NationStates Jolt Archive

Name: Principality of Sudova
Flag: Varies
Structure:Coalition of Tribal/Clan groupings at the local level, with a National government under a Semi-Hereditary monarch designated "High Chieftain of the People of the ships and Princepes of the Land of Sudova". The National Government has several Ministries, and is considered "neutral" in most Local matters. Decrees by the Head of State are reviewed and confirmed or denied by a Moot of Clan and Tribal leaders. The national goverment is heavily restrained in domestic issues, but has complete autonomy in foreign policy, National Defense, and other, primarily external, matters. The one area where the National Government has hegemony on a domestic level, is the regulation of cross-Tribal and Cross-Clan relationships, where it maintains a judicial and mediation function, as well as a special policing function in the case of inter-Clan feuds.

Head of State: Sara Garrettsdottr, (the first), daughter and only surviving heir of the previous head of State, Sara is also the first Female High Chieftain of the People and Princepes of the Land.

Capital City: Klein, built around The Old Fortress, a structure built in Pre-Roman times and expanded/renovated/rebuilt over centuries, Klein sits astride two rivers that converge in the upper foothills of the Barrier range of mountains, and was chosen as a highly defensible point sometime before Christ was born.

Terrain:
Much of the nation is either mountainous, or boggy, with a band of relatively warm, dry land near the sea, and dense forest in most of the lowlands below the Tundra line. Dense, rocky, volcanic islands off the coast form the "Barrier Islands", (these are inhabited..barely), and several areas in the tundra-north are home to hot-springs, making them (barely) inhabitable year-round. An area noted as "The Badlands" is a notably dry zone where rain rarely falls, and the temperature rarely climbs above ten degrees C.

Climate:

Sudova is cold, with much of the country straddling the Tundra/Taiga line. Cloud cover is near constant in many areas, serving to keep the land warm-ish, resulting in high levels of precipitation in all seasons. (Summer is generally rainy, winter sees heavy snowfall in more populated areas.)


Geological: Sudova is quite a find geologically, however, with high concentrations of metals and useful earths in the crust (thanks in part to active geology, including a continental faultline with attendant volcanic activity-activity which periodically adds land-mass...) Warmer regions tend to be very fertile (once you get past the temperature) in terms of soil viability. This all has combined to create conditions in which manufacture of heavy goods is rather more common than the sociological composition would at first seem to indicate. Large coal-seams in the Badlands, along with rich veins of iron, molybdenum, manganese, copper, and Tungsten in the volcanically active regions to the south, small veins of gold and Silver in the interior, and a fairly massive uranium deposit inland have fed Sudova's industrial growth for decades.
Sudova controls a fairly large pool of Oil at 1100 meters depth in the Northern slope region of the continent, with rigs extending out into the sea along the continental shelf.

Technological: Sudovans don't seem to be much for 'inventing'-instead favouring "refinements" of purchased or stolen existing designs, and periodic spurts of building-as a result, Sudova's electrical power grids (multiple) are run off of a variety of sources, including tidal, Nuclear, wind, and a declining fossil-fuel generation capacity (being phased out presently). Sudovan nuclear power reactors are built with a variety of innovations based mostly on other people's research-notably, this has led to the development and heavy investment in, Pebble-bed and Argonne-6 style nuclear reactors, the adoption of "Closed cycle" reprocessing techniques, and a proliferation of Plutonium isotopes-as-fuel. It is rumoured that Sudovan miltary scientists have several designs for nuclear weapons on hand-but no definitive proof (other than large quantities of Plutonium-a fairly common outcome of closed-cycle processing schemes adopted under Alois II in 1977) exists.

Automotive "Technology Efforts" include several attempts at Hybrid technology utilizing an Internal Combustion generator, durable battery design, and electric drive. Hybrids rarely venture outside of the largest urban areas, however, due to difficulties with maintaining energy-density in the power-cells under harsh conditions, and the relative reliability of Diesel-powered vehicles under those same conditions.

Popular models outside the city include a license-built version of the AMC Eagle known locally as the "Munin"-this all-wheel-drive automobile utilizes a relatively clean, multifuel six cylinder diesel engine in place of the defunct AMC's gasoline powerplant, and a "Firmed up" suspension design that does not rely on rubber-booted CV joints. The Munin is the most popular car in the outlying areas in part because it is not an import, and in part because it is not in competition with someone "Foreign". Other popular vehicles include the Isuzu, Mercedes, and Rover marques, as well as the "Fenrir" brand-a re-badged and locally produced version of the International Harvester Scout II and Traveller.

There are literally dozens of brands of Motorcycle and Snowmobile designs, some better than others, but generally a Sudovan "Byke" will tend to share traits with other nations' heavy-trail motorcycles, including long-travel suspension, robust components, simple repair, and simple engine design.

Militarily, the Sudovan military owes a LOT to the United States-at least, in terms of technology. From unlicensed and upgraded copies of the M-60A2 and A3 main battle tank, to the employment of a licensed copying of the Northrup F-20 and Boeing UH-61 UTTAS helicopter, to the use of variants of the M-14, the National Army, and the National Marine Corps employ a lot of equipment reminiscent (sometimes rather blatantly) of the American military's cold-war heyday. There ARE differences, naturally...

the Service rifle cartridge is 6.5mm and based on a hotter version of the Swedish round of the same bore-size. This provides a greater sectional-density and higher ballistic coefficient, enhancing penetration and range.

the Tanks employ advanced electronics and targeting suites including both a transponder/designator to call fire from aircraft, and high-level encrypted communications, as well as generation VI night-vision systems that employ passive and active IR, low-light enhancement, and milimeter wave radar displayed on flat-panel screens, and advanced targeting computers and gyrostabilization of main-gun armament-making the tanks comparable to more recent designs such as the M1A2 Abrams-at least, in terms of fire-control and coordination capability. Armour configuration tends to resemble the Israeli-developed "Sabra" MBT, and engine refinements provide sufficient power to handle the added weight, while wider Track profiles lower the ground-pressure sufficiently to allow the vehicles to cross relatively soft, mucky ground. Notably, the last "MAP" tanks have been retired, and the current models are locally-produced as opposed to modifications.

The "Sudovan IFV" is, at its heart, an M-113 clone, with "Slat armour" as seen on Strykers to protect against shoulder-fired missiles, upgrades to the running gear, the very-reliable "Munin" brand twelve cylinder diesel engine, and similar "Network" capable target-designation gear to that found on the MBT. Armament tends to be pintle-mounted, though one variant employs an updated TOW missile system to act as an anti-tank platform, while there is also a Stinger-variant equipped with a four-tube "Stinger Pod" on a light, one-man turret, backed up by a pair of M2 HB machine guns in 12.7mm.

Light armour includes a "Networked" version of the Canadian-developed LAV-25, armed with a 30mm automatic cannon, and fitted with a laser-designator and uplink system to provide immediate call-for-fire from aviation assets and artillery units.

Suffice to say that electronic-warfare and signals interception are considered high-priority developments in this current era of Sudovan military thinking, while increasing raw explosive power of shells is somewhat less important. This leads to a somewhat anemic raw-firepower numbers, but extremely precise and accurate targeting capability.

The Sudovan Navy, on the other hand, is absolutely MAD for new toys, particularly toys that provide a more accurate picture of the battlefield, more close-support capability for landing missions, and more exact determination of actual threat capacity on, above, and below sea-level. Missile frigates dominate the Navy in sheer numbers, followed closely by various Destroyer designs, and followed thereon by various stripes and types of carriers, from LHC's (straight-deck "Helicopter Carriers" intended to also act as landing-support vessels for Marine forces) to "Light Carriers" (fast, low-capacity ships intended to support UAV operations as part of a fleet group), to "Supercarriers" (really not that super-the largest is equivalent to a Forrestal-Class and follows similar lines). Sudova has few "Cruisers" or ships that fall into the traditional "battleship" role. Those in-service are tricked out with every possible electronic and targeting advantage to serve their primary purpose of providing heavy naval gunfire and missile bombardment of shore targets as part of a coordinated fleet.

This navy, in turn, is supported by an oversized Logistical arm that includes lots of "extra" transport capacity under the assumption that an enemy will first target the supply lines, and that the supply lines therefore have to be extremely robust.

Sudovan submarine assets are, by comparison, relatively few, and largely obsessed with fleet defense against enemy submarines. Diesel-Electric and "Low Noise" nuclear designs predominate, though sea-trials are ongoing for a "Fuel Cell" sub capable of "making a hole in the water" better than the diesel boats (so far, the trials have not been promising.)

On the Littoral front, Sudovan littoral fleet assets are a mish-mash of designs intended to do everything from close-to-shore-at-sea missions, to "brown water" deep penetration/patrol operations. Notably, these tend to use "Ground force spec" electronics and operate from "Motherships" that act as command vessels, supply points, and occasionally repair platforms, and operate in conjunction with UAV and Helicopter assets as part of the Marine Corps rather than as proper Navy ships.

Navy/Marine aircraft:
Typically, the Navy employs versions of familiar airframes, including the F-20 in a Navalized version for carrier operations, F-4 Phantom updated with Turbofan engines, A-6 Intruder, EA-6 Intruder "G", and (recently) a copy of the F-32 (the Boeing entry into the JSF competition, beaten out by Lockheed in the U.S.) JSF, which is run in the "Carrier/Interceptor" version.


The Marine Corps employs:
AV-8D Harrier (slowly being phased out in favour of the F-32)
AH-66 Cheyenne ("S" model, the "stealth" problems were simply tossed over the side and the Sudovan version doesn't bother-it's run almost exclusively in the "Attack" platform version, which it does respectably well)
PA-48 Enforcer (the Piper Enforcer, a turboprop single-engine bomber originally developed for the PAVE-COIN programme, the Sudovan version employs extensive upgrades to the Avionics and instrumentation to allow all-weather operations and night combat missions.)
UH-61 UTTAS-N (an updated, navalized version of the YUH-61 UTTAS design boeing failed to sell the U.S. Department of Defense in the seventies)
CH-47 Heavy Lift helicopter
H-53 Helicopter
OH-6 (upgraded) Scout helicopter


The Sudovan Air-Force has three missions:
1. Local Defense/CAP over Sudovan lands.
2. Logistical Supply for the Navy and Marine Corps overseas
3. Strategic Tactical Support

Like the Army, the Air Force, in foreign operations, is subordinate to the Naval Fleet's requirements. The largest component of the Sudovan Air Force is its transport arm, and the backbone of that arm, is the C-14, which is based on the YC-14 STOL Transport concept fielded by Boeing in the late 1970's. The Sudovan C-14 has upgraded and lightened avionics, five-stage Turbofan engines, and certain structural upgrades to handle heavier loads.

This airframe is accompanied by unlicensed versions of the C-141 and C-5, new-manufactured from copied components and given slight engineering tweaks to improve loading and fuel-efficiency.

The Air Force also fields a 767 variant AWACS design that has recently undergone extensive upgrades and updates to increase detection and communications ranges, improve signal coordination, and overcome ECM jamming (thus fulfilling requirement 3 in part) UAV control-stations have been added to the payload and systems, and the wings have had chord and length alterations to allow the installation of hardpoints capable of carrying small UAV's, and releasing them at altitude.

Aerial refueling capacity includes a 737 based light tanker, 767 based Medium tanker, and aging KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft that are currently awaiting replacement as additional units of the 767 tanker are brought on-line.

Sudovan strategic bombing capacity is severely limited, with only two squadrons of (constantly repaired and upgraded) Vulcan bombers, backed by four squadrons of B-66 "Light" bombers for short-duration missions. These have had extensive upgrades, but lack the load and power of more modern equivalents. Until recently, this was considered sufficient, as the Principality had no current enemies and few entangling alliances. With the succession of Sara Garrettsdottr, a crash programme to improve the Air Force's "Strategic/Tactical mission" profile has been initiated.

Air-Defense fighters are mostly comprised of F-106 "enhanced capability" fighters, backed by F-20"S" light interception fighters. It is likely that, with the noted surplus of Plutonium, and the relatively mature nature of nuclear weapons design (not to mention the variety of warheads that could be dissected thanks to the fall of the soviet union) that Sudova retains the F-106 in whole or in part in order to deploy a locally-developed version of the AGM-2 Genie Nuclear air-to-air missile.

Ballistic-Missile-forces: With the existence of a Space Programme, it is extremely likely that Sudova's military has intercontinental missile capability. With their mania for "accurate info NOW!!" technologies, it is equally likely that their targeting with those missiles might be extremely accurate and precise. As demonstrated in the Regional Lynion/Northam-York conflict, Sudovan designers favour missiles over heavy guns for most long-range applications, and while they do not claim to have nuclear weapons, they do not deny having them either, and have signed no treaties with regards to nuclear proliferation. the perpetual cloud-cover in many regions of the country make sattellite observation difficult under the best of circumstances.

Sattelite/NEO forces: Sudova has a space programme, they also have a mania for electronic toys that provide information at a distance, and employ (heavily) network-enabled systems on a tactical level (as seen in the Northam-York/Lynion conflict). It is known that "Sattellite Recce", imagery interpretation, and sattelite communications are fields heavily taught in their military schooling, and they are also very, very interested in data encryption and decryption. It is likely that many of the sattelite payloads put in orbit are of a military or dual-use nature.

Based on a design patented in the 1970's by Dr. Robert Forward of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (pasadena), Sudova has begun a programme to place a "Statite" over the nearest pole-this is a sattelite that has a very, very, tight orbital position-nearly stationary. it is not known if the Sudovans have paid the estate of Dr. Forward the royalties owed, however such a device could provide them with Hemispheric level observation and communications coverage, provided it is not interfered with.

Naturally, such a system may never come to be-given the Sudovan propensities for internal issues...

Next article: Culture

Sudovan Cultural Norms

One of the most important aspects to successful diplomacy with Sudovans (or successful large business ventures and the like) is to understand their cultural imperatives.

Particularly with regards to a few "hot buttons".

Alcohol: "If you won't have a Drink with me, we're not doing business". The single quickest way to kill a major deal with a sudovan, is to refuse to have a drink to seal it-Alcoholic beverages have had the reputation of "The world's oldest truth-serum" for a long, long time. Refusing a Drink is a sign of mistrust or a sign of deception-the first impugns your host's honour, the second impugns your own. For nations with religious strictures against the consumption of Alcohol, this tends to be the first (and most obvious) barrier to any sort of permanent relationship.

Slavery: "Bond-Slavery corrupts both the Slave, and the Slave-holder." Bizarrely for a nation that has so many obvious descents from the Viking cultures and other Northern Barbarians, both the People of the Ships, and the People of the Hills (the dominant ethnic groupings in the Principality) have a long tradition of viewing Slavery as dishonourable, disgusting, and weak. Even during the Raiding Period prior to the Final Settlement imposed by High Chieftain Bulwei the Fourth (the Bloody handed) in 1234 C.E., the People did not keep the captives they took-a medieval European taken captive in a raid might be forced to watch the war-party slaughter his entire village, but when the killing and looting ended, they would set him free on the shore before heading back to sea.
In Moral terms, this marks their standards as somewhat bizarre- it is morally acceptable to slaughter an enemy, his family and his allies and theirs, but it is reprehensible to deny him (or her) the dignity of being a free person through enslavement.
At times, this has led to some rather horrific atrocities in war-time.

Jews? sure, Christians? Not so much, Muslims? Go Away. While the dominant religion in Sudova is a Pagan, polytheistic derivative of Germanic and Norse superstitions, there is a flourishing Jewish community that is held in rather high esteem. Prior to the Palestinian Mandate and the founding of Israel in 1948, Jews comprised some 15% of the Sudovan Population. Unlike much of Europe and nearly all of the Middle East, the Sudovans have never discriminated against the Children of Abraham in any way-though they HAVE been somewhat to very unfriendly toward Christian Nations and Islamic Nations. This is largely explained by the lack of "Evangelical" Judaism- In general, the Pagans view their monotheistic countrymen as relying on an overworked, lonely, and possibly unresponsive god, but accept that the Monotheistic Jews are showing a strong and honourable stance in their exclusive loyalty TO that god, with a mild admiration for the Jews' consistent and systematic honouring of family lines and family ties. One outcome of this odd, more-than-a-thousand-year-old relationship, is that Jews largely run (either directly, or indirectly) most of the National Government's civilian branch.
Another, is that "Kosher" food tends to be "Standard Fare"-Sudovans rarely (if ever) consume Pork, and food-quality is rather consistently high thanks to ingrained traditions, many of them borrowed or learned from their Jewish countrymen.

Religious Alarm: "Nine went to the Gallows for the Winter Solstice..." Sudovan Paganism is not the santized version seen among play-actors in Christian states. Human and Animal sacrifice are both accepted cultural norms, with both willing (seeking the favour of a god) and un-willing (convicted of a serious crime) sacrifices given regularly to deities such as Odin, Hel, She-of-Storms, and The Trickster. Sudovan Naval ships are fitted with a Gallows for the purpose, to be used or not used, as needed, and (as observed by Lynion officers off the coast of York, prior to the Adelaide and Albany invasions), they are used to make sacrifice to the One-Eye, Grimnir, also known as Odin or Wotan.

Clan Conflicts: "I'm at war with HIS family, not Yours-you do business with him, you do business with me, you're not part of this, so butt out." The societal structure of the majority in Sudova results in a nation that shares a language, shares common values, shares a national government and a national structure...made up of tiny nations that sometimes wage tiny wars over local issues. In general, to maintain the "Peace", these are confined to the specific sides involved both by traditional restraints, and the existence of the Mediators-a corps of investigators and prosecutors who hold the power of summary execution, backed by the full might of a National Government that can call on every adjoining Clan in the Nation-whether they are currently feuding with one another or not. Some Mediators work openly, and are visible and identifiable, with the protection of ALL Clans through their service. Others work in the shadows, stalling Feuds and settling issues before they reach the boiling point, or investigating incidents that the State can not be seen to be concerned with. Feuds aren't so much legal or illegal, as they are viewed to be preventable, or inevitable. Mediators answer to the Grand Moot and the Princepes, and no one else, and most often only become openly involved when a Feud between two Clans threatens their neighbours, or the Nation as a whole.

Most Mediators are at least Nominally from Jewish families, and the Service's informal ranking system places the term "Rabbi" as a high level official of the organization. (There ARE Pagan Mediators, but these are relatively rare.)

Local Matters: "The Provincial Moot has determined that road improvements on Highway 7 will be paid for by a Tax..." Provinces and municipalities often follow the tradtional forms of Clan relationships-with representatives from each Clan sending a member (or two, or proportional) to vote on local governmental matters such as road construction, bridge maintenance, utilities investment, infrastructure, and school funding/operation. Local moots rarely meet year 'round, as the Delegates are expected to have real, actual work of their own. Some areas have a designated, full-time law-enforcement official, others make do with part-timers, this is often largely determined by the contentiousness of the inhabitants, and their raw numbers.

Typically local governments do not recieve funding from the National level, and are expected to prepare and maintain what public works they have with minimal outside interference (except in cases where said locals truly can not maintain those infrastructural elements without outside assistance-such as during disasters or near National Infrastructure elements such as rail stations, airports, regional medical centres, military bases, and the like.)

Festivals: in addition to the usual Solstice festivals, equinox observances, fertility festivals, and harvest gatherings, Sudovans have a number of local observances, including festivities for ending Feuds, Weddings (often the same thing), Funeral observances, and Birth Rituals. Perhaps in part because of the harshness of their environment, these folks like to Party whenever they can.

Work Ethic: "What is life, without work??" The Sudovan culture, regardless of relgious or other factors, is one of work-a man without a job is a useless man, and such men are scorned by their neighbours and Kin. If a Job can not be found, it must be invented to maintain one's dignity and sense of self-worth. Income, surprisingly, is not as honoured a measure of a man's worth, as the quality of what he does. Sudovans love to argue about who is "best"-and the measure, more often than not, is in terms of skill. At "Festivals", many workmen will gather to show just how good they are at what they do-by competing, sometimes in front of crowds, to demonstrate their level of mastery at their craft. (this has generated more than one bloody feud, unfortunately. Sudovans generally dislike losing.) In some cases, this type of competition serves a secondary purpose-showing potential employers from out-of-the-area the skills of men recently out-of-work or seeking to enter a new field of work.

One of the most extravagant examples of this in recent memory, was Her Majesty's challenge-calling on Journeyman carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and technical workers to build the new International Terminal in Klein City. Clans that sent competitors recieved a tax-break, while the workers themselves were paid well for their efforts, and participated in a party afterward that left several hundered potential employers hung over the next day, with contracts signed the night before.

Cultural Norms continued:

Marraige and Courting: There are a variety of courtship rituals in Sudovan society, but the dominant form in most of the country shows an unusual matriarchial taint. The prospective Bride to Be is presented a number of males (either through social interaction, or family selection of candidates), and if she finds one to be somewhat suitable, she will grant him a token-usually a ring. This indicates her willingness to be courted. The Courtship is traditionally a one to two year period, during which the prospective husband demonstrates his willingness to provide for her, while she demonstrates to him her value as a partner. If, during this period, either of them wishes to end the relationship, the ring is returned and they part ways. While bound by the Ring, the relationship is considered "Exclusive".

In some cases (particularly in the case of young persons) the family or legal guardian of one of the pair may intervene to terminate the relationship-a measure intended in part to prevent pre-emptively the occurrence of domestic or spousal abuse, and in part to prevent a "bad marraige" from occurring due to young exuberance. Divorce is relatively difficult under Sudovan laws and customs, so prevention is considered by most "Right thinking" (i.e. traditionalist) Sudovans to be a preferred alternative.

Marraiges tend to be fairly wild celebrations.

Recently (in the last ten years) Homosexual relationships have been recognized as legal weddings. "Gay Divorce" remains illegal, however, a situation that often recieves protests from gay-rights groups, as once a homosexual couple are registered as "Married" there is no way to terminate the relationship short of death, whereas non-homosexual unions may do so, provided that one or more of the parties has shown adequate grounds in a court, paid the necessary fees, and proven that the termination of the marraige is in the community's best interests. (fees are waived in the event of physically abusive or fraudulent relationships in which one partner is taking criminal advantage of the other).

Monogamy is the rule in Sudovan marital relationships, and Adultery is considered a criminal misdemeanour with an escalating system of fines and punishments attached. In serious cases where the couple have a child, a guardian from one parent's family is found and the child is transferred to that person's custody, as both parents are (unless divorced) considered unfit under the law, if no family members are available/present or alive, the child becomes a ward of the State until the offense has been corrected.

Sudova maintains Orphanages under National Supervision in most provinces.

[i]Adoption, it's not just for Children: The "Adoption Tradition" is, perhaps, a cultural dodge around the taboos related to Slavery. It is derived from the Raiding era. A Clan may adopt anyone willing to be adopted who has either no Clan of his own, or whose Clan has rejected him or her. Orphaned children are still taken in under this system, and are fostered to childless couples who serve as "Fosterage". This tends to get kids out of the National System fairly quickly. Once adopted, the Clan becomes responsible for the Child's upbringing and personal welfare, responsible for their schooling, and in all ways answerable for their actions. Adults adopted into a Clan are "fostered" for a period of six to eighteen months, after which, they are expected to behave as any other citizen or member of their new Clan. In modern usage, the most common adult adoptees are immigrants seeking Citizenship, Criminals who have served their sentence but been legally separated from their Clans, and those left Clanless by Feuds or Natural Disaster. Among the Maritime "People of the Ships", Fosterage includes a change of name and identity to one that identifies with the Clan's. The Adoptee's last name is changed, and their old surname becomes a middle-name or Honorific.
The Croatos and Nash Clans are the most notorious Clans for adopting outsiders, both are heavily involved in foreign trade with the Helmut and Hermod shipping lines, and both are centred in the Barrier Islands. Other "Frequent Adopters" are the Kinney, McCall, and Gwynedd Clans of the Hill Peoples, though the McCalls of recent years have not been as heavily inclined to recruiting new members.

At the Height of Bulwei III's reign, a great many European survivors of raids were "adopted", as were a number of persons from Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as a few notables from North Africa. Bulwei the First (The Kind, 622CE to 678 C.E.) also "adopted" several groups of Jews fleeing the expanding violence of the Islamic Empire of Muhammed. These "adoptees" were recognized as "Full Clans" under Gustav II (The Wise) in 755CE.

Currency and Financial Affairs...

The Sudovan Guilder is a "Stable" currency backed by Silver. The choice of Silver as a financial backing is, in part, based on the percieved need for something 'Tangible' to underpin the monetary supply. One result of this, is that the Government has a great deal of difficulty inflating the value of Sudovan money, the other is that they just don't print or mint as much money as they otherwise might. This has served as a kind of 'automatic cap' on government expenditures, and may have delayed economic expansion.

Trade: Sudovan shipping companies often function with a degree of independence that other nations' shippers don't. The National Government has few "Trade Agreements" formalized with outside national governments, but Sudovan freighters may be found in port in any number of foreign states that their government has few or no formal ties to, carrying cargoes the government doesn't know about, to buyers the government doesn't know about, from sellers the government doesn't know about. In general terms, this has led to some Merchant companies in the country having resources that their own government lacks, including foreign contacts and information sources well developed in places that barely register on the Foreign Ministry's radar at all.

The Trade Ministry does however, issue warnings to Sudovan ships when a brewing conflict or situation might threaten this autonomy. "Travel Advisories" are frequently issued for regions at war, or regions that have become hostile or dangerous. In the case of the United Taifas of El Andalus, and the Scandinvan Empire, these 'travel advisories' have been accompanied by the one power the Central Government can exert on Sudovan trade-that is, the power of "Banishment" for those who trade or contact an enemy or pariah state. "Banishment" means forfieture of safe haven in Sudovan ports, loss of citizenship, loss of Clan Membership, erasure of domestic assets, and refusal of other property rights with a penalty of death should the Banished one appear in Sudovan custody-death, to be carried out immediately by whatever means are available at the time.