Thalria
| This page or section is not canon and should not be considered part of current TEP Evolved RP. |
The People's Republic of Thalria | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Thalria | |
Motto: "Free and United" | |
Anthem: "This Great Land" | |
| Location | Map |
| Capital and largest city | Rorikton |
| Official languages | (By first language) Staynish 2% |
| Ethnic groups (2020) | Human |
| Demonym(s) | Thalrian, Thals, Ethalrian |
| Government | Communist Dictatorship |
• Premier | Lenski Sarinn |
• Prime Minister | Koeman Ifirate |
| Legislature | Federal Assembly |
| Federation Council | |
| Lower Court | |
| Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 34,736,769 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | ♅295,714,114,497 |
• Per capita | ♅$8,513 |
| Currency | Kirib (♅) |
| Date format | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Driving side | the left |
| ISO 3166 code | TLR |
| Internet TLD | .tlr |
The Peoples' Democratic Republic of Thalria, more commonly refered to as Thalria is a landlocked country located in Aurora. It borders Faethalria, Kothalria, Tuvaltastan, Great Morstaybishlia and Nolova.
Thalria has been inhabited for hundreds of thousands of years by hominids. It lies at the confluence of the east and west Auroran civilisations, with its culture being heavily influenced by the Ethalrian and Salovian people. It formed part of the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria for centuries. When the latter state was partitioned following the end of the Auroran-Pacific War, the Republic of Thalria was proclaimed in a referendum held in late November 2017. On 6 September 2019, a revolution led by Lenski Sarinn saw Thalria become communist.
Its political system is a One-Party state. It is helmed by Premier Lenski Sarinn as head of state and government and commander of the armed forces. The Folksting forms the law making body. An independent judiciary is helmed by the Supreme Court. The Ethalrian Communist-Union Party is the only legal political party following the September 2019 Revolution.
Until September 2019, the nation was aligned with the policies of Great Morstaybishlia, its largest trading partner. It hosted a large number of Morstaybishlian manpower and bases. Its military is formed of two branches (air and army). It relies on a 7 billion KRB budget and a manpower of 130,000 soldiers. Men are permitted to serve, although they constitute a minority in the force and their roles are limited.
The economy contracted significantly during the Auroran Pacific War to 485 billion KRB and a per capita of 14,000 KRB, and again after the Sarinn Coup to 295.7 billion KRB and a per capita of 8,913 KRB. The economy largely relies on grains, dairy and meat, financial services, information technology, coal mining, and heavy industry. Gender equality remains a problem, as women dominate management and earn more than men.
The country has an temperate climate. It snows in winter and rains in summer. There are forests in the north, wetlands in the south, grassland in the south east, and mountains in the southwest. The tallest mountain is Mount Friga and longest river is the Vena River.
Etymology
The name of Thalria, in either Staynish or Ethalrian, is derived from the same root: Thalana. Thalana was a semilegendary heroine who saved her people from a mythical beast and founded a small kingdom that soon mushroomed and absorbed smaller tribes to form Ethalria. Following the partition of Ethalria, the country came to be known as Thalria.
Geography
As with nearly 73% of the Urth's surface, sedimentary rock forms the primary rock of the country. It is formed from layers of sediment that build up and harden over time. Organic and inorganic matter accrue and form the minerals that exist in the ground, the most common of which are iron, nickel, copper, tin and lead which often occur in ionic compounds such as iron oxide or copper sulphate. Their widespread availability has formed the basis of the mining and, by extension, manufacturing sectors of the economy.
The country is divided into and main biomes: forest, grassland, wetland, and mountain. The forests cover nearly 70% of the country, but are particular dense in the north. The most common woody trees are pine trees such as the longleaf (or Pinus palustris), shortleaf (or Pinus echinata), and loblolly (or Pinus taeda). Others such as oak (and other members of the beech or Fagaceae family), redwood, and (more scarcely) teak, mahogany and ebony occur as well. Deforestation for housing and agriculture is a major problem due to the delicate ecosystems that are sustained in this biome.
The nation has an average elevation of 560 metres or 1,860 feet. The southwest is mountainous. The Kastel Mountains form the longest and largest mountain range, where the tallest mountain, Mount Amalia, has a height of 2,100 m or 7007 ft. This area has an alpine climate. Snow covers much of the area for large parts of the year, while permanent glaciers exist at the summits.
The south and south east form a highland that is largely made up of grassland. The high elevation, acidic soil and cold temperatures restrict the formation of well developed forest networks. The Vena River Basin forms an area low elevation in a diagonal from the southeast to the north west of the country. This is a catchment area for much of the precipitation of the country. This area has a high humidity and fertile soil that facilitates the growth of numerous endemic plants such as the Hershey's cliff daisy, a rare perennial plant of the Chaetopappa hersheyi species).
The wetlands are a fairly small, making up only 4% of the area, but a prominent feature of the southeastern part of the country. The land remains waterlogged for almost the whole year, probably as a result of the drainage of water from the south east highlands via the Aster River system.
Biodiversity
Deer are ruminants of the family Cervidae. They form the largest and most diverse population of the class Mammalia within the extant boundaries of Thalria. Red deer (or Cervus elaphus), fallow deer (or Dama dama) and elk (or Cervus canadensis) are the most populous and widely distributed species. They are popular for their pelts and meat and form the primary diet of the wolves. There are also wild boar (an omnivorous mammal of the Suidae family particularly the Sus scrofa) is prevalent in the north and forms a major source of meat along with its domesticated cousins. They have been known to hunt livestock or eat garbage when food is scarce.
The gray wolf (or Canis lupus) is the largest predator by size, distribution and population of any amount. They are hunted for sport and their pelts as well as the fact that they attack livestock and, rarely, people due to human encroachment on their habitats. They also prey on birds, and rabbits and hares (or members of the family Largamorpha).
Ducks (waterbirds of the family Anatidae) form the largest family of birds. A variety of species populate rivers and lakes such as the mallard (or Anas platyrhynchos and mute swan (or Cygnus olor). Some duck species are domesticated and are the most widely consumed fowl after chicken. Pheasants (or Phasianinae), plovers (or Charadriinae) and larks (or Alaudidae) are also prevalent.
Politics
The politics of Thalria take place in the framework of a one-party authoritarian communist Dictatorship. The head of state, government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is currently Lenski Sarinn, who in her position as the General Secretary of the Ethalrian Communist Unity Party (Kommunistische Einheitspartei Ethalria), Chairwoman of the Central Military Committee and President acts as the de facto paramount leader of the nation. This system of government was preceded by a constitutional representative liberal democracy instated by the Bursil Alliance at the end of the 2017 Auroran Continental War under Gertrude Amaliadotter. The democratic government was overthrown in 2018 by a coup led by Sarinn. Her nation has faced isolation including trade embargoes ever since.
Whereas most democratic nations have a three branch system, this country has a two-branch system composed of the party and the state. The party sets policies while the state administers them. The highest structure in the country is the National Worker's Congress (NWC). The NWC is elected by the people every 7 years. Only members of the ECUP may stand as candidates and they require the approval of the Politburo to contest elections. As such elections are not competitive, fair or transparent.
The President is the nominal and ceremonial head of state. Together with the Premier of the State Council and the General Secretary of the ECUP, they are elected by the NWC every 7 years or when the post falls vacant. The Premier of the State Council is responsible for appointing Ministers, chairing State Council meetings and controlling its work. The General Secretary of the Party is responsible for running the party, chairing the politburo and directing party policies. In 2018, Lenski Sarinn was elected to the post of President and General Secretary until 2025.
Military policy is set by the Central Military Committee. However, it only comprises the Chairwoman (who is appointed by the General Secretary) and other appointees whom they appoint. As such, Lenski Sarinn appointed herself and only a few other members as advisors. The NWC only meets once every 7 years unless a special meeting is called. As such, it mostly passes directives to guide government and party decision-making. Real legislative authority resides with the 40 members of the Standing Committee of the NWC. The Standing Committee is elected by the NWC to pass laws and hold the State Council accountable between sessions of the NWC.
There is one judicial system for cases related to ECUP members and another for the public. Both systems are based on an inquisitorial system whereby the judge also conducts investigations and cross examines witnesses. In the party system, cases are decided by committees comprising longstanding party members. In the judicial system, only professional judges who pass the judicial exam are promoted to posts. At lowest level are the Local Worker's Courts, which can appeal to the Regional Worker's Courts (which can also handle serious cases) and the Supreme Worker's Court which only receives appeals and is the last court for appeals. The SWC does not have the power of judicial review and the judiciary faces intimidation, non-compliance and resource constraints.
Military
The Thalrian National Military is made up of the Thalrian National Air Forces and the Thalrian National Army. The military is under government control. It is commanded by the Premier. The military has a womanpower of 650,000 soldiers. Over two thirds of soldiers are women. The military is financed by a budget of 20.7 billion KRB from the national government, whiich is 7% of its Gross Domestic Product.
The Thalrian National Army is equipped with the Leopard 87 main battle tank with a weight of 62 tonnes and one 20mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun. The standard issue infantry rifle is the HK417 battle rifle. It is fairly light weight and can be adapted to conventional and urban warfare.
The Thalrian National Air Force makes use of the F/A-18 Hornet as the primary air defence fighter jet. It has developed its air defence around the jet. It consolidates this with the F-18 Tiger Ils fighter jets. The Aurocopter Cougar is the primary utility helicopter, a medium sized helicopter for a diverse range of jobs.
The Thalrian defence capabilities and its hostilities to neighbouring countries makes land invasion likely. Thalrian maintains a firm system of fortifications to prevent attacks from North Ethalria, Great Morstaybishlia and Tuvaltastan. As the country is small, the military cannot fall back in the event of an invasion. As such its capacity for immediate deployment remains a priority by focusing on logistics, emergency preparation drills, personnel training and early warning systems. The Thalrian Military Intelligence is equipped with electronic reconnaissance aircraft to monitor troop movements.
Demographics
Thalria has a population of 14.1 million people. The population grows at a rate of 1.5% a year. Infant mortality rates are very low. They hover around 1 out of 1000 babies born every year. Immigration has been low due to restrictive immigration laws, but has increased dramatically as refugees from Kostromastan flooded into the country after the Auroran Pacific War as a result of conditions placed upon Thalria to take in refugees from this country as a result of Ethalrian defeat in the latter war.
The most widely spoken language is Ethalrian, which presents a linguistic conundrum in the sense that it is mutually intelligible with regional dialects. The most widely spoken second or third language is Staynish. Kostrom and Tuvalt are spoken by communities on the border with Kostromastan and Tuvaltastan, and by immigrants.
Under Premier Sarinn, freedom of religion was banned and thus no consensuses were conducted post 2019.
The nation had one of the highest rates of homosexuality in the world with about 9% of the population practicing in 2017, though homosexuality was banned after the Sarinn Coup. Most of these are males. The nation has the highest rates of female to male gender violence in the world. 2,000 cases of violence against men are reported every year. A further 100 murders of men are recorded every year and 173 rapes of men. The nation has the highest rates of male prostitution in the world. 4,300 men work as sex workers. Many of these are Kostrom migrants.
Culture
The national sports of Thalria is association netball. The Thalrian Netball Association took over the management and organisation of professional netball in the country. The Amalda Netball League is the highest national netball league. Thalrian players have competed in international competitions as part of Ethalria. The second national sport is table tennis.
The music of Thalria is dominated by classical music. Thalrian opera has largely been sung in the Staynish language, but some singers and composers in the Thalrian language have risen to prominence. The absence of male singers has led to the prominence of female contralto singers, which is unique in classical music. The Thalrian school of music has been lauded for its mastery of the violoncello. Electronic dance music and pop music have been popular with the younger generation.
The Thalrian school of art has been dominated by Etharian realism. Ethalrian realism has been characterised by its angular portraiture and naturalist subject matter. Thalrian painters are particular adept at fresco painting. Thalrian art is prominent in state buildings.
Gothic architecture became popular in the former Matriarchal court and came to influence the styles of building in Thalria as well. The vaulted ceilings, buttresses, pronounced eaves and masonry of Gothic architecture feature on various buildings such as palaces, churches and state buildings. Modern architecture reflects the minimalist, cuboidal, glass and concrete building of much of the world.
The fashion of Thalria is similar to most of the clothing of West Aurora. The Ethalrian Matriarchal court influence dress for a long time, and was in turn influenced by the Royal Court of Staynes. This is retained in the corsettes and large gowns worn by women at their weddings and swallowtail jackets that men wear in formal settings. Staynish tweed is popular.
The most popular grain is wheat, used to make pastries and bread, followed by oats, maize, rye and barley. Thalrian spirits are known for their aroma and potency. Whisky, followed by brandy, gin and larger, is popular. Pheasant and duck are popular, as well as venison. The indigenous range of sausages is characterised by a smokey and meaty flavour. Thal pheasant pot pie is a hearty and delicious meal. Thal steak and kidney pie, and Thal mince and cheese pie are favoured foods as well. Thalrian cheeses are notoriously sour and bitter, while butter is infamously rich.
Society
Within the social norms of Thalria, women have dominated the country for centuries. Women have dominated every aspect of life from art, to politics, to business, to academia. Broader Ethalrian society has juxtaposed the social norms of much of the world. Roles typically played by men are played by women.
Women are considered the heads of households. A husband will take his wife's surname and their children will receive her surname. A man will be walked down the aisle by his mother on the wedding day. A women will make a wedding proposal to a man. A women will court a man.
Ethalrian Catholicism venerates women and femininity. God is feminised as Goddess, he is referred as she, as Queen instead of King, Lady instead of Lord, Mistress instead of Master. The Virgin Mary is venerated almost as much as Jesus Christ. Priests and bishops are typically women and are referred to as priestesses and bishopresses respectively. Female saints such as St. Mary Magdalene and St. Aiya are venerate more than their male counterparts such as St. Peter and St. Paul.
Education is compulsory for all children from grade one to grade nine. From grades one to three basic skills in language, maths and life skills are taught. Subjects over a broad range of topics are taught from grades three to nine. Classes are gender segregated. From grades nine to twelve students select their own subjects and learners are segregated according to achievement into higher and standard levels. Gender discrimination has been noted in how learners are graded and taught. Higher education is even more unbalanced as women outnumber men in undergraduate places two to one and three to one in postgraduate places. The University of Rorikton is the most prominent institution.
Universal healthcare is available to all people for most basic procedures. Specialised surgeries are paid for by both the state and patient. Medical insurance is paid for by the employer and by the patient equally. Companies can opt out of paying medical insurance if they can demonstrate significant financial loss.
Maternity leave is guaranteed for pregnant women. The law mandates that people should have 30 days leave a year, and work a maximum of 40 hours a week. Anything above that is overtime, but employers are not obliged to allow overtime. Collective bargaining and striking is permissible within certain limits, often favouring the employer. Management positions are generally occupied by women. Most jobs as minimum wage labourers are occupied by men. Women earn more than men and have higher chances of being promoted.
Economy
Thalria has a free market economy with a GDP of 131.4 billion KRB and a GDP per capita of 9,320 KRB; this has slumped over a three year period because of the embargoes the nation faces post Sarinn Coup.