Zagorno

Federal Republic of Zagorno
Capital	Targu Aleta
Official languages	Zagornian
Recognised national languages	Zagornian
Ethnic groups	Zagornian, Koroszidan, Rascian, Alessian, Nakean
Demonym(s)	Zagornian
Government	Federalized Presidential Republic
• President	Mikhaelo Oburuszko
• Defense Minister	Anteni Valaski
• Foreign Minister	Janeten Liposboden
• Head of the Senate	Isec Coposzeski
Establishment
• Foundation	547
• Independence	1947
Area
• Total	470,903 km2 (181,817 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	74,719,000
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	4.12 trillion
• Per capita	55,139
HDI	0.92 very high
Currency	Nevakian Dollar (NSD)
Time zone	UTCUTC+2 (CCT)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	112 +

Zagorno, also known as the Republic of Zagorno, is a semi-developed country located in the Catel region of Euresia. It is bordered by Koroszida, Geresia and Osatia to the north, Nakea to the west, the Monastic Sea to the south, and Alessia to the east. It is currently the country with the 3rd highest GDP in Catel, and is the world's 7th largest exporter of oil and natural gases. Zagorno currently holds membership in four international organizations: the International Coalition of Nations [ICN], Euresian Defense Organization [EDO], Catel Humanitarian Aid Project [CHAP], and the International Health and Sciences Organization [IHSO]. Zagorno is also known as the most popular refugee destination for those fleeing from war in Greater Cynea.

History

Independence from Geresia In the 1930s, ethnic tensions in the eastern territories of Geresia began to boil after the Geresian Prime Minister at the time, Antonio Velasia, passed federal legislation declaring that all non-Geresian citizens had to pay a 12% tax increase annually to help offset the economic impact of the ongoing Geresian-Karalian war, which had devastated several industrial regions in Geresia. This bill, which was colloquially dubbed 'The Vampire Act' by ethnic minorities, was greatly resisted by many of the provinces populated mostly by ethnic minorities. Provinces such as Zageska, Miszakov, and South Rascia all saw increased unrest among the populous, and even rioting in the streets of major cities. These heavy riots culminated in the 1941 Targu Aleta Massacre, in which over a thousand ethnic Zagornian university students were slaughtered by Geresian soldiers after they had mobbed outside the Targu Aleta administrative building. This massacre was the final nail in the proverbial coffin, as following the event thousands of Zagornians rose up with weapons purchased from the black market and began to attack Geresian servicemen, and between these partisan guerilla attacks and the advancing Kalarian army, the Geresian Armed Forces stood no chance. When the Treaty of Zelenogorsk was signed in 1947, part of the treaty stipulated that all of the eastern provinces, save for South Rascia, were to be given independence. Thus, Zagorno was born.

Geography

Zagorno mostly consists of flat, forested regions and low-altitude hills and mesas, with large swathes of farmland patching across the nation. These farms largely grow wheat and corn products, with livestock ranches lower in number however still commonly found. Many small farming villages and fishing towns also dot the flat Zagornian countryside, with many villages only accessible over dirt roadways and decrepit stone paths winding over to them from the more mainstream asphalt highways in the country. Most Zagornian cities, including the capital, are also located in the fertile regions of Zagorno, with Targu Aleta itself located in the north, where a majority of the Zagornian urban population lives.

Zagorno's climate varies only slightly year by year, with spring and summer bringing low-intensity heat and heavy rains, and autumn and winter bringing cold spells of falling snow and cold, muddy soil where fertile farmland was months before. The heavy rain helps to keep the farming soil healthy in the countryside, which helps contribute to Zagorno's high agricultural output and growing rural industries. This has also contributed to the abundance of refugees which flow into Targu Aleta and other major cities such as Port Stanley every month.

Government

The Zagornian government system is very reminiscent of the Osatian democratic system, however it has traces of authoritarianism woven within it. This has allowed Zagorno's short existence to see little if any civil strife or political upheaval, and this stability has also granted Zagorno many economic and military opportunities both domestically and abroad.

Senate

The Zagornian Senate is composed of 100 seats, all of which are filled based on representation. Each Zagornian province is granted 20 senators, whom are elected from candidates running in their individual cities. The Senate operates as a balance to the power of the president but also as a driving power for the nation as a whole, ratifying budget changes, military deployments, economic plans and legislative action by the president or ministers before it is ever put into action. However, the President possesses veto power over the senate, which has recently been called into question by the population since the election of President Mikhaelo in 2018.

Economy

The Zagornian economy is considered advanced compared to the other nations of the Catel region, relying on manufactured goods exports and oil exports to fuel it's annual growth of 0.7%. The economy is supported heavily by the international oil and gas industries, both of which heavily use Zagornian oil exports from the Dunaroksvarpa oil fields in southern Zagorno. Over 540,000 barrels of oil leave Port Stanley and Dunaroksvarpa every year, bringing in hundreds of millions of NSD in value and helping Zagorno maintain its growing economy and high development scores in the HDI and GDP sectors. This economy has also allowed Zagorno to maintain its integrity throughout the Catelian Famine, with Zagorno agricultural industries largely unaffected due to heavy imports of foreign crops able to withstand the heavy droughts across Catel.

Zagorno possesses a large collection of different industries that produce valuable goods in urban areas, such as the textile industry, arms industry, car industry, and even airplane industry. The Namalsk Airlines produce 70% of their equipment and airliners in Zagornian factories, which, among other companies' usage of Zagornian goods, has brought a reputation of reliability to Zagornian-made products, especially vehicles and armaments. However as of January 5th, 2021, many industries located near the Alessian and Koroszidan borders have been either shut down or destroyed, which has significantly harmed the long-term economic stability of the nation.

Military

The Zagornian Defense Forces (or ZDF) are the armed forces of Zagorno. The ZDF currently has 1,270,000 active servicemen, and a reserve of 450,000 servicemen. The ZDF consists of four branches: the Zagornian Ground Forces [ZGF-D], Zagornian Maritime Forces [ZMF-D], Zagornian Air Forces [ZAF-D] and the Zagornian Military Law Enforcement [ZMLE-D]. The first three branches often work in combined arms doctrines during wartime, which often times see the air forces support ground attacks, with the navy cutting off supply shipments by sea. Examples of this style of warfare can be seen in the 1971 Geresian-Zagornian War, the Seven Days War, and the ongoing Alessian Crisis.

History

The Zagornian Defense Forces were first founded in 1922 as the Zagornian-Nakean Rally for Independence [ZNRI], which fought the Geresian Federal Armed Forces during the Geresian-Karalian war and subsequent Geresian Civil War. The ZNRI would grow to possess 25,000 active personnel at its peak, however would soon be dissolved by the commander, Kila Mancescu, following Zagorno's independence. In its place would rise the Zagorno National Militia Forces [ZNMF], which consisted of a land force and air force. This army however was disorganized and underequipped, and quickly defeated in the Geresian-Zagornian war. This would prompt the reformation of the army into what it is today, the Zagornian Defense Forces.

Foreign Deployments

The ZDF is currently involved in several foreign military operations in Euresia, with the most prominent operation being peacekeeping in Nezea. Approximately two thousand servicemen [2019 estimate] currently serve in international peacekeeping forces in Nezea, however this number has been steadily decreasing since the ICN announced a general withdrawal of peacekeepers in the area due to a 'perceived stabilization within the region as a whole'.