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The '''Great Khanate of Alva''' is a republic located in the north-central region of the continent of [[Yasteria]], sharing
==History==
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The region which now contains Alva has been inhabited by hominid life for millions of years. Elves as well as humans, lupines, and vulpines have existed in northern Yasteria since prehistory. While the exact time and location of the first elven civilizations is disputed, it is known that inland north-east central Yasteria was predominately populated by elves by the mid-to-late Neolithic period. Inscriptions on stone tablets and in pottery as early as 3400 BC feature a kind of proto-writing that is today called the Urgabom Script, named after the city in what is now Alva where it was first discovered. Urgabom Script is the first script known to be created by elves, although it has not yet been translated and scholars disagree on whether it truly encodes a language. The Urgabom Script Civilization is believed to have begun to build urban-like settlements before a drought or other disaster severely reduced the population sometime around 2500 BC.
While there was always elven habitation of the region, none of the people there used writing for several centuries after the Urgabom Script writers disappeared. Instead, a largely nomadic society arose, with small tribes moving across the
By approximately 800 BC, texts found in what is now [[Packlivania]] refer to "the tribes of Alva," and a leaders who were known by the title "Kaan." This date is used by most international historians to date the first formalized Khanate of Alva. The title of Khan was believed to be martial in nature, rather than hereditary, which whichever chief who was able to marshal enough support among other tribes gaining the title. In this era, there were typically multiple Khans, with one Khan gathering power in one particular region and engaging in hostilities against other Khans. Power tended to fluctuate between tribes in the more arid east and the tribes on the west near the sea. While tribes in both areas were nomadic in nature, the tribes in the west tended to move between established settlements on a seasonal schedule, whereas the tribes in the east rarely settled in the same location more than once. The east, while less populous, had one resource the west lacked: horses. Wild stallions are native to eastern Alva, and the warriors of the eastern Alvan tribes were famous for their connection to and skill with their horses. Alvan archers were known worldwide for their ability to shoot while on horseback.▼
▲By approximately 800 BC, texts found in what is now [[
Internal conflict among the Alvan tribes was the norm for much of early Alvan history. However, in the fifth century AD, a siege by united eastern tribes reached the coast near what is now Urgabom and managed to secure power over the area relatively permanently under one single Khan for the entire state. This began what is known as the Eastern Dynasty period, which lasted for seven hundred years, in which the formerly disparate west and east began to see their cultures merge. The title of Khan began to be hereditary, and the eastern tribes adopted the western tradition of moving seasonally between established settlements. In turn, the horse culture of the east was adopted by the west. Additionally, a formal bureaucracy began to form, inspired by systems of government from other areas such as Packlivania. By the 12th century AD, with the unity of Alva secured, Alva began to turn its attention outward.▼
▲Internal conflict among the Alvan tribes was the norm for much of early Alvan history. However, in the fifth century AD, a siege by united eastern tribes reached the coast near what is now Urgabom and managed to secure power over the area relatively permanently under one single Khan for the entire state. This began what is known as the Eastern Dynasty period, which lasted for seven hundred years, in which the formerly disparate west and east began to see their cultures merge. The title of Khan began to be hereditary, and the eastern tribes adopted the western tradition of moving seasonally between established settlements. In turn, the horse culture of the east was adopted by the west. Additionally, a formal bureaucracy began to form, inspired by systems of government from other areas such as
===The Alvan Empire===
In 1125, a succession crisis arose when the Khan at the time had neither sons nor brothers to assume the throne after his death. A brief civil war ensued among various competing bases of power, but it was won very quickly by a young chief from the north known as Temuj who would assume the title Khan of all Alva in 1128. As Khan, he would use the name ''Gunghris'' and is often recorded in history by the name Gunghris Khan. This ended the Eastern Dynasty period and began a period known as the Alvan Empire period. During the lifetime of Gunghris Khan, Alva would expand across central Yasteria, reaching the western border of Packlivania by 1175. Gunghris Khan died in 1199 and was succeeded by his son, who was called Tugri Khan.
[[File:Alvan empire.png|left|thumb|300px|The Alvan Empire at its peak extent, shortly before the death of Tugri Khan in 1254. The total area was over 5
Under Tugri Khan, Alva expanded both to the west and the south, conquering territory on both coasts of the Sea of Alva and reaching nearly as far south as
From the 13th century onward, there would regularly be Alvan raids in central Yasteria as Alvan tribes - and Alvan states in some cases - competed for influence. While various states claimed to be the legitimate heir to the Alvan Empire, none would ever re-conquer all of the territories held by Tugri Khan. Historians use the term "Alvan Khanate" to refer to the state that existed where Alva exists today, which is the homeland of the Alvan tribes and was consistently the most economically dominant of the Alvan states. By the 17th century, all the former areas of the Alvan Empire would be under the control of non-Alvan regimes with the exception of the Alvan Khanate, although the Khanate of Suvania, a state nade up of lands once controlled by the Alvan State of Alvshina has sometimes been called the Alva of the West for it's eager adoption of Alvan Culture and Religious Beliefs, until its collapse into civil war in the 1950s.
===Collapse and Decline===
As the world outside began to modernize, Alva began to see tension again build between the east and the west. The city of Urgabom had existed as a sedentary settlement for 400 years by the mid 17th century and was a major center for trade and commerce in the region. As essentially the only permanent settlement in the country, it was also the largest settlement and home to most of the political elite. The period in Alva after the collapse of the Alvan Empire is known as the Western Dynasty due to this cultural dominance by Urgabom. Eastern tribes began to resent the increasingly cosmopolitan west, believing they had shunned ancient tradition. In 1674, a conflict known as the Carriage Wars broke out, as angry eastern tribesmen attacked Urgabom over the popularity of horse-drawn carriages, which they saw as disrespectful and contemptible towards the horses. The Carriage Wars would eventually encompass the entire country, and within 20 years, the relative unity in Alva that had been in place since the fifth century collapsed. The government of the country dissolved, and from the late 17th century, there was no longer a single Alvan state. Instead, the region returned to control by competing tribes.
While Urgabom remained relatively wealthy and cosmopolitan, the other areas of the country were relatively impoverished, and many continued to live in the traditional nomadic manner into the 20th century, especially in the far north and east of the country. However, in the 19th century, significant oil deposits were discovered in Alva, as well as mineral deposits of various kinds. As larger surrounding powers began to make moves toward taking the resources, the various tribes began to band together to defend themselves. A loosely organized state called the Alvan Confederation, with a capital nominally in Urgabom, was founded in 1850, the first united Alvan state in
===Modern Era===
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Major construction of the city of Alvakot was complete by 1997, and people have been steadily moving to the city since then, as it is the largest city by far in a region that was once almost entirely rural. In 1998, a constitutional amendment replaced the traditional division of Alva into chiefdoms with a system of 36 provinces with permanently established capitals. All parties to the peace agreement have honored its terms, and there has been no outright violent unrest in the country since 1992. However, the organized crime that arose in the era of the Great Frustration remains endemic, especially in the north and east, and crime levels remain high. In addition, political corruption remains common at all levels, especially in the relatively newly-established provincial governments.
In 1995, Alva hosted the [[Expo '95|World Exposition]] in the city of Urgabom. After having been awarded the expo in an emergency meeting after the then-host nation [[
==Government==
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In addition to fuel resources themselves, Alva is a net exporter of electricity to the region. Oil and nuclear power plants are common, as are wind turbines and hydroelectric power. Electricity is cheaper in Alva than in most neighboring countries, and even rural and nomadic areas have easy access to electricity.
While the more
===Income Inequality===
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==Geography==
[[File:Naadam rider 2.jpg|left|thumb|300px|A child in Alva learns to ride a horse in the central
Being located near the center of the continent, Alva would be significantly more arid than it is were it not for the Sea of Alva to its west. The sea moderates the climate and provides moisture to the area. Urgabom, the largest city in the country, is only one of several permanent or semi-permanent settlements that have existed on the coast of the Sea of Alva throughout history, and the attractiveness of this climate compared to the relative harshness of the east is part of what drove the traditional differences in culture between the two regions. Today, the west of Alva remains more populous and less mobile than the east. The Urgabom metropolitan area is home to approximately 4.3 million people.
The largest geographic region of the country is the central
The far east, and to a lesser extent the far north, is higher in elevation and more rough in terrain than the central
[[Category:Nations]][[Category:Yasteria
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