Naliland

***Naliland*** is a peninsular nation in eastern Parania. Naliland is made up of mainland Naliland, Avrora Island, and a number of smaller islands that are close to the mainland. Minuka to the northwest and Cheskachena to the northeast form land borders, and Chuliana to the southeast and Panstivo to the southwest form sea borders. Naliland is densely populated, which distinguishes it from its close neighbors Chuliana and Minuka, which have populations of less than 20 million people. Naliland, on the other hand, has a population of 47 million people, with 43.7 percent of them living in the capital, Zalenyska, which is one of the world's largest cities at 18,791,000 people.

## Etymology

The name "Naliland" comes from the word "*Nakielan*" which means "*blanketed kingdom*" in Cheskachenan because of the very snowy weather Naliland offers in the wintertime which appears like a blanket on the ground. Naliland was originally known as "*the land of Winter*" by English explorers as off the coast, the area that is now Naliland was so full of snow they had no clue what else to call it.

## Geography and climate

Naliland is a peninsular nation bordered to the northwest by Minuka and to the northeast by Cheskachena. The country is around 1,070 kilometres from the rest of eastern Parania (eg. Minuka). Naliland is surrounded by the cold, tundra-like conditions of the northern Marima Ocean, which gives it its freezing temperature. Summertime is a little more tolerable, with temperatures averaging 11° C as a high and 8° C as a low, though the northern regions of the country are still chilly at an average of 1° C as a high and -3° C as a low. The boreal forest biome covers the majority of the island, however the southeast half is heavily urbanised, making the biome's presence difficult to notice; nevertheless, the northern end of the island is mostly wilderness, with only one significant city, Tavetok, located on the Cheskachena border. The city of Tavetok has a strong connection with nature and wildlife is commonplace. Turnip and radish fields are very common in the countryside west of Zalenyska with Naliland being one of the top importers of turnips and radishes to the rest of the world. Deciduous forests occupy most of Avrora Island and likely some of the minor islands and are the warmest portions of the country with summers having a high of 18° C and a low 6° C, the average in those areas are around 12° C, winters parallel the mainland's winters however.

### Flora and Fauna

Naliland has 532 birds, 106 mammals, 1 reptile, 8 amphibians, and a plethora of insects and arachnids. Some animals in the country include red foxes (*Vulpes vulpes*), brown bears (*Ursus arctos*), red deer (*Cervus elaphus*), moose (*Alces alces*), culpeos (*Lycalopex culpaeus*), gray wolves (*Canis lupus*), red squirrels (*Sciurus vulgaris*), raccoons (*Procyon lotor*) and multiple others. The historical mountain leopard and forest wolf were once plentiful in the country with many fossils proving their presence in the country being found mainly in the northeastern quadrant.

## Demographics

### Ethnicity

Naliland is 86.6% Caucasian (Most are ethnic Cheskachenans and Minukans), 10.2% other ethnicities, and 3.2% two or more races. The densely populated capital is where majority of the colored population reside while most of the northern areas remain strongly Caucasian. The second largest ethnic group is Pasian. Naliland, prior to the 21st century, was one of the homogenous countries in the world with 95% of the population being ethnic Cheskachenans and Minukans but as more job opportunities came in, those from Mecirhan and Kafaniyat travelled up to Naliland to start a fresh life. Pasians occupy 5.5% of the country's population which is around 53.9% of the minority population, while Indigenous peoples come in second at 4.5%, most are of the Cheskachenan Varja people, which are indigenous from northern Naliland to the Arctic regions of Cheskachena. The most ethnically diverse city in Naliland is Tavetok with a major indigenous population at 93.4%.

### Religion

Naliland is a very religious country with about 81.2% of the population being religiously affiliated, the most prevalent being Christianity at 69.6% of the population with Orthodoxy as the highest denomination at 66.0%. Islam comes in second at 5.4% and other religions, mainly folk beliefs and Paganism, occupy the remaining 6.1%, Naliland is home to the most remaining Pagans in Parania and the province of Vaciliva, located in the country's northwest, is over 50% Pagan.

### Language

Naliland is very diverse in language but the most prevalent is Russian with 96.3% of the population speaking it. Arabic and Indigenous languages are also strong, especially in large metropolitan areas, but most of the speakers tend to speak in Russian rather then their native language.