The North PacificBoard

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The Most Serene Republic of Kalatun

The Most Serene Republic of Kalatun

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Motto: Why can't we be friends?

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Location

[img](INSERT IMAGE OF NATION WITHIN REGION[/img]

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Acronym: MSRK

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Capital: Sythavt
Largest City: Ikyzems

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Official Languages: English, Kalatunian, German
Recognised Langauges: Uzochian, Dhartese

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Demonym: Kalatunian

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Government
- President: Aputsiaq Jeremiassen
- Prime Minister: Roland Kullas

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Population:
- Total Population (2016 estimate): 47,982,121

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Establishment: merging of various Ethnic tribes
Independence:
- Proclaimed: 3rd July, 1965
- Recognised: 17th November, 1967

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Area

Land Area: 31,273km2
Water Area: 5,106km2

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Elevation

Highest Point: 3,471m
Lowest Point: -2m

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Currency: Shilat (also used by Lorbank)

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Time Zone: TNP -0

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Drives on the: Left

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The Most Serene Republic of Kalatun, abbreviated as MSRK, or simply Kalatun, is a Parliamentary Merchant Republic, located in the North Pacific. Kalatun is surrounded by Lorbank to the west, Rausenburg to the north, Territorio di Nessuno to the east, Sirisea to the south, and Rumata to the extreme south, by a border only a few miles wide. The population is estimated to stand at just under 48 million individuals as of a 2016 estimate. The official languages are English, Kalatunian, German, and the regional languages Uzochian and Dhartese.

Current President Aputsiaq Jeremiassen was elected on June 28th, 2016, the fourth Kalatunian President representing the Kalatunian Socialist Party (KSP), and the fifth since independence. Jeremiassen is also the first ethnically Dhartese President, and was a revolutionary leader in the 1965 War of Indpendence. Roland Kullas, an ethnic Luqo, has been Prime Minister since January 29th, 2010, and is serving his second term. Kullas hails from the Kalatunian Liberal Party.

Kalatun is frequently described as a "Welfare State", and has one of the largest Welfare programs on earth, resulting in a high dependence on welfare, but an extremely low poverty rate. An estimated 14.3% of all Government expenditure is directed to Welfare. Other sources of government expenditure include Health and Safety, Public Transport, the Environment and Education. Kalatun is notable for being relatively politically left-leaning throughout its history, and has never had a Conservative majority government or President since formation in 1965.

The Capital city, Administrative centre and fastest-growting city is Sythavt (Sih-tahft), while the largest city and economic powerhouse is Ikyzems (Ih-kee-shemz), which lies in the Luqo Region.

Brief History

(TO BE EDITED TO BE ACTUALLY BRIEF.)

There are many archaeological sites scattered throughout Kalatun, specifically in fertile lowland regions and river valleys, that reveal a variety of ancient groups and tribes, as well as a relatively small, but long-lasting empire, the Velonite Empire, which controlled much of modern-day Kalatun, and lasted from approximately 1500 BCE - 730 ACE. The Empire was characterised by technological advancement, agricultural development and constant raids to the east and west, coming down from the Kalatunian highlands, and giving the Velonite Empire a legacy of ferocity and mercilessness, although the Empire tended to raid rather than annex and expand. The Velonite Empire was ruled by such figures as Baldur the Mighty, Iskar Haelgiron and Jakøll the Brave. Baldur, in particular, oversaw a temporarily subjugation of much of modern eastern Lorbank for some years in the 570s. The Empire declined in the 730s as a result of infighting and differing cultures and practices.

The next period of Kalatunian history was a dark age, lasting from the 730s until 1129 ACE. During this time period, the remains of the Velonite Empire split up into splinter factions, becoming sheltered and defensive to other splinter factions. These factions were based in cultural enclaves, and dictated the rough geography of Kalatun's modern states and counties. These different factions were almost constantly engaged in continual warfare, which was long, slow and relatively bloodless considering it manifested into hundreds of years of ceaseless war. Occasionally a battle would emerge and borders would alter by a few miles, but the factions remained relatively unchanged from the 730s until 1129. One particular faction, the Radoreans, would migrate into central and eastern Lorbank and became culturally distinct from the post-Velonite factions.

The year 1129 ACE marked a significant year in Kalatun's history, as the Kingdom of Kalatia was founded in central Kalatun, and was a peace and unification agreement between the Kalatuni, Uzochi, Targuli, Wykan, Vlako, Ikyzems, Maqou, Rodaris and Luqo factions. Only the Radoreans and
the Dhartese did not wish to merge into the Kingdom of Kalatia. The Radoreans had already established their own enlightened, wealthy and independent kingdom in central-eastern Lorbank, whilst the Dhartese did not have as much justification to ignore the unification, and so, the Kingdom of Kalatia declared war on the land of Dharte in 1131, and fully annexed this land in 1138, after years of pillaging and one of the earliest records of ethnic cleansing. The Dharte were the largest post-Velonite faction, both geographically and in numbers, but were reduced to a minority group in the east of Kalatun. This began centuries of mistreatment of the Dharte people, which only ceased judicially around the time of independence in 1965, and remains a social problem in the region.

The Kingdom of Kalatia lasted until 1533. In 1530, again, division occurred - when the House of Rogaalu, the founding family of the Kingdom of Kalatia, was discovered to have been created by a peasant family of mixed Kalatuni, Maqou and Uzochi heritage. This sparking outcries from the various ethnic groups about their right to rule, and self-determination. The Kingdom of Uzochi was created in 1531, and peacefully split off from the Kalatia, for a large sum of money. The Dhartese people began to rebel in 1531, and on the 11th of March, 1532, were crushed by the Kalatian army, who once more, butchered the people, stole wealth and destroyed the infrastructure of the land. The Maqou faction, in the extreme north-west of Kalatia, then threatened to go to war with its Kalatian overlords if they did not let Maqou peacefully secede from Kalatia, which they did, in 1533. By this time, the power of Kalatia had diminished, and the authority of the Kalatian nobles was thoroughly questioned. On the 2nd of December, 1533, the Kingdom was split once more, but this time into three different entities: The Kingdom of Salodri, the Republic of Wengrha, and the Republic of Kalatia, which would only occupy a small portion of modern Kalatun.

The period between 1533 and 1602 was characterised by peace and prosperity. The Renaissance flourished, and there were dreams of a new Velonite Empire, which was highly romanticised through art, poems and plays. The Republic of Kalatia dominated politics in the region, as it's ruling elite were, for the most part, also administrators of the previous Kingdom of Kalatia (not to be confused with the new Republic). Ethnic Kalatians (now being referred to as Kalatunians) began to populate throughout modern-day Kalatun, in Salodri, Wengrha and Kalatia. The Kingdom of Uzochi invaded the Kingdom of Salodri in 1585, and annexed the land (most of modern-day Western Kalatun). The Eastern Republics of Wengrha and Kalatia united under the fear of an increasingly-powerful Kingdom of Uzochi, in 1602, and formed the "Neo-Velonite Republic". Uzochi's response to this unification was war, which lasted for 5 years and resulted in Uzochi losing a small amount of land to the Neo-Velonite Republic, and many years of cold relations between the two factions. Once again, the Renaissance flourished in the region, but this time, it was focussed on demonising either the Republic or the Kingdom. In the 1640s, 1650s and 1660s, a series of glaciers in the Kalatunian Alps melted, and caused mass floods in the various basins and valleys of both Neo-Velonia and Uzochi, but primarily Neo-Velonia. Many civillians died from the floods, but the floods caused many farms and their crops to be washed away, causing a much more disastrous famine. This famine saw many Kalatunians perish, but also a mass migration, which was the first incident that led to a large region diaspora of Kalatunians.

In 1663, once again, the Kingdom of Uzochi declared war on the Neo-Velonian Republic, but this time, it was because they wished to exploit the Republic during its famine. The timing of this invasion was poor - in the winter, and the army had to cross the Kalatunian alps. As a result, the Uzochian army was crushed trying to pass through the Kalatunian Alps in 1664, and the Neo-Velonians took back much of what was the Salodrian Kingdom in 1666, but leaving Uzochi as an independent Kingdom, but with much more restricted lands located in the south-west of modern Kalatun.

From 1666 onwards, scientific advancements were made in the large Neo-Velonian Republic, which adopted a mercantile nature (despite being located inland), because of strong trade routes and connections in both the relatively new Kingdom of Lorthea and the Republic of Maqou, both located on the coast, and bordering Neo-Velonia. Neo-Velonia was a centre of learning, and hosted many Universities and schools of thought, including the prestigious University of Ikyzems, Luqo University, Baldur College, and Miki Enoksen University, which were all founded from 1668 until 1713. The famous scientist Roderik van Holj was born in the village of Thassenstadt in northern Kalatun, and pioneered the upgrading and innovation of canals, waterways, dikes, dams and irrigation systems throughout Kalatun, helping ensure Kalatun did not suffer another famine. Yet another famous scientist, the inventor Paskul Wettin, created the first known steam water pump, created in the ensuing mining boom, which began in the late 1690s, and some historians argue, is still going to this day.

In the early 1700s, Kalatun's history was fairly uneventful, and was marked by more scientific advancement. In 1743, however, the people of the Kingdom of Uzochi rose up against their King, King Tuwa IV, and overthrew his rule to create the Republic of Uzochi, which was a "Peasant Republic", and was a rare case of an 18th Century nation which allowed absolutely anybody to become an elected official. The Neo-Velonian Republic looked at this move as a welcome change, with another Republic joining the region. The Kingdom of Uzochi was the last Kingdom within Kalatun that was based in Kalatun.

In 1798, after more years of prosperity and trade, the peasants of the Neo-Velonian Republic were unhappy at the amassed wealth of the Republic, and many complaints arose that the Republic was becoming more and more like a Kingdom, and hoarding wealth, while the President of the time (Jakob Farguve), had been in power since 1772 (26 years), which was much longer than any elected official in the region had been in power without being a Monarch or Dictator. The state had indeed been hoarding wealth, although the true amount was exaggerated by the peasants to help fuel anger. The Neo-Velonian Civil War began on the 26th January, 1799, and was the largest war in Kalatun's history.

The Neo-Velonian Civil War lasted from 1799 until 1842. The population of modern-day Kalatun decreased from roughly 23 million to barely over 7 million. It pitted the peasants and the people against the Oligarchs and the Administrators of the State. A similar war occurred in neighbouring Lorbank. The war was characterised by the peasants initially being wiped out, but then resurging throughout pockets of the country in the 1810s, and taking over the large cities in 1818-1823. From 1823 onwards, the Oligarchs, who controlled the rural areas, surrounded the cities, and the second half of the war was characterised by the Oligarchs besieging the peasant-held cities, of which none actually succeeded. The war ended when the peasants drove the Oligarchs out into the mountains, but had no leadership. The country was also devastated by the ongoing warfare, and society collapsed. The Neo-Velonian Republic had fell in 1842, and the country descended into another dark age, where different villages and cities were almost lawless, governed by village elders and city councils, under no nation but themselves. As a result, Kalatun contained up to 200 different city-states.

In the lead-up to the Treaty of Lisledo (during the latter stages of Lorbank War of Independence, 1865), many Kalatunians offered to help the King of Lorbank, Adrian, as mercenaries in his army, and in return, the King promised the Kalatunians their own homeland, uniting the many city-states in Kalatun. When the war ended, the Treaty of Lisledo was created, where the Kalatunian mercenaries appeared as a third party, expecting the king to uphold his promise to unite Kalatun. The other two parties, the King and the Oligarchs, agreed to "unite" Kalatun as one, but manipulated the word "unite" to instead unite Kalatun under Lorbank's rule. As a result, Kalatun was subjugated entirely by Lorbank. This occupation would last 100 years, until 1965.

Under the rule of Lorbank, Kalatunian citizens experienced a varied experience of oppression. The Uzochi people in the south-west were treated well under Lorbank's rule, as the Uzochian people were related to many citizens of Lorbank, and the early Radoreans in Lorbank were an offshoot of the Uzochians. Ethnic Kalatunians were treated mildly under Lorbank, and the Dhartese were treated poorly, continuing a historic pattern of neglect for the Dhartese. In Lorbank's elections, Kalatun voted distinctly from the rest of Lorbank - Kalatun voted much more liberally, especially in the east of the country and the Dharte region. From the beginning of Lorbank's occupation, Kalatun's mountains were searched for minerals, and one of the largest coal deposits in the world was discovered, prompting exploitation of many rocks and minerals in the Kalatunian alps. More coal deposits were discovered in the 1880s and 1890s, and much of the coal was taken directly to Lorbank to assist with Lorbank's development, while neglecting Kalatun's development.

In the 1910s, many Kalatunians protested and striked against increased working hours and decreased wages. The result was varying - in some parts of the country, such as the urban areas, living conditions increased, whilst in rural areas, living conditions became much more restrictive and tough. Serfdom was abolished during this time within Lorbank, but was still enforced in Kalatun, leading to many Kalatunians questioning Lorbank's authority over the region. The first major highways and railways were created by Lorbank during this time. Major roads already existed within Kalatun, but railways were largely missing until this period. Railways were constructed primarily to transport coal from the mines in the Kalatunian mountains down to the coast of Lorbank, where it could be shipped or used in the coastal urban centres.

In the 1920s, the Great Depression hit Kalatun, and unemployment skyrocketed. Food became relatively scarce (though never a "famine"), and many lost their homes. Crime and poverty increased quite dramatically. Mafia groups and gangs controlled parts of the country where the grip of the Lorbankian officials could not. Many individuals payed a rent to gang members in exchange for the gang's protection of that person and their financial assets.

The late 1920s and 1930s were marked by efforts of the Lorbankian government engaging in skirmishes and shootings with the various gangs, who tended to ally against the Lorbankian government. Many gangs were crushed in Lorbank's raids on gang territories, but many also increased their presence in the country. Some even established gang enclaves in parts of Lorbank, in cities such as Yatin and Klouis. Crime syndicates in the late 1930s became a substitute governing system in replacement of a failed Lorbankian grip over the region. These gangs and syndicates worked together to act as a sort of government and council that functioned to assist citizens of Kalatun socially whilst simultaneously running highly illegal black market trading to fund their own economy.

By the 1940s, these crime syndicates had become an accepted part of life in Kalatun. Even in Lorbank, governing officials saw that clamping down on Kalatunian crime operations was largely a waste of time, money and effort, as they would re-appear in the same locations after a raid.

In the 1950s, Kalatun's crime syndicates began to disappear, and in their place, regional councils and governments were permitted by Lorbank, and the people were given some degree of autonomy to govern themselves. Mass protests and movements across the land started to gain some momentum for various reasons: some (particularly in Uzochi region) called for a complete unification with Lorbank and greater ties with Lisledo, whilst the majority of movements supported independence, or at least, greater self-determination and autonomy. These movements were not suppressed by the Lorbankian government, but instead, were viewed with caution.

In the 1960s, these movements became louder and more aggressive, and much larger in numbers. Their demands became extreme, such as granting Kalatun full independence, payment for years of oppression, and also demanding land from neighbouring nations. The political views of many activists were seen as "fringe" and extremely radical, and posed a direct threat to Lorbank's control over the region, which was slipping. As a result, many activists and campaigners were assassinated in the period 1961 - 1965, including the famous protest leader, philosopher, musician, singer-songwriter and Kalatunian nationalist Bjer T. Ngerradu. These assassinations, suspected to be at the hands of Lorbank's government (of which some were, but a handful were other "fringe" groups), made the people within Kalatun extremely angry. The tipping point was the Lorbankian independence celebrations of 1965, commemorating 100 years of Lorbank as a Republic, but also 100 years of Kalatun being annexed by Lorbank. Public festivities and celebrations were televised across the nation and around the world. This was the final nail in the coffin for Lorbank's control over Kalatun. In the weeks following the celebrations, riots broke out across the country, and many Lorbankian administrators and public officials were assassinated. A variety of militia groups spread across Kalatun, and a few in Lorbank that supported Kalatun's independence. On October 17th, 1965, a variety of different Kalatunian secessionist movements captured the capital city of Dharte region, Ebera, and from Ebera, declared the Most Serene Republic of Kalatun as an independent entity.

The Kalatunian independence war, therefore, officially began on October 17th, 1965. Revolutionary leader Knutr Sigurs, person friend of Bjer T. Ngerradu, called for all those who supported Kalatun's independence to riot against the government and kill any Lorbankian political official, and to work together to take pockets of the country back. He also called for as many fighters as possible to gather in Ebera and the Dharte region to take back Kalatun from this position. By January, 1966, the pro-Kalatunian forces had taken most of the borders of the country, and were besieging the regional centres and cities. Halfway through the year, and most cities had been taken by the Kalatunian revolutionaries, but the region bordering Lorbank had been taken back by Lorbank's armed forces. In January 1967, Kalatunian revolutionaries had the cities taken, and built large defenses throughout the cities to make them impregnable. Halfway through the year, the Lorbankian army were trying to take back the major cities, but ultimately ran short of supplies, just like the Uzochi Kingdom had 2 centuries earlier, and retreated back across the Kalatunian Alps, where the Kalatunian revolutionaries chased them away, and liberated most of Kalatun. On December 8th, Kalatunian forces had liberated all of Kalatun and began rapidly pouring into the Lorbankian countryside, taking many towns and villages. On December 17th, Lorbank offered the Kalatunian revolutionaries a peace treaty, where Kalatun would be granted full independence. After some debate within the revolutionaries, the peace agreement was accepted on December 22nd, and with this, Kalatun became independent as it is today.

The administrative boundaries, states and counties used under Lorbankian rule were all altered to suit the various ethnic groups throughout the land and the new Kalatunian government removed all restrictive or oppressive laws established in the 100 years of occupation.

The first Head of State, and first President, Knutr Sigurs, was elected on Christmas Day, 1967, and laid down a rule of elections every 7 years, and a term limit of 3 terms. Unsurprisingly, Knutr Sigurs was elected overwhelmingly all three elections (1967: 92%-8%, 1974: 73%-27%, 1981: 86%-14%), presiding over Kalatun from 1967 until 1988, as a member of the Kalatunian Socialist Party (KSP), who have always been either the winner of elections or the close runner-up. Sigurs' Presidency was characterised by a revolutionary nation-wide healthcare system, an education program which gave Kalatun a 99.7% literacy rate by 1975 (it was 84% in 1967). This period also oversaw relatively cold relations with Lorbank, which was quite conservative in comparison at the time. In 1988, Sigurs' self-created term limit meant that he had to step down from office, and the 1988 election saw the election of another member of the KSP, the much younger Werner Chrystoph. While the KSP was still the most popular political party, Chrystoph himself was not a very popular politician, especially compared to his predecessor, Knutr Sigurs. His presidency was characterised by a slight decrease in living standards, and a large economic meltdown, where financial institutions and banks collapsed, leading to a nation-wide collapse of the economy in 1993, and a large ripple effect throughout much of the North Pacific, and the globe. Chrystoph and this new generation of KSP politicians was to blame for this economic meltdown, and despite a relatively large turnout in favour of the KSP, the Conservatives for Kalatun party (CfK) won the 1995 election 56%-44%.

Conservative leader Benning Ghutr was elected as President from 1995 until 2002. His election was widely seen as a reactionary political move, fueled by many moderates who had become frustrated with Chrystoph's leadership. Ghutr's presidency was defined by economic revival and stimulus, but at the expense of many social policies put in place by Sigurs and Chrystoph. Ghutr was accused of being involved in many gambling and betting scandals, of which none actually gathered enough evidence to find him guilty of anything he was accused of. Nonetheless, his popularity declined in the later stages of his presidency, but recovered slightly before the 2009 election, as he promised social revival. The 2009 election saw the KSP regain power with 68%-32%, and the first female President, Brynhylda Hafnar, was elected, representing the KSP. Her election was seen as counter-reactionary to the reactionary forces that elected Benning Ghutr to power. Hafnar oversaw the re-institution of may of Sigurs' policies in what many consider Kalatun's second socialist phase. Hafnar was one of the most popular heads of state in the North Pacific, until she was involved in a sex scandal in 2014, and her son was involved in a drug trafficking scandal in 2015. Nonetheless, Hafnar was not impeached, and announced she would not be re-running in the 2016 elections, where the KSP, in a monumental move, elected Aputsiaq Jeremiassen, an ethnic Dhartese politician, to be the head of the KSP. Many doubted whether the KSP would win because of Kalatun's history of oppressing the Dhartese people, but the KSP/Jeremiassen won the 2016 election with 85%-15%, comparable to the magnitude of Sigurs' election victories.

As of present, Kalatun is presided over by 5th President Aputsiaq Jeremiassen, and has just celebrated 49 years of independence.