Sydona

The Sydona or the Sydona Islands, officially the People's Republic of Sydona, is a theme and overseas state of the Kiravian Federacy comprising a roughly triangular archipelago of off the southern coast of Continental Ixnay in the Pelian Sea. The islands have a long and convoluted history, having come under the rule of many different nations and empires over the course of the centuries. Incorporation of Sydona into the Kiravian sphere of influence began during the Crusades and was complete by [YEAR]. Sydona is known for its cultural diversity and rich heritage, and for its valuable natural resources.

Etymology
The name Sydona is a contraction of a twenty-two syllable High Coscivian compound word meaning "the land where beer does flow and men chunder". This is understood to refer to the wild drinking parties among celebrating Coscivian sailors after completing the long and arduous sea voyage to Sydona.

History
[Diverse history and heritage. Pelian and Slakko-analogue main native ethnic groups] [Crusades] [100 years of jackshit] [Kirosocialism] [Reintegration] [Present day]

Reintegration
By 21184 the Kirosocialist administration in Great Kirav was spiralling toward collapse, struggling in vain to reverse the implosion of its economy and stave off emboldened opposition movements. In Sydona however, despite the presence of various increasingly visible opposition movements, the Kirosocialist status quo remained reasonably popular. Sustained demand for Sydona's energy resources and the semi-autonomy afforded to the antipodean republic in economic planning sufficiently insulated Sydona from the mainland's mounting economic crisis, and its public ration-distribution system had always performed better than the mainland's due to less cross-regional inefficiency and a smaller disparity between supply and demand. In addition, many in the Coscivian population and certain minority groups who might have been otherwise uncommitted to socialist ideology were wary of deviation from the status quo, fearing that an overthrow of the established régime and the decidedly pan-ethnic socialist formulation of Sydonan identity that it sponsored would open the door to ethnic unrest and radical movements such as the Apocatasarpedians, who sought to turn Sydona away from Coscivian civilisation and towards a Sarpedon-centric cultural ethos and geopolitcal alignment.



In the (southern hemisphere) autumn of 21184, just after Élív, word began to filter through the Party nomenklatura that Chairman Ástūkétra and the Politburo had fallen into defeatism and were considering transition negotiations with the Æonara authorities in the hope of arriving at some sort of power-sharing agreement that would accomplish Kiravian unification under a Two Systems in One Nation (Yulentun Þuğudrē) framework and move toward on the mainland. These rumours (now known to be true) alarmed Kirosocialist hardliners in across the Kiravian Union and precipitated a wave of overt pushback against the central leadership from regional soviets and delegates to the Supreme Soviet, the likes of which had not been seen since the consolidation of single-party rule. The Destransar Soviet was particularly ardent in its opposition, passing a resolution condemning the rumoured negotiations and, should the rumours prove true, denouncing the revolutionary legitimacy of any officials involved. The resolution pledged to maintain the socialist path and the comprehensive leadership of the Socialist Party in Sydona no matter what.

[Unclear what happens in the middle here]

Although some, such as Tragran Folestrin, insisted that distant Sydona not be allowed to single-handedly obstruct Kiravian unification when completion of the multi-generational project was so near at hand, National Renewal Movement recognised the importance of the archipelago, not only due to its energy resources and the considerable symbolic cost of abandoning such a populous and important overseas region, but also due to fears that the islands would become a "Red Æonara" acting as a haven for socialist hardliners and compromising the unification effort by keeping the torch of Kirosocialism alight and challenging the legitimacy of a restored government. After the [event that totally happened] dashed any realistic hope of a Two Systems in One Nation arrangement for Great Kirav, the NRM began preparing for a full Federalist restoration while the Destransar Soviet prepared to assume independence. As a last-ditch effort, the Reunification Council presented a version of the Two Systems proposal to Sydona:


 * Sydona would accept the sovereignty of the Kiravian Federacy but would not revert to its pre-Kirsok constitutional status, instead becoming a sui iuris overseas entity with a high degree of autonomy within the Kiravian Collectivity.
 * No market reforms would be imposed from above. Bilateral ground rules for energy, commerce, and travel would be negotiated.
 * Sydona must come into compliance with the Statute of Liberties, and Sydonans would have recourse to the federal judiciary in matters of civil rights. Sydona and its officials would be exempt from the jurisdiction of any tribunals.
 * The Socialist Party of Sydona must nominally disaffiliate itself from the Socialist Party of Kiravia (expected to be dissolved and banned), but would be allowed to persist as a standalone party and maintain single-party rule for a period of 7 years, after which multiparty elections were to be held in which the SPS would be free to compete. No further constitutional changes would be required.

Geography
There are over 20 natural and currently 3 artificial islands in the Sydona archipelago. The five largest islands are Érdoran (Yerduran, also known as Lordasydona or "Grand Sydona"), Fauda, Manētuva, Teğer, and Mar-Kśaver. Érdoran comprises over 35% of the state's land area and is home to just over half of its population.

The archipelago lies entirely within the temperate belt, with a broadly (Trewartha Cf), with ample rainfall and a narrow, moderate annual temperature range. Sydona's antipodean seasons are well-defined: Spring is usually cool, windy, and damp, while warm summers and mild autumns create a long growing season for crops. Winters, though mild, are generally chilly and humid.

OR

The archipelago has a pluviseasonal-oceanic mediterranean climate, with thermal grades ranging from thermomediterranean to mesomediterranean, with parts of the southern islands and elevated areas of Yerduran experiencing supramediterranean thermal conditions.

Government


In the modern constitutional context of thematic federalism, Sydona belongs to the. The Sydonan Theme is a unitary theme(comprising only one federal subject) as well as a special theme (having devolved authority to in certain matters normally within federal competence). In practical terms, this means that Sydona has significant latitude to set its own policies with regard to migration, customs, and interstate commerce, above and beyond the considerable rights reserved to regular Kiravian states. The Government of Sydona has actively exercised its autonomy in these areas, and presently maintains a separate migration and customs régime from other parts of the Federacy, as well as numerous intrastate trade barriers and its own currency, the Sydonan dram. Sydona was accorded this special status along with the Melian Isles during the Federalist Restoration in the 21180s due to political and strategic considerations at the time (see §Reintegration above), and retains them in recognition of its geographic isolation, unique ethnic and cultural makeup, and divergent development path. Nonetheless, Sydona has voluntarily taken significant steps since the 21180s toward closer integration with the rest of the Kiravian Federacy, in tandem with the gradual liberalisation of its domestic economy and institutional setup.

The political life of Sydona takes place within the framework of a constitutional republic. The current Constitution of Sydona has been in place since the last round of federal status compacts and referenda in 21198. Although it is now a multi-party electoral democracy, Sydona retains many institutional forms and symbolic trappings that recall its past as a Kirosocialist single-party state on the Devinist model. The unicameral legislature, the People's Soviet, is elected every 36 months by from constituencies corresponding to the state's cities and raions. The Chief Executive of Sydona is elected every 72 months by alternative vote. Unlike most overseas states, election of the Chief Executive of Sydona does not require any confirmation or nominal appointment by the Prime Executive or Federal Stanora.

Politics
Sydona has a multiparty political landscape. Currently, the largest single party in the People's Assembly is the Convergence and Union Party (affiliated with the Shaftonist-Republican Alliance), which draws support mainly from the urban Austral Coscivian middle classes, Mainlanders, and other Coscivian and Christian minority groups. The CUP supports market-driven economic development, maintaining a high level of integration with the rest of the Kiravian Federacy, and an inclusive, moderate conception of the state's identity that shies away from Austral Coscivian ethnonationalism. The Kirosocialist National Ba'ath Party (affiliated with the New Deal Alliance), is the oldest party in the state, and is supported most strongly by the urban working classes, Coscivian Sunnis, and Arabs. The KNBP is one of the most influential Kirosocialist parties remaining relevant since the National Renewal, and also one of the most hardline. It favours state-led economic development and a more authoritarian approach to governance, though in recent years its main rallying points have been increasing income equality, strengthening labour unions, and rejecting closer integration with the rest of the Federacy under capitalist rule, in favour of greater autonomy for Sydona and a degree of protectionism for the islands' economy. The third major political grouping in Sydona is the Seven Sons of Father Abraham, an alliance between the Christian People's Party, the Autonomous Popular Party, and five smaller parties making up the Islamic-Democratic List. Inspired by and  thought, the SSFA promote a  and social conservatism. In contrast to the Islamic-Democratic List, the Islamic Da'wah Party (affiliated with the Caucus of Justice) calls for a more exacting and comprehensively Islamic reform of society grounded in Shi'i clericalism.

Federal Politics
Sydona returns six members to the Federal Stanora by statewide, and one member to the Council of States elected by the Coscivian People's Assembly.

The Emergency Backup Executive, a elected to lead the Federacy's  efforts in the event that all other constitutional successors to the Prime Executive are killed or incapacitated in a catastrophic event, has their official residence at the Prehnite Hill Tracts on Grand Sydona.

Public Policy and Law
The state is in the process of establishing a tax-funded public healthcare subsidy to cover 50-70% of in-hospital costs and 30-50% of general practitioner costs for its citizens in conjunction with private insurance. Scheduled for a full rollout in 21209, Sydona's would be the twentieth state healthcare subsidy of its kind in the Federacy.

Defence Forces
Like other Kiravian states, Sydona is entitled to maintain its own local defence forces. The Sydonan People's Army is responsible for air and land defence, and the Sydonan People's Navy functions as the islands', discharging roughly the same responsibilities in Sydonan waters as the Maritime Cutter Service does in the Home Islands.

Local Governance
The third-level administrative divisions in Sydona are known raions (Coscivian: raion) instead of countyships (amtra).

Society & Culture
Sydona has a rich and diverse culture, blending the dominant mores of Coscivian civilisation with Pelian, Azikorian, and Rumeli influence, as well as more exotic cultural borrowings brought by maritime trade.

Ethnic groups


Main social groups:


 * Austral Coscivians (a.k.a. Deep South Coscivians)
 * "Mainlanders" and "Overseas Coscivians" - Coscivians ith origins elsewhere, generally whose families migrated within the last four generations. Can be extended to include some longer-established non-Austral Coscivian Coscivians, who have a social and political affinity with Mainlanders, and sometimes Melotes.
 * Melotes
 * Rumeli Coscivians
 * Istro-Coscivians

Azikorians, hopefully lots pending Azi approval Urceo-Perso-Celts

Woolzi Arabs and Coscivians-of-Woolzi-origin (assimilated mostly)

Groups officially classified as "Small-numbered Sydonan peoples":
 * Royal Sydonans
 * Leinlanders/Leinish
 * Salesians

Language
Austral Coscivian, an offshoot of Maritime Coscivian superimposed over a Pelian substrate, is the most widely spoken language in Sydona, by 35% of the population as their native tongue and an additional ~20-25% as a second language. The other two major languages of Sydona are Pelian (an independent Levanto-Sarpic language) and Vesëloslavic (a Slavonic language).

Vesêlo-Coscivian Creole is spoken by some 120,000 families in northern Érdoran (~1.54% of the Sydonan population), with a significant diaspora in Destransar and Valēka. It received official recognition in 21193 and authorised for use in public elementary education for the first time.

Kiravic Coscivian is an auxiliary official language, and is understood (at least in written form) by up to 40% of the population, mostly as a second language, though it is common as a first language in the major cities and among the Mainlander community. All public information is made available in Kiravic, and many large businesses now work mainly in Kiravic. However, Austral Coscivian remains the dominant language, and most Kiravic-speakers living in Sydona must learn Austral Coscivian in order to get by.

Other languages spoken in Sydona by sizeable communities include Melotic, Istro-Coscivian, and Leinish, all of which are accommodated by the government.

Religion
Catholicism (Latin, Coscivian, and Caphiric), Shi'a Islam (Rumeli, Shapiri, Twelver), Sunni Islam (need to decide on sects), Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy

Sports
Sports are an important part of Sydonan cultural life. The most popular sport in Sydona is Kiravian-rules football (also known as fieldball). Fieldball is widely played informally and at the organised recreational, varsity, collegiate, and local amateur/semi-professional level. Professionally, the islands are home to two teams competing in the Empire Fieldball League and one competing in the Regions Football League.

(Austral Coscivian: kʊʉrat, from Arabic kura "ball") is the second most popular sport in Sydona, in stark contrast to the rest of the Kiravian Federacy, where it receives little attention. The Sydona Islands are represented by their own national team in international competitions, separate from the notoriously irrelevant Kiravian national team. Although the Sydonan national team outperforms its Kiravian counterpart, it is still not particularly successful in tournament play. Soccer is generally played during the antipodean spring and summer in Sydona, coinciding with the fall/winter regular season for fieldball in Great Kirav, though it is evolving into a more year-round sport. The Austral Coscivian language has its own distinct vocabulary relating to soccer, much of which is locally coined or borrowed from Continental Ixnayan languages, unlike Kiravic Coscivian which has mostly borrowed or calqued its soccer terminology from Levantine or wider international usage.

Economy


Sydona has a an upper-middle income transitional mixed economy with a large public sector. The extraction and processing of natural resources - particularly offshore oil and natural gas and handwavium - are the most valuable sector of the economy and main source of public revenues.

Sydona has its own currency, the Sydonan dram. The Kiravian saar is widely circulated and commonly accepted by local merchants. However, the Sydonan government only accepts tax and fee payments in drams, and similarly pays out pensions and welfare transfers (upon which a large share of the population rely) in drams.

Energy and Mining
[OIL]

The eastern islands hold major deposits of, while Érdoran and Manētuva have significant reserves of tin and tungsten. Offshore natural gas exploration is underway in the Sydona Sound. Sydona's handwavium industry is tightly supervised by the federal government, as the mineral is of great strategic value to the Kiravian Navy and shipping industry, which require it for interregional travel.

Agriculture
Agriculture employs some 16% of Sydonans, and is focused on the production of Levanto-Sarpic staple crops (e.g. wheat, barley), Kiravian staples (potato, drallion), wine grapes, beef cattle, and a wide selection of temperate fruits and vegatables. Ducks are raised widely across Sydona, and are a major ingredient in Austral Coscivian cuisine. Sydona is the leading producer of in the Federacy.

Manufacturing & Services
Sydona inherited a large industrial base from the Kirosocialist period that has struggled to compete in a more liberalised trade environment and has remained largely stagnant despite generous subsidies and protectionist policies.

[Automotive and Aeronautical plants?]