Vanuku

Vanuku, officially the Republic of Vanuku (Vanukeaans: Republiek Vanuke, Wrnukaék: Wrnukaék Rekvakns, Banmek: Wrnoekaijk Republjiek), is a nation in the central part of Majatra. It is bordered to the north by Barmenia, to the south-east by Jelbania and to the south-west by Zardugal. It is the eighteenth most populous nation on Terra with a population of 99,699,659, and an area of 639,600 km², resulting in a population density of 156 people /km.

The new Republic and the current presidential system was established after a series of constitutional reforms in 4352. It brought to an end nearly 140 years of rule by a series of hereditary monarchs from the noble house of Banmek-Sntazed.

Vanuku has one of the most powerful economies and militaries on Terra and is a driving force not only in Majatran politics, but in pan-Terran affairs too.

Etymology
The name Vanuku derive from the Jelbék name Wrnuke, which has been used to refer to the area compromising modern Vanuku since the days of Merlkai Khan. Vanuku is a Luthorian and Dorvish adaptation of the original name which was adopted during the Dorvish colonisation period.

History
The modern state of Vanuku is one of the younger nations on Terra and the culture that is now dominant in Vanuku is unique on the continent of Majatra. Many cultures lived in what is now Vanuku, beginning with Qedarite tribes, who were only united on the coastline in service of the Qedarite Empire. The Jelbo-Tukaric migrations brought some population to Vanuku. The settled Jelbo-Tukarics divided into three different tribes in Vanuku. The Kerline (Krlmek) on the south-western coast and in the harsh deserts. The Banster (Banmek) in the north and middle and the Tratser (Trmek) in the south-east. The Deltarians briefly settled in south-eastern Vanuku as well, leaving some cultural influence on the Tratsers.

Merulf the Conqueror, known as Merlkai Khan in his day, united the Bansters in the early 800’s CE and pushed the Augustan Empire out of southern Vanuku. Afterwards he converted to Augustan Hosianism, together with his vassal chiefs, which marks the start of feudalism in Vanuku. This also marks the decline of the local pagan religion, Zollism, which remained dominant with the Tratsers until the Ahmadi Caliphate invaded Vanuku. The Tratsers converted to Ahmadism and were appointed to rule over the Bansters and Tratsers, who had chosen to remain Augustan Hosians. After the fall of the Ahmadi Caliphate the Bansters and Tratsers managed to grab big portions of land. Settlers from mostly Dorvik chose to cooperate with the feudal Vanukeans and the Jelbek and Brmek tongue spoken in Vanuku evolved into Vanukeaans, a Southern-Rhaetan language.

After the Imperial Confederacy of 1702 to 1814 the divided Vanukean states erupted into a series of wars, of which the bloodiest was the Great War of Vanuku. The War of Unification brought an end to all the bloodshed and united Vanuku into a modern republic. Modern history contain a series of republics, a fascist state, a short lasted Imperial Confederation and a very long and stable federal republic that has been involved in several wars with Barmenia. All this ultimately resulted in the rise of the modern Principality, as well as the Khaganate. During the restoration of the Augustan monarchs the Prince was given the imperial honour of becoming a King. In 4183 the monarchy was abolished and a new republic was founded. But just 30 years later a king was back on the throne and backed by the pro-monarchist Greater Nationalist Party, he and his descendants ruled for well over a century. In the mid-4340s several republican parties rose to prominence, pledging to bring to an end the monarch's ability to wield a royal veto over Grand Council legislation. In the early 4350s following an inconclusive election, parties from all sides of the political spectrum historically voted through major constitutional change leading to the abolition of the monarchy and the formation of a fledgling republic.

Geography
Vanuku is known for it's varied geography. Hills, mountains, plains and dense jungles facilitate the nation's extreme biodiversity. Generally, Vanuku is divided in three zones; the mild north, the hot south and the warm east. The north is mostly noted for it's both temperate and subtropical climate, this is one of the few areas where Vanukuians live inland and not on the coastline. The hot south is noted for having three out of five of the mountain ridges that Vanuku has. And as the name already says, the south is very hot. The largest desert of Vanuku, the Woestenij, is located in the hot south. This area is also noted for it's natural resources, deep down in the desert there is oil and other rare resources, this provides for a share fair of the Vanukuian national income. The warm east is arguably the most diverse area of Vanuku, it has the twin mountains and the small but deadly desert called the Zandheuvels. However, by far the most interesting object on the map of Vanuku is the Grand Canal, the canal is located in the state of Schoorvesten and the 130 kilometres long strip is a huge shortcut for shipping companies coming from the western seas. The canal was first constructed in the year 3100 under the administration of minister Wilhelmina Maarten. It was expanded in the year 3212 by the fascist regime of Cornelis van Zanten.

The native coastal Vanukuians mostly live on the coast, in total 70% of the population lives on the coast, but there's also the inland natives. The coastal Vanukuians are mostly considered a hardy people but the inland natives are even more hardy, they are the relatives of the nomadic tribes that lived of the desert thousands of years ago. The current cities of Kerlin and Takenaken are former desert tribe settlements, both being located inside the Woestenij. One interesting area is the City Coast. Along the north-eastern coastline there are, all close to eachother, the capital Wiel, the metropole Prinsenaard, the cities of Noorddam and Havendam and the former capital Bartletstad. The City Coast is the most highly populated area in all of Vanuku, being the center of the nation's culture and technology since the late 20th century.

Government
As of the 4350s, Vanuku is a Presidential Republic, in which the head of State holds the title President of Vanuku, He/she also assumes the role of elected head of the Church of Vanuku a body created in 4353 by the Holy Army. Other anti-monarchist political forces voted yes to the religious reforms proposed by the theocratic Holy Army as party of an agreement reached in order to abolish the Banmek-Sntazed's monarchy.

The President, as well as being head of state, is also the head of government chairing the national cabinet. This in turn is appointed by the national legislature, known as the Grand Council (Wrnukaek: Jez Bltmojad, Vanukeaans:Grote Raad), and must be based on the proposal of the largest party.

This, clearly, limits the possibility for the President to appoint and dismiss ministers and, obviously, to promote policies before the cabinet without the support of the largest party or and eventual government coalition. This assures a strong system of checks and balances - granting to the legislature the role of most important institution of the nation. Furthermore in order for legislation to become law, it must receive a simple majority from the legislature and all significant changes to the constitution necessitate a two-thirds majority of seats in favour before they will pass.

Parties and elections
Legislative elections are currently held every six years (72 months) when all two-hundred-and-twenty-five seats in the Grand Council are contested along with the office of The President.

For centuries, the Crown Party ruled Vanuku alone with only the occasional rise of opposition parties. At present, the main dividing lines between political parties are on the question of monarchy and republicanism.

History of the Politics of Vanuku
Despite the current situation, for most of the recent centuries Vanuku has operated primarily as a constitutional monarchy, this primary thanks to the long lasting Crown Party (which assumed several names during its long history) which has always have a dominant role into the Vanukuean politics graanting for long periods the stability of the Banmek-Sntazed royal dynasty over the throne of Vanuku. Thanks to this historic rooting on the territory and within the Vankean society, in spite of republican reforms and occasional revolts against the royal regimes, the monarchist form of government has prevailed overall. Traditionally, under the Vanukean monarchy, the monarch, officially King of Vanuku (Wrnukaek: Wrnukaék Konz, Vanukeaans: Koning van Vanuke) served as the head of state but was granted only ceremonial powers, such as the formal appointment of the Prefect of the Council (Wrnukaek: Bltmojadaék Prfek, Vanukeaans: Prefect van de Raad), the head of government and effective holder of executive power. The Prefect was the most influential individual in the nation and was in charge of the the rest of the cabinet, with the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. Nevertheless, the national legislature was the source of much of this power and therefore, like under the current regime, retained significant influence of its own. Consequently, the legislative elections have often been critical to the relative success or failure of monarchist and republican movements.

Foreign relations
Traditionally Vanuku has always been a nation firmly entrenched in isolationism, yet with the rise of the restored federation in 3538 this changed. A few decades before that Barmenia succeeded in invading and annexing Vanuku. The fascist leadership of the Federal Party changed the entire course of the nation, for the first time in centuries Vanuku became an international player. The true breakthrough for Vanuku came with the rise of the Khaganate, which saw Wiel dominate the continent of Majatra. Since the rise of the Principality the nation searches its allies amongst other monarchies, yet Dorvik always remains a strong and reliable ally. In modern times Vanukean companies are all across the globe, and the Grand Canal is always a source of economic income. The state also has military compounds in several other nations across the globe which continue to be a source of international discontent with increasing Vanukean "imperialism".

Administrative divisions
Vanuku is split into five separate regions, known as States (Vanukeaans: Deelstaat, Wrnukaék: Prtastat). Since Vanuku is a unitary nation, the central government retains the power to override the decision of local governments however certain limited powers are devolved to the State administrations.

Each state has an executive branch in the form of a governor, who is appointed by the political party holding the majority in that state. The Governors can exercise the powers which are not held by central government and these vary depending on who is in charge of the nation at a particular moment. Each state is also broken down into smaller communities too.

Military
Since unification Vanuku has sought to retain a powerful military presence. Primarily, the Armed Forces of Vanuku are tasked with protecting Vanukean territory but most governments in recent times saw a further role in upholding international law and order. Vanuku has often found itself at the centre of international disputes, particularly during their time on the World Congress Security Council.

Of the three components of the military, the Land Forces are arguably the most important. However, the role of the Naval Forces is crucial too. Owing to its vast coastline, Vanuku operates one of Majatra and Terra's largest navies. Especially notable is the First Fleet, which has been at the forefront of many international incidents throughout the decades.

Law enforcement
Law enforcement is handled by the Federal Police, who can call upon the Royal Guard if the situation gets really dire. The Federal Police is a different organization per Federal State and is then even further divided into regional departments. The Federal Police can handle all parts of Vanukean security, from tax to arson to coast guard units. Trials are handled by federal Courts of Justice while appeals and international cases are handled by the High Court in the capital city, Wiel. There are several prisons across Vanuku known for their spartan yet organized and clean interiors. The most notorious of these prisons is the Penal Labour Prison located on the edge of the Woestenij desert. The small facility handles the most extreme cases and is the only prison in Vanuku to give hard labour punishments.

Economy
The economy of Vanuku is based largely on trade in combination with heavy industry. Several times during its history the Vanukean state has attempted to pursue a course of autarky but all these attempts generally failed. The only successful byproduct of the autarky attempts is the founding of Petrovan, the national oil company of Vanuku. Another old company is the steel manufactorer Vrijstaal. Vrijstaal always had financial trouble but has survived them. Chemieman is the biggest chemical company. Pecnék is the leading car manufactorer mainly operating in Vanuku. They never made it in the international market. During the last century the trade of the nation has soared, with Vanukean companies operating all across the globe. Large amounts of money are made by importing and exporting goods, and domestic companies make good use of the free transfer through the Grand Canal. The two biggest delivery companies are Gbar-Sending and Zhtal. The heavy industry finds its basis in the arms industry, with several large companies producing firearms, naval vessels and other military equipment. Recently, the high tech industry is blooming with a major contribution of the relatively new company Vanutech. A minor contribution to the economy is the tourist sector, with many tourists being attracted to the historical coastline of Vanuku that even has mild temperatures during harsh winters. The national currency of Vanuku is the Vanukean Mark, a stable currency backed up by the Vanukean Guilder. The currency is the official currency of the Karav Financial Services, who have their headquarters in Wiel.

​Infrastructure
Vanuku has a highly developed infrastructure network which connects the most distant mountainous regions to the urban eastern coast. Primarily, citizens utilise the road network when travelling though transport by train, plane and boat are similarly common in modern Vanuku.

Vanukean law designates numerous different types of road, each with certain restrictions and permissions. Motorways (Vanukeaans: Autosnelweg, Wrnukaék: I'rtsestifíestinyrfluz) connect the nation's largest cities to one another. In particular, there is a concentration of motorways in the City Coast region to facilitate the large volume of traffic, particularly commuters, who operate in this part of the county. Motorways usually have four or five lanes but can legally have as few as two.

In addition, highways (Vanukeaans: Snelweg, Wrnukaék: Estifíestinyrfluz) connect the motorway network to the many smaller town and cities across Vanuku. Legally, these roads can have as many lanes as possible, provided there is a dividing strip between the traffic. Sometimes, especially in the remote desert parts of the country, these have a single lane.

Vanuku's rail network runs parallel to much of the motorway network. Nowadays, the primary rail network is at least double-track with much of the coastal line being quadruple-track. Some sections in the urban districts surrounding Wiel and Prinsenaard have even been sextuplicated.

Wiel airport is the nation's largest and busiest due to the city's status as the governmental capital of the nation. Each of the other four regional capital's also has an airport which deals with high passenger volume (Prinsenaard recently completed construction on a fourth runway). Increasingly, citizens are choosing to fly domestically instead of utilising cars or trains.

Due to its extensive coastline, Vanuku has many important harbours and ports. On the west coast, Nachten port is the primary destination for cargo ships while the eastern coast has a plethora of destinations depending on numerous factors (e.g. cargo, country of origin, size). Notably, Havendam harbour hosts the Shipyard Havendam. Additionally, the Grand Canal is a crucial aspect of Vanukean infrastructure, connecting the Majatran Sea and the Verranderlijke Ocean. Due to its strategic position, the canal provides a vital contribution to Vanuku's economy.

Demographics
Vanuku is one of the four nations traditionally regarded as Jelbic yet it is considerably different from Barmenia and Jelbania. Instead, the demography of Vanuku can be compared to Pontesi in that the Jelbic population live alongside settlers from elsewhere. While Pontesi welcomed Selucian settlers, Vanuku was visited by Dorvish colonisers.

In the 17th century the Dorvish founded a colony in Vanuku. It was the Dorvish influences and the cultural mixing of the Wrnukek and Dorvish that caused the rise of a new tongue: Vanukeaans, a Southern Rhaetan language. The Trmek and Banmek are mainly Hosian while the Krlmék are predominantly Ahmadist. These cultural differences have caused much strife in the history of Vanuku, yet in modern times the oppression of the Krlmék is a thing from long ago.

Ethnic breakdown
An ethnic breakdown of the Vanukean population, based on the most recent data cna be found below.

Culture
What is broadly known as the Vanukean people is actually divided between three different tribes. The Banster (Jelbek: Banmek) in the north, the Tratser (Jelbek: Trmék) in the south-east and the Kerline (Jelbek: Krlmék) in the west and the southern deserts. These cultures are almost exclusive to Vanuku and are therefore often called Vanukeans. The main difference between the tribes is that the Banster and Tratser groups speak, unique to Majatra, Vanukeaans. Vanukeaans is a language that came to be after Dorvish settlers merged with Vanukeans during the 16th and 17th centuries. These tribes are also mainly Hosian while the Kerline, a purely Brmek group, are mostly Ahmadist. Further influence on the Tratser are the Deltarian influence during their migration. Vanuku has quite a few national holidays unique to the nation, celebrating the independence and formation of the nation as well as honouring important historical figures like Merulf the Conqueror and Temrkai Khan.


 * New Year's Day (January 1) to celebrate the beginning of a new year.
 * Day of the Great Temrkai (January 6th) to celebrate the birth and life of Temrkai Khan.
 * Conqueror's Day (June 20) to celebrate the life of Merulf the Conqueror.
 * Lion's Day (August 5) to celebrate Vanukuian unity.
 * Remembrance Day (September 9) to remember all the victims from the wars Vanuku has been involved in.
 * Armed Forces Day (November 11) to celebrate the Armed Forces with a large military parade.
 * New Year's Eve (December 31) to celebrate the ending of a year.