Zurgite Varshan and Housing in Urcea: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox country
'''Housing in Urcea''' is a vital sector in the [[Economy of Urcea|Urcean economy]], with housing development and adjacent activity comprising approximately a tenth of all economic activity as of 2020. Urceans have strong social views on housing and housing strongly relates to Urcea's view of itself and its relationship with both private property and {{wp|Catholic social teaching}}. Since the mid-20th century, [[Disurbanism|disurbanist approaches]] have been popular in [[Urcea]]. Much of Urcea's housing stock was constructed in the form of low density {{wp|suburban}} single family homes following the [[Second Great War]], although since the 1980s the priority has shifted to even lower-density exurban development due to both environmental and social concerns.
|native_name                = '''''Warshàng ulu Arzal gožu'''''
|conventional_long_name      = {{nowrap|Worshipful Realm of Varshan}}
|common_name                = Varshan
|image_flag                  = File:Flag of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington.PNG
|image_coat                  = File:Mayahuel.svg
|symbol_type                = Emblem
|national_motto              = <br>''Uqabu qawar dawaž miznač''<br/>
|national_anthem            = <br>''[[TBD]]<br/><small>"TBD"</small>''
|image_map                  = Vespia (orthographic projection).svg
|map_caption                = Location of '''Varshan''' in [[Western Crona]]
|map_width                  = 250px
|image_map2                  =
|map_caption2                =
|capital                    = [[Anzo]]
|latd=  | latm= | latNS = <!--capital's latitude degree/min/dir-->
|longd= |longm= |longEW = <!--capital's longitude deg/min/dir-->
|largest_city                = capital
|largest_settlement_type    = largest city
|official_languages          = [[Draft:Varshani_language|Hieratic Varshani]]
|religion                    = [[Draft:Arzalism|Arzalism]]
|demonym                    = Varshani, Varshanite
|legislature                = The [[Dazga]]
|government_type            = {{wpl|Theocracy|Theocratic}} {{wpl|Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchy}}
|leader_title1              = Zûrg
|leader_name1                = Zakan-jili
|leader_title2              = Vizier
|leader_name2                = Tupactzil of Yužak Čol
|leader_title3              = King-among-Priests
|leader_name3                = Dam Yanzhuk
|sovereignty_type            = Formation
|sovereignty_note            =
|established_event1          = Thing 1
|established_date1          = c. 5000 BCE
|established_event2          = Thing 2
|established_date2          = 7 December 1758 BCE
|established_event3          = Thing 3
|established_date3          = 11 March 132 AD
|established_event4          = Thin 4
|established_date4          = 18 November 1837
|established_event5          =
|established_date5          =
|area_rank                  =
|area                        = <!-- major area size (in [[Template:convert]] either km2 or sqmi first) -->
|area_km2                    = 7931165
|area_sq_mi                  =
|area_footnote              = <!-- optional footnote for area -->
|percent_water              = 0.19
|area_label                  = Total
|area_label2                = <!-- label below area_label (optional) -->
|area_dabodyalign            = <!-- text after area_label2 (optional) -->
|population_estimate        = 752,144,212
|population_estimate_rank    =
|population_estimate_year    = 2020
|population_census          = 747,010,625
|population_census_year      = 2020
|population_density_km2      = 94.8
|population_density_sq_mi    = 245.6
|population_density_rank    =
|GDP_PPP                    =
|GDP_PPP_rank                =
|GDP_PPP_year                = 2030
|GDP_PPP_per_capita          =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank    =
|GDP_nominal                =
|GDP_nominal_rank            =
|GDP_nominal_year            = 2020
|GDP_nominal_per_capita      =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|Gini                        =
|Gini_rank                  =
|Gini_year                  = 2020
|Gini_change                = decrease
|Gini_category              =
|HDI                        = 0.884
|HDI_rank                    =
|HDI_year                    = 2020
|HDI_change                  = increase
|currency                    = [[Ratzas]] (Rw)
|currency_code              = VRW
|time_zone                  = {{nowrap|Dwemer Mean Time}}
|utc_offset                  = +5 to +8
|date_format                = ddd-yyyy<br>Varshani Solar Calendar
|drives_on                  = right
|cctld                      = [[.vž]]
|iso3166code                = VŽ
|calling_code                = +13
}}
The '''Worshipful Realm of Varshan''' was a country in [[Crona]] and considered the largest country on the continent. Its history is a turbulent one, with challenges posed by natural disasters, periods of rapid change, attempted colonial exploitation, corruption, separatism, ideological conflict, dictatorship, religious fanaticism, war and mass slaughter.  


The Varshani solar calendar has no months because the Moon is their personification of evil. Hieratic Varshani has no grammatical distinction between singular and plural.  
In [[Urcea]], housing policy issues are typically regulated by the [[Ministry_of_Administration_of_the_Realm_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Housing_Development|Agency for Housing Development]] outside of cities and the [[Ministry_of_Administration_of_the_Realm_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Urban_Development|Agency for Urban Development]] within cities. The Agency for Urban Development also works closely with the [[Ministry_of_Administration_of_the_Realm_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Royal_Public_Housing_and_Royal_Dormitory_Aid|Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid]] to identify and develop new public housing opportunities.


With the [[Fall of Anzo]] in May [[2024]], the Worshipful Realm was abolished. It was replaced by [[League-occupied Varshan]]. For most of its history, and particularly between its destruction of the [[North Songun civilization]] and [[The Deluge]], it was the dominant power in [[Crona]].
==History and overview==
===Enclosure===
{{wp|Enclosure}}, the process by which land held in common is transferred to private ownership (especially within the context of the {{wp|Feudal system}}) took place from approximately the end of the [[Saint's War]] in 1401 to the beginning of the [[Caroline Wars]] in 1740, during which time the vast majority of land held in common was enclosed for ownership. While much of the land was enclosed on behalf of local magnates, a great portion of it - especially following the weakening of the nobility during the [[Great Confessional War]] - was enclosed into relatively small parcels on behalf of the urban [[Social class in Urcea#Privilegiata|privilegiata]]. Unlike many other countries, however, anti-enclosure sentiments gained many successes in the period of the 17th century and onward. Balancing the various [[Social class in Urcea|social classes]] became an increasing concern to the [[Apostolic King of Urcea|Apostolic King]] and [[Government of Urcea|His Governments]] in the wake of the social upheavel of the Great Confessional War and subsequent [[History_of_Urcea_(1575-1798)#Gassavelian_integration_and_uprising|Gassavelian uprising]]. Accordingly, considerable amounts of common land began to be preserved beginning in 1620 onward, though these sentiments slowed rather than halted the process of enclosure. By 1740, further enclosure was prohibited by law, but conflicting and inconsistent land title deeds for enclosed lands existed, inaugurating more than two hundred years of legal disputes until land surveyance and commune reform efforts succeeded in [[Housing_in_Urcea#Proprietor_communes|in the 1950s]].


==Etymology==
===Attitudes===
==History==
===Suburban rise and fall===
The lands comprising modern Varshan were once inhabited by a variety of different Cronite peoples belonging to several different linguistic families. These peoples, most of which have been lost to history, were all tribally-organised until the early Cronite Bronze Age, when city-states began to develop in the region's fertile river valleys. The area now known as ''Umzàg'' or Central Varshan, emerged as the most heavily urbanized part of north central Crona, possibly as a result of its fertile volcanic soils and geographic circumscription by high mountain ranges.
===Passage of the Family Living Act===
{{Main|Family Living Act of 2003}}


The history of Varshan is divided into a number of dynastic periods, punctuated by intervening periods of civil war and political decay.
==Public housing==
===Predynastic period===
Public housing in [[Urcea]] is generally overseen by the [[Ministry_of_Administration_of_the_Realm_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Royal_Public_Housing_and_Royal_Dormitory_Aid|Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid]] or by provincial and local governments. Since the 1960s, the Agency has had specific policies for public housing, preferring to maintain single or multi-family rent controlled units within the same neighborhood within cities rather than {{wp|tower blocks}}. The general prohibition on tower blocks came about largely as both an ideological one as well as problems encountered in constructing them in the Urceopolis borough of [[Urceopolis_(City)#Campori|Campori]] following the [[Second Great War]]. The Agency is responsible for the general property maintenance of these facilities in conjunction with the occupants in the case of single family houses. Several "legacy" {{wp|tower blocks}} public housing projects exist as well, especially in and around [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]].
The history of Varshan proper beings with the arrival of the Varshani (''Waršaŋ''), a migratory tribe of uncertain geographic origin speaking a {{wp|language isolate}} who subsisted primarily by raiding settled societies and hunting. Attracted by the wealthy city-states of Umzàg, the Varshani migrated into the foothills of the Mountains of Terror, from which they launched periodic raids against their neighbours. Initially, the Varshani raided only to capture food, women, and basic materials, and to spill blood in order to honour their gods. However, over time they also took to pillaging valuables, such as precious metals and stones and fine clothes and handicrafts, originally as trophies, but later as luxury goods for their own enjoyment. In order to provide higher standards of living for themselves, the Varshani began capturing slaves for labour rather than exclusively sexual use, and exacting tribute and ransom from communities within striking distance of the foothills rather than raiding them, obtaining wealth that allowed them to engage in trade with the prosperous central city-states. This began a process of acculturation through which the Varshani transitioned away from their traditional migratory raiding lifestyle and adopted many material, religious, and socio-political practices from the settled peoples of the region. This process reached its culmination under the Varshani chief Biji, who after sacking the city of Hoklo, chose to take up residence there instead of returning to his camp in the foothills. Biji renamed the city 'Anzo', and established it as the first Varshani state.
===XXX dynasty===
===XYZ dynasty===
===AAA dynasty===
===XYZ dynasty restored===
===Great interdynastic period===
The great interdynastic period is an era where multiple rival dynasties ruled portions of Varshan, inaugurating centuries of civil war. On average, the period saw four to five partly recognized ruling dynasties at any one time, leading to the common Varshani adage that "five head men are as good as none".


Many Occidental historians question the historicity of many of the events of the great interdynastic period or its existence at all. A minority view believes that many of the events attributed to this period were actually domestic turmoil that occurred as part of a dynasty erased by a form of {{wp|damnatio memoriae}}; the number of calamities attributed to this period by legend would suggest such a regime would be viewed as a clear failure, and this degree of failure would have undermined the legitimacy of the Varshani ruling elite in the eyes of the lower castes. Proponents of this theory have noted that many "rival claimants" receive significant more attention in the historical record than their opponents, suggesting that the "main leader" of any one story may in fact be the sole ruler during the period. Accordingly, theory proponents have proposed several alternative models of succession under this scheme. "Dynastic erasure theory" remains a hotly contested concept among Varshanologists.
==Private housing==


===BBB dynasty===
Most [[Urcea|Urceans]] live in a {{wp|single family home}} or low-unit multi-family home according to surveys conducted over the course of the 2010s. Urcean society places a high value on home ownership, and private housing enjoys pride of place among types of housing in Urcea. As part of these efforts, the [[Ministry_of_Administration_of_the_Realm_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Royal_Public_Housing_and_Royal_Dormitory_Aid|Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid]] provides subsidies to lower income families as part of the Royal Dormitory Aid program in order to encourage ownership.
===Medieval interdynastic period===
===Chazxin dynasty===
====First contact with the Occident====
[[Aster's expedition]] in the late 14th century brought Occidental explorers to [[Crona]] for the first time. While the [[North Songun civilization]] and other Cronan civilizations were generally enthusiastic about the potential of trade with the Occident, the unknown of a great and distant foreign power fundamentally shook the Varshani state to its core. Most historians believe [[Arzalism]] definitively took on many of its violent, modern characteristics during this time following centuries of conflict between sun worshippers and death worshippers.
====Žuqulid Revolution====
Žuqul I, ruler of Varshan thirty years after the arrival of [[Paul Aster]], issued the Great Edict of Žuqul in 1408. The Edict established the [[Arzalism#The_Death_God|Death God]] as paramount deity within Arzalism rather than [[Arzalism#The_Sun_God|the Sun God]], as the two had previously been co-equal paramount deities. While original Occidental scholarship suggests this was a novelty brought forward by Žuqul alone, new sources available following the [[Fall of Anzo]] have revolutionized Occidental scholarship on Varshan, and a majority now believe that it was the common belief among higher castes for centuries.


The elevation of the Death God required profound changes to Varshani society, military strategy, foreign relations, economic structures, and even the caste system, as Žuqul began to transform Varshani society into a "machine of perpetual sacrifice."
===Urban===
====Huntocracy====
====Single family====
As Varshan reached what would become its relative economic and military peak in ca. 1400, the era of "[[The Hunt (Varshan)|the Hunts]]" began. While Varshan had warred with its neighbors in south central [[Crona]] since the establishment of the Varshani state, the newfound military dominance of Varshan and political decline of the states of the [[North Songun civilization]] began enabled Varshan to begin raiding the North Songun region on an annual basis, with the yearly summer campaigns becoming known by the euphemistic term "the Hunt". At its peak, the Hunt would double the number of slaves in Varshan approximately every ten years, and its effects wrought complete devestation throughout [[Crona]], functionally destroying the ancient [[North Songun civilization]]. The Hunts were almost exclusively large scale raids and did not usually entail the conquest of territory. Gradually, the apparatus of the Varshani state began to transform into an implement to support the Hunt, drastically changing the character of both the state and Varshani society. These changes inaugurated the period known by historians as the "Huntocracy". While the lasting impact of the Hunt relates to slavery, some scholars suggest that perhaps an equal number of individuals were taken from the North Songun for use as human sacrifice as were put into slavery.
====Multi family and apartments====
===Suburban===
{{wp|Suburban}} development was the primary form of housing development during the 20th century in [[Urcea]] and comprises a large plurality of the nation's housing stock. From the end of the [[Second Great War]] to the end of the century, government policy, economic factors, and social attitudes drove the creation of Urcea's suburbs. By the end of the century, suburban sprawl comprised most of [[The Valley (Urcea)|the Valley]], with relatively close together single family homes extending out from [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] especially. Suburban development in other areas of the country also occurred but to a less sprawling extent given the population and relative population density of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and its surrounding provinces. Many social commentators by the 1980s had begun to grow concerned regarding suburban sprawl due to environmental concerns (including both waste and pollution) as well as social concerns, as many perceived a kind of isolation and alienation from the extended family and estate [[Culture_of_Urcea#Kinship|kinship groups]] on which Urcean society was traditionally organized. Suburban development began to wane during this time in favor of exurban development, which developed both due to public policy pressures and market forces interested in different models; this shift had the practical effect of causing massive disruption in Urcea's [[Economy_of_Urcea#Construction|construction industry]]. The [[Family Living Act of 2003]] essentially prohibited the construction of new, "core suburbs" and subsequent legislation has created large preservation areas around [[Urcea]] and particularly within [[The Valley (Urcea)|the Valley]]. The preservation areas, which not only preserve existing natural areas but also has properties and homes default to the government for demolition in the event of no property heir or in the event of foreclosure, has had the unintended effect of decreasing the Kingdom's housing stock according to many policy analysts and {{wp|Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organizations}}.


The Hunts are the lasting historical legacy of the Chazxin dynasty. Although they ended by the 18th century, most demographers believe the vast majority of former native-born Varshani slaves in the 21st century are descended from individuals enslaved at this time.
===Exurban===
{{wp|Exurbs|Exurban}} development has comprised the large part of [[Urcea|Urcean]] real estate development since the mid-1980s reflecting increased distances from urban centers as well as changing social views.


====Conquest of the North====
In [[2003]], the [[Concilium Daoni]] led by [[Michael Witte]] enacted the [[Family Living Act of 2003|Family Living Act]] (FLA), which establishes several rules governing the construction of multiple structures on a property by real estate developers intending to sell the land, known as {{wp|Subdivision (land)|subdivisions}}. Among other provisions, the FLA requires that contractors must first offer a condensed area within a development (intended to describe cul de sacs and other insular portions) to bidding by extended family groups before individually selling each house. In effect, this law has had the effect of making many portions of neighborhoods or even entire housing developments being comprised of related individuals. Since a considerable portion of Urcea's single-family housing stock has been constructed since 2003, the policy has had a large impact on Urcean housing and social relations, with many policy analysts calling the project a "major success" in restoring the proximity of extended families. Critics have said that the FLA has had the effect of artificially raising the price of homes and home ownership while suppressing housing stock and discouraging development.
Under the Chazxin dynasty, Varshan conquered several disparate relatives of the [[Quetzenkel|Quetzen people]] and established what would become known as the Brudxaan Province, approximately modern [[New Veltorina]]. This conquest gave Varshan access to the [[Nysdra Sea]] for the first time. This conquest, completed by [[1525]], enabled Varshan to begin projecting influence across the Nysdra Sea. In the 1600s, the [[Venua%27tino#Quetzen_hegemony|Quetzen thalassocracy]] which had exhibited political and economic control over [[Venua'tino]] for centuries collapsed suddenly as the coastal cities were conquered by the unifying state. The sudden anarchy allowed a relatively token Varshani force to land in Venuatino in [[1652]] and establish a tenative system of political and military control over the region known as the


===CCC dynasty===
====Urban town and country====
===DDD dynasty===
[[File:GlensFalls.jpeg|thumb|left|200px|Marchts, a small town in [[Hardinán]], exemplifies urban town and country design mostly utilizing older structures instead of new builds.]]
===Yun-harle dynasty===
The primary design philosophy of exurban development in [[Urcea]] revolves around the notion of creating "urban town and country" (UTC), a design which has grown in frequency and popularity since the end of the 20th century. Though they existed prior to [[2003]], the [[Family Living Act of 2003]] introduced significant economic incentives for the design and construction of this style of development. Urban town and country design creates areas of moderate density housing, typically one to two blocks of {{wp|5-over-1}}s (or earlier mixed use structures) surrounding a {{wp|village green}}, {{wp|town square}}, or {{wp|roundabout}} park, surrounded by consistent low density housing with secluded cul de sacs and streets with large plots for homes separated by greenspaces and trees. This design is intended to allow individuals who can not own a home - either due to being short term transients to an area, lack of income, or some other reason - to live in rental units in and around the "central square" while simultaneously providing retail spaces - usually small businesses - in the central area. The "downtown area" is usually made up of several small retail outlets with restaurants in freestanding areas with parking, and this area is usually serviced by a [[Rail transportation in Urcea|rail-fed]] warehouse located on the periphery of town. Besides residential areas, churches schools, and libraries, and one to two large parking structures (depending on the size of the area) are intended to be constructed directly adjacent to the central square area for easy access to services by local residents. Since 2018 and 2019, most new UTCs are required to provide electric charging stations both in homes and in the public spaces, and many companies exist to transition existing UTC areas to electric compatibility on a large scale.
====Dynastic collapse====
=====Loss of the Brudxaan Province=====
The dynastic civil war led to the rebellion of local authorities in the northern Brudxaan Province, roughly modern [[New Veltorina]].


With armed and diplomatic support from [[Corumm]], [[Quetzenkel]] annexed Brudxaan in [[1962]]. The weakened and divided Varshani state was forced to accept the loss of territory as a fait accompli, formally recognizing it in [[1965]].
Most UTCs have only one or two major roads leading to the town square area, with small limited access urban neighborhood roads radiating outwards. The larger roads are typically multiple lanes in order to allow for commercial traffic to efficiently enter and exit the community. The major roads in UTCs typically lead to other UTCs or to highway access, while most of them also have a degree of access to {{wp|park and ride}}s and mass transit options. These transit options were enhanced with direct government subsidies to local public transit corporations with the Connectivity Act of 2012.


With the loss of Brudxaan Province, the centuries old [[Venua%27tino#Polar_Captaincy|Polar Captaincy]] collapsed due to the lack of Varshani access to the Sea of Nysdra. Under threat from [[Corumm]]ese presence in [[Cao]], Varshan was forced to withdraw its military forces from the Polar Captaincy in [[1964]].
===Proprietor communes===
===Modern interdynastic period===
Throughout [[Urcea]], small parts of land which escaped {{wp|enclosure}} exist. Efforts were made during the 19th and 20th century to create a stable legal framework for these entities to survive, and accordingly the distinction of a "proprietor commune" or PC exists within law. The creation of PCs was the result of massive land surveyance efforts conducted in the immediate wake of the [[Second Great War]] in the 1940s and 50s, as individuals living on ancestral communal land objected to encroaching real estate developers; the [[Government of Urcea]] issued a large number of charters for these lands in 1954. PCs are governed by the [[Consolidated_Laws_of_HMCM%27s_Kingdom_and_State#List_of_chapters|Alternative Housing Law]]. PCs are lands in which the title is held by a corporation consisting of all of the residents within it, and accordingly all lands under a corporate charter are owned in common. PCs can only be dissolved with a supermajority of members voting in favor. Most charters individually lay out the terms on which individuals and families can build structures within the commune, but most provide for an enforceable prohibition on trespassing, ensuring a kind of private property for homeowners. Charters also give the communes wide latitude to establish standards for structures within the PC while not totally exempting them from local and provincial zoning laws. In effect, PCs function in a similar manner to {{wp|home owners associations}} and collect fees. [[Levantine banking and finance|Banks]] are [[Family_Living_Act_of_2003#Protections_for_Proprietor_Communes|prohibited by law from discriminating against PCs]] and mortgages for individual homes are often assumed by the entire commune, who then levy the costs on the individual home resident.
The modern interdynastic period, sometimes referred to as the "postdynastic period", began with the final fall of the Yun-harle dynasty in [[1970]].
====Modernization efforts====
The loss of territory and prestige in the 1960s deeply wounded the Varshani psyche. Once the dynastic civil war had concluded, Varshan in the 1980s and 1990s began to heavily turn to modernization and Occidentalization of its armed forces.
==Geography==
===Climate and environment===


==Government and politics==
[[Category: Urcea]]
Varshan was an absolute monarchy ruled by the Zûrg, whose person and powers were not subject to any constitution or other law, and who answers only to the gods. There were no elected officials in Varshan, even at the local level. The only representative body was the ''Guraŋ'', a deliberative body whose members are appointed by the Zûrg from among the nobility, priesthood, warrior castes, and prominent free non-warriors involved in economic or technical fields. The Guraŋ was purely advisory body with no lawmaking powers of its own, though it does draft legislation which it recommends to the ''Zaračok''. The ''Zaračok'' or "Privy Council" was the country's main executive, legislative, and judicial organ, through which the Zûrg governs the country. Members of the ''Zaračok'' are appointed by the Zûrg and serve at his pleasure, being drawn almost entirely from the nobility, military leadership, and priesthood. Its role was to inform and advise the Zûrg, supervise the government bureaucracy on his behalf, and carry out his orders.
[[Category: Culture of Urcea]]
 
The leading members of the ''Zaračok'' and the most powerful non-hereditary officials were the Vizier (''Sanču'') and Warmaster (''Šunk Dal''). For most of Varshani history, Zûrgs led the military personally and the office of Warmaster was an intermittent position, created only when the Zûrg was unable to oversee the empire's war efforts himself. However, as the borders of Varshan stabilised and the military became more professional, the Warmaster was given a more permanent and prominent role.
 
===International Relations===
Varshan was widely considered a {{wp|rogue state}} in international relations. Its extensive practices of slavery, human sacrifice, and infanticide have resulted in various trade and travel restrictions being placed upon it by many other nations, but the main source of tension between Varshan and Ixnay's great powers was strategic rather than moral. As (by far) the largest, most powerful, and most well-armed Cronite polity, Varshan has long been an obstacle to colonial and commercial expansion by seafaring nations like [[Burgundie]] and [[Kiravia]]. Though cultural and political barriers to domestic innovation have caused it to lag behind more developed Old World nations in terms of military technology, the sheer size of the nation's military manpower and its aggressive foreign policy have long been a threat to the overseas colonies in Crona and engendered hostile but cautious approach by colonial powers toward Varshan as they look to limit its military capabilities and power projection without provoking it into a full-scale ground war that would likely visit mass casualties and heavy infrastructural damage upon the colonies.
 
A major point of dispute between Varshan and other nations, particularly colonial powers, was its programme to develop nuclear armaments.
==Demographics==
Ethnic hierarchy: TopVarshanis with Divine ancestry> Other TopVarshanis > Petty Varshanis (includes the Bepsi Catalans n' shit) > "Martial among Gentiles" > "Natives" (All other Cronite and Asiatic peoples, peoples paying tribute to Varshan, plus metics/helots/indentured people of full or partial Varshani descent) > Slaves of all backgrounds, including Varshanis.
 
The vast "Native" and enslaved classes belong to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of identifiable Cronite ethnolinguistic groups shared with some of the prehistoric people of [[Quetzenkel]], plus many more who were conquered and acculturated so long ago that any knowledge of them is lost. The largest ethnic group in both classes, however, are ethnic Varshanis who became enslaved for military ineptitude, failure to complete certain cultural and religious rituals, or as a criminal penalty; as well as millions of ethnic Varshanis born into slavery, mostly as descendants of people in the previous categories or as the result of sexual slavery under free Varshani masters. Many slave children fathered by their owners are allowed to become metics, especially if their mothers are also ethnic Varshani.
 
There are also several million Westerners living as slaves in Varshan. Most were kidnapped or IxShanghai'd. Western women were especially prized for their exotic appearances.
 
Because the government places heavy restrictions on foreign travel by ordinary subjects, the Varshani diaspora in other nations is small. The largest overseas population with ancestral origins in Varshan were the Kulukusi people, a tribe of moon-worshippers whose civilisation was destroyed by God-King Burusho IV for heresey against the Sun God. The Kulukusi survived as a tribal people in the mountains of southeast Varshan, and aided the Kiravian Army Rangers during the [[Bootleg Wars]]. As a token of gratitude, the [[Federal Stanora]] helped to resettle the Kulukusi in [[South Ateranda]] and [[Intravia]]. There is also a significant Kulukusi community in [[Azikoria]].
 
Varshan has an estimated literacy rate of 58%, and a majority of its population were illiterate until the 1990s. Until 1956, it was illegal to teach slaves to read, but this law was gradually relaxed over time as slaveowners themselves became more literate and wanted the convenience of being able to issue written orders to their slaves. In 2002, the law was waived for slaves kept in urban areas, but almost all slaves and most free persons living in rural areas remain illiterate. There was no public education system in Varshan. Instead, those higher up the social ladder make use of private schools, tutors, and religious institutes for education, while the lower classes of free persons rely upon informal schools and tutelage by country priests.
 
==Culture and society==
===Religion===
Polytheistic/Henotheistic religion, [[Arzalism]]. Sort of like Hinduism in that there are a whole bunch of gods and sectarian differences but these don't amount to exclusive denominational differences. Human sacrifice is the central and ultimate rite of Arzali worship, with archæological evidence dating it perhaps as far back as the first modern humans to arrive in the area.
 
Varshanites were originally heliolatrists (sun-worshippers). Orthodox Arzalism was born when some emperor proclaimed the Death God's primacy over the Sun God. Ancestor worship is strictly forbidden in orthodox Arzalism and was punishable by death, though it persists as an underground, esoteric/initiatory practice in certain heterodox strands of Arzalism, especially among particular ethnic groups.
 
Gods: The Death God, the Sun God, the Blood God (especially venerated among warriors), the Pain God, the Fire-Thunder God, the Sex/Rape God, and the Soccer God. Also various God-Emperors and God-Kings. Also Rain and Earth Gods that demand child sacrifices, exclusively. Maybe Raideron and Cthuhlu got absorbed into the pantheon somehow.
 
(Warrior thing transcluded to the military section)
 
Arzalism was the sole legal religion in Varshan, and observance of certain religious rites was compulsory for all free persons. All other religions, as well as atheism and agnosticism, were illegal and punishable by some public and particularly gruesome methods of execution. The degree to which slaves were required to observe the Arzali religion was at the discretion of their owners: Slaves owned by the temple system for non-sacrificial purposes were expected to participate in self-degrading Arzali rites regularly, whereas most private owners require only minimal commitment to the religion or none at all. Many (perhaps most) slaves privately dissent from Arzalism, and many, especially first- and second-generation captives, adhere to various native Cronite religions or, in the case of slaves kidnapped from the Occident, Christianity or irreligion. Slaves have been known to make an effort to maintain organised non-Arzali Cronite religions in secret, but these were suppressed by slaveholders and punishable by torture.
 
===Caste system===
===Stratified cultural developments by caste===
 
==Economy and infrastructure==
Varshan has a {{wp|command economy}} that differs radically from the global capitalist model with extensive state ownership and state direction of the economy, the prevalence of slave labour, extremely low social mobility due to politically and religiously entrenched caste hierarchies, and numerous political barriers to foreign trade and investment.
 
The base of the Varshani economy lies in extractive industries such as agriculture, mining, hydrocarbon drilling, and lumbering, which rely almost exclusively on slave labour and the forced labour/serfdom of non-slave metics and subject peoples. Varshan has massive deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, iron, industrial diamonds, and various other minerals, as well as enormous timber reserves. Almost all agriculture occurs on large estates called ''okozi'', most of which are owned by the Varshani nobility and gentry, the temple system, or the state.
 
The Varshani real estate market was tightly constrained. Under Varshani law, all land ultimately belonged to the Zûrg on behalf of the gods, and an estimated 35% of the country's land was directly owned by the state. Most productive agricultural land belonged to the landowning noble and gentry classes, with most of the remainder belonging to the temple system. Smallholds and family farms were extremely rare and existed only in the most marginal parts of the country, having been competed out of existence by slave plantations.
 
In the [Year whatever] Varshan implemented one of the earliest and likely the most expensive programme of import-substitution industriallisation in the world, with the goal of insulating the country against commercial domination by the Old World.
 
 
===Major Cities===
* Anzo
* Gabagûl
* Atsaduzi
* Zenga-Zenga
* Yungrizi
* Jiziye
* Arziye
 
==Military==
Varshan had an extremely martial culture based on its caste system.
 
The Warriors of Varshan come from a longstanding fundamentalist current within Arzalism that believes that Varshanite society has strayed from authentic Arzali beliefs. They believe that unrestrained, sadistic violence is the only true virtue and that predatory warfare is the only acceptable occupation for free men in the eyes of the Death God. They are TopVarshanite racial supremacists, and only allow TopVarshanis into positions of religious or political authority. Nonetheless, they believe that men who do not heed the Blood God's commands and live by predation deserve slavery or dishonourable deaths, regardless of race or ethnicity. Arzali fundamentalists believe that Varshani society has strayed from the true meaning of Arzalism over the past several centuries and has been only selectively obeying Arzali tenets in order to develop a centralised state society and a market economy. As such, most fundamentalists believe that some or all of the Zûrgs of recent centuries have been illegitimate (Arzali Sedevacantism), and they reject the worship of God-Kings and all God-Emperors except for the first one and the one who made the Death God top dog. They believe that organised state militaries are heretical and a corruption of holy warfare, believing loosely-affiliated bands of predatory warriors to be the only type of fighting unit sanctioned by the Death God. Nonetheless, like all free Varshani males, fundamentalists were required to serve in the Varshani military, and which they chose to use as an opportunity to develop their combat skills and religious knowledge.
[[Category:IXWB]]
[[Category:IXWB]]
[[Category:Crona]]
[[Category: 2022 Award winning pages]]
[[Category:Varshan]]
[[Category:Historical countries]]

Revision as of 11:25, 13 July 2023

Housing in Urcea is a vital sector in the Urcean economy, with housing development and adjacent activity comprising approximately a tenth of all economic activity as of 2020. Urceans have strong social views on housing and housing strongly relates to Urcea's view of itself and its relationship with both private property and Catholic social teaching. Since the mid-20th century, disurbanist approaches have been popular in Urcea. Much of Urcea's housing stock was constructed in the form of low density suburban single family homes following the Second Great War, although since the 1980s the priority has shifted to even lower-density exurban development due to both environmental and social concerns.

In Urcea, housing policy issues are typically regulated by the Agency for Housing Development outside of cities and the Agency for Urban Development within cities. The Agency for Urban Development also works closely with the Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid to identify and develop new public housing opportunities.

History and overview

Enclosure

Enclosure, the process by which land held in common is transferred to private ownership (especially within the context of the Feudal system) took place from approximately the end of the Saint's War in 1401 to the beginning of the Caroline Wars in 1740, during which time the vast majority of land held in common was enclosed for ownership. While much of the land was enclosed on behalf of local magnates, a great portion of it - especially following the weakening of the nobility during the Great Confessional War - was enclosed into relatively small parcels on behalf of the urban privilegiata. Unlike many other countries, however, anti-enclosure sentiments gained many successes in the period of the 17th century and onward. Balancing the various social classes became an increasing concern to the Apostolic King and His Governments in the wake of the social upheavel of the Great Confessional War and subsequent Gassavelian uprising. Accordingly, considerable amounts of common land began to be preserved beginning in 1620 onward, though these sentiments slowed rather than halted the process of enclosure. By 1740, further enclosure was prohibited by law, but conflicting and inconsistent land title deeds for enclosed lands existed, inaugurating more than two hundred years of legal disputes until land surveyance and commune reform efforts succeeded in in the 1950s.

Attitudes

Suburban rise and fall

Passage of the Family Living Act

Main article: Family Living Act of 2003

Public housing

Public housing in Urcea is generally overseen by the Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid or by provincial and local governments. Since the 1960s, the Agency has had specific policies for public housing, preferring to maintain single or multi-family rent controlled units within the same neighborhood within cities rather than tower blocks. The general prohibition on tower blocks came about largely as both an ideological one as well as problems encountered in constructing them in the Urceopolis borough of Campori following the Second Great War. The Agency is responsible for the general property maintenance of these facilities in conjunction with the occupants in the case of single family houses. Several "legacy" tower blocks public housing projects exist as well, especially in and around Urceopolis.

Private housing

Most Urceans live in a single family home or low-unit multi-family home according to surveys conducted over the course of the 2010s. Urcean society places a high value on home ownership, and private housing enjoys pride of place among types of housing in Urcea. As part of these efforts, the Agency for Royal Public Housing and Royal Dormitory Aid provides subsidies to lower income families as part of the Royal Dormitory Aid program in order to encourage ownership.

Urban

Single family

Multi family and apartments

Suburban

Suburban development was the primary form of housing development during the 20th century in Urcea and comprises a large plurality of the nation's housing stock. From the end of the Second Great War to the end of the century, government policy, economic factors, and social attitudes drove the creation of Urcea's suburbs. By the end of the century, suburban sprawl comprised most of the Valley, with relatively close together single family homes extending out from Urceopolis especially. Suburban development in other areas of the country also occurred but to a less sprawling extent given the population and relative population density of the Archduchy of Urceopolis and its surrounding provinces. Many social commentators by the 1980s had begun to grow concerned regarding suburban sprawl due to environmental concerns (including both waste and pollution) as well as social concerns, as many perceived a kind of isolation and alienation from the extended family and estate kinship groups on which Urcean society was traditionally organized. Suburban development began to wane during this time in favor of exurban development, which developed both due to public policy pressures and market forces interested in different models; this shift had the practical effect of causing massive disruption in Urcea's construction industry. The Family Living Act of 2003 essentially prohibited the construction of new, "core suburbs" and subsequent legislation has created large preservation areas around Urcea and particularly within the Valley. The preservation areas, which not only preserve existing natural areas but also has properties and homes default to the government for demolition in the event of no property heir or in the event of foreclosure, has had the unintended effect of decreasing the Kingdom's housing stock according to many policy analysts and non-governmental organizations.

Exurban

Exurban development has comprised the large part of Urcean real estate development since the mid-1980s reflecting increased distances from urban centers as well as changing social views.

In 2003, the Concilium Daoni led by Michael Witte enacted the Family Living Act (FLA), which establishes several rules governing the construction of multiple structures on a property by real estate developers intending to sell the land, known as subdivisions. Among other provisions, the FLA requires that contractors must first offer a condensed area within a development (intended to describe cul de sacs and other insular portions) to bidding by extended family groups before individually selling each house. In effect, this law has had the effect of making many portions of neighborhoods or even entire housing developments being comprised of related individuals. Since a considerable portion of Urcea's single-family housing stock has been constructed since 2003, the policy has had a large impact on Urcean housing and social relations, with many policy analysts calling the project a "major success" in restoring the proximity of extended families. Critics have said that the FLA has had the effect of artificially raising the price of homes and home ownership while suppressing housing stock and discouraging development.

Urban town and country

Marchts, a small town in Hardinán, exemplifies urban town and country design mostly utilizing older structures instead of new builds.

The primary design philosophy of exurban development in Urcea revolves around the notion of creating "urban town and country" (UTC), a design which has grown in frequency and popularity since the end of the 20th century. Though they existed prior to 2003, the Family Living Act of 2003 introduced significant economic incentives for the design and construction of this style of development. Urban town and country design creates areas of moderate density housing, typically one to two blocks of 5-over-1s (or earlier mixed use structures) surrounding a village green, town square, or roundabout park, surrounded by consistent low density housing with secluded cul de sacs and streets with large plots for homes separated by greenspaces and trees. This design is intended to allow individuals who can not own a home - either due to being short term transients to an area, lack of income, or some other reason - to live in rental units in and around the "central square" while simultaneously providing retail spaces - usually small businesses - in the central area. The "downtown area" is usually made up of several small retail outlets with restaurants in freestanding areas with parking, and this area is usually serviced by a rail-fed warehouse located on the periphery of town. Besides residential areas, churches schools, and libraries, and one to two large parking structures (depending on the size of the area) are intended to be constructed directly adjacent to the central square area for easy access to services by local residents. Since 2018 and 2019, most new UTCs are required to provide electric charging stations both in homes and in the public spaces, and many companies exist to transition existing UTC areas to electric compatibility on a large scale.

Most UTCs have only one or two major roads leading to the town square area, with small limited access urban neighborhood roads radiating outwards. The larger roads are typically multiple lanes in order to allow for commercial traffic to efficiently enter and exit the community. The major roads in UTCs typically lead to other UTCs or to highway access, while most of them also have a degree of access to park and rides and mass transit options. These transit options were enhanced with direct government subsidies to local public transit corporations with the Connectivity Act of 2012.

Proprietor communes

Throughout Urcea, small parts of land which escaped enclosure exist. Efforts were made during the 19th and 20th century to create a stable legal framework for these entities to survive, and accordingly the distinction of a "proprietor commune" or PC exists within law. The creation of PCs was the result of massive land surveyance efforts conducted in the immediate wake of the Second Great War in the 1940s and 50s, as individuals living on ancestral communal land objected to encroaching real estate developers; the Government of Urcea issued a large number of charters for these lands in 1954. PCs are governed by the Alternative Housing Law. PCs are lands in which the title is held by a corporation consisting of all of the residents within it, and accordingly all lands under a corporate charter are owned in common. PCs can only be dissolved with a supermajority of members voting in favor. Most charters individually lay out the terms on which individuals and families can build structures within the commune, but most provide for an enforceable prohibition on trespassing, ensuring a kind of private property for homeowners. Charters also give the communes wide latitude to establish standards for structures within the PC while not totally exempting them from local and provincial zoning laws. In effect, PCs function in a similar manner to home owners associations and collect fees. Banks are prohibited by law from discriminating against PCs and mortgages for individual homes are often assumed by the entire commune, who then levy the costs on the individual home resident.

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