Tavaris
The Kingdom of Tavaris, known colloquially as Tavaris, is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy located on Urth. It is a member of the Union of Commonwealth Alliances, a founding member and home to the headquarters of the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, and an observer-state of the League of Novaris. Tavaris was a founding member of the International Forum and currently serves on the International Forum Security Council.
The Kingdom of Tavaris Eredan Tavarís (Tavari) Tavaris riik (Rodokan) | |
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 Great Seal
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Motto: "Ítan Erevat, Ítan Eredan!" (Tavari) "For the King, For the Empire!" | |
Anthem: Brunavi Tavarís (Tavari) "Beautiful Tavaris" | |
 Location of Tavaris (dark green), including the Home Islands, Rodoka, and territories near Novaris and in the Pacific Ocean. (Inset to scale) | |
| Capital and largest city | Nuvrenon |
| Official languages | Tavari Rodokan |
| Ethnic groups (2020) | Tavari Elven 86% Other Elven 4% Rodoka Native 3% Other Human 3% Feline 2% All Other Species 2% |
| Demonym(s) | Tavari |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• King | Zaram V |
• Prime Minister | Žarís Nevran Alandar |
| Legislature | Diet of Tavaris |
| Establishment | |
• Tavari settlement | cir. 100-400 CE |
• Wars of Unification | c. 1150-1300 CE |
• Kingdom of Tavaris unified | 22 April 1304 CE |
• Instruments of Governance ratified | 20 February 1793 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,117,873 km2 (431,613 sq mi) |
• Excl. Territories | 1,102,166km2 (425,549 sq mi) |
• Only Home Islands | 982,707km2 (379,425 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 56,582,007 |
• 2017 census | 54,368,944 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $1,875,014,547,966 SHD |
• Per capita | $33,138 SHD |
| Currency | Tavari Našdat (ŋ) (TAN) |
| Time zone | East Tavaris Time (UTC -8) West Tavaris Time (UTC -9) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +42 |
| Internet TLD | .ta |
History
Tavari elves are believed to have migrated to the island of Avnatra sometime between the first and fourth centuries AD, though recent archaeological evidence shows that other elves may have been present earlier. From time to time throughout history, various chiefdoms would unite under a single leader to gain strength and control over other chiefdoms. By the beginning of the 14th century AD, they were all united in a loose confederation under the banner of a single King. The first King of All Tavaris was Utor I, the Chief of Nuvo, who completed a campaign begun some hundred and fifty years earlier by his predecessors to bring all of Tavaris under a single ruler. Many chiefdoms chose to swear fealty to the Chief of Nuvo rather than fight, though there were several various military conflicts across the country between approximately 1150 CE and 1300 CE that are collectively known as the "Wars of Unification." On April 22nd, 1304 CE, a gathering of all 1,152 chiefs in Tavaris at the city of Nuvrenon known as "the College of Chiefs" formally elevated the Chiefdom of Nuvo to the position of King of All Tavaris.
Beginning in the 1470s, a religious movement known as Akronism after a deity known as Akrona, arose in the northwest regions of the country, particularly near the Crystal Coast. Archaeologists believe that Akronism arose from ancient Tavari folk traditions around the moon, though Akronist theologists strictly deny that Akrona is a moon goddess, although they acknowledge the moon is an important symbol of the goddess. Akronism teaches to express gratefulness and respect for all living things. Brief violence between Akronists and non-Akronists erupted in the last years of the 15th century, but were quelled by the forces of the King.
Much of Tavari history has been influenced by Akronism, especially as the proportion of Akronists among the population grew larger over time. Most of Tavaris’ overseas territories were originally established by Akronists seeking to spread their faith to the outside world. Both at Metrati Anar beginning in 1501 and the Tavari East Pacific Isles beginning in 1655, the Church of Akrona was the leading force and financier of the initial settlements.. Rodoka was also settled initially by Akronists, though its population has diversified since.
In the 17th and early 18th century, Tavaris fought several wars with Bana, its neighbor to the east, as they competed for influence in the region. When Tavaris attempted to establish a colony, known as the Emerald Coast, in what is now North Ni-Rao in 1668, a major war erupted between Tavaris on one side and both Bana and Ni-Rao on the other. The area had been part of Ni-Rao previously, but had been effectively abandoned after a series of pandemics and military defeats caused the Raonites to withdraw from the region. Bana saw the Emerald Coast as a major provocation, as it amounted to Tavari territory directly bordering theirs, and the Raonites treated the colony as an invasion of their own territory despite having withdrawn. The Emerald Coast War was fought between 1670-1683. Eastern Tavaris was occupied by Bana for several years, but Tavaris was able to outlast its opponents and, after a major mobilization in which all able-bodied adult citizens were conscripted into the military, Tavaris was victorious. Tavaris would later cede the Emerald Coast back to Ni-Rao in 1803 under a treaty agreement that mandated Ni-Rao to continue to allow Akronist missionary activity in the country and to guarantee religious freedom.
The decisive Tavari victory in the Emerald Coast War established Tavaris as the predominant power in the region. However, it also caused severe economic and infrastructural damage, and Tavari colonial efforts slowed as a result. Tavaris was briefly awarded control over Zawadi in 1879 by the Nyiobi Convention, in recognition of the significant Akronist presence there, but control of Zawadia was handed to Vistaraland in 1895. This was the last significant Tavari colonial project. Beginning in the late 19th century, Tavaris began a focused effort to “modernize” the country so it was closer in technological and economic power to the leading countries of the world.
Modern History
In 1895, Tavaris hosted the The Worldwide Exposition, an international cultural festival. Previous hosts had been such large nations as Packilvania, Salovia, and Great Morstaybishlia. Tavaris hosted the 1895 Expo as an attempt to introduce itself to the world as an international cultural and tourist destination, as well as an advanced country with all the amenities of modern civilization such as streetcars, high-rise buildings, electricity and telegraph systems. By all accounts the Expo was popular, and Tavaris earned a reputation as an environmentally pristine destination to visit.
In 1904, the Great War began. Tavaris found itself on a frontier between two opposing colonial powers: Morstopackia, who controlled what is now Lunaria to Tavaris' west, and Asendavia, who controlled Tavaris' only neighbor by land, Vultuca. While Tavaris had maintained a friendly trading relationship with the Morst and had somewhat less interaction with Asendavia - mainly due to the fact that it was easier and less expensive to trade by sea than traverse the land crossing to Vultuca that was in most places undeveloped wilderness - Tavaris declared that it would be neutral in the war. However, in May of 1908, in what is known as the Anarís Incident, a group of Morst ships moved through Tavari-controlled waters off the coast of Metrati Anar to attack a group of Asendavian ships from behind. While Tavaris formally summoned the Morst ambassador for an explanation and sent a demand to the Morst government that its ships respect Tavari neutrality, Asendavia held the incident to be an Tavari violation of neutrality and declared war on Tavaris. Tavaris would then join the war on the Morst side.
The Great War caused significant loss in Tavari lives and property, due in large part to its disadvantageous position between Morst and Asendavian colonial holdings. With Asendavia's larger colonial presence in northwestern Gondwana, it had better supply lines, and was able to position military assets in the area at less expense than Tavaris' allies. Additionally, when Tavaris joined the war on the Morst side, neighboring Bana joined on the Asendavian side. Bana invaded and occupied Metrati Anar for the duration of the war and conducted a bombing campaign along the east coast of the country from Nuvrenon to Good Harbor.
After the Great War, Tavaris entered into a period of isolationism as it became politically unpopular for policies to involve other nations. Tavari neutrality had been a resounding failure and it had ended up attacked on multiple fronts because, as the political wisdom of the time said, it had become "entangled" in the affairs of foreign powers. Tavari politics shifted heavily towards isolationism and anti-imperialism, with Tavari foreign relations largely reduced to denouncing the involvement of foreign powers in Gondwana. This period of isolationism lasted for nearly the entire 20th century, although towards the latter half of the century there was a gradual period of re-engaging with foreign affairs - especially as it came to communications technology and military equipment. In the 1980s, Tavaris began purchasing tanks and other modern military equipment from Morstaybishlia, and entered into defense and trade agreements with Aivintis that would eventually lead to the creation of the Council of Gondwana. In 2004, Tavaris joined the Arkian Civil War on the side of the West Arkian Republic in an effort to negotiate and enforce a cease-fire. The West would later lose to the imperialists who would install the Arkian Empire. In 2008, in a further attempt to counteract global dominance by the two major powers of Morstaybishlia and Asendavia, Tavaris joined the Union of Commonwealth Alliances.
On January 31st, 2017, the election of Šano Šonai Tuvria on a platform of increasing global trade and diplomatic relations is widely considered to have completely ended the isolationist era of Tavari politics. A major part of his platform was establishing a regional free trade agreement, the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, which was negotiated in 2017 and took effect a year later. In 2020, Tavaris and Bana normalized relations by appointing ambassadors and announcing the opening of embassies for the first time in almost 50 years. Also in 2020, Tavaris became an observer-state of the League of Novaris, after having been denied full membership. In 2021, Tavaris announced that it had become a nuclear weapons state through developing its own nuclear warheads as well as purchasing warheads from Vistaraland.
Culture
Tavari civilization on the island of Avnatra dates back to the first century CE. Especially after a surge of interest in archaeology in the 19th century, Tavari interest in and promotion of "Tavari culture" have risen to high levels. The Tavari government aggressively markets Tavaris as a cultural destination for global tourism, and maintains and promotes thousands of Protected Cultural Sites across the country. Both the traditional Tavari sites as well as Akronist historical sites are featured in the Protected Cultural Sites, as the Tavari government promotes the idea that there are two traditions that arose from Tavari civilization: Akronism and the ancestral veneration belief system of the Tavat Avati. (See "Ancestral Veneration" below.)
The Line System
Historically, Tavari society was divided into kinship groups called (variously throughout history) "Tribes," "Chiefdoms," and in the modern era, "Lines." These are a type of clan. Originally, these groups were the foundation for Tavari governance, with the Chief of one's Line being in charge of governing the people in the line and the territory the line controlled. In 1304, the Chief of Nuvo was made King of All Tavaris, placing that Line at the pinnacle of the system.
After unification, Lines started to lose prominence as the responsibility of governance gradually shifted to the national government under the King. This was process was accelerated in particular by the spread of Akronism. Among the religious teachings in Akronism was the belief that all people were equal before Akrona, the deity of Akronism considered to be present as the life-force in all living things. Akronism discouraged dividing people by "station" or class, which led many people to identify less with their particular line and more with their religious identity as Akronists. As Akronists began to have less regard for the Line system, it began to lose political power - and this caused it to have less impact even on the lives of non-Akronists.
In 1793, the system was formalized into the modern Line System as exists today. Under the Instruments of Governance, the Tavari constitution ratified in that year, the clans were formally given the name "Lines," and in all but one of the Lines, the hereditary position of "Chief" was replaced by the elected position of "Delegate [of the Line] to the Diet." With no other power granted to the Lines under the law, they effectively became a system of electoral districts determined by heredity. The one line to retain a Chief was Line Nuvo, because the Chief of Nuvo is the Monarch.
There are 1,152 distinct Lines in the Kingdom of Tavaris, equivalent to the number of Chiefs who were present at the College of Chiefs that formally unified Tavaris in 1304. While the Monarch does have the authority to change the number of Lines, no Monarch has ever done so. An individual's Line is determined at birth by the Line of their parents. If the parents are unmarried, a child takes the Line of the elder parent. When a Tavari marries, the younger spouse will take the Line of the elder spouse. Upon marriage, the younger spouse may decide to adopt the elder spouse's family name (the third name in the Tavari naming system), or the couple may decide to invent a new one. Traditionally, only the eldest child had the right to continue using the family name of their parents after marriage, though in modern times this convention is increasingly disregarded. Since a reform to the law in 2009, an elder spouse may decide to take the Line name of the younger spouse. Once adopted, a Line name is permanent unless the person remarries, or (theoretically) if the Monarch changes the Line by decree.
Members of other ethnic groups who become Tavari citizens must adopt one of the 1,152 Lines upon their naturalization. Immigrants who are married to a Tavari always take their line, regardless of age. Unmarried immigrants, though, may choose any Line they wish, without restriction. Those who do not choose a Line have one assigned by the Bureau of Immigration, who by law must select a line at random. In the past, immigrants were assigned in various ways, including being assigned to Line Nuvo (as "the state's Line"), being assigned to the Line of the judge administering the oath of citizenship, or being assigned to the Line with the fewest members. When assigning a Line, the Bureau of Immigration is acting on authority directly delegated by the King, who is the legal pinnacle of the Line system. This authorization must be re-issued each time a new Monarch takes office, because it is a personal power of the Monarch, not a power of state.
Ancestral Veneration
While some archaeological evidence exists of a polytheistic religion among the earliest Tavari on Avnatra, that faith was succeeded by an animist belief system in which living souls inhabited all things in nature, and that the souls of deceased ancestors remain in the world after death to observe and influence affairs of the living. By the time of the Wars of Unification, the belief in spirits in nature had largely faded away, but the veneration of the dead remained as a strong factor in the Tavari philosophy. The tradition was formalized in the early 14th century, as the Kingdom of Tavaris sought to standardize across the entire country, in a codex called Tavat Avati, which transliterates to "Way of the Elders" or "Way of the Ancestors." Following the newly codified rituals was marketed to be a show of patriotism for the motherland.
According to the Tavat Avati, individual families should keep a shrine where they dedicate part of their home to their ancestors and leave them offerings. It also established six sacred festivals to be observed each year, in which entire towns should gather for a collective offering to that town's established shrine. While animal sacrifice had once been part of each festival, by the 14th century the practice had faded and switched to offering dry goods. It also set out rules by which to live so that the spirits would show you favor. The Tavat Avati recommends, for example, that people should always keep as clean as possible, they should exercise moderation in food and drink, and they should never chew coca leaves.
In the modern day, most of these traditions remain in some form. The six festival days are still observed as holidays and people do gather at local shrines. Most homes will have a shrine or some sort, often just a table with photographs of deceased family members and a burning candle. Tavat Avat social mores have largely given way to the modern conception of good manners, which largely reach the same result regardless. Chewing coca is illegal in Tavaris, and chewing it anyway is considered to be "bad luck." In the modern tradition, various superstitions from the Tavat Avati continue as things that cause bad luck, and the idea of "spirits" is increasingly interpreted specifically in regards to luck. The idea advocated by the Tavat Avati is that those who die without the favor of the spirits are cast into a sea of fire; in the modern day few retain the literal belief but continue to follow the superstitions and observe festival days to prevent bad luck.
Government
Government:
Democratic National Party: 601 seats
Other Opposition:
The Liberals: 113 seats
Goddess and Country: 104 seats
Republican Alternative: 34 seats
Tavari National Party: 10 seats
Socialist Party for Democracy: 99 seats
Official Opposition:
Green Tavaris: 61 seats
Tavari Communist Party: 150 seats
The Kingdom of Tavaris is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch has theoretically broad reserve powers, but in actual practice is a figurehead who takes no part in the day-to-day administration of the country. The King, currently Zaram V, is expected to remain politically neutral, and does not use his reserve powers unless advised to do so by the Council of State, a body similar to the Privy Council in other monarchies.
In 1793, a document known as the Instruments of Governance was ratified, which became the Tavari constitution. It has been amended several times. The Instruments placed significant restrictions on the power of the Monarch and instituted a legislature called the Diet. Under the Instruments, executive power is formally vested in the Cabinet, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister leads the government and holds the positions of President of the Council of State and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. A Prime Minister must maintain the confidence of the Diet, and is therefore typically the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in the Diet. The current Prime Minister, Žarís Nevran Alandar, took office on 18 February 2021 after her predecessor Šano Šonai Tuvria stepped down to become International Forum Secretary-General.
Diet
The Diet is a unicameral legislature with 1,172 members, each of them to be considered a delegate of a Line in the Tavari clan system. With the exception of the 20 seats allocated to Native Rodokans, members of the Diet are elected not from delineated geographic constituencies, but are instead each elected by every other Tavari sharing their line name, which is the second name out of the three every Tavari has. These lines are clans - groupings of Tavari according to kinship and common descent. As an example: each Tavari who is a member of Line Nevran would therefore use Nevran as their second name, and each of them would have a vote for Delegate to the Diet for Line Nevran regardless of where they lived.
When Tavaris annexed Rodoka in 1634, the Queen ordered that the 20 Rodokan tribal chiefs be integrated into the Tavari clan system. In 1992, the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration was formed as a legal successor body to the hereditary chiefdom system, and they re-allocated their 20 seats into geographic districts.
Members of the Diet, often referred to by the title Delegate, are elected through an instant-runoff vote system in both the Rodokan seats and the Tavari line seats. Voters rank the candidates, who are typically nominated to run by political parties, in order of preference. If no candidate attains an actual majority of votes, meaning at least 50% plus one vote, the lowest performing candidate is removed from consideration and the votes that were given to that candidate are re-allocated according to the second choices on the ballots. The process repeats until one candidate attains a majority.
The Monarchy
The Tavari monarchy is based in absolute-primogeniture from among the descendants of King Utor I. The current monarch is King Zaram V, who assumed the throne on March 31st, 2000 upon the death of his father, King Zaram IV. He has one son, Crown Prince Otan. His wife, the Prince’s mother, was Queen Torevar, who passed away in childbirth. Zaram has stated his intention is to never remarry.
The monarch, as Head of State, represents Tavaris to foreign countries and receives ambassadors from foreign countries. The monarch is also the pinnacle of the traditional Tavari clan system. It is by virtue of the monarch’s position as Head of Line Nuvo that they are the King or Queen of Tavaris, and one of the monarch’s titles is “Chief of Chiefs.” Other than Line Nuvo, no other extant clan has a “Chief,” with those offices replaced by Delegate to the Diet in 1793. (Non-royal members of Line Nuvo also elect a Delegate to the Diet.) By ancient custom, this means that the monarch has the absolute right to make any changes to the clan system - such as creating a new clan, or abolishing an extant one. The monarch may also declare particular individuals members to be a member of a clan. This power is most commonly used to assign lines to new Tavari citizens who decline to choose one upon naturalizing, which the Bureau of Immigration reports occurs "hundreds" of times each year. Outside of this, the monarch's powers related to the Line system are very seldom used. Separate from the Line system is the Tavari honors system, such as naming prominent individuals as Knights of the Amethyst Order, the country's highest honor.
The legal powers of the monarch are established in the Instruments of Governance as well as through historic convention. Officially, the monarch appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister, summons and dissolves the Diet, declares war and peace, imposes and repeals taxes, and promulgates laws. In reality, all of these powers are exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister or upon passage of legislation by Diet. The monarchy does reserve the power to appoint or dismiss the Prime Minister, or dissolve the Diet, on its own initiative, but has never done so since the ratification of the Instruments of Governance. Notably, one legal power that is explicitly denied the monarchy is that of being Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Instruments of Governance state that the Monarch "shall be held outside the functional military hierarchy and serve no role, informal or formal, in the commanding of troops," and explicitly define the position of Prime Minister as "by virtue of her or his position [as Prime Minister], she or he shall also hold the offices of President of the Council of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces."
The monarchy also reserves the right to veto legislation passed by the Diet. However, by law, the monarch may only do so on the advice of the Council of State. As the Council of State is composed almost entirely out of members of the Cabinet, no monarch has ever done so since the Instruments were ratified. However, the monarch may exercise a veto on their own initiative if the legislation in question concerns the direct prerogatives and interests of the monarchy and royal family. Additionally, a monarch always has the right to refer a bill to referendum, in which case the bill only takes effect if approved in a national referendum. Also, the monarch may refer a bill to the Constitutional Court if they believe the bill to be unconstitutional. These powers are granted to the monarch to exercise on their own initiative, with or without advice from the Council of State to do so.
Since the annexation of Rodoka in 1634, the monarch has also been the head of the Rodokan tribes, of which there were historically twenty, all of which are now part of the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration. Since then, the title “High Chief of the Tribes of Rodoka” has been part of the monarch’s title. The title of the current monarch is, in full: "His Majesty Zaram V, King of All Tavaris, High Chief of the Tribes of Rodoka, Chief of Nuvo, Chief of Chiefs, Lord-Patron of Ilaris, Defender of the Faith." While the monarch does not use a line name or family name in day-to-day life, they do have them just the same as other Tavari. King Zaram’s name as recorded on his certificate of birth is Zaram Nuvo Šolosar.
Political Parties
In the current day, Tavaris is a multi-party system in which coalition governments are common, especially since the dawn of the 21st century. The current government, however, is comprised of just one party, after the Democratic National Party (DNP) won a majority in the election on February 10th, 2021. The current leader of the Democratic National Party is Žarís Nevran Alandar, who assumed that position on the 18th of February 2021 when her predecessor was elected International Forum Secretary-General.
The Tavari political left tends to be split among three different parties: The Socialist Party for Democracy (SPD), a social democratic party; the Green Tavaris Party, which broadly focuses on environmental issues; and the Tavari Communist Party (TCP), which is an explicitly Akronist-socialist political party. The TCP is the most popular among Akronists, but tends to have less reach into non-Akronist communities. The Greens are not explicitly Akronist under party rules, but tend to be dominated by Akronists, as the Akronist faith emphasizes stewardship of the environment. All three major leftist parties advocate for abolishing the monarchy, and SPD and TCP call for replacing the line-based electoral system with geographic districts. A minor Akronist center-left political party, Orange Left, has had representation in the past but won no seats in the most recent election.
The Tavari political right is similarly split. The DNP is generally described as center-to-center-right, and both Žarís Nevran Alandar and Šano Šonai Tuvria are considered to be among the centrist faction of the party and are sometimes referred to as “neo-liberal.” Other parties on the right include the Liberal Party, which as its name suggests is a classical liberal party; and Goddess and Country (G&C), a socially conservative Akronist political party. Unlike the Akronist parties on the left, G&C advocates for integrating an Akronist political system into the extant monarchical system. Minor parties on the right include the Tavari Nationalist Party, who are generally described as far-right, and Republican Alternative, which advocates for removing the monarchy but otherwise professes generally center-to-center-right policies.
Geography
Physical geography
Tavaris is composed of territory on two continents. The Gondwanan portions of Tavaris, known as "the mainland" despite their island location, are located on four islands in the Gulf of Northwest Gondwana. It is south and west of Vultuca and to the east of Lunaria. The largest island, which contains most Tavari territory, is known to Tavaris as Avnatra, which is Tavari for "elder sister." (In comparison to the neighboring largest island of Lunaria, which is Tanatra, "younger sister.") In addition to the southern and western portions of Avnatra, the Empire controls the island known as King's Island to the south, upon which the capital of Nuvrenon is located, and two small islands immediately to the west of Avnatra known as the "Tears of the Moon." The islands are considered sacred ground by Akronists. Both of these islands, known individually as the Greater and Lesser Tear of the Moon respectively, are national parks where very little development is permitted, largely due to Akronist political pressure. Among the most notable features on the Tears of the Moon are two large Akronist monasteries, including one at the site of a meteor impact in the year 1 CE whose impact is the epoch of the Common Era calendar.
The largest part of the Novari portion of Tavaris is the island of Rodoka, which is located off the coast of West Novaris between Meagharia and the Lapinumbian island of Rhodos. Rodoka was initially settled by the Rodokan people, it is believed, in the 9th or 10th century CE. Tavari settlers reached the island in 1620. The Tavari and Rodokan people found much in common, both being largely clan-based societies with strong maritime traditions. In 1634, Tavaris and Rodoka signed the Treaty of Sinajärv, which annexed Rodoka into the Kingdom of Tavaris but established significant autonomy for the Native Rodokans. On August 18th 2020, Rodoka voted in a referendum to become the 12th Province of Tavaris. The capital and largest city of Rodoka is Lantaž, an Tavari word meaning "paradise." However, the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration still maintains the same level of autonomy, which has been described as making it basically a province in and of itself.
Also in Novaris are the Isles of Kanor, two islands seized from Milofia in 1714 during the Tavari-Milofite War, in which Milofites attacked Rodoka in an effort to seize the islands and in response to what they considered to be heresy. Tavaris won the war and claimed the islands as a “buffer” between Rodoka and Milofia. They are not administratively part of the Province of Rodoka, but most land on the islands that is not taken by military facilities is owned by the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration.
The Aequator passes through southern Tavaris, bisecting the Greater Tear of the Moon. Given the country's location on the Aequator, the climate is tropical. All of Avnatra was once covered in rainforest, although the southern portions of the island have been cleared since ancient times. Akronist political opposition to logging and resource extraction, especially in the north where Akronists are politically stronger, means there are many protected or otherwise undeveloped areas in the north, including much of the area along the border with Vultuca. Most of northern Tavaris is undeveloped and sparsely populated, particularly in the far north, which is significantly more mountainous than the rest of the country and in some places is even a desert. Crystal Coast is the largest city in the region, and also the country's most popular destination for domestic and international tourism.
Southern Tavaris is the country's industrial base and most populated region. Most of Tavaris' major cities are located here, especially along the Bight of Tavaris in the southwest. Further inland is the primary agricultural region of the country. Off the southeastern coast is King's Island and the capital of Nuvrenon. With the distance too long for a bridge, Nuvrenon is connected to the mainland by a fleet of state-operated hovercrafts and private boats and ships. The portions of King's Island not taken by the Nuvrenon urban area are primarily palm oil plantations, and heavy industry such as manufacturing. There are fewer large cities along the east coast, as this region has borne the historical brunt of Banian invasion, but the city of Good Harbor is one of Tavaris' major ports and the heart of Tavaris' primary coffee and cocoa-growing regions. The body of water to the east of Avnatra is known officially as the Strait of Vultuca but is also known among Tavari as the Sunrise Sea.
Political geography
Tavaris is divided into 12 provinces for the purpose of civil administration. The provinces are units of civil government established by the Diet, with the current system established by the Province Reorganization Act of 1961. While most power in civil government resides with the national government in Nuvrenon, the provinces have the power to set income taxes, regulate certain businesses and industries, and establish public school systems, among other responsibilities. Each province elects a unicameral Legislative Council, from which a government headed by a First Councillor is appointed.
Areas of Tavaris that are not provinces are administered differently. Metrati Anar and the Isles of Kanor are referred to by a term that translates into Staynish roughly as “Unprovinced Territory.” The Tavari term is Nomanerís Ítaktanerísa, but the Staynish acronym “UPT” is used most commonly. UPTs have an appointed Administrator who is responsible for the day-to-day governance of the territory. Residents of UPTs also elect an Assembly that acts as a legislature, though the Administrator has the power of veto.
The Province of Rodoka has a special arrangement due to the status of the native Rodokans. The Treaty of Sinajärv signed in 1634 between the Tavari government and the Rodokan tribes integrated the island of Rodoka and all the Rodokan tribes into the Kingdom of Tavaris. Certain areas of the island were reserved specifically for tribal use, including most of the northern “branch” of the island. These reserved areas remain and are today governed by the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration, a body composed of representatives from the twenty tribes. The reservation is able to set its own tax rate and regulate businesses and construction in its own territory. Notably, things that are illegal in the rest of Tavaris, such as gambling or cannabis, are legal on the reservation.
Officially, each province is divided into townships and cities. Cities are built-up population centers that have a certain degree of autonomy, whereas townships are largely subject to governance from the province of which they are a part. While under the law, cities have the power to establish municipal police departments, nearly all of them have not done so, leaving the Royal Tavari Marshals to serve as the police. The three cities with their own police departments are Nuvrenon, Dravai, and Lantaž.
Military
The military of Tavaris is the Royal Tavari Armed Forces. Tavaris has a strong military tradition, and for centuries maintained mandatory conscription for citizens of all genders. Mandatory conscription was ended in 2016. The strong military culture was shaped early in Tavari history by the frequent armed conflicts with Bana. Despite the fact that there has been no such attack from Bana since the Great War, the two countries remain on relatively poor terms and there is still a belief that the country must be protected. As such, the military remains one of the most popular institutions in the country.
The Royal Tavari Armed Forces consist of:
- The Royal Tavari Army
- The Royal Tavari Navy
- The Royal Tavari Air Force
- The Royal Tavari Marshals
While citizens are no longer required to serve in the military, many choose to serve in the reserves, of which there were approximately 2.5 million servicemembers in 2020. The law allows for conscription to resume in the event of a defensive war, in which case all adult citizens would be called back into reserve status to begin training. These reserves would be drawn from as needed onto the front lines. The law does not allow for wartime conscription if Tavaris has not been directly attacked.
Including the Royal Tavari Marshals, the total number of active duty Tavari troops is 507,718. The Marshals are the primary police force for the entire country, as only three cities (Zaram, Dravai, and Lantaž) have established independent, civilian police departments. The Marshals also include the Coast Guard Division and the Border and Immigration Control Division. Excluding the Marshals, who would not be counted among military personnel in many countries, the number of Tavari troops is 307,695.
Tavaris maintains a blue-water navy capable of deployment across the world, although a majority of operations are conducted within the Tavari EEZ, or alongside fellow UCA members in international joint operations. The Empire maintains two nuclear-powered submarines as part of its nuclear deterrent, and two diesel-electric aircraft carriers, one of which is typically (though not always) deployed in a helicopter dock configuration.
On January 19th, 2021, Tavaris announced that it had begun a nuclear weapons program through both a native production program and through an agreement with Vistaraland. The two countries will continue to cooperate in nuclear weapons research and development. Tavaris does not maintain a nuclear triad, instead maintaining sea and air-based nuclear weapons systems. Tavaris does not maintain biological or chemical weapons.
Notable international conflicts in which the Tavari armed forces have participated include the Great War, the Arkian Civil War, the Civil War in Ni-Rao, and UCA engagements in Puntalia and Balistria. Along with Durakia, it participated in the LN military occupation of Karolingia.
Economy
Tavaris is considered to be a developed economy. As in most similar economies, the service sector has grown to become the largest sector of the economy. Historically, agriculture and fishing were the center of the Tavari economy, and both of them remain significant. The Tavari currency is the Tavari Nashdat (TAN), which uses the symbol ŋ.
A tropical country, Tavaris grows and exports timber, tropical fruits and nuts, palm oil, coffee, sugar, and cocoa, among many other products including paper and paper goods. Perhaps Tavaris' most well-known agricultural export is chocolate - the production of chocolate is dated to almost the very beginning of Tavari settlement in the region, and Tavaris exports more chocolate than any other country on Urth. Additionally, Tavaris produces significant amounts of ethanol and bio-fuels, although these are not typically exported but used by the population instead, due to policies that encourage the use of renewable sources of fuel.
Akronist religious teaching has a significant influence on the economy in that it has led to relatively unusual proportions of land use in the country. Akronist religious teaching holds life as sacred, and killing animals in general, but especially to eat, is discouraged. With nearly half of the population being Akronist, demand for meat from livestock is significantly lower than in other countries. As a result, there are much fewer livestock farms, freeing the land to be used for the growth of planted crops. There is, however, one major exception to the Akronist rule on eating animals: seafood. Because Akrona is said to have emerged from the sea, the Church of Akrona teaches that everything that comes from the sea is a blessing and gift from Akrona to the people. A significant percentage of Tavari off-shore area is devoted to fish farms and other aquaculture. The people of Tavaris both eat and export large amounts of seafood, and they also engage in commercial whaling within their territorial waters. Kelp and algae are also grown as bio-fuel resources.
Tavaris has some mineral resources, including significant deposits of cobalt and lithium, as well as copper, nickel, and sand and gravel. It has smaller reserves of precious metals like gold and silver, and was once a source of diamonds, but Tavari diamond reserves are thought to have been mostly depleted since the 20th century. There are some oil reserves off Tavari coastlines, especially among the islands in Metrati Anar. Tavaris does have domestic heavy manufacturing, including automobiles, watercraft, renewable energy equipment such as wind turbines and solar panels, and especially arms and military equipment. Tavaris is also a leading manufacturer and exporter of lithium-ion batteries. Most of these industries are subject to significant environmental rules and other regulatory scrutiny as well as protest by members of the public, especially Akronists.
The services sector, as in other countries, is the largest driver of the Tavari economy. While the relatively strict environmental regulations result in difficulty in other sectors of the economy, they are largely credited with creating an environment that is very popular to visit. Tourism and hospitality are a major source of economic activity in Tavaris, and the government leans hard into tourism as a way to make up for economic limitations elsewhere.