Applicant Informationa) Time on NationStates:- None
c) Other nations:- Ziehten [Defunct Nation from 2015]
d) Were you recommended to Ajax? If so, by whom? Has any member of the region spoken to you about joining or applying?IC Nation & Lorea) Nation's IC name:Nations and Protectorates of the Crown of Suvarova [Formal] | Suvarova [Informal]
b) Brief description of your nation:Unified by Fyodor Suvarov, King of Budyobyshevsk over the course of the 17th Century, Suvarova still bears the name of their founders, despite their power having been reduced to a point where they aren't even the Head of their State anymore. A bloody revolution in the 19XXs granted a new constitution, bringing a Republican order to the nation. The monarchy was retained purely to give a legal basis for national unity and prevent its balkanisation.
As of current year, Suvarova consists of 16 constituent nations and some hundred or so „Protected Nations“. (Constituent Nations were held by the Suvarov Emperor in formal personal union prior to revolution. Protected nations had some semblance of sovereignity but had sworn fealty to the Emperor.) Federal Law in the protected nations is commonly enforced by means of a Steadholdership, which is commonly held by a neighbouring nation. Steadholdership grants the legal entity holding it special taxation rights within the protected nation, while being held responsible for legal and administrative matters there. A small selection of larger protected nations are held within Federal Steadholdership.
The Federation and the Constituent Nations all follow a Bicamerical, Representative Democracy as outlined in the Constitution of 19XX. The Lower Chamber is directly elected in a proportional system, while the Upper Chamber follows a First-past-the-Post system. A simple majority in both chambers is required for laws to pass, both have equal legislatve rights. Foreign Affairs, National Security & Defence, Industry, Education and Agriculture are considered Federal Matters of legislation. All other issues are decided within the Constituent Nations.
The Protected Nations vary in political makeup. In general, the constitution doesn't apply within their territory, meaning political and individual freedoms are frequently not guranteed. In addition, in general, their inhabitants can not vote in Federal Elections. In recent years, there has been a vocal movement demanding these rights, but its frequently counterweighed by the notion that such reforms would undermine the sovereignity of the Protectorates. Combined with high poverty, some protectorates are hotbeds of political and related violence.
Some constituent nations have since passed bills allowing nations under their Steadholdership to participate in the local parliaments. The federal government, currently under a statist/conservative government, remains undecided on the issue though.
c) Nation's type of government: Federated Constitutional Monarchy | „Crowned Republic“
d) What languages are spoken in your nation?The major languages are:
Russian (Official Language of the Federation | Official Language in: (High) Kingdom of Budyobyshevsk; (High) Kingdom of Beloksa, Kingdom of Belenezh, Confederacy of the Central Kingdoms and Berevichi, Kingdom of Ulagarsk, Kingdom of Podozov, Kingdom of Sevemara, Grand Duchy of Arzantsy-Minustroma, United Kingdoms of Abarinsk & Ulaleuz, Kingdom and Capital Territory of Fyodoropol)
Ukrainian (Spoken primarily in the South of the Nation | Official Language in: (High) Kingdom of Marnov, Grand Duchy of Khorlaiv)
Belarusian (Spoken primarily in the East of the Nation | Official Language in: Kingdom of Ashtsavichy, Principality of Zhloda)
Polish (Spoken primarily in the West of the Nation | Official Language in: Grand Duchy of Bybrowa, Northwestern March)
For Protectorates, in general, the official language of the Protected Nation is the same as in the Constituent Nation by which the Steadholdership is held. Some minor Protectorates use Turkic or Finno-Ugric languages. Lastly, there is a series of German speaking enclaves, most of which are contained within the High Kingdom of Budyobyshevsk and its neighbouring states. However, the four languages listed above make up roughly 85% of the population [Around 65-70% is Russian speaking]
e) What ethnic groups are present in your nation?Over 95% of the population of Suvarova would identify as Slavic in a Census, but in general, race isn't something most people would define themselves by (For self-defining, the preferred measures are „Nationality“ (i.e. Which State they belong to), Religion and Language, in that order.)
f) What are the major religions among your population?Religiously, the country is roughly divided as follows:
The High Kingdoms of Beloksa and Marnov, the Kingdom of Belenezh, the Central Kingdoms, the United Kingdoms, the Grand Duchies of Khorlaiv, and the Capital of Fyodoropol are largely „Old Believers“, adhering to Christian Orthodoxy.
The Grand Duchy of Bybrowa, the Northwestern March in the West of the Empire, and the Principality of Zhloda in the Far East, are „New Believers“, adhering to a reformed form of Christianity based largely around communal organisation of the Church and the principle of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide.
The High Kingdom of Budyobyshevsk, aswell as the Kingdoms of Ashtsavichy and Podozov have a mixture of both beliefs, although both groups are heavily regionalised.
Two further aspects are important when trying to understand religion in Suvarova:
First, within some Protected States, commonly more rural and significantly more autocratic than the Constituent Nations, religion can be a serious political topic even in the 21st Century. This is mainly caused by the fact that Article X of the Glorious Constitution of 19XX does not generally apply within Protected Nations, meaning that Religious Freedom is no gurantee there. Combined with the fact that not to few Protected Nations are ruled by a minority majority leadership, this has made Religious Repression the most cited reason for Internal Asylum Grants.
Judaism is comparatively prevalent, with ca. 1% of the population identifying as Jewish. In recent years, the Jewish population has noted a significant drop following increased emigration to Yisrael.
g) Briefly describe your nation’s military (including size, role, branches, etc.):The Federal Armed Forces (FVS) are divided into three ministerial departments:
The Ministry of Defence | MO – Responsible for National Defence against foreign threats
The Ministry of Internal Affairs | MVD – Responsible for Internal Defence within the Constituent Nations
The Ministry of State Security | MGB – Responsible for Internal Defence regarding the Protected Nations
With regards to National Defence, the Federal Armed Forces have been following a dual doctrine since the mid 80s, identifying two threats to its Security:
Neighbouring nations attempting to annex hypothetical breakaway states; and Global Powers attempting to puppet hypothetical breakaway states. For both, the MO has identified a First Strike policy as the most wise approach.
For the purposes of combatting neighbouring nations, the FVS fields two branches: The Army and the Frontal Aviation Command. The Army, mainly structured around its Armoured Divisions and Artillery Support would strike quick and decisively in a potential major land war, protected from Aerial strikes by the Frontal Aviation. The MO assess this element of National Defence to be well working.
For the purposes of defeating foes that have strong force projection, the MO considers responsible: The Navy, the Long-Range Aviation Command, the Missile Command, the Airborne Troops Command, and the Air Defence Command. The plan for such a war is as follows: The Long-Range Aviation, equipped with a series of strategic bombers, interdictors and reconnaissance aircraft, together with the Missile Command, would strike first, followed by a second strike from the Navy's missile submarines and guided missile cruisers. A third, boots-on-the-ground assault could be conducted the Airborne Troops. The Air Defence Command, equipped with surface-to-air missiles and interceptor aircraft would be responsible for defending against potential retaliatory strikes.
The MO assesses this element of National Defence to be well working publicly, although many have questioned the capabilities of the Long-Range Aviation, the Airborne Troops and the Air Defence Command in recent years. Others have dubbed the entire strategy as „Risky“ and „Coinflipping“
The MVD and MGB maintain their own, ground based troops for their respective missions. The MVD has somewhere between 150,000-200,000 conscripts serving in its ranks at the moment, which are roughly evenly split between guard duties at important facilities (Government Facilities, Factories, Power Plants, Railroads) and riot police duties.
The MGB has roughly 50,000 volunteers in its service (Conscription doesn't apply within the Protected Nations) which are stationed in the respective Protectorates. Their duties are mainly keeping the local government in check, regulating migration (Emigration from the Protected Nations remains a huge national issue), and policing the area (Many Protected Nations have know police force of their own).
j) Critically discuss the strengths of your nation (esp. military & economic) and what role you see your nation fulfilling in the region.Military Strenghts: While highly armed with weapons capable of significant destruction at a global reach, it should be noted that the FVS has no plan of force projection that doesn't involve the use of strategic weaponry like ballistic missiles and bombs. The Armed Forces are incapable of assisting in any „Soft Force“ approach.
Economic Strenghts: While having a large pool of natural resources and a strong agricultural industry, Suvarova lacks both the manpower and know-how to process most of it. While there is a heavy and chemical industry, it mainly serves Suvarova's domestic market and lacks the size to export significantly.
h) If asked to reduce the strength of your nation, how would you do so? I personally think the overall concept is fairly balanced, so I think strenght reductions would likely be played in numbers. Willing to reduce any though ~
IC Economics & Geographya) Nation's IC GDP per capita: somewhere in the 12,000-18,000 NSD Range
b) Nation's IC population: 62,000,000 Inhabitants
c) What does your nation excel in exporting? Grains, Fossil Fuels, Industrial Hardware
d) What does your nation need to import? Financial Services, Computer Hardware, Manufactured Goods
e) What is your country self sufficient on? Agriculture, Natural Resources.
f) What is your preferred location on the regional map? https://imgur.com/a/8nMX6ZyRoleplay HistoryAs mentioned on Discord, my last nation was created when I was ~15 and had a rather lacklustre grasp of the English language. (Or politics, tbf)