Prydon (Pacifica)

Republic of Prydon Praydon Laséia (Prydonian) Прайдонь Республика (Karnetvorian)
Flag Coat of Arms
Anthem: Wondrous Future Fine Hünien Прекрасное далёко
Capital	Lasvorn
Largest city	Aetrinun
Official languages	Prydonian
Recognised regional languages	Karnetvorian
Ethnic groups (2020 census)	78% Prydonian 18% Karnetvorian 4% Others
Religion (2020 census)	74% Western Orthodoxy 11% Irreligious 9% Catholicism 3% Islam 2% Protestantism
Demonym(s)	Prydonian
Government	Unitary Semi-Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
• Director	Alexander Hüviévich Finéyul
• Premier	Vasilly Masillevich Aequi
• Council Speaker	Maria Kostroyavich Finevié
Legislature	Lasornü (High Council)
Independent state
Area
• Total	137,322 km2 (53,020 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 census	46,329,022
• Density	337/km2 (872.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$566.19 billion
• Per capita	$12,221
Gini (2020)	38.7 medium
HDI (2020)	0.774 high
Currency	Prydonian Ruble (PRb) (PRB)
Time zone	UTC-2
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy CE
Driving side	left
Calling code	+47
World Forum Code	PY
Internet TLD	.py

Prydon, officially the Republic of Prydon (Prydonian: Praydon Laséia)(Karnetvorian: Прайдонь Республика) is a sovereign nation located in the southern cone of the Cordillian Continent, west of the Cordillian Mountain Ranges. Prydon shares the region with Karnetvor and Techganet, while it borders the Cordillian Sea to the West, and the Cordillian Mountains to its east. The nation straddles the vale of the Belaya River, and occupies an expansive flat terrain known as the Plodorodnyy Croplands. There are 46 million citizens of Prydon, spread across a territory of around 137 thousand kilometres square. Prydonian and Karnetvorian are the main ethnic groups residing in Prydon.

Prydon is a Unitary Semi-Parliamentary Republic, with its capital in Lasvorn, an ancient tradepost deep in the heart of the country. The nation is fairly decentralized, and is separated into 17 Okrugs. Prydon’s largest cities included Aetrinun, Kostroya in the north, Solnevorn, and Setrivié in the south. Aetrinun, the largest city of Prydon, is a bustling metropolis, serving as the economic and cultural centre of Prydonians, as well as being one of the major urban centres of Cordillia.

History

20th Century

Prydonian Civil War

Led by the socialist Pyotr Heflinovich Karadzhov, the Prydonian Communist Party declared an insurgency and led a rebellion that lasted for four years until 1959, when a truce was signed and the Prydonian Socialist Federation was established.

Ultravisionary Regime

Progress-5 launching in 1989, sending a geostationary communication satellite to orbit.

In 1965, Karadzhov’s death led to Nikolai Kostrivich Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary faction acceding the leadership. Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary Socialism forced massive modernisation programs upon Prydon oriented to scientific and astronomical achievements, pushed on by a repressive government that sacrifices personal freedom and human rights for progress. Prydon became a closed and isolated country on the world stage. The 70s and 80s saw Prydon achieve exemplary scientific and engineering achievements, including the launching of a dozen communication and scientific satellites, two missions to land equipment on the surface of the moon, as well as the discovery of several highly radioactive substances that contribute to the periodic table. In 1995, Prydon announced the creation of high-speed maglev trains, as well as the utilisation of electric public transportation vehicles. Prydon also produces highly effective vaccines and exported it worldwide. However, all of these achievements were conducted in high secrecy, utilizing of forced labor with very limited safety regulations in scientific and engineering tests, which led to multiple accidents covered up by the state.

21st Century

The 21st century saw a drastic social and economic change in Prydon. In 2004, concurrent thunderstorms and blizzards caused a harvest failure and a massive shortages of food. In the attempt to rectify the situation, the government went on to import all of the bare necessities to keep price stability. However, due to Prydon's limited interaction with the rest of Pacifica, they quickly ran out of foreign reserves and depreciating the Ruble. Prices eventually soared and Prydon is gripped inside an economic crisis that it has never seen before. In 2005, Director Andrezhnev died and a turbulent struggle within the Ultravisionaries that followed did not help stabilising the situation. In April, 2005, military vehicles entered Lasvorn in support of the former Revolutionary General Lev Juvinevich Kifinelie.

Rosa Uprising

Protestors making barricades near the governmental complex, 2005.

Kifinelie's asscension was followed by the leaking of several state secret, including the inhumane treatment of Prydonian workers, as well as the massive all-spectrum domestic intelligence that has been developed ever since the Ultravisionaries came to power. A protest in Lasvorn turned into a bloody skirmish that killed 112 protestors and wounded several police. The skirmish forced Kifinelie to announce an emergency, and calls in the Revolutionary Guard. The brutal oppression in Aetrinun killed a further 20 protestors, but when documents of rampant corruption within the Ultravisionary's ranks, the Guard refused further orders and mass desertion ensued. In December, 2005, Kifinelie announced his resignation and calls for a nation-wide election. The Ultravisionaries was ousted from power, and many of their members fled the country.

Maria Tulienovna Rosa, a prominent leader of the protest, and the mother to one of the killed protestor in Lasvorn, Gavriil Rosa, was elected as the new Director of Prydon and initiated a series of reforms that democratize the nation and ends the oppressive government. Several of the reforms included the banning of political parties and introduction of non-partisan democracy. Communes were also grouped into bigger regional government, the Okrug, and local governments were empowered at the expense of the central government in Lasvorn. The Anti-Corruption Bureau was formed, and given an independent position to act without interferrence from the any other parts of the government. In reference to Gavriil Rosa, the Uprising was named after his surname. Rosa would lead Prydon until 2015, when Finéyul was elected. Finéyul would pursue a more neoliberal reform towards the economy, ending the heavy tariff burden for imported goods, and reliquishing price control over most products except for the most essential.

Geography

Topography and Hydrology

Prydon is located in a valley, in between the Cordillian Mountains to the east and the smaller Marinkora Mountains to the West. Altitude dropped steeply between the mountains and the valley which is mostly flat. After the drastic drop, altitude dropped very slowly from the South to the North. The Belaya River, literally means White River, is the longest River of Prydon, running from South to North, and became the main feeder of water coming from most of Prydon's glaciers. It is the main source for irrigation and freshwater fisheries in Prydon, and is heavily regulated. The Plodorodnyy plains in the northern half of the country is an alluvial plains formed from sedimentation caused by the sudden drop of altitude from the Cordillian Mountains. The area is straddled with smaller streams, and is very well suited for agriculture.

Climate

Prydon experienced a short but warm winter, and a longer, cold winter. Prydon has a temperate and arid climate, with arctic conditions found in mountain tops. The Plodorodnyy Plains in the northern half of Prydon received the biggest precipitation, due to its location facing the warm currents of the Cordillian Sea. The southern half of the country exhibit an arid climate, caused by the mountain-shadow effect that drastically reduces precipitation. Rivers are fed by glaciers, running down from the snow-capped mountain ranges.

Administrative Divisions

Prydon is separated into seventeen administrative ‘Okrugs’, or regions. Each Okrug is further divided into ‘Communes’, each having between 20,000 to 50,000 citizens. Urban centres are administered as Autonomous Municipalities, that organise themselves into ‘Rayons’ instead of Communes.

Government and Politics

Central Government

Kostrinie Building, the Seat of the Council of Ministers and the Premier Office, 2008.

Central government of Prydon comprised the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary branches. The executive branch, the Council of Ministers, is headed by the Premier as Head of Government, which forms his/her government by appointing ministers to the Council. The Premier is elected by the High Council every year from amongst themselves, with each person can only held the office once. Together with the Council of Ministers, the Premier may propose laws, or enact Executive Decrees. The Planning Ministry is one of the biggest institution in Prydon, and is responsible for publishing annual production quotas and development focus for Prydon.

The Director is the Head of State of Prydon, acting as the Chief of the Armed Forces, and also the first Inspector General of the National Police. The Director represents Prydon's national interests abroad, as well as appointing diplomatic positions, receiving foreign dignitaries, and the power to give official pardons through the propoition of the Premier. He/she is directly elected by citizens for every ten years, and can only hold the office once. The Director also has veto powers to block the passage of legislations and executive decrees. The veto powers of the Director is limited to two veto for every year, however the vetoes can be compounded to accumulate.

The High Council is the sole unicameral legislature of Prydon’s central government. The Council consisted of members appointed by Local Councils in Communes to represent them for a year. The High Council meets seven times every year, where they approve government budget and yearly economic plans, as well as approving or preventing executive decrees into laws. The Council Speaker is elected from amongst the members of the Council. Since members of the High Council is elected from the Communes, Prydon only has two types of elections; the Communal Elections and the Director Election.

The judiciary role of Prydon's central government consisted of the Supreme Court. The Court comprises seven judges, two of whom are appointed by the Premier, two by the High Council, and three by a random lottery. All Supreme Court candidates must've served in the judicial system of Prydon for at least 10 years. The Court handles constitutional and cassation matters, and its ruling is considered the highest precedence in Prydon.

Local Government

Each Okrug is led by a Local Council elected every five years. Leadership within the council rotated every year. The council operates numerous local government services, including emergency services and development planning. The Communes is similarly led by a People's Council, elected every five year with rotating leadership every year. Communes has bigger role in local planning, including road construction, agricultural expansion, and support for the informal sector.

Autonomous Municipalities are led by Mayors, elected for every five years. A Municipal Council acts as the municipality’s legislative body, also elected every five years. Municipalities combined Okrugs and Communes responsibilities, while the Rayons underneath it only serves as administrative designation to help with organisation.

Economy

Lasvorn Business District in winter, 2011.

The Prydonian government maintained a devolved form of planned economy, where the government organises companies in the form of cooperatives. Private ownership, and small to medium businesses are legal, and play crucial roles within the economy. But labour intensive productions are organised into autonomous cooperatives, owned by the workers themselves. The government set quotas for local cooperatives to meet, and share export profits made from excess productions as incentive. Prices are not controlled, and each cooperatives are allowed to compete under their own brands in a regulated market. All essential goods, however, are controlled by the state to maintain constant supply. These essential goods include grain and flour rations, cooking oil and gas, vehicular fuel, electricity and water.

Services

22% of Prydon's workforce are employed in the service sector. The service sector is dominated by the government, with healthcare and education comprise the majority of service employment. Banking and finance, IT and technology filled the second and third place by employment respectively. The informal sector is still the biggest provider of services in Prydon. Most of the informal sector is dominated by family-owned generational businesses, and street vendors. Although untaxed, the government acknowledge the informal sector's role in Prydon's economy and supported several loan subsidies to ease newly formed businesses.

Manufacturing

Workers in a garment factory in Kostroya, 2016.

31% of Prydon's workforce are employed in the manufacturing sector. Prydon's manufacturing sector mainly produces low-end consumer goods and textiles, with smaller output for household appliances and heavy machinery. Textiles remained Prydon's biggest export, and the biggest source of employment within the manufacturing sector. Prydon produces low and high-end garments, shoes, and other accessories. Apart from textiles, Prydon also produce and export canned and processed foods, household electric appliances, cutleries and kitchen wares. Manufacturing base of Prydon is scattered along the Belaya River, but mostly concentrated near larger cities and transportation centers. Several priority cooperatives are directly owned by the state, especially food processing plants that produce basic food products, to maintain price stability.

Agriculture

Prydon is still a heavily agrarian nation, with 45% of its population employed in this sector. Prydon produces grain, cotton, and staple fruits and vegetables. Prydon exported grain, while cotton production was oriented to supply the textile industry. Other agricultural products include soybeans, tea, and maple syrup. Prydon has a substantial fishing industry, consisting mostly of farmed fish that went on to domestic consumption. The entire agriculture sector is based on farming communes established by the government, but a growing amount of home-grown agriculture began to enter local markets.

Tourism

Prydon's ancient ruins and preserved countryside attract worldwide tourism. Although not a substantial employer compared to other sectors within Prydon's service industry, tourism is gaining traction amongst local communes, which still dominate hospitality service in Prydon. In 2023, around 300,000 foreign tourists visited Prydon. Domestic tourism is till the main source of growth for Prydon's tourism sector.

Energy

Aetrinun 3rd Nuclear Power Plant, 2018.

Prydon supplies most of its electricity from hydroelectricity. The steep mountainous terrains allow for numerous hydroelectric dams to be constructed along the ravines. Bigger dams are constructed along the Belaya River, creating huge reservoirs for irrigation and fisheries. Five nuclear power plants has been constructed across Prydon, providing electricity to mostly urban areas. Prydon relies on oil and coal imports to support its industry, as the nation produce little to none of unrenewable fuel source, except for natural gas. Prydon also has a high potential for geothermal energy.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure responsibility is split between the Central Government, the Okrugs, and the Communes. The Central Government is responsible for providing healthcare and education services, as well as national transportations and energy infrastructure. Local Okrugs are responsible for emergency services, housing, and regional transportation. Communes are responsible for local transportation networks, public spaces and recreations, water access, and local garbage and sewage services.

Housing

More than half of Prydonians live in social housing constructed by the government. These housing has very low rent, and some even pegged their rent to incomes. Quality and rents vary between Okrugs, with urban housing usually providing better quality, although it has smaller lots. The remaining Prydonians still own private properties, and thus pay taxes for their ownership.

SMT Maglev Engine servicing Aetrinun, 2015.

Mass Transit

There are two main transit choices available to Prydonians, through the National Highway network, or using the Railway. Railways are separated into national, inter-region, and commuter lines, each with different fares set by different authorities. Aetrinun also has a metro system, built in the 80s to accommodate the growing population. High-speed Maglev train has been developed since the 90s, and now connect the country North to South, passing through every major urban centres, but with a higher fare than national lines. River navigation is dominated by industrial and agricultural transport, carrying higher volume than railways, although with lower speed. Aerial transportation is miniscule in Prydon, with most air traffic coming from the military, or international flights.

Education

Education in Prydon is completely free, up until secondary education. Education in Prydon is compulsory for 12 years. From 1st to 6th year, students attend primary schools, before going into junior secondary school in 7th to 9th years. In 10th to 12th years students can choose to attend high schools or vocational schools. 81% of Prydonian currently enrolled in the workforce came from vocational schools, while high school students could then went on to college for a degree. School construction and curriculum is under the jurisdiction of the central government. Higher education is subsidised within state colleges, but private college is also a choice for Prydonian students.

Healthcare

State healthcare services in Prydon are free, but private healthcare providers are also operating, offering higher quality but with a much higher cost. Healthcare services fall under the jurisdiction of the central government, which also subsidise drug purchases.