Sungtap

Empire of Sungtap 庭霅純 Sûngta̍p-thêng
Motto: 帆百飛中風 Hong dong hui peh huâm ("Hundred sails flowing in the wind")
Capital	Laukeng
Largest city	Thianglau
Official languages	Sungese
Ethnic groups (2023)	Sungese 79.2% Other 21.8%
Demonym(s)	Sungese
Government	Unitary elective absolute monarchy with oligarchic elements
• Emperor	Emperor Tsiukeng (帝景周)
Legislature	Hundred Colors
History
Population
• 2023 census	46,043,519
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Total	2.321 trillion UFM
• Per capita	50,418 UFM
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	1.517 trillion UFM
• Per capita	32,957 UFM
HDI (2023)	0.881 very high
Currency	Sungese bung (文) (STB)
Time zone	UTC+8
Date format	yyyy/mm/dd (SE)
ISO 3166 code	ST
Internet TLD	.st

Sungtap (Sungese: 霅純 Sûngta̍p), formally the Empire of Sungtap (庭霅純 Sûngta̍p-thêng), is a country located on the eastern coastline of the continent Atusia. It is bordered to the south by Dongguo; It has a population around 46 million, the vast majority of which is urbanized and living in the Sungese megalopolis. Its capital is Laukeng, the seat of the Sungese government and the House of Jiam (家冉), the imperial family; its largest city and financial capital is the coastal Thianglau.

Being the cultural heartland of the Sungese people, the region which Sungtap now encompasses was the site of numerous ancient Sungese kingdoms, beginning with the mythical Sianmai (邁先) in the 100s CE and succeeded by various ascendant branches of the original dynasty. Between the 5th and 12th centuries, the Sungese would be conquered by the southern ???, thereon alternating in status between an annexed territory and client state of the ???, beginning the belligerent history between the two states. In 1193, Sungtap emerged independent under the rule of the modern imperial dynasty, establishing itself as a notable thalassocratic power across much of Atusia and parts of Muanbia, best known for its Blossoming Fleets - an expeditionary navy and mercantile fleet which connected it to much of the Orient. This rise in mercantile power, sometimes known as the Sungese Gilded Age, would however weaken the authority of the imperial dynasty, leading to the rise of the Argent Princes, urban aristocrats who established their own capitals and covertly contended against the imperial house and one another for power. After a palace coup in 1668, the House of Hau (家濠) would be ascend as the regental custodian over the imperial dynasty and be acclaimed "first among equals" between the princedoms.

The 18th and 19th centuries were characterized by heavy competition with powers both in Atusia and further afield, including Zyang and what is now Dongguo. Considered a regional power at this time, Sungtap briefly held a sphere of influence with client states in ???, but mounting threats from Dongguo prompted Hau to reorient itself overland. A botched attempt at monopolizing Sungese trade away from the princedoms led to the Great Suiuang Fire and a resultant sea ban and lengthy reprisals, reflecting a gradual decline in Hau political control and corresponding Sungese influence on the high seas. The Dengkot War led to the unceremonious fall of Hau regency and the return of power to the imperial court, starting a campaign of industrialization and centralization spearheaded by the napzangs (莊業), conglomerates formed by an ascendant capitalist elite which overturned the olden aristocracy.

Today, Sungtap is nominally an absolute monarchy ruled through the divine authority of the Emperor, elected from the branches of the imperial dynasty, and is aided in governance by the Imperial Court and the sprawling bureaucracy under it. In practice, this absolute authority is seldom exercised, and the Hundred Colors - an unelected council of imperial vassals and interest groups across the empire - legislates through advisories to the imperial body. Sungtap is a developed country and ??? power, boasting a world-renowned economy centering around a strong service sector and technically sophisticated manufacturing. It is also highly cosmopolitan, enjoying one of the world's densest high-speed railway networks and globally recognized educational institutions. Nonetheless, the oligarchic nature of the Sungese government and napzang monopolies in the economy has contributed to significant economic inequality, and the country has been criticized for its poor human rights record, including significant constraints on freedom of speech alongside the systematic disenfranchisement of women and ethnic minorities.

Geography

Sungtap is located in eastern Atusia, bounded to its northeast by the Sarosan Ocean. Historically characterized as a coastal and thalassocratic state, the country's territory is narrow, spanning only ??? km across at its narrowest point at [[]]. Sungtap's land is relatively flat, dominated by alluvial plains and hills; the country's highest point is [[]] at a height of 1,156 metres (3,793 ft). Approximately passing through the centerline of the country, the Tsing River forms the trunk of Sungtap's territory and is an important source of freshwater for the population.

The country's southern border with Dongguo is largely defined by the ??? River, a tributary of the Tsing River which flows from northwest to southeast into the Sea of Zyang.

Sungtap has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa inland, Cwa along the coast). Winters are short, mild, and relatively dry, while summers are long, hot, and very wet.

Government

Outer enclosure of the Forbidden Paradise palace complex, the nexus of imperial politics in Sungtap. Access is strictly controlled, and the perimeter is enforced stringently by military force.

Sungtap is a unitary state and an elective absolute monarchy, ruled by the Emperor of Sungtap, who is internally elected from the House of Jiam (家冉 Jiám-ke). He is regarded as the inheritor of the mythical Sianmai dynasty and ordained by the spirits of the world as the righteous leader and symbol of unity for all Sungese civilization. Emperor Tsiukeng has reigned since his father [[]]'s abdication of the Alabaster Throne in 1983.

While the throne does hold tremendous religious and cultural sway in Sungese society, tradition and precedent dictates that the emperor maintains an effortless indifference to worldly affairs and refrains from overt action, never to display his true motivations or knowledge to his subjects lest the mandate of the throne be tarnished; the throne cannot be seen to make a mistake nor reveal itself enough that conspirators may manipulate it. In accordance with Tauist philosophy, this unassertive action is deemed to be the ideal form of government, allowing the machinery of state to function in attunement with the natural order under the independent, impartial supervision of the Emperor.

In this framework, the Emperor is aided by, but theoretically not influenced by, an expansive council of ministers in the Imperial Court. The highest court officials belong to the so-called Six Ministries, being the Ministries of: Personnel (labor and industrial relations), Revenue (finance and central banking), Rites (culture and mass media), War (military and national security), Justice (law enforcement and penal system), and Works (public works and welfare); the Court also includes officials of lesser departments not encompassed by the jurisdiction of these Six Ministries. Appointments to the Court are done ostensibly in the name of the Emperor, though this functionally resolves to the advice of ministers or courtly proceedings. These courtly ministries and departments head sprawling bureaucracies staffed by what might be compared to as the civil servants of the Sungese nation.

Outside the Court and as such, responsible only to the Emperor, is the Privy Secretariat. It serves both as a facilitator between the branches of the Imperial Court as well as the secret police of the Emperor, called to enable the smooth function of government processes, and to that end, authorized to monitor and pursue opposition to the Emperor both within and beyond the government. The most well-known (perhaps ironically) of its bodies is the Censorate, serving as the "eyes and ears" of the Emperor and enabling him, in accordance to ruling Tauist philosophy, to receive intelligence on all levels of government and society without the knowledge of others so to best inform his decisions.

Economy

Sungtap is a developed country with a high-income economy, being among the most industrialized countries in Atusia. The Sungese economy is characterized by a strong service sector and a technically sophisticated manufacturing industry, particularly notable as a producer of quality electronics under internationally recognized brands such as Singsikai and Onkin. The Sungese workforce is highly educated owing to the government's massive investments into education, boasting one of the world's highest populations of tertiary degree holders, the majority of which graduate from and are certified by imperial academies. Sungtap is a net importer of foodstuffs and raw materials, with its economy focused on value-adding industries which process imported materials into products to be exported abroad.

The Sungese economy is centered around the activities of a small number of napzangs (莊業 ngia̍p-tsṳng), vertically integrated conglomerates headed by dynastic families, often of noble descent. Each napzang practically control entire sectors of the economy, collectively dominating it as an oligopoly approved and supported by the Sungese government; the napzangs are national champions which act as pillars of the Sungese economy. While they are theoretically subservient to imperial autocracy, the most prominent of its leaders are represented in the Imperial Court and attend courtly summits, and the napzangs are regularly consulted and cooperate with the government in economic policymaking. This dominance of napzangs have thoroughly influenced work culture in Sungtap: lifetime employment and seniority-based career advancement is typical as a reflection of feudal loyalty, and corporate hierarchies are highly rigid and paternalistic, emphasizing quasi-familial bonds among employees.

Despite the economy's high growth potential and resilience against crises - locally attributed to the omnipresent control of the napzangs - it has been criticized as unsustainable in practice, as the country has an aging population and perennial spats with Dongguo harm its credit rating. Beyond economic metrics, the country has been consistently criticized for its poor workers' rights record, as workers are prohibited from unionizing or going on strike; the welfare scheme of Sungtap, including the pension system, is centralized under imperial control and can be readily revoked in case of "criminal behavior". Income inequality is significant as napzang elites hold the majority of societal wealth, and the rigid social hierarchy in the country, including stratification between Sungese nobility and commoners, impedes social mobility.

Demographics

The national census in 2023 recorded Sungtap's population to be 46,043,519, more than 80% of which is urbanized, mostly distributed across the Sungese megalopolis tracing across littoral Sungtap. Approximately 79.2% of the population is recorded to belong to the Sungese ethnolinguistic group, speaking the Sungese language and following distinct cultural mores which for much of history have defined its identity against the larger (Dongese?) cultural sphere southwards in Dongguo. As the dominant ethnic group, the Sungese possess significant economic and political influence over the country, in addition forming demographic majorities in virtually all major urban areas in the country. Minority groups, the largest of which being (Dongese?) and ???, have traditionally been marginal, dwelling in the rural Sungese interior far from the cosmopolitan hotspots of the coastline. Following a broader trend of urbanization across the 20th century, rural-to-urban migration has seen increases in minority ethnic populations in the cities, although they have often been systematically marginalized, if not the target of social discriminationby the dominant Sungese.

Languages

The national language of Sungtap is the Sungese language, a tonal (Sinitic?) language, which is spoken by the majority of the population. There are numerous dialectal variations to Sungese, mainly distinct from city-to-city, which form a notable component of cultural identity for Sungese of different locales; these include [[]], some of which being mutually unintelligible with one another. Court Sungtap is considered the "prestige dialect" of Sungese, enjoying status as the "standard" dialect taught in Sungese education as it is based on the language and vocabulary used by the imperial court in Laukeng and its environs. Most other dialects of Sungese are acquired through everyday use between family and daily life.

Sungtap's minority groups speak a variety of languages, such as [[]], but none are officially recognized or are taught in general education outside specialized linguistic or cultural studies. As a whole, Sungtap has abided by a policy of linguistic assimilation, restricting the use and education of so-called "barbaric tongues" (話夷 î-uē) for the stated purposes of protecting the cultural identity of the Sungese. This includes a prohibition on signage and the curtailment of media in these languages, but also has manifested as common stereotypes against users of those languages, which are typically associated with rural life and illiteracy. Notably however, this policy only targets historical, especially (Sinitic?) minorities in the Sungese region; Sungtap has encouraged acquisition of "world languages" like Anglish as second languages as part of its drive towards further modernization.

Culture

By far the most important cultural institution in Sungtap is the imperial throne, regarded as the divine leader of the Sungese civilization and the embodied heart of the national philosophy of Tauism. As a whole, Tauist worship and tradition is deeply rooted in not only the political structures of the nation, but also its society and the daily lives of its citizens, informing practices as far reaching as architecture and cuisine to social hierarchies and habits adhered to by most Sungese. It has been suggested by some foreign scholars that this pervasiveness of Tauist tradition has helped foster the rigid social life now ingrained in Sungtap, as the stratification of society under the paternalistic Emperor - not to mention the various measures undertaken to safeguard imperial influence - limits social mobility for most levels of society and has slowed the pace of social change to a crawl. It is typical for there to be little change in the standard of living or status between one generation and the next.

Much of the Sungese identity has been defined in opposition to its larger (Sinitic?) counterpart in Dongguo, as Sungtap's history appears to be a string of conflicts between itself and its larger neighbor, commonly characterized as a vindictive rival whose constant depredations were the source of much Sungese humiliations, and perhaps more importantly, prevented Sungtap from ascending as a great power - Dongese conflicts are often cited as having "tripped up" the formation of a Sungese overseas empire at the final hurdle. Southerners are barbarians, their language associated with illiteracy and poverty, and their culture quaint and backwards; stereotypes are abound, in all likelihood exarcebated by the fact that it is rare for the typically urbanite Sungese to ever encounter anyone of (Dongese?) descent. Indeed, it might appear to the outside observer that Sungtap has a sort of unrequited obsession with its southern neighbor.