Austia

**Austia** (Lungarian: *Austland*), officially the **Austian Republic** (Lungarian: *Austlandisch Republiken*), is a sovereign state in Central Eurea, bordered by Lungary to the north, Chusia to the east, Bagory to the southeast, Regia to the south and southwest, and Limurburg and Frankenland to the west. Its capital and most-populous city is Dienna, located in the north-central portion of the country. Austia has a population of approximately 14.5 million people.

Organized settlement in modern-day Austia first began in the fourth century CE. The territory was unified under the Grand Duchy of Austia in 1204, which later became the Austian Empire in 1486, after incorporating portions of neighboring territories. The Austian Empire went on to become a dominant force in the region, and later unified with the neighboring Kingdom of Bagory to create the Austo-Bagorian Empire in 1735. The Austo-Bagorian Empire went on to become one of the world's superpowers of the 18th and 19th centuries, and one of the most powerful nations in Eurea. Following the Austo-Lungarian War (1885–1892), the Empire was destroyed and Austia was incorporated into the Lungarian Empire as the Province of Austia. Austia's time within the Lungarian Empire was short-lived, and the Empire was dissolved in 1914, establishing Austian independence.

Since the establishment of Austian independence in 1914, Austia has functioned as a federal parliamentary republic. As a federal state, the country is divided into six states, each with their own local government and degree of autonomy from the federal government. The head of state of Austia is the President, who is mainly a ceremonial figurehead with few actual powers. The President is directly elected by Austian voters for a six-year term that can be renewed once. The duties of the President include signing passed legislation, appointing the Chancellor, cabinet ministers, and ambassadors, serving as the ceremonial commander-in-chief of the Austian Armed Forces, and act as a representative of the nation both at home and abroad. The President can veto any passed legislation, and their veto may only be overridden with a two-thirds majority vote. The Chancellor is the head of government, and chief politician of the country. The Chancellor is typically the leader of the governing coalition in parliament, but does not have to be a member of parliament themselves. The responsibilities of the Chancellor include leading a cabinet of ministers, overseeing national policy, and handling day-to-day operations of the country. There is additionally a Vice Chancellor, who deputizes the Chancellor and takes over their duties if they are unable to perform them; typically, the Vice Chancellor is the leader of the second-largest party represented in the coalition, and does not typically exist in a single-party government. The parliament of Austia is bicameral, consisting of the 185-seat lower house the National Council, where members of elected proportionately in the six states, and the 24-seat upper house the Federal Council, where members are elected indirectly by members of the state parliaments, with four senators representing each state. The National Council is much more powerful than the Federal Council, being the only house that may introduce legislation. The Federal Council votes to pass or reject legislation passed by the lower house, although their vote can be overridden by a second simple majority vote in the lower house.

Of its population of approximately 14.5 million people, about 85.4% identify as ethnically Austian. There has been scholarly debate regarding whether Austians are a distinct ethnic group from Lungarians, although most consensus agrees that the groups are distinct yet similar. The remaining 14.6% of the country are primarily of immigrant origin. There is a significant community of immigrants from the former Alaslavia in Austia, numbering 5.6% of the population. The national and sole official language of Austia is Lungarian, a Lungaric language. The population specifically speaks the Austian dialect of Lungarian, which is similar to other dialects spoken in southern Lungary. Lungarian is spoken natively by approximately 89.1% of the population, while the remaining 10.9% speak other languages, often Alaslavian. Approximately 78.1% of the population adheres to Eurean Catholicism, while 8.5% adhere to other Christian churches, 3.9% to Islam, and 0.5% to other religions, while 9.0% identify as atheist, agnostic, or irreligious. Austia is a relatively religious nation, with 17.5% of the population identifying as attending religious services "at least weekly," while 74.3% agree with the statement "there is a God."