Ossotia

United Federation of Ossotia
Capital	Yekaterina
Official languages	Ossotian
Recognised national languages	Ossotian Zagornian Rascian
Ethnic groups	52% Ossotian 11% Saranian 19% Banethian 10% Rascian 8% Other
Demonym(s)	Ossotian
Government	Semi-Democratic Federation
• Prime Minister	Jason McClaine
• Minister of National Defense	Mariah Aleni
• Minister of Foreign Affairs	Yakob Mtislav
• Minister of Domestic Affairs	Alan Ivanovich
• Speaker of the Senate	Natalia Ceaucinskaya
Establishment
• Kingdom of Vlatis	200
• Three-Years War	582
• Kingdom of Ossotia	1082
• Medevian Empire	1086
• Independence	1772
• Federalization	1920
Area
• Total	1,902,400 km2 (734,500 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	463,144,538
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	12.2 trillion
• Per capita	26,349
HDI	0.81 very high
Currency	Ossotian Ruble (OR)
Time zone	UTC+3, UTC+4, UTC+5 (CCT, CNT, ECT)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	1 +

Ossotia, also known as the United Federation of Ossotia is a great-power, democratic nation located in the Malea and Catel regions of Euresia. Covering over a million square kilometers, Ossotia is known as the largest nation on the continent, and the xth largest in the world. Ossotia is bordered by Syrania and Azraelia to the west, Geresia, Koroszida, Zagorno and Alessia to the south, North Cynea, South Cynea, and Sarania to the east, and the Northern Ocean to the north. Ossotia also shares maritime borders with Kalaria, Vitalia and Glycenia, making it the country with the most borders in Euresia. Ossotia currently maintains a permanent position on the ICN security council, and is known for being one of the most influential nations in the International Coalition of Nations [ICN]. It is a founding member of the Euresian Defense Organization [EDO], and is a member of the Catel Humanitarian Aid Project [CHAP], the International Health and Sciences Organization [IHSO], the North Euresian Economic Development Organization [NEEDO], the International Climate Accords [ICA], the Euresian Oil Organization [EOO], and the Malean Economic and Cultural Development Organization [MECDO]. Ossotia is highly active across Euresia politically, economically and culturally, which contributes to its heavy influence across the continent.

Ossotia has had a heavy hand in several major world events, including the independence of many Catelian countries and the Greater Cynean Civil War. Ossotia also is often the main backing power for most ICN resolutions, with the secondary backer being Nevakia, Ossotia's longtime rival. The two nations have been undergoing an influence war for the past three decades, and this has shown within regions such as Greater Cynea, Nezea and Catel.

Government

National Assembly

The National Assembly is the main legislative body of Ossotia, and often the anchorpoint of Ossotian politics in the modern day. The assembly is composed of 450 Senators, all elected from the provinces across the country. Each senator serves a 6-year term, and can be elected for a maximum of four terms before he/she cannot run again. The Assembly has the ability to ratify and veto bills written by the Prime Minister, Ministry Council, and any other government body, and reserve the right to call any law into debate should it be deemed questionable by the Head Speaker. The Senate is also the body that must grant the Prime Minister emergency powers should a crisis emerge, in order to prevent abuse of power and corruption. The Head Speaker, the representative of the Senate whom sits on the Ministry Council, is often chosen from the 450 senators by the Prime Minister during his first year in office.

Ministry Council

The Ministry Council primarily exists as a check and balance to the Senate, however its usefulness has been called into question as of 2020. It is composed of each and every minister in the Prime Minister's cabinet, which on average amounts to ~18 Ministers. The council also includes the Speaker of the Senate and the Vice Minister. The council possesses only two notable powers in government: The ability to strike a bill from the ratification process with a majority vote, and the ability to remove a Prime Minister from office. Though these two powers are major in government, they may soon be transferred to the Senate to further consolidate power. The Prime Minister also sits on the council, and though he is at the mercy of the council, he may also remove Ministers and Senators, granting him stability should corruption and abuse emerge in either body.

Provinces

Ossotia is divided up into several federal provinces, all of which represent major political and economic regions within the Federation, and which also represent territories conquered by Ossotia throughout the nation's history. Each province has its own governor and national guard, with heavy limits on the powers of both within the province. Federal Law applies to most of each province, however there are specific categories of life in which Provincial Law takes precedent.

Map	Name and flag	Administrative centre	Population
Template:Image Pending	Federal Provinces
	Ossotia Proper	Anderra	41,220,000
	Ossotia Lesser	Olarian	39,771,294
	Ventis	Blake	97,223,581
	Messera	Valogorod	102,776,680
	Velka	Velka City	32,904,283
	Salaria	Blaithe	38,552,103
	Arsainne	Marcaus	19,398,932
	Namesk	Veliky Karzograd	67,193,441
	Federal Territories
	Territory of North Rascia	Jarkodan	23,884,120
	Kylian Islands	Dniprovask	220,104

Foreign Relations

Ossotia maintains foreign relations with 117 countries globally, and 35 states in Euresia. Ossotia maintains embassies in all nations with which it holds diplomatic ties, however it only has ambassadors for 97 of them, which has caused major issues in diplomacy for Ossotia in the past decade.

Ossotia maintains a very close relation with the Republic of Glycenia, with both nations being founding members of both the ICN and the EDO, and being closely tied together economically and politically. However, recently Glycenian and Ossotian relations have begun to strain slightly after major disagreements arose over the Cynean Civil War, which, if tensions raise too high, may cause a major shift in power for both nations and may cause a massive shift away from the current global status quo.

Foreign Policy

Ossotia maintains a foreign policy anchored on the pursuit of democracy across Euresia, sometimes to the detriment of its neighbors. Ossotia has an international reputation as a nation of freedom and opportunity, however also as a dangerous political entity. This has come about largely due to Ossotia's interventions in Catel and Greater Cynea, both of which have rapidly destabilized both regions greatly and extended tensions and conflict in the regions beyond what would have naturally occurred. This failure of peaceful diplomacy has also lost Ossotia a great amount of trust with many Catelian and Malean nations, which has further destabilized Ossotia's position as a world superpower.

Ossotia has recently shifted its foreign policy following the beginning of violence in Zagorno and Geresia, instead opting to pursue bringing Ossotian troops home from abroad to instead pursue the peace process in Cynea, and to begin opening talks with both Koroszida and Zagorno to attempt and mediate the ongoing Alessian Crisis. However, neither recent goals have been seen as achievable for Ossotia by many Ossotian politicians and geopolitical analysts, which has caused the debate over Ossotia's future foreign policy to intensify due to the repeated poor decisions and poor outcomes in the modern day.

Demographics

Ossotia is well-known for having the largest area of any nation on Euresia, and for having the largest population in Euresia consequentially. This large population is caused primarily by two major events in Ossotia's long history: The period of conquest, and the baby boom in the 1900s. Ossotia has numerous federal programs in place to support the rapidly expanding population of the country, however with ethnic and political tensions in North Rascia, a famine across the whole Catel region, and refugees flooding into Ossotia through North Cynea and South Cynea, these policies have begun becoming overwhelmed and a humanitarian issue has emerged in the southern territories of the Federation. This has prompted several reforms to be passed by the National Assembly and implemented across the nation, with the goal of mitigating the damage done by the numerous issues in the south and preventing further issues from arising.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	41,220,401	—
1930	49,223,799	+19.4%
1940	62,721,404	+27.4%
1950	143,809,253	+129.3%
1960	150,922,401	+4.9%
1970	159,484,374	+5.7%
1980	245,102,492	+53.7%
1990	391,704,231	+59.8%
2000	401,842,924	+2.6%
2010	451,492,104	+12.4%
2020	463,114,538	+2.6%
Source: Federal Establishment Act census (1920-Present)

Education

The government subsidizes and operates over 13 separate education and service programs across the country, with many focused on those aged 15 and up. A large portion of the population in the ethnically Banethian and Saranian provinces have low literacy rates and low averages of graduation from high school level and above, which is at a great difference to high university graduation rates and near-100% literacy rates in ethnically-Ossotian provinces. Because of this educational gap, the educational programs provided by the government often see a majority of their use in the south and east of Ossotia, with millions of students benefiting from the programs each year. The four most used programs are the Program for Student Safety and Education [PS2E], the Federal Student Disability Act [FSDA], the Education of Students in Poverty Act [ESPA], and the Standardized Elementary Schooling Act [SESA].

Healthcare

The Ossotian healthcare system is often seen as one of the most favorable in the world, with the government paying hefty dividends to several federal insurance programs for those who cannot afford private insurance. Treatment for major diseases and conditions such as Cancer, AIDS, Down Syndrome, Autism and others is free in Ossotia, with treatment costs covered by the Federal Citizen's Terminal Care Act [FCTCA]. Federal funds also support numerous hospital centers across the country, allowing the average hospital in Ossotia to grant high-level care to many and to grant free ambulance services to those who need it.

Most insurance companies across Ossotia, such as Garden of Eden and Masoslavi, are given tax funds from annual tax collections based on how many people are signed onto their databases for coverage, which helps cover the high costs most insurance companies receive due to the general coverage of medical costs for patience under their jurisdiction. Employee's Insurance is also covered by insurance companies. Private companies, good examples being the previously-mentioned Garden of Eden and Masoslavi companies, often cost an average of 2,000 OR/year to subscribe to, due to the need of extra funds to help the much greater extent of coverage that private companies give, by law. This includes coverage of sexual reorientation surgeries, therapy, minor health conditions, and even contraception for those under age 30. Government-run insurance programs however, such as the Federal Insurance Program [FIP1], are completely free, only requiring a member be living in Ossotia for more than a year and have no criminal record, however they do not cover nearly as much, only paying for major surgeries, treatment of major diseases and conditions, treatment for moderate to severe injuries, ambulance costs, and rehabilitation services for addicts or violent persons.

The therapy sector of Ossotian Healthcare has seen major reform and change in recent years due to many violent crimes committed in Yekaterina and other major cities, most of which were committed by criminally insane escaped convicts, and due to the high drop-out rate for mentally ill students. Some of these changes include the foundation of the Trauma Rehabilitation Program [TRP], which already has over a hundred thousand participants, and the passing of the Mental Health Security Act, which stipulates that those who are diagnosed with a mental illness or condition with interferes in their daily life will be granted free therapy services and medication, along with a mental health security payment of 4,800 OR per month while unemployed, in order to help secure the everyday lives of those who find difficulty living independently due to medical issues.

Those who suffer from PTSD or other severe mental conditions have recently finally seen government coverage and support reach them after the 2020 Support for Veterans Protests, which were sparked after soldiers returning home from Cynea and Nezea were only given low-level subsidies for living, and no government support for mental illness on their insurance. The changes which came after these protests were immense, including the addition of PTSD and Criminal Insanity support into federal insurance programs, and the addition of a 9,400 OR fund provision for all severe trauma victims and for those deemed unfit for independent life by medical professionals. The government has also added a new provision for rehabilitation of affected people, which includes payment for consistent physical and mental therapy sessions up to bidaily, and for a rehab officer to attend to them every week to make sure they are integrating properly into society.

Economy

The Ossotian economy is the largest in Euresia, and the xth largest globally. Ossotia's economy is also the fastest growing economy globally, with the nation's GDP growing by 9.1% annually. Ossotia's vast economy and rapid economic expansion are largely due to the nation's expansive natural resources and its numerous domestic programs that provide annual stimulus to the economy. Ossotia's economic size and stability helps contribute to its numerous healthcare, education, and social welfare programs currently instituted by both the state and private businesses, with the average Ossotian citizen able to expect substantial safety nets provided by their government and family, and the average ill citizen able to expect plenty of financial aid to help them stay in society comfortably and productively.

Ossotia's economic policies often include the use of foreign investments and dynamic taxes to help keep funds flowing into the National Treasury, and this includes a high federal income tax, which requires people with an annual income of six figures to pay 50,000 OR per paycheck. Federal taxes become much more lenient as one climbs down the social ladder, with most impoverished individuals with a payroll typically expecting to only pay a maximum of 200 OR to the income tax due to being registered as destitute. However, this tax is not the only federal tax, with other taxes including a government sales tax, a business tax, a social welfare tax, and even a federal services tax.

Currently, Ossotia is handling a level of debt which almost exceeds its annual GDP, with the nation over 9 trillion OR in debt. The government currently invests a further trillion OR annually into foreign organizations and projects globally, which places the nation further into debt each year. To counteract the mounting debt issue, the Federal Bank Commission [FBC] has nationalized several private banking companies and is currently enforcing several business and private debts across the nation, however this has caused much unrest for the general populace, due to Ossotian law permitting jailtime as a potential addition to asset seizure as punishment for unpaid debt.

Social Welfare and Labor

Ossotia has the most extensive social welfare system in the world, with the government spending nearly 22 billion OR annually on social welfare programs. Currently, an estimated 75% of the population is currently enrolled in at least one welfare program, and an estimated 30% of those enrolled have been enrolled in the last 5 years. Ossotia's social programs are currently a heavy focus of the McClain Administration, with PM Mcclaine having pledged during his campaign that Ossotia's poor and destitute in the southern provinces will see an average level of financial security above the poverty line by 2030.

Ossotia's employment situation is one that has fluctuated in and out of crisis since the seventies, due to the stigma surrounding the issue. This negative reputation is largely caused by the correlation between homelessness/unemployment and crime, with the currently conservative senate opposed to disturbing the status quo of the modern situation. In 2021, the issue is mostly stable, with unemployment rates kept under 18% and homelessness kept to below 8% of the urban population, however this is currently at risk of increasing due to the recent collapse of the Federal Housing Program [FHP] coupled with the recent influx of refugees from Greater Cynea.

Military

The official armed force of Ossotia is the Ossotian Federal Defense Forces, and it serves a crucial role in both Ossotian sovereignity, and foreign policy, in the modern day. It is currently deployed in six total major conflicts, including peacekeeping operations in Nezea, the counter-terrorism operations in both Nezea and Greater Cynea, and the anti-monarchist fighting in Greater Cynea. It has also seen use against the Euresian Refugee Crisis of 2019, caused by the war in Greater Cynea. This use in the crisis however has drawn condemnation internatioanlly, as many nations accuse Ossotia of using force to deter further refugees. This has been met with opposition by Ossotia, as the nation is facing a slowly-worsening issue in the southern provinces caused by the rapid influx of refugees and the famine in Catel. The Defense Forces continue to serve their intended purposes despite the condemnations however, and currently possess a reputation of being highly effective, unaffected by the current political situation.

History

The first national military force to be formed in Ossotia was the Continental Militia Army in 1772, following Ossotia's independence from the Medevian Empire. The Continental Militia Army was largely comprised of uniformed conscripts from across the nation, and did not possess any form of high-quality gear or even a naval corps. It numbered an estimated 60,000 soldiers, and it had two branches to it: the Conscripted Ranks, and the Grenadier Corps. The Conscripted ranks was the main body of the CMA, with the average serviceman being ~19 years of age, and only having basic training with a musket and basic training in physical endurance and formation discipline. The Grenadier Corps was the backbone of the army however, consisting of all artillery and cavalry battalions and consisting of about 8,000 battle-hardened, and extensively trained grenadiers. The CMA would see action in only two conflicts before it would be reformed. These two conflicts were the Medevian Collapse of 1778, and the Velkan War.

In 1840, the recently-coronated King Vlatimir Szemylaw III reformed the Ossotian military in response to the invention of steam power and mass production, which had already spread from Ossotia into Glycenia and Greater Cynea. The Continental Militia Army was renamed the Royal Ossotian Army, and was reorganized into three branches and six sub-branches. The three main branches were the Royal Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Guard. The Royal Army was the backbone of the new military, consisting of ~120,000 men at its peak, all of whom were voluntary servicemen trained for a minimum of two years with a rifle, and in physical condition, formation discipline, and personal discipline. The army was organized into four corps, with each one consisting of 30,000 men. The Army had a Cavalry subdivision, Grenadier subdivision, and Artillery Corps subdivision, with each subdivision providing two battalions of men to each Army Corps. The Royal Navy was the youngest branch in the ROA, consisting of 35 total ships with a large majority being brigs and third-rates, due to the lack of funding the navy had. The navy had only a few thousand sailors whom were well trained, and largely consisted of conscripted men from the coastal provinces of Ossotia. Finally, the Royal Guard was only two thousand men strong, and included the Home Guard and the Royal Marines. The Home Guard was the most prestigious unit in the ROA, consisting of only 100 individuals whom were the best soldiers in the Royal Grenadiers or the Royal Marines, picked by the Monarch personally. The Royal Marines comprised the rest of the guard, and they served in most overseas deployments. The ROA would see much more action than its precursor, fighting in the First World War, the 1870 Colonial Wars, and many minor conflicts in both Malea and Catel. The ROA served with distinction in all conflicts it fought in, and was rarely defeated on the field or at sea. The ROA would also see the addition of the Royal Air Force in 1901 after the invention of the armed biplane. The air force would initially only serve roles in recon, however after the inventions of General Macowitz in 1906 during the conquest of Messera, it would also begin serving bombardment and air superiority roles. However, in 1920 the ROA would be once again reorganized and reformed as the Monarchy was abolished, in order to transition the nation into a federation.

The Ossotian Federal Defense Forces would be officialized in 1920 after the formation of the Ossotian Federation, and would become the official armed forces of Ossotia from then on. The OFDF consists of four branches, however an unofficial fifth branch has recently been added due to its hefty cooperation with the other four. The four official branches are as follows: the Ground Forces [ODFG], the Air Forces [ODFA], the Maritime Forces [OMDF], and the Intelligence Commision [ODIC]. The unofficial fifth branch is the Ossotian Department of Border Security [DBS], which has recently begun heavy cooperation with the OFDF to lessen the extent of refugee influx into already destitute areas in Ossotia, and to prevent illegal entry into the nation by refugees not following the entrance process. The ODFG consists of over six hundred thousand active personnel and hundreds of armored vehicles, and currently serves to secure Ossotia's geopolitical status abroad by participating in peacekeeping operations and counter-insurgency operations across the globe. The ODFG has also seen domestic deployments in North Rascia to maintain law and order in the region due to the ongoing riots. The ODFA consists of 4,670 total aircraft and serves a major role in Ossotia's military doctrine. It currently serves to provide ground support to deployed ground forces across the globe, however is organized and equipped to specialize in air superiority operations and to participate in providing a safe airspace during a military campaign. The OMDF is vastly different from its ancestor, the Royal Navy, mainly due to its strength and its funding. It is the second most funded branch of the OFDF, with the first being the ODFA, and is currently composed of over 400 vessels, all with state-of-the-art military technology. The navy also has the Naval Air Commission, which consists of four aircraft carriers and over two thousand naval aircraft. The NAC serves mainly to achieve air supremacy at sea and to provide ASW and precision strike operations during a war at sea. The ODIC is the only non-combatant branch of the army, and currently consists of over 25,000 personnel, and 2,800 declared field agents whom collect information from ongoing military operations and provide the intelligence to the ODIC databases for analysis and adaptation. However the ODIC is also known for using spies and infiltration tactics to collect information and to influence world events, and is infamous for its success during the Cold War between Ossotia and Nevakia in the 1980s. Finally, the DBS serves a more domestic role, however is not officially considered part of the OFDF. Currently composed of 45,000 guardsmen, the DBS garrisons the borders with Greater Cynea and with the Catel region, preventing illegal refugees and helping properly admit those fleeing from conflict into Ossotia. The DBS is the most strict of all the branches in regards to its use of lethal force and its deployment of armed force, with the average officer being armed only with a Glock 19 pistol for self defense. Due to the bad reputation the DBS has with lethal force, the use of the pistol by an officer constitutes a large amount of paperwork and legal review due to many restrictions and federal anti-gun policies, making officers often unable to properly stop threats when they emerge, which has also contributed to a recent increase in border security officer deaths.

Foreign Deployments

The Defense Forces currently serve a major role in only two foreign conflicts. Over six thousand servicemen are currently deployed as part of international peacekeeping operations in Nezea following the signing of the Lengerda Ceasefire in 2021, however these peacekeepers are currently being prepared for a slow withdrawal back home after a shift in Ossotia's foreign policy. This has opened the peacekeepers up to disdain and opposition by the local population, which is outraged by the decision due to the fact that the ceasefire will be at a higher risk of collapse should peacekeepers withdraw. A further three thousand servicemen are currently deployed in Cynea to help combat Anti-Governmental Forces terrorists in both South Cynea and North Cynea. This operation is part of a wider counterinsurgency operation against the AGF.