Elder Mountain Free Territory

Flag of the Elder Mountain Free Territory

The **Elder Mountain Free Territory**, otherwise known as the **Free Territory** or the **Mountainland Territory**, is a stateless territory in the midlands of the Elder Mountains.

Formed in the initial uprisings of the Springtime of Nations, the Free Territory stands as the both the lifeline between the northern and southern members of the International in the Elder Mountains and as the occupier of the Midland Gap. These factors have given the Free Territory a relatively great deal of economic and political power for a territory in the Elder Mountains.

However, given the position of the Free Territory at an important economic crossroads and it being bordered by Pahonnia, Mourland, and Orenia; the many resources and advantages of the Free Territory tend to be spent on weathering the many raids and incursions from these powerful nations.

 History

## Politics

The Confederal Congress of the Workers (CCW) is the organizing body of the largest confederation of confederations, unions, communes, councils, etc. in the Free Territory. Thusly, the CCW is the closest thing the Free Territory has to a central government, though it has little power outside of that given to it by its members, with this powers changing on a frequent basis. The only consistent power the CCW has is the appointment of Foreign Delegates to represent the peoples of the Free Territory in foreign courts.

## Economy

The economy of the Free Territory generally operates in a syndicalist manner, with confederations of syndicates, communes, and workers councils making up the organizations for production. Workplaces are operated democratically, with these workplaces being part of these larger anarcho-syndicalist confederations to organize industry generally. This has allowed for a very flexible economy, generally focused on meeting the needs of the people, rather than specific nationalist goals or quotas.

The Free Territory controls the Midland Gap, the only gap in the Elder Mountains that allows for easy travel through the mountain range. In times past, this steady trade network was what allowed for native kingdoms and tribes to remain independent from colonial powers, however in the late 700s and early 800s the region was still subjugated. In modern times, this trade still continues, though much slower. The large nations that border the Free Territory all have officially ceased trade through the region, though underground and black market traders still engage in the region.

The Elder Mountain Free Territory is also one of the more industrialized portions of the Elder Mountains, as the revenue brought in by trade in the past allowed for the industrial revolution to take root in the region. However, most of the industrial base of the Free Territory came from colonial plans to mine and strip the area of resources to ship elsewhere. The colonial mines and factories have both been redesigned and augmented to supply local peoples with decent industrial goods.

Agriculture in the Elder Mountain Free Territory, as with much of the rest of the nations and territories of the Elder Mountains, is a large portion of the economy. Agriculture in the Free Territory tends to be organized communal, with land worked on by many workers, however there is a significant minority of family farmers that operate smaller plots of land.

## Military

The Military of the Elder Mountain Free Territory is composed of the various workers militias spread throughout the territory, with most operating within the General Defense Council. The GDC helps organize and coordinate the militias in a communal fashion.

## Foreign Relations

As the Elder Mountain Free Territory is not organized as a typical state, it doesn't have foreign ambassadors in the traditional sense. Its equivalent are the delegates from the Confederal Congress of Workers that are sent abroad to attempt and communicate the interests of the CCW and the Free Territory to the states of the world.

The Elder Mountain Free Territory is a member of the International, and one of its powerful members, alongside the People's Republic of Brenhome.