Alva

The Free State of Alvakalia, (Teutonian: Freistaat Alvak) (Hellenic: ελεύθερη κατάσταση της Alvακ) (Hollansk: Vrije staat van Alvakalia) is a Federal Parliamentary Democracy located in Kesh, specifically in the northeastern part. It comprises of eight provinces and one special territory in a desert-like climate spanning (insert size here). With 41 million people inside its borders, three quarters of which live no more than 40km from the coast, the country itself is only somewhat of an influence in the affairs of Artemian countries. Its government also does not want to interfere with and distances itself from the politics of Keshitic countries.

Etymology
The name “Alvakalia” originates from the name of the largest bay on its coast, it being Alvak Bay. However, it may also be a corruption of a word from the now extinct native Juiji language “halvak”, meaning hills.

Early Hellenic city-states
In the early 700’s, Hellenic peoples settled down on what is now the coastal regions. These people built up small settlements, dotted around the area. However, the surrounding Arabic and Armenian tribes usually traded, scuttled with, or settled down in the settlements. Constant trade with other Hellenic peoples kept the language from diverging. For several centuries, it would stay that way until the age of colonialism came.

Teuton landings
Teutonic colonizers first set foot on what was then Attiri, now modern-day Attenberg, in 1870. The colony began when Wilhelm Potzdorf, an adventurer who founded the Society for Teuton Colonization, signed treaties with several leaders of the settlements in the area. On January 25th, 1871, the Teuton government announced that it had granted an imperial charter, which was then already approved by the Teuton king on January 2nd, 1871. The charter was granted to Wilhelm's company and was intended to establish a protectorate in the region. Wilhelm then recruited specialists who began exploring along the coast and further inland.

By 1874, the Teutons had established a fully-fledged colony, with no other than Wilhelm Potzdorf at its head as the governor. Officially called Teuton Alvaland, the borders were settled with the Alzhari, Armani, and Khodesh Treaties, establishing its western and south-eastern borders. However, the northern border lay unclear, as surveyors had not reached it due to a lack of supplies and an already existing border conflict with Lagoria.

Hellenic Revolt
In early 1877, the Hellenic Revolt, also known as the Helleno-Arab Insurgency, occurred. In the past years, the Teutonian-majority local government continuously put out reforms that attempted to put down any Hellenic people living inside the borders. On the 8th of May, the infamous Camp Order (Teutonian: Lagerordnung) (Greek: Ταξινόμηση κατασκήνωσης) was passed, which stated that any people of Hellenic ancestry were to be sent to “reintegration camps” down south in the desert. Immediately after the bill was passed, riots popped up across the country. In the country’s capital, Alvastadt, a rogue jezail rifleman fired a shot at the crowd and promptly missed, which made the city militia who was on riot duty to in turn, fire their own shots into the crowd, mistakenly thinking the shot came from there. This sparked the revolt, which lasted for the next two years. To this day, historians still do not know who the rifleman was, or whom their allegiance was to.

Several notable battles happened during the revolt, such as the Battle of Baron, where in August of 1878, Hellenic forces, underequipped and undersupplied, managed to take a Colonial Teuton stronghold, albeit with moderate to heavy casualties, and capture supplies for themselves. Hellenic reinforcements arrived and held the stronghold for the remainder of the war. Another one is the Battle of Akatri Fields, where Colonial Alvak forces encircled and decimated two regiment’s worth of Hellenic and Arab forces. The last major battle of the revolt was the Defense of Alvastadt, where Alvak defenders successfully held off a surprise attack by Hellenic forces and Arab mercenaries while being outnumbered and unprepared. By then, all government officials were moved to Attenberg.

The revolt ended only months after the passing of the Emergency Order (Teutonian: Notfallbestellung) (Hellenic: Εντολή έκτακτης ανάγκης), which stated that the local government would request several Teuton divisions to put down the revolt. In May of 1878, the Teuton 171th Infanterie-Abteilung, 148th Infanterie-Abteilung, and the 204th Infanterie-Abteilung arrived at Attenberg. The Hellenic forces surrendered after the decisive Battle of Korinti Heights. The Arab forces, however, would take yet another month to finally lay down their arms at the Battle of Al Wazir Ridge. In total, at least 45,000 people died on both sides. The highest estimate puts it at more than 90,000 dead.

The Treaty of Alvastadt was signed on July 3rd, 1878 between Governor Potzdorf and the Hellenic insurgents. It assured that no further action would be attempted to diminish, destroy, expel, or relocate the Hellenic peoples of the area by the government. Also, the Hellenic peoples would have to become or stay loyal and pledge allegiance to the Teuton king.

Aftermath and new leadership
What followed after the revolt were several reforms, especially administrative ones. The Hellenic population calmed down quickly after Governor Potzdorf, to them, the instigator of the revolt, died of a stroke while attending a meeting on the 3rd of February, 1879. He was 57 at the time of his death. He was replaced by Oskar Stieglitz, one of the governor-candidates at the time.

Governor Stieglitz implemented more reforms, especially one that allowed Hellenic and Arab peoples to join the newly-founded Alvakischer Kolonialarmee. Another important reform was the Regional Parliament Order (Teutonian: Verordnung des Regionalbundestag) (Greek: Πράξη του Κοινοβουλίου) in 1886, which created the more advanced Alvakische Bundestag, a successor to the Teutonen-Alvakische Kolonialparlement.

Out of the Regional Parliament Order also came the reorganization of territory into the eight provinces and special territory. The nine created were:
 * Atten Province | Provinz Atten
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Attenberg
 * Victoria Province | Provinz Victoria
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Lubach
 * Alva Province | Provinz Alva
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Karlshelm
 * Karissa Province | Provinz Karissa
 * Majority population: Hellenic
 * Capital city: Astrafylios
 * Pyrgos Province | Provinz Pyrgos
 * Majority population: Hellenic
 * Capital city: Kyproi
 * Shoba Province | Provinz Shoba
 * Majority population: Arabic
 * Capital city: Hafir Al Duzem
 * Dulum Province | Provinz Dulum
 * Majority population: Arabic
 * Capital city: Al Duluma
 * Suder Province | Provinz Suder
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Desingen
 * Capital Territory | Hauptstadtgebiet
 * Majority population: Teuton/Hellenic
 * Capital city: Alvastadt

On the 8th of August, 1898, the Beifang Border Treaty was signed, finally establishing the northern border. The mountainous territory in the south was given to Beifang. In return, Beifang would pay 8.3 million Marks (20 million today) and cede over the Gebi Triangle. A later mutual trade pact would be signed between the two in 1918, 2 years before independence.

Road to Independence
In the following years, the colony would start to separate itself from Teutonia. At the turn of the century, relations between Teutonia and its colony were becoming tenser and tenser. However, on the 21st of December, 1899, the Teutonian government passed an order to allow Alvaland limited autonomy. It would come into effect on January 1st, 1900.

In the years between 1900 and 1915, several reforms were passed by the Bundestag that attempted to modernize the dominion and keep it up to date with the time. This included the expansion and upgrade of the then meagerly state railways that linked the coastal cities together, the establishment of a Research and Development facility for the Alvakischer Herrschaftarmee, and the approval and expansion of several cities.

By the start of the Grand Campaigns, the Dominion had a sizeable defence force of about 30,000 in active service, and 10,000 in reserve for a total of 40,000 in the army. It comprised of four divisions: 1. Alvakische Division, 2. Hellenische Division, 3. Arabische Division, and 4. Allgemeine Grenzwacht. The first three had participated in active service, and the fourth was for anyone willing to enlist in the reserve forces.

As was stated in the Conferences during the period of early colonization, the colonies would not be involved in any wars the colonizers were part of. However, the guidelines the conference stated were forgotten and Alvaland was pulled into the war in early 1919. Despite constant urges from Teutonia to send troops, Governor Stieglitz refused on the basis that there was a chance that an enemy fleet in the Eurybian Sea like the AyG navy was in their path. Instead, the troops moved towards the inner borders and prepared for a defence of Alvaland.

However, on the 24th of November, 1918, the Grubeck Conference, without the knowledge of the Teutons, was held between all government officials in Alvaland. Plans were made to declare independence from Teutonia and declare neutrality.

The Grubeck Plan went into action on the 25th of January, 1920. All communications from Teutonia to Alvaland was cut. A telegram was sent to Tiperyn stating that the Dominion had declared independence but was neutral in the war. All Teutonic merchant ships had their captains either turn back to Teutonia or take down their flag and replace it if they were loyal to the new Alvak state. Three military ships, the patrol boats Von Hippel and Teutonen, and the light cruiser Vereinigte switched from Teuton to Alvak while they were docked. Also, two airports, albeit both very basic, were seized along with 12 Teike M.18 biplanes. However, only one of the pilots remained. Any stragglers or any Teuton soldiers that wanted to stay in Alvakalia were organized and formed into the undermanned 5. Teutonen Division.

Communist uprising and stable democracy
In 1924, Teutonia underwent a communist uprising. Alvak communists attempted to copy the Teuton communists' success and implement it in Alvakalia. At the realization that the communists in Teutonia were winning, the communists in Alvakalia rose up, albeit disorganized. Several members of the communist faction in the Bundestag, the Worker's Party of Alvakalia, attempted to break into the Upper House chambers and into the Chancellor's office but failed to do so. The Alvak People's Republic proclaimed independence on the 28th of February, 1924. However, only Teutonenland recognized its sovereignty.

From early March to May, members of the militant group Alvakische Rotfront (AKR) launched several attacks, claiming the provinces of Alva and Karissa, and held small parts of Victoria, Shoba, and Pyrgos Provinces using equipment from Teutonenland. For a short time, the AKR held Alvastadt. However, garrisoned troops from the 1. Division there drove off the invaders and held the capital for the rest of the uprising.

On the 20th of May, Kriegsplan Spiegel (War Plan Mirror) was put into action. The 1 Division would sweep northeasterly across Northern Alvakalia and through Victoria Province, and 2 Division would sweep southwesterly, cleaning through the Hellenic provinces. The 3 Division would send a detachment to deal with communists in the Lake Ko region, while the rest would sweep northeasterly, starting from the western border and making their way up the coast, meeting up with 2 Division.

On the 14th of June, 1925, the military junta that had been controlling the country for five years announced that it would hold its first election in the next month. It still continues to this day, with elections every three years to choose a president. In turn, the parliament elects a chancellor.

"Brain drain" from Teutonia
In 1925, a minor influx of Teuton refugees fled to Alvakalia. Most refugees were doctors, engineers, scientists, politicians, or any other profession that was targeted by the new communist regime in Teutonia. A majority came aboard the freighter ship Imo. Others fled on smaller boats like fishing trawlers and sailboats. A notable example is the crew of the Teuton submarine Simon, who, at their location 70km away from the AyG eastern coast, upon learning that the Teuton loyalists had fallen, immediately plotted a course for the port at Alvastadt.

In the following years, a community of Teutons would set up around Alvastadt. The community now forms the administrative division of Neu Teuton in Alvastadt.

Findings of rich oil reserves and ore deposits
In early 1942, then Chancellor Armaan Stahlberg launched gradual industrialization and modernization policies. One included the surveying the Southern Desert for oil reserves.

On the 2nd of April, 1942, one of the surveying groups reported that they had found not only an untapped large underground oil reserve but several rich ore deposits near the base of the mountains that made up the southern border. Immediately, the government signed a contract with Hakken-Holt Stahl GmbH to produce mining and drilling equipment for the thousands of workers that were now headed to the area.

Today, the two southern Arab provinces are the most industrialized out of the eight because of the oil and ore findings.

Great Kesh War and Alvak involvement
On the 21st of September, 1949, the Alvakische Bundestag held an emergency meeting regarding the conflict in Kesh. The Eid-Al-Fitr offensive was still in full force by then, and several ships, primarily Tiperyn, had been sunk near Alvak territory. Plans were made to actively join the war on the side of the Tiperyn and Khorasani forces, but they were nearly shut down due to a close 81-39/6-2 vote.

However, the planned date of the announcement of the 15th of December was pushed to the 20th of November, as the Altis Glacier Skirmish on the 17th of November, 1949, occurred.

Altis Skirmish
The skirmish between Kodeshi forces and the forces of the 3. Division 2. Reg. lasted for several hours.

-First contact | 6:21 AM, Local Time

A large group of uniformed unknowns were spotted crossing the border early in the morning by C Patrol in the area. Nearing the group, the patrol was put under heavy fire by several enemy HMGs. One soldier, Corporal Rohan Al-Bashir, was injured in the retreat back to the FOB.

-Armoured QRF makes contact w/ group | 7:01 AM

Lieutenant Colonel Hammar orders an armoured QRF force to the area. However, the QRF made contact with the group 1KM closer than expected. Fighting ensues. By 9 AM, only 6 Avia K4 Armoured Fighting Vehicles out of 10 in the QRF would return.

-Assault on glacier FOB | 11:42 AM

After no report from B Patrol in 22 minutes, intense gunfire rained down from the ridge above the FOB. Several soldiers were wounded in the fighting, and Gefreiter Abd al-Matin was killed in action after shielding Lieutenant Colonel Hammar and several others from a grenade. Gunfire would continue for 3 more hours until air support arrived in the form of a Blemm A-14 helicopter.

-Air support and end of skirmish | 2:09 PM

Heavy machine gun fire from the helicopter dislodged several boulders above the cliff, causing a miniature landslide that broke up and destroyed the enemy position. However, only dust rained down on the FOB underneath, as the cliff structure held up against the weight the boulders put it on. News reached the capital minutes later after communications were reestablished. B Patrol was found not far from the FOB the day after, completely destroyed, apparently ambushed.

Declaration of war
On the 20th of November, 1949, the voice of Chancellor Armaan Stahlberg interrupted the morning news programme on the radio.


 * "My fellow countrymen and women, I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at Parliament Hill. This morning the Alvak Ambassador in Kodeshia handed the Kodeshi Government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 10 o'clock, that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from our borders, a state of war would exist between us.


 * I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently, this country is at war with Kodeshia.


 * Their actions show convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that they will ever give up their practices of using force to gain their will. They can only be stopped by force, and we are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Tiperyn, Chaldea, Khorasan and Sovena, and Guurdalai, who all so bravely resisting the wicked and unprovoked attacks upon their peoples.


 * The situation in which no word given by Kodeshia’s ruler could be trusted and no people or country could itself feel safe has become intolerable.


 * And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part with calmness and courage.


 * At such a moment as this, the assurances of support which we have received from our allies are a source of profound encouragement to us.


 * When I have finished speaking certain detailed announcements will be made on behalf of the Government. Give these your close attention.


 * The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help.


 * You may be taking your part in the fighting services or as a volunteer in one of the branches of civil defence. If so you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you receive.


 * You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war for the maintenance of the life of the people – in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs.


 * It is evil things that we shall be fighting against – brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution – and against them I am certain that the right will prevail. But no matter what, we Alvaks, whether Teuton, Hellenic, Arab, or any other ethnicity, it may not even matter, but we are united, and we will triumph. Lang lebe Alvakalia! Tahya Alvakalia! Zíste ti Alvakalia!"

Early years of war
The entire 3rd Division relocated its forces to the mountain range to defend from Kodeshi forces, and the 5th Division moved up the coast to defend the northern border from Beifang. The 4th Division was sent upwards to garrison the coast, and the 1st and 2nd Divisions swept around the mountains and joined up with other soldiers on the western frontline. A large trench system was built after the arrival of the 1st and 2nd Divisions, spanning the entire length of the frontline from its easternmost point to the mountains.

Civilians formed the Home Guard (Teuton: Hauptwache) (Greek: Fýlakas spitioú), of which around 20,000 civilians joined, from as young as 16 to as old as 68. Home Guard troops were incredibly undersupplied, sometimes only carrying a baton for self-defence. However, by the end of the war, 1 new division was created out of the Home Guard, the 6. Division, out of those who started out underage but now wanted to join the Bundeswehr directly.

3rd Division engineers constructed the Kebi Line, a line of fortified structures dotted in strategic areas throughout the southeastern border and mountain frontline.

On the northern front, the 5. Division chose to act defensively, with only small gains being made, trading pieces of the desert for more desert with Bakanese troops. Hauptwache troops arrived to help support the 5. Division, with those in it taking roles of what was basically internal security. Casualties were lowest in this front. The frontlines remained stagnant until the end of the war with the Treaty of Astrafylios signed in early 1953.

Naval battles
The Kriegsmarine, then somewhat poorly funded, battled the Bakanese navy

Mountain Offensive
On the 4th of May, 1950, the Alvak Kriegsplan Gelb (War Plan Gold/Yellow) was activated. Troops on the flanking sides of the mountain front were to advance, leaving the safety of the Kebi Line and into enemy territory. The southern flank split into two, with 3. Regiment heading westward to cut off supplies for the enemy, and 1. and 4. Regiments continuing southward to gain a foothold. 3. Regiment managed to temporarily cut off enemy communications, but they were later restored. They were only able to capture a significant amount of land, albeit mountainous.

The general push did not start until the day after because of poor weather conditions and miscommunication. The northern troops, specifically the 9. and 10. Regiments were to link up with Guurdalai forces and relieve the stress put onto them by the large Kodeshi invasion force, but two things prevented this: the distance of which Guurdalai forces were pushed back, and the late attack. However, they did accomplish one objective; disrupt enemy forces. The Kebi Line would continue to upgrade itself, even after the mostly failed attack.

All regiments of the 3rd Division would hold their positions until the Naser River Valley Offensive was put into action in 1952.

Late stages of the war
By 1952, not much had changed on the front lines, other than the usual skirmish here and there due to a lack of commitment by Tiperyn forces and a lack of training and experience with Naseri forces.

In late 1951, Alvak forces launched another counterattack, attempting to take back, or if not able to, disrupt the Mihrani League's food supply. The counter attack initially went well, with Mihrani soldiers routed and in disarray. However, Alvak forces ran into a 3-division (and later 4-division) strength reserve force behind the frontline. Routed themselves, they pulled a miraculous retreat back to the trenches, with minimal casualties. While they had not reached the farmlands, they had most certainly disrupted the supply of food. However, it would return to normal only months later.

In the early months of 1952, the Alvak Luftwaffe launched several devastating raids on Mihrani supply lines. The raid with the most impact was the Kabruk Fields Raid, where a Messt B.39 bomber accompanied by several Avia M.36/B dive bombers obliterated the main supply route from the farmland to the frontline, rendering it unusable for several months. The raids were in retaliation of Mihrani forces encircling and destroying two Naseri battalions, and bombing the Tiperyn embassy in Naser in mid-1951. The raids would pave the way for Operation Albion Bend, which would take place shortly after.

However, Alvak participation in the later stages of the war would be limited as the Treaty of Astrafylios would be signed between Alvakalia, Beifang, and Kodeshia.

Separate peace treaty
On the 4th of July, 1953, the Treaty of Astrafylios was signed between representatives of the Alvak, Kodeshi, and Bakanese governments.

The terms stated on the treaty were:


 * 1) Alvakalia was to pay $27,000,000 in war reparations to Kodeshia.
 * 2) Kodeshia was to cede part of the territories of Xiabei, Yueshan, and Shahai to Alvakalia.
 * 3) Alvakalia was to pay $7,500,000 in war reparations to Beifang.
 * 4) The Alvak-Bakanese border was to return to those demarcated by the 1898 Beifang Border Treaty.
 * 5) Both Kodeshia and Alvakalia were to set up a demilitarized zone at their border, 4 km wide on both sides.
 * 6) Both Beifang and Alvakalia were set up a demilitarized zone at their border, 4 km wide on both sides.
 * 7) A "Special Region" was to be set up in the occupied territory.
 * 8) All parties were not able to declare war on each other for 80 years.

Aftermath
By 1958, the DMZ had been completely constructed, spanning the length of Alvakalia's westernmost border with Kodeshia to the northernmost border on the coast with Beifang.

The "Special Region", now the Kodeschien Sektor (Kodeshi Sector) had been established. The newly-formed 6. Division relocated there and acted as military police and internal security.

The war reparations were sent to the two in pieces over the span of two decades, with the last payment to Kodeshia in 1973 and the last payment to Beifang in 1969.

Military advancements
The original R&D department, today the Alvakische Abteilung für Militärforschung, had been experimenting with semi-automatic rifles in the '30s and 40s to replace the ageing bolt-actions at the time. In 1946, the ageing G-09 bolt-action rifle was replaced with the K-40, a simple but effective semi-auto rifle. However, production issues flared up, and it was replaced by the improved K-40/A in 1949. It stayed in service until 1963, when it was replaced by an export version of the AyG M.59 battle rifle, renamed the K-59i. The rifle stayed in service until 1990, when it was replaced by the Alvak-designed SGR-1. All rifles used the 8mm cartridge, except the SGR-1 and later variants, which used a smaller 5.7x39mm cartridge. In 2005, a modernized version of the SGR-1 was put into production and reclassified as the SGR-1/A. It is still in use to this day by the Alvakische Bundeswehr.

The original airforce of Alvakalia, the Alvakische Luftwaffe, started off with 12 fighters and 1 dismantled bomber, both biplanes. Over time, engineers developed the Avia M.36 fighter plane and later, its dive bomber variant. By 1968, the Luftwaffe had over 8 squadrons comprised of these planes. In 1940, the Messt B.39 bomber rolled into production. Twenty years after its end of production in 1948, there were a total of 3 squadrons of bombers in action. Today, the air force uses the Avia 262 jet fighter and Kosse 234 jet bomber, of which there are 7 and 2 squadrons, respectively. The three major air bases in Alvakalia are Alvastadt Air Base, Al Wazir Air Base, and Astrafylios Air Base.

The navy, also known as the Alvakische Kriegsmarine, had started off with only four ships: the light cruiser Vereinigte, the patrol boats Teutonen and Von Hippel, and the submarine Simon. In later years, the navy grew slowly with the later additions of the cruisers Atlas, Schwalbe and Entschuldigung sie! in 1934, and the Alvastadt-class heavy cruiser Republik the year after. In 1949, the Vereinigte was decommissioned and the Teutonen and Von Hippel upgraded and modernized. Today, the  Vereinigte is now a museum dedicated to displaying the naval battles in the Great Campaigns. In 1965, several new ships would be built to replace the ageing fleet, like the Ketten-class cruisers Nord, Jaeger, Jezail, and Neu Teutonen. Every ship in the old fleet, with the exception of Republik, was scrapped at Kaza Flow to build more modernized ships. Today, there are 10 Ketten-class cruisers, 23 Vereinigte-class patrol boats, and two modernized Alvastadt-class heavy cruisers in action.

Economic advancements
The economic boom after the discovery of oil in the Askari Plains and rich ore deposits on the North Kesh Mountain Range provided enough of a boost to Alvakalia that it could sustain its trade, oil, and metal needs for decades or centuries if need be. However, in later years, the economic priorities shifted from oil and ore production to refinement, trade, and tourism. Today, Alvakalia is one of Anterra's top sellers in refined metals, petroleum, other oil-based products, and to add to it, opens its borders to 950,000 tourists per year and growing.

Political advancements
Ever since the establishment of the Bundestag, not much has changed except the political parties and their leaders that take part in running the country. The country has mostly shifted between the conservative Die Alvakische Recht party, the liberal Liberale Partei von Alvakalia, and the centrist Alternativ für Alvakalia. Other notable political parties include the Hellenic separatist party Ellinikí Anexartisía and the Arab separatist party Alhuriyat Lilearab. However, expressing communist, socialist, or anarchical ideas are frowned upon, as the general populace, as well as a majority of politicians, do not support it.

Other advancements
Alvaks in the medical field have been and still are influential in today's practice of modern medicine. An honourable mention is Annika Al-Bashar, who was a highly influential supporter of vaccines in the early 30s and on. Another is Albert Kisling, who along with fellow scientists Asad Amman and Alfred Eliades, discovered a vaccine for influenza in 1933. Today, Alvakalia has earned recognition for its efforts in medicine.

Geography
Alvakalia is located on the northeastern part of Kesh. Its southern lands are comprised of the North Kesh Mountain Range and Golduk Desert. One major river flows from the mountains down through the desert and into the Eurybian through the Alva Bay, named the Alva River. Its tributaries include the Atten River, which splits off at the edge of the desert and into the eastern edge of the Alva Bay, and many small creeks downriver. Alvakalia's coastal regions are not as desertified as the inland region is, and hosts small plots of farmland near the bay area. The largest lake is Lake Ko, formed as a reservoir from the building of Ko Dam in 1932.

Alvakalia's highest point is Kebi Peak, located on its southern border on the North Kesh Mountain Range. Precipitation is at its heaviest on the coastal regions, with as much as 300mm to 840mm of rainfall annually.

Not many animals live in the desert area, but notable examples include the red-billed falcon, the state animal, the Keshian desert vulture, and the Haaka sandpiper, which resides in the delta region of the bay area. An exception to this is the Lake Ko area, where both flora and fauna have flourished in the abundance of fresh glacier water.

Government
Alvakalia is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The Alvak political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1918 constitution drafted in the Grubeck Conference known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Laws). New amendments, bills, and policies generally require a two-thirds majority of both the Bundesrat and the Bundestag; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law are valid in perpetuity.

The president, Katerina Katrakis (1st March 2018–present), is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. The chancellor, Karl Steiglitz (24th December 2006–present), is the head of government and exercises executive power through their Cabinet, similar to the role of a prime minister in other parliamentary democracies. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (as the lower house) and Bundesrat (as the upper house), which together form the legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections, by proportional representation (mixed-member). The members of the Bundesrat represent the governments of the eight provinces and are members of the state cabinets.

Relations
Alvakalia maintains diplomatic relations with most countries in the world - with the exception of Teutonenland. Its relative power has increased somewhat from when it was a colony prior to the turn of the 20th century, and it maintains status in world affairs. Formal diplomatic relations are primarily maintained by the Ministerium für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Economy
Alvakalia's economy depends mainly on trade, petroleum and other oil-based exports, the export of refined ores, and tourism; there are also more than one million Alvaks working abroad, mainly in Tiperyn and Jungastia.

The oil industry in Alvakalia is staggeringly large, due to the massive oil fields near the mountains. The heavy and rapid industrialization that followed after the discovery of these oil fields has helped boost the economy. However, oil production has shifted from extraction to refinement. The largest buyer for Alvak oil is Jungastia's Petrostado. The trade deal, signed in 1986, has made both Jungastia and Alvakalia a significant amount of profits, especially from the four Gas-to-Liquid plants Petrostado owns and operates located near Al Duluma.

The completion of the Ko Dam in 1932 and the resultant Lake Ko have altered the place of the Alva River in the agriculture and ecology of Alvakalia. Agriculture makes up a tiny and almost insignificant amount of Alvak exports, as most of the country relies on these crops to sustain itself. However, imports of foods from other countries like Agrana y Griegro have helped the situation. Agriculture is found along the Alva River and its major tributaries.

Demographics
As a former Teuton colony, Alvakalia has a significant Teutonic population of around 47%. However, Hellenic and Arab peoples settled the area long before colonization, and represent around 33% and 19% of the population. The remaining 1% of the population either comes from foreigners like the Tiperyn, or the Chaldean peoples who are sparsely settled near the western border with Asharistan.

Ethnic groups and languages
Before colonization by Teutonia, the land was mostly inhabited by Hellenic peoples. In the south, however, Arabic clans lived there. Today, the coastal regions are inhabited by both Hellenic and Teuton peoples. The inland regions are still Arab-dominated, but there is a small Teuton presence there.

As expected, all Hellenic peoples speak Greek, Alvak Teutons speak Teutonian, and Arabs speak Arabic. However, there is a small community of Chaldean speakers in the western areas, and also another community of Hollansk speakers located in Kettenburg.

Religion
Alvakalia has no official church, and the Alvak government is officially committed to religious pluralism. A large amount of Alvaks consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives.

Around 32% of the population (mostly Teuton) consider themselves to be atheist. The remainder is made up of Greek Orthodox (30%), Shia Muslims (19%), Teuton Christian (18%) and other groups (1%).

Cities
Alvak provinces with capital cities

Culture
Much of Alvak culture is formed from parts of mostly Teutonic, Hellenic, and some Chaldean and Arab lifestyles. Alvakalia has placed emphasis on equality and inclusiveness for all its people. Multiculturalism is often cited as one of Alvakalia's significant accomplishments, and a key distinguishing element of Alvak identity. In the Arab regions, cultural identity is strong, and many commentators speak of an Arab culture that is distinct from the more abundant Hellene-Teutonic culture. However, as a whole, Alvakalia is, in theory, a cultural mosaic - a collection of regional ethnic cultures.

Music
From the late '30s to the '50s, jazz was widely popular in Alvakalia. One notable person is Albert Mödel, who was instrumental in spreading the influence of jazz, blues, and many other genres. In 1949, he released his bestselling album, "My Favourite Things". The album went worldwide, with not one million but thirty million copies sold. More recently, an album was released, posthumously in his name, in 2006, named "Workings", selling 46,000,000 copies as of 2019. Today, jazz music still makes up a considerable amount of music Alvakalia exports, and it still has an influence on the music modern Alvak musicians, producers, and composers procure today.

Military marches are prominently used in the Alvak military. One notable composer of these marches is Georg Franz Ritter (1869-1940), who originally started composing marching music for the Teuton Army. During his time in Alvakalia, where he fled to in 1925, he composed the Alvak national anthem, the Alvaklied. Notable tunes include the Regimentsgruß, Teutonen Grenadiermarsch, and Teutonens Gloria, all of which are played regularly in ceremonies and parades. Another is Jungastiani-Alvak composer Ronaldo Brechtolt-Almeida (1900-2000), who composed several marches, including the world-famous Marcha do exército #9, also known as the Marsch von Jungastia in Alvakalia. He also co-composed several other tunes, like the Maart van Ambrosia with Tiperyn composer Tobias De Jong.

Teuton traditional music lives on in Alvakalia by making its way across the Eurybian through Teuton refugees in the 1925 evacuation.

Media
The largest internationally operating media companies in Alvakalia are the Brechtsmann enterprise, BKT SE and ProFunfSat.1 Media. The Alvak Press Agency APA is also significant. Alvakalia's television market is the third largest in Kesh, with some 40 million TV households. Around 90% of Alvak households have cable or satellite TV, with users spanning from the desert to the coast, with a variety of free-to-view public and commercial channels. There are more than 500 public and private radio stations in Alvakalia, with the public Alvakische Welle being the main Alvak radio and television broadcaster in foreign languages. Alvakalia's national radio network is the AVKRadio. The number of national daily newspapers in Alvakalia was 598 in 1950, whereas it was 375 in 1965. Today, there are 549 newspapers in circulation around Alvakalia, most being daily. Notable newspapers include Die Welt, the most-bought Teuton-language newspaper and Chronos, the most-bought Hellenic-language newspaper.

Health
Healthcare in Alvakalia is delivered through the provincial system of publicly funded health care. It is guided by the provisions of the Alvakalia Health Acts of 1927 and 1978 and is universal. Universal access to publicly funded health services is often considered by Alvaks as a fundamental value that ensures national health care insurance for everyone wherever they live in the country. However, 30% of Alvaks' healthcare is paid for through the private sector. This mostly goes towards services not covered or partially covered by the health care system, such as prescription drugs, dentistry and optometry. Approximately 65% to 75% of Alvaks have some form of supplementary health insurance related to the aforementioned reasons; many receive it through their employers or utilizes secondary social service programs related to extended coverage for families receiving social assistance or vulnerable demographics, such as seniors, minors, and those with disabilities. This, however, is subject to change, as in 2018 the Liberal Party put out a bill to reform the old 1978 bill.

Education
Alvakalia is one of the more educated countries in the world; the country ranks fourth worldwide in the number of adults having tertiary education, with 62% of Alvak adults having attained at least an undergraduate college or university degree. Alvakalia spends about 5.3% of its GDP on education. The country invests heavily in tertiary education (more than CR 20,000 per student). As of 2014, 79% of adults aged 25 to 64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, compared to the worldwide average of 75%.

Since the adoption of section 14 of the 1979 Education Act, education in both Teuton and Greek has been available in most places across Alvakalia. Alvak provinces are responsible for the provision of education. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years, contributing to an adult literacy rate of 97%. In 2002, 43% of Alvaks aged 25 to 64 possessed a post-secondary education; for those aged 25 to 34, the rate of post-secondary education reached 56%.