Vulkaria
Federation of Vulkaria | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: United Against Oppression | |
 | |
| Capital | Vulkar |
| Demonym(s) | Vulkarian |
| Government | Federal Republic |
• President | Farhen Brooks |
| Establishment | |
• Unity of Vulkaria | 1922 |
• Federation of Vulkaria | 1982 |
| Area | |
• Total | 550,523 km2 (212,558 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 66,903,000 |
| Gini (2016) | 9.32 low |
| HDI (2016) | 0.76 high |
| Currency | Vulkarian mark (VMM) |
| Date format | mm-dd-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +647 |
| Internet TLD | .vu |
The Federation of Vulkaria, simply known as Vulkaria is a nation located in South Hespia, bordered by Zerphique to the west. It is made up of several hilly peninsulas and lowland areas. It is a capitalist economy that thrives on the energy sector, natural resources, and it's geographic location as the influx of the world's busiest shipping route that intersects through the Strait of Vulkaria and Elkjop Bay separating Vulkaria from Gladysynthia. The city of Amstelveen is the largest city in the nation, followed by the capital of Vulkar, and is one of the world's most lucrative economic hubs and shipping ports.
Known for its compassionate, democratic, devout population, Vulkarians are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt, while the government led by President Farhen Brooks has been able to keep the consumerist views alive even amidst rising political tensions. Vulkaria has historically been the forefront of many wars and power struggles, including perhaps most notably the 1982 Vulkaria Coup D'etat which led to the First War in Vulkaria, which lasted 8 years and, for a time, was one of the most violent wars in modern history until the subsequent 1999-2005 Second War in Vulkaria killed over 2.1 Million people. The nation is currently experiencing a period of civil unrest with the Conflict in Northwest Vulkaria and the subsequent 2020 War in Vulkaria that has pitted federal and international coalition forces against rebel and terror organizations like the Malvarian Liberation Front and Vulkarian National Army.
Vulkaria is a member of the International Democratic Union, and previously was one of the co-founders of the United Crown Alliance alongside Zamastan, Gladysynthia, and Cadair.
History
Early History
Neanderthal settlement in Vulkaria is seen in the Irina archaeological sites (43,000–45,000 BC) which include a mammoth bone dwelling. The territory is also considered to be one of the likely locations for the human domestication of the horse.
Modern human settlement in Vulkaria and its vicinity dates back to 32,000 BC, with evidence of the Hi culture in the Monza Mountains. By 4,500 BC, the Neolithic Hi–Trypa culture flourished in wide areas of modern Vulkaria. During the Iron Age, the land was inhabited by descendants of Zamastanian Kelownan, Gladysynthian Åethnoa, and Vulkarian Deventers. Between 700 BC and 200 BC it was part of the Deventer Kingdom, or Deventia.
Beginning in the sixth century BC, colonies of Hespian empires were founded on the northeastern shore of the Melville Bay and the Bay of Kas. These colonies thrived well into the sixth century AD.
Golden Age of Deventia
As historians state, the city of Vulkar was established during the time when area around the mid- and low-Monza was the part of the Deventia state. He derived that information from local legends because no written chronicles from that period are left.
In 882, Vulkar was conquered from the Farhonian by the Deventian noble Oleg who started the long period of rule of the Finian princes. During this time, several tribes were native to Vulkaria. Situated on lucrative trade routes, Vulkar quickly prospered as the center of the powerful Vulkarian state of Mevaan.
In 941 AD, the prince of Vulkar invaded the Gladysynthian Empire but was defeated in the Mevaan-Gladys War (941).
In the 11th century, Mevaan was, geographically, one of the largest states in South Hespia, becoming known in the rest of Hespia as Mevaania.
Christianity
While Christianity had made headway into the territory of Vulkaria before the first ecumenical council, the Council of Ostolvenia (325) (particularly along the Black Sea coast) and, in western Vulkaria, the formal governmental acceptance of Christianity in Mevaan occurred in 988. The major promoter of the Christianization of Mevaan was the Grand-Duke, Foran the Great (Foran). His Christian interest was midwifed by his grandmother, Princess Olga.
Conflict among the various principalities of Mevaan, in spite of the efforts of Grand Prince Miraan Edjoo, led to decline, beginning in the 12th century. In the Vulkar region, the nascent Mevaan principalities of Lir and Fonagona extended their rule. Vulkar was sacked by Miraan principality (1169) in the power struggle between princes and later by Riti and Dona raiders in the 12th and 13th centuries, respectively. Subsequently, all principalities of present-day Vulkaria acknowledged dependence upon the Dona (1239–1240). In 1240, the Dona sacked Vulkar, and many people fled to other countries.
Five years after the fall of Vulkar, a papal envoy wrote:
"They destroyed cities and castles and killed men and Vulkar, which is the greatest city they besieged; and when they had besieged it a long while they took it and killed the people of the city. So when we went through that country we found countless human skulls and bones from the dead scattered over the field. Indeed it had been a very great and populous city and now is reduced almost to nothing. In fact there are hardly two hundred houses there now and the people are held in the strictest servitude."
14th century
Formation (1950)
Political Separations (1951-1982)
Coup, First War in Vulkaria (1982-1991)
In March 1982, massive protests erupted throughout Vulkaria in opposition to Prime Minister Yaan'a Tillman's administration and its' capitalist progressions, which were blamed for the rampant wealth disparities in the nation. The protesters called for an adoption of Marxist reforms to create more wealth equality. Tillman, however, clamped down on the protesters with the Vulkarian Armed Forces arresting hundreds. In response, thousands of protesters turned violent, beginning the attempted 1982 Vulkaria Coup D'etat. On April 2nd, 1982, rebel forces under the control of Samuel Kannit attacked the Ministry in the capital city of Vulkar, which led to intense street fighting. Several executions and massacres were taken by both sides of the conflict, but eventually, the politics of the time won over for the government's forces, when they were given supplies by several capitalistic nations - most notably Zamastan. On April 31st, Prime Minister Tillman was killed by the NVPA, along with many members of his cabinet. In May, the new government was officially established when the NVPA took control of the capital, and Eugenia Charles was instated as the new President. Resistance by the former-government forces and the new rebel-terror group, the Malvarian Liberation Front, continued to fight for control of the last urban centers. Fighting came to a stand still on June 23rd when NVPA forces took the last major city in Vulkaria, Amstelveen. However, sporadic fighting and isolated attacks from the M.L.F. would continue well into 1983, when the Zamastan-led coalition invasion into Vulkaria started the First War in Vulkaria to cease and assist in the ongoing civil war.
On June 18th, 1983, a bomb detonated at a packed LGBT celebration rally in Alanis, killing 106 people and injuring over 400. This attack was originally thought to be perpetrated by a radical hate group, which was condemned by President Castovia and the leaders of nearly every allied nation of Zamastan’s. However, it was soon discovered that the Alanis Pride Parade Bombing was carried out by the Malvarian Liberation Front. Throughout the rest of the week, many more attacks took place against other targets. Most were small attacks that failed to kill people, however, two attacks of significance did occur that pressed Zamastan’s interest beyond domestic policy for the first time. On July 6th, Zamastan assisted and successfully rolled back an enemy force on foreign soil in Operation Tidal Hawk.
The campaign launched July 6th, 1983, fought primarily against armed M.L.F. insurgents, the Zamastan military invaded and temporarily took control. Their occupation of Vulkaria’s capital fully restored democracy to the nation and fighting became mostly restricted to rural regions after the first three months of more urban centered fighting. Cassious Castovia ordered and launched an air strike against Vulkaria after it was found to have connections to the terrorists, specifically in an attack which killed two Zamastanian soldiers.
The Castovia administration also supplied funds and weapons to heavily militarily-influenced government factions in Vulkaria beginning in 1987. In that year, with assistance from the Vulkarian national intelligence agency, the Zamastanian military organized and financed right-wing paramilitaries in the rural villages of Vulkaria, known as the Bungle-Bara. The tracing of secret funds for this scheme led to the revelations of the Zamastan–Bungle affair. In 1988 Castovia authorized the sale of arms in Vulkaria in an unsuccessful effort to free Zamastan hostages in the province of Mulwa; he later professed ignorance that subordinates were illegally diverting the proceeds to the Bungle’s.
The war officially ended on April 28th, 1991, after nearly 8 years of fighting, when Cassious Castovia announced the end to battle-operations within the region. Though the M.L.F. was not completely destroyed, their ability to wage war was significantly diminished. In the course of the war, 8,738 Zamastanian troops were killed, 23,393 Vulkarian troops were killed, and over 109,000 M.L.F. fighters were estimated to have died. Zamastan became cemented as one of Vulkaria’s strongest allies and established a military base within the region which served as an air force stationing position.
Reconstruction Era (1991-1999)
The post-war Vulkaria retained all of Vulkaria's previous memberships in international organisations and began to work towards more international cooperation. In 1992, Gerod Kenili was elected President and instated a period of economic reform to rebuild Vulkaria's economy and infrastructure after the war. However, Kenili's government was widely corrupt, and the parliamentary systems of government voted to completely revamp the political sphere of Vulkaria. A relocation of a revitalized government was completed in 1996. Following the 1996 elections, Pokia Dirries became President with a dual-party legislature. Among the major projects of the two legislatures was to reform the labor market to become more flexible and reduce unemployment.
The modernization and integration of the Vulkarian economy was a long-term process scheduled to last until the year 2000. The economic integrations, however, had the unintended consequence of causing massive wealth disparities.
Second War in Vulkaria (1999-2005)
President Pokia Dirries' new sweeping policies regarding capitalist and global economics installed in 1999 led to a revitalization of the M.L.F. and many other embattled groups wanting to take over power from the federal government in order to install a Marxist regime. The rebel alliance of groups like the M.L.F. and the Vulkarian National Army began an insurgency to gain control of Vulkaria.
A civil war erupted in 2000 once again, and the nation was embroiled with global interests once again being threatened in the form of trade along the Elkjop Bay and the Strait of Vulkaria shipping routes, as well as the threat of terror attacks being experienced by many of the nations involved in the coalition efforts.
President Cassious Castovia sent troops into Vulkaria in 1999 to aid the Vulkarian government, and in 2000, the international coalition joined the fight. Coalition forces led by Zamastan consisted of Cadairian, Laeralian, Legionite, Osirisan and Eirian forces. Over the next five years, International and Vulkarian troops led many offensives against the rebellion, but failed to fully defeat them.
In 2000, President Dirries was reelected as the coalition observed the election.
Meanwhile, the Vulkarian government was able to rebuild some democratic structures, and the country changed its name to the Federation of Vulkaria. Attempts were made, often with the support of foreign donor countries, to improve the country's economy, healthcare, education, transport, and agriculture. International forces also began to train the Vulkarian National Security Forces. Following 2002, nearly five million Vulkarians were repatriated.
By 2003, a M.L.F.-led shadow government began to form in parts of the country. In 2004, President Dirries attempted to hold peace negotiations with the M.L.F. leaders, but the rebel group refused to attend until early-2005 when the M.L.F. supreme leader finally decided to back the peace talks as their chance for victory dissipated.
The war ended in 2005 with the surrender of rebel forces and a signed treaty by the Federal forces and Coalition observers to allow small territorial governance by M.L.F. and V.N.A. forces. The war was staggering in terms of the death toll, with over 2.3 million people killed, over half of them citizens. Vulkaria lost over 103,000 soldiers. The Coalition forces lost a total of 7,153 troops, including 3,246 from Zamastan, 972 from Cadair, 2,502 from Legionas, 394 from Osirisa, 30 from Laeral, and 9 from Eiria.
Post-war period (2005-2017)
While the violent insurgency of the war continued in 2004, President Pokia Dirries announced that he would not run for re-election. Two major candidates emerged in the 2004 presidential election. Benjamin Usari, the incumbent Prime Minister, supported by both Dirries and by the International Coalition, wanted closer ties with Zamastan, Cadair, and Legionas. The main opposition candidate, Damian Emorgi, called for Vulkaria to turn its attention westward and aim to eventually join the IDUSA. In the runoff election, Usari officially won by a narrow margin, but Emorgi and his supporters alleged that vote rigging and intimidation cost him many votes, especially in southern Vulkaria. A political crisis erupted after the opposition started massive street protests in Vulkar and other cities ("Grey Revolution"), and the Supreme Court of Vulkaria ordered the election results null and void. A second runoff found Benjamin Usari the winner. Five days later, Dirries resigned from office and his cabinet was dismissed on 5 January 2005.
During the Usari term, relations between Zamastan and Vulkaria often appeared strained as Usari looked towards improved relations with nations like Xiomera and Shen and less toward Zamastan. In 2005, a highly publicized dispute over natural gas prices with Zamastan caused shortages in many countries that were reliant on Vulkaria as a transit country. A compromise was reached in January 2006.
By the time of the presidential election of 2008, Usari and Julian Tyra — allies during the Orange Revolution — had become bitter enemies. Tyra ran for president against Usari, creating a three-way race. Usari, whose popularity had plummeted, persisted in running, and many pro-Orange voters stayed home. In the second round of the election Usari won the run-off ballot with 48% to Tyra's 45% and was reelected.
During his second term (2008–2012) Usari and his Party of Regions were accused of trying to create a "controlled democracy" in Vulkaria and of trying to destroy the main opposition party Bloc Julian Tyra, but both have denied these charges. One frequently cited example of Usari's attempts to centralize power was the 2011 sentencing of Julian Tyra, which has been condemned by many governments who were part of the Coalition as potentially being politically motivated.
In November 2011, President Usari did not sign the Vulkaria-Coalition Association Agreement and instead pursued closer ties with nations considered adversaries to the former Coalition forces. This move sparked protests on the streets of Vulkar and, ultimately, the 2011 revolution. Protesters set up camps in Vulkar and Amstelveen, and in December 2011, protesters started taking over various government buildings, first in Vulkar and, later, in southern Vulkaria. Battles between protesters and police resulted in about 80 deaths in February 2012.
Following the violence the Vulkarian parliament on 22 February voted to remove Usari from power (on the grounds that his whereabouts were unknown and he thus could not fulfill his duties), and to free Julian Tyra from prison. The same day Usari supporter Jacob Weirter resigned as speaker of the Parliament, and was replaced by Tyra loyalist Farhen Brooks, who was subsequently installed as interim President. Usari had fled Vulkar, and subsequently gave a press conference in the Malvarian Liberation Front controlled city of Thunville. In June, an emergency election put Farhen Brooks into the Presidency, and he assumed power on July 1st, 2012. On 3rd January 2016, Farhen Brooks was re-elected president in the first round of the presidential election.
Current Day (2017-present)
In May 2017, the insurgent uprising by the joint force of M.L.A. and V.N.A. rebellion occurred. The violent and fast armed insurgency was denounced by most in the IDU and Zamastan as illegal.
Anti-Vulkarian unrest in Northwest Vulkaria and south Vulkaria began when, in June 2017, Vulkarian separatists self-proclaimed the Vulkarian People's Republic and Thunia People's Republic and held referendums on 11 June 2014; the separatists claimed nearly 90% voted in favor of independence. Zamastanian intelligence confirmed much of the vote was manipulated by the Malvarian Liberation Front and Vulkarian National Army oppression. Later in July 2017, fighting between the Vulkarian army and pro-Vulkarian volunteer battalions on one side, and forces supporting the M.L.F. and V.N.A. on the other side, escalated into the Conflict in Northwest Vulkaria. By December 2017 more than 16,400 people had died in this conflict and according to IDU figures it led to over half a million people becoming internally displaced within Vulkaria and two hundred thousand refugees to flee to (mostly) Zamastan and other neighboring countries. During the same period, political (including adoption of the law on lustration and the law on decommunization) and economic reforms started.
In October of 2017, terrorists from Vulkaria attacked Zamastan and killed over 430 people, and President of Zamastan Zacharias Castovia brought a new string of coalition forces with Cadair into the nation in the form of airstrikes at the request of President Brooks. The Zamastanian and Cadairian airstrikes halted in May 2019 under orders from President Anya Bishop, though the conflict had escalated.
By the second half of 2018, independent observers noted that reforms in Vulkaria had considerably slowed down, corruption did not subside, and the economy of Vulkaria was still in a deep crisis.
2020 Terror Attacks and Coalition Involvement
By December 2019, more than 39,100 people had died (largely civilians) in the conflict, according to Zamastanian figures. The M.L.F. and V.N.A. had largely slowed their foreign terror operations since June 2019, but they had continued their insurgency and strikes within Vulkaria. On December 26th, 2019, a suicide attack killed 48 people at President Brooks' campaign rally in Amstelveen, bringing condolences and words of support from across the IDU.
On January 2nd, 2020, terrorists affiliated with the M.L.F. launched attacks on Zamastan, Legionas, Gardavasque, Libertas Omnium Maximus, Eiria and Xiomera, and several sites around Vulkaria, including the embassies of Shuell, Shen, a Byzconian school, and a Laeralian naval vessel. The attacks killed over 1,490 people world-wide, sending heads of states and governments into a coalition to help the Vulkarian government hit back the terrorist and rebel forces in Northwest Vulkaria.
On January 4th, 2020, Farhen Brooks won reelection to a third four-year term, and vowed that the Zamastanian-led Coalition, involving troops from most countries affected in the terror attacks, would stop at nothing to defeat and destroy the M.L.F. and V.N.A.. On January 6th, the Coalition forces began their offensive against insurgent-held territory in the city of Freeborn, as Zamastanian, Maximusian, and Shen forces fought to capture the city.
Geography
The landscape of Vulkaria consists mostly of fertile plains (or steppes) and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the Vulkar, Godenia, and Panne as they flow south into the Strait of Vulkaria, Elkjop Bay, and the Bay of Kas. Vulkaria's various regions have diverse geographic features ranging from the highlands to the lowlands. The country's only mountains are the Monza Mountains in the west, of which the highest is the Mora Moverla at 2,061 metres (6,762 ft), and the Deventer Mountains on the Deventer Peninusla in the north. However Vulkaria also has a number of highland regions such as the Lacarno Upland (in the west) and the Near-Depanne Upland (on the right bank of the Panne River); to the east there are the south-western spurs of the Central Vulkarian Upland over which runs the border with Zerphique. The snow melt from the mountains feeds the rivers, and natural changes in altitude form sudden drops in elevation and give rise to waterfalls.
Significant natural resources in Vulkaria include iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber and an abundance of arable land. Despite this, the country faces a number of major environmental issues such as inadequate supplies of potable water; air- and water-pollution and deforestation, as well as radiation contamination in the north-east from the 1992 Treviso Nuclear Crisis.
Demographics
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, millions of Vulkarians migrated to Zamastan, Legionas, or parts of Hespia, creating a large Vulkarian diaspora. There are about 2 million Vulkarians living in Zamastan.
The industrial regions in the northeast and south are the most heavily populated, and about 67.2% of the population lives in urban areas.