Sydona: Difference between revisions

[Diverse history and heritage. Pelian and Slakko-analogue main native ethnic groups]<br>

Communal identity is a major element of the Sydonan political landscape, but not the main predictive variable of voter behaviour. With the exception of the Democratic Union Party, which appeals exclusively to Thrakoslavs, the major Sydonan parties all portray themselves as multi-ethnic and draw varying levels of support from the principal demographic sectors. The UFP dominates the Overseas Coscivian vote and generally performs well among Austral Coscivians and the Pelian upper and middle classes, but has weaker support from Thrakoslavs. The Social Compact Party most often earns a plurality of the Pelian vote and is the favoured party among rural Christians of all ethnicities and much of the lower-middle class.

Sydona has a rich and diverse culture, blending the dominant mores of [[Coscivian civilisation]] with Pelian, Slavic, Istroyan, and Audonian influences. Although a thoroughly multiëthnic and multilingual country, Sydona's overarching socio-political institutions and cross-community mainstream culture have been primarily shaped by [[Coscivian civilisation|Coscivian culture]] for the past several centuries, and as such, under the successive [[Elamite Order|Elamite]], Kiravian colonial, and [[Kiravian Union|Kirosocialist]] regimes, much of the non-Coscivian population of Sydona has become substantially Coscivised in many respects, especially in urban areas. However, since the end of Kirosocialism, a more pluralistic political and media environment has made space for stronger assertions of non-Coscivian, even non-Kiravian identities among these peoples.

Austral Coscivian, an offshoot of [[Maritime Coscivian]] superimposed over a Pelian substrate, is the most widely spoken language in Sydona, by 35% of the population as their native tongue and an additional ~25-35% as a second language. The other two major languages of Sydona are Thrakoslavic (a Slavonic language) and [[Khunyer language]] (an Orenstian language). All three languages have official status

Catholicism is the primary religion in Sydona, followed by Islam in various forms, and is an important shared characteristic across the three main ethno-linguistic blocs. The Catholic Church was present in the islands from very early on, with the native Pelians being early converts to the faith. Islam became the institutionally dominant faith under the Caliphate, and remained so until conquest by the [[Elamite Order]], which strengthened the influence of the Church and marginalised Islam. Under Kiravian rule, the state adopted confessional neutrality, and minority religious communities enjoyed greater freedom. In its early phase, the Kirosocialist government heavily repressed the Church hierarchy and Muslim clerical bodies, though it would later shift toward a relatively more relaxed approach involving infiltration and coöption of religious leadership. Catholic religious expression in Sydona often takes the form of elaborate devotional practices and the local veneration of patron saints. Monasticism and the role of the Elamite Order in religious life were prominent before Kirosocialism and are slowly being reëstablished in the decades since.