Veridian Union

This page or section is not canon and should not be considered part of current TEP Evolved RP.

The Veridian Union Veridian Union
Flag
Motto: "United for Prosperity"
Anthem: "March to Victory"
Capital	Cape Hope
Largest city	DuVall
Official languages	Codexian
Demonym(s)	Unionists
Government	One Party State
• President of the Union Commission	Lucius Sunkanmi
• President of the Union Military Council	Ronald Tusk
Legislature	Union Commission
History
• Treaty of Cape Hope	1922
Population
• 2019 estimate	98,321,433
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	SHD$7.6 Trillion
Gini (2019)	32.1 medium
SDI (2019)	0.722 high
Currency	Union Dollar (UD)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
Date format	dd ˘ mm ˘ yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	921
ISO 3166 code	UN
Internet TLD	.NGU

The Veridian Union traces its origins in 1922, when the multi-party state was replaced by a one party state. The Treaty of Cape Hope established the Veridian Union and introduced Union Citizenship. The purpose of the union is to form a strong economic and military power.

History

Preliminary (1920-22)

The Union was seen as an antidote to the Prussian Empire, whose backing by the Pax Caliphate was seen "A Threat To the Well Being of Society and it's Members". 1922 saw the creation of the Veridian Union, which was declared to be "a first step in ensuring the freedom of the Gondwana Continent and it's neighbors, and halting the advance of Communism and the Caliphate." The supporters of the Union included Alberto Bloemhof, Karl Olasinbo, Robert Adisa, and Paul Ifedapo.

The First Steps (1923-48)

After the formal restructuring of the Veridian Union, the next goal was the massive buildup of military and full implementation of the Youth Scouts. In accordance with the Five-Year plans set in 1923 through 1948, the state exerted political and unconventional force on nations in the Novaris continent.

The need for these five-year plans was primarily out of obtaining materials and resources not present on the Veridian Islands.

The Years of Resource Shortages (2050-2100)

Following the world crisis of rapidly depleting resources, nations around Urth were heavily pouring time and research into renewable resources and energy. Unlike the rest of the world, the Union has instead focus on space exploration. The Union Space Exploration Agency (USEA) had significant budget increases over the years, along with successes in rocketry and manned missions.

It was in 2076 did USEA have confirmed a habitable planet dominated by savanna biomes, named Aripho. With the confirmation and escalation of resource depletion, the Union has laid more ambitious plans and funding to a manned mission. Secretly inside the upper echelons of the government, the plan was eventual colonization and moving away from Urth. Soon resource wars broke out across Urth. With more pressure mounted on the Veridian Union, they began state-funding research into cryogenics. Construction of spaceships to transport citizens of the Union began in 2088.

Efforts into Colonization (2089-2135)

Following the confirmation of Aripho as a colonization project, the USEA was focused on finding a viable method of transportation. Construction began on an interstellar transport ship in 2095, specifically on the Cape Hope Space Elevator.

The VUNSS Cecil Rhode is a Interstellar Colony class ship that was completed in 2114. It used cold superconductors that utilized massive radiators. In total, there are 2 ships that began voyages between Urth and Aripho. Each trip took 8 years one direction. The initial funding to build the ship was seen as a necessary risk by the USEA, but one that paid off thanks to kick starting the colonization efforts. The first settlement began on Aripho in 2123, named Rhodestown. Initially the settlement had a scientific purpose, familiarizing the Union to the new world.

During this time, efforts to discover a Faster Than Light method of transportation were underway. The first successful test began in secret in 2109, barely breaking Lightspeed. However official and widespread use of the FTL methods didn't catch on until 2135.

The Mass Exodus (2135-2167)

The Exodus to Aripho began in 2145, with citizens of the Union being loaded into FTL Colony ships. To retain the culture and history of the Union, documents and some memorials were loaded onto arks, along with scientific data and machinery. All individuals on the arks were put in cryogenic stasis as the ship traveled at FTL speeds.

Numerous trips were made over the years, relocating the citizenry and all necessary equipment to make life sustainable on Aripho. The exodus ended in 2167.

Geography, climate, and environment

The Veridian Union is comprised of two major islands with outlaying chains. Veridia Prime is the western-most island, Veridia Secondus is the eastern-most main island. The country lies mostly between the Gondwana and Novaris continents. The nearest mainland states are Prussia, and Toloria, located to the south.

The prehistoric breakup of the continents Gondwana and Novaris separated the Veridian landmass around 135 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve in relative isolation. Along the length of the coastlines runs a narrow and steep escarpment containing much of the island's remaining tropical lowland forest.

Further inland lies a plateau in Veridia Prime ranging in altitude from 750 to 1,500 m (2,460 to 4,920 ft) above sea level. These central highlands, traditionally the homeland of the Felidae people, are the least densely populated part of the island and are characterized by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between grassy hills and patches of the subhumid forests that formerly covered the highland region. In the center, the increasingly arid terrain gradually slopes up to the Ridgeback plataus.

Veridia Secondus is dominated by tropical lowland forests, with the center being tropical highlands.

Climate

The combination of Western trade winds and monsoons produces a hot rainy season (November–April), and a relatively cooler dry season (May–October). Rain clouds originating over the Northwest Pacific Ocean discharge much of their moisture over the island's lowlands; the heavy precipitation supports the area's rain forest ecosystem. The central highlands are both drier and cooler, and a semi-arid climate prevails in the interior of the Veridia Prime thanks to the altitude.

Wildlife

Veridian Union is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, boasting 6% of the world's biodiversity. The Pacific Flyway is a major north–south flyway for migratory birds in Novaris, extending from Alythunia to Tolora. Due to the funnel-like shape of its land mass, migratory birds can be seen in very high concentrations in Veridian Union, especially in the spring and autumn.

Over 300 species of the region's flora and fauna are threatened, 107 of which are classified as critically endangered.

Efforts to protect fauna and flora in the region are made by creating ecoregions and nature reserves. A large coral reef extends along the east coast: the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. The Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, and is one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world. It is home to 70 hard coral species, 36 soft coral species, 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrate species. So far only about 10% of the species in reef have been discovered

Economy

Beginning in 1923, the entire course of the economy is guided by a series of Five-Year Plans. The plans are a series of social and economic development initiatives. The economy is shaped through the plenary sessions of the Commission. The Commission plays a leading role in establishing the foundations and principles of the Union, mapping strategies for economic development, setting growth targets, and launching reforms.

The Union relies upon a state capitalist economy, usually described as an economic system in which commercial (i.e., for-profit) economic activity is undertaken by the state, where the means of production are organized and managed as state-owned business enterprises (including the processes of capital accumulation, wage labor, and centralized management), or where there is otherwise a dominance of corporatized government agencies (agencies organized along business management practices) or publicly listed corporations of which the state has controlling shares.

The main characteristic is a close relationship between the government and private capitalism, such as one in which the private capitalists produce for a guaranteed market. An example of this would be the military–industrial complex in which autonomous entrepreneurial firms produce for lucrative government contracts and are not subject to the discipline of competitive markets. It is distinguished from capitalist mixed economies where the state intervenes in markets to correct market failures or to establish social regulation or social welfare provisions in the following way: in a state capitalist system the state operates businesses for the purpose of accumulating capital and directing investment in the framework of either a free-market or a mixed-market economy. In such a system, governmental functions and public services are often organized as corporations, companies or business enterprises.

In this system, the Union use various kinds of state-owned companies to manage the exploitation of resources that they consider the state's crown jewels and to create and maintain large numbers of jobs. They use select privately owned companies to dominate certain economic sectors. They use so-called sovereign wealth funds to invest their extra cash in ways that maximize the state's profits. In all three cases, the state is using markets to create wealth that can be directed as political officials see fit. And in all three cases, the ultimate motive is not economic (maximizing growth) but political (maximizing the state's power and the leadership's chances of survival). This is a form of capitalism but one in which the state acts as the dominant economic player and uses markets primarily for political gain.

Government

In the Veridian Union, there are two branches of the government. The Commission and the Courts.

Commission

The Commission is a parliamentary system is a system of democratic governance of a state where the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from the legislature (commission) and is also held accountable to that legislature. In the Commission, a fellow member is elected to head of state and forms the basis of an executive branch within the branch.

The Commission Executive Branch, is headed by the President of the Commission. The President has an unspecified number of Vice-Presidents of the Executive Branch, all of which were given responsibility over one specific area. These are accompanied by a varying number of government representatives and state committee representatives, recommended by the President and appointed by the Commission. The executive branch is responsible for both short- and long-term economic, social and cultural development. The Commission Executive Branch's official residence is at the West Wing of the Union Building in DuVall.

The Commission Executive Branch exercise its executive powers in conformity with Commission's tastes. Its structure, operational procedures and decision-making processes were defined by the 1922 Dictate, now by the 1976 Dictate. The Dictate mandates that the Commission Executive Branch propose the budget and guide the economy, issue decisions and ordinances and verify their execution. It defines internal policies, direct and oversee operation of state administration, oversee the country's economic development, direct the activities and development of public services, and perform other activities which conform to the provisions of the Dictate and applicable legislation. The Commission Executive Branch also control foreign trade and work alongside the Military Council to direct the "general development" of the Armed Forces.

The Government manage the internal sphere of the Veridian Union's social policy. It is responsible for implementing measures which would either promote or ensure the well-being of citizens through economic, social and economic development. On the economic sphere, the government is responsible for monetary, technological, pollution, price wages and social security policies. For instance, the Government controls the State Bank and is responsible for the organisation of state insurance and accounting. It is the Commission Executive Branch which drafts the five-year plans for economic and social development, and the country's budget, through its control of the Finance Administration. Both the five-year plan and the budget need approval from the Commission to be implemented. It is responsible for fascist property, public order and the protection of its citizen's.

Five Year Plans of the Veridian Union

The Veridian Union's Five-Year Plans are a series of social and economic development initiatives. The economy was shaped by the Commission through by plenary sessions. The state plays a leading role in establishing the foundations and principles of fascism, mapping strategies for economic development, setting growth targets, and launching reforms.

Planning is a key characteristic of state capitalist economies, and one plan established for the entire country normally contains detailed economic development guidelines for all its territory.

State Concerns Task Force

The State Concerns Task Force is a secret police force, a melding between the Executive and Judicial branches to promote the stability and power of the Veridian Union. Founded in 1932, the Task Force has expanded from extra-judicial matters into a full-blown intelligence agencies with numerous branches. Mostly dedicated to domestic intelligence, it hasn't stopped them from expanding internationally.

Courts

The Courts (also known as the judicial branch) is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. The judiciary does not make law or enforce law (which is the responsibility of the Commission), but rather interprets law and applies it to the facts of each case. In other nations, the judiciary can make law, known as Common Law, by setting precedent for other judges to follow, as opposed to Statutory Law made by the legislature. The Judiciary is often tasked with ensuring equal justice under law.

Citzenship

The facists before the formation of the Veridian Union determined that the greatest asset are the people who were willing to take up arms in defense of ones beliefs, therefore a criteria for citizenship was made where service through methods such as military service were required to obtain Citizenship. The concept that a citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic.

Civilians are not discriminated against and have more or less equal rights, with the exceptions being the right to vote, governmental positions, tax benefits, and government-subsidized tuition fees. People of foreign nationalities are heavily encouraged to join the military, as a way to fast-track their citizenship application and to receive benefits, providing they not wash out. Those with families are granted the ability to use family relocation services.

Demographics

Population

The V.U Census Bureau officially estimated the country's population to be 98,321,433 as of July 1, 2020. The VU is the second most populous nation in Novaris, the median age of the Veridian Union population was 34.2 years.

Unionist are the largest racial group at 73.1% of the population; Kutherners are the nation's largest racial minority and third-largest ancestry group. Novarian Unionist are the country's second-largest racial minority; the three largest Novarians Unionist ethnic groups are Tretridian Unionist, Alythunian Unionist, and Prussian Unionist. The largest Unionist community with Kuthern ancestry is Duellandian Unionist, which consists of more than 14% of the total population.

About 82% of Unionist live in urban areas (including suburbs); about half of those reside in cities with populations over 50,000.

Language

English (specifically, Codexian) is the de facto national language of the Veridian Union. Although there is no official language at the federal level, some laws such as V.U naturalization requirements standardize English. In 2090, about 80% of the population aged five years and older, spoke only Codexian at home. 12% of the population speaks Spandard at home, making it the second most common language. Spandard is also the most widely taught second language.

The most widely taught foreign languages in the Veridian Union, in terms of enrollment numbers from kindergarten through university undergraduate education, are Spandard Octali, and Tretrid. 18% of all Unionist claim to speak both Codexian and another language.

Religion

Bewefull is the official state religion of the Veridian Union. It's origins traced back to Pre-Colonial Felidae tribes, it was promoted in lieu with the fascist's natalist ideals with Christian influences. A trait of the Bewefull is the prominance of large families or procreation. It sees children as a blessing from God and it promotes compulsory procreation, abstaining from most forms of birth control and sterilization. The religion is chiefly in the Veridian Union, but there are some adherents in Nacata, Duelland, and elsewhere.

With the formation of the Veridian Union, the Bewefull exploded in popularity. However the more traditional elements, albeit minor, campaign against the state's policies on abortion for medical reasons.

Health

In 1920, before the revolution, health conditions were significantly behind those of developed countries. As later noted, "Either the lice will defeat socialism, or socialism will defeat the lice". The Veridian principle of health care was conceived by the People's Commissariat for Health in 1921. Health care was to be controlled by the state and would be provided to its citizens free of charge, a revolutionary concept at the time. Article 24 of the 1970 Veridian Constitution gave all citizens the right to health protection and free access to any health institutions in the V.U. The Veridian healthcare system was held in high esteem by many foreign specialists.

After the revolution, life expectancy for all age groups went up. This statistic in itself was seen by some that the socialist system was superior to the capitalist system. These improvements continued into the 1960s when statistics indicated that the life expectancy briefly surpassed that of South Hills. Life expectancy started to decline in the 1970s, possibly because of alcohol abuse. At the same time, infant mortality began to rise. After 1984, the government stopped publishing statistics on the matter.

Society

Education

Here in History and Moral Philosophy we've explored the decline of democracy when social scientists brought our nation to the brink of chaos, and how the veterans took control and imposed a stability that has lasted for generations since. Citizens only allowed to vote, because when you vote, you're exercising political authority. You're using force. And force is violence, the supreme authority from which all other authority derives. Naked force has settled more issues in history than any other factor. The contrary opinion 'violence never solves anything' is wishful thinking at its worst. People who forget that, always pay with their lives and their freedom.

A quote from one of the teachers at DuVall Central High School.

Education plays a very important part in the Veridian Union in trying to cultivate a loyal following for the nation. The Union leadership were aware that education would create loyal citizens and civilians by the time they reached adulthood. The Youth Scouts had been created for post-school activities and schools were to play a critical part in developing a loyal following for the Union – indoctrination and the use of propaganda were to be a common practice in schools and the education system.

Enforcing a fascist curriculum on schools depended on the teachers delivering it. All teachers had to be vetted by local officials. Any teacher considered disloyal was sacked. Many attended classes during school holidays in which the curriculum was spelled out and 97% of all teachers joined the Teachers’ Association. All teachers had to be careful about what they said as children were encouraged to inform the authorities if a teacher said something that did not fit in with the nation's curriculum for schools.

History was based on the glory of the Union – a nationalistic approach was compulsory. The faltering Kuthern Monarchy government in the late 1800s and early 1900s was explained as the example of democracy's failures. The rise of communism and the Pax Caliphate was seen as degeneracy that sought the end of the way of life under the Union.

Science had a military-slant to it. The curriculum required that the principles of shooting be studied; military aviation science; bridge building and the impact of poisonous gasses.

Physical Education became a very important part of the curriculum. PE took up 15% of a school’s weekly timetable. Military Martial Arts became compulsory for boys and girls. Those who failed fitness tests could be expelled from their schools – and face humiliation from those who had passed such tests.

For those considered special, different school were created. Those who were physically and mentally considered fitter and stronger than the rest went to Youth Scout Schools where they were taught to be the future leaders of the Union. Six years of tough physical training took place and when the pupils from these schools left aged 18, they went to the Armed Forces or to university. The very best pupils went to State Camps. These were schools which took pupils to the limits of physical and mental endurance. Those who graduated from the State Camps could expect to attain a high position in the Marines, Navy, or the State Concerns Task Force.

The sole purpose of this educational structure was to create a future generation that was blindly loyal to the Veridian Union and it's ideals.

Women

Women are a cornerstone of the Veridian Union's social policy. They, however, eradicated the feminist movement and instilled their own set of ideals in line with their policies. The party advocated a strong egalitarian society in which the Veridian woman would recognize that her "world is also his world, and both must strive to better themselves" Soon after the seizure of power and the formation of the Veridian Union, feminist groups were shut down or incorporated into the National Women's Organization. This organisation coordinated groups throughout the country to promote independence, motherhood, household activities, and fitness. Courses were offered on child-rearing, sewing, and cooking. The Organization published the Woman's World. Despite some propaganda aspects, it was predominantly an ordinary woman's magazine.

Women are encouraged to stay in the workforce, and the creation of large families was promoted through a propaganda campaign. Large families received subsidies to help with their utilities, school fees, and household expenses. Though the measures led to increases in the birth rate, the number of families having four or more children increased by three percent. It is believed that removing women from the workforce does not have the intended effect of freeing up jobs for men. Fascist philosophy promoted large numbers of women being hired to work in munitions factories in the military build-up. The Union encourages women to seek higher education. The Union leaders hold views that engaging in academics and careerism would only "promote the betterment of offspring."

Women are expected to be strong and healthy. The study of exercise and diet were vital in promoting fitness. Athletic women who maintained a strong body, mind, and bore strong children are considered ideal. Organisations were created for the indoctrination of fascist values. Membership in the Youth Scouts became compulsory for all children over the age of ten. The Youth Scouts are accepting of young women age 10 to 18, albiet in women only groups. The activities focused on physical education with activities such as running, long jumping, somersaulting, tightrope walking, marching, and swimming, in addition to all the normal military-esque activities associated with the Youth.

The Veridian Union promotes a liberal code of conduct regarding sexual matters, and is sympathetic to women who bear children out of wedlock. Children born out of wedlock, if not desired by the woman, are instated into the Union Care of the Future. A child-caring organization that provided schooling and housing of the child until the age of 10, which they are then taken care of by the Youth Scouts. Existing laws banning abortion except for medical reasons were strictly enforced by the Union in order to promote the birth-rate.

Youth Scouts

The Youth Scouts, often abbreviated as YS, is the youth organisation of the Fascist Party in the Union. Its origins date back in 1922. Popularized in 1923 after just one year of operation, the primary focus rests on youth organization with interests in paramilitary. It never reached mainstream popularity until the formation of the Union. It constitutes of male and female youth ages 10 to 18 years. Membership is considered mandatory.

The members of the Youth Scouts are viewed as future "Veridian Models of Society" and are indoctrinated into Nationalist Ideals. One aim was to instill the motivation that would enable its boys as soldiers, to fight faithfully for the Veridian Union. There was more emphasis on physical and military training than on academic study. The Youth also has the responsibility of overseeing the physical fitness development programs provided to the Union youth. For example, many activities closely resembled military training, with weapons training, assault course circuits and basic tactics. Hazing was overlooked since it was believed this would weed out the unfit and harden the rest. Members wore uniforms very much like that of the Marines, with similar ranks and insignia.

A Youth Scout Poster, common throughout the Union. Note the blue/white scarf and aiguillette, signifying he is part of the Navy Youth Scouts

The Youth is organised into local cells on a community level. Such cells had weekly meetings at which various Fascist doctrines were taught by adult leaders. Regional leaders typically organised rallies and field exercises in which several dozen Youth Scout cells would participate. The largest gathering usually took place annually, at DuVall, where members from all over Veridia would converge for the annual Founding Day.

The Youth maintains training academies comparable to preparatory schools, which were designed to nurture future Union leaders, and only the most devoted and intelligent members could expect to attend.

The Youth also maintains several corps designed to develop future officers for the Armed forces. The corps offered specialist pre-training for each of the specific arms for which the member was ultimately destined. The Marine Youth Scouts (Marine-YS), for example, was the largest such corps and served as a auxiliary to the Marines.

Another branch of the Youth Scouts is the Veridian Worker Youth – VWY. This organisation within the Youth was a training ground for future labor leaders and technicians.

Family structure

The traditional family structure in the Union is considered a family support system involving two married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring. However, this two-parent, nuclear family has become less prevalent, and alternative family forms have become more common. The family is created at birth and establishes ties across generations. Those generations, the extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, can hold significant emotional and economic roles for the nuclear family.

Over time, the traditional structure has had to adapt to very influential changes, including divorce and the introduction of single-parent families, teenage pregnancy and unwed mothers, and same-sex marriage, and increased interest in adoption.

Sports

The Veridian Union is home to a variety of sports, seen as a efficient method of raising healthy civilians for future military service. There are three major sports, listing in from top to bottom in popularity.

Rugby

Rugby is a type of football developed during the early 1900s. A normal Rugby Season is from Early Spring to Late Fall. Various high schools and universities across the nation have their own teams. One interesting team is the Youth Scout's team. The team is hand selected to represent a "Dream Team" during the season. From there, all teams would compete.

Playoffs begin in the third quarter of the season. Where each bracket has two teams. Whoever wins in the bracket moves up. This continues until a final team wins the Championship. When a team wins the championship, they are assigned as the nation's representative team and sent to compete in global rugby matches.

Veridian Union Armed Forces

The Veridian Union's armed forces are unique, primarily the integration of the Air Force into the Navy, and the Army into the Marines. The Veridian Union uses a "Infantrymen To General" officer enlistment structure, where only officers are former enlisted infantry.