Defence Forces is 72,000 personnel. The National Defence Policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land, territorial waters and airspace, and its constitutional order. The ministry in charge if its upkeep is the ministry of defence.

Administrative Divisions

Ostrothia has sixteen counties which are subdivided into 7 municipalities each. Local affairs are managed autonomously by local governments. There are in total 112 local governments. All municipalities have equal legal status and form part of a county, which is a state administrative unit. Representative body of local authorities is municipal council, elected at general direct elections for a five-year term. The council appoints local government, headed by a mayor. In addition to the 16 counties of Ostrothia there are also 4 hostoric lands; Haku, Rõlva, Lääpe and Novesaare. These lands do not have any political or administrative powers and are simply ceremonial remenants of the early tribes of Ostrothia.

Economy

Ostrothia has open and mixed economy that is classified as a high-income economy. According to data from 2019, the three largest sectors in the Ostrothian economy are – services (60% of GDP), industry (30%) and agriculture (3%).

Forests play a key role in the country's economy, making it one of the world's leading wood producers and providing raw materials at competitive prices for the crucial wood-processing industries. As in agriculture, the government has long played a leading role in forestry, regulating tree cutting, sponsoring technical improvements, and establishing long-term plans to ensure that the country's forests continue to supply the wood-processing industries.

The unemployment rate was 5.4% in 2016. As of 2019, Ostrothian mean wealth per adult is $52,000. Ostrothia has a flat tax rate rather than a progressive scheme. The personal income tax (15%) and corporate tax (15%) rates in Ostrothia are among the lowest in Lorecia. The country has the lowest implicit rate of tax on capital (10%). Corporate tax rate in Ostrothia is 15% and 5% for small businesses. Information technology production is growing in the country, reaching 10.9 billion Marks in 2017.

Energy

Ostrothia is dependent on other countries for energy. In recent years, many local and foreign companies have been investing in renewable energy sources. Wind power has been increasing steadily in Ostrothia.

Laadu Power Plant

Currently, there are plans to renovate some older units of the Laadu Power Plants, establish new power stations, and provide higher efficiency in oil shale-based energy production. The country's main energy supplier is Ostrii Energia.

Transport

Ostrothian Railways' main network consists of 1,920 km of 1,520 mm gauge railway of which 188 km are electrified. Ostrothian railway network also has 200 km of standard gauge lines. Half of all inland freight transported in Ostrothia is carried by rail. Ostrothia has an extensive network of motorways.

There are many ports dotted around the coastline of Ostrothia with the largest being Rõlva followed by Haku and Jütkalaa. The most travelled ferry routes tend to be from Rõlva to parts of Valkea proper Rõlva International Airport is the largest airport in Ostrothia. It served 4.2 million passengers in 2016. Other international airports include Laadu International Airport, Haku International Airport and , Novessaare International Airport.

Demographics

Ostrothian   70% Valkean   20% Other Lorecian   7% other   3% demographics of Ostrothia

Ethnic Ostrothians make up about seventy percent of the country's population. In 2015, the population of Ostrothia stands at 2.8 million, 88% of whom speak Ostrothian, which is the official language of the country. Several sizeable minorities exist, such as Valkeans (20%) and other peoples of the Lorecian continent (7%). Valkeans in Ostrothia are the largest minority, concentrated in the northeast.

Language

The official language is Ostrothian, but in some areas there is a significant presence of minority languages, such as Valkean and other Lorecian languages. The state laws guarantee education in minority languages and there are numerous publicly funded schools in the areas populated by minorities, with Valkean as the language of instruction being the most widely available.

According to the Ostrothian population census of 2017, about 88% of the country's population speak Ostrothian as their native language, 7% are native speakers of Valkean and 5% of other Lorecian languages. About 50% of Ostrothian residents speak Valkean as a foreign language, 20% – Dutch, 10% – German, 4% - French. Most Ostrothian schools teach Valkean as the first foreign language, but students may also study Dutch, or, in some schools, French or Scannonian.

Religion

Religions in Ostrothia (2017)

  Protestant (Ostrothian Church) (52%)

  Other Protestants (7%)

  Roman Catholic Church (6%)

  Other Christians (3%)

  Other (0.37%)

  Irreligious (31.63%)

In recent years Ostrothia has become increasingly secular, with an increasing number who identify as religiously "undeclared". The largest majority groups are the various Christian denominations, principally Lutheran and Catholics, with very small numbers of adherents in non-Christian faiths, namely Judaism and Islam. Other polls suggest the country is broadly split between Christians and the non-religious / religiously undeclared. Ostrothia was Christianised by the Catholic Knights in the 13th century. The Protestant Reformation led to the establishment of the Ostrothian church in 1682. Many Ostrothians profess not to be particularly religious.

Today, Ostrothia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and individual rights to privacy of belief and religion. The historic Lutheran denomination has a large presence.

Education

Education in Ostrothia is divided into general, vocational, and hobby. The education system is based on four levels: pre-school, basic, secondary, and higher education. A wide network of schools and supporting educational institutions have been established. The Ostrothian education system consists of state, municipal, public, and private institutions. There are currently 920 schools in Ostrothia.

Academic higher education in Ostrothia is divided into three levels: bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies. In some specialties (basic medical studies, veterinary, pharmacy, dentistry, architect-engineer, and a classroom teacher programme) the bachelor's and master's levels are integrated into one unit. Ostrothian public universities have significantly more autonomy than applied higher education institutions. In addition to organising the academic life of the university, universities can create new curricula, establish admission terms and conditions, approve the budget, approve the development plan, elect the rector, and make restricted decisions in matters concerning assets. Ostrothia has a moderate number of public and private universities. The largest public universities are the University of , Laadu University, Technological University, Ostrothian University of Sciences, Ostrothian Academy of Arts.