Radushia

Sotirian Republic of Radushia Сацірскі Радауская Чува́шская Sacirski Radauskaja Respublika
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  Адзінства, Вера, Дысцыпліна Adzinstva, Viera, Dyscyplina Unity, Faith, Discipline
Anthem:  Bog Spravedlivosti God of Justice
Capital and largest city	Chrivotava
Official languages	Belonarodyn
Recognised national languages	Narodyn
Religion	Episemalist Sotirianity 90.2% Irreligious 6.4% Other 3.4%
Demonym(s)	Radushian
Government	Unitary dominant party theocratic parliamentary republic
• Supreme Patriarch	Macarius II
• Minister-President	Ramon Yarmoshyn
Legislature	Viarchoŭny Rada
Independence from Narozalica
• Declaration of Independence	3 August 1979
• Treaty of Boltovo	23 August 1979
• Saint George's Day Revolution	6 May 1982
• Sotirian Republic established	1 June 1982
• Current constitution	6 May 1999
Area
•	8,646 km2 (3,338 sq mi)
• Water (%)	3.5%
Population
• 2020 estimate	4,193,694
• 2016 census	4,102,147
• Density	485.04/km2 (1,256.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2019 estimate
• Total	$48.57 billion (38th)
• Per capita	$11,583
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$41.92 billion (36th)
• Per capita	$9,997
Gini	29.9 low
HDI	0.789 high
Currency	Radushian Zolota (RUZ)
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.rd

Radushia (Чува́шская; Radushiya), officially the Sotirian Republic of Radushia (Сацірскі Радауская Чува́уская; Sacirski Respublika Radushiya) is a landlocked country located in western Euclea, bordering Poliania to the west, Narozalica to the north, XX to the east and Lake XXX to the south. A small nation, it has a total area of 4,646 km² (3,338 sq mi) and a population of 4.91 million. It's capital is Detkovo and its largest city is Boltovo.

History...

History...

Today, Radushia is a member of the Community of Nations, ITO and the GIFA. Radushia is also a member of Samorspi. Despite it's size, Radushia holds significant cultural and religious influence, especially among nations of the Epistmalist Catholic Church. Radushia's economic growth and development has improved in recent years, with continued rise in living standards and incomes.

History

Political crisis (1980-82)

Main article: 1980 Radushian political crisis

Geography

Landscape of the Ščodraja Raŭnina

Arliny Pahorak is Radushia's highest point, standing 1,014 m (3,327 ft) above sea level. It is located in western Radushia.

Terrain of the Navahrudak foothills.

Radushia is a landlocked country located in Western Euclea. It is bordered to the north by Narozalica, Vedmed to the east, Lake Min to the south and XX to the west. The country has a total area of 8,646 km2 (3,338 sq mi), making it one of the smallest countries in Euclea and the world. Radushia's geography is defined by the Dolomit River, which disects the country in half from north-to-south, where it deposits into Lake Min. The entire country also resets within the Dolomit's drainage basin. Surrounding the delta of Lake Min is the Ščodraja Raŭnina (Щчодрасці Pаўніна; lit. the Generous Plain), an area of rich fertile soil and dominated by flat plains and farmland. The Ščodraja Raŭnina covers the entirety of Radushia's shoreline with Lake Min and runs northward toward the Navahrudak foothills, which ultimately settle into the Radushian plateau. To the west of Radushia is the XX Mountains, which raise the elevation of the country's most westward regions. Northern Radushia besides the Dolomit River valley is dominated by forested regions and rolling hills. Historically, Radushia was covered by forest to a degree of 75%, yet human development and industrialisation has since reduced this number to 30% of total land area.

Radushia hosts 8 national parks, 35 landscape protection area and 77 minor nature reserves. Since 1990, the numbers of such areas has declined, with the Slonim-Mihai National Park having been closed down in 2009 and de-registered to enable economic development.

Climate

Due to Radushia's geographical position in central western Euclea and its distance from open sea, the country has a climate that is continental and temperate, with the four seasons taking distinct forms. The annual temperature on average is 13 °C (55 °F) in the south around Lake Min and 9 °C (48 °F) in the north. During summer, average temperatures at their height in Chrivotava rise to 29 °C (84 °F), and temperatures surpassing 35 °C (95 °F) are common in low-lying areas of the country, especially those of the Ščodraja Raŭnina. The coast of Lake Min during summer sees the most limited range in temperature changes and enjoys limited humidity, providing it a comfortable warm summer each year. During winter, the average temperature is below 3 °C (37 °F), with minimum temperatures of -1 °C (30 °F) being recorded in low-lying areas. Precipitation is average, with over 780 mm (30.7 in) per year in the north and west, around the Navahrudak foothills, while around Chrivotava it drops to approximately 670 mm (26 in).

Fauna and flora

Radushia is divided into two distinct zoological and biodiverse regions, one being the Navahrudak-North and the Lake Min-South. The north is dominated by species common to mixed forests and higher elevations, while the south is dominated by species native to riverine marshland and open plains. In the north, species such as lynxes, wolves, martens and wild boar are very common and vibrant. In the far-west of the country, populations of brown bears are still reported, though their numbers have dwindled in recent years. In the south, along the Dolomit River and the shores of Lake Min, species such as river beavers, otters and mink are not uncommon. Both Lake Min and the Dolomit River are host to large populations of storks. Radushia's bird populations also include game birds, raptors, song birds, nighthawks, waterfowl, swifts, and waders.

The Brown Bear, the national animal of Radushia populates the far-west of the country, but has seen its numbers decline.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Radushia

The government and political system of Radushia is defined by the 1982 constitution adopted in wake of the Saint George's Day Revolution. Officially, Radushia is a unitary parliamentary republic with a fusion of theocratic elements and is a multi-party democracy. However, in reality, many observers consider Radushia to be a hybrid regime under a dominant party supported by an authoritarian theocratic framework.

The head of state of Radushia is the Supreme Patriarch, who holds the office for life and concurrently to serving as the Patriarch of the Radushian Episemalist Church and Metropolitan of Chrivotava. The office of the Supreme Patriarch is embued with several executive perogatives and powers, including the right to appoint and dismiss Minister-Presidents, any cabinet minister or the government in entirety, dissolving the Viarchoŭny Rada and appointing and dismissing the heads of the armed forces, security services and state broadcasters. The Supreme Patriarch's spiritual influence also plays a significant role in temporal matters and can alter the fortunes of both government and legislation alone. The current Supreme Patriarch is Macarius II, who was elevated to the Patriarchate in 2014.

The position of Minister-President, Radushia's head of government, belongs to the individual most likely to command the confidence of the Viarchoŭny Rada; this individual is typically the leader of the political party or coalition of parties that holds the largest number of seats. By convention, the Supreme Patriarch would appoint that person to serve as head of government, however, the Supreme Patriarch is entitled to appoint anyone he believes would serve the interests of the nation. On three occassions, the Supreme Patriarch has selected another beside the party or coalition leader. The Minister-President chairs the Council of Ministers, whose appointment is dependent upon the confidence of the Supreme Patriarch. The current Minister-President is Ramon Yarmoshyn who has served since 2014.

The legislature of Radushia is the unicameral Viarchoŭny Rada, comprising of 180 seats. All members of the government, including the Minister-President must be a serving member of parliament in order to serve, as a result, the Radushian government is accountable to the Rada. For elections to the Viarchoŭny Rada, its 180 representatives are elected by parallel voting, with 90 seats elected by first-past-the-post and 90 elected through proportional representation, with a national threshold of 6%. Officially, elections are held every give years, however, the Supreme Patriarch is entitled to dissolve the Viarchoŭny Rada at his pleasure, he may also dissolve the Rada at the request of the Minister-President. Since the Saint George's Day Revolution in 1982, the All-Radushian Sotirian Party has been the dominant party having serve in government uninterrupted since. Besides the All-Radushian Sotirian Party, there is the Civic National Party, Party of the Radushian Motherland, Workers' Dignity and the Sotirian Party of the Regions.

Supreme Patriarch Macarius II

Chief Minister Raman Yarmoshyn

Supreme Patriarch

Main article: Supreme Patriarch of Radushia

The Supreme Patriarch of the Republic is responsible for supervision of government and providing stability and national unity as the figurehead. The role of the Supreme Patriarch has been compared to a semi-constitutional monarch, rather than the final authority in Radushian politics. Beyond the Patriarch’s right to appoint and dismiss either individual ministers or entire governments, there is limited capacity for the Supreme Patriarch to dictate or introduce policy himself. However, owing to the influence the Supreme Patriarch exudes owing to his spiritual office, it has been noted that a politically active Supreme Patriarch could influence government policy through spiritual pronouncements or edicts. Furthermore, observers have noted under the current Supreme Patriarch, Macarius II, the Radushian government has repeatedly deferred to his opinion on social matters.

One area where the Supreme Patriarch’s influence diminishes the elected government is defence and national security, where the heads of the armed forces, law enforcement and the security services are appointed directly by the head of state. The country’s morality police, known as the Integrity Division (пяхотная дывізія; Celasnasć Dyvizija) is answerable only to the Supreme Patriarch and its budget is held secret from the Rada. As the Supreme Patriarch is also commander-in-chief and appoints the heads of the Radushian Defence Force, the incumbent is able to establish a support base within the military, while civilian oversight of the military is side-lined. However, successive Supreme Patriarchs have delegated their responsibility of heading the State Security Council to the governing Minister-President.

Another key area where the Supreme Patriarch exudes significant influence over daily life, is his duty to appoint the heads of the various state broadcasters and agencies. The heads of RATRA, the National Administration for Theatre and Music, National Administration for Printed and Digital Media and the chief editors of state-owned newspapers. Through these appointments, the Supreme Patriarch can dictate the theme and allowances of Radushia’s media and press.

Patriarch Macarius II at a special session of the Rada in 2019.

Under the 1998 Constitutional Amendments, the qualifications of candidates for political office were changed to include religious qualifiers. Among those included the immediate invalidation of a candidate if they were excommunicated from the Episemalist Church. Having engaged in extra-marital affairs, having undergone an early termination of a foetus and having criticised the Church in public or private. Since those qualifications were introduced, several leading opposition politicians have been barred from running for office owing to the Supreme Patriarch, in his spiritual capacity as Patriarch of the Church, approving the excommunication of candidates. Other cases have seen the Supreme Patriarch refusing to intercede when an excommunication order was signed by a local Priest and confirmed by the Bishop. This has enabled Supreme Patriarchs to use their spiritual office to affect elections in benefit of the long ruling All-Radushian Sotirian Party.

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Radushia

According to international NGOs and research groups, Radushia varies between the "Partly Free" and "Unfree" categories. Numerous institutions, including the International Council for Democracy and the Euclean Community have criticised the Radushian government for its attacks on media and press freedom, the persecution of critical journalists and reporters and activists. Censorship in Radushia remains strict for printed, televised and digital media, with both material and message subject to change prior to public release. Serious issues relating to arbitary arrest, state harrassment and allegations of torture have prevaded Radushia since the 1982 political crisis. The Integrity Division, Radushia's morality police has been known to target the LGTB community with excessive force, detention with charge and the forced disappearance of activists. Public assembly and protest has been subjected to harsh laws and restrictions, with limitations on the number of marchers or protesters and an order notice, mandating the arrest of any individual wearing a face covering at a protest, or carrying a bag or rucksack.

Electoral rights and electorial integrity has been widely condemned by the ICD and EC with numerous reports of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation and the use of state resources and institutions to benefit the ruling party. The 1998 constitutional amendments which introduced new qualifications entering electoral races has led to numerous state actions designed to invalidate highly capable candidates from opposition parties. The ICD has also criticised the use of the Episemalist Church by the state to influence elections, primarily the near constant endorsement of All-Radushian Sotirian Party candidates by local priests or bishops and the latter's use of the pulpit to condemn opposition parties.

Administrative divisions

According to the 1982 Constitution, Radushia is divided into four Provinces (Правінцыі; Pravincyi) and one Metropolitan Region (Cталічны Pэгіён; Staličny Vobłasć), covering the capital of Chrivotava. The provinces are further divided into Raions, the number being dependent upon the Province's population, while the Metropolitan Region is sub-divided into Quarters (Кварталы; Kvartaly). There are 100 Raions in Radushia as of 1998. Each Raion is governed by a Raion Authority (Raiona Ǔlada), which is democratically elected by its citizens every four years. The Raion Authorities are led by a Secretary-General, who is usually the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in the Authority. The Secretary-General of each Raion is appointed by the Supreme Patriarch upon the result of each election. The powers delegated to the Raions is limited by the 1998 Constitution, as such, areas delegated proper including waste management, utilities, infrastructure maintenance and cultural affairs. The primary duty of the Raion Authorities according to the 1998 constitution, is the implentation of government policy.

The Metropolitan Region differs from the Raions, as each Quarter of the capital elects its own respective Metropolitan Council, while also directly electing members to the Metropolitan Authority, which governs the city as a whole. The Metropolitan Authority is led by a Mayor, and ejoys significantly more autonomy than the Raions.

The four provinces are as follows:

• Northern (Paŭnočny Pravincy)
• Western (Zachodniaja Pravincy)
• Southern (Paŭdniovy Pravincy)
• Eastern (Uschodniaja Pravincy)

• Metropolitan Region of Chrivotava (Staličnaja Voblasć Chryvatava)

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1956	2,974,122	—
1966	3,535,140	+18.9%
1976	4,416,898	+24.9%
1986	4,400,024	−0.4%
1996	4,225,871	−4.0%
2006	4,008,715	−5.1%
2016	4,193,694	+4.6%
Source: Narozalic Census (1956-1976) Radushian State Census (1986-)

Religion

The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is the largest Epistmalist cathedral in Radushia and one of the largest in the world.

The Holy Lavra of Saint George over Staraya Vodva is the spiritual centre of Radushia and the residence of the Patriarch of Radushia.

Education

University of Saint Katerina in Chirvotava is the country's principal tertiary institution.

Education in Radushia is split roughly equally between state-run and church-run institutions. Church schools tend to be of higher quality in teaching, learning content and are widely seen as more prestigious than state-run institutions. However, criticisms exist in that Church-shcools operate beyond government oversight and have little accountability. Anti-government critics have argued that church schools in Radushia are designed to "entrench support for the theocratic system, over preparing students for careers."

Urbanisation

Chirvotava, the nation's capital and largest city, was home to 1,117,900 residents in 2018, representing 26.65% of the national population. Ottseda, with a population of 181,000, is the second-largest city and is located on the shores of Lake XXX. Other large cities are Svaryn (165,100), Sviaty Michal (118,400), Sviaty Mikola (89,800) and Aleksandrina (78,300).