Veltria

The Sanctified Republic of Veltria جمهوری مقدس ولتریا (Imrinaic) Kutsal Veltriati Cumhuriyeti (Veltrian)
Flag Great Seal
Motto: ما برای همیشه به چشم خدا هستیم (Imrinaic) "Forever under the Eyes of God"
Anthem: سرزمین پدران ما (Imrinaic) Land of Our Fathers
Veltria (crimson). Disputed territorial claims (pink).
Capital	Amlaí
Largest city	Khuztanbul
Official languages	Veltrian Imrinaic
Recognised regional languages	Iskhasi Hashabic English French
Ethnic groups (2016)	67% Imrinian 15% Iskhasi 13% Kurzbaijani 4% Hashabian ~1% assorted ethnicities
Religion	Astąhvism
Demonym(s)	Veltrian
Government	One-Party Unitary Theocratic Republic
• Hierarch	Khosri V
• Grand Vizier	Jalir Cyranú
• State Councilor	Nadia Multabri
Legislature	The Supreme National Council
• Upper house	Guardian Standing Committee
• Lower house	National People’s Assembly
Establishment
• The Valtrissid Conquests	778 BCE
• Formation of the Imrinid Dominion	496 BCE
• The Veltrid Kritarchy	217 BCE
• The Safhadi Wars	411 CE
• Ezhiri Khanate	682 CE
• Vizierate of Imir	1284 CE
• Reorganized into the United Republic of Imir	26 April 1890 CE
• Unitist Revolution	12 February 1956 CE
• Formation of the Sanctified Republic	18 December 1956 CE
Area
• Total	2,257,161 km2 (871,495 sq mi)
• Water (%)	7.7
Population
• July 2018 estimate	112,809,727
• 2016 census	112,332,835
• Density	11.9/km2 (30.8/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2013 estimate
• Total	$2.2 trillion
• Per capita	$19,982
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Total	$1.8 trillion
• Per capita	$16,023
Gini (2016)	31.6 medium
HDI (2018)	0.822 very high
Currency	Díali (DIL)
Time zone	UTC+1 to +3 (ECT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	(+ 310)
ISO 3166 code	VLT
Internet TLD	.vl

The Sanctified Republic of Veltria (Imrinaic: جمهوری مقدس ولتریا - Veltrian: Kutsal Veltriati Cumhuriyeti) (commonly referred to as Veltria, the Sanctified Republic, Veltrian Republic, and the S.R.V.) is a unitary theocratic republic located on the Phaegian continent. Situated in what was once the heartland of the ancient Imrinid Dominion, the Sanctified Republic also claims (limitedly recognized) territorial sovereignty over the “Magisterial Vizierates” of Akkasti and Kythira in northern and mid-eastern Phaegia respectively, and administers a military outpost on the Yulai Islands. Bordered to the east by the Halcyon Ocean, and to the west by the Sea of Azhiv, Veltria's only land borders are shared with the Emirate of Iskasha'ar and the Taijud People's Democratic Republic in the north, and the Kingdom of Hashabia in the south. Comprised of a land area of 2,257,161 km2 (871,494 sq mi), Veltria is the largest nation on the Phaegian continent, and seventh largest in Undria by landmass. With 112.3 million inhabitants, Veltria is also Phaegia's most populous nation, and the only nation on the continent that controls access through the Strait of Kaipherithon.

Veltria is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations. First settled by nomadic tribes 8,000 years before the founding of the ancient city of Amlaí, the plains along the western coast of the Orientalis peninsula emerged as the home of several diverse polities by the end of the 9th century BCE. First united through the military conquests of the Amlaíites in the 7th and 8th centuries, the region would later be ruled by the Imrinid Dominion, which from 496 to 217 BCE continued to expand into neighboring lands – eventually encompassing a territory spanning from the Sassani Ocean in the north, to the Q’ash river valley in the south. Overtaken in an internal coup by Astąhvist religious leaders in the 3rd century BCE, the Imrinid Dominion gave way to the Veltrid Kritarchy, which ruled the Dominion’s former territories for nine centuries, and contributed to a period of significant artistic and scientific advancement known as the Veltrid Golden Era.

A series of civil conflicts and devastating wars with the Sananshid Caliphate during the early 5th century CE however weakened the empire rapidly, and it eventually succumbed to the expansionist conquests of the Ezhiri Khanate in 682 CE. Rule by secular nobility was restored in the Ezhiri period, but most of the institutions and administrative traditions that characterized the Veltrid era were preserved and adopted by the Ezhiri. A rebellion by the Imrinians six centuries later in 1284 allowed many of the Khanate’s territories in northern Phaegia to break away, subsequently leading to the formation of the Vizierate of Imir, and a reestablishment of Imrinian home-rule. Descendents of Vizier Ilhad Attajik, claiming lineage to an ancient Imrinid royal bloodline, ruled the country for the next several centuries, and reasserted the kingdom’s traditionally powerful position in the region. Conflicts with colonial great powers in Efia however led to significant territorial losses and economic catastrophe for the Vizierate by the early 1880s, and in 1890 the Attajik dynasty was overthrown in the Asharib Revolution. Influenced by democratic movements in Efia, the “Revolutionary Fathers” in Asharib laid the foundation for a new constitutional order, and reorganized the Vizierate into the United Republic of Imir. The pains of industrialization and liberalization championed by early republican administrations coincided with a period of warming relations between the republic and its foreign imperial foes - drawing the ire of numerous Astąhvist religious leaders and fueling significant counterrevolutionary resentment. An alliance of nationalist and fundamentalist Astąhvists formed the Unitist Party in 1934 with the blessing of Hierarch Umlayyad, and entered parliament following elections later that same year. The assassination of several Unitist political leaders by operatives of the communist Lih'ad Party in 1955 coincided with the disputed reelection of President Jamal Nasser, whose administration had presided over the Imiri navy’s decisive defeat (alongside its Protestant allies) at the Battle of Yarma during the War of Krumaarian Succession. Nationalist resentment boiled over into the streets, eventually culminating in the 1956 Unitist Revolution – overthrowing the Nasser government, and establishing the Sanctified Republic of Veltria as a single-party, theocratic republic under the leadership of the Astąhvist Hierarchs.

Longstanding animosity between Veltria’s nationalist government and several major international powers, particularly the Latin Empire and the Imperial Commonwealth of Bellatoria, has left the Sanctified Republic comparatively isolated on the international stage. Relations with its Islamic southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Hashabia, have remained sour since the 1956 Unitist takeover sparked a Hashabian invasion and annexation of Kythira, which the Veltrian government persists in refusing to recognize to the present day. The Sanctified Republic’s alleged support for sepratist and terrorist cells operating in Kythira and Akkasti has also further isolated the religious regime, though the country’s leaders continue to wield strong influence over the nearly 800 million Astąhvists both within Phaegia and across the globe.

Long considered a nation of great geostrategic importance because of its control of the Strait of Kaipherithon, as well as its domination of the oil-rich Sea of Azhiv, Veltria ranks as one of the largest regional trading powers on Phaegia, and has consistently been a leading economic force in Undria since industrializing in the early 20th century. The country boasts significant reserves of rare earth minerals in the Kiriji Mountains, as well as a burgeoning industrialized sector focused intensely on technical hardware manufacturing and research. Though primarily a regional power, Veltria wields considerable influence over international security issues and energy policy in Undria. Amlaí, the country’s capital and 2nd largest city, is the ancient seat of the Veltrid Hierarchs, as well as Veltria’s primary governing institutions, and remains a leading center of economic and cultural exchange in Phaegia. The city also boasts one of the lowest overall urban crime rates in the world, despite dealing with a rising population living beneath the national poverty line.

Veltria is a member of the Phaegian Economic Community (formed in 1963 as a compact between numerous recently decolonized Phaegian states), the Undrian Regional Council, and is a leading signatory of the Akkria Mutual Assistance Pact. Veltria’s longstanding cultural legacy has been further reinforced by the designation of twelve Global Heritage Sites by the URC within its borders. Its unique political system, based on the 1956 Unitist Constitution, blends elements of a parliamentary republic with an Astąhvist theocracy dominated by the country's clerics; wherein the Hierarch, the head of the ancient Veltrid Magisterium, wields ultimate influence over government activity. Imrinians, the ethnic descendents of the Amlaíites, constitute a vast majority of the nation’s ethnic makeup, although a small multitude of minority ethnic and linguistic groups also exist. Most Veltrians identify as practicing Astąhvists in communion with the Veltrid Magisterium, and Veltrian (a western-Phaegian based blending of Ezhirish and ancient Imrinian) is the official national language.

History

Main article: History of Veltria

Veltria in the Unitist Era (1956-present)

Main article: 1956 Unitist Revolution

Geography

Geography of Veltria

• 

  Khuztanbul, on the Strait of Kaipherithon

• 

  Bayud Temple, Kiriji Mountains

• 

  Veltris River

• 

  Mt. Aylitha, Sútigor mountains

• 

  Dunelands of Daguur, Khalibi desert

The town of Suric is one of many high elevation communities in the mountainous Vilayet of Akişhir

View of the Sútigor mountains in Amlaí, Valtrissia Vilayet

Veltria's internationally recognized territory of 2,257,161 km2 (871,494 sq mi) lies between latitudes 13° and 29° S, and longitudes and 97° and 73° W. An additional XXXXX km2 (XXXXX sq mi) is claimed by the country in the neighboring regions of Kythira and Akkasti to Veltria's south and northeast, but these "historic" claims have limited international recognition. It shares its northern border (1678 km or 1042 mi, 847 km of which runs along the Nisabi River) with the Emirate of Iskasha'ar and the Taijud People's Democratic Republic, and its southern border (712 km or 442mi, consisting largely of the Khos River and Al-Bizen Heights) with the Kingdom of Hashabia. The Halcyon Ocean borders Veltria's eastern coastline, and to the Republic's west lies the expansive Sea of Azhiv.

Veltria's northern and central regions are considered some of Undria's most rugged terrain, dominated by the Khalibi desert and two large mountain ranges - the Kiriji mountains, stretching from the southeastern Khalibi to the Bay of Jakkris, and the Sútigor mountains stretching from central Valtrissia to the Velkhad peninsula. Mount Aylitha, Veltria's highest point (7,543 m or 24,747 ft), is located in the Kanangi section of the Sútigor mountains, and is the third highest mountain on Phaegia. Veltria's arid desert territories and salt lakes, often closely associated with Veltrian culture, geography, and history in film and art, are mostly contained within Khúffar and Falihdad Vilayets. The Republic's populous coastal provinces, in contrast, are covered widely by lush riverlands and fertile foothills - with some of the nation's largest and most important population centers built along the Veltris and Khirzast rivers. Three other rivers - the Al-Hubim in northern Sivissia, Zos in southern Şirnai, and Khos in southeastern Falihdad - also innervate the territories of the Sanctified Republic.

Since the early conquests of the Imrinid Dominion, Veltria (and its previous iterations) has controlled the Strait of Kaipherithon, through which today an estimated 28% of the global market's traded oil supply (and roughly 18% of all commercial maritime shipping) travels on an annual basis. The Republic's largest metropolitan center, Khuztanbul, situated on a prominent and controlling position on the Izali Horn, has historically been a major trading hub since the late Kritarchy period.

Climate

Veltria's climate is highly diverse. The arid climate of the central mountain ranges running along the spine of the Orientalis peninsula, and the unforgiving deserts to the peninsula's north, have encouraged settlement and growth in the region's more temperate coastal plains and riverlands - particularly in the present-day Vilayets of Çibariz, Valtrissia, and Kaiphiros (which together, account for nearly 42% of Veltria's population). These regions boast climate conditions ranging from the hot-summer mediterranean regions in the coastal south, to the warm-summer continental climates of northern and central Valtrissia.

The cold, semi-arid Kiriji mountains to the far north shield a number of population centers in Akişhir Vilayet from blistering desert winds and sandstorms, which frequently sweep down to batter the region each year (typically from mid-November to early-April). The arid desert lands of Khúffar Vilayet are primarily hot and dry year-round, while the deserts of Falihdad experience lengthy, cool winters. Veltria's eastern coast, stretching from Lakkâri Vilayet in the north to Şirnai Vilayet in the south, experience a generally oceanic climate year-round.

Regions and Vilayets

Khúffar Sivissia Akişhir Valtrissia Falihdad Kaiphiros Urzbaijan Çibariz Lakkâri Alğir Şirnai Kovaar

Veltria is divided into 12 regional provinces (Vilayets). Each is governed by a popularly-elected Vizier and regional assembly, with both serving triennial terms, but neither being permitted to negate or challenge decisions made by the national government. Veltrian Vilayets may be further divided into counties, and subdivided into districts and municipalities. Though provincial administrations rule officially by the grace and with the permission of the National People's Assembly, most political observers note the vast majority of laws a Veltrian citizen interacts with on a daily basis are promulgated at the provincial level. In the late 1980s, unrest began to mount in some of the Republic's outlying territories over the central government's perceived bureaucratic sluggishness and geographic distance from those it ruled. Viziers and other state officers had served as provincial governors since the era of the Veltrid Kritarchy, but had largely been styled as figures of central imperial authority over a province, rather than representatives of the people within a province. The administrative reforms of Yitak Guylam's government in 1988 provided for the creation of constituent assemblies in each of the country's Vilayets - replacing the older patchwork of overlapping municipal and district councils, and styled off of the National People's Assembly model. After their formation, these constituent assemblies gradually took on powers and responsibilities handed down to them from the national level, and today operate as fully functional (if not entirely independent) provincial governments within their borders.

Since the Unitist agricultural and economic reforms of the mid-20th century, Veltria's urban growth rate has rapidly accelerated, with modern estimates predicting 74% of the Republic's population will live within the metropolitan region of a city by 2025. Kaiphiros, Çibariz, and Valtrissia Vilayets have seen the highest rates of internal population migration since the 1980s, with their larger job markets and more developed access to amenities being the primary motivating influencers. Home to over 16 million people, the coastal capital of Kaiphiros Vilayet, Khuztanbul, is Veltria's largest city by population. Along with the nation's capital, Amlaí, Khuztanbul is a major nexus of Veltria's national communication and transportation infrastructure, and is the home of the republic's primary stock exchange.

Amlaí, Veltria's capital and second-largest city, has itself seen its population grow at a rate between 4-6% annually since 2003, prompting major infrastructure and housing development investments from both the national government and the country's private construction sector. It is the primary cultural nexus of the Sanctified Republic, nestled along the Veltris River in the foothills of the Sútigor mountains, and the location of many of the holiest sites in the Veltrid Astąhvist faith (including the Kavuşmayerit Sanctum and the Palace of the Prophets).

Asharib, with just under 7.9 million inhabitants, is Veltria's third-largest city, and the capital of the fertile Çibariz Vilayet. Situated on Lake Tzpár, Asharib historically used its natural access to the Khirzast River to exert political control over the region's surrounding floodplains, which have for centuries served as the vital breadbasket of the Orientalis peninsula. Prior to the Imrinid era, the city served as the cultural and political capital of the Iavasid Kingdom - one of the many coastal polities brought under the Dominion's influence in the 5th century BCE. Asharib's twin city at the end of the Khirzast, the port of Yimlan on the Sea of Azhiv, is also a major trade and industrial hub in Çibariz - home to the Izbari docks and the Karlık shipyards.

Name	Flag	Seal	Capital	Vizier	Total area		Land area		Population	Number of NPA Reps.	Abbriviation	GRP in million Díali (2016)	GRP per capita in Díali (2016)
					km2	mi2	km2	mi2
Akişhir			Akkria	Farzad Esfarhani (AUP)	298,938	115,421	282,782	109,183	7006742000000000000♠7,420,000	30	AKI	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Alğir			Izfah	Amaya Mohsen (AUP)	23,691	9,147	17,726	6,844	7006443100000000000♠4,431,000	18	ALR	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Çibariz			Asharib	Yasamin Daghzad (AUP)	243,773	94,121	239,192	92,353	7007106900000000000♠10,690,000	43	ÇBZ	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Falihdad			Shirhabad	Pasha Al-Khulib (AUP)	162,516	62,748	159,281	61,499	7007117200000000000♠11,720,000	47	FAH	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Kaiphiros			Khuztanbul	Lelia Azadi (AUP)	89,383	34,511	88,933	34,337	7007266800000000000♠26,680,000	107	KAI	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Khúffar			Yazdoloi	Kamran Mobaserri (AUP)	396,267	153,000	395,844	152,836	7006626000000000000♠6,260,000	26	KFR	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Kovaar			Qaresh	Ömid Bashidi (AUP)	19,482	7,522	16,264	6,280	7006441000000000000♠4,410,000	18	KOV	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Lakkâri			Súlaymir	Ervin Daihros (AUP)	153,486	59,261	140,113	54,098	7006582000000000000♠5,820,000	23	LAK	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Şirnai			Velmaji	Soraya Amrazi (AUP)	297,945	115,037	283,928	109,625	7006865000000000000♠8,650,000	35	ŞRI	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Sivissia			Khanzdir	Nilia Javfir (AUP)	169,738	65,536	153,552	59,287	7006679000000000000♠6,790,000	27	SIV	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Urzbaijan			Zarrikesh	Hazmid Sulba (AUP)	207,658	80,177	205,722	79,430	7006580600000000000♠5,806,000	24	URZ	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX
Valtrissia			Amlaí	Vahid Sajani (AUP)	193,279	74,625	188,727	72,868	7007109100000000000♠10,910,000	44	VAL	(D) XXXXXX	(D) XXXXXX

Demographics

Ethic Groups in Veltria (2016) Affiliation Pop. Percentage Imrinian   67.4 Iskhasi   15.3 Kurzbaijani   12.5 Hashabian   03.7 Other   01.1 Asharib National Census Analytics Institute

By far the largest ethnic population, Imrinians comprise roughly 67% of the country's population, forming demographic majorities across 10 of Astavia's 12 main provincial holdings. The Sanctified Republic is also home to several sizeable ethic minorities - incorporated primarily via the country's historic expansion during the Imrinid Era. The Iskhasi and Kurzbaijani, the second and third largest ethnic groups in the country, are descendants of the tribal polities that once ruled over the northern Kiriji mountains and the western plains of modern day Akişhir and Kurzbaijan respectively. A large Hashabian community, many of whom arriving in Veltria as refugees during the 1978 Veltrid-Hashabian War, is settled primarily throughout various enclaves in the Vilayet of Falihdad, and comprise roughly four percent of the nation's total population. Though many Hashabians living within Veltria today are professed Astąhvists (unlike their predominantly Islamic kin in the Kingdom of Hashabia), the vast majority adhere to the Shanshari branch of the Iskshuri sect. They however remain a protected religious minority designated by the reigning Heriarchs. While Veltria's population is comparatively large to its neighbors in Phaegia, the nation's large territorial size has fostered relatively low population density (though it is considerably higher for more developed regions).

Decimated by the Red Plague in the 1700s, Veltria's population has since recovered slowly over three centuries of development, climbing to a new peak in 2014, with 112.3 million inhabitants. The Republic of Imir's wartime conflict with the Kingdom of Hashabia and its Efian allies during the 1938-1947 War of Krumaarian Succession crippled critical agricultural infrastructure in the country's fertile southwestern provinces (Çibariz, Kaiphiros, and Valtrissia), indirectly leading to the starvation of an estimated 850,000 Imrinians, Urzbaijanis, and Iskhari over the final two years of the war. Mass starvation in the barren northern provinces (which relied heavily on food supplies from the south), drove a significant migration to the more temperate territories till the calming of hostilities towards the late 1940s. In the mid 1950s however, focused rebuilding efforts and family protection programs encouraged population growth across the nation once again. Following the Unitist Revolution in 1956, the new Astąhvist government presided over a national "Era of Rebirth," encouraging the raising of new families through a series of social reforms, and overhauling the nation's agricultural infrastructure. By the mid-1970s, the reforms had been credited with yielding a growth of the national population by 34%, and a tripling of the Republic's agricultural output in the later war years. From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Veltria's population has continued to increase, though analysts have noted at a significantly lower rate. A continued drop in death rates and improved birth rates still contribute to the nation's overall growth, but slowed immigration, as well as an increasing preference of Veltrians to raise smaller families, have cut back general growth significantly.

With roughly 11.3 births per 1000 people recorded in 2016 data, Veltria's birth rate is higher than those of most Undrian countries. Predictions made by the Institute for National Health that the birth rate will slow to approximately 10.6 births per 1000 over the next 10 years appear due in large part to rising cost of living in urbanized Veltrian regions, costs driven particularly by education and housing. Despite fluctuations in growth, as well as strong international resistance, the Veltrian government remains implacably opposed to the widespread distribution and use of contraception, demonstrated most recently in a 2013 move by the Guardian Standing Committee (GSC) to block a legislative initiative, led by the National Reformist Caucus in the National People's Assembly (NPA), to legalize the possession, distribution, and use of certain forms of contraception (including condoms, birth control implants, and ingested pills). The controversial measure was supported internationally by the Federal Republic of Auraliae, as well as many social-reform advocates in Veltria, seeking to loosen the grip of the Magisterium over domestic politics. From 2010 to 2014 however, monthly government child-assistance payments were doubled for low-income families in the 20th tax percentile and below - an initiative spearheaded by the Principlist wing of the Unitist Party, and passed with the support of the GSC.

Declining immigration rates prompted the government to enact several reforms in 2008 to simplify access to Veltrian citizenship. Following the 2008 "Immigration Reform Act," Veltrid Astąhvists abroad seeking to obtain Veltrian citizenship may apply for expedited temporary resident status, and upon completion in one of the nation's civil service programs, can be granted full citizenship. An amendment to the act, attached by the Principlist wing in the NPA, stipulated however that this offer of full citizenship was contingent on whether the immigrant renounces allegiance to all other foreign powers, and forfeits all other citizenships.

Government

Main article: Politics in Veltria

The Veltrian government, formed by 1956 Constitution, is officially a unitary theocratic republic - composed of an intricate collection of governing bodies, divided conventionally into institutions that exercise executive, legislative, and judicial powers. Separated into civilian and clerically-administered sectors, ultimate "custodianship" of the nation rests in the person of the Hierarch, who is charged with overseeing the country's national interests, while the day-to-day management of the country's legislative work and civil administration are entrusted to an elected legislature and various civilian institutions. Though governing power has historically been highly centralized in some form of national government for much of Veltria's history, a measure of legislative authority has been gradually granted to provincial assemblies in the decades since the 1956 Unitist Revolution, while municipal councils have been extensively involved in local governance and the maintenance of public order since the early years of the Imiri Vizierate in the late 12th century.

Executive

Khosri V is the current Hierarch of the Veltrid Astąhvist Magisterium.

Under the constitution ratified in the aftermath of the 1956 Unitist Revolution, the Hierarch (or Májiskoi in native Veltrian) of the Veltrid Astąhvist Magisterium is the Sanctified Republic's ex officio head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In addition to his or her primary role as High Prophet of the Veltrid sect of the Astąhvist faith, the Hierarch serves as the ‘’Mahraji’’ of the Holy City of Amlaí (an honorary title reserved for the Prophet), and the head of the Sacred Veltrid Dar. As a general term (coming from the transliterated ancient Imrinaic term for "door"), the "Sacred Dar" represents not only the temporal power of the Hierarch, but also his spiritual and pastoral authority over religious and civil matters. The Prophet serves a life term following his election by the Collegium of Sages during Kapal'shrir, and may not be removed from office after his ascension to the Hierarchate (though voluntary resignation is legally permitted). The office wields broad administrative powers, including the right to issue Prophetic "Juridicti" that carry the full force and effect of national law (when so stipulated), and the power to declare war and offer peace. Despite this official concentration of authority, Veltrian Prophets have largely delegated most powers to legislative procedure and civilian oversight. Hierarch Khosri V, born Darius Imran Al'khil, was elected on the 19th of May, 2014. Prior to his election, Councillor Al'khil served as the Minister of State, and has since become a polarizing figure in Undria. Hierarch Khosri's vigorous focus on serving the poor and marginalized portions of Veltrian society was seen as the primary initial focal point of his hierarchate until international events largely overshadowed most of his domestic work. A civil uprising in the Emirate of Iskasha'ar, sparked by the disputed results of the country's 2015 presidential election, kicked up an international firestorm which saw a major falling out between the Sanctified Republic and its southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Hashabia. Among more positive circles, Prophet Khosri is regarded as a champion of religious self-determination and a protector of Astąhvist communities around the region. Less enamored observers have frequently characterized his military exploits in Iskasha'ar as that of a "hapless warmonger," driven by a misguided "holy warrior" mentality, and a dangerous sense of "Veltrid supremacism".

National People's Assembly
289th Session
Crest of the National People's Assembly
Type
Type	Lower House of the Supreme National Council
Term limits	None
History
Founded	25 December 1956
Leadership
Speaker	Kiana Harzawi (AUP/UPC)
Grand Vizier	Jalir Cyranú (AUP/UPC)
Deputy Speaker	Aydin Inönü (AUP/UPC)
Overseer of the Opposition	Ekrem Jaskanu (AUP/NRC)
Structure
Seats	470
Political groups	AUP National Coalition (356)   United Principlist Caucus (249)   Clerical Patriotic Caucus (49) AUP Popular Coalition (162)   National Reformist Caucus (106)   Patriotic Labor Caucus (48)   Green Cooperative Caucus (18)
Elections
Voting system	Proportional
Motto
Birlik sayesinde, güç
Meeting place
Assembly Chamber Palace of the People Amlaí, Valtrissia
Website
npa.vel.gov

Legislature

The National People's Assembly, a 470-member chamber of elected representatives, serves as the national legislature. 442 members are elected sexennially to represent single-member districts containing approximately 250,000 citizens. "Resizing," a process by which constituent districts are redrawn according to population, is conducted every twenty years following the national census. Two members are elected specifically to represent the capital, Amlaí, and 16 members are elected from overseas territories. An additional 10 members are directly appointed by the Hierarch. The NPA nominates from within itself at the beginning of each new session, a Grand Vizier to serve as the nation's head of government, and highest civil authority under the Hierarch. After nomination, the candidate must be approved by at least three members of the Guardian Standing Committee, and not opposed by more than four (the nominee may also be confirmed by direct appeal to the Hierarch). As "first citizen of the state," the Grand Vizier is responsible for the day-to-day executive management of the government's civil responsibilities, and appoints a Cabinet of Ministers to oversee various national departments and agencies. The Grand Vizier is not however, empowered to interfere with the internal administration of the Magisterium, and may not influence or direct changes to the powers of the Hierarch, who reserves supreme authority over all matters of state. Additionally, several key government departments and agencies fall specifically under magisterial control - most notably, the State Ministry (administered by a Majir, or "Sage," appointed by the Hierarch), and the Institute for the Advancement of the Sacred Vision (whose leadership is exclusively controlled by religious authorities). The 1956 constitution delegates several powers to the National People's Assembly, including the powers to draft legislation, approve budget proposals, and ratify treaties with foreign nations. "Magisterial Assent" however, is required for legislation to become law.

Guardian Standing Committee

Structure of the Veltrian government.

To facilitate Magisterial Assent, a Guardian Standing Committee consisting of 12 Majiri is charged with the review of all legislative proposals passed by the NPA. The GSC may only veto legislation by unanimous agreement, though it is empowered to attach "mandatory amendments" to proposed legislation. Such amendments, carrying the support of two thirds of the Sages on the committee, function as editorial prerequisites for a bill's enactment. The amended bill, if not challenged by the National People's Assembly over a period of ten days, becomes law. If the NPA challenges the amended bill, it may move to the floor for debate again, followed by a "nullification" vote. A four-fifths vote may override a GSC amended bill, but it must be sent to the High Prophet for final enactment. At any time, the NPA or GSC may appeal to the Prophet to strike down or approve the law. The GSC is also responsible for vetting and approving candidates for political office appointments, and national elections. Citizens wishing to run as a candidate for the national Unitist Party must be reviewed by the Committee, and successfully petition the support of three Sages (and not opposed by more than four). Committee members (who serve septennial terms) are exclusively appointed by the Magisterium, with six directly appointed by the Hierarch, and six elected from within the Collegium of Sages.

The Amlaíc Içtima

Within the Veltrid Magisterium itself, a vast bureaucracy works in coordination with civilian government branches to facilitate effective governance. The Amlaíc Içtima is comprised of ten Institutes, thirteen councils, four ministries, and three tribunals. Among the most active of the major Içtima institutions are the Institutes for the Evangelization of the Peoples (IEP), which oversees the Magisterium's various missionary activities across Undria (and within the Republic itself), and the Institute for Communal Harmony (ICH), which functions as the nation's primary social aid provider. Most Veltrian social welfare, job training, food stamp, and public assistance programs fall under the administration of the ICH (typically working with funds provided by the Institute for Works and Means), although standards of national healthcare fall under the jurisdiction of the National Health Council.

Legal System

Main article: Law and order in Veltria

Modham Kazair (left) was appointed Veltria's Yüraştırmacı in 2011.

The authority to appoint the nation's "Hasidjir" (or, "Chief Justice") rests with the Hierarch, who selects a candidate from a list of four. Two names are submitted by the Chairman of the GSC, and two more by the Grand Vizier (both the Chairman and GV may concur on candidates, and stipulate such in the submitted list). In turn, the chief justice directly appoints the other 6 justices of the Supreme Judicial Council and the chief public prosecutor. Courts in Veltria are largely divided along secular and religious lines. For the most part, the secular courts of the nation bear the brunt of the civil cases and criminal prosecutions that make their way through Veltria's judicial system on a yearly basis. At the local level, 112 District Courts administer justice for both criminal and civil cases. Decisions made at the district level may be appealed to one of 17 Circuit Courts, which have appellate jurisdiction over specific regions across the country. At the highest civil level, the 7-judge panel of the Supreme Judicial Council, exercises total authority to reconcile discrepancies (constitutional or otherwise) between decisions made by Circuit Courts.

Three established tribunals exercise various forms of judicial power within Astavia's Catholic Church. Normal judicial appeals on sacramental matters (such as marriage annulment), may work their way up through local church courts to the Vetulian Rota. Some civil cases, if agreed upon by both parties, may also be taken to the Vetulian Rota provided both parties are practicing Catholics in good standing with the Church. The High Signatura is the supreme appellate and administrative court of the Astavian See, wielding jurisdiction over decisions made by the Vetulian Rota, as well as the administrative decisions of Church prelates. Additionally, it oversees and regulates the legal framework that innervates the Curia's administration. The Apostolic Suprema Council (colloquially referred to as the Cloistered Council) deals primarily with matters of conscience and morality. Officially, the Suprema is the judicial wing of the Office of the Holy Inquisition, which generally falls under the broad categorization of a Curial institution, though its administration and operation is largely kept separate from the Curia itself.

Astavian Catholics may also elect (so long as both the plaintiff and defendant assent) to have civil cases brought before an ecclesiastical court, officially convened by a Bishop, but typically administered by a designated local prelate. Decisions by ecclesiastical courts may be appealed to one of 13 Canon Courts (one for each province, and one for overseas territories), which are each overseen by three appointed Canon judges. These courts fall under the supreme jurisdiction of the High Signatura, the decisions of which (since they are carried out on direct Papal approval), cannot be appealed. While ecclesiastical courts are not empowered to hear criminal cases under normal circumstances, the Apostolic Suprema Council of the OHI wields loose powers to conduct trials and carry out sentencing for certain categories of offenses, including crimes endangering national security, treason, and heresy. Like the High Signature, the Suprema's decisions are final and cannot be appealed - rendering it ultimately answerable only to the Supreme Pontiff. The Curate's Court of Review, a sub-court of the OHI, handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics and citizens closely associated with the Church. The OHI's jurisdictional claim to legitimately investigate, detain, prosecute, and punish clerics and other Church officials has been the subject of considerable criticism between Catholic nations in Undria, particularly in cases where the alleged offending party has been a foreign national who sought refuge in his or her home country.

Military

Main article: Veltrian Armed Forces

VAF Su-27s flying a patrol run near the Veltrian-Hashabian border during the XXXX Secession Crisis.

The Veltrian military is divided into the Republic Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force. In a 2009 administrative audit, the military reported 377,000 personnel on active duty, as well as roughly 267,000 trained reservists in the Home Guard. The Republican Guard, a separate regime security force answering directly to the Magisterium, is estimated to number around 187,000 troops, divided amongst 11 infantry divisions, 4 armored divisions, various independent/specialized brigades, and several classified special operations units. The Sanctified Republic also possesses a paramilitary volunteer militia, operating under the direction of the IVB, known as the Sāzmān-e Cheshm, of whose 4.7 million civilian members, 58,000 are uniformed active duty personnel dispersed throughout the country. In wartime however, Prophetic decree may place the militia under the overall command of the Republican Guard.

Abandoning the Republic of Imir's previous mandate compelling all male citizens aged 18–25 to serve one year of military service during the 1956 Unitist reforms, Veltria's armed forces have since consisted of strictly volunteer personnel. The Sanctified Republic also boasts a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing most of its own military equipment, and exporting considerable amounts of hardware to regional allies and organizations. The International Arms Overwatch Committee of the Undrian Regional Council estimated that Veltrian small arms accounted for as much as 8.7% of all internationally traded firearms in 2013. The same 2013 report concluded that other Veltrian military hardware accounted for roughly 12.2% of the Undrian arms economy.

File:Guardingstsophia.jpg

PGF troops protecting the church of St. Sophia during Operation Ascalon in Belmia.

On March 22, 1968, following a significant escalation of tensions between the Sanctified Republic and the Kingdom of Hashabia, Veltria announced its first successful nuclear weapons test in the Khalibi desert. The announcement had followed eight years of dedicated research and development conducted under a classified program begun under the administration of Grand Vizier Lhora Balik in 1960. In spite of international pressure to denuclearize, the Veltrian Republic continued to advance its nuclear research, successfully testing its first thermonuclear device over the Marmis atoll in 1977, and its Işıkyan V inter-continental ballistic missile delivery system in 1991. For security reasons, the Veltrian government has repeatedly refused to disclose the number of field-capable warheads it has stockpiled for service, but international arms experts believe the Astąhvist regime could have as many as 211 thermonuclear devices, and a missile fleet with a maximum targeting range of 14,000km. Heavily invested in unconventional research and development defense programs as well, the Sanctified Republic is also reported to wield one of the largest stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons claimed by any nation in Undria. Since the 2007 Havenport Conference, pressure has grown within Veltria in to reevaluate its nuclear position (if only to alleviate constraints on the nation's economic growth due to international sanctions), but observers have noted this pressure has yet to materialize as a coherent legislative force that could overcome the coordinated protests of hardline nationalists and military figures. Veltria administers the fourth largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines in Undria, and operates a sizable strategic bomber force of domestically designed and produced aircraft. Veltria's ground forces, specifically its armored vehicle force, currently ranks as the largest on Phaegia, and is the fifth-largest conventional military force in the world.

Branch
File:PGF.png Republic Ground Forces
File:HPAF.png Air Force
File:HHN.png Navy
Republican Guard

The Veltrian government's longstanding refusal to publish its military expenditures has drawn the ire of several Undrian nations, particularly members of the Undrian Security Initiative (USI), which following the start of the XXXXX Independence Crisis, has frequently lobbied the URC to mandate military expenditure publication for all member states. Several international think tanks estimate the Sanctified Republic's military expenditures to fluctuate between 92 to 98 billion dialí per annum (ref. Escera Strategic Arms Institute), although they warn these figures reflect only the operating costs of Veltria's known forces and programs. Other estimations, particularly those released by the Sanctified Republic's geopolitical adversaries, claim Veltria's military spending may be much higher. One Auralian report indicated that the operating cost of the Republican Guard alone may account for no less than 33 billion dialí, with the rest of the military pushing beyond 128 billion in spending. Despite the criticism, the Veltrian government continues to deny its secretive budget is used to disguise threatening programs, claiming it is instead intended to simply protect the nation's national security interests in the face of threatening international secular powers.

Education

Main article: Education in Veltria

Culture

Religion in society

Main article: Religion in Veltria