Astograth

Astograth, officially the Grand Duchy of Astograth (Astograthian: Dukerria Astograthiko Atzira) is a large, safe nation, ruled by Grand Duke Lastur with an even hand, and renowned for its happy-go-lucky citizens. Its compassionate population of 73 million have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and do not take part in free and open elections.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Social Welfare, and Social Equality. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Rumiatzi. The average income tax rate is 98%. A powerhouse of a private sector is dominated by the Tourism industry.

The nation has an international reputation for compassion, people reciting Shakespeare have become a common sight, children are raised bilingual from an early age, and glittering new sports stadiums adorn every city and town. Crime is totally unknown. Astograth's national animal is the Lehoi and its currency is the Diru (Đ).

The Kingdom of Astograth
The Astograthian people are believed to originate in hunter-gatherer tribes from the eastern plains that settled down alongs the banks of the Araxes river, one of whose settlements grew into the prosperous city of Gesterlake. It eventually developed into a powerful monarchical city-state with an estimated population of sixty thousand people and a rigid class system. Gradually, more towns were founded in the nearby lands and it was one of these, Arexa, that would rapidly develop a crude democracy and antagonize Gesterlake. The warrior-king of the latter, Berlasko the Bold, immediately crushed the threat and brought Arexa under his control, bringing about an age of conquest and expansion. Around this time the name Astograth, from the Gesterlaki language the current Astograthian is descended from, began to be applied to the increasingly larger territory populated by the Gesterlaki.

Berlasko the Bold and his son, Otsoko the Silent, expanded their borders, founding settlements all the way down the Araxes and Leizaran rivers, as well as the vast plains to the east. It would be Berlasko's grandson, Aitor the Magnificent, who brought about an epoch of splendour as he personally led the expeditions to the Anzar lake and across the perilous Blue Mountains to the northern coast. It was there that the ports of Iturributa and Ituraitz were established, and with the riches that sea trade and warfare brought about he officially declared the Kingdom of Astograth, adopting as a flag his House's coat of arms. To administrate this vast region, he innovated by implementing feudalism, granting land to his soldiers and nobles while he remained responsible only for the capital of Gesterlake.

The Kingless Years
Four centuries did the Kingdom last, until the sovereign's power was too diminished to control his vassals. Rebellions and uprisings grew increasingly common as the various feudal lords refused to pay homage to the king, until a combined effort by the Dukes of Iturributa and Ituraitz crippled the coffers of the impoverished Gesterlake. Forced to go to war, King Errolan perished in a mountain ambush and his heirs were assassinated not long after. The land was plunged into chaos as each lord tried to take advantage of the confusion.

When the dust settled and the lines were drawn, the Kingdom had been split into the four large Duchies of Ituraitz, Iturributa, Basabe and Rumiatzi, with countless smaller ones interspersed. It is at this point that the Astograthian calendar as is recorded today began, and until the year 593 the territories and the outdated feudal system were still very similar.

During that year, Duke Aitor of Rumiatzi began an aggressive campaign of conquest in an effort to reunite Astograth. As he already controlled most of the Leizaran river, the rural west fell easily, with outright war beginning as Rumiatzi took over the Anzar lake. Alarms began to sound in the north, but the Duke of Echegoyan, wisely allying himself with Aitor, blocked the mountain passes and looked on as the star of Rumiatzi was raised over the east.

By 605 only the north coast resisted, and it took six years for Aitor's army to bring it under control. Once finished, the lord of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Aitor III, Grand Duke of Astograth, and brought the old Kingdom's banner as the national flag.

The Grand Duchy of Astograth
In the early years of the Grand Duchy, the new territories, particularly Ituraitz and Iturributa, were brutally repressed, and the economy underwent a complete overhaul aiming to nationalize all industry. Astograth closed itself to the outside world.

In the year 615 the Grand Duke passed away in a tragic accident involving an ostrich and two crates of bowling balls, with his son Aitor IV taking up the mantle. He immediately sought to distance himself from his bloodthirsty father and make ammends with the conquered peoples, additionally putting an end to the highly isolationist policies.

Iturributa Independence & Grand Duke Lastur
In the year 646, 31 after being crowned Grand Duke, Aitor IV passed away in his sleep, setting in motion a series of events that would result in the independence of the fiercely patriotic Iturributa region.

Prince Lastur was the heir apparent, and was set to take over after his father's death when the Council of High Lords, a body created and appointed by his grandfather Aitor III, informed him that according to succession law it was not him but the infant son of Aitor IV's firstborn, Princess Edurne, who was the legal Grand Duke - an oversight on the late ruler's behalf that his corrupt councillors exploited to their benefit. Lastur fled and set about organising a guerilla movement in the hills near Sagastia to recover his crown, disrupting valuable shipments to and from Civil Citizenry; at the same time, spontaneous independence movements arose throughout all the conquered regions, most fiercely in Ituraitz and Iturributa.

The High Lords struggled to pacify these, and with Iturributa displaying a greater organisation that was able to hold out even when the city proper was occupied by modern tanks recently bought from the FSSO it became clear that unless a deal could be negotiated, international condemnation would mount and the country as a whole would be vulnerable to outside intervention.

Eventually, the Council relented and agreed to hand the monarchy to Lastur on the condition that his successor be his nephew Gaxan, while a ceasefire was signed with the Iturributan forces. In practice, this gave the region free rein to formally declare its independence and form the Free Republic of Iturributa; to date, the Astograthian government does not recognise it, considers the territory as part of its own and all Iturributans as Astograthian citizens, due to the disposition that they must obtain a second nationality in orden to abandon the Astograthian one.

Major Cities

 * Rumiatzi (8 million): The nation's capital and most advanced city.
 * Ituraitz (4 million): A port city with a strong sense of identity, despite being smaller it is Astograth's primary centre of maritime trade.
 * Echegoyan (2 million): At the feet of the Blue Mountains, Echegoyan was originally a mining town that has grown impressively in the past few decades, largely thanks to the income from the plentiful tourists that visit the mountains.
 * Basabe (1.5 million): A hot and humid lakeside city, Basabe is a major centre for manufacture and lumber, given the plentiful forests surrounding it.
 * Gesterlake (700 thousand): The historic capital of the Kingdom of Astograth, it still flourishes as the largest city on the Araxes river and is a major tourist attraction.

Language
Astograthian is a language isolate and the most widely spoken across the country. Its unusual syntax makes it particularly difficult to master, and it can be hard to pronounce for most English speakers. The Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals have been adopted by Astograthian, putting it in line with most other nations.

English, although an official language and widely known thanks to bilingual education, is used mainly as a lingua franca when dealing with foreigners.

Sport
Association football is by far the most popular sport in Astograth, enjoyed by all sectors of society and regulated by the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa (FAF). The best teams in the country play in the UICA-sanctioned Astograthian First Division, while the national team represents Astograth in international football competitions; they have qualified for three World Cups as of date, as well as won the 50th Cup of Harmony for non-qualified nations. Major competitions have also been held in Astograth, including the 48th Cup of Harmony (together with neighbours Civil Citizenry), the 45th and 53rd Baptisms of Fire (together with Kagdazka & Pazhujebu and United Gordonopia, respectively), Copa Rushmori VIII and, most importantly, World Cip 62 (together with Carpathia and Ruthenia).

Astograth has sent large delgations to both the Sixth and Seventh Summer Olympics, with moderate success. Petri Narbarte won the gold medal in men's mountain biking at both of these events, making him the most renowned Astograthian sportsman outside of football.

Nationality law
Astograthian nationality law is based on both ius soli and ius sanguinis as outlined in the Civil Code of 616. Multiple citizenship is not forbidden in any way.

Any person born in Astograth acquires Astograthian citizenship at birth. The only two exceptions apply to children of persons in the service of a foreign government (like foreign diplomats) and to children whose parents don't reside in the country; citizenship can be granted upon request in these cases.

Additionally, children born abroad acquire the Astograthian nationality at birth, if any of their parents or grandparents hold Astograthian citizenship.

Foreigners older than 21 —or 18 if either parent is Astograthian by naturalisation— may apply for Astograthian citizenship so long as they have permanent residence and have resided in Astograth for five years, with no interruption longer than six months. It excludes those who have been convicted or are currently being tried for a crime or offense, and those who are unable to earn a living. Naturalisation is also possible by royal decree, for extraordinary services to the nation.

Astograthian nationality is lost by one of three ways:


 * Voluntary relinquishment, so long as the person acquires foreign nationality.
 * By cancellation of naturalisation.
 * By royal decree.

In any of the above cases, citizenship can only be restored by royal decree.