Istrenya: Difference between revisions

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Seated at the foothills and lowlands North of the South Istrenyan Mountain Range, Istrenya was largely comprised of disparate river and mountain tribes as far back as 50,000 years ago. Closer to the modern and industrial era, Occidental colonists and traders established trading posts across the Warrington Strait, which eventually became the basis in the late 1700s and early 1800s for the city of Karaba. The following century saw an expansion of trading to the nearby towns of Madara and Sumbe, in the Eastern River Basin, where the majority of the nation's economic and industrial centres remain to this day.  

==== Contemporary Istrenya ====

Istrenya is a presidential constitutional republic. It is governed via principles established by the [[1961 Istrenyan Constitution|1961 Constitution]], which features the aforementioned presidential system, a unicameral legislative body, known as the [[National Congress (Istrenya)|National Congress]], which represents the population of Istrenya at-large, and a judicial branch, which consists of the Istrenyan High Court. Despite many of the rights outlined in the 1961 Constitution, most of the political power in the country is held by the executive branch, more specifically by the [[President of Istrenya]]. The country is a unitary state, separated into [[Qoyalets of Istrenya|21 qoyalets]]. The qoyalets, despite not having strong governments, still maintain control over petty bureaucratic affairs within their jurisdiction.

Istrenya, like most Qabóri-influenced nations, calls its administration subdivisions ''qoyalets'', which is the [[Qabóri language|Qabóri]] word for "province." There are 21 of these qoyalets in Istrenya. Istrenya is a unitary state, though there is a substantial amount of autonomy for the qoyalets. Historically, the qoyalets have rarely changed since Qabóri subjugation, owing to various subgroups of the four major tribes of the country. The qoyalets are governed by a three-branch system, similar to the central Istrenyan government. The qoyalets have an elected qoyalet legislature, which are directly-elected via popular vote within the respective qoyalet, along with a non-partisan premier, appointed directly by the President of Istrenya. The qoyalet legislature supervises elected officials, debates and votes on budgets, plan regional development, execute public investment projects, promote economic activities, and manage public property.

Istrenyan culture is significantly impacted by its location, as the country historically served as a crossroads of the cultural influences of Tierradorian and Ænglish traditions. Mainstream Istrenyan culture is a mix between the South Cronan indigenous culture, mostly stemming from centuries of Qabóri influence, and, more recently, Ængle culture, specifically that of [[Arcerion]]. Despite being closer to Arcerion politically, Istrenya is more culturally tied to Tierrador, with most elements of Istrenyan daily life barring near-perfect similarities to its southern neighbor. Since the 1950s, Istrenyan media, mostly music and film, became very widespread and mainstream throughout South Crona. Despite this, the cultural divide between indigenous Cronans and Istrenyan Ængles has negatively impacted the country’s day-to-day life.

Despite the majority of the nation being in a particularly warm climate, [[w:ice hockey|ice hockey]] is the second most popular sport in Istrenya. Hockey is watched by 10 million Istrenyans, which is almost one-third of the country’s population. The country has one [[Orixtal Hockey League|OHL club]], the [[Karaba Mountaineers]], which began play in 1998 and is the most popular Istrenyan hockey team. Istrenya also has a major junior hockey league, the [[Istrenyan Hockey League]], which is contested by 18 teams and is one of the four leagues of the [[South Cronan Hockey League]], which serves as a direct feeder league to the [[OHL Draft]]. Some notable Istrenyan OHL players include [[Akolá Tuka]], [[L’Kelek Chavez]], [[Aphío Waso’k]], and [[Fred Y’kasak]]. Other notable Istrenyan OHL personnel include [[Levar Xirótin]], who is of [[Coscivian civilisation|Coscivian]] descent and serves as the head coach for the [[Wadičaq Phantoms]].

In 2030, Istrenya had a [[w:Gross domestic product|gross domestic product]] of $525 billion. Its top trading partners are [[Arcerion]], [[Tierrador]], [[Porlos]], and [[Ceylonia]]. While Istrenya is not as rich in natural resources as other South Cronan nations, it does possess a sizable quantity of [[w:Petroleum|petroleum]] and [[w:Lithium|lithium]]. In 1998, Istrenya brokered the [[Lithium Deal]] with Tierrador, which allowed Tierradorian miners to enter the country and extract lithium. This deal did not last long, however, as international pressure from Arcerion and [[Alstin]] forced the deal to end in 2002. Many critics argue that the current Istrenyan state is merely a client state of Arcerion, due to Arcer dominance of the Istrenyan GDP. Istrenya is considered a developing country, though has made very significant steps towards full development in the past two decades. The increased economic influence from Tierrador has helped boost the country's economy in numerous ways. The nation's GDP has seen consistent growth since the 2000s, allowing it to become a more liberalized economy. Istrenya's economy is categorized as a mixed economy, still with sizable amounts of government influence. The nation's vast economic growth has begun an upward trend in terms of economic growth and fiscal stability. Despite this, a large portion of the country's economy relies heavily on [[w:Remittance|remittances]], due to many Istrenyans in the workforce going to work overseas.

===Energy===

[[File:Istrenyan Army.png|thumb|Members of the Istrenyan Army clash with protestors in Karaba during the 2009 Rice Riots. ]]

The Istrenyan military is relatively small, and has continued to shrink since the Istrenyan Civil War. The Army doubles in its role as a national gendarmerie, and lacks much of the heavy equipment, radios, and modern weaponry in order to be an effective fighting force. Concurrent to this, the military has long been plagued by corruption amongst its senior officials and been unable to procure new equipment, relying instead on international aid of intervention by Arcerion when there is issues with insurgents, subversive groups, or rebels.