Packilvania

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Packilvania

Packilvanian: Bakhilfaniya
Flag of Packilvania
Flag of Packilvania
Coat of arms of Packilvania
Coat of arms
Motto: Packilvanian: " Ashamiliya!"
Staynish: "Assimilate!"
Anthem: Packilvanian: LuHiva lunashtar ludu. Qamdanku ishmadan lushimilayat luterna
Staynish: The Hive needs you. Join now for everlasting unity
Map of Packilvania
Map of Packilvania
Capital
and largest city
Bingol
Official languagesPackilvanian
Ethnic groups
(2021)
Religion
Demonym(s)Packilvanian, Pax
GovernmentUnitary theocratic absolute monarchy
• Monarch
Namdun III
LegislatureParliament of Packilvania
Legislative Council
Consultative Assembly
Area
• Total
6,143,888 km2 (2,372,168 sq mi) (2nd)
• Water (%)
2.1
Population
• 2021 estimate
1,148,555,880 (1st)
• 2010 census
1,123,345,000 (1st)
• Density
186.94/km2 (484.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2021 estimate
• Total
18.345 trillion KRB
• Per capita
16,331 KRB
GDP (nominal)2021 estimate
• Total
9.989 trillion KRB (3rd)
• Per capita
8,697 KRB
Gini (2021)Positive decrease 39.76
medium
SDI (2021)Increase 0.689
medium
CurrencyPackilvanian dinar (PXD)
Time zone+3 UTC to +7 UTC
Date formatyyyy/mm/dd
Driving sideright
Calling code+2
ISO 3166 codePAX
Internet TLD.px

Packilvania (Packilvanian: Bakhilfanya), commonly Pax, is an independent country located on Yasteria. It is surrounded by Allegheny, Free Pacific States, Sorentavia, Lyon, Hoopland, Drakkengard (with which it has a personal union in the form of Pax-Draconica) and the Packilvanian Ocean (which is named after it). It controls island territories to the south east of Yasteria Major close to the Free Pacific States, with which it maintains one of the most fortified borders in the world. Spanning an area of over 6 million square kilometers, it is the second largest country in the world by total area and largest by contiguous landmass. It contains an incredible diversity of landscapes and natural features such as both the largest hot and cold deserts in the world the second longest mountain range in the world, the Jumhur Mountains, and one of the three longest rivers in the world: the Ufrata River. With these incredible natural features, the country boasts incredibly diverse and unique animals and plants, such that it is globally recognised as one of the world’s few mega diverse countries.

Packilvania has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years and has been ruled by different dynasties over the course of its existence. The first recorded evidence of sentient life dates to 600,000 years ago, the date of the fossilised remains of the closest living relative to the modern Felines. It has been continuously inhabited for most of that period, seeing the emergence of agriculture, fixed settlements, the emergence of nation states and multi ethnic empires, and the development of writing and civilized government. Its cultural and historic heritage has contributed to the influence of its writers, scientists, artists and architects whose innovative use of porcelain, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture and chemistry spawned the most significant inventions of the global age.

It is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.141 billion people, a spot is has held for decades. Although the Felines are by far the dominant species in the country, Packilvania is perhaps the most culturally and racially diverse nation in the world with significant minorities of humans, elves, dwarves, aurians and Peregrines. A caste system exists in the Feline people that controls the distribution of social privileges and status through hair type and facial structure, giving rise to a system that places the Shirazi group at the apex of the social order. The system continues to face criticism for its arbitrary restriction of people from economic opportunities and social dignity. The Packilvanian language one of the oldest and richest in the world, is the official language and facilitates communication among hundreds of communities, yet it is also diverse with the standard written version being the one spoken in Bingol, the capital and largest city in the country.

With a GDP of over 10 trillion KRB, Packilvania has the third largest economy in the world. It is one of the world’s largest exporters, importers, carbon emitters and energy consumers. It is the chief supplier of opium and catnip, a reputation it has tried hard to shake off. Its highly patriarchal and conservative society, based on the Madvinist school of Melkezedekitism, has, by far the largest religious population and the largest adherents of Paxism in the world while other religions are persecuted. Classified as an authoritarian dictatorship, Packilvania scores poorly on corruption, human rights, governance and transparency, and political participation. The monarch rules the nation with an iron fist, yet different factions and groups vie for power in a highly complex political order.

The country exerts considerable global influence and is classified by analysts as a global superpower, yet some analysts believe that its dominance is waning. Its ability to dominate world politics is incredible given that most countries have hostile or distrustful relations with it and the most powerful nations in the world treat it with disdain. Its military is one of the largest in the world by number of personnel and among the top 4 by budget. It has fought in wars with major powers such as Vekaiyu, South Hills, and Free Pacific States and is notorious for its formidable combat power and continues to claim Lyon. Despite ignoring major international conventions and multi-lateral processes, it continues to exert influence on the global stage and is notorious for its support of non-state actors, one of which, the Packilvanian Expeditionary Force (a state entity) is declared a terrorist organization by foreign nations. The nation continues to have disputes with most of its neighbours and its power plays especially in Allegheny and the Packilvanian Ocean, coupled with its status as a nuclear weapons state continue to breed distrust.

Etymology and terminology

The name Packilvania is a Staynisation of the word 'Bakil-afhana'. The term 'Bakil-afhana' was created by King Saidun Demir in 1676. The name 'Bakil-afhana' is composed of two Middle Packilvanian words: Bakil and Afhana. Afhana mean a realm usually composed of smaller nations and groups. Bakil was another name for the Central Packilvanian Desert (also known as the Ashura Desert). The name Bakil is believed to originate from the Old Packillvanian word Vagir which is believed to mean flowing water. The word 'Vagir' was first seen in 8000 BCE. Vagir is believed to have been the name of the Ufrata River when it used to flow in that area of the desert. Geologists believe that the Ufrata River has moved over 100 kilometres south from the desert area such that the name Vagir (and its descendents Bakil and Pakil) came to refer to the desert instead of the river.

History

This page (or section) is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final.

Founding of Contemporary Paxism

Prophet Besmali, a semi-legendary religious figure in Paxism

In 2036 BCE, Prophet Besmali (semi-legendary figure who is believed to have originated in Akas Akil) is believed to have composed a text called the Ichtmar which consolidated myths and legends about the Goddess Noi and Pax into a single text that forms the basis of modern Paxism. He cultivated a following through sojourning in Central Yasteria but faced persecution from opposing groups of people who held different beliefs about Noi, Pax and the nature of the universe. He died around 2025 BCE in Lyon. Lord Tiraz Mawal, a wealthy follower of Prophet Besmali is believed to have constructed the first iteration of the Memorial of the Jovian Gate (a temple which commemorates a Paxist myth about a battle between Pax and Borg) around the year 2000 BCE. Today, the site is regarded as rbe holiest place in Paxism. Around 1900 BCE his followers built a shrine in Lyon over his alleged place of burial. This Shrine remains the basis of a claim by Packilvania that Lyon is a rightful part of its territory. Evidence for Prophet Besmali's existence is relatively sketchy as there are texts which tell of the existence of a figure partially matching his description that were found outside of Paxist religious lore such as writing on a stone table that was discovered in Ashura.

Founding of Yehudism

Around 1100 BCE, nearly 1,000 years since the writing of the Ichtmar by Prophet Besmali, King Suleiman of Yehudah commissioned the composition of a religious text called the Vagumar which aimed to build on the Ichtmar. The rationale provided within Paxist lore for the commissioning of this document was the fact that King Suleiman had a vision from Noi instructing him to consolidate and proliferate Paxism as taught by Prophet Besmali. However, assuming this figure existed at all, the writing of the Vagumar is believed by historians such as Alister McDoughal of Redrugus University to have been a political move to use Paxism to eradicate opposing ideologies and beliefs to Suleiman's and Yehudian rule over the nomadic herders of Central Yasteria.

Whatever the motivations, such a text was indeed commissioned and is believed to have been composed by Jerome of Damaclion, a scholar from Damaclion in Ukanar. It begins with the Ichtmar and continues with books on morality and ritual. A conference of scholars and prophets of Paxism aligned with beliefs held by Suleiman of Yehudah called the Council of Adrien met in the city of Adrien which is now in Ashura. It approved the document. The proliferation of this document formed the basis of a branch of Paxism called Yehudism which despite having been the dominant branch has largely dissipated and remains practiced by small geoups in Packilvania and Drakkengard.

In 0CE/BCE, a meteor struck the Great Tear of the Moon in Tavaris but a chuck of it broke of and struck the Memorial of the Jovian Gate in Akas Akil promoting fears over the end of the world. Paxists believe that through the fasting and prayer of the Kingdom of Akil and surrounding lands as mandated by King Medayin II, the end of the world was averted and the new age started which today is commemorated as the start of the Paxist liturgical calendar that coincides with the start of the Common Era calendar. The writing and approval of the Vagumar was commemorated by the construction of the first iteration of the Temple of the Restoration around 120 CE by King Hujawal IV of Yehudah. This site is the second holiest site in Paxism and the Vagumar is the only religious text other than the Ichtmar that remains widely accepted to this day.

Iktanite dynasty

Iktan the Devout

King Obed III ruled over the City of Bingol. He was enchanted by the teachings of fringe teachers. Seeking to bolster their own positions in his court, they showevered him flattery. As an allegedly vain and selfish figure, he fed into the flattery and fabrications of these fringe teachers. In 670, one of them suggested that he adds another book to the Sacred Scripture to both add to the knowledge of Zora and to mark his own self-identified greatness. This act spread and he tried to encourage other nations to adopt and recognise the book.

The other Kings and Princes were horrified. None was more disgusted than King Iktan of Bakil. Bakil ruled a realm to the south of Shankar and north of Kharyat. King Iktan the Devout attacked the city of Bingol to overthrow Obed and end his manipulation of religion. King Obed was defeated. In the process, King Iktan the Devout gained the respect and admiration of surrounding Paxist rulers who swore allegiance to him as their new King. He was crowned High King of the United Kingdoms of Bakil. This new area consisted of lands that stretched from southern Shakar, northern Ukanar, Kharyat, Mekedesh, western Rigaryat, Ashura, and Iganar. His descendents expanded the borders of Iganar by military conquest, incorporating parts of Jumhurikesh and northwest Fidakar.

Founding of the Magisterium

Through the political and military expansion of the United Kingdoms of Bakil, cults emerged which incorporated pagan beliefs and rituals into Paxist practices and doctrine. Charismatic teachers and allegedly spiritually endowed sages were spreading various versions of Paxism that sometimes opposed accepted beliefs. High King Melkezedek of Bakil felt deeply troubled by these developments.

He ordered the calling of the Council of Bingol. Invited to the Council of Bingol, were the most recognised and authoritative teachers and scholars of Paxism who adhered to the conventional doctrines and practices of the religion. The Council of Bingol began laying down how Paxism was to be governed. Its first act was to condemn the heretical practices of the cults thereby laying down supplementary measure of canonicity by reinforcing precepts in the Sacred Scriptures. It ordered the formation of the Magisterium as the authoritative body to decide matters of doctrine and to weed out heretical practices a s beliefs. It gave the High King of Bakil the power to appoint members of the Magisterium. In turn, the High King of Bakil was now required to be a Paxist. Furthermore, the collective decisions and judgements of the Magisterium would consists of a body of religious jurisprudence known as the Catechism and processes were laid down and criteria were specified for members of the Magisterium. This body continues to exist and has perfored its functions for millenia even when the United Kingdoms of Bakil fell.

Collapse of Bakil

Jezril V

High King Jezril V ruled over Bakil. However, he was notoriously promiscuous and a drunkard. The legend of his parties and the opulence and debauchery of his court reached the ears of writers such that 9th century author, Madel Albur wrote what is believed to be one of the first erotica novels, the Packilvanian Summer based on the stories (both true and false) of Jezril's court.

High King Jezril V was also a highly disliked ruler because he publicly treated his sub-rulers unequally and failed to handle disputes with tact. In the throws in the instability that his chaotic rule caused, the Cosairs first arrived in Packilvania. The Cosairs were human privateers and nomads who came from is believed to be modern day Codex.

Under the mandate of the Codexian King, the Cosairs (many of whom were skilled horse riders and archers), rode into the Bakil realm and caused chaos, plundering and burning cities to the ground without conquering them. They took this wealth back to them to Codex which was expanding its borders to the west. Ill-prepared for the ferocious and sporadic attacks of the Codexian Cosairs, High King Jezril lost control of his kingdom and it began tattering at the seems.

To his dismay, Halaler, Mochtan, Subakil, Abkeder and many other nations declared independence or were forcibly conquered by the Alvanian Cosairs. The Cosairs introduced horses to Packilvania and the nation became skilled in breeding them, a craft for which it remains well-known. Furthermore, the descendants of the Cosairs remained in Packilvania and established Kingdoms of their own. They spread as far south as Fidakar. Notably, Demir Agenat converted to Paxism and established the Kingdom of Fidakar, a human-led state.

The Kingdom of Bakil receded to the city of Adrien and surrounding areas. The Magisterium, under Supreme Magister Thumim Vakaden, toppled the High King Jezril V and declared the Holy See of Adrien as and independent state. Prophet Sohadek allegedly had a vision in which he foretold that a human would one day re-establish the United Kingdom of Bakil. This revelation was so horrifying that the Magisterium had Prophet Sohadek arrested. He also stated that the new ruler of the re-united Kingdom of Bakil would be called the Sultan (which means "Awaited One" in Packilvanian).

In the years that followed, many rulers especially humans entertained the idea of Sultan, with some rulers calling themselves by that title to legitimize their rule. The idea of the Sultan became highly attractive among the common people because it gave them aspirations for a Paxist state and re-united Bakil in which there would be justice and prosperity for all.

Zubraynite Dynasty

Ishak Zubrayn of Tashkar

With Bakil fallen, many new city states and Kingdoms emerged, one of which was the Principality of Tashkar under the Kingdom of Bingol. Prince Ishak Zubrayn of Tashkar grew resentful of the economic and political authority of King Jurin IV of Bingol. He led an embassy to King Jurin IV in July 1275 to ask him to provide relief for his people due to failing crops and raids from bandits. King Jurin IV refused and continued to demand tribute from the people of Tashkar. Prince Ishak Zubrayn put together an army of 6,000 soldiers. They took the horses and camels of the people in the city and headed for Bingol. Prince Ishak had originally wanted to force King Jurin IV to end the tribute system.

When they arrived at Bingol, they laid siege. The city's forces were too poorly led and lacked motivation. Unable to break the siege, General Kudai Vurint of Kin Jurin IV's forces surrendered and asked for his forces to be spared. Prince Ishak had mercy on general Vurint's men. He not only let them live but he made them part of his army and made General Vurint one of his second-in-commands. King Jurin IV was banished from Bingol and sent to the desert. Prince Ishak was proclaimed King of Bingol-Tashkar. All the Princes of the city states that swore loyalty to King Jurin IV switched allegiance to Prince Ishak.

He placed his family members and most loyal troops in positions of power and consolidated political authority in his hands. His soldiers took over taxation and other functions from local authorities. Instead, Princes were left as landlords over large estates and he could appoint and dismiss them at will. With the power he accrued, he led a campaign to unite surrounding lands. By the end of his reign, an area overlapping Mekedesh and Rigaryat.

The descendants of King Ishak Zubrayn continued the campaigns to unite the surrounding lands such that they ruled until 1670. Furthermore, their kingdom reached from Ukanar, Mekedesh, Rigaryat, Kharyat and Iganar by in 1670. Over the course of the rule of the House of Zubrayn, literacy and writing spread such that there were libraries and schools in which physics, geometry and philosophy were being studied. The House of Wisdom in Bingol contained 700,000 manuscripts. There were 400 Paxist temples which provided for the needs of the people such as education and healthcare. By 1670, the population of the realms of the Zubraynite dynasty was about 60 million people.

The last Zubraynite ruler, was Uden II. He assumed the throne at a young age following the unexpected passing of his father due to a disease thought to be syphilis. He was incompetent and poorly advised by his minister. Several social and economic problems arose that coalesced to destabilise and ultimately topple his regime.

Packilvanian War of Unification

Saidun the Conqueror

The human House of Demir ruled over the fertile lands of Fidakar. Due to unprecedented floods starting around 1668, their nation become incredibly wealthy and experienced a boom in commerce. The House of Demir was a human dynasty and the population of its realms was highly diverse. At the same time, the crops in the Zubrayn dynasty were failing and there was mass starvation and pirates were attacking trading vessels of the lucrative Trans-Packilvanian-Ocean trade. The people grew restless and the elites were divided, making it difficult for Uden II to exercise control. Coupled with the poor advice and incompetence of his ministers, the economy of the Zubrayn dynasty fell. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Zubraynite realms sought refuge in Fidakar. King Saidun Demir of Fidakar saw the opportunity that the situation presented. Due to the wealth that they accumulated, they were in a position to lend Uden II the finances he needed to pay for the running of his nation and avert an economic catastrophy.

When the debt was due to be paid, Uden II had not effectively righted the economy of his nation. King Saidun gave Uden II an ultimatum: either pay the debt in full or hand over the Crown of Zubrayn to the Crown of Demir. Uden II and his ministers and the nobles of the region were divided. King Saidun began to form an alliance with disgruntled Princes and nobles of Zubrayn so that they would abandon Uden II and align themselves with him, in return for power and wealth under King Saidun's leadership. Thus, despite being initially distrustful of a human about 30% of lords joined forces with Saidun Demir. Despite being unable to come up with the money, Uden II refused to handover his Crown and stated he would rather have his lands destroyed before handing them over to humans.

These kinds of remarks had made his soldiers resistent to him and his lords lukewarm in their support of his rule. Thus, Saidun attacked, Mochtar in Rigaryat. The city was an important hub of trade and had a road that connected directly with Bingol. The fall of Mochtar made it hard for Uden II's forces to retake Rigaryat. Eventually, King Saidun's forces drove Zubrayn forces out of Rigaryat. The lords of Iganar declared their loyalty to King Saidun and capitulated without bloodshed. Another 8 years of war followed in which King Saidun consolidated human control over Iganar, Southern Ashura, and Ukanar. In 1676, the Battle of Bingol was fought. The battle lasted days. King Saidun came up with a plan to use artillery as the basis of attack. The battle resumed. Faced with the Fidakarian fire power and numbers, the city of Bingol fell. Uden II was executed and King Saidun was declared Sultan (or Emperor) of Bakil-afhana (which we know today as Packilvania).

Demirite Dynasty

Colonisation of Sorentavia and Crescent Arc

Colonisation of Albares

Morst-Packilvanian Union

Morstopackia (dark green) with Morstaybishlia's surrounding territories (light green)

In 1897, Sultana Zerah Demir IV married King Thadeus I of Morstaybishlia. The marriage had been orchestrated by Sultana Zemir to strengthen her political position at home and to project political and strategic influence abroad. Despite not being wrought in love, the marriage lasted 21 years and produced a son. Because Zerah Demir was a woman, the laws of primogeniture of Packilvania stated that the line of the House of Demir that could inherit the throne would end with her as only men could pass on their surnames to their children. Thus, her heirs would bear the name of the Royal Family of Morstaybishlia (which was known as Hastard until it changed to Constantine during the Great War). As a result, the marriage with Thadeus was not only a romantic or family issue, but it resulted in the formation of a union of crowns, in which the monarchies of Packilvania and Morstyabishlia were practically fused. Nevertheless, the countries maintained separate political institutions, armed forces and religious structures.

The union between the two monarchies received mixed reviews. On one hand, trade between Packilvania and Morstaybishlia increased about 7 fold. There was an exchange of cultures and ideas. Literature, language, art, architecture, fashion and food crossed cultural and ethnic lines. A wide array of spices such as masala and curry and foods such as Pax Fruites entered Morstaybishlian cuisine. Morstaybishlian pantsuits started being seen as fashionable and preferred in favour of the traditional headscarves and robes. While intellectuals and members of the nobility indulged in the morally liberal culture and material cultural artefacts of Morstaybishlia, the population grew increasingly disgruntled by the subversion of their beliefs and practices. Furthermore, the union resulted in increasing political influence being played by Morstaybishlian officials in Packilvanian politics. The little roles that the Packilvanian felines had enjoyed were being overshadowed by growing human control and domination of state and social institutions.

The extent of this gradual integration was such that in 1915, negotiations began for a political union in anticipation of the personal union that would arise under Crown Prince Thadeus II of Packilvania and Morstaybishlia when Sultana Zemir Demir IV and King Thadeus II passed away or abdicated. The Articles of Union were drafted under the direction of Grand Vizier Abdin Demir whom Sultana Zemir Demir IV had trusted with leading the political direction of her grand plans. The Articles of Union stated that Great Morstaybishlia and Packilvania would, upon ratification by the Kalmington and Bingol Parliaments respectively, be known together as Morstopackia under the rule of Sultan-King Thadeus II. Despite its grand ambitions, this plan had many issues. Firstly, Packilvania was a morally and socially conservative society based on the Paxist religion whose primary inhabitants the Felines were ruled by a minority of humans. Inasmuch as Packilvanians were resistant to adopt the political norms of Morstaybishlia, so too were Morstaybishlians reluctant to adopt the political system of Packilvania.

War for Itur

Tanoese Protectorate

Great War

Zerah Demir IV

The latter half of Zerah Demir IV's reign was fraught with disasters because the alliance that had arisen between Packilvania and Morstaybishlia, Packilvania got involved in the Great War. Firstly, the Great War was greatly unpopular among felines because felines were forced to fight in foreign countries for the ambitions of a species they resented. Many felines were also forced to work under terrifying conditions in mines, farms and factories to produce the armaments and supplies needed by the military. Furthermore, the felines were subject to painful rationing of essential items and they were forced accept poor payment and employment conditions in the name of fighting the war. Humanocentric propaganda further alienated the majority feline population who were disenchanted rather than inspired or endeared by the propaganda campaign. These factors coalesced to usurp whatever seemingly favourable outcomes had arisen from the union. With young cats left without work and disillusioned with their monarchy and the Paxist religion that had drawn unpopularly close to the human population, they drew to the ideas of academic and intellectual Nikobar Luden.

End of Demirite rule

As the Great War increased in intensity, moral and living conditions began faltering in Sorentavia which kindled a growth of dissatisfaction and resentment for the monarchy. Protests and strikes picked up throughout 1905 which led to clashes with police and soldiers, leaving 746 dead by the end of the year. Opposition groups, such as the Garbon Socialist Union and the Alvyda Students Association, further consolidated together to organize protests across Sorentavia and set collected demands. The general demands of the opposition included a more representative civil government, an end to the conscripting of young Sorentavians to fight in the war, and improvements to workplace conditions.

The demonstrations reached their breaking point in March 1906 when demoralized troops stationed in Alvyda deserted in mass and officers declaring their support with the opposition. Barracks across Sorentavia were either left emptied or overrun by opposition forces armed with captured weapons. Fearing for their lives, the governor and his officials of the provincial government departed the island on 27 March, leaving Sorentavia to opposition forces who quickly established an interim government. This was only the beginning of further conflict to the dismay of the opposition as requests for negotiations with the monarchy were denied. Instead, Sorentavia was declared a rogue state by Zerah Demir IV of Packilvania and an invasion force was formed to retake the island.

Through the end of 1906, under General Prince Havi Bedon, Packilvanian troops regained control of northern Sorentavia, pushing rebel forces into the Beyra Desert and Alvyda surrendering on 11 December after a three month siege. Regularly the Packilvanian Army undertook offensives into the Beyra Desert but were never able to openly engage rebel fighters who actively avoided combat. Dissent in occupied territory between 1907 and 1912 further drew out the conflict, leading to the Packilvanians taking a brute force approach in quelling uprisings.

By 1912, the opposition forces, with the indirect support of the Pacific Coalition, increased their raids on Packilvanian positions along the Beyra Desert. These attacks and endless civil unrest forced the Packilvanians to fall back to the port cities. The opposition would gain their first major victory in 1914 with the joint attack of the port city of Rabayra.

1915 would see the greatest gains for the opposition as they continued to push the Packilvanian army further east. In August 1915, Alvyda was recaptured after a week-long fight and opposition leaders were met with cheers by the city residents. The conflict concluded after a decade when a ceasefire was agreed to in 1916 and the final Packilvanian troops were withdrawn from Sorentavia. An official recognition of

Followers of Nikobar Luden's ideas (which were collectively called Ludenism) were drawn to the idea of a just and equal society ruled by and for the peasant farmers and factory workers. They longed for a government in which they had representation. Thinkers such as Gideon Muktan took these ideas further and blamed the social ills on religious devotion and human rule. Gideon Muktan founded the Feline Club which brought together young people and disaffected intellectuals. They penned the Communist Declaration which state a eight-point plan for the reinvigoration of Packilvania. The Communists ran for Parliament and Gideon Muktan was elected as an MP. Under his leadership, the Feline Club brought this declaration to Sultana Zerah Demir IV. She not only threw it away, but saw these values and ideals as dangerous to her government. She had all Communists arrested and Communism banned. Rather than end their resolve, she provided the fuel by which Gideon Muktan and his associates formed the Packilvanian Communist Party in 1917 and resigned their seats from the Parliament in defiance of the Sultana.

Sorentavia's independence would not occur until January 1919 following the conclusion of the First Packilvanian Civil War. In line with his anti-colonialist beliefs, Gideon Muktan and the Sorentavian Independence Movement entered into negotiations for the independence of Sorentavia from Packilvania.

First Packilvanian Civil War

Gideon Muktan

Despite being brutally oppressed, the PCP was able to start protests against the Sultana's reign and its members grew to 5 million strong which included soldiers, intellectuals, young people, peasants and factory workers. In 1918, the PCP formed the Packilvanian Liberation Army, a paramilitary organisation that used asymmetric warfare against the government. They caused widespread damage to public infrastructure such the bombing of the Kesel Chemical Plant and bombing of the Royal Bingol Central Train Station. The death of Sultan-King, Thadeus I in August 1918 led to a constitutional crisis regarding the succession of the Crowns of Packilvania and Morstaybishlia. In a bid to reclaim legitimacy and assuage her enemies and her disenchanted populace, Zerah Demir IV seized the opportunity to renounce all titles and claims to Morstaybishlia's throne and effectively prevented her son, Thadeus II from inheriting the Packilvanian throne. Monarchist forces struggled against the PCP and PLA. Because the Morstaybishlian government was dealing with uprisings in its own country (which were in part inspired by the actions of Gideon Muktan) and the aftermath of the Great War, they were unable to assist the Sultana as well as she needed - nevertheless, her son sent token help.

Despite the fact that Thadeus II sent a few thousand troops to aid his mother, the country was falling to the Communists left and right. In desperation, she ended the unification talks and invited the PCP to a dialogue. At the peace negotiations in 1918, Sultana Zerah Demir IV was arrested and her closest relatives and most powerful allies were either captured or killed. With her government in disarray and her authority undermined, Gideon Muktan declared the formation of the Packilvanian People's Republic (PPR) and the abolition of monarchy. Sultana Zerah Demir IV escaped on a refugee boat to Morstaybishlia and remained in exile in Morstaybishlia.

Communist rule

Gideon Muktan was formally elected the General Secretary of the PCP and Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the PLA, giving him supreme political authority. He purged human bureaucrats from the government and human intellectuals from universities. Many of them were sent to brutal reeducation camps in the deserts. Human business owners had their stores looted or shut down by the government. Many Paxist temples and other institutions were ordered to close and clergy were sent away. Despite the attack on religion and nobility that followed Muktan's rule, in practice nobles - especially in provinces farther away from Bingol - managed to retain their positions and control, instead under new politically appropriate titles (such as Honorary Custodian of Medayin). Furthermore, Paxist temples continued to operate in relative secrecy in people's homes. With his power consolidated and his rule absolute, Gideon turned to economic reform and international influence, abandoning the pogroms against religion and nobility. However, the human population never recovered. The attack on them was so great that their eradication was called one of the most cataclysmic genocides in world history. Decades later, the bodies of humans were still being found lying in the country side.

Sultan Amhoud I

Prince Amhoud Bedon of Makobar became a member of the PCP in 1942. He was a devout Paxist and secretly a minister of Paxism. However, because of his hard work and reliability, his activities went unnoticed and he rose in the ranks of the party and government.

Second Free Pacific War

Albarian independence

Communist Golden Age and Advent of Paxism

The period between 1949 and 1968 is typically described as the golden age of Communist rule. However in that time, anti-Communist sentiment and Paxist adherence increased substantially.

In 1949, Gideon Muktan fell ill and passed away. The PCP declared him the Eternal President, establishing a necrocratic government. Medayin Ishikan was elected the new General Secretary of the PCP and Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the PLA. Medayin Ishikan was not nearly as influential and powerful as Gideon Muktan. Nevertheless, he exercised considerable political and military control. His rule saw the continuation of brutal and repressive practices. His rule also saw the construction of 6 new planned cities with populations of 100,000 each. The largest of which is Bakos Anos which, as of 2021, has a population of 780,000 people. His rule also saw rapid economic growth as the country relied heavily on its low labour costs and natural endowment to develop mining, agriculture and low value-added manufactured and semi-manufactured goods.

In 1956, Prince Amhoud became a senior commander at the Department of Reeducation and Indoctrination. He was responsible for the detainment and transport of humans to the desert reeducation camps where many of them died. In that position, he felt the full weight of the horrors of the felocentric regime of Gideon Muktan. He started to build up a secret network of allies to transport humans to Allegheny, Albares and Tissandra. Originally they had disguised their work as spreading Communism to foreign nations under the guise of foreign felinotarian aid.

In 1956, the Packilvanian Communist government started nuclear energy research. While originally painted as a energy research undertaking, it quickly became apparent that Packilvania was developing nuclear weapons.

The country also excelled in astronomy. It developed rockets capable of exiting the atmosphere in 1958. It deployed its first satellite in 1962. After 10 years of research, the first nuclear test was conducted in 1966 in Wusul Kabir in Ashura province.

In 1966, the Carriers of Mercy had 200,000 members and over 1,4 million volunteers. By 1966, the Carriers of Mercy had rescued 28 million humans and became a powerful faction in the Communist Party that quietly but noticeably advocated for Prince Amhoud Bedon to become the General Secretary of the PCP after Ishikan.

In 1967, Packilvania sent a manned mission to space. Maksun Abdakir became the first feline to do a space walk. This era of space missions also saw hundreds of satellites and tens of manned missions being sent to space. Global competition for cultural and strategic influence through space and nuclear research between dominant world powers precipitated scares of a new global war with fronts not only on Urth but in space and with new tools of destruction capable of destroying all life on the planet.

End of Communist Rule

In 1968, the PCP faced international sanctions, failed harvests and dangerous levels of population growth, widespread proverty, inequality, government corruption and other socio-economic issues. In response to these socio-economic issues, the PCP used more propaganda and brutality. In its weakness, Prince Amhoud and the Carriers of Mercy smuggled weapons from neighbouring nations, coordinated with dethroned nobles and ostracised Paxist clergymen to retake control from the Communist government.

Crescent Arc War

1970 to 1976

Second Packilvanian Civil War

In 1977, Prince Amhoud launched a massive arson attack on the Trans-Packilvanian Railway that transported freight and passengers from Bingol to Shakar (where most of the reeducation camps were located. The Carriers of Mercy destroyed many reeducation camps and rescued millions of people who fled on land and by sea to surrounding nations. The capital city of Shakar, Sharkol, was taken and a new government was proclaimed over Shakar called the Packilvanian Transitional Authority. It claimed legitimacy as the true government of Packilvania and sought international recognition, with ambassadors being sent to powerful foreign nations. To gain foreign respect, it brandished its credentials as ahuman-liberating organisation.

The war lasted another ten years. The holy city of Adrien in Ashura was taken along with the Far North of Ashura province. On the steps of the Temple of the Sacred Heart, the Grand Ayatollah proclaimed the restoration of the Sultanate of Packilvania and crowned Prince Amhoud as Sultan Amhoud I of Packilvania. This powerful statement, galvanised the religious community of Packilvania to rebel against the Communist Party. Uprisings arose in major cities and people burnt down government buildings. Small bands of militias formed across the nation and pledged their loyalty to the new Sultan. The forces of Sultan Amhoud I captured Halaler in 1974 at the Batttle of Halaler. Ukanar was captured in 1975 following the Battle of Abkeder. Kharyat and Jumhurikesh fell in 1978. By 1979, only Mekedesh and Rigaryat remained in Communist hands. By the end of the year, the Communist were defeated at the Third Battle of Bingol. Communist leader Barol Makhmuden committed suicide along with 300 members of the Communist government. In their act of suicide, they used a major scorched earth policy that saw more destruction of public infrastructure and loss of life than had been done by the Carriers of Mercy. At the desolate city of Bingol, the Sultan declared victory over the Communists and that Packilvania was free from Communism.

Bedonite dynasty

Parliament was convened for the first time in decades. It comprised of representatives from across political, social and religious lines. Soon into the process, it became clear that Sultan Amhoud I and the Carriers of Mercy wanted to establish a theocratic quasi-absolute monarchy. Despite the struggle with more liberal forces, the Sultan's power and charisma won over dissidents. Thus, on 23 February 1980, the Constitution of Packilvania was promulgated and the present form of government was established. Fundamentalist Paxists took over positions in the judiciary, policy, armed forces and civil service and proceed to fashion a Paxist society. The nobility were rewarded for their contribution to the civil war through the restoration of their titles and lands and access to new business ventures through the privatisation of state-owned enterprises. The government of Sultan Amhoud gradually did away with Communist-era economic policy and undertook economic reforms such as establishing special economic zones. However, the government remained a dictatorship.

In contrast to the Communists, a subtle social compact emerged that the Sultanate and Paxism would deliver economic progress in return for the devotion of the people. Packilvania became one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Starting with the import substitution policy, low-cost labour was used to produce consumer goods. Investment in irrigation and consolidation of communal land under large commercial farming increased agricultural output. In 1987, the government undertook a massive industrialisation policy whereby environmental and labour protection standards were relaxed and investment was poured into electrical, transport and water infrastructure to encourage manufacturing. Sultan Amhoud I passed away in 1990. His eldest son, Prince Benyamin took over as Sultan Amhoud II. He passed in 1996 due to a cancer. His son, Prince Noi took over as the Sultan and continues to reign as Sultan Namdun III of Packilvania.

As part of an effort to revive the diplomatic standing of Packilvania, Sultan Namdun III ordered Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Miku Bedon to open diplomatic talks with Lyon. On the advice of Lyonese Foreign Minister Lie-Liu Zheng, Prime Minister Alexis Jacobs sent a carefully worded reply to Prince Miku welcoming the invitation while highlighting Lyon's careful relationship with the Free Pacific States and Peregrinia. Prince Miku Bedon visited the Lyonese Prime Minister. Upon arrival they signed a deal to tentatively reopen diplomatic missions, resume trade and permit migration.

Pax-Looplite War

The Pax-Looplite War was a military conflict between 1 Infinite Loop and Packilvania in 2005. In the Battle of Cupertino, Packilvania destroyed the campus of Shiro Academy located in Cupertino resulted in that institution's relocation to Tilden in the Free Pacific States.

Alleghenian War

In 2017, the Yasterian Paxist Liberation Front conducted a terrorist attack in Allegheny and declared the start of a religious crusade to spread their extremist brand of Paxism to the world and form a Paxist theocracy in Allegheny[1]. Premier of Vekaiyu, Ikrisia Levinile held a meeting with Kral Commodore Yamano Nevikalu to discuss and determine a response from Vekaiyu to the growth of extremism in Allegheny. Despite Sipavu Commodore Aksynia Milostrovi's call for an invasion of Allegheny to end the terrorist threat, Ler Commodore Lebivistre protested against acting rashly. Taking on her advice, Levinile instructed Hejul General Sayli Kostranaru to communicate potential support from Vekaiyu to Allegheny should the situation escalate. Sultan Namdun III, seated in the throne room commissioned by his grandfather Sultan Amhoud I, tempered by the desire to preserve peaceful relations with Vekaiyu (the "Catholic Fox") ordered that ground and air forced be moved to the east of the country in preparation of an invasion of Allegheny should the situation escalate.

With escalating conflict between YPLF and Alleghenia forces as well as reports of potential links between the Packilvanian government and the YPLF, Levinile ordered Vekaiyun military forces to prepare for combat at her command, but declared that she would broker a diplomatic solution with the Packilvanian government. Sipavu Commodore Yiisu Strobinaru was sent to Sachenvorbund for talks of its ascension to the Vekaiyun Union. Vekaiyun forces were stationed at the Ta'lavero Mountains under Kral Commodore Vanse Nevikalu. Wary of Vekaiyun influence, General Basva Haagen was ordered to invade Allegheny, her forces entering Alleghenia territory in November.

Fearful of the spread of conflict, High Commander of Fortuna, Tristano Lyone ordered the Yasterian Coast Fleet of the Fortunan Navy on high alert in case of a naval attack from Packilvania. Having similar sentiments to her Fortuna counterpart, Empress Glendale Jung of Peregrinia ordered the commencement of unscheduled training exercises of the Peregrinian Imperial Defence Forces in the Tri-Islands and Imperial Sea.

Yadylika War

The Yadylika War was an armed conflict between Sokala and Iphelklori over Yadylika with the support of the Union of Commonwealth Alliances and Packilvania respectively that spanned from February 2021 to July 2021.

Geography

Time zones of Packilvania from left to right: Eastern Packilvanian Time, Central East Packilvanian Time, Central West Packilvanian Time and West Packilvanian Time (each province chooses its own timezone in conjunction with the national government)
Climatic regions of Packilvania, of which there are 12 major ones. These do not correlate neatly to biodiversity regions (biomes) which are also influenced by topography and other factors.

Packilvania is the second largest country in the world by surface area, following the United Confederation of Concordian States, and followed by the United Kingdom of Great Morstaybishlia and Justelvard. It spans an area of 6,143,888 square kilometres (roughly 2,372,168 square miles). The north of the country comprises the North Packilvanian Cold Desert, which is among the largest cold deserts in the world. This area is almost entirely flat and cold, and the ground is usually stone hard. The interior and west of the country consist of the Great Packilvanian Central Desert which is among the largest hot deserts in the world. It has some of the highest sand dunes in the world and the South Packilvanian Oceanic Winds carry much of this sand to other parts of the world which enables ecosystems such as the Great Morstaybishlian rainforests to east. There is a massive difference in elevation between the hot and cold deserts. There is a sudden increase in height on the boundaries of the two, such that the cold desert is several hundred metres above sea level, but the hot desert is on average at or below sea level. The North Packilvanian Desert is surrounded by a thin strip of cold dry arid regions, which are characterised by cold temperatures and undulating hills and protruding giant rock formations.

The most folliage rich part of the country is the stretch of thickly forested and rainy areas stretching along the Southern Coast of the country. The east part of the country consists of rolling hills, massive grassy plains, lightly forested areas and shrub land. The north east corner consists of the Great North East Mountains which provide the sources of many great rivers. The country's longest river and the longest river in the world is the Ufrata River which stretches several thousand kilometres from the Uliveru mountains in Vekaiyu, along the eastern parts of the country heading to its mouth in Kharyat. There are many other great rivers such as the Kiliktan River, Revawar River (which is allegedly the origin of the word "river"), Muden River and others. The tallest mountain is Giryat Maked Mountain which is over 8,900 ft, followed by Upinda Mountain (8,370 ft), Hubdin Mountain (8,190 ft) and Fibran Mountain (8,003 ft).

Biodiversity

Packilvania is a megadiverse country, a term employed for countries which display high biological diversity and contain many species exclusively indigenous, or endemic, to them. 36% of its plants, 28% of its fungi and 14% of its animals are endemic. It contains 5% of plants, 4.6% of fungi and 3.9% of all the animal biodiversity in the world. Of the extant biodiversity hotspots (which are areas that display high habitat loss due to high endemism), about 10% are in Packilvania. This arises due to Packilvania's incredibly diverse topography, mineralogy and climate as well as its long geological history which includes meteor strikes, ice ages and other natural phenomena. Fidakar, Jumhurikesh, Rigaryat, and Mekedesh and Iganar are the most biologically diverse provinces yet they suffer from the greatest biological damage.

Forest cover can be grouped according to canopy density as follows:

  • High Density: 60% to 100% canopy density which comprises 2% of the total area, can be found in Fidakar, and to much lesser extents in Mekedesh and Rigaryat.
  • Medium Density: 30% to 59% canopy density which comprises 10% of total area, can be found be found in Fidakar, Mekedesh, Rigaryat, Iganar and Jumhurikesh.
  • Low density: 5% to 29% canopy density which makes up 25% of the country’s area can be found in all the above mentioned-provinces and Ukanar and Kharyat.
  • No density: 0% to 4% canopy density makes up 67% of the surface area. All provinces mentioned above as well as Ashura, and Shakar have areas of no density. Shakar, has by far, the least amount of canopy cover.

The country is home to animals such as zebras, tigers (the national animal), lions, oryxes, lions, leopards, deer, wolves, bears, tapirs, wild horses, wild goats, wild donkeys, wild buck, wild dogs, foxes, jackals, caracal, weasels, mongoose, and otters. Birds include birds of paradise, frigatebirds, oyster catchers, swans, ducks, pheasants, peafowl (the national bird), Guinea fowl, ostriches, eagles, hawks, owls, weavers, shoebills, and flamingos. Plants include teak, ebony, mahogany, acacia, fevertree, tree ferns, umbrella trees, pine, and succulent trees. Packilvania has the largest fungal structures in the world, with the Giant Armilaria. The country has a diverse marine environment which includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, sharks, molluscs, coral and crayfish among other species. Scientists estimate that less than 60% of Packilvania'biodiversity has been discovered and cataloged and many fear that environmental issues will result in their extinction before they could be known.

The government has created area called marine and terrestrial nature conservation areas where hunting, habitation, agriculture, industrial, commercial and other human activity is forbidden and punishable by up to life imprisonment. Nevertheless, there are many areas that are not protected and continue to be exploited for their natural resources or polluted by human habitation and economic activity at the expense of the biodiversity in those areas. Packilvania has suffered the highest loss of its natural habitat in the world over the past 100 years with habitat loss peaking between 1990 and 2010. The country has signed the International Convention on Environmental Conservation and committed to protecting its natural environments. Progress has been steady but slow.

Climate

Packilvania consists of 12 climatic zones as follows:

Climate type Primary locations Rivers and tributaries of Packilvania
Cold desert Shakar
Cold semi-arid Shakar
Hot desert Shakar, Ashura, Fidakar, Mekedesh, Ukanar, Kharyat
Hot semi arid All provinces
Dry summer Jumhurikesh, Fidakar, Iganar
Grassland Jumhurikesh, Fidakar, Iganar
Continental Jumhurikesh
Oceanic Jumhurikesh
Savannah Fidakar, Mekedesh, Rigaryat, Ukanar
Sub-tropical Fidakar, Mekedesh, Rigaryat, Ukanar
Tropical Fidakar, Mekedesh, Rigaryat, Ukanar
Alpine Jumhurikesh


Politics

A heraldic rendering of the Imperial State Crown of Packilvania, the symbol of the Packilvanian monarch

The politics of Packilvania take place in the framework of an absolute unitary theocratic monarchy. Although the Constitution of Packilvania as the nominal Supreme law, it decrees that the law arises through decrees issued by the Sultan, giving him absolute authority. Although nominally unitary, the Sultans have devolved considerable autonomy to the provinces over their internal affairs.

Government

His Imperial and Royal Majesty, Sultan-King Namdun III of Packilvania and Drakkengard
His Imperial and Royal Highness, Crown Prince Thumim a-Namdun Bedon of Packilvania and Drakkengard
His Imperial and Royal Highness, Prince Luwadeen a-Harim Bedon, Prime Minister of Packilvania and President of the Privy Council of Drakkengard

The Sultan has absolute control over the political system; all the political authority of the state emanates from and resides with the Sultan. The Sultan is the head of house of Bedon, the royal family of Packilvania. With over 12,000 members, it is the largest royal family in the world. Its members occupy all the senior posts in the government. The Sultan rules the nation by decree.

The Sultan appoints a Council of Ministers to oversee the daily running of the country and to advise him on the exercise of his authority. The Prime Minister chairs and controls the work of the Council of Ministers. Members of the Council of Ministers are called Ministers and they oversee different executive government agencies which control different areas of the national government's work. The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers serve at the pleasure of the Sultan i.e., the Sultan can dismiss and appoint them at will. The Crown Prince (assisted by the Deputy Crown Prince) is the closest adviser to the Sultan and his designated heir apparent. The incumbent Prime Minister is His Imperial Highness (HIM) Prince Luwadeen a-Harim Bedon, the Crown Prince is HIM Prince Thumim a-Namdun Bedon and the Deputy Crown Prince is HIM Prince Abuyin a-Namdun Bedon.

The Sultan appoints all the members of the Consultative Assembly which serves as an advisory body. It consists almost entirely of aristocratic and religious officials. The Sultan can appoint as many members of the Consultative Assembly as he chooses. Appointment to the Consultative Assembly signifies political prestige and favour with the Sultan. Nevertheless, the Consultative Assembly can only issue recommendations to the government and deliberate on political issues. Because members of the Consultative Assembly cannot publicly criticise Sultan or the government, their meetings are largely held away from the public eye except for the annual state opening when the Sultan announced his plans for the year.

Aristocrats are wealthy families to whom the Sultan has granted land and titles in return for their loyalty and enforcement of the Sultan's will on the nation. Due to efforts at modernisation and the complexity of governing, much of the everyday running of state affairs has shifted to the government and civil service. Thus, the aristocracy serves as a way for the the Sultan to dispense patronage for people loyal to him and in turn uproot those who oppose him. Aristocrats continue to oversee large estates, send courtiers to the Bingol Imperial Court and administer the affairs of the tenants within their control. Whereas civilians pay taxes to the state, aristocrats pay taxes directly to the Imperial Court as tribute. Failure to pay tribute can result in removal. Although aristocrats have favorable access to state business opportunities and are exempt from the oversight of ordinary police, they are under the constant surveillance of the Packilvanian Secret Service.

The religious authorities of Packilvania consists of scholars (who receive their training from and are in turn appointed by other scholars) who have the power to issue religious decrees (official interpretations of religious concepts) and priests who administer the daily religious needs of their communities such as burials, marriages, gatherings, upkeep of religious buildings and related roles. All of these are financed by the incomes that temples make from offerings as well as a state grant under the control of the Magisterium. The Magisterium acts as the central authority and official bureaucracy of Paxism in Packilvania. Its functions include managing religious funds, universities and other organisations as well as operating a religious police to enforce religious law. The Magisterium is legally independent from the government of Packilvania.

Judicial system and human rights

The judicial system consists of religious, military, civil and criminal courts. The highest court in the entire country is the Supreme Court of Packilvania. It is the final court to which cases can be appealed. It does not have the power to overturn laws that are unconstitutional. The Sultan has the power to appoint justices and the chief justices. While the Judicial Selection Advisory Panel exists to recommend candidates for appointment to judicial posts, the Sultan is not obliged to follow or even consider its recommendations. Thus, he wields the power to control the judicial branch. With the judicial branch in Packilvania being so closely entwined with the executive branch, it cannot exercise its powers independently. Furthermore, it is heavily underfunded and many inefficiencies persist making quick and fair access to justice for all virtually nonexistent for most people.

This challenge permeates the entire judiciary as other courts face similar problems. The High Courts serve different regions of the country and they mainly hear severe cases and receive appeals from lower courts. However, the judges in these courts are appointed by the Emirs who are in turn appointed by the Sultan. At the level of the High Courts are the Religious Courts which hear matters arising from or directly related to religious matters. Whereas ordinary courts are staffed by professionally trained judges, the Religious Courts are staffed by religious scholars and clergymen. Often the boundaries of religious and secular law are very blurred, thus the Supreme Court must rule on disputes in jurisdiction between secular and religious courts. Whereas, cases from the High Courts must be appealed to the Supreme Court, cases in Religious Courts must first be appealed to the Appellate Division of that Religious Court before they can be appealed to the Supreme Court. At the lowest level of the judiciary are the Civil and Criminal Cases which hear Civil and Criminal Cases not reserved for the Religious Courts. However, where jurisdictions overlap with the Religious Courts, litigants can have the case completely retried afresh in the Religious Courts.

Packilvanian law is highly restrictive. There are two branches of law: religious and secular. Secular is imported largely from Great Morstaybishlia and covers elements concerned with contracts, property rights, employment relationships, companies and administrative law, whereas religious courts cover family and marriage law, succession and related topics. Criminal courts cover financial crimes, cybersecurity, property violation, traffic fines, licenses and related topics, whereas religious courts cover sexual crimes, assault, murder, crimes related children, apostasy and proselytism among others. In Packilvania, the law heavily restricts what newspapers and books can publish, internet access and other areas of people's lives. Furthermore, it fails to protect the environment, religious and cultural minorities and women. It completely criminalises same-sex relationships, transsexuality and other gender-related expressions and identities. The Packilvanian law enforcement authorities often carry out extrajudicial killings, torture and imprisonment without trial, and are able to carry out these actions with impunity. Packilvanian law enforces capital punishments for many offences such as murder, sexual assault, homosexuality, treason etc. Corporal punishment and forced labour are commonly-used sentences and prison labour continues to provide the state coffers with considerable income.

Foreign Relations

Packilvania has abysmal relations with most countries. Although most countries recognise its independence and the legitimacy of its government, it maintains territorial disputes with almost all of its neighbours. Furthermore, many unresolved disputes mar relations with neighbouring states. For instance, the treatment of war criminals, the use of chemical and biological weapons in warfare, historic revisionism and other acts relating to past wars, make it especially difficult to bridge relations and form allies. Packilvania does not participate in most international conventions and bodies and continues to carry out practices that violate international law such as the encroachment of Alleghenian airspace. Many nations have openly declared that they not only perceive Packilvania as a threat but they are building up military forces to prepare for future wars such as Vekaiyu and South Hills. Ironically, it has one of the most unique and effective policies of foreign intervention on Urth. It actively supports secessionist movements, terrorist organisations and other non-state actors in many nations, allowing it incredible diplomatic leverage. It has also leveraged its incredible economic clout, as the third largest economy in the world, to sign trade and economic agreements with many nations. Thus, most nations maintain some form of official representation and have some sort of formal trade arrangements with Packilvania. Opinion polls have found that most countries' citizens have a negative opinion of Packilvania. Due to historic links and the sense of prestige associated with the Morst-Pax Union, Great Morstaybishlia has the most positive and friendly relations with Packilania. The Packilvanian passport is regarded as one of the weakest in the world, as its holdest require visas and face challenges travelling to almost every country on Urth. Foreign relations are administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, yet the Sultan retains control over foreign policy including the ratification of treaties.

Packilvania has cold relations with Fortuna due to anti-Feline ethnic cleansing during the Purification Period of the 1970s and 1980s. Furthermore, the two nations have territorial disputes especially over maritime waters and resources. Packilvania maintains a constant military threat and has used aggressive tactics such as flying jets over Fortuna's area of control and sailing ships close to Fortuna's territory. Packilvania is a close ally of Kalatya and Iphelklori. Packilvania supported Iphelklori during the 2021 Yadylika War. Kalatya allowed Packilvanian forces to pass through its territory during the 2014 Dverian War.

Military

Packilvanian Elite Guardsmen in ceremonial Khumar attire, holding the double sided axe Ikharesh.

The military of Packilvania consists of the Packilvanian Armed Forces (PAF). The PAF is arguably the largest armed forces in the world by total number of active and reserve personnel. Because of the prestige and social status affixed to military service, the PAF has attracted a total volunteer force of 2,482,750 troops. Furthermore, conscription is actively enforced. Because the population is so large, many exceptions are given for most privileged social classes so that conscription falls entirely on the lowest caste of society. This means that males of non-exempt groups are subject to compulsory military training upon turning 18 years and are required to serve in the armed forces for at least 2 weeks every year until they turn 52. This has resulted in a reserve force of 14,890,250 strong. However, almost all reserves are capable of terrestrial combat. Despite its incredible size, the PAF has a vastly smaller contingent of pilots, engineers, sailors and medical personnel. Yet, simply because of its massive scale, it is still able to field competent forces on air, land, sea and in space. The PAF consists of the Packilvanian Army, the Packilvanian Air Force and the Packilvanian Navy.

The Sultan is the supreme commander of the armed forces. This means that the Chief of Defence Staff is appointed by and accountable to the Sultan for the running of the armed forces. Although the Minister of Defence is responsible for defence policy, ultimate authority over military matters rests with the Sultan who retains the power to declare, raise armies and navies and deploy military forces abroad. Thus, the Department of Defence simply oversees the day-to-day administration of the armed forces. The Chief of Defence, however, is an incredibly powerful post that shapes the country's ability and willingness to project power. The Packilvanian Army, which consists of 1,985,400 troops, 230,700 of them are part of the Packilvanian Gendarmerie (which is basically a paramilitary police force). The Packilvanian Air Force, consists of 297,315 members. The Packilvanian Navy consists of 200,035 members, of whom 55,250 members are part of the Packilvanian Coast Guard. During peace time, the Packilvanian Gendarmerie and the Packilvanian Coast Guard are under the authority of the Minister of the Interior and are responsible for largely civilian tasks. This brings the peacetime combat strength of Packilvania down to 2,196,800. The Packilvanian Expeditionary Front has been known to train and support foreign non-state actors with weapons. It is declared a terrorist organisation by most countries and is known for cold-war style operations in foreign nations.

The Central Packilvanian Carrier Strike Group, one of four in the Packilvanian navy, with the flagship, the PNS Ugraden aircraft carrier on the far right

The PAF relies on a budget of 210.895 billion KRB, one of the largest on the planet. Because the PAF is allowed to raise its own funding through investments (which it is not obliged to publicly disclose), the income of the PAF may be considerably larger. The PAF invests large sums into procurement, research and development. This includes investing in a large nuclear, chemical and biological weapons program. The Packilvanian Military Research Institute is a leading institute in military research and development and its discoveries in nuclear physics among others have been revolutionary. It is believed that the country keeps most of its military research secret and its capabilities are as yet unknown. The Packilvania is a nuclear weapons state with the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads of any country in the world. Packilvania has successfully tested nuclear bombs before, yet it has never deployed nuclear weapons in combat situations. Nevertheless, this arsenal acts as a major deterrent to foreign attacks. The Packilvanian Military Intelligence Agency has been reported to have advanced cyberwarfare capabilities. It has repeatedly deployed cyber attacks on foreign nations such as Distributed-Denial-of-Service attacks on critical foreign information systems.

Packilvania maintains its own domestic arms manufacturing sector. Analysts argue that the systems developed do not match with the most advanced systems used by South Hills and Great Morstaybishlia. Nevertheless against most minor powers, these are comparably some of the best in the world. The arms sector has full-capability production capabilities, able to make its own naval vessels, aircraft, military satellites, terrestrial combat vehicles, artillery and infantry weapons systems. The country operates over 7 military satellites for reconnaissance, communications and research purposes. Inconclusive reports have claimed that Packilvania has explored kinetic energy attacks and anti-satellite systems. The country has developed an anti-missile shield. Although it is indisputable that its scale is incredible and unrivalled by most countries except the most powerful, it is unknown whether it can successfully defend the country from the most powerful missile attacks. Packilvania has reported working on asteroid defence systems to protect the Urth from large extraterrestrial falling objects. There are rumours that Packilvania is part of a secret alliance of powerful nations preparing for asteroid strikes.

Administrative divisions

Packilvania is administered by sub-national authorities as follows:

  • Provinces at the highest level have limited legislative powers and they control internal matters such as housing, healthcare, law enforcement, land distribution and urban development, internal transport routes and other similar issues. They are ruled by Emirs appointed and answerable directly to the Sultan.
  • Regions further divide provinces and they manage many issues concerned with rural affairs, environmental protection, water resources and electrical power.
  • Districts further divide regions.
  • Local governments rule over clusters of villages, towns and cities. They have the greatest influence people's every day lives.
  • Metropolitan governments rule over areas the size of local governments, but they have the status of provinces. They control the largest and most important cities in the whole countries and they wield the same power as provinces do over their internal affairs.
  • Special economic zones are parts of the country that are exempt from the regular legal system. They are governed exclusively by the central government and they are created specifically to attract foreign investment by circumventing restrictive national laws.

The list of provinces and metropolitan governments of Packilvania is as follows:

List of provinces, metropolitan areas and special economic zones of Packilvania
Flag Province Capital Population Area GDP (KRB) GDP per capita (KRB)
Fidakar Halaler 150,750,200 1,130,626,500,000 7,500
Iganar Zukaril 145,370,700 1,130,984,046,000 7,780
Mekedesh Meker 138,920,500 1,112,753,205,000 8,010
Jumhurikesh Everyet 134,230,120 1,026,860,418,000 7,650
Ashura Akas Akil 127,110,600 919,009,638,000 7,230
Rigaryat Derengol 100,230,100 766,760,265,000 7,650
Kharyat Yukader 97,250,120 774,110,955,200 7,960
Ukanar Abdeker 94,210,660 772,527,412,000 8,200
Shakar Sharkol 86,230,120 700,188,574,400 8,120
Bingol Metropolitan Area Bingol 25,180,890 632,543,956,800 25,120
Kemer Metropolitan Area Kemer 17,870,120 427,095,868,000 23,900
Bilekil Metropolitan Area Bilekil 15,200,110 302,026,185,700 19,870
Gezer Special Economic Zone Gezer 8,120,890 148,043,824,700 18,230
Subakil Special Economic Zone Subakil 7,880,750 145,793,875,000 18,500

Economy

The city of Bingol, the economic hub and largest city of Packilvania
Yushiv Coal Mine, Halaler, Ashura, is the largest coal mine in Packilvania and one of the largest in the world
Ifshan Circular Farms in the Ashura Desert displays the adaption of Packilvanian farmers to the arid conditions of the desert environment

The economy of Packilvania functions as a middle way between socialism and capitalism. The state controls key economic sectors such as transport, water, power and healthcare. Moreover, it heavily regulates business activity in many sectors and has average to above-average tax rates on its citizens and businesses. On the other hand, regulations on medium to small businesses are virtually non-existent, property rights are protected by relatively modern legal systems and contracts are dearly respected and upheld by the law. The intrusion of state institutions in many economic areas has, however, led to mismanagement and misallocation of resources, growth-stifling macroeconomic ineffiencies and the entrenchment of disproportionate wealth and prosperity in the 3 metropolitan areas and 2 special economic zones. Packilvania has a GDP of 9,989,324,723,800 KRB, the third largest on the planet. It is larger than the economies of Kuthernburg, Norgsveldet and Tretrid combined. Nevertheless, it has a relatively low GDP per capita of 8697.291 KRB, making it a developing country. Despite its flaws, the economies of its provinces individually rival the most wealthy and powerful nations in the world. In fact, Bingol is one of the richest metropolitan areas in the world by total GDP despite falling short of major metropolitan areas such as Aura and Sani Bursil. However, the median income of the country lies around 5,300 KRB, which reveals that the wealth of the nation is very unevenly distributed. This highlights another major issue with the Packilvanian economy: gaping caste and geographic structural inequalities. Regardless, compared to most developing countries incomes, especially among its province is surprisingly evenly spread. Packilvania has an unemployment rate of 17% and a labour participation rate of 87%. This difference in unemployment versus labour participation arises because people are allowed and often work as soon as they reach the age of 15. Moreover, most people are not able to access higher education, thus they opt for low-skilled and informal work. Furthermore most families are large and cannot afford to have many of their members at home or in school for long periods. Thus, most people will actively seek work. Although the unemployment rate seems high by developed-country standards, it is surprisingly healthy especially given that it does not fully account for informal and seasonal labour. Some academics believe that unemployment could sit as low as 12%, comparing favourably with most nations. This ability to attract high rates of employment lies in the incredibly low cost of labour. Coupled with the poor worker protection policies and one of the youngest populations in the world, the country is able to outcompete almost every country in the world on labour costs vs productive output. Moreover, Packilvania benefits from access to the biggest and busiest waterway on the planet: the Packilvanian Ocean. Coupled with highly affordable access to power, close and easily accessible supply of abundant natural resources, poor environmental regulations and a decent level of infrastructure, the country is the locus of low-cost and low-value-added manufacturing on Urth.

Packilvania is the most resource-rich nation on Urth. It is a major producer and exporter of coal, natural gas and petroleum. It is among the biggest producers of rare earth metals, gold, platinum, chromium, uranium, palladium, iron, nickel, copper, boron, titanium, vanadium, phosphorus, potassium and silicon on Urth. Its strengths also lie in its ability to process these resources, being a major producer of chemical and plastic products and materials which come from petroleum such as hydrogen and helium. Although it is misleadingly known as a desert country (as it contains both the largest cold and hot deserts in the world), it is one of the largest sources of timber and wood products in the world. Moreover, it has arguably the highest amount of agricultural land in the world, especially on its coasts and east. It is a major producer of grains such as millet, sorghum, maize, wheat. It is the largest exporter of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, saffron, tumeric, ginger and aniseed. Meat products are regarded as a specialty with the nation producing about 100 million tonnes of beef, veal, pork, mutton, lamb, chicken and other poultry annually. Furthermore, it produces 180 million litres of milk annually, coming from a range of animals such as camels, cattle, goats and sheep. It is internationally renowned for its cheese and butter, among its foremost exports. In the area of fabrics, it leads the world in the production of jute, sisal, flax, cotton and other plant-fibre based textiles. The nation is also notorious for the production of opium, catnip and tobacco, and estimates suggest it is the largest producer of these substances. With its incredibly lush southern coast, the nation is also a major producer of tropical fruits such as durians, jackfruit, dragon fruit, passionfruit, bananas, mangosteen, and tamarind.

In the service sector, the nation does not fail to disappoint. It has incredibly massive financial services, shipment and logistics, telecommunications and information communication technology services and tourist sectors. Notwithstanding travel warnings and animosity by other nations, Packilvania attracts at least 25 million tourists annually who flock to the sand dune rallies, underground markets, ancient temples, museums and ruined cities, and the incredibly diverse and delicious cuisine. Despite the challenges in the legal system, the financial services sector has benefit from the rise of average wealth as many people have invested their income in property that has raised one of the most attractive mortgage market in the world. Sadly, the stock exchanges of the country struggle against restrictive laws against foreign investment. Nevertheless, the largest stock exchange in the country, the Bingol Stock Exchange remains formidable and comes in the top 10 largest on Yasteria. The Packilvanian Central Bank controls the nations gold and foreign exchange reserves which sit around 340 billion KRB, some of the largest in the world. Along with an annual economic growth rate of 5% to 7% year on year, one would expect the Packilvanian currency, the dinar, to be worth more. However, the PCB has kept the currency artificially low and has used capital controls to restrict the exchangeability of the Packilvanian dinar, thus critics argue that the currency is undervalued and has led to Packilvania enjoying massive trade surpluses against most of its trading partners.

Due to the DRONE policy, Packilvania is the largest exporter of sapient labour in the world. The DRONE policy is a debt relief policy that has enabled millions of poor people who have defaulted on their debt repayments to be put into virtual slavery (known as drones). system has resulted in over 50 million Pax Drones serving as mercenaries, domestic labourers, miners, construction workers and other low wage, high risk in both Packilvania and foreign countries. Packilvania is also the largest source of sapient organs in the world as people on death row as well as Pax Drones have their organs harvested for sale domestically and overseas. Packilvania is also the largest exporter of sapient bodies for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other scientific research and education. Packilvania is also the largest importer of trash and recycler of materials in the world.

Some of the largest companies in the world originate from Packilvania including the following: Export-Import Bank of Packilvania, Packilvanian Steel and Construction Corporation, Packilvanian Agricultural Bank, Packilvanian Development Bank, Packilvanian Industrial and Commercial Bank and Packilvanian Coal and Gas Corporation.

Infrastructure

Packilvania has one of the top ten largest rail, road, and optic fibre networks in the world (despite the fact that it does not reach most if its population). The total length of the roads on Pakilvania is 520,340 km. The country has an extensive highway system of 110,230 km that connects the largest urban areas and most developed population centres. Unfortunately rural areas especially in the arid regions, are left behind, relying on small poorly maintained single lane roads and gravel roads. The most advanced and largest cities have underground rail and provide punctual and highly affordable train services to their citizens. These services even include some of the fastest bullet trains in the world. The country is exploring magnetic levitation technology to create even faster trains. Unfortunately the remote arid regions are rarely accessible by rail, with most of the rail network consisting of freight transport to and from major mines.

The nation also benefits from the longest and one of the deepest navigable rivers in the world: the mighty Ufrata, which is so long, it is very difficult to measure. It provides transportation for ships to the inland. The nation also relies on several other rivers such as Tigris, Pishon and Gihon rivers for inland transport. There are canals which connect some major cities, but canals have larger fallen out of use and they are being integrated with water supply systems. The country has over 230,450 km of aqueducts and pipes. People in the east enjoy access to over 50 deep natural lakes. The great rivers have also been dammed and provide water to the many other regions of the nation. The desert regions rely on rain water and even more on aquafirs for their water needs. Unfortunately these resources are not infinite and overuse has led to declining access to water especially for industrial activity.

The Bingol International Airport is the largest airport in the country, receiving over 2 million passengers daily. The Port of Bingol is the largest and busiest port in the country and arguably one of the largest ports in the world. Over 10 million tonnes of goods move through its docks. Moreover, there are many other ports and airports in the country which connect its vast regions. The country's flag carrier and largest airline is Pax Air. It has been flying for over 6 decades and has links to every region in the world. It uses Bingol International Airport as its hub. With Bingol International Airport sitting at close to major world regions, it is becoming an increasingly important nexus for connect different regions of the world.

Science and technology

2007 launch of the Mekedesh II rocket of the Jahir military satellite by the Packilvanian Space Agency and the Packilvanian Military Research Institute.

Packilvania, despite being a low-income developing country, has an incredibly advanced science and technology sector. The country has produced internationally recognized scientists and engineers. Scientific research in Packilvania began at least in 1000 BCE. The ancient Packilvanians invented the pulley systems that form the basis of modern cranes. They had complex and well-developed water management and irrigation systems such as aqueducts and sluice gates. The ancient Packilvanians were known for their love of astronomy and invented the astrolabe to help them interpret the course of celestial objects. They developed the most accurate solar calendar at the time which remains in use. Their civilization also mastered masonry and they constructed the some of the largest and oldest structures of the ancient world: The Great Pyramids. During the Paxist Golden Age, scientific study was thought to be crucial to understanding the deity Zora. Thus a community of scholars emerged who established some of the oldest extant universities in the world such as the University of Bingol which was founded in 840 CE.

Modern-day Packilvania continues to excel in scientific innovation. The Packilvanian Space Agency has independently developed and launched satellites into space. It has successfully put sapient beings in space with Maksum Abdakir being the first feline in history to do a spacewalk in 1972. Exploiting the clear skies and cold temperatures of the Ashura Desert, it has constructed the massive Grand Desert Telescope Array. The country also has an independent nuclear physics research program that has made incredible discoveries about sub-atomic particles and dark matter. In mathematics, its scientists have contributed to some of the hardest and most important mathematical problems in history, the most famous of whom was Fidalkavir Sukharjil who is said to have been able to conjure mathematical theorems with such ease and grace, some believed he was a sorcerer.

Demographics

Population distribution

Packilvania has a total population of 1,148,555,880 people and an average population density of 186.9428 people per square kilometre (484.2 per square mile). 56.7% of the population (651,231,184) lives in urban areas and 43.3% of the population (497,324,696) lives in rural areas. 50.1% of the population (575,426,496) consists of females and 49.9% of the population (573,129,384) consists of males. The population has an average annual growth rate of 1.56%. The average fertility rate is 3.1 births per woman. The government has started a family planning scheme to lower the birthrate as Packilvania suffers from overpopulation. Furthermore, migration to the affluent but heavily congested cities is heavily restricted to prevent overpopulation. Nevertheless, there are no hard restrictions on the number of children that families may have as the government wants to keep labour costs low. The country has an annual internal migration of 100,250,400 million people (the amount of people who permanently settle in another part of the country). Contrastingly, the total annual emigration is 10,120,340 people (usually people on fixed term contracts) and the total annual immigration is 12,349,000 (usually people returning from fixed term contracts and fixed term contract workers).The population across provinces is very evenly distributed, with the least populated province, Shakar, only being smaller than the most populated province, Ashura, by 57.2%. The most populous cities are as follows:

List of the largest cities in Packilvania by population

Bingol

Kemer

Subakil

Sharkol

Rank City Population % of total population

Halaler

Everyet Akas Akil

1 Bingol 25,180,890 2.19%
2 Kemer 17,870,120 1.56%
3 Gezer 15,200,110 1.32%
4 Subakil 12,120,890 0.71%
5 Halaler 11,880,750 0.69%
6 Zukaril 10,560,345 0.66%
7 Meker 9,908,100 0.60%
8 Everyet 9,700,850 0.50%
9 Akas Akil 8,560,110 0.40%
10 Sharkol 8,230,100 0.37%

Religion

Temple of the Restoration, the second holiest site in Paxism is located in the Packilvanian city of Adrien in Ashura
Supreme Magister Tawak Mudawaheen of the Magisterium of Paxism originates from the Packilvanian province of Jumhurikesh

The official religion of Packilvania is Paxism specifically the Madvinist school of the Melkezedekite sect. Other sects of Paxism are outlawed and are not recognised by the state as valid religions. Of the schools in the Melkezedekite sect, the Sohadekist school is forbidden and is not recognised as a valid religion. Apostasy, i.e., the conversion of a Paxist to another is forbidden and punishable by death and this includes other sects and the Sohadekist school of the Melkezedekite sect. Other schools of the Melkezedekite sect face discrimination and persecution at the hands of the state. Akronism, Tunseism, Vayan Catholicism and Thaerism are recognised as valid religions however practicing these religions outside of one's home or spreading these religions is punishable by death. The state does not collect statistics on religion in the country. An anonymous study of Packilvanian expatriates in Great Morstaybishlia, the largest destination of Packilvanian expatriates on Urth, was conducted in 2018 by Lambertupol University found that 96% are Paxist (Madvinist), 1% are Yehudite, 0.8% are Obedite, 0.5% are Sohadekists, 0.4% are Thaerist, 0.3% are Akronist, 0.1% are Tunseism and 0.05% are Vayan Catholic.

Ethnic groups

Felines make up 98% of the species in Packilvania, but minorities include all other sapient species on Urth. Minorities face discrimination especially humans who were victims of the largest genocide in the history of Urth under the Communist government of the 20th century. About 60 million humans were killed or starved to death under Gideon Muktan and his communist successors. Although the first Feline Sultan Amhoud I established and led the organization known as the Carriers of Mercy which rescued and repatriated 10 million humans to other nations, humans continue to face discrimination and persecution.

The Feline species of Packilvania are highly ethnically diverse with 200-300 known ethnic groups and over 1000-1600 sub-ethnic groups. Fur colours range from white, black, gray, to ginger red, golden blond, chocolate brown. Fur patterns range from monochrome to mottled, spotted, striped and patches. Fur length ranges from as thick as sheep to non at all. Ethnic intermixing is discouraged and mixed Felines face stigmatisation.

Health

The average life expectancy of a Packilvanian is 67 years - 65 years for men and 69 years for women. Because elves are naturally long-lived some calculations factor out elves oor readjust their natural lifespan to account for living conditions etc. The median age for a Packilvanian is 25 years of age and people considered off working age (15 to 65) make up 40% of the population. Children (15 and below) Comprise 35% of the population. The elderly (65 and above) make up 5% of the population. The country is experiencing a massive demographic dividend, however, the group of elderly who require care and state subsidies is growing. In response, different regions and provinces have enacted compulsory savings and pensions schemes so that people can take care of themselves as they age, and laws have been enacted requiring young people to take care of their elder relatives. At a national level, coordination of pensions is poor and most elderly people in rural areas will struggle to access care. The leading causes of death are respiratory diseases, obesity, diabetes, motor vehicle accidents and communicable diseases. Packilvania has a fairly problematic disease burden. Despite, implementing some of the most ambitious vaccination, hygiene, sanitation and contraceptive drives in history, it continues to struggle with cat scratch disease, campylobacteriosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Hookworm and MRSA. The country has eradicated the bubonic plague, rabies,and tick borne diseases. People entering Packilvania are required to be immunised and to have medical coverage. The Minister of Health is responsible for administering and coordinating health policy at a national level.

Education

University of Bingol, the most prestigious university of Packilvania

Each province has substantial control over primary and high school education. Primary education is compulsory and free up to 12 years of age. Due to access issues especially in rural areas, enrollments rates fall below global standards. This has stifled attempts to reduce the illiteracy which stands at a stubbornly high 10% of the population. To combat this, different regional and provincial governments have enacted a traveling teacher scheme, whereby teachers from privileged and urban areas travel to rural areas and poor communities once a week to offer students there some kind of education. Despite the weaknesses of this approach, it is bearing considerable fruit, with literacy rates among children aged 9 to 12 showing considerable improvement. More work needs to be done in building and maintaining schools and training teachers. Enrollment rates for high school education are worryingly problematic as most 15-year-olds opt to work instead. Thus, the government has implemented a Vocational Training Certificate which is the equivalent of the Matriculation Certificate that is received by those who complete high school and is acquired through on-the-job training under a recognised artisan. The country's universities are controlled by the provincial and national governments. Despite challenges faced at lower levels, the Packilvanian high education sector goes head to head with other systems, producing the top 5 highest number of journal articles and other research papers in the world. Universities such as the University of Bingol and the University of Kemer are among the top 100 universities in the world. Nevertheless, the Packilvanian higher education system is criticised for failing to encourage academic rigour and critical thinking.

Culture

Society

Female Packilvanian religious devotees in their ceremonial ritual costumes. Their conservative dress code is emblematic of the conservative standards of Packilvanian society.

Packilvanian society is shaped by a combination of economic, religious, geographic, historic and demographic influences. Over the years a fundamentalist interpretation of Paxist religious ideals has emerged and taken root that has shaped the society fundamentally. Social, economic and political power is structured to favour men over women. Men are regarded as the head of the household, thus while on one hand they are regarded as the protector and provider of the family, on the other they have social and legal authority and responsibility for all the members of their household (servants, children and wives). Women are considered as helpers and supporters of men and their role in society is to raise children and get married. Packilvanian society not only accepts but encourages polygamy resulting in wealthy males marrying several females as a symbol of wealth and status. Children are highly regarded as a gift from Noi and infertility is regarded as a curse. Parenting duties fall on women, but men wield all the power in making decisions about the child’s life.

Because of these norms, the vocations and occupations that men and women occupy are divided along gender lines such that women typically earn less and it is a requirement that if a woman works, she must work half a day, to ensure she has time to take care of her family. Most parents will select marriage partners for their children. However, after the first wife, men are free to choose their own wives. Family place a big role in Packilvanian society, with three or four generations often living in the same compound or in close proximity. Adult children are expected to take care of their elderly parents and to support unemployed or poor siblings. Families often pool resources to help children through high education or to finance a wedding or car purchase. At the same time, this system gives disproportionate power to the older and wealthier members of the clan, who are able to make decisions that intrude upon the private affairs of a household.

Loyalty to the country and loyalty to the Sultan are regarded as fundamental tenets of being a good citizen, thus children are taught at a young age to revere and defend the reputation of the Sultan. Packilvanian society also values discipline and obedience. Workers will often exhaust themselves or accept low wages or undesirable working conditions in order to be seen as dependable and reliable. Unfortunately, this ethos does not permeate the wealthy and powerful, who thrive on circumventing social expectations of integrity through the impunity that obedience grants them. Thus, many Packilvanians will work 6 days a week for 8 to 10 hours a day. Children, especially those from families who can afford an education, are expected to study hard, cultivating a culture of cramming. Nevertheless, Packilvanian children from poor households, despite facing developmental challenges, tend to have more time to play, resulting in higher happiness and creating a large difference between them and their urban counterparts. The temple is the centre of social life, serving as a place of worship, gathering and communal support, with week prayers being zealously attended and the last week day being a day of rest on which most government services, shops and businesses close.

Cuisine

Spice stall with spices such as cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and curry powder from the curry tree
Gacha, a fried dessert made from cardamom, condensed milk, and flour, that is a beloved street food
Packilvania is the origin of the Pax Fruit and the image above displays several varieties some of which cannot be found anywhere else on Urth

Packilvania has a rich gastronomic heritage that spans thousands of years. Packilvanian cuisine is characterized by spicy and meaty food. The country is the core producer of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, aniseed, saffron and so on, so it naturally has incorporated spices into its cooking including desert. Absar is a spicy paste made from vegetables, animal fat and spices that has spawned many variations such bovril. The country has also produced relishes and garnishes such as Atchaar which is made from raw unripe mango and spices, but vegetables have also been used. The chakalaka salad made from vegetables and spices especially beans and carrots are also renowned. The country is the home of the fruit chutney, a sauce made from fruits such as peaches and coconut which has a tangy taste. Among the famous meat dishes are Bujakar chicken which is chicken marinated in yogurt, cooked with butter and seasoned with a variety of spices. Another is the fodok which is a wheat or rice-based wrap stuffed with strips of meat. Even the seafood is acclaimed, with the kidjar crab made from a fattened crab, deep fried and garnished with a variety of seasonings.

The country also excels in beverages, home to spicy teas such as saffron tea. People also enjoying a drink of coffee while smoking from a large vessel called shisha which people enjoy with a little catnip. Packilvanian coffee is known for its rich aroma and strong taste. Spices are also used in sweet treats such gacha which is made from condensed milk, flour, cardomom and fried. The country also originated the sticky delights which are made from starch and gelatine and are regarded as the modern ancestor of the jelly bean. The country enjoys a strong culture of restaurants and small eateries especially in the underground and covered markets which facilitate socializing and expose one to a diverse range of food.

Literature

Arts

Sports

Packilvania has a mixture of foreign and indigenous sports. The nation has a highly active sporting scene. The national sport is racing. Packilvania is well known for its incredibly fast, agile and powerful, yet notoriously stubborn and aggressive horse breeds. Thoroughbred Packilvanian horses are the most expensive horses in the world. The Bingol horse racing circuit attracts a larger global audience including betting circuit. Camel racing is also a major sport, coming a close second to horse racing. Another is sand dune rallies. These are basically long motor vehicle races through the desert that test endurance and navigator skill. From overseas, the most widely played sports are association football and table tennis. Although Packilvania is a desert-dominated country, yachting is enjoyed by people living on the coast and in the east where there are many large bodies of water.

References