Seratof

Seratof (Seratofian: Sératofas Theitjëmäšljó, IPA: [ˈseːraˌtɔfas θei̯tʲəˈmæʃlʲoː], Seraheltian: Republica Seratofa, IPA: [reˈpʊblika seraˈtɔfa], Veniman: Republik Sjaratova, IPA: [ʁɛpyˈblɪç ˈʃɐrɐtʊfɐ]) is a sovereign nation located in central Artemia. It borders Eranor in the west, Gardarike to the north, and Svenskt to the northeast. It covers a modest area of 220,925 square kilometers, which span multiple climate zones. Currently, Seratof is inhabited by more than 30 million people, and is split between three major ethnic groups. The capital city, Azxara, is also the largest city in Seratof, and is also the center for business and culture. Other cities in Seratof include Gjavašina, Thožafars, Klimtburg, and Varga.

Seratof is a, with great powers delegated to the constituent regions. Generally speaking, Seratof could be divided into four regions: Seratof Country, Venimanland, Heltia, and Sobruza. Sobruza is an island located south of the mainland, and is granted the most power out of all the sub regions. Additionally, the island of Sobruza is granted its own constitution as well as president within the scope of Seratof.

Three major ethnic groups inhabit Seratof: the Seratofian-speaking Seratofian community, mainly located in Seratofia, the Heltic-speakiing Seratofian Heltic in Heltia. and the Veniman-speaking Venimans, mainly located in Venimanland. The Seratofian Heltic community comprises the majority of the population in Seratof, with over 51% of people identifying as such in the last census. Second are the native Seratofians, clocking in at 36% of the population. The Veniman community mainly inhabits the northern portion of the country close to Svenskt and Gadarike. They comprise about 11% of the total population.

The Seratofian economy mainly comprises of and  manufacture as well as  making manufacturing wise, as well as banking and financing services for the service sector. Manufacture is more dominant in the Heltia and northern Seratof Country, especially in the more rural central Seratofian plains. The overall economic output of the country as measured in international dollars was around $1.24 Trillion dollars PPP wise, which puts Seratof as a medium power in the region. Smaller contributions to Seratof's economy mainly come from the mining sector, which has stagnated over the past years, and the growing tourism industry.

Prehistory
The southern Artemian warm winds, providing warmth and fertility to the soil, has always been a major driving factor in the settlement of early humans within the Seratofian lands. Numerous fossil records found in caves inside Seratof Country have indicated that the area was very heavily populated since neolithic times, supported by the bountiful findings of stone structures such as megaliths, dolmens, and tombs near the grave dig sites. These ancient humans who lived in Seratof were assumed to be of a different kind than modern Seratofians, as their DNA strands do not correspond to the typical modern Seratofian.

Earliest evidence of human settlement in Seratof has been dated to be from 80,000 BCE, when early humans were predicted to settle the area in general. Stone tools shaped as axes, knives, and hacks have been found near Azxara. However, the peoples that inhabited the region around Azxara today are not related with any of the three ethnic groups of Seratof today, signaling further waves of migrations from other parts of Artemia. An elaborate pottery culture could be inferred from the findings near Azxara with a various assortment of pots, jugs and other water containers being unearthed in the late 19th century.

Farming had arrived in Seratof by the early 3rd millennium BCE and is evident by the founding of several ancient semi-permanent settlements along the Eršja and Arte rivers complete with several structures, mainly houses and storage facilities.

Antiquity
It is widely believed that the original inhabitants of the Seratofian peninsula were related to other groups in the region, bearing similar DNA strands upon further research with other ethnicities found elsewhere. These ancient Seratofians coalesced first into small farming towns and later on cities with coherent governments and authority, with the first texts and inscriptions being the Kljurgjin inscriptions dated back to the 3rd century BCE dictating the division of land within the city of Gora. Several other cities were also unearthed in the decades leading up to the fall of Seratof Country, meaning that the general area of Seratof today had been fertile ever since the ancient periods.

The Lykoraens, who inhabit what is present day Thalaky, also settled in the southern portions of Seratof Country bringing with them the Lykoraen language as well as Lykoraen ideas, cultures, and thoughts. These early Lykoraen city-states flourished as trade hubs, boasting magnificent ports and architecture, some of which are still preserved until this day.

Ethnic Seratofian peoples are thought to have entered present-day Seratof by the 8th century AD after escaping persecution in East Artemia by the XXX. The original homeland of the Seratofians being in modern-day Rovsnovska is considered by many Seratofian to be the ancestral homeland of the Seratofians, although more recent analysis has concluded that the exact location of the original Seratofians is hard to pinpoint down to a single area with trade shifting the Seratofians around the general eastern Artemian region for centuries.

The mass migration of Seratofians into central Artemia brought massive changes to the original inhabitants of the Seratofian peninsula. Initially, the two people groups existed peacefully but were slowly dwindling in both population and power due to a variety of reasons, mainly being that the Seratofians outcompeted them in both population growth and trade. The Lykoraens suffered the same fate, getting more sidelined with the arrival of Seratofians. The last Lykoraen settlement in Seratof, Adamopolis, was abandoned by its residents after a siege by the neighboring ethnically Seratofian chiefdom sieged the city in hopes of controlling their ports.

Medieval Seratof
With the Seratofians now being the majority of the population in the Seratofian peninsula, ethnically Seratofian kingdoms began to rise by the early 5th century, initially as a loose confederation between city-states and small chiefdoms. The overall structure within this period is a group of leaders congregating once in a while to coordinate the political and economic lifestyle and future of the constituent states, forming an early form of Seratofian confederation within the area. Although such, the bulk of the Seratofian populace still lived under nominally independent states be it in the form of city-states, chiefdoms, or early duchies.

In around 850 CE, the Duchy of Žablja was established with what is present-day Azxara (Šatráp) being made the capital of the duchy. The duchy gained political power by merging several small city-states, chiefdoms and petty duchies into a single unitary monarchial system of government with the treaty of Lizmar. The duchy would eventually grow its borders, expanding its influence outside of its core realms and project economic dominance over the Seratofian peninsula over lesser kingdoms and states. Overall, the Duchy of Žablja is regarded by many Seratofians and experts alike as the first proto-Seratofian state which encompassed massive portions of the Seratofian peninsula with only small pockets of independent states and kingdoms left.

The Duchy of Žablja would be the dominating force in the Seratofian peninsula in particular and to a lesser extent southern Artemia until the invasion of the Seratofian lands by advancing Heltic forces from the west.

Heltic Empire
The invasion of Seratofia by Heltic forces coming from the west and the subsequent siege and fall of Šatráp marked the end of an independent Seratofian state for another few centuries. Seratofian lands were made a constituent part of the Heltic Empire where Heltic ideals and language were encouraged unto the local population. Additionally, during the period of the Heltic Empire, many more Heltic peoples migrated into the eastern realms of their empire, giving Seratof its huge Heltic population.

In 1397, a peasants revolt started by Ú.K. Ljirman proved unsuccessful but nevertheless contributed to the continued existence of the Seratofian people and language as well as their culture.

Kingdom of Seratof
See also: List of monarchs of Seratof

By the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Heltic empire had been plagued with a power struggle between the sons of the late king of the empire. Seratofian monarchists and nationalists used the opportunity to declare outright independence from the Heltic Empire and claimed all the lands that were traditionally associated with Seratof such as the Seratofian peninsula as well as areas which were under the jurisdiction and control from Šatráp (present-day Azxara). This was achieved with a proclamation at first and a treaty signed by the constituent governors of the provinces under the new Kingdom of Seratof, which now also included a great portion of land outside of the traditional Seratofian heartlands deep into Heltia and even into the Veniman-speaking communities.

The Kingdom of Seratof was first ruled by King Márkus I from the house of Sántóni. Over the early history of the Kingdom of Seratof, several land reforms were conducted and many anti-Seratofian legislation was repealed. Seratofian was made the sole official language of the new kingdom, and the Seratofian Arsya was made the official currency. The Kingdom of Seratof was by far the largest entity carved out of the collapsing Heltic Empire, and served as one of the region's powerhouses at that time.

Islam entered Seratof around the period of the Kingdom of Seratof where traders from Asharistan would come in and conduct trade as well as performing some conversions of several people. Eventually, the nobility embraced Islam due to the preaching from these traders later turned into imams and ustads, and Islam flourished in Seratof since the late 16th century. King Ahmadi was notably the first Muslim king of Seratof, having converted into the faith two years into his reign.

The subsequent reign of kings and queens in Seratof was marked with various reception and popularity from the Seratofian population itself. Under King Azhar which ruled Seratof for an epic 92 years between 1637 and 1730, The Kingdom of Seratof experienced a golden age, in which the economic output of the entire realm far exceeded that of its neighbors, as well as the overall huge increase in the quality of life and wealth for a lot of Seratofians. The Seratofian baroque style was also popularized by King Azhar which he frequented when constructing buildings, and still is a popular style of architecture in Seratof today.

The Kingdom of Seratof eventually signed a treaty of friendship with the Kingdom of Samotkhe in 1799, forming the Samot-Seratofian Empire which would dominate central Artemian politics in the 19th and early 20th century.

Independence and contemporary history
The loss of the Samot-Seratofian Empire in the Grand Campaigns was a major disaster for all aspects of Seratofian life. The treaty of Holmgard in 1925 mandated the partition of the old Seratofian kingdom into a new smaller Kingdom of Seratof, an independent Republic of Heltia, as well as partitioning land towards Svenkst (then known as the Central Artemian People's State). The weakened monarchy accepted these provisions, with the new Kingdom of Seratof only having sovereignty over the Seratofian peninsula. Republican rebel forces led by A. Arša rejected these provisions and rallied a group of rebels to unify the nation.

In early 1926, Arša mobilized a huge militia of peasants and ex-members of the imperial Seratofian army and stormed Azxara, gaining control of both the parliament and the palace. There, the leader of the republican forces proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Seratof which encompassed all the territory owned by the Kingdom of Seratof before the partition. The king was put under house-arrest and from there, Arša continued the fight to march north towards the newly-formed Republic of Heltia.

The new Republic of Heltia was still a weak and inefficient state created in a rush of the Holmgard treaty, which republican forces exploited. The central government of the Republic of Heltia was unaware of an invasion as the republican forces used guerilla tactics to capture strategic points deep inside Heltia. In a surprising turn of events, the commander in chief of the new Seratofian army pledged support for the republican cause on the 17th of March 1926 and allowed for the use of military equipment to aide in the "war of independence". Eventually, the republican forces stormed Varga, the capital of Heltia, in a surprise attack known as the "1st of May 1926 movement", gaining quick control over the city and surrounding areas.

Subsequently, fighting continued until 1929 when the treaty of Azxara was signed on the 17th of April 1929 establishing the Republic of Seratof with Arša as the first president. In 1930, the new Republican Army along with forces from Samotkhe invaded the Central Artemian People's State and Seratof regained a lot of land prior to the partition of Seratof. The CAPS collapsed in 1932 and most of the land owned by the Kingdom of Seratof before 1925 was returned to Seratof.

In 1967, a confrontation happened with Svenskt over the Börgum region, which would lead to the rise of the far-right Seratofian People's Party to rule the nation between 1971 and 2006. The far-right party which advocated for the absolute rights of the Seratofians was poorly-recieved by many international observers, citing the state as a "fascist state". In order to protect the interests of the Seraheltics in Seratof, Modrovia occupied the western portion of Sobruza as a last resort to tone down the new ruling group in a series of events now known as the Modrovian-Seratofian Affair. The occupied regions were returned to Seratof upon the ascension Seratof into the PAC in 2013.

In 1970, Seratof switched from driving on the right side of the road to driving on the left in an event known as Left day.

Geography
Located in the heart of central and southern Artemia, Seratof borders Svenskt to the north, Samotkhe to the northeast and Velselexo to the southeast. Mainland Seratof is also bordered by the Sea of Azxara to the south and the general Eurybian Sea south of the islands of Sobruza and Virja. The country covers a modest area of 220,925 km² spanning a huge variety of landscapes and formations for its small size, ranging from the low lying Seratofian peninsula to the south up to the Biltar plateau on the border with Samotkhe as well as the southern central-Artemian mountain range which defines the border with Svenskt.

The major rivers within Seratof are the Eršja, Arte, and the Velzas. The Eršja river flows through the center of the country and is by far the most important river in Seratof as many agricultural irrigation systems in Seratof Country and Heltia source their water from the river. Azxara is located at the mouth of the Eršja river in what is known as the Eršja delta. The city of Varga, capital of Heltia, is also situated on the mouth of the Arte river, while Velzara, an important wine-making city in Seratof is located less than 20 kilometers from the Velzas.

Elevation wise, Seratof is less varied than most of its neighbors. The elevation levels in Seratof span from the highest point of Seratof Mt. Gúšri on the border with Svenkst at around 3,018 meters above sea level to the low-lying dikes and polders of the Eršja delta at 12 meters below sea level. The Seratofian peninsula is relatively low-lying, with notable exceptions being in the west with the Varga rise where elevations could reach as high as 500 meters above sea levels and the eastern Seratofian hills with a similar elevation level to that of the Varga rise. Heltia is divided between the low-lying Seratofian plains in its more southern locations to the great Veniman hills and mountains to its north. The entire administrative region of Venima is located entirely within the Veniman mountains.

Climate
Seratof is divided between two major climate zones. The southern regions which contain the entirety of Seratof Country, the southern provinces of Heltia as well as the islands of Sobruza and Virja fall under the, possessing warm summers and mild winters. The mean temperature for the southern zones varies from an average of 2°C in the winter months to a warm 22°C in summer months. The warmth of the southern zones of the country are thought to originate from the Eurybian warm currents.

The northern zones of the country fall under the classification. Winters are cold and summers are mild, with the mean temperature of the zones being -5°C during winter outside of the mountainous regions, and summers being a mild 13-15°C. Taller mountains in Seratof fall under the classification, and the temperatures there are generally much colder and harsh than that of the humid continental ones.

Government
Seratof is a   with a  as the  and a  as the. Power at a national level is vested into the federal government and the federal legislature comprising of. Further levels of government include those in the and the, which each have their own. Legislative assemblies in the regions of Seratof are while those in the provinces are. All the branches of government are based on the of Seratof drafted and ratified in 2007.

By convention, the President of Seratof is the most powerful post in the country with the ability to appoint and dismiss prime ministers with approval of parliament as well as the general oversight of the national legislature. The president could be impeached by the legislature only after a carried out by the parliament. Previously, Seratof was a full with the president being both the head of state and the head of government. The title of head of government now goes to the second most powerful post in Seratof by convention, the prime minister of Seratof. The prime minister is officially appointed by the president, but in practice is always the leader of the party or coalition in government at that period. The president is directly elected by the people once every five year using a simple. Lower houses of legislatures are elected using in an   setting once every five years. Upper houses of legislatures are simply elected using once every five years.

Seratof's legislature, which is comprised of three chambers, was created under the new constitution of 2007. The Council of Magistrates acts as the upper house and represents the provinces with each entity sending four senators regardless of the population. The Chamber of Censors is an unelected body comprised of experts and magistrates which are appointed by the respective regional legislatures with the advice of the regional judiciary body. The Seratofian People's Communion acts as the lower house and is directly elected by the voting population within multi-member constituencies comprising of 3 to 8 members depending on the population. A total of 300 deputies are sent to the Seratofian People's Communion.

Administrative divisions
Currently, Seratof is divided into 4 regions which are further subdivided into 28 provinces and 1 province-level city. The regions themselves do not constitute as an official division, but only administratively and for historical and cultural contexts. The provinces are then further subdivided into 197 municipalities as well as 4 districts of Azxara and 1 uninhabited nature reserve in Heltia. Municipalities are further divided into districts (in Seratof Country, Venima, and Sobruza) or banates (in Heltia). an Within the legal framework of Seratofian federalism, there exists three levels of governments accountable for a variety of tasks and responsibilities separated in a hierarchal manner. The system goes from the federal government at the top, then the four regional governments and administrations, further subdivided into the 28 provincial governments. Districts and banates do not have their own autonomous governments, but still, have some control over some affairs.

While the country is led by a president and a prime minister, a region has a regional head acting as the chief official within the regional government serving as the equivalent of governor in other countries. The regional head is on the same level as the regional legislature, a bicameral body which serves as the legislative branch of the region. Below the regions are the provinces with each province maintaining a provincial government headed by a governor whose legislative branch is a unicameral provincial legislature. Governors are accountable to the regional heads, while the regional heads are accountable to the president. Within each region except the region of Sobruza, a council of governors exists which monitors the work of the regional head along with the legislature, creating a system of bi-monitoring.

Out of the 29 first-level divisions of Seratof, only one has special status. The province-level city of Azxara is granted such title as it serves as the capital of Seratof, and the powers of the Azxara city government therefore covers a much larger scope than other city governments in Seratof. There is a municipality-level special nature reserve zone which is uninhabited, and has been kept as such since the Kaluria nature park act of 1958. It is traditionally not counted as being a direct municipality of Seratof as it is considered federal land and territory.

Parties and elections
Ever since the downfall of the Seratofian People's Party in 2006, Seratofian politics have been greatly dominated and influenced by the Social Democrats "Progress" party, contributing to all of the presidents elected after the reinstatement of free and fair elections in the country in 2007. The party also managed to secure the most seats in parliament in the 2018 elections, however was short of a majority in government. The current coalition was formed shortly after the elections when the SDP formed a coalition with the Agrarians and Farmers party and the Seratofian National Party. Other notable parties include the Democratic Party, the Seratofian Moderates, the Center Party, the People's Democratic Alliance, and the Liberal Union.

Seratof has various methods of elections for its legislatures, both at a federal or regional level. At the federal level, two systems are put into practice, with the upper house being elected through in , each constituency being an entire province and sending 4 senators to the Council of Magistrates. The lower house, the Seratofian People's Communion, is elected through with an   method, also in. The president is elected through a simple. At the regional level, the upper house has followed the federal style in implementing a single non-transferable vote system in multi member constituencies, but the lower houses are still elected through in smaller constituencies determined by population.

Law
Seratof adopts a based on traditional Samot-Seratofian laws which preceded the current ones. The courts system in Seratof, like other governmental institutions and agencies, is a tiered one, comprising of the at a federal level, regional courts at a regional level and state courts at a provincial level. A separate was established in 2008 in accordance with the new amendments ratified the year before. Different from civil and criminal courts, the constitutional courts only exist at a national level.

While criminal codes are codified at a national level, private laws are left to the provinces to ratify and maintain, however, provinces are still able to add on to the criminal codes ratified at a national level with their own additional punishments. Traffic fines in some provinces are calculated based on the offender's yearly income on top of the mandated fines, and heavy fines, sometimes up to 10 times the offender's annual income, are given towards those who commit serious crimes such as, , or.

Military
The Seratofian National Armed Forces are the military forces of Seratof. It is currently divided into five branches: the armed forces, navy, air force, marines, and coast guards. The Seratofian military expenditure as of 2018 is at 1.7% of the country's GDP, somewhat lower than the PAC average of 2%.

As of 2018, the Seratofian National Armed Forces consist of 96,000 active personnel with an additional 31,000 in reserves. Until 2006, a one-year compulsory military service was enacted for all men reaching 18 years, but was abolished soon after the fall of the SPP regime and currently replaced with a voluntary service system.

Both during peacetime and wartime, the highest command of the Seratofian National Armed Forces, the supreme commander, goes to the president of Seratof, however, the commander in chief of the armed forces goes to the ministry of defence during wartime whereas in peacetime, a four-starred general is appointed by the president.

Economy
Seratof has a with strong contributions from both the  and the government, although the areas of which these parties exert economic dominance tends not to overlap with one another. It is currently the third-largest economy in southern Artemia by PPP measures. Much of the Seratofian economy is driven by a number of key businesses and industries with the banking and finance sectors being one of the most well-structured and extensive in southern Artemia. Healthy contributions from the and the  also help shape the Seratofian economy.

As a member-state of the PAC since 2013, Seratof has enabled itself to integrate into the common market of the coalition and expand the reaches of its own products and services. Significant economic growth was recorded upon entry into the PAC, with trends foreseeable for the future mimicking those of though on a much more lenient curve. Although part of the common market, the PAC does not possess a single currency and all transactions done within Seratof must be conducted using the Zakka.

Azxara was the financial and banking capital of the Samot-Seratofian Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as being the industrial heartland of the empire. Many reputable banks in Artemia have their regional offices in Azxara during those times, and many still continue to have their regional offices in Azxara. Apart from banking and financing, Seratof is also famous for its automotive production, with the Kajášku automobile company being renowned throughout Anterra. The top 5 exports of Seratof are (in decreasing order of value):, , , , and.

As a consequence of Azxara being the economic and financial capital of the Samot-Seratofian empire, Azxara remains the center for Seratofian stock exchange markets, with the larger of the two legitimate stock markets in Seratof being headquartered in Azxara, the Azxara Stock exchange. The lesser and smaller Varga stock exchange, headquartered in Varga, specializes in mainly Heltic-based corporations and subsequently have less demand. Of the top 100 companies in Seratof, 46 have gone public and many of them being listed in the Azxara stock exchange.

With the reintroduction of in 2007 and the further easing of starting and maintaining a business, the number of Seratofian startups and small businesses have doubled in quantity between the years 2014 and 2019. Currently, they contribute a significant portion to the total makeup of the service sector and employed around 1 million Seratofians as of 2019.

Infrastructure
Seratof's central position in southern artemia, as well as its history as an economic and industrial hub during the turn of the 20th century both, contribute towards the very dense road and rail network which connects both cities domestically and countries internationally. Both the road and rail network in Seratof Country are some of the densest in Artemia. While all and  have speed limits, each province is able to decide the limit, sometimes as high as 340 km/h in the Ljana province. The system of roads in Seratof falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Works, where the ministry calculated the total number of roads in Seratof, both paved and unpaved, to reach approximately 157,000 km. In addition to the dense road network, Seratof has about 75,194 km of rail. By the late 1800s, the rail network in Seratof had already been one of the most developed in southern Artemia.

As of 2016, Seratof was the 3rd largest consumer of electricity in Southern Artemia. Since 2007, the government has increased the portion of by adding  and  farms. In addition to the two, energy production has also utilized the Eršja and Varga rivers for. Still, 60% of the country is still powered by non-renewable sources such as and, lagging far behind other Artemian states.