[Vision Statement] Kolhar

[Kolhar]

Putting this here as I don't have access to the Academy.

Name: Kolhar
Formal name: Federal State of Kolhar
Demonym: Kolhari

History:
The roots Kolhari society go back to a few hundreds of years after the first human settlements emerged on the island. Though living peacefully, the peoples living on the islands found themselves facing a wave of immigration from another unknown group. These new arrivals quickly set up shop and started fighting amongst each other, all while also fighting against the islands original inhabitants. At some point the entire island is unified by a single state, and a new tribal-esque identity is formed amongst the various groups of people. This identity remains strong, and eventually develops into Kolhar's 8 modern clans.

The country stays united for a few hundred years, though central authority remains weak throughout their rule. Then, as a period of hardship strikes the island a series of rebellions occur. What follows is a period of civil war, after which Kolhar is unified once more by one clan. This pattern occurs multiple times over Kolhar's history, with the country regularly changing between long eras of unified peace and long eras of near-constant civil war. This results in Kolhar becoming a warrior culture, with warriors often being the ones to unify the country and subsequently rule. In the 1750's, after yet another long period of civil war, Kolhar is once again unified, this time by the Okla clan.

The Okla govern as an absolute monarchy, with the strongest central authority that they have ever seen. And yet, they refuse to abandon some of the old ways. The country was in decline by the late 1800's and early 1900's. The industrial revolution, while impacting Kolhar somewhat, has largely left Kolhar behind. Other countries economies are developing far more rapidly while Kolhar still attempts to follow old economic systems. As Kolhar falls behind the economy also stagnates, people get poorer. These poor conditions create opportunities in the 1920's and 1930's for extremist political ideologies, on both ends of the spectrum, to take root.

The monarch sees something needs to change, and looks to some of the new political ideas emerging. He chooses to join the Kolhari Advancement Party, a far-right ultranationalist and proto-fascist political party. Not understanding the full extent of their ideology, the monarch decides to use it as a tool to advance his own goals. Once joining the party, he fundamentally reworks Kolhar's entire economic and political system. What was formerly an absolute monarchy is now a constitutional democratic republic, though only on paper. In the short-term this works, Kolhar sees a period of economic growth and prosperity as the monarch-turned-dictator uses his power to attract foreign investment and pursue a new agenda.

When the monarch dies, this all comes to a screeching halt. The monarch had been grooming his own son to become his successor, but the Kolhari Advancement Party instead chooses one of their own ideologues as the new leader of Kolhar. This person removes the constraints the monarch had put on his party's more extremist sides, and they begin adopting policies the international community finds horrendous. The Kolhari Advancement Party, having always been Okla-supremacist and viewing all other clans as inferior, begins systematically discriminating against all other clans. Citizenship laws are rewritten so that what previously was once a distinction between Okla and non-Okla is completely reworked into a two-tier citizenship system. This enforced discrimination, in some ways similar to an apartheid system, is condemned by the international community. The foreign investment once flowing into Kolhar is cut off as countries across Eurth sanction the new regime and call for an end to the discrimination.

All the while, domestic discontent is growing.

Government:
The Kolhari government is, on paper, a constitutional democratic republic with all the features. Elections are held every 5 years, and all citizens (regardless of tier) are guaranteed the right to vote. However, that is where the similarities to true democracy end. In all elections voters are only given a single choice, a choice they can vote against if they don't mind being arrested by the secret police. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly is nonexistent, not even codified into law. The government has totalitarian control over citizens lives, whether they like it or not. Dissidents often find themselves forced to flee the country by boat.

Economy:
Kolhar's GDPpc stands at just under $15,000. This however, hides the truth that there has been relatively little to no economic growth in the country for several decades. Though the government has invested in some sectors, namely technology and semiconductors, for several decades with the explicit goal of having a domestic production base for technology products, the economy is still one in stagnation. One could even say it is an economy in decline.

The figures also hide an economic divide between Okla supporters of the government, and everyone else. Okla, particularly those who support the government, are regularly favored for higher paying positions, while the other clans are discriminated against to varying degrees.

Future:
The current government cannot last, but the dictator, Arez, is incompetent at everything save for keeping his own subordinates in line. He refuses to implement even the most basic reforms. The Kolhari Advancement Party, though knowing this is not a situation that is good for them, fears Arez too much to do anything about it. Nobody outside of the people in power really like the government, and it is only a matter of time before this discontent explodes into some sort of internal conflict.

Points:
Population: 2 (39,534,000)
Economy: 1 ($14,932)
Land: 1 (TBD)

Edited July 3, 2022 by Volta (see edit history)