Tavaluda

Tavaluda, officially The Free Lands of Tavaluda (Tavadal: Kotavaluda Falesîtênlu̇ku̇, IPA: /koʊ.tɐ.vɐ.lu.dɐ. fɐ.li.sɪ.tɛn.lə.kə/), is a sovereign nation located in northern Avalonia. Tavaluda's continental landmass covers an area of 900,200 square kilometers, while its island of Sîlîwaskak to the Northwest takes up the remaining area of 194,775 square kilometers, all of which lies almost entirely within the. The capital city is S̄ulasotêlas, while its largest city is known as Têlas yêk Das, which serves as the commercial center of the nation. Other notable cities in Tavaluda include Xlas̄înînek Paz̄, Kovênêlîk Vîlînenu̇, Z̄ênovês̄, and Sumokun.

The Tavaludan economy is a developed which is aided by timber, fishing, and iron ore, as well as a strong service sector dominated by banking and finance services. Its main industries include shipping, shipbuilding, machinery, iron, steel, metal and metal products, telecommunications, pulp and paper, and forestry. Tavaluda has a strong tradition maritime trade, due to its control of the North Merchant's Pass which ferries ships between the Tethys Ocean and the sea to the East of the nation and serves as a vital resupply point between the two regions. Smaller contributions to Tavaluda's economy mainly come from the agricultural sector, tourism, and the growing information technology and biotechnology industries in the nation.

Prehistory (Before the 6th century BCE)
The earliest evidence of human settlement in Tavaluda have been found to date back to as early as the Stone Age, when early humans were speculated to have settled in the area. Stone tools such as axes, knives, and spearheads have been found near Sumokun.

To-Be-Expanded-Upon

 * Avalonian Tribes [600s BCE - 400s CE]
 * Coastal Merchant Kingdoms [400s CE - early-900s]
 * Kxto the Conqueror consolidates large Kingdom in continental lands, called Skêlêlîkos̄ulas yêk Fêle (Anglic: Kingdom of the Forests); Eastern Merchant Kingdoms band together to attempt to stave Conqueror off, formed the S̄êl yêk Skêlêlîkos̄ulasesîvudusek (Anglic: Confederation of Eastern Kingdoms) [early-900s - early-mid-900s]
 * Rivalry between Western Island Kingdom (name to-be-changed), Confederation of Eastern Kingdoms, and Kingdom of the Forests [Western and Northern Continental Lands] (and Northern Island? {depends on who settles there}) [early-mid-900s - mid-1200s]
 * Kingdom of the Forests fully absorbs Eastern Confederation after 25-year period of wars [1106 - 1131], renamed Skêlêlîkos̄ulasîz̄ênek (Anglic: Golden Kingdom), capital moved to current capital, S̄ulasotêlas.
 * Noble House of Vamosîsaskes̄îfasekîpas̄ek begins (Legend of the Tyrant Dragon of Têlasîvamosîsaskes̄îfasekek). Is granted lands in the Southeast of the Kingdom of the Forests, in part of the modern-day division of Ludanesîmugek. [1110s]
 * Daranopas̄ I Vamosîsaskes̄îfasekîpas̄ek leads a successful popular rebellion against the Kxtok Royal Family, instigated by royal maltreatment towards the priesthood and peasantry; gains support of Western Island Kingdom (name to-be-changed) in defeating the Kxtok Royalists. King of Western Island Kingdom (name to-be-changed) dies soon after, leaving the Kingdom to his daughter, Queen Mrana III. [1266 - 1275]
 * King Daranopas̄ I Vamosîsaskes̄îfasekîpas̄ek marries Queen Mrana III, unifying the Kingdoms under their child, Vwêsek I, after both perish. [1303]
 * There is 200 years of peaceful development or is there!? [1303 - 1500s]
 * Meeting Artemians? [1500s - 1600s]
 * Going Full Ethiopia? Making friends/rivals with Tip and SSE? [1500s - 1900s]
 * Democratization and First Conference of S̄ulasotêlas; renamed Kotavaluda Falesîtênlu̇ku̇ (Anglic: The Free Lands of Tavaluda) (lit. translation: "Homelands of the Free People") [1892 - 1893]
 * Neutrality in the Grand Campaigns? [1915 - 1925]

Politics and government
Tavaluda is a. The current Constitution was drafted in the Second Conference of S̄ulasotêlas in 1971, and was adopted on February 17th of the same year.

It has a form of in which political power is shared by the monarch and a democratically elected parliament, called the Tavar̊êk (Collective Law). In Tavadal, this form of government is called the Skêlêlîkos̄ulasofale (Rule of Monarch and People). Under the Skêlêlîkos̄ulasofale, the powers of government are divided into three branches:
 * R̊êkoguzîne (Executive)
 * R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke (Legislature)
 * R̊êkîvêsek (Judicial)

Executive Branch
The branch of government in Tavaluda is called the R̊êkoguzîne (Law Enforcers).

Tavaluda has a S̄ulas (Monarch) as Head of State, and an elected parliament, called the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke (Law Council) that enacts the law. The Constitution of Tavaluda was adopted in February 1971, replacing the 1892 constitution. The 1892 constitution had established Tavaluda as a constitutional monarchy headed by the reigning member of the Royal House of Vamosîsaskes̄îfasekîpas̄ek; a parliamentary system had been established, although the reigning Monarch retained substantial political authority; the first elections in this new parliamentary system were held in the April of 1893.

Executive authority is vested in a collegiate government called the Fr̊sîkelekîwo (High Council) comprising of two Samnasîfaleke (Servants of the People), two R̊êkotakelînale (Great Lawmakers), and six Falîkeleke (government councilors).

Monarch
The reigning S̄ulas is the head of state and represents Tavaluda in its international relations. The S̄ulas may veto laws adopted by the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke. The S̄ulas can call referenda, propose new legislation, and dissolve the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke, although dissolution of the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke may be subject to a referendum.

The S̄ulas of Tavaluda has broad powers, which include the appointment of judges, the dismissal of ministers or government, veto power, and the calling of referendums. The Tavaludan Constitutional Referendum of 1988 was a proposal put forth by Os̄ulas Veki IV to revise parts of the Constitution of Tavaluda, on the one hand expanding the monarch's power with the authority to veto legislation, while on the other hand securing for the citizenry the option to abolish the monarchy by vote at any time without being subject to royal veto.

A proposal to revoke the S̄ulas' veto powers was rejected by 74% of voters in a 2014 referendum.

High Council
The Fr̊sîkelekîwo of Tavaluda is based on the principle of ; namely, of colleagues collaborating with each other. The Samnasîfaleke are elected individually by a national popular vote, being the candidates with the first and second highest amount of total votes. A Samnasîfalek is limited to a maximum of three five-year terms.

The R̊êkotakelînale and the Falîkeleke are appointed by the Monarch upon the proposal and concurrence of the Tavar̊êk, reflecting the partisan balance of the Tavar̊êk. The R̊êkotakelînale must be selected from members of the Assembly of Provincial Representatives, while the Falîkeleke must be selected from the Assembly of the People's Representatives. A R̊êkotakelînal is limited to one ten-year term, while a Falîkelek can serve up to three five-year terms.

The members of the government are collectively and individually responsible to the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke; the R̊êkofr̊sîkeleke may ask the Monarch to remove an individual councilor, or the entire government.

Lower Councils
Several Lower Councils dedicated to specific aspects of executive government also exist, such as the Fr̊sîkelekoden, Fr̊sîkelekożud , or the Fr̊sîkelekonîk , and more. The administration of these councils are headed by the Fr̊sîkelekîwo, and overseen by the S̄ulasosamnasîwo (High Servant of the King) who serves as a non-partisan, appointed by the Monarch, usually occupied by the heir apparent to the Crown.

Legislative Branch
The Tavaludan Parliament, called the Fr̊sîkelekîwo (Law Council) is the tricameral legislature of the Free Lands of Tavaluda, consisting of the advisory Mêrasanas̄ yêk Mêlolîne (Assembly of Leaders, also called "Leaders' Asssembly"), the Mêrasanas̄ yêk Tus̄kêlevaxakîne (Assembly of Provincial Representatives, also called "Provincial Assembly") and the Mêrasanas̄ yêk Falevaxakîne (Assembly of the People's Representatives, also called "People's Assembly").

Each house has its own regulations and rules of procedure. However, the latter two may occasionally meet as a single house, the Mêrasanas̄ yêk Mavu̇s (Assembly of All), to revise and amend the Constitution of Tavaluda.

Assembly of the People's Representatives
The Mêrasanas̄ yêk Falevaxakîne is the larger of the two lower houses of the legislature of Tavaluda, and is where most bills are introduced. Since its first elections in 1893, all representatives have been directly elected under a  system. There is no formal electoral threshold, as the number of seats changes with the population. As of the 2018 election, the percentage of votes needed to gain 1 seat in this Assembly was 0.21% (198,834 votes). The term length for the Representatives is 5 years, and there is no limit to the number of terms one person can serve.

The total number of voting representatives is dependent on the population, and, by law, 1 seat is to represent at least 200,000 voters, and the seats are re-apportioned after every Census. Census-taking is begun 9 months before national elections in order to ensure that the proper amount of seats are available to represent evenly the voting population. If a full seat of 200,000 cannot be reached, then the remaining voters are spread out evenly between all seats in an effort to ensure an evenly proportional representation.

The current number of seats in this Assembly is 451.

Assembly of Provincial Representatives
The Mêrasanas̄ yêk Tus̄kêlevaxakîne is the smaller of the two lower houses of the legislature of Tavaluda, and is where most bills are revised, amended, and sometimes introduced. Since its inception in 1893, it has been tasked with revising bills presented to it by the People's Assembly, as well as representing the interests of their Tus̄kêl.

Since its first elections in 1893, each division has used the system in order to ensure minority representation within each of the Tus̄kêle; every Tus̄kêl elects 3 representatives; since there are 32 Tus̄kêle, the Provincial Assembly contains 96 seats.

Provincial Bill-Creation Process
Although it is permitted for bills to be introduced in this house, it is uncommon; when a bill is introduced here, it typically is related to issues within a certain region of the country, and the bill goes through the following process:
 * 1) The bill is voted on by the Provincial Assembly in order to determine whether or not it needs be amended. A majority vote (>50%) decides the outcome.
 * 2) If so, then the Provincial Assembly creates an amendment and then votes once more on whether or not to accept this amendment.
 * 3) If it is accepted, it is passed to the People's Assembly, with the amendment (Step 2).
 * 4) If it is not accepted, then return to step 1.1. If the votes on the amendments are rejected three times, then the unaltered version of the bill is sent to the People's Assembly (Step 2).
 * 5) If the bill has been sent back to the Provincial Assembly by the People's Assembly, then the bill is allowed to be amended one extra time and voted upon by the Provincial Assembly.
 * 6) If the vote succeeds, then the newly-amended bill is sent back to the People's Assembly for a final vote (Step 2).
 * 7) If the vote fails, then the bill is dead.
 * 8) The bill is voted on by the People's Assembly in order to determine whether or not it will be written into law. A majority vote (>50%) decides the outcome.
 * 9) If it passes, then the bill is written into law.
 * 10) If it fails, the bill is returned to the Provincial Assembly for revision (Step 1.1.3).
 * 11) If the bill fails on its second run through the People's Assembly, the bill is dead.

Assembly of Leaders
The Mêrasanas̄ yêk Mêlolîne is made up of the leaders of some of the political parties of Tavaluda, as well as the S̄ulas. This Assembly is the highest Assembly, and is, under normal circumstances, not involved in day-to-day policy-making. This Assembly is typically only used to review and revise bills related to especially controversial issues, or bills concerning national security, such as war declaration. In such a case where this Assembly is called, the Monarch decrees that the bill in question must pass through the Assembly of Leaders for revision before it can be written into law.

All seats get 1 vote, and a bill is only passed through this chamber once it acquires 70% of the vote in its favor. This is to ensure that a bill is not passed by a slim majority, and to protect minority views, while promoting compromise and due discourse of a bill, and providing public accountability to a party leader's vote either in favor, in opposition, or in abstention to the bill.

If, after 3 rounds of voting, this Assembly cannot come to a consensus on an amendment to the bill, the unchanged bill is returned to the Assembly of the People's Representatives for the final vote.

There are restrictions on which parties are allowed into the Assembly, in order to prevent a fracturing of larger parties into numerous "puppet parties", which could unbalance the Assembly come the time to vote on a controversial bill.

In order to qualify to apply for admission to the Assembly of Leaders, a party must:
 * Gain at least 1% of the vote (896,700 votes) in the most elections for the Assembly of the People's Representatives.
 * Have existed for at least 5 years.

After these conditions are met, the Assembly will hold a vote on whether the party should be admitted; notably, the Monarch is also a part of this vote, and holds the sway of 2 Parties in his vote. In order to be admitted, the applicant must garner 40% of the vote in favor of their entry.

An alternative form of admission to the Assembly is the Royal Admission; the Monarch has the power to instantly approve any party's application to join the Assembly. The Assembly can veto this decision, with one of two percentages of the vote, depending on whether or not the applicant party does or does not meet the qualifications stated above:
 * If the applicant does meet both of the qualifications, the threshold for veto is a 70% vote in favor of veto to overturn the Royal Admission.
 * If the applicant does not meet both of the qualifications, the threshold for veto drops to a 40% vote in favor of veto to overturn the Royal Admission.

Language
Scary conlang madness to come...

Religion
According to the Constitution of Tavaluda, the native religion of Zovatêle is its official state religion:

YêZovatêlega⸣ nelo têlokacêlîkîżudeket, kês någrs̄åkîput yêk nåżud mavu̇s zåkovêmone zåksena sana. ("Zovatêle is the National Religion, and every one of its temples shall profit from the full protection of the State.") — Constitution of Tavaluda

Tavluada offers protection to adherents of all religions, and considers the "religious interests of the people" a priority of the government. In Tavaludan schools, although exceptions are allowed, religious education in Zovatêle is legally required for at least two years. Religious studies of other religions are allowed, and students in secondary schools are required to take at least two years in multicultural studies classes. Students at public secondary schools (typically ages 13-17) learn the basics of the Zovatêle faith using the official curriculum, as well as the basics of other world religions such as Christianity (Catholicism and larger Protestant sects), Buddhism, Islam, and others, with priority towards those religions which are most present in the populace of the nation and its neighbors. Tax exemption is granted by the government to recognized and registered religious organizations. According to the [Equivalent of Pew Research Center], social conflict caused by religious hostilities is low in Tavaluda, and so is government restriction on the practice of religion.

Universities (which are mostly public) generally don't have any religious content unless it's related to the student's studies.

Economy
The economy of Tavaluda is a developed with state-ownership in strategic areas. Although sensitive to global, the economy of Tavaluda has shown robust growth since the start of the. The country has a very high compared with other Avalonian countries, and a strongly integrated welfare system. Like many other developed countries, the Tavaludan economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs about three-quarters of the country's workforce. However, Tavaluda is unusual among developed countries in the importance of its primary sector, in which the forestry and mining industries are two of the most prominent components. It is also rich in a number of natural resources including coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica and an abundance of arable land.

The egalitarian values of Tavaludan society have kept the wage difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most companies as much less than in comparable western economies. This is also evident in Tavaluda's low Gini coefficient.

Tavaluda's economy has a per capita output greater than that of most other Northern Avalonian economies such as those of Country#1, Country#2, Country#3, or Country#4, and is the #st/nd/rd/th biggest economy in the Western Hemisphere, behind Brigantica and Zahava. The largest sector of the economy is the service sector at 66% of GDP, followed by manufacturing, shipping and refining at 31%. Primary production represents 2.9%. With respect to foreign trade, the key economic sectors are manufacturing and shipping.

Military
Tavaluda, for much of its history, has been a naval-focused power, due to its strategic position on the Northern Route between Western and Eastern Avalonia, and its desire to patrol its waters to protect the nearby straits between the mainland and its Northwestern islands from piracy. 150k in the army (120k active, 30k reserve, 30k in the airforce (25k active, 5k reserve, 300k in the navy (240k active, 60k reserve).

Officers
Dezatomêlolînîzokano = "Junior Low Fight-Leader" (Tier 1 Ground Officer) = ZA-1; Equivalent to US Second Lieutenant Dezatomêlolînîzokêkr̊a = "Senior Low Fight-Leader" (Tier 2 Ground Officer) = ZK-2; Equivalent to US First Lieutenant Dezatomêlolînîwokano = "Junior High Fight-Leader" (Tier 3 Ground Officer) = WA-3; Equivalent to US Captain Dezatomêlolînîwokêkr̊a = "Senior High Fight-Leader" (Tier 4 Ground Officer) = WK-4; Equivalent to US Major Dezatalomêlolînîzokano = "Junior Low Battle-Leader" (Tier 1 Elite Ground Officer) = LZA-1; Equivalent to US Lieutenant Colonel Dezatalomêlolînîzokêkr̊a = "Senior Low Battle-Leader" (Tier 2 Elite Ground Officer) = LZK-2; Equivalent to US Colonel Dezatalomêlolînîwokano = "Junior High Battle-Leader" (Tier 3 Elite Ground Officer) = LWA-3; above US Colonel, below US Brigadier General Dezatalomêlolînîwokêkr̊a = "Senior High Battle-Leader" (Tier 4 Elite Ground Officer) = LWK-4; above previous rank, below Brigadier General Denomêlolînîzokano = "Junior Low War-Leader" (Tier 1 General) = NZA-1; Equivalent to US Brigadier General Denomêlolînîzokêkr̊a = "Senior Low War-Leader" (Tier 2 General) = NZK-2; Equivalent to US Major General Denomêlolînîwokano = "Junior High War-Leader" (Tier 3 General) = NWA-3; Equivalent to US Lieutenant General Denomêlolînîwokêkr̊a = "Senior High War-Leader" (Tier 4 General) = NWK-4; Equivalent to US General Denovamosîsaskes̄îfasek = "War Dragon" (Tier 5 General; Highest Rank) = V-5; Equivalent to US General of the Army