Prevalia

Prevalia, or the Confederation of Prevalia is a confederal union located in northern Levantia, bordering natural features such as the Western Sea, Eastern Sea, and most prominently the Vandarch and bordering the Prevalian Alps to the south. The most definitive feature and namesake of the region are the Prevalis, a large sea in the eastern region of the confederation. Formed out of nine member nations and three city-states, Prevalia has often been called a country with twelve nations. Called Ultmar by much of the world, the region is known for its isolated position surrounded by mountains and large bodies of water. This has meant that foreign invasion in the past was unlikely, and as a result, most conflicts throughout its history were internal. Despite being a region of great diversity, it is now a single unified political identity, preventing future internal conflicts despite ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious differences.

The earliest known settlement in Prevalia was located in Meras, Acanya, along the Prevalis. There an extensive cave system once existed, its people eventually spreading out into the entire region. It is believed that these were the Gaelic and Nahean peoples that first inhabited Prevalia. These tribes existed in a period long known as the First Shattering, which lasted for nearly three thousand years. Petty kingdoms interspersed within wild forests and mountains largely co-existed until the Nyamenes arrived around 427 as Great Levantia collapsed to outside pressure, including from some inhabitants of Prevalia. The Abduction of the Nyamenes from Levantia was a traumatic event, women, and children from the borderlands of the southern empire were kidnapped by the Naheans and Gaels who inhabited the south. Over time, however, these women gained political power and in time settled a coastal plain along the Prevalis, founding the Kingdom of the Nyamenes. They brought with them Catholicism, as well as Levantine culture, including music, art, and language. They founded Evras in 453 as their capital, and over the following five centuries converted much of the region to Christianity.

Lycus the Great in 977 founded the Nyamene Empire and began to expand his country across Prevalia. Conquering the Gaels in the east and the Saksa to the north and west, as well as the Rheans, to the south who were cousins of the original Nyamenes. The Ænglish refugees who had arrived in Evras several decades earlier settled north, in exchange for their fealty to the Nyamenes, and founded Taralba by intermarrying with the Saksa. In the 1020s, Lycus died after completing his conquest of the eastern regions of Dorea and Lorea, named for his daughters, and subjugating most of Ereglas. The Nyamenes conquered the west in the 1070s after the Oscens invaded the remaining Saksa, establishing Oscenia. The only true resistance came from Nahe, which saw decades ahead of time the threat of the Nyamenes and united to combat the threat. Recognizing that fighting a protracted war against the Naheans was impossible, the Nyamenes transformed Nahe into a series of client states. Around this time the name Ultmar fell out of use for the region, as many felt it was a southern name for the northern region. Instead, the Nyamenes called the region at large Prevalia, after the eponymous inland sea. The Pax Evras began with the final conquests of the 1070s and lasted until the 1230s when after over a century of peace, the Nyamenes grew complacent and began to lose power. Although their empire never truly fell, they were slowly pushed back into their homeland, and by 1449, held no territory outside of their original kingdom. Thus began the Second Shattering, a period where the Nyamene Empire split into dozens of petty kingdoms, duchies, baronies, principalities, and republics.

Over the next two centuries, the Second Shattering sparked countless wars, especially at the start of the Protestant Reformation that divided the region, especially Nahe. The Wars of Faith in the 1500s and 1600s are estimated to have cost millions of lives. Near the end of this period, nine distinct nations coalesced, the most powerful being Oscenia, Taralba, and Nahe, who periodically waged wars over territorial disputes. Around this time the first proposals emerged to unify Prevalia under one political body. The Concert of Novato in 1637 was one such attempt, arguing that each nation in the region should send a representative to that city to avoid future wars. In 1789, the Oscenian Empire was founded, and over the next three decades conquered much of Prevalia. The eastern nations, unified by Taralba, resisted the Oscenian conquest, and eventually, in the 1820s, Oscenia lost almost all territory it had gained. Although countless minor wars were fought in Prevalia, the Barwell Accords of 1849 kept the peace for over half a century. The Great War for Prevalia began in 1914, but unlike the rest of the global conflict, it took the form of smaller regional wars. The Irkumas War between Nahe and Oscenia kickstarted a regional war, ending with Nahe losing its eastern territories and the Oscenian Revolution seeing the establishment of the Oscenian Democratic Republic. The Oscenian War from 1942 to 1945 saw Nahe, as well as Nyamene and Rhea, launched a war against Oscenia to reclaim lost territories and to assert dominance over Prevalia. Ultimately, all three were defeated. The war cost millions of lives, and on May 12, 1949, eight separate entities led by Taralba and Nyamene in the east formed the Confederation of Prevalia, Nahe joining several months later.

The Confederation of Prevalia was originally founded as an anti-communist military alliance to prevent Oscenia from expanding its reach in the region. In addition to that, the Bank of Prevalia was formed, and the Prevalian Latera was created as a regional currency, while free travel between member states was established, as well as free trade. The Charter of Prevalia ensured that all member nations must recognize basic civil rights and human rights, while also guaranteeing the autonomy of each member to establish their laws. The 1950s and 1960s, in particular, saw Prevalia's government assert itself in military affairs, with one part of the charter creating a singular chain of command for all the armed forces of the member states at times of war. Despite the military and trade responsibilities, Prevalia itself had no foreign policy, allowing each member to determine that for themselves. This arrangement allowed for economic prosperity during this period as the devastated region underwent a period of economic growth. The Nahe Miracle was one such event, while the Nyamenes reasserted their cultural power as the head of the alliance. Over time, however, the central government in Evras grew more powerful with each passing year. Those born after the establishment of Prevalia began to identify as Prevalians as much as their home nation, and within fifty years, many saw Prevalia as the primary political entity and the national governments as secondary. This was reinforced in the 1970s when the Oscenia Cold War began to cool down and the military aspect of the alliance was no longer as important. However, the biggest change occurred in 1991, when the Oscenian Democratic Republic collapsed. Replaced by a free and democratic government, in September 1992, the Republic of Oscenia entered the Confederation of Prevalia. The Oscenia Amendments significantly altered the Charter of Prevalia, granting more powers to the central government in Evras and away from the national governments. This sparked multiple crises, but as public support grew for centralized power, most governments accepted the inevitable. Prevalia was now active diplomatically, and in the 1990s, 2000s, and later the 2010s after a brief economic crisis, the country saw continued economic growth.

Etymology
Although most people around the world know this region as Prevalia, it has gone by many names throughout its history. Originally called Ultmar around the world, it is the old Levantine name for regions in the north beyond the reach of their empire. Translating from the Ecclesiastical Latin term Ultramurus, or "beyond the wall" the term reflects the southern view of Prevalia and the regions surrounding it as an untamed wilderness filled with wild and uncivilized peoples. Although most of the international community now calls Prevalia by its proper name, some still call it Ultmar out of habit. The name Prevalia originates from Latin and originated in the 90s BCE by Fal Murena, a Levantine explorer who traveled north to map much of Ultmar. Names such as Taralba, Rhea, Ereglas, Falena (Falney), and even Nahe originated from his first map of the region. He also named the Prevalis, the large sea in the center of Ultmar, based on the Latin term Praevalitana, or "the region before the valley" as many valleys spread out from that inland sea. In the south, Prevalia was first used around the 100s when Murena's maps were first widely published and was at first the name for the country surrounding the Prevalis. Only when the Nyamenes were brought to Ultmar in the 400s was the name popularly used, and as the Nyamene Empire grew in the 1000s and 1100s, the term Prevalia began to encompass more territory. Most still called the region Ultmar, but the Nyamenes united all those not in their original kingdom as Prevalians.

The first reference to Prevalia being used to encompass all of its modern-day territories was in 1309, when Olbrecht of Vorsenke, a monk at the Susskloster in that same city, published his Tabula Orbis, an attempt to map the known world. In it, he labeled everything from the Nahean Alps in the west to the Isthmus of Lycus in the east as Praevalitana, and in a republished edition in 1320, shortened the name to Prevalis. Three years later, Gaeta the Last, Emperor of the Nyamenes, proclaimed that the name Ultmar shall no longer be used, and instead all references to the region shall be through the name Prevalia. Although the Nyamene Empire fell shortly after his proclamation, the name remained in place. When the Second Shattering began not long after, most maps published in each of the kingdoms showed the region named Prevalia, often with Ultmar in parenthesis or not appearing at all. Despite this, most maps in Levantia still called the region Ultmar until the 1600s, when many in the south derisively used the term Prevalia to reference the Protestant Reformation. Only the events of the Great War saw the name Prevalia spread internationally when news of the wars being fought spread through international media. Then, in 1949, when the Confederation of Prevalia was promulgated, most people around the world now referred to the region by its proper name. Although many older people still use the term Ultmar, which encompasses a wider area geographically, it is a name that has fallen out of use in exchange for Prevalia.

Although Prevalia is the dominant name for the country, other shorthand names are often used in its place. With the Confederation of Prevalia the official name of the region, many simply refer to Prevalia as the Confederation, and in some instances the Confederacy. This was in response to the initial belief that Prevalia might expand beyond the eponymous region to include other nations, or even the establishment of protectorates and colonies around the world, including those that might belong to current or future members. The other reason for the use of the term Confederation in common parlance or even in official government documents is that it is simply an easier term for regular use, enough so that government departments and even the armed forces utilize the term Confederation more than that of Prevalia. Another popular term used is Praevalitana, which some nationalists especially in the 1990s wished to use to transform Prevalia into a Nyamene-dominated state once more. These efforts quickly failed, although some still prefer that name, which includes merging all of the Confederation into a single entity.

Foreign policy
Member states historically have had total latitude in foreign policy, the Confederation initially serving as a trade and mutual defense organization. However, as more members joined and the lines between member states blurred, more power over time was given to Prevalia to manage international relations. The first time Prevalia asserted itself in foreign policy was in 1966 with the Trethanton Settlement, wherein Faneria agreed to formally delineate the Confederation's territorial waters in the Eastern Sea. This sparked a brief crisis with Dorea, Lorea, and Ereglas, who protested the central government's unilateral decision to negotiate with Faneria. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had existed before 1966, its purpose was mostly to represent Prevalia on the world stage at international events, and not to negotiate agreements. Following 1966, Prevalia took more control over foreign affairs, making trade agreements with other countries and even signing formal alliances. Despite opposition to the Trethanton Settlement, the member nations managed to force major foreign policy decisions to be approved by the Council of Prevalia, in which each member nation had a representative. Most decisions from 1966 to 1992 related to trade and combating Oscenia's attempts to spread communism abroad, and it had enough of an impact that in 1992 the Oscenian Democratic Republic collapsed. This served as an integral moment for the Confederation's foreign policy for many reasons. First was that Oscenia now was eligible to join Prevalia as a member, and it did so several months after its new government was formed. Second, to isolate Oscenia no longer needed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Oscenia Amendments that same year amassed more powers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs no longer needed the Council of Prevalia to approve major decisions, although a two-thirds vote could veto the signing of any agreements or treaties. This in part sparked the Secession Crisis, as Nahe opposed handing over its powers to the central government. Most member states agreed to the Oscenia Amendments when it came to foreign policy, although Nahe was as a result of its threats to secede allowed to maintain its foreign policy so long as it did not conflict with Prevalia's. Since 1993, the Confederation has been seen as the primary representative of Prevalia on the world stage and at the League of Nations.

Another significant issue that developed as a result of the union of eight and later twelve states into the Confederation of Prevalia was that overseas dependencies or colonies of its member states saw their status as unknown. They were not included in the Confederation's census or any other form of data collection and followed primarily the laws of their mother country. However, colonies were granted some privileges, citizens were allowed to claim Prevalian citizenship, and the territorial integrity of the colonies was protected from foreign attack. In December 1949, the Balinkirk Conference was signed by the member nation Taralba as well as representatives of the colonies and other members as witnesses. Located at the Balinkirk Estate of the Taralban royal family, the agreement stated that any colony or former colony can apply to become a formal member of the Confederation or to become a protectorate. The International Trade and Assistance Organization, or ITAO, was created as a result of weeks of negotiation. It was a customs union between Prevalia and any colonies or former colonies of member nations, and it allowed for free trade, mutual defense, and financial assistance to prevent Oscenia from potentially backing communist revolts in these countries. Until the end of the Oscenian Cold War, ITAO's purpose generally remained the same, but in 1993, significant changes were made. The Peacekeepers were created with volunteers from each member nation to assist in maintaining peace in ITAO members if requested, and to handle humanitarian crises. This prevented Prevalia from becoming directly involved in foreign conflicts and allows for some element of the various armed forces across Prevalia to have experience. ITAO remains to this day a vital aspect of the Confederation's foreign policy and allows the country to exert influence overseas.

Law enforcement and crime
Matters related to criminal justice and law enforcement are typically left up to the individual member states, with over one thousand different police departments spread out across the Confederation. It is estimated that every large municipality in Prevalia has its own police force, while each member state also has a national police force. Rhea, for example, has the Carabinieri, which exercises significant power over the population. However, as the central government grew in the 1990s, Prevalia's own federal police have grown more powerful. The Confederal Police was established by the Charter of Prevalia in 1949 but remained mostly in place to police Evras. After the Oscenia Amendments in 1992, however, the Confederal Police increased its powers tenfold, with the ability to do its work in every member state. Regional headquarters were set up in the capitals and major cities of the member states, while the organization expanded from 2,500 members in 1992 to nearly 27,000 in 2022. In addition to enforcing laws passed by the Confederation, the primary duties of the Confederal Police include cracking down on the drug trade, policing the major ports and canals of Prevalia, and investigating international terrorism. In recent years they have tamped down on secessionist movements across Prevalia, enforcing a 1997 statute banning a member state from leaving the organization. They have also been accused of serving as a secret police force, engaging in activities such as wiretapping, surveillance, and intimidation of political opponents. However, the Confederal Police Reforms in 2009 sought to restrain such activities.

Nearly twenty confederal prisons exist across Prevalia, mostly located in southern Oscenia, the largest being Cyneg Confederal Prison which can hold as many as 2,500. Operated under the Office of Corrections within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the confederal prison system employs nearly 30,000 officers to guard and police these institutions. Individuals who enter these prisons have been convicted of confederal crimes, including drug trafficking, terrorism, as well as crimes that cross the borders of member states. Fiddown Confederal Prison was the location of nearly every convict on death row from 1949 to 1993, and was the site of nearly 1,300 executions during that time. However, the death penalty was banned by the Oscenia Amendments, and instead, this prison is the site of individuals who were sentenced to life in prison. There is a prison population of 52,000 across the Confederation's prisons, while a further 250,000 are located in the prisons and holding cells of member states. The average sentence is ten years for non-violent offenders, while it is twenty-five years for violent offenders. Following a report in 1999 claiming that individuals who spend more than twenty-five years in prison have a difficult time acclimating to life as a civilian, the Salostrita Rehabilitation Center was established, allowing for former convicts of old age to live their lives in a prison-like setting with all amenities provided for, with free access for relatives. The rehabilitation program was deemed successful and in 2013, the Le Rozel Rehabilitation Center was established, this time for ex-convicts from the prison systems of member states.

Education
The education system of Prevalia is serviced by the Ministry of Education, which was founded in 1949 to establish basic standards for literacy among member nations upon the founding of the country, and to assist the ministries of the original eight-member states that set guidelines and create budgets for schooling. Although it was established merely to be a complementary ministry to the national governments like the rest of Prevalia's ministries, it did take the proactive step of establishing the University of Prevalia in 1953. With millions of veterans of the Great War now at home and starting families, the member nations petitioned for the creation of a regional university system. This problem was first ameliorated in 1949 when Evras College was purchased by the Ministry of Education, but seats filled up within days as millions applied to become students. As a result, in August 1953, Prevalia's government purchased several large plots of land across the region. Three large universities were inaugurated that year, including UP Evras, UP Valencia, and UP Hazelton, the first of that system. Over the next forty years, nine more campuses were added in the various member states, and in 1992, when Oscenia joined the Confederation of Prevalia, UP Anneville became the largest in the system. After 1992, however, many member nations wishing for a return of autonomy, asked that campuses within the University of Prevalia system be returned and that they fall under the local university systems. As a result, UP Brenna was restored as the University of Nahe, although it was still funded by the Prevalians, who had by 1997 created region-wide accreditation standards for all public and private institutions.

Although tertiary education quickly fell under the control of Prevalia's government, primary and secondary education has since 1949 remained under local jurisdiction, either falling under the control of the national governments, or even the provincial and other local entities of those member states. In 1950, the Ardair Conference of Educators was formed by teachers, unions, and administrators from school systems across Prevalia to outline the powers of the regional and national governments. The Ardair Report, which was published in 1952, recommended that the Confederation's government take control of the tertiary education system, while secondary and primary education will remain almost entirely under the purview of the national entities. However, Prevalia's Ministry of Education did have the right to set basic standards for reading, writing, mathematics, and science, while all students were required to learn proficiency in Ænglish, which was to be the regional language. The following forty years did see this system work perfectly for its member nations, but in 1992, when Oscenia joined the Confederation, the central government took greater powers in almost every field of government, including education. This in part sparked the Secession Crisis that lasted from 1992 to 1993. Nahe in particular demanded total autonomy in terms of education in all forms, from primary to tertiary. The General Strike of 1993 ended the issue in favor of Nahe, which was granted unique autonomy even compared to other member states. Over the following three decades, the Confederation has taken more control over primary and secondary education, creating nutritional requirements for school lunch, hiring standards for teachers, and rules for unions. Many believe that the School Reforms of 2017 will lead to the Prevalian government taking control of the curriculum, although there has been extensive pushback from national governments.

Sports
Prevalians are known to be strong proponents of athletics, with two distinct cultures developing since 1949. Gymnastics, tennis, hockey, figure skating were popular under the Oscenian Democratic Republic, the People's Sports and Athletics Collective or the PSAC training Oscenians from a young age to be proficient in each individual sport.