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The Syndical Cooperative Kingdom of Vithinja ([[Peoples of Vithinja|Ruþí]]: Viþjinsk) often simply referred to as The Cooperative is a constitutional monarchy located in [[Kiro-Borealis]], but is more politically connected to the Northern [[Levantia|Levantian]] region of [[Ultmar]] and it's various nations. It borders [[Caergwynn]] in the south among the vithinjan isles. Crossing the [[Kilikas Sea]] to the far west lies the island nation of [[Kiravia]], while crossing the sea southwards one can find the lands of [[Faneria]]. Vithinja holds the only land crossing from Kiroborea to Levantia via the [[Vithins-Awraidd Bridge Project]], a large set of bridges and underwater tunnels connecting the Kiroborea mainland to most of the Vithinjan isles and ending in northern [[Caergwynn]]. The Vithinjan capital is the [[Cities of Vithinja|City of Rolvsvik]], despite being only the 7th largest city in the nation. Rolvsvik holds importance as the historical seat of power of the various royal lines of the nation as well as being the religious center for the [[Church of Rolv]]. The two largest cities are [[Cities of Vithinja|Tår Bringär]] and [[Cities of Vithinja|Cärssund]], both of which lie within the vithinjan isles. Tår Bringär has long been the economic capital of Vithinja as it holds a large and deep natural harbor well placed for both safety and trading purposes. For most of Ultmar history the city benefited from strategically defensible geography, avoiding devastation from the many wars that plagued the Ultmar mainlanders, but since the great war it has fallen in favor somewhat compared to these mainland harbor cities. Vithinja has a population of ~70 million people. The vast majority of the population lives either in the vithinjan isles, or the more temperate southern coastline, but the northern lakes region still holds small population centers. These northern population centers are important to help extract the large wealth of the northern lands.
Vithinja is a relative newcomer among the nations of today in it's current state, only existing in it’s current form for the last 200 years. On the other hand the culture and traditions of a united northern nation has existed for almost a millennium. One of that nations largest issues is caused by large variety in cultures, religion, traditions and more recently ideologies, leading to the nation never truly being able to achieve stability. The nations origins is a tale of two very different peoples fighting each other for the reign but almost always united against foreign threats. The first traces of the two groups arriving in the north date back as far as 700 CE. From the evidence they were not the first people to live in the Vithinjan lands but whatever natives came before are long extinct. It is believed that the first group of settlers who would become the Ruthans left their homeland in western Levantia to sail for new lands in the north, while the celtic origins are even less certain. Both peoples started settling many of the islands along the northern coast of Levantia as well as finding the lands of [[Vithinjan Administrative Divisions|Ruthinja]]. ([[Peoples of Vithinja|Ruþí]]:Fhres-Ruthirí) While the Ruthan people have generally been the rulers over both peoples the [[Vithinjan Demographics|Guerigogled]] have almost always outnumbered them, to the confusion of many scholars.
'''Chakailan''', officially the '''Free State of Chakailan''', is a country in [[Crona]]. It is neighbored by [[Varshan]], [[Titechaxha]], [[Telonaticolan]], and [[Mid-Atrassic Crona]].
The vithinjan population is mainly divided into the [[Vithinjan Demographics|Ruthans]], the former ruling people as well as the [[Vithinjan Demographics|Guerigogled]] ([[Ruthi Language|Ruþí]]: Gärgöthe, [[Siarvish Language|Siarvish]]: Siargogle) often shortened to Guerigs, who make up the majority of the population. While they once had huge cultural differences the two cultures are well integrated together in the modern era, making religion and ideology the more common cause of cultural differences than ethnicity
The nation was established by the [[Treaty of Electorsbourg (2024)|Treaty of Electorsbourg]] as an independent nation at the end of the [[Final War of the Deluge]]. The territory was part of [[Varshan]] prior to the conflict, and its history is inexorably linked to that of Varshan and slavery within Varshan. Prior to its incorporation into Varshan, the land was sparsely populated territory of the people of [[Telonaticolan]], to whom the original tribes of the area were distantly related. However, the local mountain tribes often interacted with runaway slaves, and this area became well known as a slave escape route out of [[Varshan]] in the 19th century. A strong local culture between the tribes and slaves was established. Reduction of fugitive slavery became a top Varshani priority and the land was taken along with the other Telonaticolani lands in 1894. The area continued to be a choice area for the Anzo government to enslave and also a location where many slaves unable to work - such as the elderly or crippled - were deposited in the rare cases where they were not exterminated. The area became home to a unique people and culture with global influences due to the reach of Varshani slavery.
While not being a very populous country, thanks to a combination of large quantities of natural resources with a high security for companies to extract them today, as well as good shared control of the northern Levantian maritime trade together with Caergwynn, the Vithinjan people are quite well of. Maritime trade is especially secured thanks to the city of Tår Bringär, which holds the deepest and among the largest harbors in Ultmar trade.
==Etymology==
==Geography==
Vithinja is a part of the [[League of Nations]] and the [[Kilikas-Boreal Cooperative Zone]].
Chakailan occupies a mountainous position east of [[Varshan]] and west of [[Telonaticolan]], occupying one of the central mountain ridges that divides north central [[Crona]]. Accordingly, the country is primarily comprised of mountains and {{wp|highlands}} and has a relatively cool climate with strong winds blowing over much of the country. The mountains form a "V" shape at the southeastern and southwestern border of the country, separating it from the eastern highlands of [[Varshan]]. In the middle, a relatively flat but elevated region exists where most human settlement occurs.
==History==
==History==
Main Article: [[History of Vithinja]]
===Pre-Varshani history===
Little is known about the people and history of the area of modern Chakailan other than it was largely under the influence of the more numerous and prosperous [[Telonaticolan]] people, and most maps up until the Varshani integration of the territory include it as part of Telonaticolan. Genetic testing and scholarship have shown that its original tribal inhabitants were distantly related to the "mainline" population of Telonaticolani people and the area was likely settled by proto-Telonaticolanis during antiquity. Much of the history of the region is known by reputation. Both Telonaticolani and Varshani histories make note of the ruggedness of these mountain nomad tribes, with individuals from the area making excellent scouts and guides through the central mountain ranges of [[Crona]]. Efforts by the Telonaticolani to pacify and more directly incorporate the region failed in both the 1820s and 1840s, as they were repulsed by means of large and well set ambushes and rudimentary but well located static defenses. The relative separation from [[Varshan]] but few passes that existed made it a popular area for slaves to flee from Varshani control, and the accounts of escaped slaves from the period indicate the tribes were receptive to these people and even welcomed some into their tribes. Several Varshani raiding and slave hunting parties entered the region throughout its history, with most being repulsed. As early as 1860, Occidental visitors who traveled to the remote area that would become Chakailan noticed many non-indigienous among them and even one Occidental escaped slave having been incorporated into the local peoples, leading modern scholars to suspect that the unique cultural interchange that formed the modern Chakailani people began well before the Varshani occupation.
===Annexation into Varshan===
Slaves began exiting Varshan through Chakailan in increased numbers in the late 1800s spurned on by increasing disloyalty to Anzo from [[Telonaticolan]], whose people began to openly welcome escaped slaves and began to settle them throughout the country. In [[1891]], Varshan invaded Telonaticolan, burned its capital, enslaved most of its army and political leadership, and annexed the teritory of Chakailan and other territories in western Telonaticolan. The tribes of the Chakailan area fought bravely and inflicted significant casualties but were defeated by overwhelming Varshani force. Many of the men and warriors of the tribes were sent into slavery, leaving behind the women and children. Many of the Telonaticolani slaves who were too weak or sick to continue on were left behind by Varshani forces in the care of the Chakailan-area tribes.
===Varshani occupation===
With the beginning of the Varshani occupation, most of the population of the region were removed from their nomadic way of life and centered in towns and villages which amounted to concentration camps; many contemporary Occidental scholars referred to this practice, which was used across Varshan and not just in Chakailan, as "slave manufacturies." During the occupation, the skill of the local tribes as guides and scouts continued to be valued, and many locals were enslaved for their work in the mountainous regions of Varshan where they would work capably for the Varshani overseers. Around 1910, it became stylish among high Varshani society to relocate their old or disabled slaves to remote parts of the state as a work of mercy and to instill the values of obedience to the young among the "lesser peoples" ruled from Anzo. While a majority of slaves who could no longer work were simply killed or sacrificed according to the tenets of [[Arzalism]], a significant number began to be relocated to what would become Chakailan in hopes that the old men might reproduce and create more strong and capable slaves while the disabled might prove to be an example to future slaves. Between 1910 and 1960, when social views shifted back towards predominant sacrifice, more than 75,000 slaves were deposited in what is now Chakailan, creating a massive cultural shift and integration of the mores, traditions, and cultures of those slaves into the native tribal populations. The type of work that the slaves were trained for also generally enhanced the "mountain man" culture and ethic that emerged within the country. In [[1980]], economic reforms in [[Varshan]] ended the grain delivery to the region, leading to the abandonment of the concentration camps and a resumption of nomadic grazing activity for most people, though the Varshani government also sponsored the creation of slave-worked plantations with new hybrid plants created by Occidental experts imported by the Anzo regime. The varieties of mountain agriculture now grown by a majority of the population for subsistence farming began with these imported scientific developments.
[[Nogeath-Gogaul Mythology]]
With the invasion of [[Kiravia|Kiravian]] forces in the [[Final War of the Deluge]], the area was quickly abandoned by the Varshani military as it was beyond the natural defendable borders of the country. Most Varshani overseers simply abandoned their plantations and other enterprises in the country with retreating Varshani forces, and economic devastation swept the countryside as most of the technical experts and managers left overnight. Occupied by Kiravian forces during the war, significant investment was done by the Kiravian government in education and restoration of the productive enterprises of the region. Most Chakailani instead took to the traditional nomadic lifestyle or subsistence farming on the lands of former plantations, which were divided up into lands with title by the occupying Kiravian forces in June 2023. Many refugees, most of them liberated slaves, came to settle in the area as the war progressed, with as many as 10,000 settling in the region. Local leaders began to organize a provisional government under Kiravian occupation in late 2023 and the area was determined by [[League of Nations Command]] to be capable of self-governance in March 2024, with its recommendations included in the Electorsbourg peace negotiations that commenced with the end of the war.
[[Noborea]] was once settled by some [[Noborea Aboriginals|native culture]] that there are little remnants of, with so little evidence of their existence leaving room for people to consider that they may have been [[celts]], [[geats]] or even [[coscovians]]. They were practically extinct by the year 1000, with their numbers never having exceeded fifty thousand at their largest expanse by most estimate.
===Independence===
Chakailan was established as an independent state by the [[Treaty of Electorsbourg (2024)|Treaty of Electorsbourg]] with an explicit recognition of the unique culture that emerged in the territory with further expectation of additional slave resettlement in the future. Following its independence, it became geopolitically aligned with both [[Kiravia]] and [[Urcea]] with significant investments from both countries and the presence of the Urcean [[Ministry_of_State_(Urcea)#Department_of_National_and_Institutional_Development|DNID]] and [[Ministry_of_Commerce_(Urcea)#Agency_for_Cronan_Economic_Development|ACED]] to help social, political, and economic development.
The modern people living in Noborea and most of the [[Vithinjan Isles]] came sometime in the 8th century from two separate origins. These origins are surrounded by myths and legends, but thanks in part to a few more reliable records made by the group some suspect to be the origin group for the [[Caerics]]. What is known for certain is that the [[Nogeaths]] who settled western Noborea came from the north western coast of [[Ultmar]], somewhere west of [[Faneria]]. Meanwhile, the origins of the [[Gogauls]] who settled eastern Noborea is more uncertain, but are believed to have emigrated from settlements along one of the major rivers of modern [[Fiannria]] or the lands to it’s east. These settlements are also a possible origin point for the Caerics, explaining the cultures great similarities. It is believed that the Gogauls arrived at least 25 years earlier, and were the dominant culture group in most of Noborea for at least 100 years, thanks in part to their ability to settle the best lands. This was especially true for the Vithinjan Isles, which remained almost exclusively celtic for 300 years, only starting to gain a proper Nogeath minority after [[The Viking Contentment Period]] really got going.
==Government==
===Executive===
===Legislature===
===Local governance===
Thanks to the mixing of the seafaring culture of these two migrant groups after many decades of tribal conflicts, the consolidation of smaller tribes into larger ones and general population growth the peoples of the north, especially those living on the Noborea mainland started to run into a simple but motivating scarcity: A near total lack of a stable food source. While some agriculture could be maintained and the both fresh-and saltwater fish were plentiful, the fish was not nearly enough to survive on alone and the harvests were incredibly variable depending on how harsh the harsh the years winter ended up being. These factors would all lead to a region-defining cultural shift that would spread from the west-most Nogeaths all the way to the east-most Gogaul: The raiding of far away, wealthier lands. Although most early raiding was done internally, the harsh resistance that was often met combined with lacking resources worth stealing lead raiders to start sailing further and further. By the early 800’s they idea of sailing south, to lands inhabited by much weaker and richer peoples started spreading like wildfire, in part thanks to the seafaring leading to a strong interconnectivity among the northern tribes. Based on the Nogeath title for one of these seafarers a new threat started to menace far beyond their Noborean homes: The Vikings.
==Culture==
Chakailani culture is an eclectic blend of many different cultural traditions, with local tribal customs forming a cultural baseline on which the traditions of many different groups of former enslaved people from across the world have introduced new traditions and mores.
===Cuisine===
Much of the cuisine of Chakailan speaks to its history both as an area of slaves as well as that of a rugged mountain people, and due to the types of people left in Chakailan over the ages, it reflects the country's rich and diverse cultural heritage. Two categorizations of food exist in Chakailani cuisine, the first of which is known as "work food" and the second of which is known as "new food". "Work food", as the name suggests, originated from the food given to laborers and slaves, and is nutrient dense; many of these types of foods, originally bland, have received additional ingredients and spices to make them more appetizing. {{Wp|Hardtack}} is commonly eaten in Chakailan, and in recent decades this has been iterated into cake-like products eaten for {{wp|supper}} with fruit-based sweeteners and softer ingredients included. {{wp|Salt pork}} stews are also common and have received iterative improvements to flavor in recent decades and especially since independence. "New food", on the other hand, are types of food based on the cuisine and meals familiar to people enslaved and subsequently brought to the region. These meals resemble those of the cuisines of elsewhere and Crona and even abroad, but are made using local ingredients. Deer meat pies, prepared in such a way that clearly originally followed Levantine beef pies, are commonly eaten in Chakailan. "New food", despite the name, can date back hundreds of years.
[[The Viking Age]] is generally broken up into five periods, The Reaver Period, The Invasion Period, The Consolidation Period, The Viking Golden Age and finally The Viking Contentment Period. While each of these hold a massive amount of history within them, we will only shortly discuss the most imporant aspects of each here.
===Symbols===
The torch and torches are used in Chakailan as a symbol of liberation, as paths lit by torchlight are associated with the road to freedom from slavery. Accordingly, torch imagery has become closely associated with Chakailani culture and is pictured on the flag and coat of arms of the newly established state and is also alluded to in the state's motto, "''Light the torch to freedom''."
== Demographics ==
[[The Viking Reaver Period|The Reaver Period]] (~810-950) is named after the main term used for the viking raiders by the northern successor kingdoms of the Holy Levantine Empire. This period is mainly defined by the fast and vast expansion of raided areas. Throughout mid to late 800’s the vikings went from raiding along the nearby modern Fanerian north coast and among the island of modern Sorhaithe to targetting the entire North Ultmar coast, and travelling far along the rivers into the Ultmar mainland. While raiding a number of raiders set up conquered viking realms, with the largest of these period being the first of the Reaver kingdoms, settling along the coast running eastward from Noborea. Despite the vikings of this period remaining relatively decentralized it still saw a slow centralization of power. This took it’s final shape in between the 910’s and 950’s when a number of so-called viking lords rose to power, maintaining the fealty of vast numbers of tribes among large territories. The nature of these tribal federations were however still very decentralized, leading to modern historians usually not referring to these realms as tribal kingdoms. In the end, what finally ended up causing the next large-scale change among the viking cultures was, ironically, the exact same issue that started their marauding ways: All the new resources that they had successfully plundered and brought back lead to prosperity in their homelands, which caused a population boom that tripled their population over the course of the century. A great tribal chieftain who had united most of the western Ruthan tribes caused this next great change, by announcing, preparing and leaving their homelands at a massive scale, in a huge migration to conquer and settle the more prosperous lands their raiding peoples already dominated.
=== Linguistic Demographics ===
The majority of residents of Chakailan speak a lower caste variant of [[Draft:Varshani language|Hieratic Varshani]], though a handful of native languages which are related to it are spoken by isolated mountain tribes.
[[The Viking Invasion Period|The Invasion Period]] (890-1220) is empathized by the many migrations and new realms the Vikings created and maintained across large sections of Ultmar, even if most by the 17th century would be some combination of integrated into the local cultures, slowly fade in comparison to larger local cultures or simply be subjugated and expelled. These migrations would however lead to a strong bond between the Noboreans and North Levantines, both economically and politically. Even in the modern day viking descended cultures outnumber the entire modern Vithinjan population. The main cause of viking migrations fading was a mixture of improvements to defensive engineering in Ultmar as well as simply having less free lands to target and many Viking realms that were already well settled and fiercely aggressive against competitors. This also caused the slow start of the Contentment Period, which would start to vastly change the cultural idea of what a Viking was among the Noborean cultures.
=== Religious Demographics ===
{{Pie chart
| radius = 100
| thumb =left
| caption = Religious affiliations in Chakailan (2028)
[[The Viking Consolidation Period|The Consolidation Period]] (980-1330) coincides quite substantially with the invasion period, in part because it was a result of the response to these invasion in different parts of the world. This period can be separated between The Christian Consolidation, The Ruthinjan Unification and the Ultmar Viking Wars.
| other =
[[Ultmar Christian Consolidation|The Christian Consolidation]] started with the arrival and success of [[Caergwynn]], one of the most vital rival powers in Vithinjan history. Through the use of a powerful navy and a well centralized highly militarized realm so close to the viking homeland the Caerics successfully pressured many concessions and treaties from the various viking tribes north of them. Although some attempts were made at both subjugation and devastation the Caric knights quickly found that the best relations they could hope for were tributes and allies, as the northern Viking cultures could not easily be quelled or destroyed. This forced the viking raiders to travel farther and target new regions, which helped to find new targets for the Viking migratory invasion as well. This consolidation was further worsened thanks to a combination of the successfully revitalized realm of Cuhlfros in addition to a number of stronger tribal federations forming along the western side of Northern Ultmar.
[[The Ruthinjan Unification]] describes the rise of The first unified kingdom in Noborea. It also saw the real first step for christianity spreading into Noborea, with the new Ruthinjan kingdom being formed by the first Viking Lord to ever baptise himself. He could howevernever put an end to the marauding traditions of his people.
| value1 =38.7
[[Ultmar Viking Wars]] includes a number of wars among the various ultmari Viking realms as well as many bordering realms which lead to the destruction or consolidation of most of these regions into new kingdoms. Through the combination of these factors almost all the lands that were once the prime targets for their raids now became mostly inaccessible. This would lead to two great changes that once more redirected Viking history: More advanced seafaring techniques that allowed the raiders to venture far beyon the local region together with the and a shift in the power balance in the Noboreal region away from the Vithinjan heartlands towards the north Ultmar riverlands. These two changes along with many other factors would birth the Viking Golden Age.
The Chakailani people have a wide variety of religious beliefs as a result of their historical ties to servitude in [[Varshan]]. A plurality of the people are adherents of a folk variety of [[Arzalism#Solar_Arzalism|Solar Arzalism]], though scholars believe a separate {{wp|heliolatry|heliolatristic}} folk religious tradition may be included within these statistics. The second largest group of people are what can best be described as "folk atheists" - a position with no definitive philosophical or scientific arguments against the existence of a God, but rather a lived experience leading to religious {{wp|nihilism}}. Among the relatively small but growing educated classes of Chakailan, an effort to import [[M'acunism]] into the country is underway, though some former slaves and mountain tribes are also original adherents of the faith. [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] missionaries made minor inroads with both the native population and returning slaves during and after the [[Final War of the Deluge]], contributing to a small but notable Christian population in the country. The remaining part of the population - about 15% - adhere to a wide variety of folk mythologies, slave religions, obscure tribal faiths not yet categorized by [[Occidental]] sociologists, and other various local traditions.
Vithinjas varied geography is both a blessing and a curse. Although large portions of the lands are difficult to impossible to inhabit, they hold some of the most beautiful landmarks to be found in the world. Between the innumerable fjords covering the coast to the northern villages surrounded by the sights of huge tall mountain ranges, large glaciers that glimmer in the sunlight and if any visitor is lucky, the wondrous northern lights. This would make it a better tourist location if the temperature didn't drive most foreigners away.
===Climate===
The climate in Vithinja is defined by the separation between the warmer coastal regions including the Vithinjan isles, the fjord covered northern coastlines the northern mountainous regions and the subarctic lake regions. The nations economic centers have always been tied to the coastal regions, with very little agricultural lands excluding the Vithinjan islands. A few local grains being hardy enough to survive the boreal summers thanks to the north-blowing winds. The coastlines nearest joining the two landmasses of Vithinja together however are constantly a target of the cold arctic winds from the north.
==Politics==
===Governing System===
The Vithinjan syndicalist way of governing has been classified by experts as '''Hierarchical Top-Down Syndicalism''', with some extra complications from the '''Monarchical Exception''' and it's institutionally-enforced anti-liberal '''Neotribalism'''. This definition can be broken down as thus: '''Syndicalism''' as in the establishing of a system where people may freely form organizations that hold political influence to affect the legislative and executive powers and process of the state. '''Hierarchical''' as in these organizations being expected to form smaller joint organizations with representatives from each, who work together to help take care of matters that is in each of their interests, continuing upward as is necessary to join all organizations together at the highest point. '''Top-down''' as in these organizations were first created with a set of leading organizations above, whose powers where then divided into smaller portions for which new organizations attempted to be established, creating astarting point for the Syndicated systems powers that were then handed down a ladder of smaller organizations until it reached the local level.
In effect the syndicalist government functions as a hierarchy of unions each of which may function as either an executive or legislative, but usually both branches for part of the nations laws. The powers of each union is based on what has previously been agreed to be delegated to that level of the hierarchy from above. These powers include both serving as the executive branch for any issues the representatives bring from the legislative decisions of their own unions, one step down in the hierarchy, as well as serving as part of the legislative branch for any higher unions they send representatives to. One of the main purposes of this division of power was to ensure the each part of the government could take care of their issues swiftly and effectively. The national council refers to the members of the highest point in the hierarchy and they hold only executive powers, including the first level of delegation of all state power towards the lower branches. While some may worry that this would simply lead to the national council holding full authoritarian power, they are limited by the constitution to some degree, most importantly as they do not control the length of their terms. As each representative must be chosen by a union at the lowest level before they are able to start climbing the hierarchy, any representative who is seen as failing in their duty to the lower unions may simply be replaced, no need to even wait for an election as the folkmoot held to determine the representative may be called at any time by those making the decision. This representative election is generally not referred to as an election as it is not a choice of the majority, as this is considered democratic republicanism, something that the state specifically attempts to distance itself from. Instead it is rather an agreement that is not protested by any member.
===Current Ruling Body===
Despite attempting to generally distance themselves from party-like organizations as to not appear too democratic the current Vithinjan government can generally be split into certain factions. While each of the members of the National Council is and individual and may choose to not follow the lead of others in the same faction, these factions give a general idea of the power balance among those leading the nation.
[[File:Vithinjan-National-Council.png]]
The largest faction is the '''Syndical Cooperatist''' [Pink], usually shortened to The 'Cooperatists'. They are lead by Chancellor [[Magnus Tornssen]], who is famous for being the creator of the Cooperatist movement and helped move Vithinja away from their previous isolationist direction after the [[1983 Vithinjan Nuclear Test]]. Since 2019 he has been the single longest leading chancellor, leading the reds since 2007 continuously while also leading them between 1991 and 1999. He is nearing 40 years since he first achieved a position in the national council at the young age of 28. Among his achievements he has successfully pushed Vithinja from mostly domestic economy to a vibrant export based economy, while also helping improve relations with foreign partners nearly universally. His critics points out that he has continuously promised to cut down Vithinjan military spending for over 25 years with little success, although more significantly he is often a target of both internal and external environmentalists who point out how he is the main reason for Vithinjan environmental policy being by modern standards especially abysmal considering it is a mainly train-based economy.
The Cooperatists as a whole hold 67 seats in the national assembly, mainly from the reds and the blues, but has supporters from every collar-union except the blacks.
Currently the Cooperatists are alone in controlling more than one of the Chancellor seats, as both blue-chancellor [[Rikart Ragnersson]] and new-chancellor [[Lina Birgittdotr]] are important figures in the faction. Thanks to this near majority in the national council gives them great executive powers as long as they can convince a single other faction to work with them on whatever issue may be in question. This is helped by most other factions having greater disagreements with each other than the Cooperatists.
'''Boreal Syndicalists''' [Red]... 48 seats... lead by green-chancellor [[Sten Vikqvist]].
'''Traditional Monarchists''' [Dark Blue]... 43 seats... lead by black-chancellor [[Rolv XI Sortvit]], the King.
'''National Syndicalists''' [Brown]... 42 seat... lead by white-chancellor [[Riordan Mayor]].
'''Syndical Environmentalists''' [Green]... 21 seats... lead by pink-chancellor [[Ingrid Fridsdotr]].
'''Liberal Monarchists''' [Light Blue]... 8 seats... lead by white-representative [[Aron Watch]]... He is most famous for being the first representative to get into a brawl with his own chancellor, Riordan Mayor, over an attempt to pressure white-representatives into supporting the national syndicalists.
--- Old ---
Among the unions the seven highest level unions that all under unions are subdivisions of are all based on the concept of collar colors that was a pretty popular concept as the syndicalization took place. At first there were only four collar-unions that represented the nation, but today that number has risen to seven. They are as follows: the blue-collar union, the white-collar union, the red-collar union, the black-collar union, the green-collar union, the pink-collar union and the new-collar union.
Among these the reds and blacks are considered special. The reds generally represent those who should directly support the syndicalists who created the current nation. Because of this there are many additional rules to high level members of these unions. Similarly the blacks represent the powers and interests of the royal family, having all higher level representatives among the black-collars being determined by the king directly. It is not law but tradition that no member of the royal family should take the position as union representative.
The strangest and probably most important two unions below the high seven is the Union of the Lower Courts and the Higher Justice Union. These both represent the courts, one representing the higher courts and the other the lower courts. Despite their obvious connection they belong to different higher unions. The lower courts belong to the red-collars and the higher courts belong to the black-collars. This is because of one of the compromises in the constitution, where the syndicalists received control of the sub-regional courts while the king remained in control of regional and national courts.
==== Constitution ====
The Vithinjan constitution is an unorthodox work as it is a product of three origins. The constitution borrows a few things from the constitution of the Vithinjan republic, however this is the smallest component in the text. Secondly and thirdly it is sourced from the compromise between the government of the royal Sortvit family and their supporters as well as the national syndicalists that make up the nations labor unions. This has caused the constitution to have proved over the years to be a convoluted mess that contradicts itself in more than a few places.
Because of the constitutions contradictory nature most of the time the national council and the king both simply use the powers that previous rulers have used, avoiding actions that may cause a constitutional crisis.
==== Anti-liberal Neotribalism ====
=== National Syndicalism ===
Ever since the syndicalization the movement has been splintered into a few main factions. One of the strongest of these factions have always been the national syndicalists. Their beliefs differ from most other syndicalists substantially, with one of the main differences being embracing a lot of the nations traditions, to many members even including the monarchy. Most controversial among their beliefs is the idea of ruthan superiority, causing substantial tensions with the gergole population.
===Citizenship and Residents===
Because of a lack of democratic institutions the idea of citizenship doesn't quite exist in Vithinja. However there is still a way to affect the political makeup of the nations leadership. This comes in one of two ways: members of a union or members of the military. To be an official member of the military a Vithinjan needs to be a full time serviceman. Reservists who want the power to elect need to join a union. The difficulty of joining a union varies greatly by profession and region. All of this effectively means that if only members of the military or members of a union are considered citizens about 82% of all Vithinjans above the age of 16 are citizens, leaving 18% to simply be residents.
Because of the mostly professional requirements for effective citizenship Vithinja is often considered to be a great place to immigrate too for people who have the right skills. It can take as little as a month to go from seeking a temporary residency visa to becoming a union member.
As there are quite a few who believe that either joining a union is too difficult or simply that there should be a union for those who could be classified as residents, there is a modern [[Vithinjan civil rights movement|civil rights movement]] in the nation that in part advocates for these changes.
===Military===
The Vithinjan military can be divided into three distinct organizations: The Royal Army of Vithinja, The Union of the National Reserve and the Guards of the Revolution. Some would only consider the first two as actual members of the military and the third as a paramilitary organization, especially since the constitution contradicts itself when describing them.
==Economy==
==Economy==
Vithinja exports marine vehicles, engineering products, refined steel products as well as pharmacueticals and medical equipment. Vithinja also produces mostly for domestic needs: Weapons...
Chakailan has a very small economy, and its people are considered among the poorest in the world. The primary sectors are subsistence agriculture and nomadic pastoral herding. The economy of Chakailan is such that its government is not sufficiently strong enough or have enough credit to issue a currency. In the more remote parts of the country, barter is the primary form of exchange, but the government uses [[Cronan lira]] as its de facto currency for internal and external transactions. Chakailan is very under-urbanized, with a large, central city only presently under construction as a project of the new state - T'laa'nah, which means "liberty", - which also serves as the nation's capital. Few transportation networks or systems allow travel throughout the country, with a highway and rail network system emanating out of the city of T'laa'nah, which is under construction.
===Resources===
Vithinjas natural resources is mainly made up of a mixture of aluminum, fish, iron ore and crude petroleum. A lot of these resources are used to produce more refined goods for export.
===Energy===
Vithinjan energy is largely made up of hydroelectric and geothermal power, with the difference mostly being made up by nuclear power plants. As the economy generally produces a surplus Vithinja always looks to export whatever energy it can. Their main energy trading partner is Caergwynn.
===Infrastructure===
While large parts of the world started moving over towards building roads for cars, the Syndicalists of Vithinja stubbornly leaned away from car travel and towards trains. Because of this Vithinja is one of the worst places in the world to bring a car, but has some of the best railway connectivity of any nation. It also has one of the lowest per capita carbon emissions thanks to the lack of fossil fuel use both in transportation and power generation.
===Taxes===
Taxes in Vithinja are collected from the unions by the unions with the exception of the military tax, which is collected from everyone. Because of a convoluted taxing system when it comes to income tax Vithinjans pay a very sizeable tax rate which looks way less to the majority who is uninformed of the details of the taxing system. Vithinja has a pretty standard tax rate on inheritance and a huge tax rate on land ownership that is not owned by a union.
===Military Industrial Complex===
Because of the remnants of a strong warrior culture Vithinja has always had a loose view of weapon ownership. Since the Syndicalization this idea of privately owning a firearm has continued to be encouraged, with the exception of those who could be seen as residents, for whom owning a firearm is illegal. Vithinja has one of the highest rates of firearm ownership, with over 125 firearms for every 100 people.
==Demographics==
===Population===
The Vithinjan population is officially broken up into three main demographics with a secondary break up based on languages. These three demographics are: the Ruthans, who make up just over 22% of the population; the Gvergoles, who make up almost 42% of the population; lastly the Ruth-Gvärs, who make up about 32% of the population. The numbers for these demographics are exact as it is a component of every persons recorded information at birth for the governments identification data.
===Language===
The official and most spoken language in Vithinja is Ruthi, a gothic language very unlike most other gothic languages. This is the expected language to use for any official work like research. Almost as common but not always allowed officially is Siarvish, a celtic language with a lot of similarities to Caeric. While in some regions one can easily live only ever speaking Siarvish it is difficult to achieve great success without also learning Ruthi. Both of these languages may be taught at schools but most schools either teach Ruthi or both.
On the Vithinjan isles, especially in the south there are many who still speak Caeric. While recognized as a regional language it is often discouraged, usually by the higher levels of unions, to use the language outside of private matters.
===Religion===
Vithinja is a religiously divided nation, caught between the royal Church of Rolv, the many who still follow the catholic church as well as the idea of abandoning the old beliefs often pushed by important members of the unions.
====Church of Rolv====
The church of Rolv is a branch of protestantism with some quite radical differences. It has added clauses for means by which one can enter into heaven that include military service and sacrifices for the good of ones people.
===Education===
Education in Vithinja is completely controlled by the government, as private schools have been made illegal by the union of education. While the government attempts to specifically encourage certain education paths, these efforts have generally lead to educating way more members than needed into a narrow field. Recently new efforts have been made to address these issues.
===Health===
Vithinja features a very extensive public healthcare system. The union of healthcare holds a lot of influence and has at numerous occasions pressured other industries towards decisions that would assist public health. One of these choices is a complete ban on smoking and huge efforts toward reducing drinking. Despite these efforts both smoking and drinking are still publicly practiced in many communities. Tobacco smuggling is an extremely profitable black market in Vithinja because of these efforts.
===Crime===
For being a nation in modern times Vithinja features a large indirect punishment for pretty much any crime: increased difficulty to join a union, which makes everything from getting a job to finding a partner more difficult and may lock one out of the political process. Despite this the number of people convicted for a crime has been hovering around 2.5% up until the last two years, where it has slowly increased to 3%. It is often noted that 95% of convictions are against those considered residents.
==Culture==
=== The Church of Rolv ===
The Church of Rolv is the largest religion in Vithinja. While it is often classified as a Lutheran protestant branch together with most others, there are many who disagree with this classification as it has little in common with any other branch. While it was created in the same period of reformation as most other early branches it differs in it's originator and purpose. These difference also greatly expand over time, as the directions of the branches are incomparable.
The Church of Rolv is a unifying faith based in the idea that the old Paganism of the Vithinjan natives is not incompatible with the Christian faith. Instead the old pagan ideas are simply a failure to communicate some of the many ideas behind christiandom. As gods full teachings have been in part corrupted or forgotten, the old pagan beliefs can be used to help guide and understand what parts of the old and new testament is true and what the true expectations upon the rulers, representatives and followers of the divine are.
One of the most important differences as thus is the distinctions, comparisons, separations and representations of rulers chosen by god and angels serving as his messengers mean. One of the distinctive beliefs is that the christian idea of angels generally being male is incorrect, that there is a separation between the two kinds of representatives for god. Those who spread gods name to foreign lands serve as the traveling messengers on missions in gods name. As those angels are male, so is the priests who now represent them. Meanwhile, for those who stay in the various communities, maintaining gods connection to his followers, those angels and their representatives must be women.
Within the ruling family there was two things made very clear: The rulers are representatives of god, just like the kings of old, no divine representative is needed to grant this right of rule if once family has been given this role. Thus the royal family of Vithinja as seen as holding the right of rule within their blood. This means the whole family, there is no room to waste the royal blood of children just because they are women. The idea and roles of the royal rulers family is in parted separated by sex but mainly by what must be maintained. The Kings task is to rule all. He must not be specialized, and any faults he has must be accounted for. But only the royals may rule. Thus he must ensure his family can make up for any fault. As such the remaining siblings and children must all be made to serve the role of ensuring all the tasks of the king have a skilled expert ready to serve as the kings hand. While the exact nature of what these expert roles are has varied greatly over time, a few specific roles have been maintained almost since the faiths establishing. The first of these is the kings heir. The heir is the oldest son who has not been defeated at a fair trial of the heirs choosing. As the king rules all, one can not be king if they cannot ensure their own win when choosing their field of battle. Second is the Valkyran and Valkyrian. The Valkyran is the royal most capable of leading offensive warfare. He ensure that the capabilities necessary to defeat an enemy completely is always available to the king. The Valkyrian represent the defensive understanding that any army attempting to march on their capital will find itself against an impenetrable wall while withering away from skirmishers devastating their supply lines. She ensures that the king may feel safe sending most of his armies to invade their foes, as outnumbered 40-1 his Valkyrian will still ensure there will be no victory for any invader.
===Arts===
====Literature====
Vithinja features a lot of literature of various kinds from the time before the Syndicalization. However, with the new form of government most kinds of artistic literature are now discouraged
====Music====
Traditional North-Gothic and North-Celtic music are still an important part of the modern nations culture. Most musical productions in Vithinja today is either sourced from one of these two traditions or a more modern and partially controversial mix of the two.
===Media===
News and stuff
Early Cinema
Current Cinema
===Sports===
====Hockey====
While many other nations take the most interest in football the household sport in Vithinja has been hockey ever since the commercialization of the radio. This applies to both field hockey, which is more common to be played by youths and in private, as well as ice hockey, which is more popular professionally and gets more media attention. Vithinjan hockey referees are often less strict with more violent acts than what is common internationally, leading to Vithinja having by far the most penalty time assigned to them, to the point that they almost double the runner up nation. This has however not prevented Vithinja from becoming one of the most successful nations in international hockey.
===Tourism===
====Veterans====
Vithinjan Tourist centers are often especially targeted at veterans. This is in large part because of support from the church of Rolv, who spends some of their income on efforts to attract and convert veterans.
===Cuisine===
Much of Vithinjan cuisine has been based around a mix of fish, hardy vegetables and grain mixed with rare meat from hunting. Because of the relative lack of farmlands there was never much room to raise cattle, leading to a near complete lack of cattle based food for a large portion of their history. By the time these products became more common they generally imported the way to cook meals together with the meat.
===Holidays===
Despite celebrating holidays like Christmas and Easter unlike most catholic nations vithinjans have incorporated their old pagan traditions into these holidays.
On top of that vithinjans also celebrate some of their own holidays. First of these holidays is Midsummer, which takes place during solstice. Earlier in the year, about a month before Easter, the Farewell takes place. At the start of fall the Union is celebrated.
==Military==
For non-religious holidays vithinjans celebrate their national day on December the 14th. Although some consider this day to be religious, being a celebration of Rolv I ascension into Sainthood. Additionally the Syndicalization is celebrated on May the 3rd.
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Revision as of 11:33, 7 December 2022
This article is a work-in-progress because it is incomplete and pending further input from an author. Note: The contents of this article are not considered canonical and may be inaccurate. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions.
The nation was established by the Treaty of Electorsbourg as an independent nation at the end of the Final War of the Deluge. The territory was part of Varshan prior to the conflict, and its history is inexorably linked to that of Varshan and slavery within Varshan. Prior to its incorporation into Varshan, the land was sparsely populated territory of the people of Telonaticolan, to whom the original tribes of the area were distantly related. However, the local mountain tribes often interacted with runaway slaves, and this area became well known as a slave escape route out of Varshan in the 19th century. A strong local culture between the tribes and slaves was established. Reduction of fugitive slavery became a top Varshani priority and the land was taken along with the other Telonaticolani lands in 1894. The area continued to be a choice area for the Anzo government to enslave and also a location where many slaves unable to work - such as the elderly or crippled - were deposited in the rare cases where they were not exterminated. The area became home to a unique people and culture with global influences due to the reach of Varshani slavery.
Chakailan occupies a mountainous position east of Varshan and west of Telonaticolan, occupying one of the central mountain ridges that divides north central Crona. Accordingly, the country is primarily comprised of mountains and highlands and has a relatively cool climate with strong winds blowing over much of the country. The mountains form a "V" shape at the southeastern and southwestern border of the country, separating it from the eastern highlands of Varshan. In the middle, a relatively flat but elevated region exists where most human settlement occurs.
History
Pre-Varshani history
Little is known about the people and history of the area of modern Chakailan other than it was largely under the influence of the more numerous and prosperous Telonaticolan people, and most maps up until the Varshani integration of the territory include it as part of Telonaticolan. Genetic testing and scholarship have shown that its original tribal inhabitants were distantly related to the "mainline" population of Telonaticolani people and the area was likely settled by proto-Telonaticolanis during antiquity. Much of the history of the region is known by reputation. Both Telonaticolani and Varshani histories make note of the ruggedness of these mountain nomad tribes, with individuals from the area making excellent scouts and guides through the central mountain ranges of Crona. Efforts by the Telonaticolani to pacify and more directly incorporate the region failed in both the 1820s and 1840s, as they were repulsed by means of large and well set ambushes and rudimentary but well located static defenses. The relative separation from Varshan but few passes that existed made it a popular area for slaves to flee from Varshani control, and the accounts of escaped slaves from the period indicate the tribes were receptive to these people and even welcomed some into their tribes. Several Varshani raiding and slave hunting parties entered the region throughout its history, with most being repulsed. As early as 1860, Occidental visitors who traveled to the remote area that would become Chakailan noticed many non-indigienous among them and even one Occidental escaped slave having been incorporated into the local peoples, leading modern scholars to suspect that the unique cultural interchange that formed the modern Chakailani people began well before the Varshani occupation.
Annexation into Varshan
Slaves began exiting Varshan through Chakailan in increased numbers in the late 1800s spurned on by increasing disloyalty to Anzo from Telonaticolan, whose people began to openly welcome escaped slaves and began to settle them throughout the country. In 1891, Varshan invaded Telonaticolan, burned its capital, enslaved most of its army and political leadership, and annexed the teritory of Chakailan and other territories in western Telonaticolan. The tribes of the Chakailan area fought bravely and inflicted significant casualties but were defeated by overwhelming Varshani force. Many of the men and warriors of the tribes were sent into slavery, leaving behind the women and children. Many of the Telonaticolani slaves who were too weak or sick to continue on were left behind by Varshani forces in the care of the Chakailan-area tribes.
Varshani occupation
With the beginning of the Varshani occupation, most of the population of the region were removed from their nomadic way of life and centered in towns and villages which amounted to concentration camps; many contemporary Occidental scholars referred to this practice, which was used across Varshan and not just in Chakailan, as "slave manufacturies." During the occupation, the skill of the local tribes as guides and scouts continued to be valued, and many locals were enslaved for their work in the mountainous regions of Varshan where they would work capably for the Varshani overseers. Around 1910, it became stylish among high Varshani society to relocate their old or disabled slaves to remote parts of the state as a work of mercy and to instill the values of obedience to the young among the "lesser peoples" ruled from Anzo. While a majority of slaves who could no longer work were simply killed or sacrificed according to the tenets of Arzalism, a significant number began to be relocated to what would become Chakailan in hopes that the old men might reproduce and create more strong and capable slaves while the disabled might prove to be an example to future slaves. Between 1910 and 1960, when social views shifted back towards predominant sacrifice, more than 75,000 slaves were deposited in what is now Chakailan, creating a massive cultural shift and integration of the mores, traditions, and cultures of those slaves into the native tribal populations. The type of work that the slaves were trained for also generally enhanced the "mountain man" culture and ethic that emerged within the country. In 1980, economic reforms in Varshan ended the grain delivery to the region, leading to the abandonment of the concentration camps and a resumption of nomadic grazing activity for most people, though the Varshani government also sponsored the creation of slave-worked plantations with new hybrid plants created by Occidental experts imported by the Anzo regime. The varieties of mountain agriculture now grown by a majority of the population for subsistence farming began with these imported scientific developments.
With the invasion of Kiravian forces in the Final War of the Deluge, the area was quickly abandoned by the Varshani military as it was beyond the natural defendable borders of the country. Most Varshani overseers simply abandoned their plantations and other enterprises in the country with retreating Varshani forces, and economic devastation swept the countryside as most of the technical experts and managers left overnight. Occupied by Kiravian forces during the war, significant investment was done by the Kiravian government in education and restoration of the productive enterprises of the region. Most Chakailani instead took to the traditional nomadic lifestyle or subsistence farming on the lands of former plantations, which were divided up into lands with title by the occupying Kiravian forces in June 2023. Many refugees, most of them liberated slaves, came to settle in the area as the war progressed, with as many as 10,000 settling in the region. Local leaders began to organize a provisional government under Kiravian occupation in late 2023 and the area was determined by League of Nations Command to be capable of self-governance in March 2024, with its recommendations included in the Electorsbourg peace negotiations that commenced with the end of the war.
Independence
Chakailan was established as an independent state by the Treaty of Electorsbourg with an explicit recognition of the unique culture that emerged in the territory with further expectation of additional slave resettlement in the future. Following its independence, it became geopolitically aligned with both Kiravia and Urcea with significant investments from both countries and the presence of the Urcean DNID and ACED to help social, political, and economic development.
Government
Executive
Legislature
Local governance
Culture
Chakailani culture is an eclectic blend of many different cultural traditions, with local tribal customs forming a cultural baseline on which the traditions of many different groups of former enslaved people from across the world have introduced new traditions and mores.
Cuisine
Much of the cuisine of Chakailan speaks to its history both as an area of slaves as well as that of a rugged mountain people, and due to the types of people left in Chakailan over the ages, it reflects the country's rich and diverse cultural heritage. Two categorizations of food exist in Chakailani cuisine, the first of which is known as "work food" and the second of which is known as "new food". "Work food", as the name suggests, originated from the food given to laborers and slaves, and is nutrient dense; many of these types of foods, originally bland, have received additional ingredients and spices to make them more appetizing. Hardtack is commonly eaten in Chakailan, and in recent decades this has been iterated into cake-like products eaten for supper with fruit-based sweeteners and softer ingredients included. Salt pork stews are also common and have received iterative improvements to flavor in recent decades and especially since independence. "New food", on the other hand, are types of food based on the cuisine and meals familiar to people enslaved and subsequently brought to the region. These meals resemble those of the cuisines of elsewhere and Crona and even abroad, but are made using local ingredients. Deer meat pies, prepared in such a way that clearly originally followed Levantine beef pies, are commonly eaten in Chakailan. "New food", despite the name, can date back hundreds of years.
Symbols
The torch and torches are used in Chakailan as a symbol of liberation, as paths lit by torchlight are associated with the road to freedom from slavery. Accordingly, torch imagery has become closely associated with Chakailani culture and is pictured on the flag and coat of arms of the newly established state and is also alluded to in the state's motto, "Light the torch to freedom."
Demographics
Linguistic Demographics
The majority of residents of Chakailan speak a lower caste variant of Hieratic Varshani, though a handful of native languages which are related to it are spoken by isolated mountain tribes.
The Chakailani people have a wide variety of religious beliefs as a result of their historical ties to servitude in Varshan. A plurality of the people are adherents of a folk variety of Solar Arzalism, though scholars believe a separate heliolatristic folk religious tradition may be included within these statistics. The second largest group of people are what can best be described as "folk atheists" - a position with no definitive philosophical or scientific arguments against the existence of a God, but rather a lived experience leading to religious nihilism. Among the relatively small but growing educated classes of Chakailan, an effort to import M'acunism into the country is underway, though some former slaves and mountain tribes are also original adherents of the faith. Catholic missionaries made minor inroads with both the native population and returning slaves during and after the Final War of the Deluge, contributing to a small but notable Christian population in the country. The remaining part of the population - about 15% - adhere to a wide variety of folk mythologies, slave religions, obscure tribal faiths not yet categorized by Occidental sociologists, and other various local traditions.
Economy
Chakailan has a very small economy, and its people are considered among the poorest in the world. The primary sectors are subsistence agriculture and nomadic pastoral herding. The economy of Chakailan is such that its government is not sufficiently strong enough or have enough credit to issue a currency. In the more remote parts of the country, barter is the primary form of exchange, but the government uses Cronan lira as its de facto currency for internal and external transactions. Chakailan is very under-urbanized, with a large, central city only presently under construction as a project of the new state - T'laa'nah, which means "liberty", - which also serves as the nation's capital. Few transportation networks or systems allow travel throughout the country, with a highway and rail network system emanating out of the city of T'laa'nah, which is under construction.
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