Volkia: Difference between revisions

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| percent_water = 3.9%

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| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $57,643.24

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Volkia is located on the entirety of the western half of the continent of [[Itur]], and shares a land border with [[South Hills]] to the northeast and [[Kurikia]] to the southeast. Volkia shares a maritime border with [[Blaskog]] to the west. The [[Rotantic Ocean]] lies to the north, the [[Volkian Sea]] to the west, and the [[Gulf of Itur]] to the south. Volkia includes 27 [[Administrative divisions of Volkia|administrative divisions]] that span across an area of 539,268 sq mi (1,396,000 sq km) with a climate that varies according to latitude. It ranges from the southern humid continental climate to the northern boreal climate, with tundra along the country's northern coast. The land cover is mostly a boreal forest biome.

==Politics==

===Governance===

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| image1 = Volkian National Assembly Building.jpg

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*[[President of Volkia|Executive]]: The [[President of Volkia|President]] is the Commander-in-Chief of the [[Volkian Defense Forces|Defense Forces]], can veto legislative bills before they become law, and appoints the [[Federal government of Volkia|Government of Volkia]] ([[Cabinet of Volkia|Cabinet]]) and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies.

*[[Judiciary of Volkia|Judiciary]]: The [[Federal Supreme Court of Volkia|Federal Supreme Court]] and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Federal Council, interpret laws and overturn those they find [[Constitution of Volkia|unconstitutional]].

 

 

 

The Federal Supreme Court, led by the [[Chief Justice of Volkia]], has 16 members with a mandatory retirement age of 70. The Chief Justice, as well as the Court's associate justices, are selected by the President and confirmed by the Federal Council.

 

 

=== Parties and elections ===

''See also: [[List of political parties in Volkia]]''

[[File:Social Democratic Union Electoral Logo.png|left|thumb|163x163px|The [[Social Democratic Union|SDU]] has dominated the country's political landscape since 1972.]]

 

While the Social Democratic Union is considered dominant in Volkian politics, there are still strongholds of other political parties. [[Western Volkia]] is widely considered to be a Social Democrat stronghold, while [[Northern Volkia]] tends to lean towards the Conservative Party. Much of the south supports Liberal and other left-leaning candidates.

 

 

 

===Foreign relations===

Volkia maintains close ties to [[North Dveria]] following the end of the [[2014 Dverian War]] which saw the breakup of the unified Dverian state. While it generally regards itself as friendly with most nations, historical conflict between Blaskog and Volkia have soured relations between the two countries. An incident involving the Volkian and Blaskovian navies during the Dverian War resulted in heighted tensions not seen since the 1950s, and nearly resulted in another conflict.

 

 

The country is a member of the [[International Forum]], the [[Rotantic Congress]], and is a founding member of the [[Kerilo Accord]].

''Main article: [[Volkian Defense Forces]]''

 

 

 

 

The country maintains a classified amount of chemical and biological weapons, with known agents including {{wp|Tabun (nerve agent)|tabun}}, {{wp|sarin}}, {{wp|ricin}}, and {{wp|botulinum toxin|botulinum}}. The Volkian government has stated that it is exploring options to destroy the country's chemical and biological agent stockpile, though it would maintain its nuclear arsenal. Volkian defense doctrine states that the country's weapons of mass destruction are for homeland defense only; the country would only use its WMDs in extraordinary circumstances.

 

 

The country currently maintains a strong domestic defense industry, with the vast majority of equipment used by the Volkian military developed and built by the Volkian defense industry. Its aerospace industry is among the largest in the world. Volkia's defense industry has produced the PV-77 assault rifle, GA-75 multirole fighter, and the ''Aleksey Pushkarev'' class aircraft carriers. Volkia is a major arms seller and provides many of its designs for the export market with the exception of nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered devices.

 

==== Territory ====

 

[[File:Volkia Province Names.png|left|frameless|648x648px|alt=]]

===Transport===

[[File:Volkian Federal Highway Route Marker.png|thumb|139x139px|An example of the federal highway shield, designating Federal Highway 12.|left]]

The main international passenger gateway is [[Volkgoroda International Airport]], which handled about 30 million passengers in 2015. [[Likhoslavl International Airport]] is the second largest airport, handling about 21 million passengers in 2015. The country has 32 major airports, though the total number of airports and airfields total over 250. The flag carrier and largest airline in Volkia, [[Air Volkia]], is based at Volkgoroda International and provides both domestic and international services. [[File:Volkgoroda International.jpg|thumb|235x235px|Terminal A at Volkgoroda International Airport, the largest airport in Volkia.]]The total length of common-used railway tracks exceeds 35,000 miles (56,327 km). Most of this railroad is electrified, and additionally there are more than 18,641 miles (30,000 km) of industrial non-common carrier lines. Like most of the world, Volkia uses the {{wp|standard gauge}} for their railroads. High speed rail serves most major cities, and plans are in place to expand the system.

 

=== Tourism ===

[[File:Aurora in northern Volkia.jpg|thumb|169x169px|right|Auroras attract tens of thousands of visitors to northern Volkia every year.]]

[[File:Petrenko Theater.jpg|left|thumb|205x205px|The Petrenko Theater, located in [[Volkgoroda]].]]

Tourist attractions in Volkia include the natural landscape found throughout the country as well as urban attractions. Volkia is covered with thick pine and conifer forests, hills, and lakes. Mountains are present in the eastern areas of the country. There are 35 [[List of national parks of Volkia|national parks]] present throughout Volkia from [[Shimanovsk Oblast|Shimanovsk Oblast's]] shores on the [[Gulf of Itur]] to [[Kurilsk Territory|Kurilsk Territory's]] frozen tundra in the north. Outdoor activities include skiing, snowboarding, golf, yachting, lake cruises, hiking, kayaking, among others. Bird-watching is a favorite of those fond of avifauna, though hunting and fishing are also widely popular. Moose, hare, and deer are common game while trout, pike, and perch are common freshwater game fish. Cod, salmon, and flounder are common saltwater game fish.

 

 

== Demographics==

|title=<center>Ethnic groups in Volkia (2020)</center>

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|bars=

{{bar percent|[[Lupine|Volkian lupine]]|red|97.9}}

{{bar percent|[[Vulpine]]|blue|0.5}}

 

Volkia's population has always been concentrated in center and south of the country, a phenomenon which became more pronounced with urbanization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The capital and largest city, [[Volkgoroda]], is located in the center of the country and had a population of 3,218,215 in 2020. About 80% of Volkian citizens live in urban areas (including suburbs); about half of those reside in cities over 50,000. In 2020, 86 incorporated places had populations over 100,000. There are six cities with populations greater than one million, one of which with a population over three million and one with a population over two million. Of Volkia's 20 largest cities, 16 of them are located in the southern half of the country.

Same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2002, though same-sex civil unions with the same rights as traditional marriage had been performed since 1987. Same-sex marriages today have the same rights as heterosexual couples; same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt with the same requirements as heterosexual couples. According to the 2020 National Census, there are approximately 700,000 same-sex married couples in Volkia, according to the 2020 National Census.

 

 

The teen pregnancy rate is 14 per 1,000 women. In 2020, the average age at first birth was 26 and 39.2% of births were to unmarried women. The total fertility rate (TFR) was estimated for 2020 to be at about 2.25 births per woman.

Most of the universities in Volkia are public institutions run by either the federal or provincial governments, and students are permitted to study without fee payment. Some universities may charge small fees for administrative costs; these are typically private universities. The general requirement for entrance to a university is a high school diploma or equivalent, like the HSAET. [[Volkgoroda State University]] is the oldest university in Volkia as well as one of the world's oldest, established in 1478. Some 89% of Volkia's university students attend a public university.

 

 

==Culture==