Aukustia

**Kingdom of Aukustia**The **Kingdom of Aukustia,** commonly known as **Aukustia,** is a country located in Akaina. The Kingdom of Aukustia is a constitutional monarchy, whereby the actual executive functions of government are carried out by elected officials but the monarch still holds a ceremonial role. Aukustia is unique as the only nation of primarily Bolish heritage on the Akainian continent, as the Aukustians are descendents of Bolish migrants over the Encircled Sea. Aukustia & its westward neighbor, Joseon, have been locked in a bitter rivalry for hundreds of years. Aukustia is populated by just over 9 million people. The country's Prime Minister is Berislav Dorđević, and its monarch is Gabrijel II Rakočević. The capital of Aukustia is Barujevo, which lies along the Prisvet Bay.

### **History**

#### Bolish Migration & Civilization

The Aukustians are descended from a tribe of Bols who originated in Zamoroziet. They crossed over the Encircled Sea in the 800s, and settled around the Prisvet Bay, which was then the northern coast of ancient Joseon. During this time, the Aukustians abandoned their previously tribalistic & nomadic ways and took up more permanent residence in the newly settled areas. Originally, the Aukustians had lived peacefully under the rule of the Joseonite emperor, but repeated religious conflicts between the Konseptiyan Bolish views & the traditionalist ancestor worship practiced by Joseon.

#### Aukustian-Joseonite Rivalry

Originally, a small Aukustian state & identity was established after a serious of rebellions against the Joseonite emperor. While this state was short-lived, with Joseon recapturing the area in the 1400s, it established the first basis for the Aukustian national identity. A second rebellion in the 1500s had firmly established the independence of Aukustia, however control over the coastal bordering regions between the two countries was consistently tenuous & constantly changing hands as both powers struggled to establish dominance their dominance over the area.

#### Democratization

After the conclusion of the 1835 War against Joseon, Aukustia was left barren and destroyed, causing the need for heavy taxation on the peoples by the Rakočević monarchy. Already enraged by the perceived defeat & widespread devastation, rebellion instead broke out from elements of the Aukustian peasantry. The army, feebled by the recent war, was powerless to put it down such rebellions, and many aspects actually defected to the rebel side. Fearful for his life, Brajko VII Rakočević abdicated the throne & fled the country with his immediately family, as small fights broke out between rebel & loyalist forces. Following his abdication, the political disorganization of rebel forces lead to the establishment of an improper republic which ruled the country for just 7 months, before the previous king's cousin was hastily coronated following a brief conservative coup d'etat within the first Aukustian parliament. The monarchists & constitutionalists continued to fight within the capital, almost reaching the point of full civil war, until the king, under pressure from a resurgent Joseon & internal strife, would eventually sign onto the 1836 Constitution, surrendering all executive powers within the Aukustian government. From that point onward, the monarch was relegated to a largely ceremonial role within government, still needing to sign onto the wishes of parliament but largely unable to oppose much of anything due to threat of eviction. Since the democratization of the country, the Democratic Party has consistently held the majority within the House of the Nation, facing off against countless political rivals which have risen & fallen overtime.

#### Moshka War

##### *Main Article: Kangwon War*

In 1885, Aukustian troops crossed the border into Moshka province, under the guise of wishing to establish rule-of-law in the area following several ethnic disputes between the province's diverse demographic. This began the deadliest, and most recent, of the wars between Aukustia & Joseon, as both fought for control over the province. During this time, ethnosupremacist paramilitary bands of Aukustians began to form, who would later go on to be the foundational basis for the Aukustian People's Interest Party. Aukustia managed to win several key strategic victories over the Joseonite soldiers on land, however the country was put under blockade after a devastating naval defeat in the Battle of Danghangpo. The war lasted for 7 years, and was especially brutal on the populations of those in the effected provinces; ultimately, however, Aukustia triumphed, and Joseon formally ceded the province in 1892. The war has been cited as the defining moment recent Aukustian political history, laying the foundations for the observed trends of ultranationalist politics & greater investment in the naval forces following its conclusion.

### **Geography**

#### Climate

Aukustia, being near the northern pole of the world, is subject to warm summers but extremely cold winters. During the fall & winter, the majority of the country falls into frigid temperatures, which freezes over the countries' many lakes. Warm currents moving up the encircled sea & through the strait with Joseon keep the coastal areas more temperate than the inland regions. Alpine tundras dominate the central, elevated part of the country.

#### Biodiversity

Aukustia is home to many cold weather mammals, including bears, wolves, elks, foxes, polecats, rabbits, and the national animal, the wolverine. The wolverine was chosen as the national animal for its notorious ferocity & solitary nature, and has sense become symbolic of Aukustia in many media depictions. Most birds which live in are either native nesting birds, which include warblers, finches, & redwings, however many birds native to Aukustia migrate further south to Ji & Fusou in the colder months of the year. Ospreys are the most common predatory bird in Aukustia, often settling around the countries' many lakes to exploit the fish population within them. The frigid temperatures put a great limit on the number of reptiles within the country, the vast majority of them being snakes whom hibernate through most of their lifespan.

Aukustia's biggest diversity swims in between its channels of water, as a large population of fish lives within the country's inland bodies of water. These fish, which include salmon, trout, pike, whitefish, herring, char, & perch, are a continual food supply for both the people & animals who live along these lakes. Types of seals are also known to inhabit the lakes, who are often hunted by locals for their blubber.

Florally, Aukustia is dominated by both expansive spruce forests & small berry bushes. Each region has a plethora of harvestable plants & fungi, sometimes only known to those endemic to the region. Cloudberries are present & extremely popular as a sweet snack across the country, both enjoyed in their original form but often also jammed & spread across sandwiches.

### **Government and Politics**

The government of Aukustia is organized as a constitutional monarchy, which utilizes a unicameral legislative system. Every 6 years, representatives are elected to the House of the Nation, with one representative coming from each of Aukustia's 200 counties. The House of the Nation acts as the sole legislative branch of the government, and uses a strictly majoritarian voting system; the Prime Minister is to cast the final vote should a proposed bill ever perfectly split the House, although this has never happened. 3 months after the conclusion of the parliamentary election, those in the House must come together to vote on a new Prime Minister to represent the nation's executive branch; should this vote be split, parameters require a general election from among the population for a new Prime Minister, however this has never happened. The Prime Minister then nominates a cabinet of ministers to fill each position, who are ratified by the House of the Nation.

#### Political Parties

* **Democratic Party** - The Democratic Party is the preeminent force within Aukustian politics, maintaining their absolute majority within the House of the Nation since the democratization of the country. The Democratic Party is strongly nationalist & conservative, placing a big cultural emphasis on Aukustian familial traditions & national identity. The Democrats support tough law-and-order policies, which has caused the Aukustian judicial system to become among one of the most strict & inflexible among the democratic nations of the world. The Democratic Party seeks a pragmatic position in terms of foreign politics, but many members support some of the APIP's ideas of Geobolism. In terms of economics, the Democrats practice protectionism, indicative planning & state-directed investment; disagreements over the party's economic policies eventually lead to the creation of the Reform Party to cater to more hardline deregulatory capitalists.
* **Aukustian People's Interest Party** - The Aukustian People's Interest Party, or APIP, is the second largest party in Aukustian politics & is the primary rival of the Democratic Party. The APIP is generally recognized as a more vehemently radical counterpart to the Democrats. Like the Democrats, the APIP are deeply socially conservative, and expand on the idea of law-and-order through their policy of statolatry; to the APIP, the state is simply a tool to be used to enforce the wills of Aukustia, and thus should not be limited by any agent. The APIP believes in expanding the both the power & geographic lengths of the Aukustian nation, as well as the entirety of the Bolish people; many members believe in an ethnic inferiority of all those outside Bolish cultural group. The APIP is highly opposed to the presence of Joseon on the Aukustian coast, believing the Aukustians need to win a final & decisive victory over the Joseonites in order to cement their national supremacy. In terms of foreign policy, the APIP believes in "geobolism;" the pursuit of an international alliance of Bolish peoples, which would aid to further unite the national Bolish identity & to subjugate all others. The APIP promises no negotiations nor compromises with Joseon should they come to power. Economically, the APIP is heavily interventionist, and believes in cracking down on private corporate ownership. The APIP supports a strong paramilitary wing, known as the Aukustian People's Armed Movement (APAM), of which some branches are infamous for public displays of power & racial violence.
* **Reform Party** - The Reform Party was formed after a group of economic liberals split from the Democratic Party. On almost all manners, the Reform Party votes in unison with the Democratic Party, however they remain committed to using their little power to try and combat state intervention in the economy.
* **Reform Party (North)** - Built off a further split between the northern & southern branches of the Reform Party, the northern branch places a much higher emphasis on liberalism working in unison with the APIP's ultranationalism; like the main Reform Party, they use their precious few votes to try and best combat state intervention in the economy, however largely align with the APIP as opposed to the DP on most every other matter, especially in terms of foreign policy.
* **Aukustian Left Party** - A tiny, practically nonexistent party, the ALP acts as a unitary force for the few leftists who have managed to enter Aukustian Parliament. Members advocate for social democracy, however are powerless to actually try and push any legislation; thus, on most issues, members abstain. Several ALP members have been openly threatened by the APIP & APAM, causing many to now travel around with their own guarded entourages.

#### Military

##### *Main Article: Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Aukustia*

The Prime Minister functions as the administrator of the Armed Forces, and appoints its leadership in the form of the Minister of Warfare & the Council of Military Advisors. Military service in Aukustia is mandated; every male must serve at least 6 months, at which point they may continue a career in the military or rejoin civillian life. The primary branch of the military is the army, which is comprised of a cadre of soldiers who serve as the basis upon which full units can be built on if needed. The navy comes secondary in importance to the army, however recently the Aukustian government has begun shifting more emphasis to the navy in the aftermath of Danghangpo.

#### Citizenship Laws

In order to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Aukustia, one must;

* Be of Aukustian descent on one side of the family
* Be born within Aukustia, or abroad to atleast one parent who possesses Aukustian citizenship
* Maintain no citizenship with a foreign power
* Not be convicted of a Class B crime

Citizenship is a controversial topic in Aukustian politics, as it is restricted to only ethnic Aukustians. It is one of the few issues on which the Democratic Party is split; some elements wish to keep minorities (namely the Joseonites) entirely out of political representation within Aukustia, while others believe that granting citizenship to the Joseonites will help to further ingrain them within Aukustian society. Three attempts have been made to amend the constitution to extend citizenship beyond Aukustians, however all were shot down in the House of the Nation. It is one of the few issues on which the Aukustian Left Party has broken their abstentionism, to vote in favor of extending citizenship. Since one requires citizenship to receive an Aukustian passport, non-citizen minorities are essentially trapped within the country. Citizenship can be revoked if the offender was convicted of a Class B crime; in most cases, the convict is then relegalized as a resident.

##### Residency

Residency is a legal status granted to those who are defined as living within Aukustia however not possessing citizenship. Since it is not restricted to ethnic Aukustians, all ethnic minorities living within Aukustia are deemed residents. Residents are still subject to Aukustian law & taxation, however lack several rights, such as suffrage or the ability to get a passport. In order to be a resident of the Kingdom of Aukustia, one must;

* Be born within Aukustia, or abroad to atleast one parent who posses Aukustian residency.
* Have been accepted for residency by the Bureau of Immigration.
* Maintain no citizenship nor residency with a foreign power.

In order to become a resident of Aukustia without being born as one, one must mail in an application to the Bureau of Immigration, at which point the application will be looked over by a panel of immigration judges, and either accepted or denied. If accepted, the applicant has 8 months to confirm their residency at a location within Aukustia, at which point they will be deemed an Aukustian resident.

##### Foreigners

Foreigners are required to have a legally valid passport from a non-restricted country in order to enter Aukustia. They will be granted permission to remain in Aukustia for a period of either 14 days, a month, or 4 months, depending on the reasoning stated for entering the country. In special situations, longer stays may also be approved by judicial decision. If a foreigner has overstayed their residency, they will be arrested & deported to their country of citizenship. If a foreigner commits a crime while in Aukustia, they will be tried in Aukustian court. If a foreigner is wanted for a crime in a country abroad, an Aukustian court will review the arrest warrant, and either pursue or disregard the foreigner. Aukustia supports no system of asylum.

### **Economy**

The Aukustian economy is a mixture of both government & privately owned industries. In the aftermath of the Kangwon War, politicians & economists alike began to move towards autarky, as a means of both preserving Aukustian culture from globalism but also as a means of wartime protection against the threat of another Joseonite blockade.

#### Agriculture & Forestry

Agriculture & forestry are the primary industries of Aukustia.

##### Pulp & Paper

Pulp & paper products are a major export of Aukustia.

#### Industry

##### Energy

The majority of the energy in Aukustia comes from either hydropower or fossil fuels. Energy is of a particular importance to Aukustia, as it is not only necessary for the economy but also for heating many Aukustian homes in the winter months. Hydropower has a long history in Aukustia, being utilized early on in the country's many lakes & rivers. While hydroelectricity is a relatively new idea to both Aukustia & the world at large, it has already been used extensively within the country. Lignite & bituminious coals are mined extensively out of the country's middle & border mountains. Coal mining unions are some of the largest in the country.

##### Mining & Processing

The top mining commodity in Aukustia is Zinc, where some 12% of the world's known supply is found in the country's central mountains. The zinc mining industry is entirely controlled by the state-owned National Zinc Corporation. The country also has minor supplies of tin, molybdenum, & copper.

### **Culture**

Aukustian culture is largely an oddity on the continent of Akaina, due to their unique Bolish origins. Separation from other Bols for the previous thousand years, however, has caused the formation of a society subject to the whims of a devout Konseptiyan population adapted to the frigid nature of life near the far-north of the world.

#### Clothing

Clothes in Aukustia are very burly, as a result of the countries' harsh climate. Traditional clothing includes bright, primary colors, which are religiously representative of separate Konseptiyan values. This style of clothing is known as *verkaya,* and is widely worn by religious clerics & those living in rural areas of the country. Verkaya has been supplanted by a new, more "modernist" style of drab, monocolor wear known as *tuplo,* which is more prevalent within cities. The tuplo style of clothing is considered much more practical, however conservative pushback has prevented it from spreading evenly across the country.

There is also a noted divide between summer & winter clothes, with many Aukustian households having entirely separate wardrobes for each. The summer wardrobe is known as *ljeto,* and is substantially lighter than typical winter clothes. It is often during this time that comfort shoes are worn, as ice begins to subside. The winter wardrobe is called *zimne,* & involves a lot of fur. Boots are the most common piece of footwear during the winter months, as they are practically a necessity for navigating through the snow.

#### Religion

Religion is an important aspect of Aukustian cultural life. Most of the population are devout Konseptiyans, still following the same tenents their ancestors in Zamoroziet some hundreds of years ago. Although church & state are separated within the Aukustian constitution, the Konseptiyan faith is recognized as the sole national creed of the country. Freedom of religion is not a constitutionally granted right in Aukustia.

##### *Main Article: Aukustian Konseptiyan*

Most Aukustians practice the Konseptiyan faith, however hundreds of years of separation from Zamoroziet has established the Aukustian church as an almost entirely separate entity, politically, from the main branch in Arkadetsiya. Practice of Konseptiyanism is organized under the Konseptiyan Church of Aukustia.

Although the executive functions of church & state are separated, the Kingdom does hold a constitutionally enshrined agreement with the church, which states that "The Kingdom of Aukustia shall recognise the exclusive mission of the Konseptiyan Church of Aukustia, as a national church, in the spiritual life of the Aukustian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity."

##### Theophanites

A small minority of classical Theophanite converts exists along the country's coastal towns, converted by pastors over the past hundreds of years. Theophanite churches are largely localized, with the religion having no national representation, and as such are largely ignored as inconsequential by the Aukustian government. Theophanites still face cultural obstacles, including unusually high rates of poverty & unemployment, due to individual discrimination experienced from the predominately Konseptiyan population.

##### Gidoggyo & Sindo

As ethnically Joseonite religions, the practice of Gidoggyo & Sindo is considered an active threat by the Aukustian, and is cracked down upon by Aukustian authorities. Most Joseonites living in Aukustia will form secretive cults, or simply practice their religion in the private space of their home. Religion functions largely as an extension of nationality between the Aukustians & Joseonites, meaning there is effectively no conversion between the Konseptiyan & Gidoggyo faiths.