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 Southern Cordillia.

History

20th Century

The 20th century saw the powers of the aristocracy and the monarchs of Prydon contained with a new constitution, transitioning Prydon into a Constitutional Monarchy following a brief but bloody revolution in 1906. A brief period of prosperity and stability was disrupted by the breaking of the Great War, which prompted Prydon's largest economic depression. When the war ended, a full blown civil-war was fought between the Prydonian State and the Prydonian Communist Party between 1955 to 1959, which ended with the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Prydonian Socialist Federation. In 1965, the Federation was transformed as the new Ultravisionary Regime replaced the communists and created the current form of Prydon's government.

1906 Revolution

Main Articles: 1906 Prydon Revolution

King Ferdinand VIII died suddenly in 1901 a the age of 60. Although the late King's age was quite advanced for the time, his sudden death was rumored to be caused by a murder plot by the aristocracy. His grandson and successor, King Michael III, ended his grandfather's attempt to reform Prydon's bureaucracy and dissolved the Zemsky Sobor, attempting to reconsolidate power to himself as an autocrat. Michael III's background as military officer made him unsympathetic to his grandfather's enlightened aspirations, and he himself genuinely believed that his grandfather was poisoned by one of the aristocrats. His moves at centralizing control was proven to be unpopular, and massive protests soon broke out after the King announced the appointment of General Wielinovie, a brutal and oppressive officer during the Peasant Rebellions of 1889, into the position of Inspector General.

Revolutionaries protesting in Kostroya, 1906.

Wielinovie went on a purge over the aristocracy and citizens in Aetrinun to find the perpetrators of King Ferdinand VIII's death. Between 1905 to 1906, Wielinovie executed almost 200 people around Aetrinun, while the Prydonian Secret Police apprehended more than a thousand people of alleged conspiracy against the king. In 27th October, 1906, a group of petitioners marched through the Boulevard of Alvranie, towards the Blievie Palace, intending on petitioning the King to sack Wielinovie and end the purges. The unarmed petitioners was met by a volley by the royal guards which killed 51 people. The next day, angry mobs stormed the Royal Naval Academy and taken over PRN Zialechi. The ship's main batteries was aimed towards Blievie Palace and the Aetrinun Constable Office. Across the country, the news of the murder of the petitioners incited mass protests and strikes. Michael III sent a delegation to the harbor in 30th of October to speak with the masses, and managed to negotiate the end of the purges by 2nd of November. Wielinovie fled the country, leaving Michael III to accept a new constitution and the formation of the Lasornü, transforming Prydon into a constitutional monarchy.

The Great War and Prydonian Depression

Main Articles: Prydonian Depression of the 50s

Prydonian Civil War

Main Articles: Prydonian Civil War and Prydonian Socialist Federation

Communist take over of Aetrinun, 1959.

Led by the socialist Pyotr Heflinovich Karadzhov, the Prydonian Communist Party declared an insurgency and led a rebellion against the Kingdom that lasted for four years. The insurgency grew into a significant force, and in the last years of the war, the guerilla wars transformed into an all-out war. In 1959 Prydon's armed froces was eventually overwhelmed. When Aetrinun was captured, the royal family was forced to flee the country, and a treaty was signed with the remainder of the monarchist forces, paving the way for the establishment of the Prydonian Socialist Federation. The fighters under Karadzhov's leadership was transformed into the Revolutionary Guard, and became the main branch of the Prydonian armed forces.

Ultravisionary Regime

Main Articles: Ultravisionary Prydon and Nikolai Andrezhnev

Nikolai Andrezhnev in 1991.

In 1965, Karadzhov’s death led to Nikolai Kostrivich Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary faction acceding the leadership. Andrezhnev’s Ultravisionary Socialism forced massive modernization programs upon Prydon oriented to scientific and technological achievements, pushed on by a repressive government that sacrificed personal freedom and human rights in the name of 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 in 1983 and 1986, as well as the discovery of several highly radioactive substances that contribute to the periodic table. In 1996, Prydon announced the creation of high-speed maglev trains, as well as the utilization of electric public transportation vehicles. Nuclear fission technology was achieved in 1989, and the first Nuclear Power Plant was built to help supply the growing population of Aetrinun. Prydon also produces highly effective vaccines and exported it worldwide. Continuing Karadzhov's socialist ideals, Andrezhnev formed the Communes to serve as the most basic local political division of Prydon and as the basic bloc of Prydon's national government. The government provided social welfare programs to end poverty and malnutrition that was endemic before.

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

However, all of these achievements were conducted in high secrecy, utilizing forced labor with very limited safety regulations in scientific and engineering tests, which led to multiple horrible accidents covered up by the state. Ultravisionary Socialism asopted the model of Prydonian Syndicalism, and devolve more power towards the local Communes. However, economically, the central government remained the most powerful force in planning and price control. The High Council became essentially a rubber-stamp organization, approving everything that Andrezhnev's government proposed. To 'protect' the revolution, the National Security Bureau developed a massive all-spectrum domestic surveillance system, that includes cameras, microphones, radio and telephone interceptors on more than half of the population, especially urban-dwelling citizens. With advancing age, Andrezhnev left more and more power and responsibility to his elected Premiers, and retreated to his small dacha near Kostroya. However, the Director still attend official state functions, and still responsible for the appointment of Prydonian diplomats aboard, as well as receiving foreign dignitaries. Andrezhnev suffered a stroke in 1993, and was forced to use wheelchair ever since.

21st Century

Belaya River completely frozen in April, 2004.

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

Main Articles: Rosa Uprising and Rosa Reformation

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 convicted members fled the country.

Director Rosa with students in Solnevorn during 2010 Women's Day, 2010.

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 transfer of several political powers to the Premier position, weakening the Director's political capacity, as well as the banning of political parties and introduction of non-partisan democracy. Rosa founded the Prydonian Central Bank, and gave the national bank monetary control over the Ruble, preventing the mishandling that happened in 2004. Communes were also grouped into bigger regional governments, the Okrugs, 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, while the National Security Bureau was purged, and their domestic surveillance capabilities was stripped. In reference to Gavriil Rosa, the Uprising was named after his surname. Rosa would lead Prydon until 2015, when Finéyul was elected.

Geography

Topography and Hydrology

Main Article: Geography of Prydon

Landscape of Southern Prydon, where the Cordillian Mountains meets with the Marinkora Mountains, 2018.

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. The Belaya River, literally means White River, is the longest River in Prydon, running from South to North as the main feeder of glacial water melting from most of Prydon's glaciers. The river is the main source for irrigation and freshwater fisheries in Prydon, and its flow is heavily regulated through a series of water gates within hydroelectric dams that forms massive reservoir lakes.

The Plodorodnyy cropland in the northern half of the country is an alluvial plain formed from enhanced river sedimentation process caused by the sudden drop of altitude from the Cordillian Mountains. The cropland is straddled with smaller streams, and experienced seasonal flooding that left behind fertile mud that acts as natural fertilizer.

Climate

Köppen Climate Classification of Prydon.

Prydon experienced warm summer, and a longer, colder 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. The Belaya Valley experienced fast winds, that often became destructive during thunderstorm or blizzard seasons, causing damages to buildings and infrastructures.

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.

The central government of Prydon is comprised of the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary branches. The executive branch, consisting of the Council of Ministers, is headed by the Premier as Head of Government. The Premier forms the government by appointing ministers to positions within the Council. The Premier is elected by the High Council from amongst themselves, and each person can only hold the office once. In case of more than five candidates, the position is filled randomly using a lottery, ensuring that the two weeks window of Premier appointment is always met. 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. It is the most autonomous of all Prydon's central government institutions.

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 proposition 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 and accumulated if not used.

Lasornü Proceedings, 2018.

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. There are currently 340 members of the High Council, including the Premier and the Speaker. Since members of the High Council is elected from the Communes, Prydon only has two types of elections; the Communal Elections and the National Election to elect Director.

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 consisting of representatives appointed by the Communes. Leadership within the council rotated every year. The council operates numerous local government services, including emergency services and development planning. The Communes is the only directly elected Council in Prydon, elected every five year with rotating leadership every year. The Communes sent a representative to the Okrug and the High Council every years to represent their interest. 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. The Municipal Council also sent several of their members to the High Council, respective of the number of a municipality's population.

Economy

Main Article: Economy of Prydon

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

Lasvorn Business District in winter, 2011.

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. Since the fall of the Ultravisionaries, IT and telecommunication services has been privatized. 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

Fertilizer Factory in Prostelie Okrug, 2017.

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

Wheat Fields in Protelie, 2017.

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. Grain and cotton are cultivated around the Plodorodnyy plains, while corn and potatoes are grown inland. Other agricultural products include soybeans, tea, and maple syrup, mainly cultivated in the highlands and the mountains. Prydon has a substantial fishing industry, consisting mostly of farmed fish that went on to domestic consumption, or further processing into canned foods. Salmon and bass are some of the most popular fish farmed in Prydon. 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

Lasvorn Hydroelectric Plant, 2011.

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

Main Article: Prydonian Social Housing

State-Owned Residential Blocks in Solnevorn, 2009.

More than half of Prydonians live in social housing constructed by the government. Social Housing programs begun under the Ultravisionaries to combat rampant homelessness that was not addressed following the end of the Civil War. These housing offered very low rents, and some even pegged their rents to tenant's income. Today, social housing fell under the jurisdiction of the Okrugs. Quality and rents vary between Okrugs, with urban housing usually providing better quality, although having smaller lots. The remaining half of the population still own private properties, and thus pay taxes for their property ownership. This tax has been increased as the current government tries to cut business and industrial taxes.

Mass Transit

SMT Maglev Engine servicing Aetrinun, 2015.

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. Pryflot is the state-owned airline, and it only serves domestic flights with cheaper fares.

Education

Main Article: Education in Prydon

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 schools for their 7th to 9th years. For their 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 graduates move on to college to achieve specialty degrees. School construction and curriculum is under the jurisdiction of the central government. State colleges are subsidized, but private college is also a choice for Prydonian students. Prydon spent 7% of its GDP in education services in 2022.

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 subsidize drug purchases. Prydon spent 5.24% of its GDP in healthcare in 2022, and employ almost 200,000 people in health services.

Demographics

Main Article: Demography of Prydon

Historically, Prydon has a high ethnic diversity. However, policy of Prydonization, started by the Luniere Dynasty, and continued under the Federation and the Ultravisionaries left Prydonians to be the most dominant ethnic identity, comprising 78% of Prydon's total population. The Karnetvor population, which historically almost dominated the region, fell from 35% in 1870 to 18% today. The remaining 4% of the population consisted of the Alenian People, and immigrants.

Language

Main Article: Prydonian Language