[hider=The Kingdom of Holtland][B]Name:[/B] The Kingdom of Holtland [B]Demonym:[/B] Holtish, Holtlanders [B]Description[/B]: A war-torn nation sitting on stockpiles of several vital strategic resources; even nations that have a quantity of these resources probably want to deny other nations access to the Holtish stockpile, which is, in a word, gigantic. Holtland a bit of a post-colonial backwater, but it does have a huge mining sector that makes it a piece of meat to be fought over. The government, despite stricter and harsher measures against the insurgency, is embattled to say the least. [hider=History] [B]History:[/B][INDENT]Holtish history is convoluted; the original land was inhabited by aboriginals who were content to hunt the land and live in a very primitive state. three centuries ago, what would eventually become Holtland was settled by Vatalonian (ethnic group) religious dissidents (extremists?), who subdued the land and subjugated her natives, colloquially known as the Taka, though that was more an ethno-linguistic group than a national identity; the Vatalans found the region to be fertile, though harsh and rugged; large tracts of extremely hot, rather arid savanna/grassland and thick, humid jungles, rapid-running rivers and harsh mountains, as well as relatively cool, very fertile river valleys and hill lands. At the time, the country was named New Vatalonia. The colony thrived but was not interesting to anyone until a century and a half ago, when General Sir Sigmund Holt of Bachenburg, a conquered holding of the Sturvian Empire, invaded the land as part of a larger war playing out between imperial powers. When the dust settled, the country was renamed the Colony of Holtland, though much of it was in fact awarded to the Holt family as a fiefdom to control, and the Holt family very carefully used the ownership of vast parts of the colony to encourage emigration and entrepreneurship; many, mostly Bachenburgers, who felt stifled by the Sturvian way of doing things found land to own, fresh air and a different sort of life, not to mention a challenge, in Holtland. The Sturvian government found Holtland a convenient dumping ground for dissident groups, convicts and other troublesome elements. The conquered Vatalans colonists were not entirely happy with the dominance of Bachenburgers and other Sturvians in government or the government. The Sturvians decided to allow the country to go its own way as an independent country with their Unilateral Declaration of Independence, forty years ago, when the colony was strictly agricultural, before the natural resources were discovered (this, much to the chagrin of certain members of the Sturvian Foreign Ministry and certain ex-Governors General of Holtland.) The new nation declared themselves the Kingdom of Holtland, with their monarch, Martin I, or Martin Holt, as their first ruler, the grandfather of the Queen Caroline. For the last ten years, Holtland has been at war with itself in various incarnations, first against the aboriginals who thought they saw a chance to fight back, armed by surplus weapons shipped in from . Over the course of the last decade, during the rule of King Martin II, the father of the current Queen, repressive and violent tactics were used on San Cortez, a settlement with sympathies to Vatalan separatists; the excesses on the part of the troops created a broader support against the Crown and several prominent officers became Vatalan nationalists and guerrillas, with considerable foreign support. The Holtish military purged its officer corps and ranks of Vatalans, making it a Bachenburger/Sturvian-only affair, though this gave the guerrillas access to a number of trained men with experience and officers to lead them. The current guerrilla movement is well-organized and stubborn as a result. Recently, King Martin II and Field Marshal Jonah Conrad were both assassinated, leaving the Kingdom itself in a flux, a girl on the throne, and the insurgency even more reputable and empowered. [/INDENT][/hider] [B]Government:[/B] Constitutional Monarchy with Parliament [B]Head of State:[/B] Queen Caroline I (Holt), though she has limited powers (see Regime Personalities) [B]National Anthem:[/B] [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5r40FNY3Qo]"Sweet Caroline"[/URL] by Neil Diamond - [I]Holtlanders tend to do the "BA BA BA!" bit too at their rugby matches, soused on beer and brandy in cola.[/I] [B]Economy:[/B] Mostly Capitalist, some state-owned industry. Vital sectors primarily are petroleum wells, cadmium, zinc, mercury, uranium, platinum, nickel, gold and diamond mining; Holtland has a considerable mineral wealth that has yet to be entirely exploited and in certain minerals, their stockpile is one of the largest known in the world; particularly as applies to uranium. This is one of the reasons why several powers have taken interest in picking and backing various sides of the so-called Holtland Bush War. They do not have the technology for nuclear power, but this stockpile is the reason why foreign nations are so heavily interested in the outcome of the Bush War. Holtland's economy, at the moment, is in a bit of a plateau with slow growth, which is not helped by the unstable domestic political situation. [B]Population:[/B] ~36 million [B]Geography:[/B] One of the harshest climates known to man; scrub brush, mountains and jungle; some livable highland with a temperate climate, but mostly a harsh, hot sort of place. Dry or wet, it's hot. It's daaaaaamn hot. Nice if yo' with a woman but it sucks if yo' humpin' gear in the muhfuckin' jungle. They have a little coastline, but it's not enough to be worth developing a navy for. By contrast, they have lots of rivers, which is why their navy is primarily for brown-water operations. Even before the country went to shit with a civil war, most of the tourism in the country were professional hunters and extreme hobbyists that wanted to prove something. Those guys still come around, looking for the sort of trouble that only the vast and perilous wilds of Holtland can offer. [B]National Religion:[/B] [b]Demographics:[/b][indent]Aboriginal – 49% White (Bachenburger and other Sturvians) - 21.5% White (Vatalonian) – 15.5% Mixed – 11.5% Other – 2.5% Monotheistic – 73.52% Non-religious – 8.08% Other – 0.63% Reincarnation – 0.03% Naturalist – 1.45% Undetermined – 1.36% Pagan – 1.25% Aboriginal – 15% Ancestor worship -0.17%[/indent] [hider=Regime Personalities] [B]Regime Personalities:[/B][indent] Her Majesty, Caroline I (Holt), Queen of the Kingdom of Holtland[INDENT]The 20 year old Queen of the Holtish kingdom has inherited one of the most monstrous internal security situations in the world at the moment, following the assassination of her father, the previous king, and her uncle, the previous minister of defense. Her attempts at reconciliation have failed in the face of a very strong Vatalonian nationalist movement that now has strong outside support. She is sincere in her wish to try a political settlement, but neither the generals or the Parliament do more than politely listen and then vote as they will. Nonetheless, she is a symbol for loyalists and guerrillas alike; the latter of whom have many a member who would like to assassinate her. She is not particularly influential beyond a symbolic level, and is often dismissed as a figurehead. Her primary value, in the eyes of her own government, is diplomatic and ceremonial. She was pulled from her studies at the University of Klassen Rock when her father was assassinated and she took the throne unexpectedly. While she is respected for her poise in emergency and her choice of Stidolph Ross as an emergency appointment to the Minister of Defense post, she is generally overruled by the Prime Minister in most things. [/INDENT]Field Marshal Sir Stidolph Ross, Knight of the Holtish Kingdom (KHK)[INDENT]A hardened veteran of the last war fighting as allies of the Resians, Marshal Ross was brought back from retirement by an emergency edict from a very young queen, and is easily one of the most overworked men in Holtland. He is blunt, to the point and not interested in political games as much as the survival of his nation. He has little patience for diplomatic maneuvering, but tolerates it as a necessary evil in order to acquire foreign military aid in its various forms. He is a scholar and prolific author; his personal memoir and prize-winning international bestseller, "Scorching Breeze" was controversial enough to lead to his early retirement. He and General Gordy do not generally get along. The Marshal's return to active duty is widely credited for stabilizing the situation following the assassination of the King and he has the confidence of the military and he is a popular man with the troops, partially as a result of his infamous retreat from the Rotwald pocket, where he led the 2nd Holtland Rifle Division in a retreat and holding action at the Lyville Crossroads, repelling enemy armor for days and holding the vital crossroads for an eventual Resian counterattack.[/INDENT]Sir Bradford Gregory, KHK, Foreign Minister[INDENT]Bradford Gregory is the international face of the Kingdom; as a result of the extreme nature of Holtland's problems, he is constantly traveling and soliciting aid. He heads one of the hardest-working foreign ministries in the world; he is an able diplomat, but often finds himself on the defensive when trying to explain his country's position to the foreign press, who often sympathize with the insurgency. He is far better, however, when it comes to haggling with foreign rulers and forging trade deals of various sorts. In private life he was a businessman, in his public service, he is better behind the scenes than in front of the cameras. He's known to have a bit of an alcohol problem, but it doesn't seem to hamper his job much; like many diplomats, he has a wooden leg.[/INDENT]General Paul Gordy[INDENT]General Gordy is the director the Kingdom Security Agency, and as a result, wields considerable power; in his rise to power, he has seen an increasing degree of latitude to do his job and much broader and more sweeping powers to deal harshly with civilian suspects and confirmed "Terrs" alike in order to preserve the security of the Kingdom. Gordy's methods, including a highly militarized armed police force, secret police and extensive surveillance are generally considered highly controversial, and a rancorous political debate about the efficacy of these methods versus the consequences of these methods continues to permeate the Kingdom's public political discourse. Marshal Ross and General Gordy are at odds, generally because the KSA continues to encroach upon the military mission, demanding greater resources, and more access to the military's operations, in order to oversee it. As a result, there is a considerable rivalry between the military's methods and the KSA's methods, the latter of which tend to involve extraordinary interrogation methods and people disappearing in the night. General Gordy accepts that Marshal Ross is back in uniform, but was not happy to see him there. General Gordy is one of the least popular members of the government, but the politicians keep him in power because he knows where the bodies are buried.[/INDENT]Sir Rickard Dale, KHK, Prime Minister[INDENT]Holtland is a constitutional monarchy, and Rickard Dale's party are the ones in power, largely on a law and order, kill the motherfuckers if they resist, torture is good enough for our troops, so it's good enough for suspected terrs platform. In a time of heightened fear and insecurity, the National Party is in charge, and they are suspicious of negotiations, of civil outreach and other platforms; they feel an attritional bodycount strategy is necessary for victory; prominent among their number is Rickard Dale, the Prime Minister and a former colonel in the Royal Holtland Air Force that served as a bomber squadron pilot and squadron leader during the . The National Party is in a coalition with the Holtish Heritage Party, an even more militant party that justifies their positions via theories of racial supremacy and eugenics, though these people are an annoyance rather than a group that has to be placated, though their stock seems to be rising a bit as people get fed up with what they consider 'insufficient measures' by a 'weak' and 'undermined' government.[/INDENT]The Honorable Justin Yves, Royal Cross (RC), Opposition Leader[INDENT]The Liberal Party of Holtland is in the minority, and yet as war weariness creeps in, they were gaining momentum, at least until the assassination of Martin II. For now, the Opposition only has the consolation of the little support the Queen can give them and has to wait for the National Party grip on power to ease. Unfortunately, with the National Party and the Holtish Heritage Party in power, and the former allies of the Labour Party and pro-Native rights Liberals mostly gone over to the other side, the Liberal Party is probably out of power for some time, though there is hope of perhaps wooing disaffected National Party members over to their side or convincing them to start another moderate party to form a coalition with. Yves has a considerable military record, and is a holder of the Royal Cross, the highest honor the Kingdom can bestow for actions taken in the While his party is threatened in elections, Yves himself has strong favorability ratings in public opinion despite the unpopularity of his negotiation table view of the war. He is shown the public courtesy of his opponents, a rare thing in the Holtish Parliament, where tempers flare and people swear. Of course, only a fool speaks ill of or calls names at a man with the highest honor a nation can bestow as well as the love of the public, but there are plenty of factions that would love dirt on Yves, as discrediting Yves would be a huge blow to an already weakened Liberal Party. [/INDENT][/indent][/hider][hider=Guerrilla Personalities] [B]Guerrilla Personalities:[/B][indent] General Rodrigo Schwart[INDENT]A former officer in the Royal Holtish Army, General Schwart defected after the Lyville Massacre and became the leading man of the insurgency against the Royal regime. As it turns out, he is a superb guerrilla; what the Holtish guerrillas lack in certain types of equipment, they make up for in good tactics, making them exceedingly difficult to dig out, particularly as they have strong popular support in Aboriginal and Vatalonian settlements, who have felt the lash of General Gordy's KSA and the bad policy toward civilians on the part of the previous King in the past. He is not a revolutionary, the way some of his people are, but a patriot. All the same, General Schwart is a shrewd diplomat and leader, and is able to weld together disparate elements of the anti-crown movement into a cohesive whole, though there is always the potential for betrayal, particularly as different factions have their international patrons. He is particularly creative when it comes to the use of unorthodox supply tactics and is the most wanted man in Holtland.[/INDENT]Dr. Jorge Baunder[INDENT]The Insurgency's civilian government is held up by Dr. Jorge Baunder, who conducts diplomacy and other affairs in exile from Holtland. Unlike his counterpart, Bradford Gregory, the doctor (of philosophy) has a knack for the camera with his fatherly, patient appearance and his collegial manner. Nonetheless, Brandley is a committed socialist; behind the scenes, he is an able negotiator. While he is the head of the Holtland government in exile, he is nonetheless not in control of the insurgency the the degree that General Schwart is, and there exists an uncomfortable dynamic between the two that may someday become a power struggle. For now, their enemies and obstacles are similar and they work together. Baunder is a dedicated communist and an agent of .[/INDENT]Montasu Nyeki[INDENT]The aboriginal spokesman for the insurgency, Mr. Nyeki's people are divided in their loyalties between the Vatalonians and the Holtish, largely because both sides promise reforms in the treatment of what constitutes the majority of the country. Nonetheless, Mr. Nyeki threw in his lot before Martin II was assassinated and may be amenable to negotiations with the government of Queen Caroline, though he would likely assassinated if discovered. There are elements of the insurgency that feel that it may be high time to eliminate Mr. Nyeki, and consequences be damned. [/INDENT][/indent][/hider][hider=Important Locations] [B]Important Locations[/B][indent] Klassen Rock [i](Vatalan: Mesaflores)[/i][INDENT]Situated in the valley of the River Luangu, sheltered by mountains from the hot wind blowing in, and with a harbor, Klassen Rock is the first settlement in Holtland, though it is not its capital. It is easily the largest of the cities, and famous for its beaches, moreso than its ports. Klassen Rock is considered the most sophisticated city in the Kingdom, though it is only lukewarm in its support of the Queen; there are comparatively few Holtish who live here, but the city is nonetheless, by mutual consent, off limits to the KSA and the guerrillas, who both make sure to keep the image of Klassen Rock very tourist-friendly. The nation's yearly rugby championships are played here in one of the world's largest stadiums, largely because Klassen Rock has temperate weather most of the year, thanks to its geography. It is also notable for its huge flower gardens and diversity of greenery, as it sits in the mouth of a river valley.[/INDENT]Frostburg[INDENT]Ironically, Frostburg is one of the hottest parts of the nation, but it is also the capital, designed to be as far away from the residence of the various Sturvian nobles put in charge of the Colony as possible when it was designed, so as to make travel for the Governor-General of the colony, from Klassen Rock to Frostburg, particularly arduous and irritating...it worked, and most of the business of the colony was handled by natives, which only increased their sense of independence. Today, it is the site of the Holt House, the Queen's residence in the city, as well as the parliament, which has a neoclassical facade akin to a Parthenon or similar where the legislators gather; the Prime Minister's offices are near the Holt House; while the residences may be close, the Prime Minister and Monarchy have not always been such, and now is one of those times. The Queen does not spend much time in the Holt House since her father's assassination, preferring her country seat of Castle Alex.[/INDENT]Marion Gardens National Prison[INDENT]Not so much a garden as much as a fortress in the middle of nowhere, Marion Gardens is known as the place where people disappear to and never return from. The Holtish justice system has become rather tough on all criminals, but Marion is an old fashioned military fortress converted over into a modern prison; staffed by a standing army of KSA troops, it is one of the toughest nuts to crack in the world; the guerrillas would love to strike a blow against it, but so far have not been able to do so. It is a politically potent symbol of the regime's repression and houses many of the captured guerrilla leaders who have not been executed as yet. The rumors of torture are just that; rumors. No press have been allowed in, and no one there is getting released any time soon.[/INDENT][/indent] [/hider][hider=Institutions][B]Institutions[/B][indent] Parliament[INDENT]National Party majority government with Holtish Heritage Party support. Liberal Party is minority and the Labour Party is almost completely on the other side, so few MP's remain from that party. More to come.[/INDENT]The Military [INDENT]The Holtish military is a conscripted formation – all Holtish citizens of heritage are expected to serve two years and be kept on reserve status. Units are regionally based and largely infantry, so it is hard to shift units around on a regional basis, due to limited mechanized assets. The Holtish military does not have much in the way of armor, and therefore make do with a variety of improvised armored vehicles. They use old piston-engined propeller aircraft as a form of close air support and interdiction/strike aircraft. Holtland's brown water navy, composed mostly of patrol boats and the like, are similarly designed for uniformity and ease of modification, as well as redundancy and survivability in the field. While ably led, the Holtish army is divided in partisan party loyalties, as well as there being a significant number of professional officers and NCO's with strong loyalties to the Holtish Heritage Party, who are in coalition with the larger National Party. The Holtish Heritage Party is extremist and racial-nationalist in its composition. The Holtish Military is augmented by the KSA's "Snare" units, militarized police with their own equipment who often function as a gendarme; they are more mobile than the military and as a result see a lot of action – which is a problem in the scheme of things as the KSA and the Military are at odds with one another. Notable military units include the Princess Catherine Light Infantry Regiment (PCLIR), currently being converted over to a parachute infantry unit. [/INDENT]The Guerrillas[INDENT]A unified group these days, though that wasn't always the case, they are ably led and more dangerous than ever; the long-simmering feuds of Holtland have finally boiled over into a credible and dangerous insurgency, though no one particular ideology animates the opposition. Rather, different ideological groups work together, for the moment, against a common enemy.[/INDENT]Vincell Mining[INDENT]The largest natural resources company in Holtland, Vincell is publicly traded, but a significant share is owned by the Holt Family, who bankrolled Vincell in the early days of colonization and became particularly rich as Vincell discovered new veins of ore. Vincell is not a presence outside of Holtland, but holds a monopoly on uranium mining operations within the borders of the Kingdom.[/indent][/indent] [/hider][hider=Military Numbers] Military Numbers Active Duty Component Total: 80,000 under arms with a much larger militia component. Army: 25,000 (Active; more militia) Navy: 10,000 Air Force: 20,000 Security Agency: 25,000 [/hider][/hider][hider=Rolls]Population Density (Population: 36,000,000) -Regionally Dense; A good amount of manpower for the military and economic purposes, with social infrastructure strained more at a regional basis. Education costs and civic projects range from affordable to expensive. The nation requires a stronger economy to sustain itself. Industrialization -Developing: In the initial stages of setting up factories to produce domestic goods; cheap labor. Domestic Technology -Modernizing: The industrial infrastructure is in the process of improvement, and this is a teething process. But the economy is seeing increased activity because of this investment. New technologies are becoming domestically available. However, there is a degree of dependence on imports, including in terms of the expertise to modernize the economy. Economy: -Slow Growth: The economy is performing adequately, though there is room for improvement. There are certain limitations on the economy that are bottlenecking real growth, such as a restriction in investment capital or insufficient demand, however. There is some unemployment and economic unhappiness among people in the lower income brackets, and there is a degree of criticism in what can go wrong, even if it hasn't gone wrong yet. Educational Institutions -Comprehensive Public Primary and Secondary Schools, Mixed Private/Public Universities Domestic Political Stability -Widespread Insurgencies Common Mineral Deposits -Minimal deposits of iron, chromium, copper and the like. Valuable Mineral Deposits -Extensive deposits of rare earth metals, and platinum. Petroleum Wells -Some Petroleum, but technically difficult/expensive to exploit with current tech. Fissible Material Deposits -Significant fissible material reserves Military Recruitment -Conscription Based, but decentralized, more of a Militia Military Reliability -Racially Homogenous Military Size -Mid-sized, relative to population, some upkeep is involved. Military Technology -Obsolete Military Training and Morale -Poorly Trained; High Morale Military Leadership Corrupt but Competent; Private Organization at odds with Current Leadership Military Popularity -Popular Secret Services -Competent Secret Service; Invested heavily in local politics, such as replacing your current leader with someone they favor[/hider]