Ustio

**Ustio**, officially the **Republic of Ustio** and formerly the **Republic of the Ustian Nation**, is a small landlocked country on the continent of Osea. Ustio borders Belka to the north, Recta to the northeast, Ratio to the east, Sapin to the south, and the Osean Federation to the west. A highly mountainous country, Ustio is surrounded by the Waldreich Mountains to the north and the Imperador Mountains to the south and west, with the Ustian Plateau lying in between. Within the plateau is Ustio's capital and largest city, Directus, which is also one of the oldest cities on the Osean continent.

Ustio was established as the independent Duchy of Ustio during the first Belkanic settlement of the Osean continent in the 9th century AD. It was among the strongest of the proto-Belkan states until it was absorbed into the nascent Principality of Belka in 1303, after which it became part of the Rectan March. Ustio eventually regained its status as a duchy under the overlordship of the Princes of Belka at the end of the War of Accession (1420-1423), with an "honorable and eternal brotherhood" established following Ustio's decisive victory against Belka at the Battle of Solis Ortus. The Duchy of Ustio gradually gained influence within the Principality of Belka over the next several years, with the Ustian dukes becoming the "power behind the throne" for several successive Belkan princes. A succession crisis caused by the extinction of the ruling Pendrach dynasty prompted Ustio to attempt to usurp the throne, beginning the War of the Belkan Succession (1703-1706). Ustio was defeated and ceased to exist afterwards, with its territory divided between several other vassal states. Following Ustio's partition, its citizenry attempted to force either reconstitution or separation from Belka on several occasions, including with the Free Soil movement (1777-1796), which spawned the first republican sentiment in Ustio. The collapse of Belka's primacy in the 19th century allowed for a major expansion of support for the Ustian independence movement, with republicans led by Hannes Andris proclaiming the short-lived first republic of Ustio in 1849, beginning the Fraternal War (1849-1862). Enjoying 13 years of independence, Andris's republic was ultimately defeated and reabsorbed into Belka.

Ustio finally gained its independence following the Belkan Federal Law Review of 1987. Its early existence as a sovereign state was strenuous, with Ustio losing over half of its territory to neighboring Ratio in the Six Hour War (1990) and nearly losing its independence to Belka in the Belkan War (1995), though Ustian forces, in spite of the country's small size, would go on to play an instrumental role in Belka's defeat. Since the end of the Belkan War, Ustio has maintained sovereign neutrality.

Ustio is a parliamentary republic with strong democratic traditions. Unique amongst other countries, Ustio's legislature is tricameral, with a traditional upper and lower house and a third "house of all the people", the National and Peoples' Chambers, which conducts its business through a form of direct democracy. Ustio is the smallest country on the Osean continent and among the smallest in the world. It is also the third least-wealthy country on the continent in terms of GDP per capita, though the cost of living is significantly lower in Ustio than in most other Osean countries. Ustio is a member of the Assembly of Nations and is a founding member of the Osean Community and the Non-Aligned Movement.