Federative Republic of Vastepa
"Alone, a song. Together, a symphony."
Cultural Geography
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Sovereign States
Also known as: Vastepa, Vastepan Republic, Republic of Vastepa, R.O.V., F.R.V.
The Federative Republic of Vastepa is a country spanning across the southeastern region of the continent. It is the largest country in the known world by area and population size, bordering Krasriga and Grouderia to the north, New Karshav and the South Jarsmond Republic to the west, and Maubesia to the east. The capital city is Hausetra, and the country's largest city is Konstad (26,006,693 inhabitants as of the 1035 Kc census).
Vastepa's history stretches back into the earliest centuries of the First Shift, when refugees fleeing from the rapidly tundrafying and desertifying south crossed over The Divide and formed some of the first nomadic groups in known history. With further migration north, these early groups found the soil to be more suitable for agriculture, forming the first settlements and agricultural hubs around Lake Vastepa. The first city-states in the region would appear between the coasts of the Jarsmond and Ocarash Seas.
Above; Internationally recognized Vastepan territory.
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Hausetra
Konstad
Federal presidential republic under emergency military rule
Prime Magistrate (suspended; currently VAF Chief Marshal)
Bicameral; National Councils (suspended)
Approx. 26,000,000 km^2
Approx. 87,000,000
Markra
Above; the Vastepan flag. It displays the Harp constellation, which was chosen as a unifying symbol of the nation for its shared visibility across the country and importance in several cultures.
In the late 600s Kc, these city-states came under the threat of nomadic groups still roving the steppes adjacent to the Divide. They would form an alliance between themselves to build a mutual defensive network, and later encouraged economic development through actions like infrastructure projects, trade agreements, etc. Later confederalization would boost these efforts, and by 732 Kc, the confederation reorganized into the Federative Republic of Vastepa.
In 818 Kc, following continued raiding actions by warlord factions to the west, elements of the Vastepan military (today known as the Vastepan Armed Forces) lobbied to begin an extensive "peacemaking" operation in the western steppes. The first militarized landships had just been developed, and theorists suggested such technology would prove decisive in defeating well-armed bandit parties. Following a near-unanimous vote in favor of aggressive action, the "West War" began.
Nearly twenty years later, in 838 Kc, the final major warlord factions were defeated, triggering a period remembered as the "Great Hopes." Vastepa saw extensive industrial and economic growth in this period, and through additional peacemaking and mediation efforts in local affairs, became recognized as the regional power of the southeast. This period also saw the first state-sponsored archaeological expeditions begin in the Basin Deserts, making Vastepa one of the first organizers of a coordinated Sub-Divide recovery effort.
Tensions over claims to the Greater Basin, its cultural ties, and recovered technological artifacts between the ROV and the Lacadovian Commonwealth grew in the early 900s Kc. During the Three Wars in the 940s, Vastepa moved to form a defense alliance between itself and other surrounding nations out of anxiety over growing Lacadovian aggression. LERSECPA was established later that decade, and would be called to action within the next two decades for the grueling Continental War.
The aftermath of the Continental War left Vastepa in a devastated shape. Fission-byproduct contamination forced large swathes of land to be quarantined, and the specific targeting of oil fields in the north made economic recovery even more difficult and prolonged. During the Ten-Year Twilight, the civilian government of Vastepa collapsed under the weight of environmental and economic catastrophe, forcing the military to step in as the Vastepan Provisional Government.
Despite successful secessionist movements (like that which formed New Karshav) in the closing years of the Twilight, Vastepa remained relatively united. Today, while not quite recovered from the devastation of the Razing, the ROV is largely considered stable.
Geography
The Vastepan Republic is the largest country on the continent, and potentially in the entire world. Its nearly 26,000,000 square kilometer (10,038,656 sq mi) area stretches across several climate zones and various biomes, but is particularly characterized by extensive reaches of grasslands in the south and mixed (but less diverse) forests in the north. The furthest southeast regions of the country are dominated by tundra, a well as the presence of the Ölelkan Desert.
The eastern coast is defined by the presence of the Ocarish Sea, whereas the Jarsmond Sea lies along the country’s western coastline. The continent’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Vastepa, is nestled between The Divide and the Evrondes to the south. The country’s longest river system is the Ludihia, which flows from the middle lowlands and flows out into the Ocarash Sea. It is the longest known river with a dam.
Climate
Vast regions of Vastepa are characterized by cold and semi-arid or fully arid conditions, especially south of the Jarsmond Sea, where temperatures often average around 0℃ (32℉) and average precipitation can be as little as 13 mm (0.5 in) during wintertime months (Koulus). These regions also often experience strong wind conditions and cold waves around The Divide, but overall sees less storm activity during the summer.
While the summer can be more hospitable in the south, most of the population and major cities are concentrated within the north. Precipitation and temperature averages make life much more comfortable in these areas, with milder winters and warmer summers common. During the late summer and early autumn months, however, there is risk of hurricane impacts along the east coast.
Government & Politics
Following the government’s collapse in the years after the Northern Razing, the national federal government of Vastepa has been under the leadership of a military-controlled system led by the Chief Marshal of the Vastepan Armed Forces. It has faced criticism for continuous delays to reestablishing the country’s prior democratic processes despite the relaxing of international relations, and often criticized specifically because it was meant to be a short-term provisional emergency measure. In 1039 Kc, the Chief Marshal Laurinna Kallet announced plans to return the government to civilian control after nearly 50 years of military leadership. Elections are expected to begin again in 1041 Kc.
Foreign Relations
The ROV maintains formal diplomatic relations with most nations across the southern and eastern regions of the continent, and retains strong diplomatic ties with members of LERSECPA. In 1018 Kc, it began formal diplomatic missions with member states of the Free League following decades of support for Anti-Colonialist rebellions in Lacadovian holdings. It does not maintain any formal diplomatic relations with the Commonwealth.