Veikaia

The Veikan Council Republic (Veikan: Sluśo Respublik Veikasa), also known as the Council Republic or more commonly Northern Veikaia is a self-described formed from the northern region of the former Veikan Kingdom during the last stages of the Veikan Civil War in 1979. The country is characterized for its planned economy and council-based government system. The country is a one-party state led by the Veikan Communist Party with its headquarters in the capital city of Oztov. North Veikaia borders South Veikaia to the South, Modrovia to the East and the Balearic Sea to the West. It has an estimated population of 21,886,672 people and a GDP of $557 billion, with its main exports being Anthracite, Iron, Steel and other metals and alloys, Metallic Goods, Natural Gas, Heavy Machinery, Consumer Electronics, Grain and Cattle among others.

The Council Republic was declared the 28th of November of 1979, near the end of the Veikan Civil War, after the city of Oztov was seized from remnants of the Veikan Provisional Government and right-wing militia forces. The siege of Oztov resulted in heavy infrastructure damage and the deaths of thousands civilians due to indiscriminate shelling and war crimes among other reasons. The war caused severe damage to the country's economy and infrastructure but reconstruction aid sent by Teutonenland and Albel helped rebuild the country from the ground up during what Veikan historians have called the "Reconstruction Period".

Since its foundation, the Council Republic has described itself as a democratic socialist state, holding elections for positions within the council hierarchy every 4 years and having candidates from within the VCP only. Currently no other parties are allowed to participate in the elections beyond the VCP and factions within it. The state follows Ignatovism, a form of Communism characterized by a predominantly council-based semi-democratic system, a market socialist economic policy, worker self-management of the means of production and a high level of government decentralization.

Early History
The early historical records of the Veikan people are scarce, with most sources coming from oral tradition and epic poems. Both Veikan and Gardic sources point to a common history, with the early Veikan tribes being displaced by the migration of Gardic explorers in the early 9th century. Veikan artifacts such as weaponry, pottery and even the remains of small tribal settlements have been found by Gardic archaeologists in several locations around the nation, all of this proving that Veikan settlements used to exist in its territory.

The increasing Gardic presence and a possible increase in violent conflicts forced most Veikan tribes to migrate west, towards the current territory of Veikaia. The migration process caused the displacement of several Frankish and Gothic tribes originating from modern day XXX. Several Frankish and Gothic settlements were repopulated by Veikan Slavs and retained their original names or variations of them, such as the city of _ and the town of _. By the 10th century the Veikan tribes had a firm control of the modern day territory of the country, but were still independent from each other and prone tone conflict.

The Veikan people remained under the government of independent tribes until the arrival of Christianity in the nation thanks to Gnostic missionaries around the early 12th century. Among the first to convert were the southwestern tribes, which united under the rule of King Veislad I the Unifier officially forming the Kingdom of Vipusk in the year 1123. A period of religious conflict between the pagan and christian kings and nobles led to several holy war through the nation which ended in the year 1153 with the coronation of Veislad I as King of all Veikans and the formation of Veikaia. After the victory of Christianity in Veikaia, a lengthy persecution of pagans was started, ending with the eradication of paganism from the country by the year 1304.

Middle Ages and Renaissance (14th-17th Century)
Veikaia remained a rather isolated state through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, only engaging in small skirmishes with its neighbors and primarily attending to local issues and trade, this led to a long period of relative stability as the Monarchy concentrated on matters of the state instead of expansionism or colonial pursuits by the late Middle Ages. This policy generated a general “Inward Culture”, as it was called at the time, where interference in foreign affairs was deemed unworthy and, mirroring partially the religious practices of the fledgling Alitheian Church, internal issues were given the spotlight.

Veikaia grew in this period to be a relatively powerful if isolated regional player and the royal family grew rich off its mercantile policy towards trade. The riches accumulated through trade into inner Artemia allowed the royal family to also accumulate equal amounts of power over their subjects, which led to the slow erosion of the feudal system and its evolution into an absolutist form of government that survived even up to the early 20th century.

Century of Revolution (1812-1921)
While relatively stable through the 18th century, the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century and the rise of new ideologies and free thought in West Artemia led to a rocky period and cycle of revolts that got increasingly more destructive as the decades went by. Starting with the Peasants Revolt of 1812, where a number of Peasants in the outskirts of the modern day city of Viura rose up in revolt against what they deemed unfair prices and work conditions, comparing them to serfdom (Which had only been abolished decades earlier) and demanding better conditions and wages. The Peasants Revolt was swiftly crushed by the government's forces but it left a lasting image in the common consciousness of the Veikan population and inspired many revolts in decades to come.

Into the middle of the 19th century, the introduction of Anarchism, Socialism and Communism into Veikaia further exacerbated the already dire situation in the country, many minor and major revolts ensued as the Communist Party and Anarchist movements of Veikaia started to become a formidable political force. The worst revolt of the century would be the "Red February" of 1887, where a large portion of the city of St. Tomas was barricaded off by Communist, Anarchist and Social Democratic forces and faced off against the government for almost 2 weeks before being finally defeated by a large contingent of military conscripts from the city.

This constant internal struggle within the Kingdom started to erode the government and military, morale started to decrease as the government found itself needing to sometimes conscript forces specifically to counter insurgents or a major uprising within a city or village. Conscripts began to abandon their positions and as 1921 approached the crown found itself in a position where it could no longer properly respond to major uprisings, forcing them to fold to the mob's demands each time. This situation reached its boiling point in 1921, as many Liberals and Social Democrats marched armed into the capital of Oztov, demanding their leaders be allowed to meet the King in person to negotiate terms for a new constitution, local elections and in general more rights for the population. Lacking the military forces to respond to such a massive, heavily armed mob, the government folded and the Oztov Agreement was reached, leading to the ratification of a new constitution and the creation of local governments with more autonomy and with members elected by the population. Still, many groups found this agreement to be non-satisfactory, specially the Communist forces, which continued their insurgency.

Veikan Civil War (1972-1979)
Main article: Veikan Civil War

North Veikaia traces its origins to the People's Red Front, an Ignatovist guerrilla force active primarily on the highlands of the country's north from the late 50s to the end of the Veikan Civil War in the late 70s. The People's Red Front (or PRF) experienced a steady growth in support through the 1960s as national stability and support for the Veikan Kingdom steadily decayed and rebel activity grew exponentially. In the early 1970s dissent reached boiling point when the pro-democratic movement spearheaded a number of major protests and demonstrations across Southern Veikaia which led to the mobilization of the army and weakening of counter-insurgency operations in Northern Veikaia, leaving an open window for a major offensive which destabilized the Kingdom's military forces in the north.

The defeat of the Kingdom's forces led to a major increase in support for the PRF. As their forces advanced and captured several important positions and military bases many recruits, both locals and international volunteers, joined their ranks leading to a snowball effect that culminated in a significant communist military force forming.

The PRF and its allies continued to battle with the Kingdom's forces until the eventual collapse of the monarchy and the rise of the Old Guard government, which allied with far-right paramilitary forces and attempted to turn around the tide of the war. It was, however, too late as the momentum of the PRF's expansion turned them into an almost unstoppable force and Oztov was captured in November 28th 1979, putting an end to the Veikan Civil War in North Veikaia.

Reconstruction Period (1979-2000s)
After the end of the civil war, North Veikaia founds itself in shambles. The war had caused immense damage to the country's infrastructure and almost the entirety of the country's industry had been geared entirely towards winning the war, which caused an economic crisis to rock the nation as a whole. Entire cities had been destroyed by indiscriminate shelling such as the capital of Oztov, which had to be almost entirely rebuilt. This period of veikan history is referred to as the “Reconstruction period”, as both South and North Veikaia found themselves attempting to rebuild their respective nations with the help of foreign aid.

A huge reconstruction campaign was launched by the central government with the objective of rebuilding the country's damaged infrastructure, revitalizing its dying economy and quelling dissent from what remained of the opposition. This was funded mostly by Teutonenland and Albel, nations that had supported the country through the civil war with equipment and volunteers. The reconstruction led to mixed but mostly positive results as the country was slowly but surely rebuilt through this massive operation.

Geography
The Council Republic of Veikaia is located in the eastern part of West Artemia, bordering its rival Veikan Republic (Coloquially known as South Veikaia) to the south, Modrovia to the south-east, Ostboland to the north-east and Mespalia and Embrea across the sea to the west. The nation occupies the northern half of what used to be the Kingdom of Veikaia, covering a total of 386,600 km2.

The country offers a relatively uniform topography, being primarily composed of hills, steppes and plains North Veikaia is one of the flattest countries in Anterra. Several rivers can be seen across the surface of North Veikaia, but the largest and most important (Both geographically and culturally) river is considered to be the river Vei, crossing across the capital of Oztov and believed to give the country its name. The southern regions of the country are characterized by being primarily flat, rolling plains covered in forests of varying densities while the northern areas of the country are composed of hills and steppes. A lot of the country's dense forests have been deforested to accommodate for the country's blooming and large agricultural sector which has led to concerns from conservation organizations that this large scale deforestation might cause the extinction of several local species of flora and fauna.



North Veikaia has a varied amount of fauna thanks to its large areas of forests and lightly touched wilds, ranging from commonly used in regional and historical royal heraldry to roe deer, grey wolves, rabbits, wild boars, lynxes and moose. Many species of owls and eagles can be spotted across the country's wilderness. Most of the bear population in the country can be found in the northern areas of the country across the highland taiga, while wolves are generally found in the southern mixed forests.

Much of North Veikaia is covered in forests, primarily highland taiga on the north and sarmatic mixed deciduous and coniferous forests to the south. The most common species of trees found in the country are oak, poplar, willow and pines among others.

Climate
The climate of Northern Veikaia changes little when compared to its southern neighbor; mostly continental, with temperatures reaching as low as -5°C on the harshest winters and reaching up to 18°C or 20°C on summer. Winter is generally mild with average humidity and precipitations while summer is generally cool and moist with annual rainfall of approximately 500 to 700 mm. Climatological natural disasters are rare, with mild flooding being the only danger that could be experienced in Northern Veikaia. Snow is incredibly common during winter, blanketing the country in a layer of snow every year, with the amount of snowfall experienced depending on the region and ranging from relatively thin layers of sleet to higher concentrations of snow that can make transportation difficult.

Government and Politics
The Council Republic is, as it names implied, a Council Socialist State. It is divided in three major branches: The Legislative represented by the Congress of Councils, the government represented by the Table of Commissars and the Judiciary Council.

Veikan Communist Party
The Veikan Communist Party (Shortened to VCP) is the only legal party in the Council Republic. The party is led by a Party Committee elected at a Party Congress every 5 years. The objective of the Party Committee is to organize the Communist Party, ensure ideological adherence to the basic tenants of Communism, ensure control over the state mechanism and furthering the goals of Internationalism as political representatives of the Republic.

Only members of the VCP can legally hold government positions within the Council Republic, and several factions representing different Communist currents have formed within the VCP, leading to internal struggles between factions in each Party Congress.

Government
As a Council Republic, the Veikan Government is composed of a hierarchy of decentralized assemblies going from the lower local levels to higher supreme ones. The country is divided in local, city, regional and national councils each having a level of autonomy and control on their assigned working areas. Members of the party selected by their local communities are elected in a 5 year basis for positions in their assigned local council, members of said local council can be elected by their city council for positions within it and so on. Still, even when decentralized, the national councils old the power to dissolve minor assemblies, call for Party Congresses, override orders by lesser councils and other rights as to maintain what the North Veikan Constitution calls "Ideological Unity".

Factionalism is common and tolerated to an extent within both the party and government; several factions within the Communist Party work almost as parties of their own within it. The major Factions of North Veikaia are the Ignatovists, Market Communists, Marxist-Leninists and Democratic Socialists, with the most popular among them being the Ignatovists, holding an almost permanent majority since 1979, and the least popular the Democratic Socialists. During election times, these factions within the party are known to campaign in a way similar to that of western democratic parties commonly seen in states members of the League of Free Nations.

North Veikaia is governed by a Constitution which establish standards for governance and the way the Council Republic must function. The Constitution also lists the rights and obligations of all North Veikan citizens. The constitution is one of the few in the world to stress the citizens' rights to bear arms and organize themselves in protection of the Council Republic against both foreign and internal threats, even if this right has its limitations.

Legislative Power is held by the unicameral Congress of Councils, one of the major national councils. Members of the Congress of Councils are elected by each Provincial Council every 5 years like every other council in the nation. They are tasked with the passing of laws and assignment of members to the Table of Commissars, the executive branch of the state. The Congress of Councils also holds major power over the other councils under it and the Table of Commissars, being able to dissolve them by passing a motion of no confidence. Through all Veikan history a motion of no confidence has never been passed, but has been threatened several times. A Chairman of the Congress of Councils is also elected to function as the representative of the Congress and Head of Government

Executive power is held by the Table of Commissars and its chairman, elected by the Congress of Councils also every 5 years. Each member of the Table of Commissars is tasked with managing an specific commissariat. Currently, 5 commissariats exist: Aside from the Commissars, a Chairman of the Table of Commissars is also selected. The Chairman is generally, but not always, also the Chairman of the Communist Party. The Chairman of the Table of Commissars works as the Head of State of North Veikaia.
 * Commissariat of Defense
 * Commissariat of State Security
 * Commissariat of Internal Affairs
 * Commissariat of Foreign Affairs
 * Commissariat of Agriculture and Industry (Also known as the Commissariat of Economic Affairs)

Finally, Judiciary power is held exclusively by the Communist Party and its Party Commissars, who work in a similar manner to judges in western democracy but answer directly to the Party Head and not the head of state.

Flag
The Veikan Flag is a tricolor with two equally sized horizontal blue and black stripes and a larger in size white stripe. The flag has been in official use since at least the 18th century, but used unofficially and by civilians since the 15th century. There are two versions of the Veikan Tricolor, a Royal version used mainly in special occasions involving the Royal Family bearing the Veikan Eagle on its center and; a normal tricolor without any Coat of Arms on it used by government officials, the army and civilians in any other occasion. Exceptions to this last rule is the Royal Rifle Guard, which always uses the Royal Flag both during special occasions and normal circumstances. The usage of the Royal Flag by those not authorized by the crown is seen as a grave insult and disrespectful, but not directly persecuted by law since 1961.

There are several explanations to the meaning and origin of the flag, but none can be confirmed as a fact. The flag has been in use since at least the 15th century and probably prior by the people of Veikaia due to its simpler design when compared to the Veikan Kingdom's flag during this period which meant it was easier and cheaper to produce for the poorer sectors of society. The main and generally accepted theory of its origin is that the flag is simply the colors of the Royal Family's coat of arms in the form of a tricolor, a popular flag design during the time period. A probable explanation for the noticeably larger top white stripe is a general widespread cultural appreciation for the color white in Veikaia, it being generally linked with holiness and the characteristic Veikan winters which blanket the entire country each year.

Demographics
North Veikaia has an estimated population of 21,886,672 people, with a large portion of the population living in Oztov and surrounding areas. Most of the population is ethnically Veikan, but several minorities are present thanks to the country's open immigration policy.

Religion
Prior to the emergence of Alitheian Christianity, Veikan tribes followed Veikan Paganism, a dualistic pagan religion that was largely abandoned with the unification and mass conversion of the country to Christianity after the ascension of Veislad I to the throne.

The predominant religion in North Veikaia is Alitheian Christianity, with over 76% of the population belonging to the religion but a number close to 53% actually observe it. Prominent religious minorities in the country include Jews, Muslims, Marian Church of Agrana y Griegro and a growing irreligious minority. The Council Republic has a policy of limited religious tolerance towards Alitheians but cases of religious intolerance towards Jewish and Muslim communities by the government have been denounced by international human rights organizations.

Military
The Workers' Revolutionary Army, also know as the WRA or North Veikan Armed Forces in most of Anterra function as the armed forces of the Council Republic. The VWAF consists of the Workers' Revolutionary Ground Force, Workers' Revolutionary Air Force and the Workers' Revolutionary Navy. The Armed Forces answer directly to the Commissariat of Defense and the Chairman of the Table of Commissars the latter functioning as the Commander-in-chief.

While the WRA maintains a large reserve and active force, the country has significantly demobilized and downsized its army since the end of the Veikan Civil War, primarily thanks to a detente campaign spearheaded by the South and North Veikan government through the 1980s and 1990s. Still a number of North Veikan forces remain stationed in the North-South border, justifying the presence as "guaranteeing the sovereignty of the Council Republic from hostile international agents.".

North Veikaia, not unlike its southern neighbor, possesses a strong industrial base which produces most of the country's military equipment, even then many imports dating as far back as the 1930s through 1940s are still in active use by all branches, albeit heavily modified in the case of active divisions. The Veikan Defense industry is able to produce individual and crew served weaponry, artillery, armored vehicles and tanks among others, but suffers from an underdeveloped air and naval industry relying mostly on foreign imports.

The Veikan Communist party exerts a level of control of the Armed Forces through several mechanisms; Only party members can reach higher officer positions within the Armed Forces and Party Commissars have been directly integrated into the armed forces to exercise party discipline on dissenting officers. Conscripted and Professional soldiers are screened disloyalty before being allowed to serve and must also go through lectures on Marxism. These aggressive policies have led to a large number of officers loyal to the Party and its ideology, even if most enlisted personnel are not active members of the VCP. Still, factionalism within the Communist party has also caused friction within the armed forces and its officers.

Economy
North Veikaia follows a market socialist system, with an economy guided primarily by worker self-managed industry and a large public sector. It has a GDP PPP of $557 billion or $25,472 per capita. The economy is dominated by the industrial sector, with a significant portion of the economy being dedicated to the manufacturing and exportation of goods. The official currency of North Veikaia is the North Veikan Okiov. is The country's main exports are Coal and Anthracite, Iron, Steel and other metals and alloys, Metallic Goods, Natural Gas, Heavy Machinery, Consumer Electronics, Grain and Cattle among others.