Tyran Regional Application Thread

[Quen Minh]

Ditto.

[Azurlavai]

Approved,though I am curious as to where he wants to put down

[Shalum]

App looks fine to me

[Nalaya]

I approve as well, if Detectatia wants to hop on Discord to discuss a map claim.

[Azura and Montemayor]

I have no objections.

[Ossoria]

Applications are still open

[The Arthurian Isles]

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Application to Tyran

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Official Name of Nation:
The Arthurian Federation

Type of Government:
Federal Direct Directorial Democracy with an Elective Non-Hereditary Constitutional Principality

Head of Government:
Stortinget (The Federal Council)

Head of State:
Raðmaður Marý II

National Population:
8,341,600

Type of Economy:
The Søðs Moðel (Southern Model), in real-world terms the Nordic Model.

Some basic figures include GDP (PPP), which stands at US$423.126 billion, and GDP per capita (also PPP) at US$50,728.

Arthuria might typically be thought of as a socialist state: incredibly generous paternity leave, government-funded job training for the unemployed, free healthcare etc. But underlying these interventionist policies is a core of liberal economics. Public spending is 49% of GDP, but this has been in decline for nearly two decades and is continuing its downward trend. In the same period, public debt has more than halved from 70% of GDP to 34% thanks to a shift in the budget from an 11% deficit to a 0.8% surplus. A lot of this has come about by allowing private companies to provide public goods by competing for contracts alongside public providers (healthcare is a notable example of this). What this sort of system amounts to is not the free market guiding the public sector, but being allowed to contribute to a well-developed welfare state. Since the initial wave of liberalisation efficiency savings haven't budged much and there is continued debate about whether private firms provide the same quality as public-run services. In essence, Arthuria attempts to balance a competitive business environment with a high level of public provision of goods and services. It does not do so by sticking rigidly to the traditional free-market vs. planned economy dichotomy, but by focusing on the ends it wants to achieve (such as a higher quality of life, happiness and individual autonomy, among others) and determining which means will best accomplish them.

Arthuria's political system is well suited to this economic approach. Human capital is at the centre of the government's economic agenda, and its directorial democratic institutions offer an atmosphere of trust and stability which facilitates continued safe investment. Society's egalitarian nature and easy mobility further reassures Arthurians of the system's success and ensures their support for it. While the state does employ around 30% of the labour force, the focus of policy is on individual autonomy within an open economy rather than on state direction. This is why the private sector has been brought back into state policy after clumsy top-down planning of the mid-to-late 20th century (when Arthuria was an explicitly social democratic state). As one example of 'intelligent government', Arthuria uses a form of 'flexicurity' that allows firms to sack employees with considerable ease, but then uses government resources and facilities to provide these unemployed citizens with generous benefits and considerable assistance in finding new work. Similarly, the government uses resources to invest in innovation within problem areas, rather than trying to solve those problems through taxes which historically proved ineffective within Arthuria. Essentially, the government tends to turn political projects into business plans. In other areas, such as education, the government refuses to consider private involvement, but in these cases tends to offer a considerable degree of autonomy to the local providers rather than centrally-directing efforts.

In the 1990s, Arthuria suffered a deep recession following the collapse of a telecommunications bubble The government's long-term response has been to encourage a wider range of vocational courses throughout the education system and to support graduates in creating diverse start-ups through a venture-capital fund. The fund is controlled by the Federal Technological Innovation Agency, which works alongside large businesses to provide support and advice to high-potential start-ups. This example is simply to show that innovation and entrepreneurism are strongly encouraged in the Arthurian economic system. Its flaws are twofold: (1) many start-ups remain small in scale, or (2) they move abroad when they do begin to significantly expand. Recent government efforts to counter these problems have seen corporation tax reduced from 32% to 25%, and there is talk of further cuts.

A noteworthy strength of the Arthurian economy is its financial services industry. It is the largest single sector by far, benefiting from an extremely stable political situation (Arthuria has not seen war for over two centuries now), a long-term commitment to the industry, a neutral environment which can interact with all of the countries of the world, and strong secrecy laws which draw (sometimes unsavoury) foreign custom.

Onto the major flaws. As already mentioned, larger corporations tend to head abroad at the sight of corporation tax rates. The balance of trade is also hugely in the red, for though Arthuria produces some goods, they are high-end and are not exported in the same quantity and value as most consumer goods. This has made Arthuria heavily dependent on foreign markets and the health of the overall world economy, and is not helped by mild protectionist policies still in place against outside imports. The balance of trade deficit also highlights the Arthurian reliance on imports of raw materials and mid-range consumer goods, of which few are produced or extracted within the Isles themselves. A tipping point has now been reached, andArthuria is officially in recession. A final, and potentially much darker weakness, is that while income equality is higher-than-average amongst Arthurians, the immigrant community is noticeably worse-off in terms of employment and income. Government programmes have so far not been able to assuage these social problems, and crime in immigrant communities is on the rise, causing a minor backlash against them by native Arthurians and a climbing re-emigration rate.

Brief Description of Nation (culture, society, politics, ect.):
In one word: brooding. The best way to describe Arthuria's culture, society and politics might be to see how its people act and its laws operate. For this, there are three levels of analysis. On the first level, the social facts, for example:

• Its protection of personal privacy
• Its liberal abortion laws
• Its abundant Basic Rights
• Its reluctant acceptance of firearms
• Its collective bargaining culture
• Its global pro-LGBT+ stance
• Its liberal marijuana laws
• Its digital privacy laws
• Its inclusiveness of women
• Its high levels of safety
• Its long-time support of same-sex marriage
• Its tolerance of short-shorts
• Its complex social insurance scheme
• Its constructed and logical language
• Its abhorrence of the death penalty
• Its unique calendar
• Its dislike of tipping

On the second level, the political events, such as:

• Its permanent, armed neutrality
• Its federal structure
• Its embrace and then abandonment of nuclear weapons
• Its pursuit of free trade
• Its directorial head of government

Finally, on the third level, the behaviour and mindset of individuals within Arthuria is most revealing of the country's culture and outlook. This can be seen in:

• The response of Runný Arnadóttir to an invitation to Verona
• Thor Hammarskjöld's visit to Koppurauth
• Stortinget's discussions during the Karasian War
• The conduct of its team during the Noctur Cup
• Hafey Sturludóttir's presence at the Hass Tribunal
• The reaction of Zander to his father's death
• Lief Kierkegaard's thoughts on war
• Thor Hammarskjöld's thoughts on intervention
• Andri's discovery that his best friend is dying

Preferred Climate:
Straddling the Arctic or Antarctic

Roleplaying Example or Links:
The above links include a number of roleplaying examples. However, here are some additional ones which are probably my favourites yet:

• On Tea - my first story and still my favourite. It explains Arthuria better than almost any other post, I believe.
• On Bureaucracy - an attempt at a more military story, and at dark humour.
• Noctur Press Association - a news article on the Noctur Cup, a regional football tournament, to show that I can contribute to any media posts.

[Arkoenn]

I see no reason to object. You've got my approval, Arty.

[Quen Minh]

Me too as well.

[Azurlavai]

Oh-for-3 approved.

[Gylias]

Looks impressive. Voting in favour of Arty.

[Acrea]

Approved

[Nalaya]

I approve as well.

[Tennai]

Looks good to me.

[Springstile]

Application
Official Name of Nation: The Dominion of Springstile
Type of Government: Parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy
Head of Government: Edouard Nanteso, may be redetermined depending on the Springstile canon in Tyran.
Head of State: To be determined.
National Population (cannot be larger than 300 million): 26,017,806
Type of Economy: Regulated market
Brief Description of Nation (culture, society, politics, ect.): Officially the Dominion of Springstile, also and commonly referred to as Springstile or unofficially as The Dominion or The Tropical Dominion, is a self-governing maritime dependency...

...The basic industry of Springstiler economy is its primary industry, particularly: farming, fishing, pastoral, and mining operations and settlements. Resources gathered from these would either be sold for export or sold to be refined by the small yet growing secondary industry before being exported. Exports are traditionally bound for Demetish market but since the beginning of the Post-Industrial Revolution, Springstile has begun exploring other markets in the world and, eventually, those in the tertiary industry.

Bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, sugar, and tobacco are the dependency's high yielding farming resources. Beef and goat cheese from the pastoral societies. Metal ore and coal from the mining societies...

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Preferred Climate: Mediterranean
Roleplaying Example or Links (Please provide at least three individual posts or at least three paragraphs):

• Factbooks
• Social Media RP
• Daily Life RP
• LGBT Terrorists Murder National Hero (MT)
• Newspaper RP

[Gylias]

Application looks good to me so far.

[Shalum]

I second Gylias's opinion

[Syara]

I have no objections.

[Allamunnika]

I see no problem with it, but in light of what happened with Arty, it would be good to discuss with you, Springstile, where you see yourself fitting into the region.

[Toviara]

Please keep in mind, there is a lot of holes because I am still poking around and investigating the region, so I will be finishing this as I go.

Application
Official Name of Nation: Sydlige Confederacy (Consisting of the Free Røgland Republic, Vezlan Dominion, Ratana and the island of Nordrøg)
Type of Government: Multi-part Confederation of multiple democratic republics and one tribal association united by constitutional agreement
Head of Government: TBD
Head of State: TBD
National Population (cannot be larger than 300 million): 37 million (Røgland), 2.5 million (Vezlan), 9 million (Ratana), 152k (Nordrøg civilians)
Type of Economy: Mixed economy (free market socialists with elements of planning and socialized education, healthcare and public transportation system)
Brief Description of Nation (culture, society, politics, ect.): first settled in 1821, the Sørlige Riket (Southern Realm) were a small string of islands that the 3rd Nordic Republic of Azurlavai sought to colonize, expanding both their reach across the globe and bringing in valuable resources such as oil, opals, rubber and various metals. Though the industry to extract said materials would take decades to properly set up owing to both the distance of the new lands and the inhospitable nature of the landscape (not to mention a completely resistant native population), the colonists pressed on, eventually scraping an existence on both the northern island and the main landmass. They were proud patriots, flying the flag high over their towns in the Utigjen, the local name for the vast frontier spanning over the larger island. They saluted the flag, marched to the fife.

And then the 1st Great Border War happened in the 1920s. For a vicious beachhead in Shalum, over 600,000 Sørligers were drawn up to break the stalemate. The battle was an overwhelming disaster. For four months, the colonial troops threw themselves up the beaches and hills, dying in droves. Regardless, they started driving the Shalumites back further and further inland, showing even greater tenacity than their homeland comrades, gaining themselves a feared reputation.

Then the retreat in shame. Over a third of the colonial forces were dead, dying, wounded, captured or missing in foreign lands, and the Republic was pulling out. That war was a loss, and the name of Holstead still burns like a terrible cancer in southerner history.

When the People's Republic overthrew the government, the southern folk saw what was happening. Already, they'd been distancing themselves from home. They spoke differently, acted differently, saw religion, politics, even battle differently. They were scrub folk now, no longer mountaineers. And when they turned their eyes on home, they only saw strangers.

"Not another Holstead," was the statement issued when the main island, then known by the locals as Røgland (its modern name) issued the Declaration of Free South Peoples in 1932. And from there, it was a whole new ballgame. The Summer War followed. Fascist troops from the north came south to put their rebelling southern cousins in their place. They were repulsed. The expedition, already undermanned and poorly coordinated by the financial and political upheaval back home, was picked apart by guerilla fighters. The rebels refused to face the enemy tanks and troops head on, and picked them apart piecemeal. The PRA finally left in 1935. No treaty was signed.

The newly formed Free Republic didn't waste time. With the help of those on the islands nearby who had rebelled alongside them, they formed a new nation, preparing for the day the northerners would return. They even reached out to the locals, with whom they'd had long and bloody conflict, giving them over the second largest southern island in its entirely, a new home in exchange for cooperation. And with that, the Confederacy was formed. They built an army, then a navy, then an economy and a government, they reached out to their neighbors, to potential markets, trading away their valuable resources for what they couldn't make. And for alliances.

Today, the island cluster known as the Sydlige is a center of market commerce. Ships and planes constantly coming and going, trading and bringing goods to the islands. And the Confederacy has grown much stronger with their commerce, building their cities, claiming the Udtilbage as their own, harvesting ever more resources. Their defense forces are not vast, not the most advanced in the world, but they are dedicated to protecting their home. The islands don't completely get along, nor completely trust each other, but they know the world is vast, far larger than they are. And they will stand against it.

Preferred Climate: Close to the equator
Roleplaying Example or Links (Please provide at least three individual posts or at least three paragraphs):

(Coming when I have the time)

[Shalum]

After talking in the IRC and all of that, no real objections from me so far; more info is always welcome though.

[Khyragus]

Application
Official Name of Nation: The United Republics of Khyragus
Type of Government: Oligarchy
Head of Government: "The Committee" - A group consisting of the heads of 11 major governmental departments
Head of State: "The Committee" - A group consisting of the heads of 11 major governmental departments
National Population (cannot be larger than 300 million): 65 million
Type of Economy: State ownership of most major industries, mixed economy
Brief Description of Nation (culture, society, politics, ect.):

The United Republics of Khyragus is a medium-sized, developed nation. For much of its history, Khyragus was a relatively undeveloped agrarian state with little notable activity. The discovery of major natural gas fields in the 1940s brought about major change. The economy began to grow exponentially, which changed societal dynamics and ultimately brought about a brief revolution in 1949. The newly formed government was headed by "The Committee", a board of 11 high ranking government officials from various departments. The new government formed a state-owned energy corporation and used its revenue to advance and develop the nation further.

At the age of 20, following the completion of secondary school, all citizens take a standardized occupational placement test. Free higher education or vocational school vouchers are provided based on the results and the needs of the economy. Although not required to take an occupation based on their test results, almost all citizens do. Those with the highest scores are often employed with the government.

The backbone of the economy is the state-owned natural gas corporation. However, the government is well-aware that this is a non-renewable resource and has heavily invested in the creation of a large information technology sector. Major exports beyond liquid natural gas and computer hardware/software are maritime vessels, industrial equipment, and chemicals. The economy is heavily trade based, the lands of Khyragus are not particularly well suited for agriculture and this stands as a major import. The government employs automatic data processing and collection on a large scale to monitor and control the economy.\

Citizens living within Khyragus enjoy a wide variety of civil freedoms. Historically, the nation has had little discrimination against people of varying race, sex, sexuality, etc. so long as they are willing to work and contribute to society. Soft drugs, such as alcohol and cannabis are legalized and have high usage rates. Harder drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and psychedelics are legal as well, however they are more tightly controlled and regulated.

Preferred Climate: Desert and semidesert, preferably an island
Roleplaying Example or Links (Please provide at least three individual posts or at least three paragraphs):

This nation is an alt account of my main, Ionicus. Here is my storefront, albeit a bit unfinished. If you need more examples, feel free to look at the post history of that account.

[Ossoria]

All prior applications addressed via regional discord.

Applications are still open.

[The Unified Balkan States]

Application
Official Name of Nation: Greater Serbia
Type of Government: Fascist one-party semi-dictatorship
Head of Government: Deputy Nikol Jovanovich
Head of State: Chancellor Jovan Milosevic
National Population (cannot be larger than 300 million): 39 million
Type of Economy: Laissez-faire economic policy. Dependent on mining, cash crop agriculture, manufacturing, and arms production.
Brief Description of Nation (culture, society, politics, ect.): Serbian. Originating from the Dinaric race, the Serbian people are a South Slavic culture group. All of them speak Serbian, and typically use the Cyrillic alphabet. The people follow the Serbian Orthodox Christianity religion. Drinking and smoking are not frowned upon. The people are ethnically nationalistic, and are proud to be Serbian. Greater Serbia is a fascist one-party dictatorship that is situated as a stable and mostly homogeneous country. The 2008 uprising led by the popular Radical Party, has made the nation stronger and much more centralized, capitalizing on the nationalist nature of the Serbs. Society is mostly moderate, but leaning more and more right every passing day. Women can vote, drive, and serve in the military. Alcohol, tobacco, and steroids are legal. There are no speed limits on the central highways. There is one party that holds all of the power in the nation, the Radical Party. Other parties lose support miraculously every election. Taxation is kept a handle on, healthcare is private, the military, security, corporate welfare, and infrastructure are the main expenditures of the national budget. Other white ethnic groups include the Slovenes, Bosnians, and Croats. Bosnians and Croats are de jure citizens, but are de facto treated as lower than that. The 2008 uprising has seen a large increase in emigration from the country, mostly because of Bosnians. Immigration is difficult, a strong merit-based system, with a racial algorithm to filter in white, Christian people. Individual interviews by former national security personnel help to reveal the political beliefs of a person trying to immigrate to Greater Serbia.
Preferred Climate: Humid subtropical climate - Cfa
Roleplaying Example or Links (Please provide at least three individual posts or at least three paragraphs): A snippet from the 2008 uprising. - 5 Zastava trucks park into an alley adjacent, on a dark, drizzling-rainy night. The Radical Party's paramilitary, the Legion of the White Eagle, does the covert jobs of the Party to further their cause. 20 persons in field gray uniforms dismounted and walked a block towards the armory. Junior Legionnaire Zupan recieves a call from 'Unknown Caller', the green LED screen on his Nokia burner phone lights up and he answers: 'Hey brother, open the doors.'. 4 lightly rusted steel garage doors open, and the Party's military collaborators drag out the prize: 10 small pallets of military equipment. 5 privates go to retrieve the trucks, one at a time, loading each one at 10 minute intervals, using forklifts to quickly drop in the kit. They all briskly roll out, leaving for the local Party safehouse, a meeting point for platoons of young men. Many, many more of these missions had been carried out all across the UBS, stealing enough equipment to start 8 entire divisions for the Radical Party's objective: establishing Greater Serbia. Some of the missions failed, and blew their cover, but the media hasn't yet gotten the story, probably until tomorrow morning. Policemen have been stopped in the roads, on their daily jobs, presumably a move made by the paramilitary to pacify any future government resistance, the riot police and SWAT. Instead of policemen patrolling, the paramilitary men are cruising around in their 4x4s and delivery trucks. Now the game will be on - who will win this swiftly-started civil war?

[The Republic of Akashi]

<snip>

I see you've applied to both Ordis and Tyran. Do you have any particular plans which you will go with?