Pontesi

Pontesi, officially the Pontesian Dynastic Commonwealth is an independent nation located in the north-western peninsular of Majatra. It is bordered to the west by Beiteynu and to the south by Barmenia. Its people are diverse in background and religion, although most of the population are Hosian. The capital is Devoleia.

Geography
At 514,000 km Pontesi is the Terra's 49th largest country in land mass, whilst it is the world's 46th largest country in terms of population. It is comparable in population to country in the planet earth like Indonesia, and is similar in land size to Thailand; it is just over twice the size of the entire United Kingdom, and 1.4 times the size of Germany.

Pontesi is home to several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is mountainous. The centre of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat Xanduley river valley.

The north and northwest have a temperate climate. In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west have a Savanna climate.

Culture
Pontesi has historically been a rather cosmopolitan society with a colonial history, and has long boasted significant minorities. Selucians (Romans) and Yeudi (Jews) have been present in the area since before the birth of the modern Pontesian state. Despite the nomadic origins of the invading Jelbic peoples, Pontesi has historically been ruled by a westernised nobility and their immediate subjects, with influences and intermarriages from nearby Selucia as well as Pontesi's historical ally, Luthori. The descendants of this rather cosmopolitan (but often fiercely patriotic) group are now known as the Abuék Pntékai (“High Pontesians”, westernised Armenians with Roman influences) or "Sugirkai" (Cedar people).

Jelbic-speaking Ponteans and Arev Mardik cultures have syncretized significantly in many ways, leading to Pontesi's interesting (and sometimes difficult) fusion of lowland nomadism and highland steadfastness. Indeed, it was in the mountain retreats of the Arev Mardik that the Pntékai tribes took refuge during the heights of Yeudi expansion around 1100 and the Ahmadi Caliphate around 1450, and it was from these retreats that the Pntékai surged forth to reassert themselves, eventually ruling over an empire that extended far into Beiteynu until the end of the 20th century.

Interestingly, the Arev Mardik maintain that they were the first peoples to take up the banner of Hosianism, several hundred years before the Augustan Empire officially adopted it as the state religion in 509.

Religion
Work in progress.

Economy

 * See Economy of Pontesi

Pontesi is a newly industrialized economy. Work in progress.

History
Pontesi's longest known inhabitants are known as the Arev Mardik (Armenians). The name translates into “Sun People” in their own language. They are believed to have moved to the northern mountains of Pontesi after a prehistoric and unexplained migration from present day Hobratsia and the surrounding area. Selucians arrived in Pontesi as early as the 4'th century and mostly settled along its eastern coast, especially in modern day Bazlieum. Meanwhile, the Yeudi have maintained a presence deep in Azorium since before the birth of modern Pontesi.

The Arev Mardik lived in Pontesi's mountains for many years and most were relatively unimpacted by the Jelbo-Tukaric Migrations that saw Jelbic tribes settle in the lowlands of Pontesi. They intermarried with the Arev Mardik and gave birth to the Pnték language, a regional dialect of Jelbék, a conlang devised solely for the PT world. Barmenian, Vanukan, and Jelbanian Jelbics speak their own distinct versions of the language, the primary difference being the source of loan-words.

Pontesi rose to become a regional power in the 25:th century by the accusation of Gaduridos (and later Talmoria) by its semi-independent Imperial East Terra Company. While starting of as a tribalistic republic, referenced to by the name “Pontesian Dynastic Commonwealth” (which indicates the strong standing of the clans), it was later declared an empire under the nationalistic Belknap family. The Belknaps dominated Pontesi for much of the late third millennia, but were eventually ousted in a revolution.

The next clan to take the throne were the Mederagaar family. Styling themselves "Director general"s, they ruled the country in a corporate fashion and attempted many social and economic and social experiments, with varying success. The most long-standing legacy of this era is the Medrengaard Experimental City and Habitation Occupation Zone, an experimental underground city of brass (meaning steam punk-ish) northeast of Lerna, Caespasia.

The Selucian Crimson Crusade arrived in the early 31'th century and took over for a time, but were forced to retreat and go into exile in Barmenia, because of intervention from the International Monarchist League (IML). The league eventually succeeded in reinstating the Belknaps on the throne. The monarchy would remain for a time, and attempted to commit genocide on Selucian Pontesians, but were eventually ousted and replaced with the Selucio-Pontesian Aedinius Clan.

Later on, Pontesi would became part of the “Empire of the Jelbic peoples” an authoritarian regional power consisting of Pontesi, Barmenia, Vanuku and Jelbania, until it was finally dissolved in 3816.

Diplomatic
Work in progress.

Politics and Government
Work in progress.

Political symbolism
From the birth of the modern Pontesian state, the Head of State was traditionally called Atabeg Accipitrum (Atabeg of the Hawks), whenever elected or unelected. This title first appeared in and is a reference to the Red-tailed hawk, which is the fist and foremost traditional Pontesian symbol. It symbolizes the will and determination of an united Pontesian people and can be seen as a counterpart of the imperial eagles of the Augustan or Gao Showan empires, representing the multi-ethnic character of the Pontesian state.

"“A certain recording of the cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is probably one the most often heard cinematic sound clich.. This high fierce, scream is often featured in the background of adventure movies to give a sense of wilderness to the scene.”"

- A Pontesian neoliberal legislator saluting the national animal in 2168

The second and less prevalent symbol of Pontesi is the Cedar tree. The Pontesian Senate is usually refereed to as the August parliament of the Cedar Throne. The Cedar Throne in this case does not represent a single individual but the Pontesian nation as a whole.

"Once again, the ignorance of the Crusader is shown. The Cedar Throne was not a reference to the monarchy, but rather to a national tree of our nation which is the Cedar tree. The Cedar Throne is the idea that the seat of each parliament members shall also represent our nation's cultures and history which was established even before the birth of the Empire."

- A Belknap-loyalist member of parliament speaking out against the Crimson Crusade's abolition of the national symbols in 3294

Military of Pontesi
Work in progress.