Lapody

Lapody, officially the Kingdom of Lapody, is a country in Levantia. It is neighbored by Rhotia and Urcea to the west and Burgundie to the east. It also borders the League of Nations territory of Alba Concordia.

Lapody is a member of the Levantine Union.

Etymology
"Lapody", derived from "Lapodia", has been in use since antiquity in wide application. The easternmost coastal province of Great Levantia was called "Lapodia Maritima". The province, which encompassed roughly far northern Burgundie and eastern Lapody, was likely named for a tribe of paleo-Levantines living in the region in the 2nd century BC. "Lapodard", the name of the language, is derived from Lapodia/Lapody. The term was also breifly use in some sources to refer to the Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines as a shorthand before "Dericania" entered common use. Lapody as a geographical term fell into sharp decline in the 13th century, being largely survived only by the derivative "Lapodard" name. It was revived in the 20th century as a shorthand to refer to the southern three Deric States.

Loreseia
The Grand Duchy of Loreseia was established out of the largely intact Loreseian Duchies, whose ruling house (Guovia) survived the Second Great War and Third Fratricide still in control, albeit with many concessions to democratic reform factions. The Loreseian Duchies were, accordingly, consolidated at the conclusion of the Fratricide to form a coherent nation. It was one of the only monarchies in the Deric States and the only surviving monarchy in Lapody.

Vorenia
The Federal Margraviate of Vorenia, also known as the Marchiorespublica, was established out of several preexisting Derian polities after the Second Great War in an effort to contain Burgundie. It was the largest of the Deric States.

Government
Lapody is a   and is largely based on some similar constitutional monarchies of its predecessors in the Deric States. The head of state is the King. Upon formation of the Kingdom of Lapody, two of the three states which joined were s, and consequently the Grand Duke of Loreseia was elevated as King of the country following a period of negotiations; accordingly, Lapody is ruled by the royal House of Guovia, who have ruled parts of Loreseia since the Great Confessional War. The King of Lapody's role in government is relatively limited, both in part due to Loreseian traditions and due to the agreement which established the Kingdom. Analysts have called the Lapodian monarch the "weakest in the Levantine Union", serving primarily as a figurehead operating only on from the elected government. As a symbolic gesture, the first King of Lapody was crowned by Riordan, Emperor of the Levantines and Apostolic King of Urcea, to solidify the historic legitimacy of the Kingdom.

Politics
Lapodards are generally considered to be a highly political people. Politics in Lapody generally occupies a high status in the lives of its citizens, and both are closely intertwined. Political participation is expected by all members of society and only starts with one voting while being defined much more by a sense of active political and social self-determination. It is also quite common to see organizations (both profit- and non-profit) as well as corporations actively partake in the political discourse.

Cuisine
Due to its coast and mountainous terrain, as well as the large amount of lowlands forestry, Lapodard cuisine is exceptionally varied, rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and beef, in addition to a wide range of vegetables, spices, and herbs. It is also characteristic in its use of various kinds of as well as  and. Fish is common in many dishes, with and  being consumed by a large portion of the coastal populace. These are most often, or marinated. In general, Lapodard cuisine is hearty and heavy in its use of butter, cream, eggs and extensive seasoning. The traditional dishes are often demanding in preparation, with some meals taking days to prepare fully. Notable Lapodard dishes include, ', pork loin , mined meat , beef , sour , mushroom soup, , sour rye soup, , and red beetroot '.

Traditional Lapodard dinners consist of three dishes, with the first portion being of some variant of soup. Most commonly this would be or meat broth. Following this soup would be an appetizer, such as (prepared in either cream, oil, or in ) or other cured meats and vegetable salads. Following the appetizer is the main meal, often of, , , or chicken, accompanied by shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, beetroot) or. Side dishes are often boiled, , , or. These dinners are concluded with a dessert including pastries, cream pies or.

Alcoholic beverages within Lapody are commonly, , and , with being rarely consumed. By far the most popular of these is, which has experienced a resurgence since the early 2000s due to lower costs and the ease of manufacture. In regards to nonalcoholic beverages, is widely drunk often with a slice of lemon and sweetened with sugar or honey, while drinking with milk is far less common. , introduced during the Second Great War period, is also common. Locally produced is consumed in the eastern portions of the country. It is typically made from rye bread, usually known as, and is not classified as an alcoholic beverage as its alcohol content usually ranges from 0.5-1% or 1-2 proof. Frequently consumed beverages also include, , , , various , , and numerous brands of.

Economy
Lapody follows an economic model which is for the most part a free-market liberal economy. With slightly over 83% share, Lapody's private economy is dominated by the tertiary sector which ranges from the dominant chemical industry over an innovative high-tech and robotics industry all the way to a rather young yet swiftly growing IT sector. The industrial sector makes up roughly 16% as actual production in the Kingdom has been decreased consistently over the past three decades. The agricultural sector employs roughly .5%, with most processes being fully automated. Unemployment rates have been between around 4.2 to 4.9% for the past two decades, accounting for both pre- and post-unification statistics.

In terms of business regulations, the Lapodian economy distinguishes between the distribution of basic human rights, basic human needs, and commercial products. As a result, basic human rights such as access to clean water, the energy grid, and telecommunication networks are 100% publicly owned on a national level. Basic human needs such as public transportation, general services, and healthcare are so severely regulated to extent that they must run on zero profit that, apart from two exceptions, they are effectively in the public hand as well. Commercial products or services see little regulation other than having to fulfill the regularly updated of standards of the Lapodian Conformity Index (LCI).

The Lapodian economy is focused on the chemical and high-tech industry as well as general engineering services, pharmaceuticals, and robotics. The transportation sector in terms of transshipment has historically been a strong economic factor but has been dwindling for the past few decades. Rufus Concordia, currently the nation's only major deep-water port, has crystallized itself as the main transshipment hub in the Kingdom, acting not only as the Lapodian economy's gateway into the world, but also as a link between Levantia and Audonia.

The national agricultural sector is limited due to geographical and climatological constraints, with the only exports of note being citrus fruits and wine.

In the region of former Verecundia, creative startups have begun to flourish in recent years, especially in the design and IT industry.