Zurikk

## Location

Zurikk, officially the State of Zurikk, is a small sovereign state located on the Zurikk Peninsula. It's only land border is shared with Napanee to the west. Zurikk is the former capital of the Federation of Napanee that became partially independent after the Treaty of Zurikk of 1037 as a UN Administered Territory, and fully independent in 1039. Today it is ruled by the Council of Zurikk, and plutocratic Council of of the richest, most powerful and influential people in the country.

## History

### Zurikk before The Great War

The city of Zurikk's origins are highly disputed and unclear. Officially, the city was founded in the year 643 AC, but estimates go as far back as c. 430. In 977 the city became the capital of the Federation of Napanee, once it gained it's independence from Nasconya.

### Modern age

Zurikk was one of the biggest Napanese cities to survive The Great War, largely owing to it's highly advanced missile defense systems. After the War, when the dust settled and Napanee began to rebuild, Zurikk remained a staunch reminder of the easier time before the war, and a hopeful precourser of the better times to come. From the Great War's end in 1016, until the War of Napanese Aggression in 1037, Zurikk's growth gradually declined as the Napanese government turned it's focus to other cities and projects.

Then in 1037, following the War of Napanese Aggression and the Treaty of Zurikk, the region was placed under the control of the UN as a UN-Adminstered Territory for two years, when it gained it's independence following a public referendum. Another referendum, concerning whether or not Zurikk was to rejoin the Federation of Napanee, was supposed to have been passed, but a series of Zurikk's richest and most powerful men and women made sure it would be blocked. Those same men and women would go on to form the Council of Zurikk and govern the region to this day.

While Zurikk didn't become independent until 1037, it is highly likely that many of the people who now sit on the Council of Zurikk started making deals with each other and various PMCs, most importantly the famous War Pigs Company, to organize a takeover of the region following the War Pigs Scandal that forced the Prime Minister of Napanee to resign, and to many showed how weak and unstable the government of the Federation of Napanee truly was. However, this plan proved unnecessary as just a few years later the government of Napanee would totally collapse following the War of Napanese Aggression. The CEO of the War Pigs Company, Clarke Gordon, now a member of the Council of Zurikk, would move himself and his company to the newly independent country, where it remains an important part of Zurikk's security infrastructure.

## Government

Zurikk is governed by the Council of Zurikk, a plutocratic conglomeration of the country's richest and most powerful men and women, along with the elected Council of the Public. The Council of Zurikk is the main governing body of the country, having both executive and legislative power, the latter of which it partially shares with the Council of the Public. The Council of the Public is in charge of local governments and also has the ability to suggest legislation to the Council of Zurikk, who can reject it if it so chooses.

### The two Councils

The Council of Zurikk consists of Council Members (CMs). CMs are powerful Zurikkan citizens whom the incumbent members appoint to the Council. Once appointed, CMs remain on the Council until they either step down, lose their citizenship, or are voted out by the other CMs. Removing a CM by vote requires at least 75% of the Council votes.

The Council of the Public consists of 100 Members of the Council of the Public (MCPs). While MCPs are democratically elected by the public, the Council of Zurikk does have the authority to reject any candidate that they see as unfit to govern. There are currently 5 parties with seats on the Council (from right to left): the National Conservatives, the Conservative Union, the New Conservative Party, the Libertarian Party and the Progressive Alliance, with the Conservative Union and Libertarian Party being the two biggest, and the National Conservative Party being both the newest and smallest of the parties.

   For a party to gain seats on the Council of the Public, it has to first go through and approval process by the Council of Zurikk, whereafter it has to gather 20.000 signatures from the electorate, after which it will be allowed on to the voting ballot for the next election. The process for politicians to be approves to the Council is similar to the one used for parties, but in stead of having to gather signatures, they simlpy have to either already be in a party on the Council, or have gone through the necessary prerequisites to form a party. The process of approval and limted power of the Council of the Public is largely the reasons why Zurikk is reffered to as a quasi-democratic society, as the influence average citizens can have is limited, but not non-existant.

### Foreign relations

The State of Zurikk maintains a firmly neutral position in international politics, with an alliance with both the United Kingdom of Iagua, the second largest nation in the Coalition of Nations, and with the Empire of Nasconya, the largest in the Economic Cooperation Union. Most countries view Zurikk with relative neutrality, a notable exception being the Federation of Napanee, who mistrust the nation following allegations of Zurikkan involvement in the September 2rd Bombing of the New Don Mills Peace Conference, as well as Clarke Gordon, the CEO of the War Pigs Company, who caused the War Pigs Scandal, being a prominent member of the Zurikkan government. Zurikk also has good relations with the People's Republic of Kara, having sold several warships to the nation, in exchange for access to the nations considerable oil reserves.

## Demographics

As of 1041, the population of Zurikk is estimated to be around 139.000 people, about 72% of which are citizens. Nearly 25% of Zurikkan residents are foreign-born, with the biggest countries of origin being Napanee and Nasconya. Given the plutocratic nature of Zurikk, it remains one of the least economically equal nations in the developed world. However, the country also has a very high HDI. These two factors mean that Zurikk is often used as both an example of free-market economics done right, but also as an example of the dangers posed by allowing capitalism to run unchecked.