[h1]Kingdom of Zenovia[/h1] [hider=Government and Economy] Type of Government: Zenovia is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Established a mere fifteen years ago, under the new type of government the monarch is only a symbolic head of state. The Diet of Zenovia is the ruling body, and its members are chosen from among the provinces. The number of members of parliament sent is dependent on the population. Each member of parliament is from a district, and each district has its own election to select their member of parliament. The head of government is chosen by a majority vote among the members of parliament, and he is popular known as prime minister. He forms a government by recommending a number of fellow parliamentary members to the sovereign, and the sovereign will then officially appoint them. There is an upper house, the House of Lords, made up of landed nobles, who are appointed by the sovereign under the recommendation of the Head of the House of Lords, and are not elected. They can serve as prime minister or cabinet ministers, and although there have been those who have done the latter, none have done the former yet. They do not vote on policy, but can technically veto it, although doing such an act with major legislation would create a constitutional crisis. -Head of State: His Majesty Mircea II (born 1898) since 1934 -Head of Government: The Honorable Nikolas Cinsti (born 1885) since 1935 -Head of the House of Lords: Inclestare Lewin (born 1892) since 1936 -Minister of Foreign Affairs -Minister of War -Minister of Finance -Minister of Law -Minister of the Interior: Division of Parliament: His Majesties Government Zenovii Patriotic Party: 262 The Loyal Opposition Centrist Democratic Party: 181 Radical Party: 60 Economy of Zenovia: The gold standard still remains in Zenovia. Economic policy leans towards demand-side economics. Zenovia institutes a relatively free-market economy, although there are tariffs and moderate protectionism to protect homegrown industry. Imports to the urban areas is essential for the still-incomplete industrialization process. The economy is dependent on imports, and the collapse of foreign economies would be disastrous for the economy of Zenovia. [/hider] [hider=History and Demographics] Race and Species: Most of the population are Zenovii, who are light-skinned, dark-haired humans who have settled this land since circa 700. However, there are number of the peoples from the south who have moved north into Zenovia. However, the largest and most prolific minority are the trolls from Setra, who immigrated to Zenovia for better working conditions, treatment, and to escape the social conditions of Setra. Although they faced many similar conditions, the higher pay and travel fatigue made most unwilling to move back or further. With nearly 80 years of immigration, discrimination has lessened to the level of life being noticeably better than in Setra, but there are still glaring issues with lower wages, speciesism, and discrimination. All signs point to Zenovii-Troll romance becoming a major social issue 93% Zenovii 5% Troll 2% Southern Peoples Population: pending Culture: Ioan Sforarza, the premier Zenovii romanticist, said "Zenovii have two qualities: peace and vibrancy." What is meant is not the normal definition of peace, but that Zenovii love the peace that stability brings. They are generally conservative, but they are not puritanical, and their conservatism did not stop them from revolution in the 1920s. Society is still very patriarchal, and women's suffrage has not been achieved. Zenovii fashion has always been marked by vibrant colors, and even modern fashion is so. Zenovii politicians, even though they wear normal polite official fashion, will have suits which seem upbeat. There is a strong folklore tradition, and oral traditions were strong in Zenovia. Bards still exist in the Zenovian countryside. There is a strong music tradition in Zenovia of upbeat music and emotional music, and the latter is especially treasured. With the coming of the Trolls, a major cultural influence from Setra came. Modern, foreign musical styles have yet to dent Zenovia. There is a strong literary tradition in Zenovii, which started when the national epic of The Song of Zeno was written. The literary eras are generally broken into the eras of Epic (700 - 1000), Medieval (1000 - 1500), Renaissance (1500 - 1600) Early Modern (1600 - 1720) Gothic (1720 - 1800) Romantic (1890 - 1900), Realist (1900 - 1930) Modern (1930 - present). Modern has turned its back on the radical realist literature of the recent past and returned to the fantastical. Religious Beliefs: The Zenovii believe in Aeonism. According to the Enneads of Aeons, Ilezabeta was a prophetess who was dictated the history of God, his general nature, and the true moral lessons. God's name to mankind was Aeon. Aeon was a personal God who could be contacted by anyone, but a priesthood was still necessary for ceremony and communion. Aeon was omniscient but not omnipotent. His opposite, Monad was the one who had brought evil into the world. Mankind's ultimate goal is to do all they can to limit evil in the world, and paradise on earth will be established when Aeon finally triumphs over Monad. It was the state religion of the people who the Zenovii conquered when they arrived at their territory , and was adopted by them. The trolls follow their folk religion from Setra. History: [b]Medieval Period[/b] In 694, facing plague, a poor harvest, and an incoming Elven invasion, the tribal Zenovii people moved south. Despite tribal legends claiming they either displaced or exterminated the natives, geneticists and archeologists have proven they merely slowly merged to create a single culture. As far as the 12th century, two different cultures could be found in Zenovia. 699, when what is now Northern Zenovia was conquered. In 725, the religion of the natives, Aeonism, was adopted by the Zenovii. In 1078, Zenovia adopted a more stable for of government, feudalism. From 1224 to 1237 the Zenovii moved south, conquering what is now Southern Zenovia. Carol I, King of Zenovia from 1240 to 1276, known as Carol the Conqueror, brought Zenovia to its largest extent it had ever seen. When he died in 1276 his son, Sfaditor, kept a tight fist of the empire until his death in 1287. However, the empire was simply too big to sustain, and Sfaditor's son split the empire in three, with the foreign kings, the Zenovii who ruled abroad, having their dynasties fall in 1374 and 1409, respectively. The remaining kingdom was reduced to the current borders of Zenovia by 1467. However, it remained a sizable empire. [b]Early Modern Era[/b] In 1425, a new royal dynasty began in Zenovia, which rules to this day. This new dynasty saw the rise of a sophisticated culture. From about 1500 to 1600, an era of unprecedented cultural sophistication, known as the Zenovian Renaissance. However, during the era Zenovia gained its reputation as an undeveloped peasant nation. Although a vibrant cultural tradition continues, a reputation of a peasant nation an era behind except in the arts was established. In 1767, with changing economic and social attitudes, as well as the influence of enlightenment philosophy, serfdom was abolished. In 1773, the monarch, wanting to organize his advisors in a more orderly fashion, organized a group of ministers to advise him, which in turn lead to the creation of bureaucracy. [b]Modern Era[/b] In 1836, the first factory was built. Industrialization, however, was slow until the 1870s. Trolls, wishing to escape the virtual wage slavery in Setra, immigrated to Zenovia. Eager for willing manpower, Zenovii industrialists were willing to pay higher prices for labor than was available in Setra. Under Radu IV, Zenovia instituted a series of trade and military reforms which helped bring Zenovia into the modern world. In 1883, the Diet of Zenovia met for the first time. However, the sovereignty still held great powers, and parliament merely aid in governance and gathered taxes. The 19th century brought in nationalism and liberalism as well. For the most part, liberalism was not answered, and royal decrees in 1855 and 1886 declared the continuation of the traditional powers of the monarch. However, nationalism became a strong force, influencing society from politics to literature. The 1890s are considered when Zenovian nationalism met its height, coinciding not coincidentally with the height of speciesism against trolls. Nationalism unfortunately turned deadly in 1914, when the heir apparent of the throne of Zenovia, was assassinated while on a diplomatic visit to one of the southern kingdoms. This sparked a war of Zenovia against its southern neighbors , and the war ended inconclusively in 1918. Clamor for change in the political system shot up as liberalism replaced nationalism. Facing the possibility of a stronger reaction and the rebellion of parliament, a liberal constitution was created in 1925 and the king abdicated in favor of his son. The leader of the liberals, Frideric Checescu, was made prime minister. Checescu, however, was surprising traditional after taking power, much to the ire of his former peers. Despite forming a powerful political machine, Checescu was voted out of power in 1935 due to the opposition focusing on protection against Moravia and promises of an ambitious overhaul of the sluggish economy. A current major issue is the treatment of trolls and inter-species romance and union, with a burgeoning Troll Civil Rights organization gaining traction among the Troll populace. [/hider] [hider=Geography, Agriculture, and Industry] Territory: [img]http://i.imgur.com/SUbsLAe.png[/img] Climate: The climate is fairly moderate. Zenovia is ideal for farmland, and is filled with green pastures, hills, and prairies. The Vladistok River is the largest river in Zenovia, running almost entirely through it, and there are other rivers and lakes, such as Lake Visare. It rains often enough to make farmland across the country. Agriculture: About 2/3rds of the population lives in rural areas. Although modern agricultural techniques cause the shrinking of farms, and many start to move to the city, farming is still done by a majority of the population. Sustenance farming still is the most common technique, so it isn't exactly a large export. Industry: Zenovia has several large exports. There has always been a market for Zenovian tobacco and cotton, and although they no longer warrant the prestige they once did, they continue to have a market. Steel is both exported and used in the industries, although Zenovia does not have capacity to be a top exporter in steel in the quantitative sense. Other metals, such as iron and copper, as well as coal, can also be found. Silver and gold can be found in Zenovia and are essential to the economy, but if overseas economies collapse, Zenovia's economy will go with it. Main Exports: Tobacco, Grain, Cotton, Steel, Iron, Copper, Coal, precious metals, Alcohol Main Imports: Luxury Goods, Gas, Military parts, Industrial Parts, Foodstuff [/hider] [hider=His Majesty's United Armed Forces] Commander in Chief: His Majesty Mircea (born 1898) since 1934 Minister of War: [b]His Majesty's Army[/b]: By far the largest of the three branches. It was established in its current state during the reform of Vladim VII in 1604. It's artillery, even if it is now a little old, remains top-notch. Standard Issue Rifle: [hider=A-4 Masin Rifle] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Mosin_nagant_m9130_from_cia.jpeg/320px-Mosin_nagant_m9130_from_cia.jpeg[/img] [/hider] Standard Issue Sub-Machine Gun: [hider=M-1921 Vladistok] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Bergmann_MP18.1.JPG/320px-Bergmann_MP18.1.JPG [/img] [/hider] Standard Issue Machine-gun: [hider=M1916 Spadfra Gun][img]http://www.forgottenweapons.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/vickers2.jpg[/img] [/hider] Standard Issue Side-Arm: [hider=M1904 Hedwig Pistol][img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Rast_und_Gasser_M1898.JPG[/img] [/hider] Mainline Tank: [hider=M1932 Hellveir Light Tank] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/T-26_in_Kirovsk.JPG/800px-T-26_in_Kirovsk.JPG[/img][/hider] Heavy Artillery: [hider=419mm Tecescu Death Guns] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Dicke_Bertha.Big_Bertha.jpg [/img][/hider] Light Artillery: [hider=15cm Frautzinger Howitzer] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-S36048%2C_Frankreich%2C_Arras%2C_Artillerie.jpg [/img] [/hider] His Majesty's Navy: The navy controls the battle-worthy ships, which are sworn to the sovereign. It was first created in its current state in 1714. His Majesty's Air Force: Created only in 1922, when Zenovia first acquired aircraft, it is the smallest and newest of Zenovia's military branches. [/hider]