South Zhanundeor

*This article is about the Republic of Zhanundeor, aka South Zhanundeor. To see the northern Desculianist state, see North Zhanundeor.*

Republic of Zhanundeor
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1921-Present
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Flag of the Zhanun Republic

The Zhanun Republic (brown) at the end of the First Zhanun War in 1921.

## Government

### Other Major Cities

* Lo-Trang
* Heinan
* Dalian

### Government Type

Unitary presidential republic under a dictatorship

### Legislature

Zhanun Congress (1921-23)National Senate (1923-Present)

### Autonomous Regions

Leased Territory of Guangzhowan (1921-24)

## Demography

### Regional Languages

* Ranci
* Henian
* Navori
* Tanni

### Ethnic Groups

Population: 32,582,000

Core Zhanun: 92%
Henian: 3%
Navori: 2%
Others: 3%

### Religion(s)

* Tumyeongdo: 76%
* Other: 24%

## History

### Founder

Hao-Din Thao

**South Zhanundeor**, officially the **Republic of Zhanundeor** (Zhuni: *Cộng hòa Zhanun-deor*) and commonly abbreviated as the **ROZ**, is a country at the western edge of mainland Southwest Tyensya, with an area of 173,809 square kilometres (67,108 sq mi) and a population of over 30 million, making it one of the world's most populous countries. The Zhanun Republic shares land borders with the Zhanun Democratic Republic to the north, Nongchang and Gaorancia to the east, and Annam & Navra to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Huaxia through the Gulf of Guandong. Its capital is Chengquiang and its second-largest city is Lo-Trang (also referred to by its former name, Zhoannamen City).

The Zhanun Realm was first inhabited roughly 2500 years ago. Its first set of tribal kingdoms was noted in Huaxian records in the early 1st century CE. Following the unification of the Tribal Kingdoms of Zhanundeor into the Manulo Dynasty in the late 12th century, the Zhanuns were ruled by the Manûlo dynasty (1222-1413), the Wastiôn dynasty (1413-1536) and the Dên dynasty (1536-1660). The succeeding Wahti Empire, also known as the Wat Dynasty (1660-1916) was absorbed in 1912 into the Provisional National Government (PNG), and later toppled in 1916 by the PNG. Provisional rule ended following the end of the First Zhanun War in 1921, after which the former territories of the Wat was divided into four zones: a northern zone occupied by the Hội Linh, officially the Zhanun Desculianist State, two eastern zones which would become the Dongbui Desculianist Republic & the Republic of Gaorancia, and a southern zone occupied by the PNG. After negotiations on reunification failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Zhanundeor in December 1921, while the northern zone became the Desculianist Democratic Republic of Zhanundeor in February 1922.

The war resulted in 2.8 million casualties on both sides, and left large portions of the industrially strong coastal region in ruins. The Republic began the process of reconstruction in 1922 under the absolute rule of Hao-Din Thao, and began expanding its diplomatic reach to Western Tyensya, and following the beginning of the Desculian Split in the mid-1920s revived its claim to North Zhanundeor and improved its relations with Huaxia during the 1924 Guangzhowan Agreements, which returned the Leased Territory of Guangzhowan back to Huaxian control after over three centuries of Zhanun rule. South Zhanundeor is still involved in conflicts as a result of the First Zhanun War, including the Gaofeng Bush War since 1927.

South Zhanundeor is a member of ZOFTA, a founding member of OZUN & a signatory of the International Waters Concordat, which backs the legality of territorial waters as sovereign territories of their respective countries. It is considered a regional power and a developed country, with its economy ranking as the sixth-largest by nominal GDP and eighth-largest by GDP (PPP) in the world. The capital of Chengquiang is the fourth-largest city in the world by population and third-largest by land area. Its armed forces are ranked as one of the strongest militaries in the world, with the twelfth-largest military and paramilitary force in the world.

## Etymology

The term *'Zhanundeor'* is an exonym which originates from the Belkan term *Rạṭ̄hbāl Zhan-nodeor*, which was the official Belkan term for the Manûlo Dynasty designated upon the first contact of the two states in the 14th century, translating to 'government of the land of the Zhanuns'. The Atagi Shogunate first referred to the Manûlo Dynasty as *Huo Zhanodenar*, translating roughly to 'sprawl of the mountain people'. With the development of the modern Zhuni Script in the 16th century, many of the foreign interpretations of the Zhanun nation states, including the exonym *'Zhanun-deor'*, which translates to 'Zhanun Core'. Official state use of the term did not come into effect until the early 20th century, where it was used as the official name of the Provisional National Government from 1916.

Ethnic Zhanuns refer to the country simply as *Zhanun*, as a reference to the name of the Core-Zhanun ethnic group and as an informal version of the Republic's official name, *Cộng hòa Zhanun-deor.*

## History

### Manulo Dynasty & the Zhanun Confederation

#### Rise & Stagnation

Following the Zhanun Migration into the Héliú Valley, the Manûlo came to settle in two isolated patches which would eventually evolve into the capital & second-largest city in the country. These two cities, Chéngqiáng & Sēnlín (later known as Seloi), would be the basis by which the dynasty was founded in 1222 CE. Early on, the dynasty grew much attention to itself following the conquest of the tribes in the far north of the valley. Those they did not conquer they eventually coerced into signing protectorate deals which gave the dynasty near absolute power of the land. This conquest was then followed on by another sweep through the south in 1294 which brought it to the borders it would stand it for the remainder of its existence. Following the cementing of its power by the end of the 1200s, the dynasty stagnated in both population, expansion & relevancy. This stagnation compared to the states around it led to the state being preyed upon by those around them, using the inner political instability to sow seeds of rebellion that would crumble the dynasty from the inside. The most famous of these was the founding of the Western Wastiôn Dynasty (which would eventually come to inherit the dynasty's territory) in 1342, which forced the Manûlo to near collapse, holding itself from the brink by bringing their tight net of protectorate networks into a single Zhanun confederation, which the Wastiôn managed while the dynasty itself dealt with family infighting following the death of its patriarch & second emperor in 1367.

#### The Confederation & Demise

In order to hold the state together, Emperor Manûlo Arn made the Wastiôn matriarch Zand his concubine following his coronation as emperor the same year. The dynasty continued to decline during the 15th century, especially after the emperor's children were deemed by his advisors too ill to inherit the throne. And with no relatives deemed close enough to continue the Manûlo name, Arn selected Wastiôn Zand as his heir. He eventually succumbed to a cancerous disease in 1413, & the Western Wastiôn Dynasty inherited the lands of the Zhanun Confederation, declaring themselves the Great Wastiôn Dynasty.

### Wastion Dynasty

#### The Great March

Following the succession of the Manûlo Dynasty in 1413, now-Empress Wastiôn Zand sought to cement her power & collect more territories, and over the course of her reign (1413-79) would connect the capital city of Chéngqiáng to the rest of the eastern territories. This idea of eastern expansionism would become a core part of imperial foreign policy during the 15rd & 16th centuries, with the following 3 emperors all continuing to fulfil Zand's goal of the unification with the Eastern Zhanun peoples. While expansion halted at the eastern plateaus, the ideology that the Northern & Eastern Zhanun peoples should unite into a single state has remained a sentiment that continues into the modern day. The 16th century marked the cementing of Wastiôn power & the continuation of the eastern expansion following the Great Mourning (1479-99) for Empress Zand, who was hailed as a heroine who brought a once-crumbling country to international prominence. Her impact on the ideals of the state eventually gave rise to Zandism during the later years of the dynasty, an ideology based around expansionism in her name. The century began with the Xzabun Deal in 1503, an agreement between the Xzabun tribes which gave the Wastiôn territory in exchange for trade, which was vital for the people on the plateaus. This was followed by the Rancia deal in 1534, which made the Kingdom of Rancia a territory of the dynasty, ending the 91-year quest to push the border as far eastwards as they could. Once they reached the main mass of the plateaus, they decided to stop pushing in favour of a stronger natural border.

#### Zhanun Golden Age

The 16th century marked the beginning of a cultural golden age, with legendary writers such as Dên Xaodun publishing works of literature such as *Works in the Art of Zandism* & *The Navor Question*. The dynasty also became the regional capital of cartography, with people such as Yeng Lin producing some of the first comprehensive maps of the southeast, alongside Luangese artists. The Zhanun people began to spread outside of the dynasty into foreign lands including the Yul during the Second Suhoja Period in 1511, and those who returned brought back new customs & traditions which were engrained into local culture, including the Yul script, which evolved & eventually replaced ancient Zhanun scripts with the modernised Zhuni script.

#### Zhanun Civil War

The year following diplomatic contact with a neighbouring state, the dynasty would be undermined & usurped by the House Dên in the western regions. Shortly after the announcement of the formation of the Western Dên Dynasty, who had the goal of succeeding the failing dynasty. Conflicting interests in the eastern & northern regions of the empire resulted in them defecting, leaving the Wastiôn with nothing but the capital of Chéngqiáng by the end of 1535. Wishing for the capital to not fall into ruin through battle, Emperor Xhen willingly surrendered in 1536, and lived the rest of his life in exile in Yul.

### Den Dynasty

#### The Sho Reforms

Following the succession of the Wastiôn Dynasty in 1536, life remained relatively the same. The civil war had caused little damage thanks in part to the defection of the majority of the provinces of the empire before any fighting had begun. Cultural reform was in order however, & over the next 28 years of Dên Sho's reign the Dên Dynasty adopted the religion of Tumyeongdo & began spreading it across the Zhanun realm with missionaries. By the end of the 16th century the religion had an estimated 63,000 practitioners in the region. Dên Sho's successor, Dên Lan, was a staunch opposer of the treaties which the Tanni populations of their northern neighbour had attempted to impose on the dynasty during its rise, and among other blatantly racist beliefs, wished to cleanse the region of the Tanni population which had migrated from the northern steppes hundreds of years ago. This began in 1626 with a state-sponsored slander campaign against the Tanni population lasting roughly 150 days, with the call on that last day for the peoples of the nation to take up arms & 'cleanse our valleys of its core sins'. The roughly 6,500 natives living in Senlin were forced to defend themselves against a larger, more well-equipped force. The Zhanun-Tanni Genocide claimed around 4,300 lives, with the rest of the Tanni population fleeing elsewhere to become nomadic peoples. Dên Lan would succumb to cancer the following year.

#### The Years of Silence

Following the Zhanun-Tanni genocide, the dynasty cut off all communications with the outside world for 24 years, in what has become known as the 'Years of Silence'. Little is known about what occurred during this time, aside from a boom in population & a military tribunal organised by Dên Lan's successor, Dên Zho (1627-50), in regard to punishing those responsible for the Zhanun-Tanni Genocide. The population also received a great boost during this period, going from roughly 47,000 to 68,000. Towards the end of this period, the dynasty's fourth & final ruler, Dên Ling (1650-60) ascended to the throne at the young age of 16, the youngest emperor ever at that time. The period's end was marked by the announcement of the Second Xzabun Deal, bringing the Dên Dynasty back into the international audience. The original Xzabun Deal in 1503 gave up portions of the Xzabun tribal area to the Zhanuns. In the 137 years that followed, the various Zhanun dynasties & the Xzabun people grew ever closer. During the Years of Silence, the ideology that the Dên Dynasty must be the supreme power in the realm resurfaced, and with the positive relations that had been established, the dynasty set their sights on the Xzabun. The Xzabuns had been approached by Dên missionaries before in the 6th century in regards to religious reform, but now the Dên missionaries approached them with a message to head to the city of Sēnlín to discuss a new Xzabun Deal of protection. Over the following week, the Sēnlín Accords proclaimed a guarantee of independence for any future Xzabun state, with funds being handed out to various rebel groups in the region.

#### Dissolution

The young & naïve Dên Ling allowed his power to be undermined from the beginning of his reign. By giving more autonomy to the Senians in the north & the Annami in the south, he divided up his empire along ethnic boundaries & soon tensions began to brew. In 1624, the Senians began conducting their own diplomacy in a direct attempt at securing independence. The Rancians in the east also conducted talks with the Pichit Dynasty in regards to the events in Píngyuán, in the hopes that they would not fight a war over the piece of land if the empire ever fell apart. It all came crashing down over a 24 hour period in 1660, when a total of five states seceded from the empire, leaving the Dên with a small slice of Héliú Province & the capital of Chéngqiáng. The dynasty effectively ceased to exist shortly afterwards.

### Warring States Period

With the Dên effectively dissolved, the 12-year-old Wat Din Lanh (r. 1660-1744) proclaiming that the territories under the control of the Wat family were now to be considered the successor state to the fallen Dên, with Dên Ling (r. 1650-61) formally rescinding his title as Zhanun Emperor in 1661. Watti armies under the new Blue Banner would descend on & seize Chengquiang in autumn of 1663. Once Chengquiang was firmly under Watti control, Din Lanh launched an offensive on the capital of the secessionist Gaofeng Commonwealth, Ping Denh, in 1672, however ultimately failing to seize the city and resulting in the region of Cenasanu being seized by Gaofeng and pushing the Watti armies deep into the Annam River Delta. A second offensive force was successfully mounted to push the Gaofeng armies out of the delta in 1674, and the city of Ping Denh was firmly placed under Watti control after the Spring Offensive of 1682. Coordination with the Pichit Dynasty following the fall of Ping Denh would result in a dual offensive on the Nongchang Despotate in 1692, pushing the Nongchang armies away from the banks of the River Sute and Lake Sanu, protecting the Belkan city of Champasak from further raids by the Despotate. However, following Belkan attempts to consolidate control over the Landong Peninsula, the Wat Dynasty & Nongchang Despotate would support the Xzabun rebels & the Bin Phoc Dynasty against the Belkans during the First Belkan War, seizing territory on the south bank of the River Sute 60 miles north of the Imperial Capital in the peace settlements in 1698.

War between the two remaining states would erupt in 1702 with a stalemate and again in 1713, with a second stalemate pushing the Wat Dynasty's territorial gains to the west bank of the Lhana River. With the beginning of the final offensive in 1740, Watti armies were pushed deep into Senlin before Huaxian support cavalry assisted in pushing the Nongchang armies back to a second stalemate on the bank of the Lhana River. With the Despotate completely surrounded, Generals of the Watti armies sent 7 separate pleas for the unconditional surrender of the Despotate. When these were ignored, the Watti armies charged across the Lhana River through 4-foot deep waters and captured the settlements surrounding the capital city of Nongchang. The city was repeatedly fireballed and decimated by trebuchet fire before the city was successfully seized after over 60% had been reduced to rubble, including the ancient Wastiôn Court, which had been the original seat of power in the Wastiôn Dynasty from as early as 1342. With the vast majority of the Nongchang government executed, the Wat Dynasty was formally proclaimed in the summer of 1742, marking the end of the Warring States Period.

#### The Imperial Spring

The aging Wat Din Lanh spent most of his formal reign preparing for his inevitable succession. Now 94, he spent much of his reign consolidating the power of the Wat Dynasty by waging war against small isolated Gao tribal groups & Ranci ideological fanatics, exercising much of his power through his second son, Wat Vanhi Moc. He drafted the Articles of Succession, placing the responsibility of choosing a successor solely on the Emperor, as opposed to the ones chosen by the Laws of Pure Creation, which states that the 'first creation' (first child) of the head of state has been chosen by the gods to represent the people of the land. This was a widely unpopular decision, as it was seen as 'subverting the power of the higher power'. Alongside this, Din Lanh brought back many Dên-era politicians and statemen, including former Emperor Dên Ling, who served in the Imperial Court from 1743 until his death in 1759. Vanhi Moc would complete consolidating the power of the Wat Dynasty within its own borders at the end of the Gaofeng Tribal War in 1746 with the remnants of the Gao & Ranci tribal lords which had been rebelling against the Wat for the last half-century signing unequal treaties which stripped them of their land and placed them under occupational authorities. Following attempts against his life during the La Trang Bombing Plot in 1751, further persecution of the Gao & Ranci minorities would result in the expulsion of over over 40,000 ethnic Gao from the Cenasanu region between 1751 & 1753, attracting the attention of the Belkan Sarit Dynasty, who housed over 32,000 Gao refugees in camps along the border. Vanhi Moc would also begin increasing the number of troops in Ping Denh, beginning a trend of the militarisation of the former Ranci capital city by the Wat Dynasty in the 18th & 19th centuries.

Following the death of Vanhi Moc in 1773, the Belkans armed the Gao living in camps along the border and expelled them from the camps, stating that 'with the Emperor deceased, thou territory is yours to take'. The Gao army, over 20,000 strong, marched on the capital of Ping Denh, causing widespread protests in support of the Gao rebels in the capital which were suppressed by the Zhanun garrisons. This emerged into a full-scale revolution nicknamed the 'Gao Spring' which took place between 1773 & 1775, and resulted in the death of a vast majority of those who took part in the uprising, with the leaders being publicly hung from cages after being executed in the city centre of Ping Denh for the 9 years following the end of the Spring, and while the bodies were removed and formally buried in 1784, the cages hung in the town centre with their inscribed upon them into the present day. Emperor Wat Tin Lanh fully reorganised the Imperial Court in 1779, placing more control in the hands of the Emperor and stripping away many of the privileges that provincial leaders had prior to the Gao Spring. Tin Lanh returned to foreign policy by waging an undeclared war with the Sarit Dynasty as a response to their support and creation of the Gao Spring in 1781, thoroughly destabilising the position of the Belkans in their occupied Xzabun territories. In 1785, Tin Lanh made an informal visit to the city of Kabent to announce his monetary support for the Leyani independence movement, which had been taking shape following the Gao Spring. Four years later in 1789 Tin Lanh announced the Wat Dynasty's support for the Third Xzabun Republic in the Xzabun Civil War, undermining Belkan power in the region. This geopolitical manoeuvring would culminate in the Third Belkan War (1799-1805), which resulted in the Sarit Dynasty losing complete control over the Xzabun & Leyani regions, stripping them of over 25% of their territory. This was seen as a massive success for the Wat Dynasty, and restored internal faith in the Emperor, and began a period of domination of the Zhanun Realm by the Wat Dynasty known as the 'Chengquiang Century' from 1805 to 1912.

#### The Chengquiang Century

His successor, Wat Van Tao, ascended to the throne at the beginning of the Chengquiang Century in 1812 at the age of 17. He would rule at the peak of Zhanun power, spending much of his time abroad on diplomatic missions. Cordial relations would be re-established with the Shun Dynasty for the first time since 1561 in 1815, and in 1824 would conclude talks establishing an official end of the Guangzhowan Lease, where the territory would be handed back to Huaxia in 1924. This was made official by the Dongbuyan Concordat, which marked the end of attempts by the Shun Dynasty to annex northern Senlin into Huaxia. In the late 1820s & 1830s, the Wat Dynasty would undergo rapid industrialisation as the Industrial Revolution swept the Zhanun Realm from Yulean traders. Slavery was formally criminalised in the Zhanun Core in 1834, with the last slave plantations being destroyed in 1842. The Imperial Court was completely revised in 1863, with many positions being dissolved and the positions within the Court being barred from inheritance, with Van Lanh stating that 'those who reside in the Court should be chosen per their ability, not their blood'. The ruling family of the realm was barred from having any formal personal holdings outside of the royal residences in Chengquiang in 1864, and Gaofeng was formally introduced as a province in 1872, ending its 97-year long occupation by Zhanun troops. Upon the beginning of the Desculian insurgency in Leyan in 1872, the Wat Dynasty announced its full support for the Kabent Government and even deployed troops to the cities of Kabent, Sabteb-Luq & Tibent between 1873 & 1881. The fall of the Kabent Government in 1884 marked a significant shift in Zhanun politics, as Desculianism breached the northern frontier and the defeat of Zhanun-backed forces marked the beginning of the end of the Chengquiang Century.

Wat Ngọc Thạc would ascend to the position of Emperor in 1884 already a seasoned statemen, having been involved in the diplomatic sector under Wat Van Tao & Van Lanh, but despite this his reign was wracked with increasing instability in the Wat Dynasty as Desculianism spread throughout the 1880s & 1890s. A Desculianist rebellion would break out in Dongbuyan in 1886 which was violently put down by the Zhanun military, and Ngọc Thạc hosted a conference in Lo-Trang in 1887 with leaders of Navra, Belkat, Annam & the Xzabuns to discuss the rising threat of Desculianism in the Zhanun Realm, as Leyan had began placing pressure on its neighbours regarding the Suab-Qab Region, resulting in increasing volumes of military incursions into Nongchang & the Sute Kingdom within the Sarit Dynasty, with military support from Huaxia.

### Modern History

#### The Imperial Winter

Ngọc Thạc began giving concessions to provincial leaders in order to keep them satisfied and under his belt, and produced a series of nationalist propaganda campaigns throughout the late 1880s & early 1890s denouncing Desculianism & pushing for the unity of the Zhanun Core. The campaign was extremely successful, however backfired on Ngọc Thạc as the Zhanun Nationalist movement ultimately undermined his own rule by establishing the Zhanuntang (aka the Zhanun Nationalist Party or ZNP) which swept the country in popularity during the 1890s. Ngọc Thạc was forced to concede to the Zhanuntang in 1892 and reorganise the Imperial Court to be made up majoritively of elected provincial representatives. Elections were hosted in 1894 and the Zhanuntang won a majority of the states, and as their first bill dissolved the Emperor's ability to veto Imperial Court decrees, essentially placing Ngọc Thạc under the will of the Zhanuntang and making the Wat Dynasty a constitutional monarchy on paper, ending Imperial rule.With power now thoroughly in the hands of the provincial governors, and Wat Ngọc Thạc now merely sitting as a formal head of state and voter in the Imperial Court, the Zhanuntang began expanding religious freedoms & cracking down heavily on Desculianist ideological supporters, including the 1895 assassination of the Emperor's brother, Wat Ngọc Vinh, who had expressed pro-Huaxian sentiments following his 1892 state visit to Guangzhowan, which had become a bastion of pro-Desculianists exporting the ideology throughout the rest of the Wat Dynasty.

The military launched a systematic oppression of Desculianists in Guangzhowan from 1895 that continued until the end of Zhanun rule in Guangzhowan in 1924. In 1896, the Zhanuntang & Ngọc Thạc agreed in the Treaty of Da Nang to end Dongbuyan's status as a Free City under the control of the Crown and to integrate the territory into the Senlin Region. Ngọc Thạc retained control of much of the state's foreign affairs until 1904, where the Treaty of Lo-Trang gave control of Guangzhowan to Chengquiang Region, which was ruled by the Zhanuntang and greatly expanded their ability to conduct foreign affairs on the behalf of the empire. In 1909 the Treaty of Dongbuyan would be signed, removing the Emperor's power in Senlin, Heliu & Nongchang, and Gaofeng & Pingyuan would follow suit according to the 1911 Treaty of Dongbuyan. The remaining two regions nominally under Imperial jurisdiction, Annamzhanun & Chengquiang, were nearly completely controlled by the Zhanuntang *de facto*, and as a result Wat Ngọc Thạc held virtually no power in the Wat Dynasty by 1912.

#### First Zhanun War

*Full article: First Zhanun War*

Following the Seloi Revolution in 1912, Desculianist rebellions spread across the north of the Wat Dynasty, and when the cities of Nongchang & Seloi were captured by rebel forces, they formally seceded the regions of Senlin, Heliu & Nongchang as Desculianist Republics. The Wat Dynasty effectively collapsed, but was formally maintained by the Provisional National Government (PNG), which invaded the Dongbui Desculianist Republic (DDR) in July of 1912. The Hội Linh, organised from the collection of leftist rebel forces, stood in formally as the united front against the PNG, headed by Zhanun nationalist Cou Din Thao. A military genius, Din Thao utilised both conventional & guerrilla tactics to secure the majority of the north by the end of 1912, and would begin conducting shelling campaigns against PNG naval convoys conducting naval raids in Nongchang & cooperated with Huaxian military support to seize the key city of Dongbuyan in February 1913. The PNG managed to maintain control over the Zhanun Core south of the Heliu River from 1912 until 1914, when the New Year's Offensive drove the Nationalists out of Cenasanu and deep into the Annam River Delta & the Gaofeng.

Losses experienced during the New Year's Offensive forced the Nationalists to re-evaluate their position in the war, resulting in the deposition of Wat Ngọc Thạc in 1916 and the formal dissolution of the Wat Dynasty. The Gaorancian Republic was established as a tributary regime of the PNG in 1915 in order to create more support for the Nationalists in the region. Following the beginning of a secondary Desculianist insurgency by the ADGR (Alliance of the Desculianists of Gao-Rancia) in 1916 a second front would open in the Gaofeng that would serve as a proxy conflict following the stalemate on the Cenasanu Front in 1917. Formal conflict between the Hội Linh & the PNG would cease after the signing of the 1919 Champasak Armistice, with the ADGR continuing to fight the PNG with limited Hội Linh support until the end of the war in 1921.

#### Reconstruction Era

Following the 1921 Guangzhowan Agreements, the South was left to recuperate its losses. Important cities such as Heinan & Lo-Trang were left in ruins after the war, and it became clear that reorganisation was needed to allow for the rehabilitation of the region. The Zhanuntang organised the third Grand National Conference to discuss the future of the remaining territories under PNG administration. The Zhanuntang voted unanimously to end the Provisional National Government and formally establish the Republic of Zhanundeor in late 1921 under a one-party system headed by State President Hao-Din Thao. With the Zhanuntang now in complete control over the government, hardliner nationalist policies would prevent all those with any connection to the ZDR or DDR from entering the country, as well as the arrests of over 16,000 political prisoners between 1922 & 1927, with a minimum of 1,270 of them being sentenced to death or given summary executions upon capture. The Grand National Army was reorganised into the Army of the Republic of Zhanundeor (ARZD) and a military police, officially known as the Keong-ma, began operations separate from the military hierarchy in 1924. The South would also begin expanding its diplomatic reach to Western Tyensya, and following the beginning of the Desculian Split in the mid-1920s revived its claim to North Zhanundeor and improved its relations with Huaxia during the 1924 Guangzhowan Agreements, which returned the Leased Territory of Guangzhowan back to Huaxian control after over three centuries of Zhanun rule.

Following an economic depression between 1914 & 1919 as a result of the war, Reconstruction was defined by the economic boom of 1926 in the South, rapidly accelerating the yearly growth of the economy far beyond that of its northern counterpart, which prior to that point had continually performed better economically due to its large connections and lesser damage from the war. This allowed the South to rapidly modernise its military, introducing tanks & later airborne divisions which were tested during the undeclared Dengxiao Skirmish in January 1927, and later would see their first use in warfare following the outbreak of the Gaofeng Bush War in May of that same year. During the Gaofeng Bush War, the South dramatically increased its military support of & economic ties to Gaorancia, with funding reaching its peak in the early 1930s at an estimated 3.7 million ₫ per year.

## Government & Politics

Officially, the Republic of Zhanundeor is a democratic unitary presidential republic, however since its inception has been a dictatorship under the State President, Hao-Din Thao. The vast majority of political parties & movements, especially leftist ones, are banned, with the remainder of the parties in the country being either directly or ideologically affiliated to the founding and ruling party, the Zhanuntang. The country is described as "a hardliner's interpretation of capitalism", with its laissez-faire economic policies attracting attention from economists in light of its economic success. The state has been criticised for its dictatorial stance, mainly the mass imprisonment of political prisoners and even foreign ambassadors from countries considered 'too close to the North'. The State President holds complete executive and legislative power in the country, being the head of state, government, military & the legislature, which has been the National Senate since the dissolution of the Zhanun Congress in 1923. The Deputy State President is largely a ceremonial role, largely to outline who is considered to be the best successor in the eyes of the incumbent State President. Despite being commander-in-chief of the armed forces, much of the administration of the military is offloaded to the Senior General of the Army of the Republic of Zhanundeor (ARZD), who holds *de facto* control over the armed forces. The State President retains sole control over the Keong-ma, the military police.

## Geography

Southern Zhanundeor is divided into coastal lowlands, the mountains of the Annamzhanun Range, the Annam River Delta and extensive forests. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 76% of the country's arable land and 72% of its total forested land. The soil in much of the southern part of Zhanundeor is relatively low in nutrients as a result of intense cultivation. Several minor earthquakes have been recorded since 1860. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Heliu River Delta. Kourimar (also known as Mount Toe), which is located in Lào Province, is the highest mountain in the Zhanun Realm, standing 1,475m (4,389 ft) high. The Dali Lake and Annam River are the largest lake and longest river in the country.

### Climate

Due to differences in latitude and the marked variety in topographical relief, Zhanundeor's climate tends to vary considerably for each region. During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the southeast along the Navran coast and across the Gulf of Guandong, picking up considerable moisture. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains, especially in southern Zhanundeor. Temperatures vary less in the southern plains around Chengquiang and the Annam Delta, ranging from between 21 and 35 °C (70 and 95 °F) over the year. In Lo-Trang and the surrounding areas of the Heliu River Delta, the temperatures are much lower between 15 and 33 °C (59 and 91 °F). Seasonal variations in the mountains, plateaus, and the northernmost areas are much more dramatic, with temperatures varying from 3 °C (37 °F) in December and January to 37 °C (99 °F) in July and August. During winter, snow occasionally falls over the highest peaks of the far eastern plateaus near the Xzabun border. The South receives high rates of precipitation in the form of rainfall with an average amount from 1,500 to 2,000 mm (60 to 80 in) during the monsoon seasons; this often causes flooding, especially in the cities with poor drainage systems. The country is also affected by tropical depressions, tropical storms and typhoons.

### Administrative Divisions

After 1924, South Zhanundeor is divided into 16 provinces, with a Special Administrative Region surrounding Chengquiang. Provinces are administrated by regional governors, whilst the Chengquiang SAR is administrated directly by the central government, with the representative being the incumbent State President of the Republic.

Officially, South Zhanundeor lays claim to the 18 provinces comprising North Zhanundeor, and is recognised by the vast majority of nations in the Zhanun Realm as the administrators of those territories, despite being *de facto* under the control of the ZDR. The government refers to them as the 'Occupied Territories' and are *de jure* ran by the Provincial Council of the Occupied Territories, a sector of the Department of the Interior that is administrated directly by the State President. A second SAR was organised in 1927 surrounding the city of Seloi, which has its own elected mayor chosen every half-decade by the National Senate.

### Demography

The population of South Zhanundeor is 32,582,000 as of 1927. The vast majority of the population live in the 5 largest urban areas, the largest being Chengquiang, which houses over 30% of the population, and the smallest being Vue housing less than 3% of the population. The rural regions in Gan-ma & Ludoe are some of the most sparsely populated areas in the world, being largely covered in paddy fields & dense jungle. The urban/rural spread is roughly 72%/28%, with the life expectancy in the urban areas being significantly higher than the rural regions; according to a study conducted in 1926, life expectancy in the urban regions was between 72 & 74, whilst the rural areas can have life expectancies as low as 41. The dominant Core-Zhanun ethnic group, which makes up over 90% of the population, have complete control over the governance of the country through the Zhanuntang.

### Biodiversity

As the country is located within the Coastal Tyensyan realm, South Zhanundeor is one of ten countries considered to possess a uniquely high level of biodiversity. This was noted in the country's National Environmental Condition Report in 1923. It is ranked 13th worldwide in biological diversity, being home to approximately 12% of the world's species. over 12,000 species of flora have been identified in the country, of which 10% are endemic. The South's fauna includes 286 nematode species, 112 oligochaeta, 154 acarina, 113 springtails, over 8,000 insects, 245 reptiles, and 129 amphibians. There are over 700 birds and 325 mammals are found in the South, of which 125 birds and 178 mammals are endemic.