Your opinion on a interesting fact about the AN (II)

[North German Realm]

That's... not as bad as it might be. I'm more worried about the age difference itself than I am with an arbitrary ageline. A 50 year old man marrying a 16 year old girl is as bad as it would be if she were 9, 13, or 18.

---

(posting this again, I'll work on a new fact next time, luck be willing)
Cyprus was formally granted its independence by the British Commonwealth in late 1963. Within seven weeks, the Republic of Turkey, following the example of the Federation of South Africa a decade earlier, declared war on Cyprus, arguing that the island being part of the Ottoman Empire was justification enough for an annexation. The invasion was doomed from the start. Israel immediately dispatched its fleet to the island to aid in its defense, Persia, Hashemite Arabia, Greece, and Bulgaria immediately began a land invasion of Turkey from four sides, while the Commonwealth of Nations (at that point made of nine states including the British Commonwealth Itself) similarly mobilized for war. While the Turkish invasion force was crushed within seven days of the declaration of war, the true end of the war did not end until an army of 80,000 Turkish Cypriots, collaborating with Turkey to establish a Turkish state on the island, were crushed in Rizokarpaso on 13 January 1964. The Treaty that solidified the peace between the two powers (legally, the Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Turkey) formally returned a population of 500,000 Turkish Cypriots back to Turkey. The annual celebration of the Battle of Rizokarpaso has been a point of feud between Cyprus and Turkey ever since.

[The Empire of Occitania]

Given how the world reacted to Turkey's invasion, the Turkish government and military were either stupid beyond comprehension to even consider an invasion of Cyprus given the current political climate, or they suffered a catastrophic military intelligence failure and made huge strategic miscalculations.

---

Empress Azalaïs I transformed Occitania from its old feudal system into a new, modern empire. For many, the memories of imperial Rome were for a third time, after Julius Caesar and Charlemagne, used to modify the historical evolution of Occitania. Widespread military reforms and the adoption of the regimental Imperial Eagle standards, coupled with a society-wide re-emergence of classical themes and architecture, and the glorification of their Latin roots, led Occitania to be hailed as the "Third Rome". These new Imperial Roman themes where not discouraged by Azalaïs I. Indeed, it could be interpreted that she even embraced this image, as during her coronation, her new Imperial Crown - which is still used to this day - featured a golden wreath at its base.

[North German Realm]

Given how the world reacted to Turkey's invasion, the Turkish government and military were either stupid beyond comprehension to even consider an invasion of Cyprus given the current political climate, or they suffered a catastrophic military intelligence failure and made huge strategic miscalculations.

---

Empress Azalaïs I transformed Occitania from its old feudal system into a new, modern empire. For many, the memories of imperial Rome were for a third time, after Julius Caesar and Charlemagne, used to modify the historical evolution of Occitania. Widespread military reforms and the adoption of the regimental Imperial Eagle standards, coupled with a society-wide re-emergence of classical themes and architecture, and the glorification of their Latin roots, led Occitania to be hailed as the "Third Rome". These new Imperial Roman themes where not discouraged by Azalaïs I. Indeed, it could be interpreted that she even embraced this image, as during her coronation, her new Imperial Crown - which is still used to this day - featured a golden wreath at its base.

(Turkey being too dumb to live is a hallmark of the world of NGR. They've invaded the Free City of Constantinople, and had their capital bombed to the point of absurdity, seven times between 1940 and 1993 (the last invasion thus far). In this particular case, they just genuinely didn't expect such a large, violent response. Especially from Bulgaria, Greece, and Iran. At that point, literally nobody did, given two of the three had a better relations with Turkey than they did with the British Commonwealth, and the other (Greece) actually was drafting plans for invading British Cyprus when it was granted its independence. /skip

[Earth Orbit]

Given how the world reacted to Turkey's invasion, the Turkish government and military were either stupid beyond comprehension to even consider an invasion of Cyprus given the current political climate, or they suffered a catastrophic military intelligence failure and made huge strategic miscalculations.

---

Empress Azalaïs I transformed Occitania from its old feudal system into a new, modern empire. For many, the memories of imperial Rome were for a third time, after Julius Caesar and Charlemagne, used to modify the historical evolution of Occitania. Widespread military reforms and the adoption of the regimental Imperial Eagle standards, coupled with a society-wide re-emergence of classical themes and architecture, and the glorification of their Latin roots, led Occitania to be hailed as the "Third Rome". These new Imperial Roman themes where not discouraged by Azalaïs I. Indeed, it could be interpreted that she even embraced this image, as during her coronation, her new Imperial Crown - which is still used to this day - featured a golden wreath at its base.

The Roman Empire is back, you say? Excellent! Classical themes and architecture are much better than their modern equivalents, and uniting a society under common values has an array of benefits. I do hope Occitania isn't going to attempt to take the land the Roman Empire held, however... that might cause some geopolitical headaches in today's world, especially seeing as WW2 wasn't too long ago!

---

New immigrants to the Federation - an everyday occurrence given the allure of its powerful economy and stable, strong society - are provided with a package of "barf bags" to keep on their person at all times. This isn't technically required, but anyone with a stomach weaker than solid iron gladly takes them the second they get off the shuttle. These bags are necessary because Federation stations generate the illusion of Earth gravity by spinning and exploiting the resulting centripetal force. That spin has a byproduct, however - the Coriolis effect, which exerts a slight but noticeable force on all objects within the station. Humans adapt to it quickly, but for the first week or so, it wreaks havoc on the inner ear, often resulting in sudden unexpected bouts of nausea and vomiting.

[Tundra Terra]

Well how thoughtful of you to make the transition as painless as possible for newcomers. We hold the opposite view except for certain conditions as the issue of immigration is a more...violent solution.

Tundra Terra is interesting from a governmental perspective that it requires all government departments, armies, and even property or territories to be simultaneously self-sufficient and also to be running at a budget surplus. The self-sufficiency is a standard requirement due to the military nature of the government and as such are under expected to be under threat of being cutoff from the rest of the nation in times of war. This solves many issues and allows the fight to be continued for as long as possible under such conditions and if it also helps prevent civillians suffering from from potentially fatal shortages even in times of natural disaster then so much the better. The budget surplus plan was entirely designed to make the government official inclined to be more frugal rather than to give into the temptation of corruption or constant cost overruns that plague many more modern governments and thus lead to financial instability or unpaid loans. Part of it includes a rollover program that adds the savings to the next years and keeps the money within the department. This has allowed the government on multiple fronts to constantly whip up the necessary funding from reserves for big projects, advancements, efficiency drives, and solving emergency situations with utmost speed. The end result is a government that is great with money and uses it to blow out its competition.

[Borgevia]

While the surplus part sounds good in combating corruption, that also means politicians can still spend on things that doesn't benefit the people so long as it's a surplus. Sounds like more stringent measures need to be in place as a surplus law won't be any different than no-surplus at all, a corrupt politician will spend on themselves first.

---

Borgovians are the biggest wasters of food in Latin America. They waste more than Mexico and Cuba combined. It's due to how Borgovia's dominant ethnicities are Chinese, Spanish, and Italian who combined make up the majority of the population's ancestral descent. In Italian and Chinese culture especially, they both love to feed people and find it 'dishonourable' if they don't provide enough for their guests. Due to this, if you don't leave leftovers on the table, you're telling your host you're still hungry and they are obligated to provide to you lest they be seen as cheap or poor; that isn't good for their 'reputation' among the community.

That's why restaurants tend to give free appetisers in the form of Olive Oil with Bread or Hummus with Vegetables (Atlantic coast) or Rice with boiled/steamed vegetables (Pacific coast) or plain salad with bread (Inland). Desserts are often free as well: Douhua or Che on the Pacific coast, Yogurt and/or Sholeh Zard Inland and Atlantic Coast. All of this to avoid being seen as "cheap" or "poor" because restaurants that appear to be in the red usually scare away customers. This results in a dining culture where you have to have leftovers or else the restaurant or host are obligated to keep feeding you into satisfaction to 'save face'. However, discarded foods, including coffee grounds and tea leaves, are composted per Federal Law regarding waste.

[Vulgaro-Graznavian Commonwealth]

I think feeding the people is weird. Unless if it's a homeless or hungry etc.





Some of people believes in that Graznavians are a fictional nation. They mean it's a mix of Vulgarians and Drakans. And that's true. Graznavians are posterity of vary criminals, peasents avoiding the taxes or servants victimized by their own lords. They settled down in Ural Mountains, in 5th century BC.

[Palmyrion]

I think feeding the people is weird. Unless if it's a homeless or hungry etc.





Some of people believes in that Graznavians are a fictional nation. They mean it's a mix of Vulgarians and Drakans. And that's true. Graznavians are posterity of vary criminals, peasents avoiding the taxes or servants victimized by their own lords. They settled down in Ural Mountains, in 5th century BC.

At least the present day is bright compared to the past. More power to them - they made their ancestors proud.

In Palmyrion, you can make a sentence - even an entire conversation - using the syllable ba and the national lingua franca, Palmyrian.

"Ba? Baba? Bababa ba? Baba!" (Really? Down? Is it going down? Get down!)

[Ostsee Empire]

That's actually kinda cool. I've heard of situations where words sound the same in some accents, but not something this extreme. I'm assuming "Baba" means 'down', because there is nothing else in this that I understand.

---

Despite having a relatively small colonial empire (five small islands in the Caribbean Sea and around 25% of what is now Gambia), Terra Mariana capitalized on trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. The slave trade alone made 10% of the country's annual income,while general trade coming from the colonies made a staggering 45%. That said, neither the trade nor the annual income was anywhere as high as what trading powerhouses like Venice, the Netherlands, and (to a certain point after the 18th century) Great Britain made.

[Gylthas]

I hope you did well in your colonial trading endeavours.

---

The Arnorian Guard unit of the Imperial Guard has a sub-unit that uses javelins and chariots, albeit only for ceremonial purposes. In regular combat, they are a mechanised cavalry unit, and would use IFVs and standard-issue firearms.

[Borgevia]

That's nice, great for performances and art which is essential for a culture to develop instead of mindless worker drones.

---

Borgovia does have its own unique holidays, but it's actually not as big as foreign holidays it adopted. For starters, the 15th of August (Ferragosto) and April 21st (Rome's founding) are Federal holidays so it's expected that no one works, not even retail workers though some restaurants stay open for gatherings. Other foreign days are Fiesta Nacional de Espana (Spanish), Lunar New Year (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian), Songkran (Thai), and Nowruz (Persian).

Lunar New Year, Fiesta Nacional de Espana, and 'Roma Day' are week-long holidays where it's expected that all government employees, students, and most unnecessary work are to take a break for the week to prepare for feasts and major community events. Songkran and Nowruz are days off often packed with grand events lasting throughout the week. Public transportation is mostly automated so there are people traveling from small areas that isn't hosting feasts to nearby places that does often creating holiday pedestrian traffic. Feasts would involve mock Gladiator sports by trained professionals, chariot racing, street food, dragon dancing, rodeo shows, cook-offs, competitive eating, Greco-Roman/Sinic stage performances, street performances, and others. The city of Santiago, which hosts the largest Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Malaysian population in Latin America, used to send every household red envelopes with an equivalent of 5 USD before the 1990s when the city exploded to over 7 million people.

The reason why Carnevale and Eid didn't get this kind of treatment is because of Borgovia's secularism. Anyone working during Ferragosto are to be paid double their hourly wages as it's a day of rest.

[Ostsee Empire]

I naturally oppose the glorification of Rome as a civilization in any capacity, so I'm not sure if this is a travesty to me or not, but as a general rule of law, this level of multicultural holiday celebrating is generally something to be applauded.

---

Despite having a relatively small colonial empire (five small islands in the Caribbean Sea and around 25% of what is now Gambia), Terra Mariana capitalized on trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. The slave trade alone made 10% of the country's annual income,while general trade coming from the colonies made a staggering 45%. That said, neither the trade nor the annual income was anywhere as high as what trading powerhouses like Venice, the Netherlands, and (to a certain point after the 18th century) Great Britain made.

[The Zravvisk]

Great Britain shutting down the slave trade must've hurt if it was 10% of your income. At least your colonies were profitable, glances at Scotland and the other European nations not in Western Europe.

After losing their home-planet, the Zravvisk did not plan to become nomads for the rest of their days. They tired colonizing many planets but they are failed. Many failed simply because they were a bronze age civilization trying to use space age tech they didn't understand out from the supervision of their ships' AI. Others failed because other nearby nations chased them off. Back then in the early days of the Armada the zravvisk were unusually hyper aggressive to anyone near them for reasons lost to history. Most of the galaxy saw them as a nuisance and if the zravvisk tried capturing an established colony or starting one near a civilization nation's boarders, a fleet would quickly arrive to drive them off. With all the failed colonies the zravvisk were remarkably stubborn in trying to make one work with them only giving up on finding a new home planet after centuries of failed colonies. Now the zravvisk see the stars as their true home and still have no habitual planets under their direct rule.

[Qachuynia]

I suppose that if you are driven off or otherwise fail every time you try to settle somewhere, you'll quickly adapt to the nomadic lifestyle. I do wonder what made them so aggressive back then though.

---

The Demarchist Commonwealth of Qachuynia disdains the political system of election by ballot, holding it to simply be way for the oligarchs to offer the masses the illusion of choice between various plutocrats. Instead, it relies on a system of sortition and direct democracy, referred to as Demarchy. This means that local leaders are selected much as one would be selected for jury duty; randomly chosen from a selection of candidates that meet the necessary criteria. This is considered by the Commonwealth to be far more in tune with the principles of Democracy than the oligarchical electoral system.

[The Empire of Occitania]

That seems like a poor system that doesn't really seem to solve the problems it is intended to. Firstly, who is it that is determining the "necessary criteria", and how exactly is direct democracy actually being combined with sortition? How does one gain the consent of the governed when those in government are selected at random? How does one guarantee that a government elected through sortition actually represents the views of the people they govern? And from where does a government elected through sortition derive its legitimacy without a popular mandate? This seems more undemocratic than democratic. Combining aspects of representative democracy with direct democracy, similar to Switzerland's political system, seems like a much better solution in my opinion.

---

Empress Azalaïs I, who ruled from 1792-1858 and who is remembered in Occitania and abroad as the "Mother of the Constitution (Occitan: la Maire de la Constitucion)" and the "Daughter of Liberty (Occitan: la Filha de la Libertat)", was once referred to by an emissary from the Tsar of Bulgaria as "Azalaïs Augusta" and as "Empress of the Romans". Whilst the emissary was corrected, this highlights how post-1792 Occitania was believed to be the "Third Rome" by much of Europe, as well as the general belief that Azalaïs I had resurrected the spirit of Rome and imbued it into the Occitan national identity.

[Qachuynia]

That seems like a poor system that doesn't really seem to solve the problems it is intended to. Firstly, who is it that is determining the "necessary criteria", and how exactly is direct democracy actually being combined with sortition? How does one gain the consent of the governed when those in government are selected at random? How does one guarantee that a government elected through sortition actually represents the views of the people they govern? And from where does a government elected through sortition derive its legitimacy without a popular mandate? This seems more undemocratic than democratic. Combining aspects of representative democracy with direct democracy, similar to Switzerland's political system, seems like a much better solution in my opinion.

The system is largely based on the ideas of Athenian Democracy (although with significantly laxer criteria around participation) and Bookchin's communalism, so if you want a better idea of how it works those are a good place to start. Issues around legitimacy and accountability are common criticisms of the system, although with regards to accountability delegates can be recalled via a petition from the population that they represent. The idea is that by sampling from random selections of the population everyone's views will be represented, as opposed to representative systems where the representatives tend to overwhelmingly represent the dominant social group rather than society as a whole. It obviously isn't a perfect system, but there isn't really such thing.

If you have any other questions, feel free to TG me.

/skip

[Nouveau Quebecois]

That seems like a poor system that doesn't really seem to solve the problems it is intended to. Firstly, who is it that is determining the "necessary criteria", and how exactly is direct democracy actually being combined with sortition? How does one gain the consent of the governed when those in government are selected at random? How does one guarantee that a government elected through sortition actually represents the views of the people they govern? And from where does a government elected through sortition derive its legitimacy without a popular mandate? This seems more undemocratic than democratic. Combining aspects of representative democracy with direct democracy, similar to Switzerland's political system, seems like a much better solution in my opinion.

---

Empress Azalaïs I, who ruled from 1792-1858 and who is remembered in Occitania and abroad as the "Mother of the Constitution (Occitan: la Maire de la Constitucion)" and the "Daughter of Liberty (Occitan: la Filha de la Libertat)", was once referred to by an emissary from the Tsar of Bulgaria as "Azalaïs Augusta" and as "Empress of the Romans". Whilst the emissary was corrected, this highlights how post-1792 Occitania was believed to be the "Third Rome" by much of Europe, as well as the general belief that Azalaïs I had resurrected the spirit of Rome and imbued it into the Occitan national identity.

Ah, so Third Rome does exist. Thought so.

---

"The Church of Montreal (French: Église du Montréal), is also a financial agency situated in Montreal that conducts worldwide religious financial activities. It has multilingual ATMs with instructions in Latin, the only ATM in the world apart from the Vatican City with this feature."

[Mageek]

Entrepreneurs never fail to disappoint. I suppose that if it is a theocracy, though, this might be a valuable function that the government serves.

Despite being commies, our government is considering a popular armament program to give the populace weapons and teach them how to use them, so that they could fight back in the event of an invasion.

[Godular]

Better make sure you keep those citizens happy, then.

---

The Ascension uses retrofitted Chaos Raiders as their primary means of space combat and orbital assault, these vessels have been SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded from their original technological setup while retaining a similar aesthetic feel, though in truth the exterior hull of such vessels are a patchwork of scraps taken from a field of debris left behind from the one and only time that Godulan space was ever directly invaded.

These vessels now possess an eerie green glow burning from within, and despite their (relatively) small size of three kilometers in length are easily the match for most any vessel many times their size.

[Borgevia]

I sincerely hope you put more effort into efficiency than aesthetics given how difficult space travel is and the need to ensure all resources required for optimal combat is allocated to survival and sufficiency in its field.

---

The official anthem of the USA in this timeline is the Battle Cry of Freedom which became official after the Civil War ended. Though not exactly like IRL timeline since Borgovian volunteers did join the Union troops albeit most of those volunteers are private arms of Corpus Members, the other volunteers are Afro-Latinos from all over feeling a sense of solidarity after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, attacking the southern coast of Alabama and built the modern day City of Costa Azul which is called a Spanish New Orleans. Due to the argument of state's rights, the United States went through a huge reform and began its ever-evolving project of Federal Parliamentary Democracy but with a very American characteristic: Every state has their own Parliament to pass state laws, but they still have senators and governors like IRL. Congress has been replaced with Parliament consisting of representatives of a party that was voted in by county. Federal wise, it's also parliamentary where seats are taken up based on percentage of votes but are by all means Legislative with President/Vice President/Senators playing a more Executive role. The President/Vice President are not associated with Parliament and so hold separate elections. The Judicial Branch still exists to keep Parliament in check.

It kept the South kinda happy, it preserved the Union, albeit Lincoln was sadly still assassinated. Jim Crow did still happen but to a lesser intensity due to Afro-Borgovian's connection to both DC and Montevideo as well as being wealthier/more educated than the average White & Black Southerner. Most Afro-Borgovians who later became Americans are of Ethiopian descent and are the faces of Black Universities, Literature, and Businesses in the United States. This doesn't mean Afro-Latinos are a merciful bunch. They forced Alabamans of all shades into either grueling factory/urban work or die of joblessness due to rapidly industrialising the state, often violently breaking down (or have the US Government do it for them) dissent to Alabama's Industrial Revolution. Because of this history, some Alabamans, the 3rd wealthiest state in the South, who sympathised with the Confederacy refuse to stand up for the anthem which did cause Republicans to scream at them. Literally a Right vs Right flame war instead of a football player kneeling.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

I sincerely hope you put more effort into efficiency than aesthetics given how difficult space travel is and the need to ensure all resources required for optimal combat is allocated to survival and sufficiency in its field.

---

The official anthem of the USA in this timeline is the Battle Cry of Freedom which became official after the Civil War ended. Though not exactly like IRL timeline since Borgovian volunteers did join the Union troops albeit most of those volunteers are private arms of Corpus Members, the other volunteers are Afro-Latinos from all over feeling a sense of solidarity after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, attacking the southern coast of Alabama and built the modern day City of Costa Azul which is called a Spanish New Orleans. Due to the argument of state's rights, the United States went through a huge reform and began its ever-evolving project of Federal Parliamentary Democracy but with a very American characteristic: Every state has their own Parliament to pass state laws, but they still have senators and governors like IRL. Congress has been replaced with Parliament consisting of representatives of a party that was voted in by county. Federal wise, it's also parliamentary where seats are taken up based on percentage of votes but are by all means Legislative with President/Vice President/Senators playing a more Executive role. The President/Vice President are not associated with Parliament and so hold separate elections. The Judicial Branch still exists to keep Parliament in check.

It kept the South kinda happy, it preserved the Union, albeit Lincoln was sadly still assassinated. Jim Crow did still happen but to a lesser intensity due to Afro-Borgovian's connection to both DC and Montevideo as well as being wealthier/more educated than the average White & Black Southerner. Most Afro-Borgovians who later became Americans are of Ethiopian descent and are the faces of Black Universities, Literature, and Businesses in the United States. This doesn't mean Afro-Latinos are a merciful bunch. They forced Alabamans of all shades into either grueling factory/urban work or die of joblessness due to rapidly industrialising the state, often violently breaking down (or have the US Government do it for them) dissent to Alabama's Industrial Revolution. Because of this history, some Alabamans, the 3rd wealthiest state in the South, who sympathised with the Confederacy refuse to stand up for the anthem which did cause Republicans to scream at them. Literally a Right vs Right flame war instead of a football player kneeling.

Interestingly.
They should let the south be independent on condition they abolish slavery.

In Sharifistan, the Air Cavalry has a system where it is quite common to raise through the ranks;
Because of this ambitious peasants often join the Air Cavalry rather than the Army, Navy or Naval Ghazi(Marines).
Once they become an officer they are entitled to an official coat of arms and even enlistees have some privileges.

[Ostsee Empire]

Wait, why would an officer be entitled to a coal of arms that would be respected in a governmental capacity? Like, no seriously what would even be the point?

---

In a bout of creativity totally out of character for Germans, there are two rivers in Terra Mariana with the same name: Aa. Of course, these rivers are differentiated from each other as so: Curonian Aa (known by some locals as Lielupe) and Livonian Aa (Gauja). Of course, this still doesn't beat the record held by the six distinct rivers with the same name that are located in the German province of Westphalia.

[Ostsee Empire]

/bump

[The Burke Islands]

That’s a strangely charming piece of info, would help people remember your nation as “that one with two rivers with the same name” I think.

---

Burkes tend to possess a libertarian outlook influenced by a multicultural ethos that is of Nordic, French, and Native American origin. However, Burkes are like the Icelanders in that they place a premium on independence and self-sufficiency. Over 95% of Burkes reportedly value independence as "very important". In addition, Burkish culture places great value on personal quests for honor and glory, leading many to travel and take part in missions abroad. Thousands of Burkes currently serve with foreign militias such as the YPG in Syria, and humanitarian service movements such as the Free Burma Rangers in Myanmar. While the Burkes generally oppose interventionist policies, they are proud that thousands of their own volunteer to fight for human rights all over the globe. Because of this individualist empowerment, most Burkes are capable warriors in their own right. Older generations often pass down training in martial arts, marksmanship, trauma care, etc. to their descendants, and the public education system mandates gun safety and first aid courses.

However, it would be inaccurate to think of Burkes as war-mongering brutes obsessed with fighting and warfare; glory and honor mean something different to them. It can be gained from any worthy challenge, regardless of whether one succeeds or fails. It does not matter if a child places last in a middle school spelling bee, or if a renowned war hero defeats a hundred enemies with his bare hands, as long as they fought to overcome their challenges with all their strength, then honor is gained. The only times failure is looked down upon is when one does not fight with honor and with all their strength; laziness, dishonesty, cheating, and cowardice are reviled among Burkes, and can lead to social isolation until one proves themselves worthy again.

[Tarchuna and Ravenna]

WHY IS PRESIDENT YLVA A WILDLING?