Charnea

Empire of Charnea
Flag
Motto: Woe to the Wicked
Anthem: Hallowed Land
Capital	Arkroryx
Largest city	Stetz
Official languages	Charnean
Recognised regional languages	Arabic Morghur
Ethnic groups (2017)	See Ethnicity
Demonym(s)	Charnean
Government	Holy monarchic stratocracy
• Atafsher-Padishah	Terrzanka Arrzen
• Executor	Amina P. Shahi
• High Seeker	Kita Sartec
Legislature	USG-CLA
• Upper house	National Council
• Lower house	General Assembly
Establishment
• Declaration of Holy Cause	14 August 353
• Treaty of Gomgara	25 February 916
• Burning War	1827-1855
• Ascent of Terrzanka Arrzen	21 December 1979
• Edict of Arkroryx	6 March 2004
Population
• 2018 estimate	64,723,174
• 2013 census	64,289,660
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$503 billion
• Per capita	$7779.45
Gini	25.9 low
HDI	0.701 high
Currency	Charnean Lira (CLR)
Date format	mm.dd.yyyy
Driving side	right

Charnea, formally the Empire of Charnea is a martial theocratic monarchy located in central Borea. The Charnean Empire is bordered by the UNIR and Alatistan to the west, Kadaria and Narmada to the south, the Xiaodong and Tinza to the east and Kheratia to the north. Charnea holds a short western coastline consisting of the easternmost waters of the Gulf of Gelyevich, which is Charnea's only sea access. Charnea is populated by and estimated 64,723,174 people, only 43% of which live in the nation's urban centers. The majority ethnic group of the Empire is Charnean which has historically been divided between sedentary and nomadic cultures of the Ninva Desert in central Charnea but has undergone gradual homogenization since the initial foundation of the Charnean Empire. A large minority of ethnic Morghurs inhabit the northeast of the country, and numerous Nautasian groups such as Arabs, Pasdanis and Alatis are also present within Charnea.

The Charnean Empire has existed continuously since its formal establishment by the first Atafsher-Padishah, Ziga of Relentless, at the end of the Wars of Foundation in the year 353. At an age of 1,666 years in 2019, Charnea is the second oldest extant state in Nautasia behind the Aburrite Empire. Charnea is widely considered to be one of the ancient cradles of civilization in Esquarium, alongside the Aburrite Empire. Following the Charnean Golden Age, the Empire underwent a period of prolonged stagnation and decline, culminating in the Burning War, which saw Charnea plunged into a multi-sided civil war which lasted for 28 years. The period of reconstruction and reunification which followed the conclusion of the Burning War would mark the start of a gradual modernization of the country and development of the primitive and highly agrarian Charnean economy. The Charnean Empire be restored to its maximum historical extent following the War of Reclamation fought against an alliance of Charnea's former imperial possessions. Wartime industrialization during the War of Reclamation and in its immediate aftermath led to the rapid expansion of the Charnean railway and roadway networks and the advent of heavy industry, which in tern paved the way for the Charnean mining boom of the 1920s. While Charnea suffered a significant defeat in the Irvadistan War costing the Empire many lives and countless resources, the nation's economy has largely recovered and continued on its trend of growth and development. Today, the largely industrialized Charnean economy is based on manufacturing combined with mining and the exploitation of Charnea's oil reserves. While oil was discovered in 1956, extraction was highly sporadic until the nationalization of oil under COPEC in 1988 which led to the elimination of the national debt and a reduction of poverty in some areas.

Demographics

Religion

Historically, Charnea has practiced polytheistic Ancient Charnean religion which emerged over 6,000 years ago in the Obul basin. Local faiths were also practiced outside of the Obul basin such as Tengrism in the northern steppe or the Zathothnet Faith in the Shokletai and Kuresh mountain ranges. Much of Charnea's ancient religious diversity was lost after the advent of Sadulaarsa in the Charnean desert. While initially highly persecuted and nearly pushed to extinction, Sadulaarsa spread to the desert tribes including the Telkachek when it was driven underground. Upon the Telkachek conquest of the Obul basin in the Wars of Foundation, the Declaration of Holy Cause formally founded Charnea as a holy empire of Sadulaarsa. Enjoying a special status as the state religion and integral foundational principle of the Charnean Empire, Sadulaarsa has spread across the Empire since the 4th century. Few remnants of older religions such as Tengrism persist in small, peripheral territories, while the vast majority of the Charnean population identifies as adherents to Sadulaarsa.

Composition of Charnea by religion
Sadulaarsa			93.72%
Tengrism			3.01%
Irfan			2.67%
Other			0.60%