Cirnoland
10-01-2009, 20:17
History of Hourai:
The Kingdom of Rhoshire was the first state to declare independence in the continent of Hourai. Originally a colony of a smaller kingdom in a far-away land, Rhoshire became a kingdom in its own right when a revolution forced the King to flee to his colony, in 1722. Because of the turmoil in the mainland, many other colonies in Hourai would soon find independence. Yalse would declare independence in 1728 after its mother-country collapsed in civil war after the execution of their Empress. Lacamia would soon declare independence after decades of colonial tension with its motherland in 1739. Haikan would declare independence in 1741 after a military coup threw their mother-nation into anarchy. Kava would declare independence in 1743, mostly because of opportunism.
The 18th century time was a time of domestic development and political consolidation for the new nationstates. Rhoshire's early industrial development and vastly superior technology was able to help it rocket above the other nations in almost every statistic. And in the 1800's, Rhoshire decided to expand outwards.
Rhoshire established what would become Hourai's foremost power. During the 1800's, Rhoshire colonized what is now modern-day Rahmin, Tartarystan, Ataria, Mersan, and Mutania. However, in 1849, a powerful bomb wiped out much of Parliament. During the ensuing violence, various local governors from Ataria quickly seceded in order to form the United Provinces of Ataria. Quick Rhosirian action was able to prevent any further secessions, but it would be until 1861 until they warred Ataria yet again. At the aftermath of the war, Rhoshire found mounting casulaties proving that they could not hold Ataria. However, Ataria quickly found itself divided between two powers, and it would stay like that for a while.
In 1879, what would be called the First Great War sparked after a Rhosirian ship was sunk by an "accidental" discharge of a Haikanese cannon. Rhoshire, joined by Cataria and Yalse, declared war on Haikan, backed by Fataria, Lacamia, and Kava. The War resulted in a complete defeat for Rhoshire and its allies. Rhoshire ceded Tartarystan to Fataria, Mersan to Kava, and granted both Mutania and Rahmin independence after revolts popped up during the end of the war. Cataria was given a humilating reparations treaty with Fataria, and Yalse granted Naquo independence.
After a long period, Fataria was finding Tartarystan horribly unprofitable. The ice-ridden wasteland was eating up countless lives, obscene amounts of money, and was a bleeding ulcer to the side of almost every Fatarian administration. Then Cataria offered to buy it. After a very short deliberation, Fataria sold it.
After it seemed like Hourai would settle into a long-lasting peace, a war popped up two generations later. After a Catarian cruise liner was shot by a Fatarian battleship in 1922, Cataria declared war after it was clear that Fataria was not cooperating. Fataria was joined by Rhoshire, Yalse, Haikan, and Naquo, while Cataria was joined by Lacamia, Kava, Mutania, and Rahmin. After a quick defeat by Rhoshire, Rahmin quickly switched sides, agreeing to grant a territory, Kiana, independence, and joining the war effort against Cataria. The war was over within years. Cataria was annexed by Fataria, Lacamia was forced to cede huge swaths of land to form a foreign-occupation zone, Kava had to grant its new-territory, Mersan, independence, and Mutania suffered severe territorial losses to most of its neighbors, especially Rahmin. Cataria's colony, Tartarystan, was given to Haikan.
Haikan found Tartarystan equally ungovernable. After costly administration, Haikan simply attempted to cut their losses. They formed a self-government, appointed a second-born son of the Emperor as the Emperor of Tartarystan, and quickly evacuated. Fataria found Cataria full of resistance, but only stepped up its occupation. The regime in Lacamia remained unfriendly to the winners of the Second Great War, and they quickly released a new state in their occupation zone.
Over sixty years later, Hourai is still not free of...new developments. Mostly notably, the entire continent of Hourai has broken its historical isolation. Many nations in Hourai are now gleefully trying to acquire diplomatic relations with states outside of the continent....
Map:
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9466/hah4zr5.png
(Yes, I'm aware I suck at map making, I had nothing but MS Paint to use. And yeah, I know it looks too much like Australia to my own liking, that was actually unintentional. I just randomly drew a continent and it looked like Australia. Damn you Australia and your nondescript, generic shape!)
Nations:
Name: United Provinces of Ataria (defunct)
Capital: Elbach
Largest City: Lesann
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: French, German
Demonym: Fatarian
Formation: 1849
Government: Federal Presidential Republic
More Information: Defunct
Name: Federal Union of Ataria (#1) [Often simply called Fataria]
Capital: Cornsfield
Largest City: Lesann
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: French, German
Demonym: Fatarian
Formation: 1861
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Aldian Pahar
Vice-President: David Lester
More Information: Fataria is the foremost industrial, economic, and cultural power in Hourai. Fatarian culture is almost ubiqutous, with Fataria selling its movies, television shows, and novels all across Hourai. Fatarian English is the lingua franca of Hourai, and the Fataria has used its political power to negotiate the end of disputes. Fataria claims to be a representative democracy, but citizens of the former Catarian regions still have no representation in Ataria's Senate. The Progressive Party of Fataria has dominated the politics of Fataria since the 1920's. Fatarian society is extremely racially diverse, but many foreign observers mock Fataria as being "racially-obsessed" because of the high-degree of racial self-segregation in Fataria. Fataria is predominantly nonreligious, with significant Christian and Jewish minorities. Despite Fataria's relative level of social progressiveness, Fataria has strict immigration laws. Combined with high levels of abortion and already low-birth rates, many Fatarians worry that they will face a demographic crisis. In addition, the growing costs of Fataria's many social programs has highlighted what some believed to Fatarian vulnerabilities. However, Fataria is the still the dominant power, in economic matters, population, culture, and technology, in Hourai. However, Fataria has a relatively small military due to difficulty in recruiting, anti-military sentiment, and rejection of a draft.
Name: Commonwealth of Ataria (defunct) (#2)
Capital: Elbach
Largest City: Aufschild
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: German, French
Demonym: Catarian
Formation: 1861
Government: Confederate Presidential Republic
More Information: Defunct
Name: Kingdom of Rhoshire (#3)
Capital: Rosshach
Largest City: Aldensan
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Rhoshirian
Formation: 1722
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Malraux
Monarch: King Brian IV
Prime Minister: Mary Rachus
More Information: Rhoshire is still one of the most powerful nations in Hourai. Rhoshire enjoys very close relations with Yalse, another powerful nation. Both nations of course, being second only to Fataria. Rhoshirian politics have changed radically. Government surveillance has exploded, and social services teeter near collapse, mostly because of an aging population and immigration from Rahmin. In addition, growing social stratification has caused many upper-class Rhosirians to withdraw from the public sphere. However, Rhoshire still poessess Hourai's most experienced military, a highly-developed economy, and many urban cities with large amounts of infrastructure. The Rhoshirian economy is primarily finance-based, with many of Hourai's top financial instituations, as well as scientific institutions, being based on Rhoshire.
Name: (Most Serene) Holy Empire of Tartarystan (#4)
Capital: Tataria Magna
Largest City: Secantus
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: Latin, Farsi
Demonym: Tartary
Formation: 1924
Government: Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Tokairin
Monarch: Emperor Florian II
Regent: Princess Ariane
Prime Minister: James Lee
More Information: Tartarystan has been a mysterious country since its independence. It enjoys close relations with North Lacamia and Mersan, and relatively tense relations with Haikan. Despite being ruled by the same royal family, the Tartar branch of the House of Tokairin has not contacted their Haikanese counterparts in over fourty years. Despite little information coming out of Tartarystan, a few things are known. Tartarystan has accepted a variety of refugees, especially from other nations. In addition, Tartarystan has been supposedly dominated by the same political party since 1944, partially because of insane amounts of gerrymandering. And it is known that Tartarystan has a highly proactive monarch (being granted many powers by their Constitution), although rumors do say that he has been incapacitated. However, no reliable estimates of Tartarystan's population or economy exist. Tartarystan's economic statistics should be open, due to their relatively laizzez-faire policies, but they are strangely not. Tartarystan has a relatively small government which keeps little track of most of what goes on in Tartarystan. While Tartarystan engages in extensive trade with North Lacamia, and Mersan, they're keeping their mouths shut. Tartarystan is surrounded by a huge range of mountains on almost every side except the South. The jutting Southern strip of Tartar land is supposedly Tartarystan's only farmable region. It was previously Kava-land before Mersani diplomats awarded the region to Tartarystan after Kava was defeated in a war.
Name: Celestial Empire of Haikan (#5)
Capital: Shinsu
Largest City: Shinsu
Official Language(s): Japanese
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Haikanese
Formation: 1741
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Tokairin
Monarch: Emperor Sakin
Prime Minister: Hideki Matsuin
More Information: The Celestial Empire of Haikan isn't as Imperial as it posits to be. With a powerless figurehead emperor, Haikan is essentially a parliamentary republican democracy. With the vast majority of Haikanese being unable to identify the name of their Emperor, the role of the monarchy has dwindled to nothing. Haikan is a technological powerhouse in Hourai. Haikanese computer engineering and architecture is renowned throughout the whole continent. Despite their economic openness, Haikanese society is extremely hostile to outsiders, and many immigration incidents have marred its reputation. Haikan has highly strained relations with Tartarystan despite sharing the same royal house.
Name: Republic of Yalse (#6)
Capital: Aldoix
Largest City: Aldoix
Official Language(s): French
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Yalsen
Formation: 1728
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
President: Jean Thibodeaux
Prime Minister: Maria Layla Fufoix
More Information: Yalse is one of the foremost powers in Hourai. Sharing close relations with Rhoshire, Yalsen diplomats are renowned throughout Hourai. Yalse also has a highly diverse economy with specific focuses on the service and financial sectors. No other nation comes as close as Yalse toward establishing cultural exports outside of Fataria. Yalsen movies, books, and television shows are also ubiqutous throughout Hourai, causing Yalsen French to become a very common second-language. Yalse is a highly developed welfare state. However, many other nations charge that Yalse utilizes manipulative trade policies in order to prolong their prosperity. In addition, Yalse is being hit with the same demographic threat that Fataria, Haikan, and Rhoshire face, and also faces huge strains on its social services. In addition, minorities in several of the outlying provinces have shown dissatisfaction with Yalsen rule.
Name: United Empire of Lacamia (#7)
Capital: Chok
Largest City: Novigrad
Official Language(s): Russian, Greek
Other Languages: Serbian, Bulgarian
Demonym: Lacamian
Formation: 1732
Government: Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: House of Ratinus
Monarch: Emperor Constantine XXVIII
Prime Minister: Ivanovich Delgado
More Information: The United Empire has seen much better days. It is often simply called North Lacamia, since after the Second Great War, it really only occupied Northern Lacamia. A heavily conservative and religious nation, the Emperor of Lacamia still has significant influence in politics, although not nearly as much as some nations, such as Tartarystan. Lacamia enjoys strong relations with Tartarystan because of similar political structures and idealogical sympathies. However, Lacamian relations with Kava are highly cold, because the historical anti-semitism of previous Lacamian emperors have soured the name of Lacamia in Kava. Lacamian engineers and physicists are renowned throughout the continent. Lacamia is often rumored, often charged by its enemies, to have a top-secret nuclear program. Lacamia is an agriculturally bountiful nation and enjoys huge food surpluses through the uses of high-yield mechanized agriculture. Northern Lacamia once attempted to intervene in Southern Lacamia after the nascent state collapsed into anarchy, but found its army peppered with Fatarian missiles. The two nations have had extremely tense relations, almost flaring into the war, every since than.
Name: Free Union of Lacamia (#8)
Capital: Ghastas
Largest City: Ghastas
Official Language(s): Greek, Russian
Other Languages: Bulgarian, Serbian
Demonym: Lacamian
Formation: 1924
Government: None
More Information: The Free Union of Lacamia is a mess. Although the victors of the Second Great War were able to establish a working government, the government quickly collapsed. Southern Lacamia was never very resource-rich, and the result of years of civil war have destroyed vast amounts of infrastructure. It is unknown who is leading the power struggle in Lacamia, but some rumors coming out of Southern Lacamia have suggested that the newest six-year old power-struggle will be coming to an end soon. Despite its relative poverty, Southern Lacamia enjoys huge aid shipments from many other nations in Hourai (though not all), and it is suggested that the Southern Lacamian economy is far stronger than it appears. Interestingly enough, Southern Lacamia is far more socially progressive than its norther neighbor, despite being ostensibly poorer.
Name: Kingdom of Kava (#9)
Capital: Bavel
Largest City: Bavel
Official Language(s): English, Hebrew, Yiddish, French, Greek
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Kavani
Formation: 1743
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: House of List
Monarch: David XIII
Prime Minister: Leonard Vindi
More Information: The Kingdom of Kava is a modern, highly developed nation. The Kavan army is also lauded because of its large size (due to Kava being one of the few nations in Hourai with a draft), and technological prowess. Despite being surrounded by several unfriendly nations, Mersan, Tartarystan, and Northern Lacamia, Kava has shown itself to be the dominant power in the region. Kavan journalists are renowned in the continent, and are often hired by news outlets, often Fatarian news outlets, to report on regional developments. In addition, Kava is somehow economically prosperous, although nobody actually knows why. The Kavan economy is often a paradox to many outside observers. Kava has vasts swaths of arable land, but Kavan agriculture is notoriously unproductive. The vast majority of Kavans live in highly productive urban cities. Kavan biologists are also renowned. Kava has a Mediterranean-style climate.
Name: State of Mersan (#10)
Capital: Geven
Largest City: Al-Hadin
Official Language(s): English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Arabic
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Mersani
Formation: 1882
Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic
President: Ted Hurte
Prime Minister: Robert Zlotic
More Information: Mersan is a highly urbanized desert nation. The vast majority of Mersan is desert, with the few pockets of non-desert line being highly urbanized, densely-populated, and packed like sardines. A few Mersani cities comprise the vast majority of Mersan's population. Because of this, Mersan is highly dependent on food trade with other countries, mostly notably Lacamia and Mutania. Despite being desert, Mersan is NOT oil-rich. Mersan imports large amounts of oil, although it is unknown where this oil is from. Mersan is highly industrialized and notoriously polluted. The Mersani desert is highly polluted, but because of the almost non-existent population there, there is little concern within Mersan. Mersani cities are still relatively unpolluted.
Name: Federal Republic of Mutania (#11)
Capital: Mutan
Largest City: Mutan
Official Language(s): Swahili, English
Other Languages: French
Demonym: Mutanian
Formation: 1886
Government: Federal Presidential Republic
President: Astar Fargan
Vice-President: Haman Kisto
More Information: Mutania is a relatively poorly-developed nation. Despite that, Mutania enjoys the highest rate of economic growth in the continent. Due to an inflow of capital, Mutania, traditionally one of the most backward nations in Hourai, is progressing at a rapid speed. Mutanian politics, once notorious for their corruption, are now renowned for their lack of corruption. Mutania is often a favored destination for many new businesses. Mutania takes a relatively laizzez-faire approach to the economy, and while this has garnered support from some segments of society, it has attracted acrimony from many others. But it does attract many foreign investors. Mutania, despite its crippling territorial losses in the Second Great War, has shown no desire to reclaim that land, like so many other nations that lose land.
Name: State of Kiana (#12)
Capital: Kiana
Largest City: Kiana
Official Language(s): English, Malay, Indonesian
Other Languages: Chinese, Japanese, Swahili
Demonym: Kianan
Formation: 1919
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
President: Andrew Lee
Prime Minister: Alexander Starkfield
More Information: Kiana is a highly authoritarian welfare state, although highly highly economically powerful. Despite being tiny in size, Kiana, one giant metropolitan city, is the most densely populated city in the entire continent. Kiana is often a tourist destination by tourists wanting to see how so many people can prosperously live in one city. Kianan corporations operate in many other foreign nations. However, the Kianan government has often been criticized for unfair trade practices. Most notorious was the nationalization of a major Mutanian corporation. Kiana enjoys close relations with its former governors, Rahmin, and relatively acrimonious relationships with Mutania. It also enjoys close naval relations with Haikan.
Name: People's Republic of Rahmin (#13)
Capital: Desha
Largest City: Desha
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: Many
Demonym: Rahmini
Formation: 1883
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Nidina Dasan
Prime Minister: Hiski Dasan
More Information: Rahmin is a rather poor example of a democracy. Despite being a democracy, Rahmin has been dominated by the same political family since its independence. In addition, Rahmin society has had a high incidence of racial and religious violence, due to Rahmin being a racially and religiously diverse nation. There have been many accusations that the Rahmini government has approved of the sporadic lynchings of a certain ethnoreligious groups, historically scapegoated by many Rahminis. Rahmin is Hourai's most populated nation, and enjoys the largest standing army in the entire continent. Despite that, it is still not as developed as many of its neighbors, and is not viewed as a superpower like Fataria, even though it greatly surpasses Fataria in population.
Name: Republic of Naquo (#14)
Capital: Napin
Largest City: Napin
Official Language(s): French, Swahili
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Naquin
Formation: 1884
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Paul Padagon
Prime Minister: Henri Alsan
More Information: Naquo is a tropical nation renowned for its political corruption and natural resources. Enjoying close relations with both Yalse and Fataria, Naquo is a strongly developed, although highly corrupt, nation. The proactive government has guides economic growth in the nation, and recieves periodic huge shipments of economic aid from Fataria, Yalse, and Rhoshire. Because of this economic aid, Naquins often enjoy a level of economic prosperity despite having a relatively unproductive and inefficient economy themselevs. Naquo also has a very small standing army, although a huge reserve pool. Many foods in Hourai, sugar for example, are only grown in Naquo. This has given Naquo an almost monopoly over many food products, although their agricultural productivity is nowhere the level of say, Northern Lacamia.
~~~
Rules:
Nothing too complicated. Feel free to contact any nation in the continent, I'll RP them all. Obviously, all the standard rules (no godmoding) and all should be followed. And I would warn against large interventions. Hourai's not a giant place, so a huge intervention from some giant nation would make it rather boring. So if you decide to intervene, try to do it weakly. Like arm shipments, covert operations, and economic aid. And of course, diplomatic connections. It should be pretty common-sense what you can still do, and still keep the RP fun. And feel free to do any side-stuff, like RPing an arms dealer, or a businessman, or a journalist, from your country or one of these. And no number-wanking. Hourai isn't THAT big of a continent (think realistic nation sizes), so number-wanking is out of the question. And it's not really of a conquest kick-butt RP. I think it'd be a lot more fun to just try to subtly influence the politics of a region (Hourai), than to use mass intervention.
It's vaguely MT, but not that MT. Think 1950's - 1970's technology. Cold War-era technology. So it'd be more interesting if people didn't use 2020's, or 2000's, or 3000's, technology or anything. Of course, you can always participate with your nation...in the past.
~~~
So...is anyone interested?
The Kingdom of Rhoshire was the first state to declare independence in the continent of Hourai. Originally a colony of a smaller kingdom in a far-away land, Rhoshire became a kingdom in its own right when a revolution forced the King to flee to his colony, in 1722. Because of the turmoil in the mainland, many other colonies in Hourai would soon find independence. Yalse would declare independence in 1728 after its mother-country collapsed in civil war after the execution of their Empress. Lacamia would soon declare independence after decades of colonial tension with its motherland in 1739. Haikan would declare independence in 1741 after a military coup threw their mother-nation into anarchy. Kava would declare independence in 1743, mostly because of opportunism.
The 18th century time was a time of domestic development and political consolidation for the new nationstates. Rhoshire's early industrial development and vastly superior technology was able to help it rocket above the other nations in almost every statistic. And in the 1800's, Rhoshire decided to expand outwards.
Rhoshire established what would become Hourai's foremost power. During the 1800's, Rhoshire colonized what is now modern-day Rahmin, Tartarystan, Ataria, Mersan, and Mutania. However, in 1849, a powerful bomb wiped out much of Parliament. During the ensuing violence, various local governors from Ataria quickly seceded in order to form the United Provinces of Ataria. Quick Rhosirian action was able to prevent any further secessions, but it would be until 1861 until they warred Ataria yet again. At the aftermath of the war, Rhoshire found mounting casulaties proving that they could not hold Ataria. However, Ataria quickly found itself divided between two powers, and it would stay like that for a while.
In 1879, what would be called the First Great War sparked after a Rhosirian ship was sunk by an "accidental" discharge of a Haikanese cannon. Rhoshire, joined by Cataria and Yalse, declared war on Haikan, backed by Fataria, Lacamia, and Kava. The War resulted in a complete defeat for Rhoshire and its allies. Rhoshire ceded Tartarystan to Fataria, Mersan to Kava, and granted both Mutania and Rahmin independence after revolts popped up during the end of the war. Cataria was given a humilating reparations treaty with Fataria, and Yalse granted Naquo independence.
After a long period, Fataria was finding Tartarystan horribly unprofitable. The ice-ridden wasteland was eating up countless lives, obscene amounts of money, and was a bleeding ulcer to the side of almost every Fatarian administration. Then Cataria offered to buy it. After a very short deliberation, Fataria sold it.
After it seemed like Hourai would settle into a long-lasting peace, a war popped up two generations later. After a Catarian cruise liner was shot by a Fatarian battleship in 1922, Cataria declared war after it was clear that Fataria was not cooperating. Fataria was joined by Rhoshire, Yalse, Haikan, and Naquo, while Cataria was joined by Lacamia, Kava, Mutania, and Rahmin. After a quick defeat by Rhoshire, Rahmin quickly switched sides, agreeing to grant a territory, Kiana, independence, and joining the war effort against Cataria. The war was over within years. Cataria was annexed by Fataria, Lacamia was forced to cede huge swaths of land to form a foreign-occupation zone, Kava had to grant its new-territory, Mersan, independence, and Mutania suffered severe territorial losses to most of its neighbors, especially Rahmin. Cataria's colony, Tartarystan, was given to Haikan.
Haikan found Tartarystan equally ungovernable. After costly administration, Haikan simply attempted to cut their losses. They formed a self-government, appointed a second-born son of the Emperor as the Emperor of Tartarystan, and quickly evacuated. Fataria found Cataria full of resistance, but only stepped up its occupation. The regime in Lacamia remained unfriendly to the winners of the Second Great War, and they quickly released a new state in their occupation zone.
Over sixty years later, Hourai is still not free of...new developments. Mostly notably, the entire continent of Hourai has broken its historical isolation. Many nations in Hourai are now gleefully trying to acquire diplomatic relations with states outside of the continent....
Map:
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9466/hah4zr5.png
(Yes, I'm aware I suck at map making, I had nothing but MS Paint to use. And yeah, I know it looks too much like Australia to my own liking, that was actually unintentional. I just randomly drew a continent and it looked like Australia. Damn you Australia and your nondescript, generic shape!)
Nations:
Name: United Provinces of Ataria (defunct)
Capital: Elbach
Largest City: Lesann
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: French, German
Demonym: Fatarian
Formation: 1849
Government: Federal Presidential Republic
More Information: Defunct
Name: Federal Union of Ataria (#1) [Often simply called Fataria]
Capital: Cornsfield
Largest City: Lesann
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: French, German
Demonym: Fatarian
Formation: 1861
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Aldian Pahar
Vice-President: David Lester
More Information: Fataria is the foremost industrial, economic, and cultural power in Hourai. Fatarian culture is almost ubiqutous, with Fataria selling its movies, television shows, and novels all across Hourai. Fatarian English is the lingua franca of Hourai, and the Fataria has used its political power to negotiate the end of disputes. Fataria claims to be a representative democracy, but citizens of the former Catarian regions still have no representation in Ataria's Senate. The Progressive Party of Fataria has dominated the politics of Fataria since the 1920's. Fatarian society is extremely racially diverse, but many foreign observers mock Fataria as being "racially-obsessed" because of the high-degree of racial self-segregation in Fataria. Fataria is predominantly nonreligious, with significant Christian and Jewish minorities. Despite Fataria's relative level of social progressiveness, Fataria has strict immigration laws. Combined with high levels of abortion and already low-birth rates, many Fatarians worry that they will face a demographic crisis. In addition, the growing costs of Fataria's many social programs has highlighted what some believed to Fatarian vulnerabilities. However, Fataria is the still the dominant power, in economic matters, population, culture, and technology, in Hourai. However, Fataria has a relatively small military due to difficulty in recruiting, anti-military sentiment, and rejection of a draft.
Name: Commonwealth of Ataria (defunct) (#2)
Capital: Elbach
Largest City: Aufschild
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: German, French
Demonym: Catarian
Formation: 1861
Government: Confederate Presidential Republic
More Information: Defunct
Name: Kingdom of Rhoshire (#3)
Capital: Rosshach
Largest City: Aldensan
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Rhoshirian
Formation: 1722
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Malraux
Monarch: King Brian IV
Prime Minister: Mary Rachus
More Information: Rhoshire is still one of the most powerful nations in Hourai. Rhoshire enjoys very close relations with Yalse, another powerful nation. Both nations of course, being second only to Fataria. Rhoshirian politics have changed radically. Government surveillance has exploded, and social services teeter near collapse, mostly because of an aging population and immigration from Rahmin. In addition, growing social stratification has caused many upper-class Rhosirians to withdraw from the public sphere. However, Rhoshire still poessess Hourai's most experienced military, a highly-developed economy, and many urban cities with large amounts of infrastructure. The Rhoshirian economy is primarily finance-based, with many of Hourai's top financial instituations, as well as scientific institutions, being based on Rhoshire.
Name: (Most Serene) Holy Empire of Tartarystan (#4)
Capital: Tataria Magna
Largest City: Secantus
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: Latin, Farsi
Demonym: Tartary
Formation: 1924
Government: Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Tokairin
Monarch: Emperor Florian II
Regent: Princess Ariane
Prime Minister: James Lee
More Information: Tartarystan has been a mysterious country since its independence. It enjoys close relations with North Lacamia and Mersan, and relatively tense relations with Haikan. Despite being ruled by the same royal family, the Tartar branch of the House of Tokairin has not contacted their Haikanese counterparts in over fourty years. Despite little information coming out of Tartarystan, a few things are known. Tartarystan has accepted a variety of refugees, especially from other nations. In addition, Tartarystan has been supposedly dominated by the same political party since 1944, partially because of insane amounts of gerrymandering. And it is known that Tartarystan has a highly proactive monarch (being granted many powers by their Constitution), although rumors do say that he has been incapacitated. However, no reliable estimates of Tartarystan's population or economy exist. Tartarystan's economic statistics should be open, due to their relatively laizzez-faire policies, but they are strangely not. Tartarystan has a relatively small government which keeps little track of most of what goes on in Tartarystan. While Tartarystan engages in extensive trade with North Lacamia, and Mersan, they're keeping their mouths shut. Tartarystan is surrounded by a huge range of mountains on almost every side except the South. The jutting Southern strip of Tartar land is supposedly Tartarystan's only farmable region. It was previously Kava-land before Mersani diplomats awarded the region to Tartarystan after Kava was defeated in a war.
Name: Celestial Empire of Haikan (#5)
Capital: Shinsu
Largest City: Shinsu
Official Language(s): Japanese
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Haikanese
Formation: 1741
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: The House of Tokairin
Monarch: Emperor Sakin
Prime Minister: Hideki Matsuin
More Information: The Celestial Empire of Haikan isn't as Imperial as it posits to be. With a powerless figurehead emperor, Haikan is essentially a parliamentary republican democracy. With the vast majority of Haikanese being unable to identify the name of their Emperor, the role of the monarchy has dwindled to nothing. Haikan is a technological powerhouse in Hourai. Haikanese computer engineering and architecture is renowned throughout the whole continent. Despite their economic openness, Haikanese society is extremely hostile to outsiders, and many immigration incidents have marred its reputation. Haikan has highly strained relations with Tartarystan despite sharing the same royal house.
Name: Republic of Yalse (#6)
Capital: Aldoix
Largest City: Aldoix
Official Language(s): French
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Yalsen
Formation: 1728
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
President: Jean Thibodeaux
Prime Minister: Maria Layla Fufoix
More Information: Yalse is one of the foremost powers in Hourai. Sharing close relations with Rhoshire, Yalsen diplomats are renowned throughout Hourai. Yalse also has a highly diverse economy with specific focuses on the service and financial sectors. No other nation comes as close as Yalse toward establishing cultural exports outside of Fataria. Yalsen movies, books, and television shows are also ubiqutous throughout Hourai, causing Yalsen French to become a very common second-language. Yalse is a highly developed welfare state. However, many other nations charge that Yalse utilizes manipulative trade policies in order to prolong their prosperity. In addition, Yalse is being hit with the same demographic threat that Fataria, Haikan, and Rhoshire face, and also faces huge strains on its social services. In addition, minorities in several of the outlying provinces have shown dissatisfaction with Yalsen rule.
Name: United Empire of Lacamia (#7)
Capital: Chok
Largest City: Novigrad
Official Language(s): Russian, Greek
Other Languages: Serbian, Bulgarian
Demonym: Lacamian
Formation: 1732
Government: Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: House of Ratinus
Monarch: Emperor Constantine XXVIII
Prime Minister: Ivanovich Delgado
More Information: The United Empire has seen much better days. It is often simply called North Lacamia, since after the Second Great War, it really only occupied Northern Lacamia. A heavily conservative and religious nation, the Emperor of Lacamia still has significant influence in politics, although not nearly as much as some nations, such as Tartarystan. Lacamia enjoys strong relations with Tartarystan because of similar political structures and idealogical sympathies. However, Lacamian relations with Kava are highly cold, because the historical anti-semitism of previous Lacamian emperors have soured the name of Lacamia in Kava. Lacamian engineers and physicists are renowned throughout the continent. Lacamia is often rumored, often charged by its enemies, to have a top-secret nuclear program. Lacamia is an agriculturally bountiful nation and enjoys huge food surpluses through the uses of high-yield mechanized agriculture. Northern Lacamia once attempted to intervene in Southern Lacamia after the nascent state collapsed into anarchy, but found its army peppered with Fatarian missiles. The two nations have had extremely tense relations, almost flaring into the war, every since than.
Name: Free Union of Lacamia (#8)
Capital: Ghastas
Largest City: Ghastas
Official Language(s): Greek, Russian
Other Languages: Bulgarian, Serbian
Demonym: Lacamian
Formation: 1924
Government: None
More Information: The Free Union of Lacamia is a mess. Although the victors of the Second Great War were able to establish a working government, the government quickly collapsed. Southern Lacamia was never very resource-rich, and the result of years of civil war have destroyed vast amounts of infrastructure. It is unknown who is leading the power struggle in Lacamia, but some rumors coming out of Southern Lacamia have suggested that the newest six-year old power-struggle will be coming to an end soon. Despite its relative poverty, Southern Lacamia enjoys huge aid shipments from many other nations in Hourai (though not all), and it is suggested that the Southern Lacamian economy is far stronger than it appears. Interestingly enough, Southern Lacamia is far more socially progressive than its norther neighbor, despite being ostensibly poorer.
Name: Kingdom of Kava (#9)
Capital: Bavel
Largest City: Bavel
Official Language(s): English, Hebrew, Yiddish, French, Greek
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Kavani
Formation: 1743
Government: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Royal House: House of List
Monarch: David XIII
Prime Minister: Leonard Vindi
More Information: The Kingdom of Kava is a modern, highly developed nation. The Kavan army is also lauded because of its large size (due to Kava being one of the few nations in Hourai with a draft), and technological prowess. Despite being surrounded by several unfriendly nations, Mersan, Tartarystan, and Northern Lacamia, Kava has shown itself to be the dominant power in the region. Kavan journalists are renowned in the continent, and are often hired by news outlets, often Fatarian news outlets, to report on regional developments. In addition, Kava is somehow economically prosperous, although nobody actually knows why. The Kavan economy is often a paradox to many outside observers. Kava has vasts swaths of arable land, but Kavan agriculture is notoriously unproductive. The vast majority of Kavans live in highly productive urban cities. Kavan biologists are also renowned. Kava has a Mediterranean-style climate.
Name: State of Mersan (#10)
Capital: Geven
Largest City: Al-Hadin
Official Language(s): English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Arabic
Other Languages: None
Demonym: Mersani
Formation: 1882
Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic
President: Ted Hurte
Prime Minister: Robert Zlotic
More Information: Mersan is a highly urbanized desert nation. The vast majority of Mersan is desert, with the few pockets of non-desert line being highly urbanized, densely-populated, and packed like sardines. A few Mersani cities comprise the vast majority of Mersan's population. Because of this, Mersan is highly dependent on food trade with other countries, mostly notably Lacamia and Mutania. Despite being desert, Mersan is NOT oil-rich. Mersan imports large amounts of oil, although it is unknown where this oil is from. Mersan is highly industrialized and notoriously polluted. The Mersani desert is highly polluted, but because of the almost non-existent population there, there is little concern within Mersan. Mersani cities are still relatively unpolluted.
Name: Federal Republic of Mutania (#11)
Capital: Mutan
Largest City: Mutan
Official Language(s): Swahili, English
Other Languages: French
Demonym: Mutanian
Formation: 1886
Government: Federal Presidential Republic
President: Astar Fargan
Vice-President: Haman Kisto
More Information: Mutania is a relatively poorly-developed nation. Despite that, Mutania enjoys the highest rate of economic growth in the continent. Due to an inflow of capital, Mutania, traditionally one of the most backward nations in Hourai, is progressing at a rapid speed. Mutanian politics, once notorious for their corruption, are now renowned for their lack of corruption. Mutania is often a favored destination for many new businesses. Mutania takes a relatively laizzez-faire approach to the economy, and while this has garnered support from some segments of society, it has attracted acrimony from many others. But it does attract many foreign investors. Mutania, despite its crippling territorial losses in the Second Great War, has shown no desire to reclaim that land, like so many other nations that lose land.
Name: State of Kiana (#12)
Capital: Kiana
Largest City: Kiana
Official Language(s): English, Malay, Indonesian
Other Languages: Chinese, Japanese, Swahili
Demonym: Kianan
Formation: 1919
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
President: Andrew Lee
Prime Minister: Alexander Starkfield
More Information: Kiana is a highly authoritarian welfare state, although highly highly economically powerful. Despite being tiny in size, Kiana, one giant metropolitan city, is the most densely populated city in the entire continent. Kiana is often a tourist destination by tourists wanting to see how so many people can prosperously live in one city. Kianan corporations operate in many other foreign nations. However, the Kianan government has often been criticized for unfair trade practices. Most notorious was the nationalization of a major Mutanian corporation. Kiana enjoys close relations with its former governors, Rahmin, and relatively acrimonious relationships with Mutania. It also enjoys close naval relations with Haikan.
Name: People's Republic of Rahmin (#13)
Capital: Desha
Largest City: Desha
Official Language(s): English
Other Languages: Many
Demonym: Rahmini
Formation: 1883
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Nidina Dasan
Prime Minister: Hiski Dasan
More Information: Rahmin is a rather poor example of a democracy. Despite being a democracy, Rahmin has been dominated by the same political family since its independence. In addition, Rahmin society has had a high incidence of racial and religious violence, due to Rahmin being a racially and religiously diverse nation. There have been many accusations that the Rahmini government has approved of the sporadic lynchings of a certain ethnoreligious groups, historically scapegoated by many Rahminis. Rahmin is Hourai's most populated nation, and enjoys the largest standing army in the entire continent. Despite that, it is still not as developed as many of its neighbors, and is not viewed as a superpower like Fataria, even though it greatly surpasses Fataria in population.
Name: Republic of Naquo (#14)
Capital: Napin
Largest City: Napin
Official Language(s): French, Swahili
Other Languages: English
Demonym: Naquin
Formation: 1884
Government: Unitary Presidential Republic
President: Paul Padagon
Prime Minister: Henri Alsan
More Information: Naquo is a tropical nation renowned for its political corruption and natural resources. Enjoying close relations with both Yalse and Fataria, Naquo is a strongly developed, although highly corrupt, nation. The proactive government has guides economic growth in the nation, and recieves periodic huge shipments of economic aid from Fataria, Yalse, and Rhoshire. Because of this economic aid, Naquins often enjoy a level of economic prosperity despite having a relatively unproductive and inefficient economy themselevs. Naquo also has a very small standing army, although a huge reserve pool. Many foods in Hourai, sugar for example, are only grown in Naquo. This has given Naquo an almost monopoly over many food products, although their agricultural productivity is nowhere the level of say, Northern Lacamia.
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Rules:
Nothing too complicated. Feel free to contact any nation in the continent, I'll RP them all. Obviously, all the standard rules (no godmoding) and all should be followed. And I would warn against large interventions. Hourai's not a giant place, so a huge intervention from some giant nation would make it rather boring. So if you decide to intervene, try to do it weakly. Like arm shipments, covert operations, and economic aid. And of course, diplomatic connections. It should be pretty common-sense what you can still do, and still keep the RP fun. And feel free to do any side-stuff, like RPing an arms dealer, or a businessman, or a journalist, from your country or one of these. And no number-wanking. Hourai isn't THAT big of a continent (think realistic nation sizes), so number-wanking is out of the question. And it's not really of a conquest kick-butt RP. I think it'd be a lot more fun to just try to subtly influence the politics of a region (Hourai), than to use mass intervention.
It's vaguely MT, but not that MT. Think 1950's - 1970's technology. Cold War-era technology. So it'd be more interesting if people didn't use 2020's, or 2000's, or 3000's, technology or anything. Of course, you can always participate with your nation...in the past.
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So...is anyone interested?