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Kingdom of Katranjiev
Arabic: Мамлакат Катранияжиф
Katranjian: Кралство и Катранджиев
Lec: Крулствѫ Катрәнчиевә
Motto: Дю е с нас
God is with us
Anthem: Katranjiev, ti priyaten zemya
Katranjiev, thy pleasant land
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Outline of Katranjiev
Outline of Katranjiev
Capital
and largest city
Krasimir
Official languagesArabic, Katranjian, Lec
Ethnic groups
(2015)
Katranjians (48%)
Arabs (36%), Lecs (10%), Other (6%)
Religion
Costeny (67%)
Txoism (24%)
Other (7%)
None (2%)
Demonym(s)Katranjian
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
• Queen
Elis
Elena Magdarov
• Party
Conservative Party of Katranjiev
Independence
• From Namor
AD 723
Area
• Total
182,812.571 km2 (70,584.328 sq mi)
Population
• 2015 census
23,903,392
• Density
130.753546/km2 (338.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)estimate
• Total
$802,876,452,819
• Per capita
$35,588.39
GDP (nominal)estimate
• Total
$746,314,812,465
• Per capita
$31,222.13
Gini (2013)29.7
low
HDI (2015)0.913
very high
CurrencyKatranjian zalot (Ƶ) (=100 tsent) (KJZ)
Time zoneST
Date formatmm-dd-yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+55
ISO 3166 codeKJV
Internet TLD.kj

Katranjiev (Arabic: Катранияжиф, Katraniajif, Katranjian: Катранджиев, Katranjiev, Lec: Катрәнә, Katrënë) is a country located on the continent of Borea in Esquarium. Katranjiev is bordered to the east by Mazaristan, to the north by Lecia, and to the south by TBC, and abuts the Gulf of Gelyevich to the west.

Etymology

Katranjiev comes from "katranjia," standing for one who works at a tar pit, referring to the mines in (TBC) in the southern reaches of the country.

History

Prehistory

It is believed that the first known evidence of human life in Katranjiev was a homo ergaster from around 1 million years ago near Vetovo in Krasimir. The earliest known settlements in present-day Katranjiev date to around 8,000 years ago. Around the same time, agriculture became prevalent in Katranjiev.

Like neighboring Lecia, the Kléwërny culture inhabited eastern Katranjiev between 1100 BCE and 600 BCE, when the Arénowo culture took over, and ruled until around the 200s BCE.

First civilizations

Ruins of Mekabiru

Following the collapse of the Arénowo culture, two civilizations rose roughly independently at around the same time.

Southeastern Katranjiev was taken over by the Genida, who spoke Old Genida. Around 140 BCE, Arogewi united the Genida to create the Genida Empire, with its capital at Mekabiru, near present-day Mekbiru. During the Genida Empire, they developed a polytheistic religion, a writing system, and a legal system.

Western Katranjiev was taken over by the Argilians, who established city states along the western coast, including Desislav (Argilian: Δέκαδόξες, Dékadóxes) and Messurion (Μεσούριον). A loose federation was formed in 100 BCE, known as the Tessapotamian League, comprising of Desislav, Messurion, Iliev (Ομορφιά, Omorfiá) and Revmati (Ρευματι), as well as other smaller states.

Neo-Sepcan invasion and rule

Emperor S'linceslav I of the Neo-Sepcan Empire launched an invasion on the Tessapotamian League in 520 CE, as part of his eastern conquests. After several deadly battles, the Tessapotamian League capitulated to the Neo-Sepcans in 521 CE.

Following the surrender of the Neo-Sepcans, the Emperor imposed a system of sualny on the newly conquered lands that were part of the Tessapotamian League, and encouraged those who partook in the conquests to settle down in the newly conquered lands. As most of the soldiers were followers of Costeny and were Vitrians, it had an effect on the character of the area.

Over the coming decades, the Argilian community began adopting Vitrian customs and the language that would later become the Katranjian language. The traditional Argilian pantheon was largely abandoned by the end of the sixth century, except in more secluded areas of Katranjiev, where they continued to persist well into the 15th century. At the same time, despite many lords governing the area, by around 610 CE, the lord in Krasimir became the most important leader in the region.

In 615 CE, Krasimiran lord Momchil the Brave launched a war against the Genida Empire following a devastating raid conducted by the Genida people against Krasimir. His aim in the Genida-Sepcan War was to expand his lands and his territory, in order to increase his position within the Neo-Sepcan Empire. Thus, over the next thirty-seven years, the Genida Empire attempted to fight back against the forces of Momchil the Brave, and his son, Vladislav, until by 652 CE, Vladislav the Conqueror seized the capital of the Genida, Mekabiru, and took the last Emperor of the Genida, Yemechtewagi hostage. Following this seizure, he forced Yemechtewagi to surrender his land to his forces, in exchange for his freedom. When he did so, Yemechtewagi was taken to Desislav, with the intention of being given to the Neo-Sepcan Emperor as a gift.

However, Vladislav's rule over the Genida was short-lived, as by 659 CE, Arab tribes from neighboring Mazaristan took over the land and named it al-Hawd (Standard Arabic: الحوض, Katranjian Arabic: Алхавд). While in 673 CE, Vladislav did retake the land from the Arabs, he decided that because of the bravery of the Arabs, that the Arabs shall be "allowed to maintain their religion, language, and customs," provided that they swear fealty to him and his heirs.

After Vladislav's death, his son, Ludmil, became Lord of Krasimir. Under Ludmil's rule, he sought to expand his realm to "the lands of the deserters." To this end, in 681 CE, he launched the first of many wars between Lecia and Katranjiev, as he sought to take present-day Sekhessia from the Second Chiefdom of the Lecs.

(TBC)

Early medieval era

A preserved medieval village in Krasimir's outskirts

After having achieved independence from Namor in AD 723, the new King of Katranjiev, Vaclav I sought to convert the population from Txoism to Tastanism by constructing cathedrals and churches. At the same time, he sought to ensure that the new monarchy remained independent from the (declining) Neo-Sepcan Empire and from the Namorese.

When Vaclav I died in 759, his son ascended the throne as Vaclav II. Under his reign, Katranjian began to flourish as a spoken language, and among the Slavs, it was widely adopted by local Slavic peoples, especially the nobility who previously spoke Namorese language. He did much to help the people, but realizing the vast expanse that Katranjiev had, he divided them up into various duchies, giving his favored nobles land and substantial power, and granting himself the title "Duke of Krasimir." In Krasimir, after a fire in 779, he ordered that it be rebuilt with a huge emphasis on stonework and aesthetic beauty.

After Vaclav II's death in 801, his son, Vaclav III became isolationist. Shutting himself out from both Luziycan and Namorese culture, he forbade Argilian and expelled many Namorese to present-day Riro, which he felt was "uninhabitable and useless land" in AD 811. However, in AD 815, Vaclav III was killed following a dispute with his wife. His son was an infant, so the wife assumed the title of Queen, as Sofia I. She initially ruled as regent, but in AD 830, when Vaclav IV of Katranjiev was of age, Sofia I kept a strong grip on power and declared herself King. While she reopened up to Luziycan culture and permitted Argilian, few Namorese remained in Katranjiev due to Vaclav III's cultural genocide. However, in 834, Vaclav IV fled Krasimir and declared his capital to be in Sudak, splitting the country into two parts. In response, Sofia sent an army to defeat Vaclav IV, but it backfired: many sided with him and marched on Krasimir. Finally, in 838, Sofia I was killed and Vaclav IV was crowned as the rightful King.

Under Vaclav IV, he kept his mother's policies regarding culture, but instituted Salic law to prevent a crisis that happened again. However, as he reigned, he kept the powers of the Dukes in check and increased the influence of the church over Txoism. However, some Dukes began militarizing, especially along the "granichna" (marchland) with Namor. Thus, in 846, Vaclav IV required that dukes if they conquered "territory one third the size of their duchy or larger, they must give that territory to their second son still alive: if none can be found, it must be given to the nearest male relative," mainly to eliminate threats against Krasimir. In 851, Vaclav IV would die, and his son, Vaclav V took power.

Vaclav was the last major King to play a huge part in early sovereign history, with him deregulating defense to the Duchies and giving them autonomy except monetary affairs and a "tithe" paid to the crown every ten years, of 1/10th of the profits each Duchy made in the past decade. After his death in 882, Vaclav VI ascended the throne, but he only functioned as King of Katranjiev when needed: otherwise, he was more of the Duke of Krasimir. His successors maintained a "hands-off" attitude to ruling Katranjiev.

Later medieval era

By 1108, Vaclav XI took the throne, and reasserted royal authority. With the eastern duchies slowly planning on conquering Riro, he increased the tithe to 1/5th of all profits in the past five years, and changed the Royal Edict of 846 so restrict existing duchies from adding more than one half of their existing area for the new territory, meaning that if a duchy conquered an area ten times the size of its original area, that area will be a separate Duchy. At the same time, the new rules bankrupted many Duchies, resulting in a reduction of Duchies from seventy to twenty, and the rise of the influence of the Apostol family who ruled the Duchy of Desislav. By 1137, he died with no clear successor: he had no son, but he had a daughter who was married to a Duke from the Apostol family, but since their descendants weren't considered legitimate, it passed to his nephew, Vaclav XII.

The duke, Todor Apostol responded by refusing to pay tithes, and invaded its neighbors, stopping at the Reka River. He then declared himself King Apostol I, again dividing Katranjiev into two Kingdoms. Todor and Vaclav XII would wage war on each other, though it was stalemated, and thus, in 1149, they both signed a treaty of "temporary separation," allowing both to keep their titles as Kings of Katranjiev, and send delegations to other nations, but otherwise were basically sovereign.

Todor Apostol responded by reducing the number of duchies in his territories to four: Chavdarov, Haralambi, Deyan, and Desislav, the latter of which he set his capital, Desislav, a former quiet fishing village which he developed into a suitable royal city, and a major port city, displacing Sudak in the process. The truce would last until 1268, when Vaclav XVI attempted to depose Nikolai Apostol, then the claimed King of Katranjiev by invading the southeast. While Vaclav XVI made huge gains at first, his army suffered from a lack of morale, and after a decisive defeat in Albena, Nikolai's forces advanced past the mountains and eventually surrounded the northern capital of Krasimir. In 1273, Nikolai's forces ousted Vaclav XVI, and Nikolai tore the 1149 treaty, and declared himself King Apostol I of Katranjiev.

Under the reign of Apostol I, political unity was restored, and he converted Katranjiev from Tastanism to Costeny. While he was both Duke of Desislav and of Krasimir, he reduced the amount of suvalny and only the "marchland duchies" were permitted to keep their traditions and privileges. He even gave the marchland duchies incentives to take the north and the east: the Duchy of Talnakh gained influence as a result, taking some land in present-day Luziyca and in the east, albeit slowly to avoid violating the Royal Edict of 846. By 1289, Apostol I died and his son, Apostol II took the throne. Apostol II moved the capital to Desislav, mainly to reduce what he perceived was "cultural dependence upon Bethlehem," and more to move the capital to his main stronghold. Unfortunately, in 1293, the Duke of Talnakh did exactly what Todor Apostol did, but instead turned the tables: Duke Vladimir of Talnakh took over Krasimir and declared himself Vladimir I of Katranjiev. To make things complicated, in 1306, both died of the plague, and their sons, Apostol III and Vladimir II fought, albeit stalemating. Finally, they came to a peace treaty where they agreed to name a daughter of Vladimir II as King, in exchange for her marrying the Apostols, and a substantial sum of money. This agreement would mark the end of the medieval era in Katranjiev.

Anagenisi

Vidyo Bachev and his daughter

As a result of the agreement between the two claimants to the throne, Sofia II took power in 1309, marrying Apostol III's son. The capital was moved back to Krasimir, but was under a joint regency of her father and father-in-law. When she turned 15 in 1315, she became Kral in her own right, and under her rule, she encouraged more conquests. By 1330, she conquered the Principalities of Duna and Athos, Veresk, and thus, Katranjiev reached the Sprska Sea. At the same time, she ordered an invasion on present-day Riro, with the intent of setting up duchies. Many settlers came with the soldiers and gradually, the Katranjians were halted by the Namorese until by 1369, the Katranjians were able to conquer it. The region was divided into duchies and they were granted "marchland" status, as well as the Duchies of Duna, Athos, Veresk and Talnakh, while revoking that status from the rest. This enabled Katranjiev to have uninterrupted access to the Gulf of Gelyevich.

After her death in 1372, her son was to choose either Apostol, Vladimir, or Vaclav, and he chose Vaclav XVII of Katranjiev (or Vaclav the Terrible), out of spite of the grandparents. Vaclav the Terrible revoked the rights of the duchies and purged many opponents of the monarchy, including many Dukes. He centralized the army, the bureaucracy, and importantly established a permanent trail linking the north to the south in 1396, via a series of passes that were ordered to be "kept clear" for "all traffic," thus reducing the time needed for information or goods to travel from six months to three months. Vaclav XVII however in his later years was obsessed with the morbid, and Vaclav XVII was stabbed to death twenty-seven times in 1407, leaving the throne to his grandson, Vaclav XVIII.

Vaclav XVIII was noted as the "most learned fool among the Cositenes" since he issued edicts on numerous subjects, but was incompetent in ruling. In 1409, Duna and Athos, as well as Veresk fell to a Lombardian invasion. He eased the treatment and restored the rights revoked by his father, but by 1413, he was declared mentally unstable by his son, and locked in an oubliette, where he died of starvation. His son, Vaclav XIX attempted to centralize the system, but he was killed by nobles in 1419. His direct relatives were killed as well, and an election was held to select a new King.

In 1420, Apostol IV of Katranjiev was elected King by the nobility, and he responded by increasing military defense and bolstering them along the marchlands. He gave some more rights to the nobles, but many were content to let him rule all of Katranjiev, and so he issued decrees that centralized the government a bit, by balancing interests of the nobles and his interest to see a united Katranjiev. In 1439, Apostol IV began investing in the arts and began to encourage education by sending teachers to teach the merchants how to read. However, in 1453, Apostol IV died of the plague, and his son took the throne.

The plague killed about 55% of the population, mostly in the northern plain, but also on the trade route to Desislav. The new King, Apostol V responded by temporarily moving the capital to the high-altitude Gorbachev and in 1459, with the literacy levels rising, he opened the Royal University of Krasimir, the country's first university with the intent to rival St. Anthony's Academy in Bethlehem.

In 1463, he moved back to Krasimir, and Apostol V was invested in the needs of the population. Thus, in 1468, he called a "Subranie na provintsiyata" (estates-general) with 100 clergy, 100 nobility, and 100 commoners, each with one vote, to give a "suitable amount of power to the King, while leaving some for the nobility." They all approved with 3-0 to do so, and thus, he delegated mundane tasks to all but marchland duchies, which kept their original rights: mainly salutes, honors, and arbitrating disputes between landowners, commoners, and criminals. In 1484, Apostol V would die, and his grandson, Apostol VI took power as King.

Under Apostol VI, he continued his father's wish for centralization and needs: he was the first to deliberately travel around the country, mainly to observe how ordinary people lived and see the complaints, touring it from 1485-1489. In 1489 after he returned, he instituted legislation that would abolish serfdom, but the nobility threatened to kill him unless if he held another estates-general. Thus, in 1490, it was held and the legislation was defeated 2-1. The King hammered out a compromise though, requiring that "the lords treat the serfs as well as they do the freedmen," approved by all three estates. In 1493, he once again toured the country, and after returning in 1497, he concluded that their grievances were mostly met. In 1506, he began to commission paintings and build a new palace, though he remained sympathetic to the needs of the poor. Finally, in 1516, Apostol VI would die of tuberculosis.

Apostol VII continued the policies, and toured from his coronation to 1522, but began seeing a new problem as more people embraced Tastanism. Thus, in 1523, he declared that all those following "schismatic sects of the national religion" (i.e. Tastanists) were to be punished, but the Religious Edict of 1523 also declared that "all Dxoists (archaic name for Txoists and common Katranjian name) shall have the right to practice their religion openly and be protected with the same rights as their Cositene brethren."
The Religious Edict of 1523, while supported by Namorese was opposed by Tastanists, of which many people, mainly Luziycans have converted. Thus, while Apostol VII attempted to lure artists to Katranjiev, he was massing his forces. Apostol VII began attacking Tastanists and the Duke of Talnakh, Paul Talnakh who by then converted to Tastanism responded by attempting to overthrow Apostol VII. Apostol called on Bethlehem to support his Kingdom and prevent Paul from being King. Paul took Krasimir, and Apostol VII fled to Desislav. Paul declared himself King Pavlov, but by 1528, the Mikragan and Katranjian armies defeated King Pavlov and executed him. To punish the Duchy of Talnakh and to prevent it from being too influential, in 1532, he signed a treaty in Krasimir splitting Talnakh into two: the eastern part would be subject to Kheratia, and the Duchy of Talnakh which remained Katranjian, thus dividing the city into two parts, including the castle.
After the treaty, Apostol VII having dealt with the Tastanists returned to ruling day-to-day, and with the Renaissance, he encouraged more learning, and discussion. He tolerated lese majeste against himself and permitted criticism of his politics, including the war, but he forbade Tastanism. In 1528, having recovered, the capital returned to Krasimir, and he toured the country again. Both times, he published reports stating the conditions of the peasantry. Then in 1536, he toured one last time, but he died in Trifonov (present-day Baicheng) in 1541 from alcohol poisoning.

Grandson Apostol VIII would take power, under the regency of his mother, Sofia of Krasimir until 1552. In 1552, he was able to rule by himself, and he immediately toured all of Katranjiev like his predecessors have done, and published another report in 1557 after returning back to Krasimir. In 1567, he repealed the Royal Edict of 846 that regulated the size of the duchies, and implemented the Royal Edict of 1567, which abolished what is left of special rights for all ranks below duke except for their title, but giving them a stipend. In addition, a salt tax was implemented, at a tax suitable to the King, but exempting Riro, mainly to fund centralization and the stipends. The other marchland duchies were greatly reduced in rights except defense.

In 1570, he once again toured the Kingdom, and when he returned in 1575, he published another report on the needs of the government. Notably, in 1576, he published a document that provided a budget for the maintenance of the Kingdom, showing an apparent surplus of 300,000 zalot. In 1583, Apostol VIII negotiated a new treaty that gave the entire castle to the Barony of Talnakh in exchange for the right to transport and another treaty with Veresk so to have a single village be a fishing port.
In 1593, the King set the number of Duchies to twenty, and in 1595, conducted the first nationwide census. The results in 1597 were compiled into the "sobstvenost i zemyata" (land ownership) book which compiled 62,592 landowners, of which only 4,108 owned land greater than "one section" (i.e. 2.5 square km). The "dependents" list comprised about 93,459 people, and the peasantry list had 81,953 freemen and 114,696 serfs, plus 591 slaves and 6,014 criminals. As well, there were 19,444 merchants, thus, when combined, they all add up to 378,749 people, with the largest city being Desislav at 31,593 people (12,194 merchants, 3,341 landowners, 12,033 dependents of landowners, 4,005 freemen, and 20 slaves), with the runner-up being Krasimir at 11,403 people (6,492 merchants, 1,042 landowners, 3,821 dependents of landowners, 133 criminals, 411 freemen and 44 serfs), combined only having about 11% of the population.

In 1604, Apostol VIII toured the country for the last time, and published a report in 1609, but died in 1610 of old age.

Enlightenment

In 1610, his grandson, Apostol IX took the throne. During his reign, Lizhov became a major port city in its own right, and permanently displacing Yichun and [[ as major port cities. In 1622, he toured Katranjiev and published a report in 1627 of the standards of the peasants and nobles, showing the south fared worse than the north due to the war. Thus, Apostol IX lifted many taxes including the salt tax in the south and increased the burden on the peasantry in the north. For the first time in 1628, he imposed the Salt Tax on Riro, as well as "tithes" from the duchies in Riro (1/10th of the income over five years in each duchy must be paid to the King). In 1633, a tidal wave devastated the southern shore of Katranjiev, with over 3,000 lives lost, though Lizhov was only slightly damaged with 20 people from there killed, due to the rebuilding efforts of Apostol IX. However, unlike Lizhov, Apostol IX refused to fund construction efforts of the cities, stating that "God destroyed these towns because He was displeased with the sins that have been occurring in these towns, unlike Lizhov which have followed God."
This response triggered a peasant revolt in 1634, led by Sasho from Albena. Sasho declared himself King Deyan of Katranjiev, and sought to march to Katranjiev. He called on the help of Mikrago and Bethlehem to support him, but neither backed him, instead sending their own forces to back Apostol IX. In 1635, at the Battle of Krasimir, Apostol IX barely defeated the rebels, and Sasho managed to escape. As punishment, he reinstated the taxes on the southern duchies, except the city of Desislav. The increased taxes only motivated Sasho to lead yet another rebellion, this time backed by the Duke of Deyan, Oleks Deyan in 1640, and after taking all the land south of Karpati Mountains, he managed to cross them and take Krasimir, forcing Apostol IX to flee to the city of Predplanina in 1641. During the brief reign of King Deyan, he held an Estates-General which almost immediately instead of a creation of a permanent Parliament resulted in a majority voting for Apostol IX to return to power. When Apostol IX returned in 1643, he executed Sasho, and temporarily split up the Duchy of Deyan into Severna-Deyan and Yuzhna-Deyan, and also declared that "should the Duchy be united, Chavdar shall be the new capital, not Albena." The Duke was also executed in 1645, and in 1647, he once again toured the country. That year, a flotilla arrived in Jathana, with Emil Danielov defeating a fleet of pirates and being granted the Raj of Sarusala as a reward.

In 1649, Apostol IX was brutally slain in Albena by angry civilians resentful for the crackdown of the rebellion and his refusal to rebuild the town.

Since he had no son, it passed to his nephew, who took the throne as Apostol X. In 1651, he reunited the Duchy of Deyan but kept the capital in Chavdar. Nonetheless, he finally extended funding to rebuilding Yichun, Haruki, and other towns, as well as lowering the tax burden on merchants. In 1652, he toured the Kingdom to investigate the situation of the peasants and the Empire. After his return in 1658, he published a report and a budget showing a surplus of 600,000 zalots in the treasury. In 1663, he began to invite scientists to reside in Krasimir. In 1670, Apostol X decided to embark on a "Golyamo" tour, to traverse the entire country, not just to find out how the peasants are doing, but to experience the local cultures. After spending a decade visiting every town and village in the country, he returned and published a book describing the variations of Katranjian culture, from the "Dxoist peoples of the littoral," to the "Luziycans in the West" and the "Old Katranjians of the South," and each outlining the subcultures and which towns they were most prevalent, releasing the massive compendium in 1682, describing the languages, customs, variations, staple foods, religions, population, and even how they perceive authority (the total population was 512,491 people, but didn't describe their structure). In 1688, an avalanche devastated parts of Krasimir, but the King quickly funded the reconstruction of the city into a grander city, shaping its modern day appearance. In 1692, he began conceptualizing plans for a "wagonway from Desislav to Krasimir" that he hoped would "cut travel time to only a month." 20 miles of it were laid from Desislav to a nearby town (32 km), but the nobles convinced him that it was a waste of money, and the project was abandoned, albeit not before it became a popular attraction, reducing commute times to only two hours from a day or two. In 1695, Apostol X began to invest in mining, and by 1700, the seeds of the Industrial Revolution have took hold in Katranjiev, with the first cities to industrialize being Krasimir and Desislav. In 1702, Apostol X made a tour of the country, seeking another Golyamo Tour, but in 1710, he died in his sleep in Sudak.

Prokudin Palace, seen in 1921

His great-grandson, Apostol XI was just 4, so his mother ruled as regent. In 1711, she declared herself Queen Sofia III (Sofia the Morbid), but officially, she was still a regent. As a widow, she wore black and was obsessed with the morbid, often ordering impalements and hangings for her own amusement, while abusing her son to the point of "severe mental and physical damage," according to the nobles. By 1719, the nobles had enough of her behavior and the Dukes of Talnakh, Durvo, and Lovets agreed to execute Sofia III and implement their own regency for his own safety.

In 1721, at the age of 15, Apostol XI ascended the throne, but years of constant abuse meant that he was not able to make crucial decisions. Thus, the three Dukes convinced him to make him only Duke of Krasimir, and pass the title of Duke of Desislav to his cousin. In 1722, Apostol XI toured the country, and he was quickly dubbed "detekral" or "child king" for his childish demeanor, taking delight in things that "amused the young." A doctor that was by his side stated that "he was so abused by his mother that he has basically become a child in mind, though adult in body," and also noted the "flat face that looks like a spitting image of a Namorman." He didn't have a clear idea of what was right and what was wrong, resulting in the Triarchy making important decisions. Notably, when he returned to Krasimir in 1730, the Triarchs wrote a report based on the testimony of the doctor on his tour, and in 1732, they decided to build a palace for the King's pleasure near one of his favorite spots: on the slope of a mountain surrounded by forests, resembling an old castle, completing the Prokudin Palace by 1740. In 1743, it was said "his mental age was about five or six, while he was physically thirty-seven years of age." Apostol XI often invited children to play with him at his hillside palace, where he resided more often than at Krasimir Castle, which he hated.

In 1748, he decided to tour the country again, with the subjects appreciating him. After a report was written by the doctor, when he returned in 1756, Apostol XI was officially placed under a regency under Apostol's doctor, Dr. Nadezhda, whose family lived most of the time in the palace. In 1758, he was strangled to death by an overly curious boy at the Prokudin Palace, and his cousin's son took power as King Zhivkov.

Industrial revolution

Katranjian factory, 1872

Zhivkov's first act as King of Katranjiev was to reduce taxes on the merchants. In 1761, he attempted to reduce the hold of the guilds, but he was forced to hold an Estates General, where it was voted 2-1 to keep the guilds. Despite that, he curbed their influence and permitted substantial industrialization.

By 1770, Desislav became an industrial city, and Zhivkov embarked on another tour. Like that of his great-great-grandfather, Apostol X, he took ten years to visit, and published another book similar to that in 1784, describing the ways of the peoples of Katranjiev, similar to the "Golyamo" book, and listing the population at 801,492 people. It listed Desislav as the largest, at 101,851 people with Krasimir the second largest at 78,391 people, and to some extent also replicated the Land Ownership Book of 1597 but with updated information, albeit it was less detailed than the original book.

However, in 1785, the Hao dynasty launched an invasion of Riro, seeking to retake it and incorporate it back into Namor. While Katranjiev defeated the Hao militarily and inflicted casualties, as King Zhivkov felt concerned that "the Oriental population have greater manpower than our tiny realm," he entered into talks to prevent the Hao from launching another assault. Thus, in 1786, the Treaty of Lizhov was signed, with the taxes collected in the five duchies (Iztokov, Katran, Maritsa, Trifonov and Valeriev) be equally divided between the two countries, and allowed authorities from both countries to operate. Thus, Riro became a condominium between the Hao and the Katranjians.

In 1788, Zhivkov began printing paper money for zalots and the ten srebumi piece (the zalot was divided into 20 srebumi, 1 srebro was divided into 12 chasti, with 1 chast divided into 4 treski/tresk), while keeping coins for the rest, mainly to reduce cost. In 1790, he issued an Edict regulating the usage of Latin and issued the first major standard of Katranjian, mainly that the "official text to be used in documents is to come from the dialect spoken in Krasimir." In 1792, Zhivkov began to improve the "roads" between towns which were at the time just dirt paths, and by 1800, most of the strategic routes (i.e. direct) had cobblestone save for those crossing the Karpati Mountains as result of Zhivkov's plans to improve the roads, and in 1806, he introduced a government mail service, although private carriers still were allowed to serve "personal mail." In 1812, King Zhivkov died from old age.

His son, Apostol XII took office, and invested in experimental railroad technology. Thus, he built a wagonway to Iliev, reducing travel times from a week to a day. At the same time, many mining guilds started to expand their search with more and more modern technologies, mainly to find coal, gold and copper, and invested in railway technology. By the end of the 1810s, many wagonways/railways were being built, and industrialization had increased: in 1824, oil was first struck near Baicheng. During the 1820s and 1830s, innovation had increased, and standard of living initially rose. At the same time, romantic nationalism began to appear, with many advocating a "Greater Katranjiev" with control of Veresk, Duna and Athos (in present-day Mikrago), parts of Kheratia adjacent to Katranjiev, as well as lands of Namor across the sea. In 1840, a song embodying the ideals of Katranjiev was performed and it was adopted as the royal anthem. By 1842, many of the wagonways have converted to the steam engine, and in 1845, a new line from Krasimir to Desislav was built, shortening travel times from three months to three days. In 1848, the first telegraph network was laid between Desislav and Krasimir, and by 1851, it was connected to Bethlehem's system.

In 1854, Apostol XII implemented a network of state schools, serving from Kindergarten to Grade 6 with the intent of mass-education, and the following year, all Katranjian male children were required to attend school: whether state or private. State schools were only permitted to teach in Katranjian and were to depict its history in a positive light.
However, prosperity was not to last: in 1860 with news of revolution in Limani and the installment of Huswa Varanken as leader, many Luziycans in the western regions of Katranjiev began clamoring for unifying Katranjiev into Luziyca, due to their common Slavic culture. Thus, a revolt led by Igor Sprskov began with the intent of forming a Republic and uniting with the Republic of Luziyca. Huswa's forces supported the revolt and some of them helped assist the revolt in Katranjiev. Thus, Sprskov's forces were able to capture much of the land west of the Reka River, dividing Katranjiev into two. Realizing how fruitless it would be to flee to Desislav by rail since the rebels could easily take it over, he decided for a last stand, and in 1861, the Battle of Krasimir showed a monarchist victory. However, the railroad network that had since been built enabled the rebels to be mobile and take Desislav in 1862, before being ousted the same year. By December, they conducted the annual truce, but the Katranjian monarchists used the opportunity to weed out as many Republican rebels as they could. In the process, Sprskov was captured, and was hung in early 1863. After news of the fall of Bethlehem came, Apostol XII appealed to Duna and Athos, Veresk and Talnakh to join Katranjiev, and while they took up the offer, the Luziycans invaded the area and by Dec. 24, 1863, the Katranjians were forced to return to the 1532 borders. However, the agreement promised that Luziyca will leave Katranjiev alone. Thus, Apostol XII invested heavily in rebuilding the country, and in 1865-1866, conducted a nationwide tour by train. In 1868, he abolished serfdom and released all serfs. In 1870, the first true census since 1595 was conducted, showing a population of 1,314,596 people, with Desislav having 214,002 people, and Krasimir having 155,302 people. By 1880, it rose to 1,591,490 people, with Desislav being at 239,592 people, and Krasimir at 223,594 people. Apostol XII died in 1883 of old age in his sleep.

Constitutional monarchy

In 1883, King Apostol XIII took power, and embarked on massive reforms. In 1884, he convened an Estates-General, doubling the Third Estate so it formed half of the Estates-General and giving each member one vote instead of each estate. Most importantly, he ordered that they all meet together instead of separate rooms, making the session the first one since 1641 (under usurper Oleg) or in 1490 (under Apostol VI). The King proposed reforms, to permanently keep an estates-general under the Parliament with two houses: the National Assembly and the Royal Assembly. An elected Prime Minister will be chosen by all male citizens over the age of 21, and most importantly forced all the Duchies to implement legislatures similar to that. Passing 625-575, mostly from the Third Estate, the King devolved much of his power and erased virtually much of the remaining powers of the Dukes, including that of the marchlands, which he felt were no longer needed.

Thus, in 1885, a new constitution was implemented, providing suffrage to men over 21, formally abolishing all the remaining rights and privileges of the Katranjian nobility, save for an annual stipend from the state, titles and land, and ended the feudal system in Katranjiev. Those powers were to be delegated to the legislatures of both the country and duchy, including a 150-seat National Assembly, thus requiring a census every 10 years in a year ending with a zero. Thus, the first PM, Dragan Tsankov was elected on a non-partisan platform. Under Tsankov's rule, he expanded compulsory education from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and modelled it closely on the Luziycan system. In 1889, a constitution was granted to Kalena, giving it independence. He was re-elected in 1890, and the economy remained prosperous, thus resulting in his re-election in 1895.

However, Tsankov died in 1896 from tubercolosis, and elections were held. Those elections saw Miro Karapetrov of the Conservatives win. Under his brief time in office, he formally supported Luziyca in the Namo-Luziycan War and mended ties with Luziyca. However, Miro Karapetrov was arrested and charged on charges of homosexuality in 1898. He was removed from office, and was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Radoslav Mladenov, although the scandal was enough to bring the Conservative government down in 1900, with a vote of no confidence after a controversial budget.

In 1900, PM Leonid Simeonov became PM, the first from the Liberal Party. In 1902, women over the age of 30 were given the vote, and by 1904, Katranjiev was prospering economically. He won the 1905 election, and in 1906, officially permitted "any and all" religions, superseding the Edict of 1523 that outlawed all religions but Txoism and the official religion, Costeny. The following year, the earlier road network built by Zhivkov began to be improved to be safe for motor traffic, with the first car officially licensed in 1907, as well as a road linking Desislav with Krasimir, completed in 1909. In 1908, Katranjiev bribed Hào officials in the area immediately to the east of Katranjiev to be placed "under the protection of Katranjiev" due to rumors of an "impending" republican revolution against the Hào dynasty in Namor. In 1910, Simeonov retired from politics and another Liberal candidate won.

In 1910, Yuri Sokolov won, and in 1911, a post office system was officially started. The next year, a welfare system began, and in 1913, he saw living standards rise. However, in 1913, Apostol XIII died of a stroke, and his son, Apostol XIV took power and became the King of Katranjiev. That same year, Katranjiev annexed the far-eastern duchies, and incorporated the area into Katranjiev. Yuri Sokolov improved the economy and during that time, Glodzhevo became a major rival port city to Desislav. By 1914, the region had been completely divided up into duchies.

In April 1915, Grigor Nadezhda of the Conservative party won the election. In 1917, Grigor implemented a free K-12 education system and supported literacy programs for the Katranjian language which he said was "the greatest language that mankind has ever witnessed. If more speak and write in this marvelous tongue, then the world shall be better off."

Grigor Nadezhda won the 1920 election by a landslide, and throughout the early 1920s it became a major trade hub. In 1923, Grigor created a non-partisan civil service. In 1925, Nadezhda retired from poltiics and another Conservative candidate, Ilarion Boyanov became Prime Minister.

Ilarion Boyanov continued Grigor's policies, and by the late 1920s, oil was first struck in the Katran region (tar sands which dominated much of the area), which resulted in great wealth for Katranjiev. However, he died from a stroke and was succeeded by Samuil Li, who called for snap elections.

Marion Daskalov was elected. While he provided oil and financial support to the allies, and set up defense, he decided to improve the conditions of the poor. Universal healthcare was introduced in 1930, and a public housing program began. However, he was voted out in 1933 for a controversial budget.

The Conservatives won again, with Ognyan Simeonov (son of Leonid Simeonov) becoming the fourth prime minister. Ognyan ceased the expansion of the welfare state, but because of its popularity could not be dismantled. In 1935, he lowered the minimum voting age to 20. This helped Ogynan win a second term in 1938. During his second term, Ogynan sought to rebuild relations with Lecia, and to ensure a "friendly neighbor" policy in a belief that it would prevent Lecia from attacking Katranjiev.

(TBC)

Multicultural era

Contemporary era

Prime Minister Paul Grigoryev, 2008

Fresh elections brought the Liberals into power, and the first Prime Minister from the Luziycan minority, Paul Grigoryev was elected. Paul finished the process of restoring religious life, and by 1996, all churches have been reopened except those deemed redundant which were kept in their previous roles. Paul increased relations with other nations and restored much of the trade ties lost under the Liberationists. The economy kept growing, although it started to slow down. In 1996, it sided with Luziyca in the Namo-Luziycan War, and more troops from the Luziycan Armed Forces were deployed in Katranjiev to warn the Namorese to stay out of the country to supplement the Royal Katranjian Army and the existing troops stationed there. After the war ended, Katranjiev continued its growth, and by 2000, it had one of the highest standards of living. Grigoryev won again, but on July 21, 2001, Apostol XIV died at the age of 106. His grandson, Apostol XV became King, and it was hailed for being an orderly transition. By 2004, the National Energy Program saw an investment in solar and wind power, reducing their dependence on oil power. In 2005, Grigoryev won again, becoming the first Prime Minister to serve three terms in Katranjiev. The NEP continued, and by 2008, 45% of electricity was produced by renewable energy compared to 3% in 2003. The economy however contracted in 2008 due to a financial crisis in Luziyca, and while it was resolved quickly in Luziyca by 2009, it lasted until early 2010, but it was not as severe due to the welfare system, albeit many corporations downsized their jobs. In 2010, Grigoryev was voted out of power.

With that, Viktor Kahut was elected from the Conservative Party. Some deregulation, legalizing offshore banking, and an end to the NEP helped restore economic growth, and the recession was over by mid-2011. In April 2014, Riro achieved independence after a referendum, taking all the eastern duchies but Trifonov, which voted to stay within Katranjiev. Kahut called an election, and was voted out in a general election in May, bringing in Liberal leader Magarit Ogynan as the new Prime Minister, making her the first female Prime Minister in the Kingdom.

In July 2015, Apostol XV abdicated to his daughter, who styled herself as Elis of Katranjiev, who became the first female monarch in nearly three hundred years, and the first female head of state of Katranjiev since Nuoju Zeng's tenure as Prime Minister.

Magarit Ogynan in 2017 introduced the single-transferable vote, and following its passage called a snap election, which saw her party tie with the Conservatives: the Conservative candidate, Elena Magdarov, formed a coalition with the far-right Katranjian Independence Party. However, the coalition collapsed in 2018 when the government associated the Kheratian government in finding the K-70 submarine without consulting the Katranjian Independence Party.

Geography

Zhivkov Beach
Section of beach near Zhivkov at sunset
Mt. Nashtoinik
The peak of Mt. Nashtoinik is 2,954 meters above mean sea level.

Katranjiev is a medium sized-country located in East Borea. It only has about 300 km of coastline, and as a consequence, only a few major port cities. It has an area of 182,812.571 square km (70,584.3283 square miles), and one of the denser regions in Esquarium with 23,903,392 people living in the country. About a third of the population live in the Desislav metropolitan area consisting of many cities, including the 1,032,933 people living in Desislav. The largest city proper is Krasimir, at 1,643,192 people, which serves as the capital.

The Katranjian landscape can be divided into five regions: the densely populated Nizina plains (Katranjian: Низина) which are home to fertile soils as a result of its location among major river deltas, such as the longest river of the country, the Reka River, and is home to most of the population, with the largest city, Desislav, situated on the Reka delta.

North of the delta, the plains becomes drier and hotter, until it becomes the northern Kretszkebòwo Desert in Sekhessia, with populations largely concentrated along the coast, and the Motlawe River. The Kretszkebòwo Desert is home to significant deposits of bauxite and other aluminum ores.

To the east of the Nizina, are the Frura Mountains (Katranjian: Фрура планина, Frura planina, Arabic: Жибал ал-Васи, Jibal al-Wasi, Lec: Чəпикы, Czëpnéky), with the subranges being the Czëpnéky bordering Lecia to the north, and the Central Frura Mountains to the south, separated only by a mountain pass connecting Krasimir to the southernmost desert. The highest point in Katranjiev is Mount Nashtoinik, at 2,954 meters above sea level, located in the Frura Mountains.

To the south is the Genida Desert (Katranjian: Пустинята Генида, Pustinyata Genida, Arabic: Сахра Жанидаан, Sahra Janidaan). Although it is the least fertile part of the country, the Genida desert is home to an abundance of natural resources, such as phosphate, copper, and iron ore, which has led to an economic boom in the region.

Finally, to the west of the Nizina is Vrakos Island, which forms the entirety of the duchy of Vrakos. While the coasts are fertile, the mountain on the island is rocky, and cannot support agriculture.

Administrative divisions

Katranjiev is divided into twenty-two duchies (khertsoga). Prior to 1883 (and especially during the Middle Ages), the Duchies were essentially sovereign ruled by "khertsogs" (dukes), who only paid lip service to the King of Katranjiev, although over the centuries, their powers were reduced as power was centralized. By 1883, the power of the Dukes were reduced to only being ceremonial heads of the duchies, with "tori-ministeri" (premiers, literally second ministers with "purvi ministeri" standing for Prime Minister of Katranjiev or first minister) being heads of the Legislatures (zakonodatelna) and the head of the governing party. They were abolished in 1940, and replaced with communes, based on municipal borders and typical areas, but was restored in 1976 when the Liberationists were brought down.

Today, they are in charge of education, healthcare, sales taxes, additional welfare, and regulations (besides federal regulations). They share concurrent jurisdiction in justice, income taxation, policing, and transportation with the federal government. However, these regulations are not as loose as in Luziyca.

Below the duchies, there are also 1,465 municipalities, with one municipality (Rekagrad) being part of two duchies: Sokolov and Chenov.

Map Duchy Capital Population
Desislav Desislav 6,153,233
Genalzim Bizuwiha 2,941,683
Deyan Chavdar 1,936,507
Krasimir Krasimir 1,382,933
Iztokov Mishigi 1,154,201
Sokolov Sokolov 923,211
Iliev Iliev 921,883
Slava Tagan 899,100
Durvo y Lovets Predplanina 898,259
Sekhessia Zukòwò 810,310
Chenov Todorov 828,130
Antoni Igor 725,392
Kamuk Nevyarno 720,281
Talnakh Talnakh 658,291
Solomon Smirnov 545,193
Haralambi Evgeni 521,402
Katran Dengzhou 454,014
Valeriev Ming 403,207
Chavdarov Kamen 319,503
Maritsa Chunov 330,105
Genkov Genkov 228,391
Vrakos Ashfali 148,163

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highway in southern Katranjiev

Katranjiev has 22,000 km of highways and 563,222 km of paved roads altogether within Katranjiev, with the car being the dominant form of transportation in the country. The minimum age to drive in Katranjiev is 16, and all cars registered in Katranjiev must have valid license plates.

However, Katranjiev has a railroad network operated by Royal Katranjian Railways, with the most busy line being the "Tsentralna" line from Desislav to Krasimir, and continuing north to Talnakh where it becomes the Desert Wind line on the Luztrak network. It has railroad links to Namor, Riro, TBC, Luziyca, and TBC, as well as road links towards these countries. There are also maritime transport, but river transport is generally only used for pleasure cruises. Most of the maritime transport for cargo usually is from and to the port of Desislav.

It has Katranjian Airlines as the country's flag carrier.

Healthcare

Katranjian healthcare has become a universal system since the early 1940s, and is traditionally considered to be one of the most robust healthcare systems within the region. There are 3.3 doctors per 1,000 people, and 5.2 nurses per 1,000 people, as well as 1.1 midwives per 1,000 people. The quality of many hospitals and clinics are high, especially since the early 1980s when reforms caused by the end of Liberationism helped boost the quality of healthcare which had stagnated from the mid-1940s as a result of the Little Green Fever.

Katranjians are well known for their long lifespans: the average life expectancy as of 2015 is 81.45 years, and is often attributed to their healthy eating habits, a tradition of physical activity, and the climate, especially in the southern duchies.

Education

A school in Desislav

In Katranjiev, the education system was modelled on the Luziycan education system. While it still follows the general principle, there have been some alterations to the general concept over the years, notably by changing the years in 1953 from "Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2..." to "Year 1, Year 2, Year 3..." to distance itself from Luziycan imperialism. The school year lasts from the first Monday of September to the last Friday of June, though it varies by duchy since they are in charge of education.

It has optional pre-kindergarten for children ages 3 to 5. On the year of the child's fifth birthday, children are required to enter a primary school with what would be Kindergarten in Luziyca being "Year 1." While they vary by duchy, after completing Year 5 (Grade 4), many enter intermediate schools, where they attend until finishing Year 9 (Grade 8). Afterwards, all students enter secondary school. When one turns 16, students can drop out, but most continue until Year 13 (Grade 12), when they take the Royal Academic Test. Those who pass can graduate, but if they fail, they must repeat Year 13.

After graduation, many students go on to university. Some of the most prestigious universities are the Royal University of Krasimir, located in Krasimir.

Economy

Sestri extraction site and refinery in northern Trifonov

The economy of Katranjiev is reliant on the sectors of tourism, banking, mineral extraction, and manufacturing. The country's nominal GDP is $1,786,554,893,476, of which 31% is from mineral extraction (mainly oil), 31% from banking, 29% from tourism, 7% from manufacturing, and 2% from agriculture.

Major corporations headquartered within Katranjiev are Banka Krasimir (banking), Yuzhen more usluga (cruise ships), Frederick's Fries, and Sestri (oil extraction), and Yurgan (hotels).

Demographics

Ethnic groups

Katranjiev is widely considered to be a multicultural country. As of the 2015 census, it has 23,903,392 people residing in its sixteen duchies, with 11,425,821 people (47.8% of the population) identifying as ethnic Katranjian, 8,573,433 (35.9% of the total population) identifying as Arabs, of which 857,811 are refugees or descendants of refugees from Mazaristan as a result of the ongoing Mazari Civil War, and 2,446,031 (10.2%) identifying as Lecs, of which 1,223,007 are either refugees or descended from refugees who fled Lecia following the creation of the Lecian Workers Republic.

1,458,107 (6.1%) are of other ethnic groups, with the largest immigrant group being the Sarkezi, who are descendants of Auregan miners.

Religion

Religiously, 15,497,334 people (64.8%) are Cositenes, followed with 2,600,157 Txoists, making up 10.8% of the total population. 1,744,948 people (7.3%) follow Tastanism, and 645,392 people (2.7%) follow other religions, mainly Buddhism and Hinduism. 14.4% of the national population are either agnostic or atheists, officially considered irreligious by the government.

Languages

The three official languages in Katranjiev are Katranjian, Arabic and Lec, all written in the Cyrilic alphabet.

Katranjian and Lec are both part of the Slavic language family, with Katranjian generally used in the western regions, while Lec is spoken in Sekhessia.

Arabic is part of the Semitic language family, although due to its rule by Katranjians, it has absorbed a lot of Katranjian loanwords, and is generally written in the Cyrillic alphabet.

Politics

Monarchy

Katranjiev is a constitutional monarchy, having been governed by the House of Desislav almost continuously from 1273, with a few exceptions due to ursurpers claiming the Katranjian throne. Since 2015, the current monarch has been Elis of Katranjiev, following the death of her father, Apostol XV on the 14th anniversary of the start of his reign, due to his thyroid cancer.

The Constitution of 1885 forbade the monarch from proposing laws and/or decrees that have an "impact on the day to day operations of the country," except succession law, which the monarch is the only person to issue legislation regarding the succession law of the Katranjian royal family. Thus, the monarch is a figurehead, and is expected to serve as a representative of the nation. While the monarch of Katranjiev can refuse to grant assent to legislation, it is rare, and is only expected to be done in circumstances where there is an "imminent threat" to the democratic traditions of the country.

National

File:NCKat.png
Composition of seats in the National Assembly as of the 2014 election

Since 2014, the 20th National Assembly (Narodnoto subranie) has been elected with 150 seats. The largest party is the Liberal Party of Katranjiev, with 81 seats, the Official Opposition are the Conservative Party of Katranjiev with 57 seats, and the party with the least amount of seats are the Liberationist Party of Katranjiev which once ruled the country from 1937 to 1976, holding the remainder of the seats. The two major parties are the Conservatives and Liberals, often competing in the central and southern regions, with the northern Luziycan areas being a Conservative stronghold and the south being predominantly Liberal, although it has Conservative ridings. The Liberationist stronghold has traditionally been the Riro region, where many Namorese live, though with the independence of much of Riro, there has been a drop in Liberationist support.

The leader of the Liberals is Prime Minister Margarit Ogynan, the leader of the Conservatives is Elena Magdarov, and the Liberationist leader is Rikard Daskalov. While both major parties appeal to Katranjians, the Conservatives are supported by the Luziycans moreso than the latter. The Liberationists are supported by ethnic Kannei Namorese, and is widely considered to represent Namorese interests, while Slavs tend to oppose the Liberationists, primarily due to the totalitarian state under Huankun Chen.

Judicial

Traditionally, the Kingdom of Katranjiev followed common law. However, during the People's Republic of Katranjiev, socialist law was implemented, beginning in June 1938, with all laws having been switched to the new standard in May 1941. Following the restoration of the Katranjian monarchy in 1976, common law was restored, but a law had to be passed to permit "ordinary" convictions (i.e. not politically motivated) during Liberationist times to remain in effect, and for records of "ordinary" offenses to be carried over.

Today, Katranjiev's judicial system has had great influence from both its own traditions of common law, as well as from Luziyca and Namor.

Policing is served by the ducal police, though the Ministry of Defense helps coordinate the police forces.

Culture

Literature

Traditional Katranjian literature is generally steeped in epics and adventures. Only the 1700s did other topics begin to be more common, particularly political and religious pamphlets. In the 1930s, the Golden Age of Katranjian Literature saw a rise in romance, action and science fiction, as well as a renaissance in adventures and political books.

Media

Katranjiev due to multiculturalism has a diverse media. The primary television network is the state-run KTV, which broadcasts in Arabic, Katranjian, and Lec. The government also operates Katranjian National Radio in these three languages.

The three major national newspapers are Slevdovatel (Katranjian), Al-Rasul (Arabic), and TBC (Lec). All are broadsheets and tabloids have a rather poor reputation.

Sports

Golkolka, 2003

The two most popular sports in the nation are cycling and association football.

The Golkolka is a major cycling race held in the country, having been held continuously since 1909. It is not to the same calibre as the Grand Tours in Esquarium, but is often considered to be one of the major cycling competitions in the region, and one of the few major cycling competitions on the professional level where both men and women can compete side by side.

Football is a major sport, with many professional clubs existing in the Royal Katranjian Football League, with the Premier League home to the best teams in the nation.

Cuisine

Katranjiev's cuisine has had quite a lot of influence, due to it being at the crossroads of Arab and Slavic cultures. A major food that is popular nationally is the kiselo milyako. In the east, traditional Arabic foods such as kuzi, falafels, and guzodabo are widely consumed, while in the west, pita and baklava are heavily consumed. In the north, Lecian cuisine is widely consumed.

A common dessert consumed nationally is Garash cake, though lokum is especially common. Since the early 1900s, Katranjiev has had a high reputation for their sweets, especially chocolate, with one of the highest consumption rates of chocolate per year.

A beverage symbolic of Katranjiev is Chavdarov wine, usually consumed on special occasions such as weddings and birthdays, but in general, wine consumption is more common in the south than in the northern parts of the country, where beer is consumed.

Holidays

Below are a list of national holidays, often referred to as "statutory holidays."

Name Daten Description
New Year's Day January 1 Celebrates the start of the new year
Namorese New Year moveable Celebrates start of the Namorese lunar year
Good Friday moveable Commemorates the death of Jesus
Easter Sunday moveable Commemorates the resurrection of Jesus
St. George's Day April 23 Feast day of patron saint St. George, considered to be national day
May Day May 1 Celebrates the achievements of laborers
Restoration Day May 11 Celebrates the restoration of the Katranjian monarchy following a referendum in 1976
Pentecost moveable Celebrated 49 days after Easter Sunday
Midsummer June 24 Celebrates the start of summer
Memorial Day July 12 Commemorates the war dead in all wars fought by Katranjiev, held on the anniversary of the end of the Battle of (TBC) in Riro in 1785
Queen's Birthday August 26 Celebrates birthday of the Queen
Dissident Day December 11 Commemorates the dissidents who opposed the tyranny of the People's Republic of Katranjiev
Christmas Eve December 24 Night before Jesus was born
Christmas Day December 25 Celebrates birth of Jesus
Boxing Day December 26 Traditional gift-giving day in the north
New Year's Eve December 31 Celebrates the end of the old year