Vihoslavia
Vihoslavian Confederation Výchoslávie Wschósławia | |
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Flag
Coat of Arms
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| Political Map of Vihoslavia Political Map of Vihoslavia | |
| A Map Showing Vihoslavia's Place in Casaterra A Map Showing Vihoslavia's Place in Casaterra | |
| Capital | Koszonica |
| Official languages | Chervakian, Rovakian, Erquinian |
| Ethnic groups (2010) | Chervak (38%), Rovak (11%), Erquinian (49%), Other (2%) |
| Demonym(s) | Vihoslavian |
| Government | Unitary Democratic Republic |
• Prime Minister | Alan Volf |
• Water (%) | 3.14% |
| Population | |
• 2015 estimate | 89,670,000 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | $2,976,492,000 (7) |
• Per capita | $33,188 (10) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $2,612,154,000 (7) |
• Per capita | $29,129 (11) |
| Currency | Vihoslav Koruna (crown) (VSK) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (Prackov Mean Time [PMT]) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +28 |
| Internet TLD | .vh |
The Vihoslavian Confederation (Chervak: Výchoslávie, Erquinian: Wschósławia), commonly known as Vihoslavia, is a state existing in north Casaterra in the region of Septentrion. It's neighbors include Minilov to the northeast, the Federation of Soviet Republics to the northeast, Ostland to the south, and Maldania to it's west. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Northern Casaterran States (CNCS). Vihoslavia covers 325,581 Square Kilometers. It is considered by many to be a welfare state, with free transport, social services, health care, and education for citizens. It ranks as the second safest country in Septentrion, and the safest in Casaterra.
Vihoslavia is the confederation of the three states of Chervakia, Rovakia, and Erquin. It's population is almost entirely Central Slavic, and the state is considered one of the least ethnically diverse countries in Casaterra (98% of inhabitants are Central Slavic).
History
Prehistory
Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human settlements in the Chervak area, dating back to the Paleolithic era. The figurine Venus of Dolní Věstonice, together with a few others from nearby locations, found here is the oldest known ceramic article in the world. In the 2nd century BC, Eisen tribes migrated to and settled in modern day Chervak and Erquinian lands. The king Chesodus in the 1st century was the first king known to rule this area.
Slavic people from the north-west settled here as early as the 6th century. The first Slavic rulers and groups were documented in the 8th century, when the area was Christianized by the Thessalanian monks Cyril and Adonis, who created the early church slavonic language, the first literary language of the Slavs.
Kingdom of Chervakia and Kingdom of Erquin
The Duchy of Chervakia emerged in northeast Casaterra in the 9th Century, when it was unified under the Duke Jarmil Pešek. In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Duchy expanded, taking over the nearby Slavic Kingdom of Rovadia and some small, northern Eisen kingdoms. Eisen settlers moved north and settled in the southern area of Chervakia throughout the 12th century. They populated small towns, and occasionally made whole colonies on the interior of Chervak lands. Chervakia was declared a Kingdom under the Duke Nikolas Rýpal in 1254, after the Emperor of the Ottonian Empire Otto II granted him a favor for assistance in the defeat of a Sylvan army.
The 14th century was the reign of King Nikolas III in Chervakia, who was declared king of the southwest Slavs by the diet of the Chervak and Rodvak Duchies, and soon expanded the kingdom to encompass modern south Erquin and eastern Maldania. This was considered a Chervak golden age, with much of Praska Castle, the Nikolas University, and Nikolas Square being built in his reign. During this period the Erquinian Kingdom began to emerge as a serious power when the Erquinian royal family inherited and annexed many northern lands in modern day Erquin.
In the early 15th century, Petr Hus started the Chervak Reformation. He was named a heretic in 1408 by the Sylvan Catholic church and was burned at the stake, but his followers seceded from the Catholic Church and in what are now called the Hussite Wars defeated 3 Catholic Crusades and 2 Eisen invasions. During the next 3 centuries, almost 90% of the Chervak and Rovak lands were considered Hussite, and 40% of Erquinian lands were considered Hussite or friendly to the Hussite cause. Hus was the primary founder of the Reformation in Northern and Central Casaterra.
Over the course of the 16th century, the Chervak lands became more and more under Ostland control as King Joseph III of Ostland became elected king. However, the primarily Protestant believers of Chervakia despised his attempts to force them back into the Catholic church. In 1623, Chervak Hussites killed 17 Ostlandian officials by throwing them off Praska Castle. This event marked the start of the central Casaterran religious war known as the 20 Years' War. Ultimately, Erquinian Hussite princes liberated Praska from Ostland- marking the start of a century-long feud for Chervakian land between the two powers. In 1631, Chervakia formally left the Holy Ottonian Empire, infuriating the Eisen Princes to it's south.
The 18th century was marked by multiple invasions, and a severe famine which killed almost a tenth of the population in the modern area of Vihoslavia. Serfdom was abolished in 1789. In 1799 the first of the Chervak-Ostlandian conflicts erupted as the Northern Federation seized Chervak towns along the border. At the end of these conflicts, in 1843, Chervakia's king Vlad II died and the Chervak Kingdom was inherited by the Erquinian crown. Over the next 15 years, Chervak lands were effectively merged into the Erquinian commonwealth.
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In 1917, the Erquinian Commonwealth declared war on the Ostlandian Confederation as part of the War of Sylvan Succession. Unfortunately, the front line soon became southern Chervakia. Nearly 2 million Chervak soldiers fought in the War of Sylvan Succession, of whom nearly 175,000 died. The start of the war coincided with a resurgence in Chervak nationalism, which surged in popularity during the war. When peace was signed, the crumbling Erquinian Commonwealth had no choice but to release the territory, which has become a center for industry over the last decade.
First Chervak Republic, Erquinian Commonwealth, and Pan-Septentrion War
On August 21st, 1920, the first Chervak National Republican Assembly gathered. The Republic was officially declared on the 22nd, at 16:30 Eastern Casaterran Time. The First Chervak Republic had nearly 70% of the industry of the former Erquinian Commonwealth- this allowed it to compete with many Southern and Central Casaterran powers such as Eisenmaat, Ostland, and Sylva. The massive arms industry of the Republic soon became well known- according to one Tyran official, the First Chervak Republic was the "arsenal of Casaterra", providing arms to many countries such as Rajamaa, New Tyran, the Erquinian Republic, and the Maldania. This period was categorized by global unrest as the totalists in the Federation of Soviet Republics grew in power, and the Facists in Ostland took power under Dictator Hanz Adler. Despite this, the period was one of unprecedented growth for the Chervak Republic- GDP in 1932 was 48% higher than ten years before, and industrial production was sizable. The great depression in 1930-34 hit Chervakia hard, but less so than many neighboring states. The Erquinian Commonwealth was hit very hard by the depression. Unemployment soared, and the military lost major funding and manpower.
On May 22nd, 1937, Ostland declared war on Chervakia. Erquin declared war on Ostland 3 hours later, and within a few hours the first of the fighting began. Despite being better trained and equipped, the small and ill prepared Chervak and Erquinian armies quickly lost ground to the advancing Ostlanding forces. The country capitulated to Ostland control on September 3rd. The remainder of the Chervak army retreated into Erquin, and eventually over a third of the Chervak army fought with the Federation of Soviet Republics under the name of the elite Chervak Legions. Some Chervaks escaped to neighboring Rajima or even to New Tyran, where they aided in the Allied war effort to defeat Ostland.
Almost two million Chervak and Erquinian citizens were killed or executed during the occupation, and hundreds of thousands more were sent to camps for forced labor. The plan of the Ostlandian regime was to enslave and eventually kill all ethnic Chervaks and Erquinians, in order to provide more space for ethnic Eisen peoples. There was massive resistance to occupation among the Chervak and Erquinian populations, culminating in the assassination of Ostlandian General Otto Vitten in 1939. While the resistance was often backed by the locals, Ostlandian reprisals were harsh. In 1938, the towns of Benesov and Chetsgrad were burned to the ground and their entire populations executed by Ostlandian troops following a partisan raid on a local munitions cache in what is now know as the Tuesday Massacre.
Vihoslavia
The Ostlandian occupation of Chervakia and Erquin officially ended on December 2nd, 1942, when the Ostlandian forces pulled out of Praska. The First Vihoslav Republic formed officially on January 1st, and voting was held the next day. The Christian Socialist party held 46% of the vote, with the similarly aligned Totalist party holding an additional 10% of the vote. The two parties quickly formed a coalition, and within two years had formed a monopoly on power in the young state. Backed by the Federation of Soviet Republics, the Vihoslav Republic quickly became a "White Soviet" state. Despite this, the Vihoslav State refused to instate a one-party system like the FSR. The state was one of the few in the FSR's sphere of influence to maintain elections considered democratic by GA standards. When the Turov Pact formed in 1946, Vihoslavia joined with a 178 to 22 vote in the national assembly.
Throughout the cold war, Vihoslavia was generally supportive of the Federation of Soviet Republics, despite it's increasingly different internal politics. Vihoslavia was still a notable arms producer, and exported to both Turov Pact and neutral countries throughout the cold war period. The country was a pioneer of the "Market Socialist" economics in the 70s, which the FSR and later CNCS adopted in the late 90s. Vihoslavia rapidly became the most wealthy independent state in the Turov Pact, and when the Turov Pact dissipated Vihoslavia was the most wealthy former Turov Pact state by nearly 40% of GDP per Capita. Vihoslavia today remains a moderately democratic state by Casaterran standards, but still maintains many governmental arms that would be considered undemocratic by international standards.
Geography and Climate
The geography of Vihoslavia is highly varied. To the northeast lies the Korsky Mountain, the highest mountain in Casaterra. To the southeast lies the Strachan sea, the only body of water the Confederation borders. This coast is marked by several coastal lakes, dunes, and river outlets. The country has two major rivers: the Satava, and the Moraya. The majority of the country is relatively flat and even terrain, with exceptions in the north and west. Vihoslavia is the fourth most forested country in Casaterra, with nearly 29.8% of the territory forested.
The climate is mostly temperate throughout the country. The climate is oceanic in the north and east and becomes gradually warmer and continental towards the south. The warmest cities are in the southeast, and the coldest in the northwest, nearer to the mountains. The country is affected by cold fronts coming in from the north, but is partially shielded by the mountain ranges. Vihoslavia has the second highest rainfall of any country in Casaterra.
Government and politics
Vihoslavia is a multi-party parliamentary republic, with the Prime Minister as head of state and head of government. The parliament is bicameral, with two houses: The Sejm (senate), and the House of Peoples. The Prime Minister is the head of government and wields considerable powers, such as the right to set the agenda for most foreign and domestic policy and choose government ministers. The Prime Minister is selected by the Senate, the members of which are selected every 6 years by voting districts. The House of Peoples gives seats equally to each major ethnic group, with 50 seats for each of the three major groups represented.
Major political parties include the moderate Unity Party, center-left Social Democrats, and center-right Christian Democrats. These three parties hold the majority of the vote, with the minor political parties of Labour United, Totalist Platform, National Orthodox Movement, and Union of Modern Democrats all have representation in the Sejm. Only parties with at least 5% of the national vote are represented in the Sejm.
The Constitution of Vihoslavia is the supreme law in Vihoslavia, and the Vihoslav legal system is based on the principle of common rights, governed over by common law. The constitution was ratified on December 27th, 1943. It guarantees a multi-party state, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and holds public officials as responsible to the people. It acknowledges the rights of citizens to form unions and strike, and prohibits cruel punishment and torture.
Foreign Relations
Historically, Vihoslavia has had very close ties to fellow members of the Commonwealth of Northern Casaterran States. It is a participating member in the CNCS trade zone, and pursues close military ties with CNCS members. Vihoslavia is a founding member of the organization, and continues to function as the second largest member. Vihoslavia is significantly more wealthy than the CNCS average, and exports a large number of goods to CNCS states.
As the Turov Pact fell apart due to fractures in the alliance in the late 90s, Vihoslavia started to build up significant ties to it's none CNCS neighbors. Large trade initiatives with Rajamaa and Ostland began in the late 90s, and in the current day Vihoslavia is the center of a number of major economic zones.
Vihoslavian citizens have visa free access to 54% of countries, making them one of the least restricted countries by visa to travel abroad. The country is a popular location to host electronics and software development companies, with substantial government subsidies for any companies in the field who move to the country.
Military
The Military of Vihoslavia consists of the Vihoslav Land Forces, Vihoslav Air Force, Vihoslav Navy, Territorial Forces of Vihoslavia, and the Vihoslav Legion. The armed forces are managed by the Minister of Defense, who is appointed by the Prime Minister. As a member of the Commonwealth of Northern Casaterran States, Vihoslavia meets the mandatory 3% of GDP spent on military. It maintains a roughly 640,000 strong army, not including territorial support groups funded by the government.
The Vihoslav Military has been involved in a number of conflicts since it's inception, and has troops stationed in Kolodiya, Artsakh, St. Tyra Islands, Thessalonike, and Yugoslovenski. Vihoslavia is a major arms producer, and exports large amounts of arms to over 15 nations.
Economy
Vihoslavia's economy is a highly developed, export-oriented social market economy. The market is heavily based in services, manufacturing, and innovation. Vihoslavia is considered a high-income welfare state, with a serious emphasis on social welfare.
Vihoslavia participates in the CNCS economic sphere, and has open borders with neighboring Federation of Soviet Republics, Beloslavia, Maldania, and Yugoslovenski. Some of it's biggest trading partners are the FSR, Rajamaa, Yugoslovenski, and Maldania. The country's most successful exports include clothing, vehicles, machinery, electronics, cosmetics, food products, and shoes.
Vihoslavia is a leading producer of food in Northern Casaterra, with a large number of private and government farms dotting the fertile south. The biggest money makers abroad consist of dairy products, breads, meats, and fine chocolates. Praska is the leading city in Casaterra for foreign investment.
Vihoslavia is a major tourist destination, with 3 of the 10 most popular destinations in Casaterra and numerous SLESCO world heritage sites. The most popular city to visit is Koszalin, the former capital of Erquin with a massive old town.
Demographics
Vihoslavia has almost 90 million residents, has the forth largest population of any Casaterran state, and the second largest population in the CNCS. It has a population density of 123.46 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Vihoslavia has seen a slight decrease in it's historically high birth rate in the 21st century, decreasing from 2.13 to 1.98 children per woman. This is typically seen as a result of decreased economic growth, as well as lessened government encouragement and incentives for families to have children.
Languages
Erquinian (język Rowaski) is a Slavic language primarily spoken in Erquin, the largest of the 3 main Vihoslav states. It is one of the official languages of the confederation, and an official language of the CNCS. Its written standard is the Erquinian alphabet, which has 9 additions to the letters of the basic Latin script (ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż), with the notable exclusion of q,v, and x, which are used mainly for foreign words. It is often considered the "language of government" and is generally the most common language used at high level government, although all three major languages are used.
Chervak (Čerský jazyk) is a Slavic language mostly spoken in Chervakia, the southernmost state in Vihoslavia. Its written standard is the Chervak-Rovak alphabet, which uses the Latin script plus 8 additions: (š, č, ř, é, ě, á, í, ý). It is often considered the "language of the sciences" in Vihoslavia, and is very similar to the Rovak language.
Rovak (Rovenský jazyk) is a Slavic language spoken mostly in Rovakia, the northwest state in the confederation. It is highly similar to the Chervak language, using the same alphabet, and a 90% rate of similarity in vocabulary.
There are 13 minority languages recognized in Vihoslavia, including Thesparosian, Letnevian, Kalvian, and Beloslavian. 9 are languages of national minorities (those who have their own independent state elsewhere), 4 are ethnic minorities (those who do not have an ethnic state).
Ethnicity
Historically, the Erquinian commonwealth controlled much of modern Vihoslavia. This territory was historically occupied primarily by central slavic peoples, but also had sizable minorities of northern and southern Slavs, as well as Eisen peoples. Erquinian, Chervak, and Rovak identities can all be traced back to the 10th century, when their respective kingdoms and ethnic identities formed, and the adoption of Christianity.
Today, roughly 41% of people identify as Erquinian, roughly 38% identify as Chervak, and roughly 19% identify as Rovak. There is a very small minority population in Vihoslavia, with the majority of the minority being from other CNCS countries such as Beloslavia, Thesparos, and Cherniya. There has been notable immigration from Thesparos in recent years, with an unusually large amount of visas given since the Thesparossian civil war.