Kaltariezh
 Flag of Caltharus | |
Motto: Honour, Loyalty and Knowledge. | |
Anthem: ["March of the Caltharusian People."] | |
| Caltharus (dark green), Great Morstaybishlia (light green), territories (dark grey) Caltharus (dark green), Great Morstaybishlia (light green), territories (dark grey) | |
| Location | Map |
|---|---|
| Capital and largest city | Aeternum |
| Official language | Staynish |
| Recognised regional languages | Calth |
| Ethnic groups (2015) | Human 99.6% Vulpine 0.4% |
| Demonym(s) | Caltharusian, Calthian, Calth |
| Government | Devolved parliamentary legislature within a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Lambertus VII |
• Secretary of State | Edmund Stockman |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,771,150 km2 (683,840 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2019 census | 141,005,948 |
| Gini (2015) | 29.6 low |
| SDI ((n/a)) | 0.8 very high |
| Currency | Kirib (♅/KRB) |
| Date format | DD/MM/YYYY |
| ISO 3166 code | CAL |
| Internet TLD | .mbe |
Caltharus (Calth: Calthia) is a country that is apart of Great Morstaybishlia. Caltharus borders Staynes to the west, Vothetria, Kothalria and Thalria to the south, Baykalia and Kostromastan to the east, Tivot as well as the Morstaybishlian Sea to the north, as well as 4 inhabited islands.
The Kingdom of Caltharus emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1515. In 1515, Lambertus III united the thrones of Staynes and Caltharus after defeating Gretargius Ballistra at the Battle of Lambertupol which formed the United Kingdom of Staynes and Caltharus, which went on to become the sovereign state of the Morstaybishlian Empire. The union also created a new Parliament of Morstaybishlia, which succeeded both the Parliament of Caltharus and the Parliament of Staynes. Under Redrugus IX, Caltharus helped Staynes conquer the Kormistazmic Empire in 1575. In 1897, Morstaybishlia itself entered into a political union with the Caliphate of Packilvania to become the Kingdom of Morstopackia before collapsing twenty years later.
Within Caltharus, the monarchy of Great Morstaybishlia has continued to use a variety of styles, titles and other royal symbols of statehood specific to the pre-union Kingdom of Caltharus. The legal system within Caltharus has also remained separate from those of Staynes, and South Staynes and Justelvard; Caltharus constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law. The continued existence of legal, educational, religious and other institutions distinct from those in the remainder of Great Morstaybishlia have all contributed to the continuation of Caltharusian culture and national identity since the 1515 union with Staynes.
In 2019 Caltharus recorded a population of 141 million, with 38 million people living in the Province of Nocturne. Aeternum, the capital city, has a population of 8.7 million people with 15.16 million in the metropolitan area, making it the second largest city behind Sani Bursil and above Eskrador.
History
Caltharus is one of the oldest nations in Aurora. Caltharus originated as a city state under Calth, managing to conquer all of the other city states on the Dovian Peninsula. After centuries of imperialistic expansionism and rule under a monarchy a successful revolution in 1513 had King Haligar II executed whilst some royal family members fled to nearby kingdoms. The Republic of Caltharus came into being but was thwarted two years later by an invasion led by Lambertus III of Staynes and his wife, Haligar II's daughter and heir to the throne Katerina. The Union of the Thrones is what led Caltharus and Staynes into political union.
Colonialism and New Age City States
After Calth had conquered the Dovian peninsula, some of the noble families of the fallen city-states began to feel threatened. This threat was caused by the newly established Constantine dynasty, which actively tried to make Calth more centralised nation. This uncertainty among the old nobles resulted in a large movement being created, with colonisation as a primary goal. The old nobles believed that if they could escape from the mainland Calth, they could start their own city states and thus return to the status quo. After 24 years of Constantine rule, this movement finally succeeded in preparing a fleet for colonisation. These ships left Calth in the year 974. Their departure was followed by decades of silence, and it was generally believed that these ships were either lost in a storm or turned in to pirates. However, in 1001 a ship landed in Aeternum (back then known as Calth), claiming it had came from the distant continent Arcturia. This ship told king the tale of the colonisation fleet how it had sailed for far longer distance even thought possible. At first, the king was overjoyed that the colony project had succeeded, but soon he was told by the sailors that the few established colonies had renounced their loyalty to Calth and started forming new city states. Even though the King was outraged by this, he soon realised that there was nothing he could do. For the time being, the colonies were too far away, so he acknowledged these colonies as independent and started trading with them.
In 1164 the Calthian situation finally allowed them to start preparing for conquest of these colonies, that had now grown in to full-fledged city-states. Calthians send their most capable and most loyal commander, in lead of a greatest invasion force that Calth had ever seen, towards these colonies. The commander, known as Colonarius, had sworn to conquer all of the city-states. After a year of sailing, the invasion force arrived at Arcturia. They fortune was on their side, and they landed only few kilometres away from the city of Alaias. Colonarius decided to act fast and instigate, he advanced on the city, and took it by surprise. After only three days of fighting, the city and its occupants surrendered. To the citizens Colonarius promised that they would be spared, and even rewarded, if they would join Calth and fight alongside him. They city quickly accepted the offer, and so Colonarius had made sure that his forces couldn't be driven to the sea or exhausted to death. Despite this early victory, in 1166 the remaining 11 city states formed an alliance to counter the invasion. Colonarius responded to this by striking first, and forcing his enemies to react to his actions, rather than trying to defend against their overwhelming numbers. In the war that ensued, the 'War of twelve cities'; Colonarius had two advantages. Most of his army was well trained and far more disciplined. The war raged on for five years, with Colonarius doing increasingly daring attacks against his enemies. The war finally ended in it's sixth year, after a large, decisive battle, that quickly become known as the miracle of Colonarius.
In this battle Colonarius managed to crush the opposing army decisively, after killing kings of the three leading city-states. After this battle the cities quickly fell in line, and Colonarius become one of the most celebrated military commanders of Calth. The land would eventually be reorganised as territory of the Morstaybishlian Empire under the name 'New Calth' after the Union of the Thrones, and serves as a large trading hub, being in the middle of affairs to and from Gondwana and Aurora.
Politics and government
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The politics of Caltharus take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The King of Great Morstaybishlia, currently Lambertus IV, is the head of state and head of government. The Parliament of Great Morstaybishlia has the power to make laws for Great Morstaybishlia including Caltharus (in which it is represented by approximately x members of Parliament). Caltharus does not have its own devolved government. The incumbent Prime Minister, Franklin Barvata originates from and represents a constituency in Caltharus. Following the secession of Marislia from Great Morstaybishlia, the number of seats allocated to Caltharus in the Parliament were reduced. Despite falling to the east of the Ider River, Aurus, Cavenhelm, and Lambertupol remain part of Caltharus.
The Secretary of State for Caltharus, currently Kellie Fross, is a member of the Cabinet of Great Morstaybishlia who is responsible for representing the interests of Caltharus in the Cabinet and administering executive authority in Caltharus. She was appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister of Great Morstaybishlia. She is a member of the Labour Party (representing the Achavey constituency in the Parliament of Great Morstaybishlia) and succeeded Fredmund Constanine following her appointment to that post on 16 April 2021 as part of the Second Barvata ministry following the 2021 General Election. She oversees the Department of Caltharusian Affairs which administers government functions for Caltharus.
The provinces which compose Caltharus have councils whose members represented constituencies and are elected by ranked-choice run-off voting. The Provincial Councils have the power to make decisions over local matters such as schools, hospitals and clinics, abattoirs, liquor licenses etc. Each province has a Chairperson elected by its members and they tend to make decisions by majority vote and its members serve full-time.
In contrast, the municipalities have a Mayor elected directly by the population who appoints a council that runs the daily affairs of the municipalities where a Municipal Council comprised of part-time councillors of whom some represent Wards and others are appointed by parties via proportional seats. Municipalities provide public services and make decisions on matters such as traffic lights, garbage pick-up, storm drains, building permits and zoning etc. In some cities, the Mayor will appoint a professional civil servant known as the City Manager who handles the administrative and managerial decisions and running of the city while the Mayor and the Mayoral Council develop policy and supervise the running of the city. Some cities such as Aeternum, Aurus and Cavenhelm have been delegated power over matters reserved for the central and provincial governments such as policing, hospitals and schools.
The so-called Great Houses of Caltharus, are historic families which once ruled over small teritorries in Caltharus and comprise the nobility of Caltharus. Following its unification and subsequent domination by Great Morstaybishlia, the houses became aristocratic lords who controlled fiefs in the Kings name. Over time, their power and political significance has waned drastically yet they remain relevant because they send hereditary peers to the House of Peers and exercise considerable cultural, economic and philathropic influence.
Law and crime
The legal system of Caltharus takes place in the framework of a civil and common law system. The criminal justice system is inquisitorial whereby His Majesty's Procuratorate is responsible for investigating cases and presenting evidence on behalf pf the courts. The criminal justice system follows a set of Criminal Law Codes that stipulate matters of criminal law and offer little room to Caltharusian justices to interpret or develop judicial precedent. In contrast, the civil law system follows a common law system whereby substantial case law is developed via judicial precedent. Furthermore, it follows an adversarial system whereby parties to a case present evidence and arguments to an impartial judge.
The highest court in Great Morstaybishlia is the Supreme Court of Great Morstaybishlia (which is de jure the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council) thus all cases arising from courts in Caltharus can be appealed to it. The highest court in Caltharus is the Conclave. The Conclave is appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister of Great Morstaybishlia following consultations with an independent professional judicial appointments advisory committee. The Conclave consists of 9 justice and is seated in Aeternum. Beneath the Conclave are various other courts responsible with general and specialised jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases within their respective jurisdictions. Cases from these courts can be appealed to the Conclave, whose decisions have binding effect on all courts in Caltharus except where superseded by the Supreme Court.
His Majesty's Caltharusian Police Service is the primary organ of law enforcement except in large cities such as Aeternum which have their own police departments. As with the rest of Great Morstaybishlia, the Royal Prison Service is responsible for maintaining and operating prisons, the largest of which is King Gustav II Correctional Facility with 3,245 inmates. Caltharus has a rate of 1.8 intentional culpable senticide per 100,000 people and a total prison population of 287,500. Capital punishment continues to be utilized but incidence of its use is declining, with 23 executions being conducted since 2000 CE.
Administrative divisions
Caltharus consists of provinces which are further subdivided into municipalities. Provinces and municipalities are responsible for administering public services and executing laws as mandated by the central and state-level governments. Further local representation is provided by counties in rural municipalities and boroughs in city municipalities.
The provinces of Caltharus are as follows:
- Donomere
- Langamere
- Ecaltus
- Prosperro
- Korrius
- Silvere
- Marenus
- Oglota
- Tandar
- Khawton
- Dogruria
- Boscowia
- Nukdausia
- Dovia
- Forchmech
- Calthia
Economy
The economy of Caltharus takes place as a free-market capitalist economy with social welfare. Caltharus has a nominal GDP of 3.234 trillion KRB and a nominal GDP per capita of 31,520 KRB. It uses the Kirib (KRB) as legal tender as monetary policy is under the control of the Kalmington Parliament which ceded much of that power to the Auroran Central Bank. Nevertheless, the Bank of Staynes retains various functions such as oversight of Caltharus's banking system. Inflation holds at the UNAC average of approximately 2% to 3%.
Caltharus is characterised as an upper income developed post-industrial economy with relatively low levels of unemployment (approximtely 5%). Trade with other constituent countries of Great Morstaybishlia and overseas dependencies of the Morstaybishlian Empire comprises over 75% of its trade volumes. 15% to 20% flows to the United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC). The remaining 10% to 5% of trade is with Packilvania, the League of Novaris, Peregrinia and the Union of Commonwealth Alliances.
Over 62% of Caltharus's economy consists of the services sector especially in areas such as information technology services, financial services, and tourism. The manufacturing sector comprises another 21% of the economy of which industrial machinery, vehicles, scientific equipment, arms manufacturing and shipbuilding comprise a substantial portion. The mining sector comprises 9% of the economy, producing metallurgical silicon, ferrous metals and coal. The smallest part of the economy consists of agriculture with contributes 4% of the economy namely in the production of wine, timber, grains, meat, and fruits.
Infrastructure
Caltharus has a highly developed infrastructure system. It has 24,700km of railway, which include over 2,567km of high-speed rail. The longest and most profitable line, the Aeternum-Aurus line spans Aeternum, Lambertupol and ends in Aurus. The railway system is run by three companies: Royal Caltharus Railways, Transrail and Caltharus Train Service. Many cities have trams and subways lines especially the larger and more densely populated cities. Caltharus is in the process of integrating its network to the continental network to make it easier to travel across borders. Most notably the Aeternum to Karinthus line provides direct customs free travel between Caltharus and North Ethalria. The country has 1,250,000km of road which includes the extensive Caltharus Highway Network which connects to the Great Morstaybishlia Network which in turn connects to the continental network.
Caltharus has a mix of energy source which includes 25% natural gas, 23% coal, 19% nuclear power, 17% hydroelectric power, and 16% other renewable energy sources which has enabled Caltharus to exceed its emissions targets despite being a producer of fossil fuels. Caltharus's grid is connected with the rest of the continent allowing for it to sell power to surrounding nations and rely on their power in emergencies. The largest airport in the country is the Aeternum International Airport, which receives over 2 million passengers annually. Caltharus benefits from an extensive broadband network which facilitates average Internet speeds of 34MB per second. The Port of Aeternum is one of the largest ports in the world in terms of container volumes.
Science and technology
Caltharus has been home to inventors and scientists for hundreds of years who have shaped the world. Caltharusian scientist, Rima Elasar was heavily involved in the development of cable television. Christopher Rheun was heavily involved in the development of the telegram. Didier Wallace was also instrumental in the development of modern spectroscopy and his work contributed to the discovery of distant planets and stars. Bellice Sauldraham was instrumental in the development of treatments to combat diahrreal diseases while Emily Quillton was heavily instrumental in the discovery of polymerase chain reactions and her work revolutionised the understanding of organic chemistry.
The Royal Caltharusian Society for Mathematics and Natural Sciences awards the prestigious King Thadeus II Prize in Chemistry to leading voices in the sector. Caltharus is home to the Houghton Emerson National Laboratory in Newton-Herring which is one of the largest particle physics research centers in the world, rivalling the Soltan Nuclear Fusion Laboratory in Axdel. The Morganston Nuclear Research Laboratory in Lambertupol has been instrumental in the nuclear weapons research of Great Morstaybishlia and has contributed to the discovery of chemotherapy. The Queen Rosamund the Great Space Vehicle Assembly Site is one of the most important rocket and space shuttle assembly sites in the world.
Demographics
Caltharus has a population of 98,400,483 people and an average density of 156 people per square kilometer (403 people per square mile). The country has an equal distribution of males to females. 27% of the population live in rural areas while 73% live in urban areas, the largest of which include Aeternum, Cavenhelm and Aurus. People in Caltharus enjoy lifespans of 75 years on average for men and 78 years for women due to access to affordable and high quality health care. Due to education and urbanisation (especially of women) fertility stands at 1.6 births per women. Nonetheless, the population has continued to grow at a rate of 0.56% due to the influx of immigrants largely from former Salovian countries especially Volova and Baykalia due to competitive wages in high-demand low-skilled jobs.
Language
The Calth language enjoys recognised status in Caltharus. Alongside Staynish, it is the primary language of communication for the people. Various public amenities such as road signs are written in both Staynish and Calth and both languages are taught in schools. The Royal Academy for the Calth Language is responsible for the regulation and development of the Calth language. Nevertheless, due to the popularisation of Staynish media and the importance of Staynish in international trade, commerce and diplomacy, Staynish has eclipsed Calth in importance and number of speakers especially among the youth. The Ethalrian language is spoken by a small number of people to the south and southeast. Immigrants speak Axdelian, Salovian, Oan, Packilvanian and Komixemun, among others.
Religion
The most widely practiced religion is Thaerism. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of Caltharusians are members of a temple and observe various religious rites. Nevertheless, there is a relatively high proportion of the population that does not profess belief in a deity or afterlife and regular attendance of weekly religious services is fairly low and is declining precipitously. Other religions are practiced in the country such as Reformed Thaerism, Mauism, Paxism and Verk'ohism.
Species and ethnic groups
The largest sentient species by population are humans. Of this group, native Calthians comprise the overwhelming majority, following by the Staynish, Salovians, Ethalrians and Oans. They are followed by Elves (who mostly comprise the Usprian ethnic group). They are followed distantly by Felines, Nekomimi and Cava. Due to increasing intermingling of people of different cultures, people of mixed species and mixed ethnicity are becoming more prevalent.
Education
Education in Caltharus is administered by the Department of Education of His Majesty's Government with provinces and large cities having oversight of schools and cities and towns administering early childhood development facilities. Caltharus has an adult literacy rate of 100% and its students repeatedly score well in the annual School-Leaving and University Entrance Examinations. Caltharus has over 267 universities, polytechnics and colleges which provide tertiary education to over 2,482,000 students annually. Over 38% of Caltharusians have a university degree. The most prestigious university is the University of Lambertupol which has ranked at the top of Caltharusian university ranking metrics for the past 10 years. Other prestigious schools include the University of Aeternum, University of Aurus, the University of Cavenhelm, the University of Newton-Herring and the University of Kingsfort.
Culture
Music
Caltharus has a wide variety of musical influences. Modern genres of music include electronic dance music, pop, hip-hop and rap, R&B, rock, heavy metal, and jazz. The Solar Music House is the largest music publisher and record label in the country. Various musical artists from Caltharus feature prominently on the Aurora Hot 100 and Hot 200 music charts such Lil Dizzy, Katey B, the Sun Matyrs and Super Bass. The country has also spawned prolific composers and producers such as Marvin Gavey, William Monroe, Caster Loadstar, Madeleine Berkeley and Salazar Dean. The most prestigious award that celebrates Caltharusian music is the Maddy Award named in honour of Madeleine Berkeley which is awarded by the Royal Academy for Modern Music. Caltharus has historically been highly influential in the development of the Baroque and Renaissance styles of classical music, and its Thaerism religious chanting and hymns have been influential in the development of modern musical styles in that country and abroad.
Food
Fashion
Caltharus is a major centre for modern fashion and high dress-making for Great Morstaybishlia. It has a professional high dress-making organisation known as the Royal Academy of Haute-Couture. Every autumn, the prestigious Aeternum Fashion Festival is held which features an exclusive invite-only list of fashion designers featuring bespoke artistic pieces. Various luxury fashion houses operate in Caltharus. Many dressmaking techniques such as whale-bone corsettery have remained alive and are preserved largely for tourism and niche consumers but have been experiencing gradual decline.
Sports
The Undersecretary of State for Caltharus: Sport, is an officer of the Office of Caltharus who heads up the Division on Sports and Recreation and is tasked with overseeing and developing sports. Caltharus is represented in the Great Morstaybishlia Sports and Aldanic Games association.
The most popular sport is table tennis, followed by Formula 1 racing, association football and cricket. The Calth Table Tennis League attracts over 3 million viewers per game, and is the largest sports league by revenue and viewership followed by the Calth Football Cup. There are over 3,530 teams registered with the Calth Table Tennis Association and 2,789 teams registered with the Calth Football Association. Caltharus has fielded athletes for many editions of the Aldanic Games.
Architecture
Caltharus features an architectural history that spans over 2000 years. The tallest modern structure in Caltharus is the CTN (Caltharus Telecommunications Network) Tower in Aeternum at 450m which was built in 2003. The tallest occupied building in Caltharus is the Ferrus Tower which was built by Ferrus Industries in 2008 in the city of Aurus which has a height of 389m. Nevertheless, Caltharus has been relatively Conservative (for instance compared to Staynes) in the construction of skyscrapers due to the high density of historic buildings and the conservative attitudes surrounding historical sites.
Caltharus has over 1,570 castle, 27,991 temples and 256 palaces. The largest palace in the country is the Formira Summer Palace built by Queen Florence II in 1843 as a summer residence for the Royal Family in the Baroque style. The Fort Rock Citadel is a defensive fortification and former military base built by King Gustav II in 1730 that was emblematic of the Stoicist style of that era and is by far the largest such castle in the country. The Eskrador Cathedral was built in 1478 by King Lambertus III and serves as the largest and tallest Caltharusian cathedral with a bell tower that has a height of 67m and it was built in the Late Gothic style. Caltharus has 8 sites that are recognised by ICHO as International Heritage Sites which include the aforementioned three as well as Gorfolk Plinth (paleolithic rock structures), Kimandar Castle built in the Romantic style and being the inspiration for fairytale castles and the Doornstein Palace built by king Redmund III in 1238.
Public holidays
Caltharus observes all the public holidays that are observed in Great Morstaybishlia, but they also observe days unique to Caltharus:
| Day | Date | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Julius Day | 15 May | Celebrates the birth of Julius Gradwell in Lambertupol in the year 345 BCE, who was instrumental in the proliferation of Thaerism through his writings, preaching and supernatural miracles. |
| Crown Day | 29 December | Celebrates formation of the United Kingdom of Staynes and Caltharus in 1515 |