Zardugal

Zardugal, officially known as the Republic of Zardugal (Augustan: Respubliko de Zardugalo or Ρεσπυβλιξο δε Ζαρδυγαλο) is a nation in the Southern Hemisphere on the continent of Majatra.

Once at the heart of the mighty Augustan Empire, and later an integral part of the Ahmadi Caliphate. modern-day Zardugal is a prosperous, multi-cultural, semi-presidential republic and a founding member of the pan-continental Majatran Alliance.

The nation consists of five semi-autonomous regions – known as states – with many powers devolved to them by the central government legislature, known as the National Assembly.

Zardugal has a vibrant economy and enjoys a strong overseas trading relationship. Its biggest exports include oil, biofuels, aluminium, beef, pork and pharmaceuticals.

It has a burgeoning financial sector based in the capital, Beleco, and major shipbuilding facilities at the port cities of Kostandia and Limestoi.

The nation is considered one of the most environmentally-friendly on Terra and for many years has banned the use of private cars - opting for an extensive and subsidised public transport system instead.

Ancient history
The first attested historical event in Zardic history is the settlement of Qedarite tribes on its territory during the Qedarite Migrations. In 224, much of the South of Zardugal was brought under the rule of the Qedarite Kingdom of Irkawa, during which time many Mallans and Irkawans settled on the territory of Zardugal.

Augustan Empire
In 395, Augustus the Great, the king of the Kingdom of Leucopolis, a Selucian-speaking successor state of the Qedarite Empire, initiated one of the largest campaigns of conquest in ancient history, culminating in the conquest of the Kingdom of Irkawa. The conquests of Augustus created the Augustan Empire which was to bear his name, and which ruled all of the South of the continent for nearly a thousand years. Zardugal, together with its northern neighbour Cobura, became the core territory of the new empire, and the most lasting legacy of the centuries of Augustan rule over Zardugal is the emergence of the Augustan people as the dominant ethnicity in the nation. The long decline of the Augustan Empire began with the settlement of Deltarians in former Augustan territory and the subsequent Augustan-Tokundian Wars, culminating in the eventual conquest of the Empire by the emerging Ahmadi Empire.

Ahmadi Caliphate
The Ahmadi-Augustan Wars, started with the Great War of the South of 1234-1242, pitted the rising Ahmadi Caliphate against the declining Augustan Empire. Although the Empire managed to avoid complete conquest during the Great War of the South, its entire territory was incorporated in the Caliphate in 1401, beginning a century-long period of direct Ahmadi rule. Zardugal was governed by an Emir, appointed by the Caliph, whose role however was limited to defence and the collection of taxes; the country was largely run by the local princes, who retained large autonomy in exchange for tribute.

Kingdom of Zardugal
When the Caliphate collapsed in 1500, the local princes of Zardugal regained their independence, and were united to form the Kingdom of Zardugal, an Augustan-speaking Hosian polity that was to last until 2117, when a liberal revolution overthrew the monarchy and established the First Federation of Zardugal.

Saiserist Era
A newly formed international organisation, the New World Order, based on racial supremacist and militarist ideals, gained a foothold in Zardugal and, indeed, much of Majatra during the early 2500s. It was based on an alliance between the Delic-supremacist Saiserist League, the authoritarian meritocratic Illuminati, and the Historical Communist Party of Zardugal, that gained power in the nation in 2513. The Saiserist League, led by Volodimir Saiser and affiliated with the New World Order, soon gained the upper hand within the Triumvirate, and the implementation of racially-based slavery by the Saiserists led to the disintegration of the Triumvirate and a civil war between the regime and the liberal and democratic opposition. It was called the Zardic Slave War. Although the war ended in an abolitionist victory, the conflict continued for several decades. The reborn Free Federation of Zardugal remained under Saiserist control, and in 2533 Zardugal invaded Cobura, which ended in Zardic defeat in 2539. Saiserism emerged as a new ideology, closely associated with the New World Order, and was one of the dominant ideological systems of thought in the 26th and 27th century.

Augustan Rebirth
In the early years of the 36th century, a new, supranational Augustan Empire was formed based on the ideas and ideals of the ancient Augustan Empire. Zardugal, became one of four prefectures and despotates of the new empire ruled from the city of Augusta in Cobura. However, the Second Empire collapsed following the Jelbic Augustan Wars, leading to the founding of the Third Federal Era.

Third Federal era
The current incarnation of Zardugal was founded in 3647 following the collapse of the Second Augustan Empire. The Zards spent years rebuilding their once proud nation to retake their place as a world power. Today the Federation of Zardugal is considered one of the most powerful nations in the world, having recently survived a massive assault by the Jelbic Khaganate and leading to its eventual collapse. Although Zardugal succeeded in regaining its lost prominence in the aftermath of the fall of the Khaganate, during the late 40th century it experienced significant instability and political polarization, culminating in the brief but disastrous Zardic Civil War, fought between monarchist and republican forces. Although the war ended in a republican victory, the nation did not fully recover its battered economic and military standing.

Geography
Zardugal is located on the Southwestern limb of the Majatran mainland, running from the centre of the Majatra Basin all the way to the Northwest coast. The country shares borders with Vanuku to the north, Jelbania to the east and to the south is Cobura. In the south east, Lake Majatra represents an additional demarcation, bordering the Ingomu province. Zardugal also has a lengthy coastline to its west facing the Verand Ocean. Much of the irrigation in the nation is provided by the enormous inland sea, Lake Majatra, and the two vast rivers, the Corious and Ustari. The climate in Zardugal varies between a continental climate in the north, with cold winters, and hot, humid summers and well distributed rainfall patterns, and a more Adriatic climate in the south with hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy inland snowfall. Differences in elevation, proximity to Lake Majatran and large river basins, as well as the exposure to the winds account for climate differences. Northern areas of Zardugal possesses typical continental climate, with air masses from North and Western Majatran which shapes its climatic profile. South and Southwest Zardugal is subject to subtropical influences, however the inland mountain ranges contribute to the cooling down the biggest part of warm air masses.

Politics and Government of Zardugal
Main Article: Government of Zardugal

Republican Government
The Zardic Republican Government is the central authority of Zardugal. Given the highly federalized power sharing nature of Zardugal, the government tends to focus on protection of basic human rights, foreign affairs, defence and trade policy leaving many other policies for the states to handle.

The Constitution of 4095 is the most current constitutional law document of the nation and lays out the basic structure of Zardugal, the state and its powers. There are now only two branches of Government, the Legislative and Executive branch(Made up of the National Assembly and Republican Government) and the judicial branch ( the Council on the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Appeals.)

Almost all the legislative power lies in the hands of the government and the National Assembly. The Chief Minister heads up the government and the cabinet, which tends to be a coalition of two or more parties that are represented in the national assembly.

President of the Republic
The President (or Head of State) is an elected role, which is mainly ceremonial. Although the President is nominal Commander-in-Chief and represents Zardugal on the international stage, his/her duties are carried out on the advice of the government. In addition, the President's other main responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and ensure the basic laws of the nation are upheld.

States
Zardugal is divided into 5 highly autonomous states that oversee much of the domestic policy development of the country.

Departments
The States are further divided into 51 Departments. Each Department is governed by a local Municipal Council, which is directly elected by the local population during the General Municipal Elections.

Number of Departments per state and capital department:

+ Endiraho – 12, capital department is Beleco Metropoliso

+ Unkaso –  10, capital department is Kostandia

+ Sakvejo –  9, capital department is Sebastino-Golfeto

+ Kalvario – 8, capital department is Leukopolo

+ Ingomo – 12, capital department is Limestoi Centrala

.

Cities
Zardugal has a number of 20 cities with a population higher than 500,000. Every city is governed by a City Council, headed by the Mayor and directly elected by the local population during the General Manucipal Elections.

City names corresponding to the numbers on the map:

+ Endiraho - 1. Beleco / 2. Sebasto / 3. Paralia Cezareo / 4.Gatineo;

+ Unkaso - 5. Kostandia / 6. Zardugaio / 7. Nova Unkaso / 8.Rejketo;

+ Sakvejo - 9. Sebastino / 10.Hesperio / 11. Krokiro / 12. Skaraj;

+ Kalvario - 13. Leukopolo / 14. Maniopolo / 15. Darmopolo / 16. Kitrinaio;

+ Ingomo - 17. Limestoi / 18. Venetio / 19. Fortreso / 20. Aŭgusta Justiniana.

Industrial Exports

 * Oil
 * Aluminium
 * Rubber
 * Diamonds
 * Copper
 * Silicon
 * Zinc
 * Lithium

Agricultural Exports

 * Beef
 * Pork
 * Sugar Cane
 * Rum
 * Seafood (Assorted Fish and shell foods)
 * Opium Poppies
 * Cocoa
 * Small amounts of Specialized Tobacco
 * Sorghum
 * Grapes
 * Pears
 * Potatoes
 * Assorted Grains

Science
Currently the government with cooperation from the private sector offers grants for reserach in the following fields:
 * Biofuels
 * Nuclear Research
 * Semiconductors
 * Nano Techs
 * Bio-Optics
 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Rhinovirus and Coronavirus (common cold) research

Demographics and Culture
The dominant ethnic group in Zardugal consists of the Augustan people, an ethnicity native to Majatra descended from Selucian colonists in the north, arriving on the shores of the Majatran Sea due to ancient colonization, and the various indigenous groups in the South of Majatra. The largest ethnic minority in Zardugal is formed of the Mallan people, who form around 20% of the population and largely live in the South of the country, in Kalvario and Ingomo.

The largest religion in Zardugal is Hosianism, and the Deltarian based Terran Patriarchal Church is the largest Hosian denomination in the nation. The Coburan Apostolic Tewahedo Church, an autocephalous member of the Apostolic Church of the East, is largely followed by Mallans. Ahmadism is the second largest religion, having been brought into the nation by the Ahmadi Caliphate.

Ethnicity

 * 64% Augustans
 * 18% Mallans
 * 7% Tokundians
 * 4% Irkawans
 * 2% Jelbics
 * 2% Majatrans
 * 3% Other

Religion

 * 79% Hosianism
 * 61% Terran Patriarchal Church
 * 8% Coburan Apostolic Tewahedo Church
 * 4% Aurorian Patriarchal Church
 * 3% Bishopal Church
 * 2% Other


 * 12% Ahmadism
 * 7% Israism
 * 4% Abadism
 * 1% Halawism


 * 7% Irreligious
 * 2% Yeudism
 * 1% Other

Sport
Zardugal is a nation that loves sports. They citizens embrace and encourage competition, and are known for being ultra-competitive. It is not uncommon for public schools to have mandatory participation in extracurricular sport or some type of physical activity. The government hosts games every 3 years where the best scholar-athletes from around the nation compete in currently 5 different games. The national sport in Zardugal is chariot racing, a violent and often lethal sport of ancient Kalopian origins. Other popular sports are Rugby, Boxing, Soccer, Baseball, and Zardic Football (where players must attempt to put balls through hoops located high on a wall without using their hands).