Eurasia

The **Empire of Eurasia**, (Eurasian: *Imperium Eurasiae*) commonly called **Eurasia**, is a absolute monarchy in Ekstera. It is bordered by New Zealand, Reisal, Arveyres, Antanares, and Achaean Morea. Eurasia covers a massive land area, and has one of the largest populations in the world. Eurasia is comprised of 34 provinces, including Arveyres, and one Capitoline Prefecture in Julium, and is the largest empire in the world and one of the oldest states, having been founded 2000 years ago in 30 BCE.

Eurasian culture and expansion has shaped and influenced many countries and cultures, with many nations, including Marquette, Duresia, Zackalantis, Aloia, and numerous others having had a Eurasian presence at some point during their history. Eurasia is the heart of Raetic Culture, and the Raetic languages were all born from the Eurasian language.

Eurasia is led by Augustus IV, Emperor of Eurasia, who acts as a chief executive for the Empire. Augustus assumed the throne in 2009 after the abdication of his father, Justinius. The legislature of the Empire is vested in the Senate of Eurasia, whose laws are passed to the Emperor for either approval or veto. The judiciary is manifested in the Supreme Tribunal of Eurasia, which is headed by the High Magistrate, but ultimate judicial authority is vested in the Emperor.

## **Etymology**

The name "Eurasia" comes from the cognomen of the founder of the Empire, Julius Eurasius. Initially, Eurasius called Eurasia the Laurentine Empire, in homage to the Laurentine Isle and republic of similar name. After his death, his successor, Augustus, redesignated the Empire "Eurasia" in honor of him.

The original meaning behind "Eurasius" is unknown, though some speculate it may be a form of the earlier Old Raetic "*Urasis*", the meaning of which is similarly unknown, though it is postulated to perhaps mean "bear".

## **Geography**

Eurasia is made up of many differing geographies and terrains. The Laurentine Isle, which is the island upon which Julium is located and is the cultural and political center of Eurasia, is largely mountainous. Almost 40% of the Laurentine Isle is mountains, with the Tarentine Mountains running through the middle of the isle. Many inland lakes and waterways crisscross the landscape, fed by snowmelt from high in the mountains. Many elements of the Laurentine Isle are volcanic in origin, with many of the islands near the Isle being produced by ancient volcanoes. On the Isle itself, Cirinium is a still-active volcano, having erupted most recently only sixty years ago.

    The Asticus peninsula, directly west of the Laurentine Isle, is less mountainous, instead dominated by wide-stretching fields, hills, and farmland. Asticus is widely known as the "breadbasket of the Empire", referring to the easily arable land. Over 45% of all meat and grain is produced in Asticus due to the easily farmable land. In the south of Asticus, however, there are many dense forests and thick woodlands. The Province of Bruttium is perhaps the most wooded province in the Empire, and the largest city is the border-town of Castra Volscis, which doubles as the provincial capital.

The geography of the Vesperian Shield is highly varied, due to the dispersed nature of the island chains. On the Trajectan Isle, the land is hilly and mountainous, and many of the Empire's salt mines can be found in the area. Large marble mines can also be found there. The other island provinces are geographically unremarkable, mostly flat and planar.

### **Climate**

The climate of the Eurasian archipelago is generally temperate, with mild winters and hot summers. The more western provinces generally receive more rainfall than the eastern provinces, and the provinces in the north, closer to Duresia, are some of the only that receive annual snowfall. Some provinces at higher elevations on the Laurentine Isle occasionally receive sparse snowfall, however. The Laurentine Isle itself is evenly divided between eastern and western rainfall patterns, with provinces such as Civitius receiving less than Virconium.

     Summer is usually stable, although the northern and western regions often have thunderstorms in the afternoon/night hours and some grey and rainy days. So, while east of Julium the summer is typically dry and sunny, in the west it tends to be more humid and cloudy. Spring and Autumn weather can be very changeable, with sunny and warm weeks (sometimes with Summer-like temperatures) suddenly broken off by cold spells or followed by rainy and cloudy weeks.

In the north precipitation is more evenly distributed during the year, although the summer is usually slightly wetter. Between November and March the Saldinian valley is often covered by fog, while the number of days with lows below 0 °C (32 °F) is usually from 60 to 90 a year, with peaks of 100–110 days in the mainly rural zones.

### **Administrative divisions**

The territory of Eurasia is divided into what is known as "*provinciae*", or "provinces". Each is governed by a senate-appointed Praetor. The Empire itself is a *de jure* unitary state, and the Imperial Senate of Eurasia maintains the ability to dissolve the current provincial system in favor of a true unitary system whenever it so desires.

A notable exception to this rule is Arveyres, which under Imperial law is a Superior Province of Eurasia. As per the Granadan Compromise, Arveyres maintains complete autonomy in internal affairs, and cannot be dissolved by the Imperial Senate as other provinces could be. Arveyres itself is divided into provinces, however for efficiency purposes Arveyres is considered to be a "unitary" superior province under Imperial law, the only one of its kind to be so (for all other cases, the term "superior province" is a geographical grouping only and has no legal meaning). The Arveyran provinces are considered under Eurasian law to be akin to prefectures, which also exist in Arveyran law. Thus, Arveyran provinces are not counted as Eurasian provinces during the census.

Julium itself is not a province, but instead is its own unique type of administrature, the Capitoline Prefecture. It functions effectively as if it were a province.

### **Overseas territories and collectivities**

Eurasia maintains several provinced overseas territories, the most notable being Paestum in Arveyres, which itself is a the size of a large city. Other territories include several smaller, unprovinced islands in the Eurasian archipelago that serve as naval and air bases.

## **Politics**

Eurasia itself is an absolute monarchy with a semi-elected unicameral legislature. The current system by which Eurasian governance is conducted was established after the Cephorean Reforms in the 1300's, and was amended in the Marinian Reforms in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Executive power is vested in the Emperor of Eurasia, who is advised by the Privy Council, which is comprised of the Prime Ministers of the Ministeria of Eurasia, or cabinet level ministers. The legislature is comprised of the unicameral Senate of Eurasia, which is headed by the Consul of the Imperial Senate. The judiciary is generally independent, but the highest court of appeal is the Emperor himself, though this rarely happens, and is made up of the Supreme Tribunal of Eurasia and the inferior courts.

The Emperor serves as both head of state and head of government, as well as Supreme Magistrate. The current Emperor is Augustus IV. The current Consul is Quintus Mucius Scaevola, a Proconsul from Saepinum.

### **Government**

#### **Executive**

     The executive is vested in the Emperor of Eurasia, and the Emperor further divides it to the Privy Council. Traditionally, the Emperor is not a member of any political party, and maintains a working relationship with the Senate. In cases where the opinions of the Senate and of the Emperor do not align, a situation known as a *camera vacua*, or "vacant house," occurs, in which neither party tends to achieve anything.

     The position of Emperor is inherited, passing from parent to child. There has been an uninterrupted line of succession from Julius Eurasius to Augustus IV, the current Emperor. The Emperor's power is limited in scope by the Writs of the Setertiamillenniary, which stipulates that the Emperor cannot make nor unilaterally invalidate laws, save for the veto. In practice, however, if the Emperor does not agree with a law, the Senate is unlikely to allow the law to stand. The Emperor also cannot dissolve the Senate *sine die*, though he can dissolve it and call for new elections, one method by which camera vacua can be avoided.

#### **Legislature**

The Senate of Eurasiai a semi-elected body, comprised of both elected senators and the unelected Proconsuls of Eurasia. The Proconsuls are the equivalent of an aristocracy, and as such the Senate is effectively a hybrid of a Common House and a Lord's House. The Proconsuls do not constitute a majority in their own right, but are frequently used by the ruling political party to maintain a majority, and as such constitute one of the largest independent voting blocs in the entire Senate. The Senate is controlled by the Consul of the Imperial Senate, the current occupant of which is Quintus Mucius Scaevola, a Proconsul from Saepinum and member of the Optimates.

#### **Judiciary**

The Judiciary of Eurasia is one of the oldest judicial systems in the world, and is the model upon which most judicial systems today are based. It is headed nominally by the Emperor as Supreme Magistrate, but the normal highest court of appeal is the Supreme Tribunal of Eurasia, also known as the Supreme Tribunal of Cassation. Each province maintains a Provincial Tribunal, which is the highest court of appeals in that Province. Then are the superior tribunals, of which there are only several per province. These are the first court to which capital cases such as primary and secondary homicide, terrorism, heresy, insurrection, and other such crimes are heard. The medial tribunals are located on a prefectural basis, with some having only one and others many. They hear cases brought by Eurasian citizens only, and also are the first tribunal to which Eurasians aggrieved of tertiary and quarternary murder, gross theft, rape, or all types of property damage go. The lowest tribunals are the inferior tribunals, which are the only place in which a non-citizen can bring suit against another non-citizen or Eurasian citizens. They are also the tribunals which deal with petty theft, larceny, fraud, and assault.

The Eurasian judicial system has been highly criticized by international observers, as it is heavily weighted in favor of those possessing Eurasian citizenship. Further, Eurasian attorneys and lawyers function differently than in most countries. If a Eurasian citizen is murdered by another citizen, it is the responsibility of the family of the victim to hire a lawyer. In cases brought against individuals by the Government, it is the responsibility of the Ministry bringing suit to provide a prosecutor. As such, in a case involving tax evasion, the Ministry of Justice must provide its own prosecutor. This severely disadvantages the poor and the non-citizenry, though advocacy groups do exist to provide qualified solicitors. The Ministry of Justice does maintain a program where poor Eurasians can be appointed an attorney at greatly reduced or even free cost, this is only available to Eurasian citizens.

### **Foreign relations**

Eurasia maintains very close foreign relations with a number of its former provinces. Closest relations are with Arveyres, an obvious result of Arveyres being an autonomous province of Eurasia itself. Eurasia is also closely allied with Duresia and Marquette, both of which were formerly provinces of Eurasia itself. Eurasia also maintains somewhat warm relations with New Tarajan, though these have cooled slightly since the Invasion of New Zealand. Relations with Christian nations such as Aloia and Achaean Morea are infamously cold, with diplomatic relations often being tenuous and frigid. In the case of Morea, Eurasia had not maintained any form of diplomatic relations, and even refused to recognize the state, until 2016 when a Diplomatic Legate was dispatched prior to the Invasion of New Zealand.

### **Military**

The Military of Eurasia is the sole military force of Eurasia. It is divided into six branches, the Eurasian Legions, Eurasian Fleets, Eurasian Air Force, Batavian Cohorts, Ministerium of the Police, and the Praetorian Guard. The military falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. The Emperor of Eurasia is the commander-in-chief of the Eurasian Military and maintains ultimate discretion in how it is used. Historically, Eurasia has avoided practicing conscription, maintaining instead a fully volunteer, professional military. Under Imperial law, however, the Emperor can institute conscription at any time should the need arise. This has, however, never been utilized. The minimum age for military service is 17.

The Ministry of the Frumentarii, also known as the "Ministry of the Realm," is a paramilitary organization, utilizing formal military regulations, ranks, and standards. However, it is not a branch of the traditional military structure, and is completely independent of the War Ministry.

## **Economy**

Eurasia's capitalist economy is the 1st largest in the world. Eurasia is affiliated with the economic partnership of SECURS, but is not a member of any single economic cooperative organization. The unemployment rate in Eurasia is around 6.4%, ranking it 4th lowest for unemployment. It is has the current 2nd largest economic output in Esamir, and the 6th highest average income. The annual GDP of Eurasia is 3.111 quadrillion Pesetas.

The Eurasian economy is highly diversified, with the government intervening very little in the form of subsidies. However, certain industries deemed critical for the Military of Eurasia or for the government in general are generally dominated by massive, government-owned corporate entities. An example of this is Misriah Armories, the largest arms manufacturing monolith in the world, and one of the wealthiest companies in human history. The government maintains a controlling share of the company's stock, and many of the board members are Proconsuls or Senators. However, the vast majority of business in Eurasia sees no economic interaction with the government, except in the form of taxes, and the government rarely, if ever, issues subsidies. Eurasian economics have been classified by analysts as "very laissez-faire." However, some industries are subsidized, namely arms manufacturing, certain parts of the energy industry, and certain parts of the healthcare industry. However, Eurasia possesses very few business regulations, and as such subsidies are generally for research incentives.

Eurasian corporations are some of the largest investors in renewable energy sources, and very few areas in Eurasia use fossil-fuel-based power. Most of Eurasia is powered with hydroelectric, geothermal, nuclear, and wind power. The government did take an active role in initiating this, with the Ministry of the Environment buying controlling shares in several startup energy companies, before selling them to the public at reduced price several years later. The largest renewable energy investor has been Traxus Heavy Industries, who have invested almost 30 billion Pesetas into making their factories "run green." The largest industries in Eurasia are arms manufacturing, with Eurasia being the largest arms manufacturer in the world, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, information technology, and general manufacturing.

### Agriculture

Crops in Eurasia are farmed in two very diverse manners. The first is unirrigated, which is predominantly in the poorer provinces, and makes up only 35% of Eurasian agricultural production. Irrigated crops, which make up 65%, are found mostly in the Asticus peninsula, Mediolanian peninsula, and the Laurentine Isle. The most agriculturally-productive province is Argentomagus.

Eurasia estimates that irrigated crops are responsible for around 84% of total gross crop value and 76% of agricultural export value. Most irrigated farms produce corn, fruits, olives, wheat and grains, and vegetables. The most profitable non-wheat product in Eurasia is grapes, with vineyards making up almost 12% of the production, mainly for wines. Eurasia's largest agricultural exports are cereal grains, wine (grapes), olive oil, citrus fruits, and vegetables, each making up 12%, 12%, 8%, 6%, and 4%. The most important non-crop related agricultural enterprise is meat production, making up 30% of all agriculture.

### Tourism

Tourism in Eurasia is an integral part of the economy. Due to the immense landmass covered by the Empire, tourists to Eurasia can experience temperate climates, tropical climates, and even polar climates. The most popular tourist destinations are the Laurentine Isle, the Mediolanian Peninsula, and the Genevevia. Tourism makes up around 8% of Eurasia's GDP, equating to 199.2 trillion Pesetas. Eurasia is a popular destination not only due to its climates, but also due to is historical legacy, excellent infrastructure, popular coastlines, and vibrant culture.

### Energy

Eurasia has long been at the forefront of green technology and renewable energy. In 2010, Eurasia inaugurated the Carolus Rancus Geothermal Station in Vicus Leodicus, the largest power facility of its type. Eurasia receives 95% of its power from geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, and solar sources. The only non-renewable resource used in a widespread manner is nuclear energy, with Eurasia maintaining the largest number of nuclear power stations in the world.

The Ministry of Energy controls all nuclear plants through the state-controlled Euratom, and a majority of geothermal stations directly. However, wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass stations are all owned by various independent corporations, who contract with prefectures, municipalities, and provinces to operate. They often cooperate with the Ministry of Energy on research projects, and the ministry is the single largest giver of donations and grants in the industry. Currently, a coalition of corporations from many industries, funded in part by the Ministry of Energy, is researching thorium-based nuclear power. The General Atomics Corporation is a leading pioneer in civilian nuclear technology, and is investing heavily in fusion-based research.

### Transport

Eurasia maintains some of the oldest road routes in the world. Eurasia, historically, invested heavily in public transportation, and maintains one of the longest railway systems in the world, rivaled only in size by Arveyres. The Esamir Superhighway has a terminus in the Eurasian province of Civitius, and runs through many of its territories.

Eurasian roads are well-maintained, and the Ministry of Transportation is primarily responsible for ensuring the quality of the roads. While railways are the property of the Imperial Government, the train lines which operate on them are not, and as such trains are a significant portion of the transportation economy in Eurasia. Personal vehicles are also prevalent, with the Senate, in conjunction with a consortium of Eurasian automotive manufacturers, announcing that they plan to have Eurasia be a majority electric or hybrid car nation by 2050.

There are 147 public airports in Eurasia. The busiest is the Julium Aerodrome, with 250 million passengers in 2012, the fourth busiest airport in the world. Other important airports include the Arbor Felix airport, the Audrea airport, and many others. Eurasian airlines include Air Europa, Caelus Nostrum, Volotea Airlines, and ArvAir, which is based in Arveyres.

### Science and Technology

Traditionally, Eurasia was on the forefront of technological advancement. Contemporary Eurasian companies have pioneered the fields of information technology, healthcare technology, and many scientific fields. The corporation Apple, based in Lactodorum, Virconium, is one of the premiere cell phone and computer technology companies in the world. Misriah Armories routinely produces cutting-edge technological advancements in personal safety and weaponry.Eurasia is ranked 5th in Esamir for scientific advancement.

### Water Supply and Sanitation

Water supply and sanitation in Eurasia is characterized by universal access and superb quality. Running water has been a staple of Eurasian cultural life for almost 2,000 years, and Eurasia is thought to have one of the oldest public water supply systems in the world. Water is provided by both private and public corporations, with some municipalities founding their own public corporations to provide water, whilst others contract out. The oldest water provisioning company in Eurasia is Aqua Vitae, which was founded in 1102 CE. Aqua Vitae serves the Capitoline Prefecture and the surrounding area.

## **Demographics**

In 2010, the last year for which records are available, the Eurasian population reached 12.002 billion, as recorded by the **Census**. The Eurasian population density is around 201 per square kilometer, which is higher than many nations. This is due mainly to the concentration of population in the Laurentine Isle, Asticus Peninsula, and Mediolanian Peninsula. Julium is the most densely populated city in Eurasia, as well as the most populous.

Native Eurasians make up 91% of the Eurasian population. The Eurasian birthrate is around 2 per household, though this fluctuates by province. The majority of immigrants to Eurasia are of Marquetien, Duresian, and Aloian descent, and other members of the Eurasian Commonwealth. Eurasian emigrants abroad are generally to the aforementioned countries.

Substantial populations of peoples exist who are descended from Eurasia. Principally amongst these are the Neo-Raetic Cultures of the world, which include Marquette, Duresia, Aloia, Arveyres, and others. This resulted from the substantial colonial period Eurasia entertained throughout most of history, with many nations holding heritages from direct Eurasian rule.

### **Language**

Eurasia is a monolingual nation. The Eurasian language is the de jure language spoken by all Eurasians, and the government does not offer translations or use any other language in an official capacity. Further, fluent knowledge of Eurasian is a prerequisite for citizenship. There are, however, several exceptions.

* Arveyres, being an autonomous Superior Province, is not required to use Eurasian internally, and recognizes numerous languages throughout itself, including the lingua franca Arveyran. However, for interactions with the Imperial Government, Arveyres generally uses Eurasian.
* Cortoriacum, an island province near the Laurentine Isle, speaks Dovahzul, and is the only non-Arveyran province permitted to utilize a language other than Eurasian internally. All Cortoriacii are required speak Eurasian fluently, but the provincial government is only required to use it when dealing with the Imperial Government.

### **Religion**

Eurasia is widely considered a religious place, maintaining one of the oldest faiths in Esamir. The largest and most well-known religion in Eurasia is Mos Maiorism, also known as Eurasian Polytheism, is the official religion of the Eurasian Empire and one of the oldest religions in the world. The central tenants of this faith revolve around the worship of the *Dii Consentes*, the twelve central gods of the Imperial Pantheon. The Twelve Gods are listed by the Imperial Ministry of Culture as *Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter (Jove), Neptune, Vulcan, and Apollo.* The worship of these gods is considered to be central to the Eurasian belief system, and holidays and celebrations are centered around these gods. However, there are other, more minor gods that play a role in Eurasian religion and life, and some households may have smaller shrines to the minor gods they feel to be most important in their lives.

The second largest religion in the Empire is the faith Novem Deos, or Nine Gods. This faith is separate from the Imperial Mos Maiorist faith, but is related. This faith features worship of nine central gods, which no minor gods existing. These gods, known as the "Nine Divines" to practitioners, take a very removed role in every-day life, and only confer blessings on their adherents through wayshrines throughout the Empire. The Nine Divines are known as the "Aedra", whilst their counterparts, which are considered "evil" but theologians posit are simply out of the realm of mortal comprehension, are known as "Daedra". There are sixteen Daedric Princes (the Daedra do not possess human genders), who are barred from entering the human realm due to the existence of the Aedra. The Novem Deos faith is recognized by the Imperial Government as a minority religion, and has been for almost 1500 years (for perspective, Christianity was only recognized as a legitimate religion 200 years ago.)

There are many disparate minority religions throughout the Eurasian Empire, both due to historic persecution (monotheistic faiths were targeted for much of Imperial history) or due to their isolated development, typically in more far-flung colonies. Atheism or Agnosticism is the third largest "faith" in the Empire, although there has been debate as to whether or not it can be considered a faith at all. Aetherism, an Arveyran faith closely tied to Mos Maiorism, is also prevalent, with Judaism, Islam, and Christianity being the smallest recognized religions in Eurasia. This is both due to historic persecution of Abrahamic faiths and the more widespread prevalence of polytheism throughout the Eurasian archipelago.

### **Education**

The education system in Eurasia is highly nationalized, with the Ministry of Education controlling all schools and institutions of primary and secondary learning in the Empire. The curriculum is standardized across provinces, though the Ministry takes care to ensure that the educational standards throughout the empire are suitably high. Private and parochial schools are permitted to establish themselves in the Empire, but the Ministry maintains extremely stringent standards, which force the schools to go through what foreign analysts call "unfair restrictive processes."

## **Society**

Eurasia is at the heart of Raetic culture. Its colonial and imperial expansions have birthed many new cultures worldwide, all of which are intrinsically tied to each other due to the cultural heritage of the Raetic peoples. Eurasian society is also highly stratified, with the Patrician Houses of Eurasia maintaining great wealth and control over the Senate and the rest of society. Wealthy plebeian houses also maintain a great degree of power, with ordinary plebeians making up the voting and electoral backbone of the empire. Indentured servants, considered near-slaves by many international observers, are the lowest of the social totem pole, with freedmen making up a rank above them but below the freeborn. Foreigners are often viewed with distrust, unless they are residents of a culturally similar or allied nation.

### Calendar

Eurasia officially uses only one calendar, the ancient Julian Calendar, which was first instituted by Julius Eurasius, which is officially controlled by the Ministry of Culture. It is one of the oldest still-used calendars in the world, and is generally used as the basis for both the Esamir Calendar and many other calendars, including the Christian Gregorian calendar.

Adherents to Novem Deos utilize the Novem Deosian Calendar, which is similar to the Julian Calendar but is largely unrelated. In fact, the two calendars are considered to have developed side-by-side, another example of the interrelatedness of Novem Deos and Mos Maiorum.

### **National symbols**

Eurasia has many national symbols. Chief amongst these is the personage of the Emperor. All Eurasian Legions, when on parade, carry a three-dimensional bronze likeness of the Emperor. In many ways, the Emperor is viewed as the physical and spiritual embodiment of the Eurasian state and of the Empire itself. Other symbols include the personification of the Empire, the goddess Eurasia, the eagle, the Eurasian black bear, and Mos Maiorum.