[Vision Statement] Democratic Republic of Conshānén

[Conshanen]

Disclaimer, keep in mind that this is a vision statement so much of what I'm talking about is not the final version of what things are and will certainly be modified and expanded upon. The general gist of what I'm saying will stay the same, but much of the detail is dependent on location on the map, RP with other nations, and being able to expand on details slowly over time than writing a massive paper all at once. If there's anything you would recommend I do to improve things, feel free to let me know. 

Geography:

Conshānén is culturally and geographically defined by the Dàhémen River and its valley, which is quite fertile. The river begins in the Sacrishān Mountains, a tall and snow-capped range that is sacred in the native Conshān religion. In the lower valley there are a group of lakes which have historical significance to the nation as being the home of the original shuquachétatems (water cities), a city built on man-made islands within a body of water. Some of the original water cities remain, and the major modern city of Húurbs also follows this tradition. Carrasach, the capital city of Conshānén, is near the center of the valley on a series of hills overlooking the river. The capital is in the center of the valley to symbolically represent the center of life. Gǎntus is the largest city on the coast, and is home to the Great Temple of Hǎre, one of the holiest sites in the state’s native religion. There are other major cities throughout the country. The terrain of the land ranges from mountainous to flat, and has many hilly regions along the borders. The climate is temperate (dependent on map placement), so the flora and fauna is characteristic of that. There are scattered microbiomes in various parts of the country due to local weather patterns, however. The climate in the Dàhémen Valley is consistent in climate throughout and due to that plus the flat land surrounding the river, the state became centralized early in its history around 1050 BC. While easy to unify, different regions of the valley have had minor cultural differences that persist to this day. Rural life is more traditional than urban life in the country, though both have upsides and downsides in the current era. Historically, the balance between nature and civilization was strong, but recent times have broken that balance slightly as environmentally destructive practices have been endorsed by the government. (Discussing landforms, biota, parks, etc. in more detail isn’t something I can really do until I know where the country will be on the map).

History: 

The history of Conshānén is long and complex, dating back to roughly 1050 BC. Historians are not entirely sure of this date since there have not been many archeological sites and artifacts discovered from this period. It seems likely based on current evidence that this was around the time the first centralized Conshān state emerged, though there were humans in the region for far longer. The following nearly 3000 year period is defined by dynastic cycles, where a ruling dynasty would establish itself and rule until some major issues caused its collapse and the rise of a new dynasty. Some periods are defined by a lack of a dynasty, however, due to there being no central authority. The industrial revolution brought massive changes to society, and led to a brutal civil war in the 1900s that led to the fracturing of the state once again and the deposition of the last royal dynasty. 

Politics:

The current leader of Conshānén is a dictator named Thomǎsī Dalerus. He is de jure the leader of all of Conshānén , but de facto only controls the capital Carrasach and its immediate surroundings. The rest of the country is nominally independent from the central government, paying lip service to the central authority. This fracturing of the state occurred as a result of the Conshān Civil Wars that occurred in the mid to late 1900s. These wars led to a great deal of lives lost and the current situation is something of a stalemate due to regional alliances and politics. Public opinion is hard to judge due to the government limiting freedom of expression, and continuing to utilize martial law to brutalize political opponents. These conflicts came about due to the industrial revolution, which severely destabilized the state and led to the overthrowing of the last royal dynasty of Conshānén and nearly 3000 years of dynastic rule of the country. The elimination of the central authority led to widespread conflict, which was made far more deadly due to industrial-modern era weapons being used. The Dalerus family is well known in the country due to their oppressive rule, and while not important in modern times, many of the state’s earlier dynasties are common to discuss. No elections take place due to martial law, and the only authorized political party is Lìvi (strength), headed by Dalerus. The previous capital building was destroyed in the war, so Dalerus had a brutalist capitol building built in the outskirts of Carrasach. Castronisia is a member of the wurld assembly (other foreign relations will be defined once the map location is established).

Quality of police varies depending on what region of the country you are in, with police in the capital being an arm of the government. They are not working for the benefit of the people, rather for the benefit of the dictatorship. They have no restraints on what they’re able to do to everyday people. The judiciary is also an arm of the government currently, being filled with cronies of the dictator. Guns are restricted by the government since an armed populace has a higher chance of revolting. Organized crime is high due to the stagnating economy and corrupt government bureaucracy, and is especially concentrated in major cities. Murders are usually investigated by the secret police, who work diligently to stamp out any potential threats to the government. Most goods can be found in the black market due to government controlled prices on official goods. The greatest threat the country faces is the rekindling of war over the political status of the country. Conscription is mandatory, and the military is responsible for not just defense but also firefighting, disaster relief, and other tasks. Immigration is severely restricted, and most foreign policy is done with the aim to better the government’s position over other regional leaders in Conshānén.

As mentioned, the Conshān Civil Wars occurred in the mid to late 1900s, devastated the population, and led to the splintering of the central authority. Minor skirmishes still occur somewhat regularly, and civilians are well accustomed to that. The state has an official army, navy, air force, and special forces division within the larger Armed Forces of Conshānén. De facto independent parts of the country have unrecognized military groups as well. (Organization, training, units, battles, tactics, etc. are a bit complex for this synopsis so I won’t go into much detail for that yet). The country has a long history with military conflicts so has many military strategic, architectural, etc. styles (that I will go into more detail on later). Conscription is mandatory, and the government wants access to nuclear weapons but does not have the technology.

Economy:

The economy is a command economy run strictly by the state. It has not been a very strong economy due to corruption, warfare, etc. It was a strong economy in pre-industrial times however. (More detail on this will come on exports, industries, etc. as I expand on things once I have a solid base). 

Demographics:

Conshān is a broad category for those who speak the language and have similar culture (mostly from the Dàhémen Valley). There are various subgroups, but Conshāns as a whole make up roughly 93% of the population. Various minority groups account for the rest. The people have a special relationship with spirituality, where worship is not necessary to be a part of the native religion, called Tiāndìvuntur (Tiandivunturism, or Tiandi for short). 84% of the population is Tiandi, though only around ⅓ of that are strongly religious. The religion is cyclic, and has special relationships with natural cycles such as the water cycle, astronomical cycles, etc. Water is the most sacred of these cycles. Various minority religions exist. The population of the country is concentrated in the older and younger ages, while the middle aged demographic is somewhat low due to severe loss of life during the wars in the 1900s. (More details on demographics will be added as I progress the backstory for the country).

Culture:

The culture was somewhat isolated and grew mostly independently through the ages. There was a strong tradition for science, the arts, etc. (For reference, the culture of Conshānén is modeled on somewhat of a hybrid between the Latin wurld and China where certain aspects from each will be incorporated. Some things will be unique as well. This is still a work in progress, but that’s the starting point for RP).

Statistics:

TBD once I talk to a RP Advisor about it. 

Edited August 20 by Conshanen (see edit history)