South Korasha

The Republic of South Korasha, also referred to as South Korasha (Oanbara: Maisanana Seko Korahana) is a federal constitutional republic located in southern Korasha. The nation is bordered by Ishune to the north, the Misty Sea to the east, Strait of Mahur to the west, and The Southern Ocean to the south. With a population of 74.6 million, the nation is a densely populated region with high levels of urbanization. South Korasha is divided into seventeen "Federal Regions", which are further subdivided into numerous "Municipalities" on the local level, with the Federal Regions retaining extensive powers under the constitution. The capital of the nation is the city of Cape Green, while other major cities include the largest city of Queensport, as well as Maippe, and Annesport.

South Korasha was once a region of numerous tribal-ethnic groups, though three main groups battled for domination over the others. These included the Dazkarena, Soladaio, and the largest of them all, the Oanbara. These three groups migrated into the region likely in the 8000's BCE, though their lack of written record leaves much of their early history unknown to us. What little is known is passed down through oral traditions through the three groups. Oanbarans waged wars on the Dazkarenans for centuries, with the Soladaio's changing sides between the two based on what was beneficial to their tribe at the time. This would change until the Soladaio's and the Oanbarans formed a political union between their peoples and attempted to make a civilization between them in 1312. Though the union succeeded in establishing their dominance, they fell into civil war and their union collapsed by 1480. The Oanbarans continued to attempt domination of the region until the arrival of the Caliantene in 1786 when the explorer Aubert Chabert of Caliane discovered the region and established Queensport on the southern coast. The city soon grew into an important waypoint for Caliantene explorers in their voyages throughout the southern world, and the region's diamond and ore reserves made it a vital colony. The Southern Korashan Colony was officially chartered in 1792, and throughout the 1800's, Caliantene and families from poor backgrounds throughout all of Avanor, displacing the natives as the major ethnic group by 1804. The nation began protesting for further home rule, and by 1831 the colony was granted a Legislative Assembly and governor, and was given autonomy in 1840, though defense and foreign matters remained reserved for Calise. In 1851, after the Avanoran War, the colony transferred hands from Caliane to Gelenia, and though the nation's institutions remained the same - though Gelenian soon replaced Caliantene as the main language of use in the colony. In the Great War, South Korasha fought for Gelenia, though a large garrison was maintained due to the minority Caliantene speaking population in the hinterlands. Independence was granted in the aftermath of the war, though the nation remained in the Gelenian Association of Nations and segregation soon became law. This was more or less maintained until the Summertide Protests of 1887 and 1888, when the government was forced to extend civil rights to all people. Since this period, the nation has developed into a flourishing parliamentary democracy, though it has become embroiled in conflicts in the Korashan interior, such as the Orkar Wars in 1891 and 1894, as well as the Ishune Crisis in 1897. The nation fell victim to a refugee crisis by the early 1900s as people from the continental interior flocked to the nation's borders, attempting to find better living conditions in South Korasha, an issue which has defined the political landscape for the most part throughout the 1900s.

South Korasha is a developed nation with strong civil rights, a robust export driven economy, with a stable political landscape, which has made it a powerful entity on the Korashan continent. As a former Caliantene and Gelenian colony, 75% of the nation is either ethnically Avanoran or half-Avanoran, with only 25% of the nation being ethnically Korashan. This high level of Avanoran ancestry has caused the nation to align itself with Avanoran nations on matters of foreign policy, with even some limited cooperation on defense matters. However, criticisms of this nation have been leveled - government services are not widely available in native languages, racial profiling by authorities have been reported, and there are still differences in wealth and opportunity between ethnic Korashans and Avanorans. Regardless, the nation has a high level of wealth, citizens have high levels of home ownership, unemployment remains low, human rights are routinely protected, and the nation has remained a democracy since it's Summer Protests. The nation is a market economy, and the freedoms of the people are protected in the Constitution of Southern Korasha

Prehistory
South Korasha's history begins with the first migrations of human beings into the region in the 10,000s BCE. According to archeological evidence, the first people to migrate into the region we know today as South Korasha was likely the Onabara people, who most likely migrated into the region following game such as gazelles and other wild animals. According to most archeological evidence, it is believed that the Onabaran people inhabited the peninsula's interior, becoming a semi nomadic culture, with large settlements dotting the hills and valleys of the peninsula's interior, which would move with the migrations of the region's wildlife.

It would not be until the arrival of the Dazkarena and Soladaio people in the 6000s BCE when the first permanent settlements were established in the region. It is unclear where these two groups migrated from, though it is clear that their earliest arrivals were met with warfare from the native Onabaran people, who continuously raided and made war on any villages their groups created. Throughout this period, the Dazkarena and the Soladaio moved out of the interior of the peninsula, and away from roaming Onabaran raiding parties, to establish communities along the nation's coastal areas. The Soladaio in particular became adept at sailing their small ships, or So-ǫuoŕ, along the coast, hunting large squid, fish, and whales off the coast of the nation.

Throughout the nation's history, these three groups developed a distinct identity from one another, while also holding onto a distinct identity that set their groups apart from other regions of the continent. A common set of animistic beliefs between their groups allowed for common religious practices between the groups, with all three, for example, celebrating the Feast Day of Spirits at the beginning of the year. Additionally, it is believed that many technologies were shared between the groups, for example, the So-ǫuoŕ likely led to the development of the Z'ede, a similar small ship that was used by Dazkarenan sailors in the nation's northwest.

Exploration and Colonization
Throughout the 1500s, the Avanorans had begun their exploration of the Korashan coasts. Beginning in the continent's northern regions and establishing outposts and provisional colonies in regions such as the Spice Coast, Hearthrune, or the Ossam, they began moving southwards down the coast of the continent. The continent's arid interior led to difficulty in travelling over land southwards, which led to Avanoran explorers travelling ever southwards. This had been attempted before, with the Imperial explorer Evodius the Younger sailing the coast of Korasha and reporting back that it was "a continent seemingly without end". Avanorans would attempt to establish fort after fort along the continent's coastal regions, which were lush with vegetation and highly populated, though the continent's native diseases often proved a massive barrier to establishing any long term settlement along the continent.

The Gelenian explorer Henry Bath began his journey southwards along the Korashan coasts in 1653, with backing from the Gelenian monarchy and several corporate interest groups. Their hope was to find an end to the Korashan continent, and establish an early outpost in the region to control trade and shipping in the region. It took a five year journey before Bath discovered South Korasha, and established the colony of Queensport, in honour of Queen Anne on the peninsula's southeastern coast.

It would be Bath's expedition which first established contact with the Soladio and Onabaran people on the site of Queensport upon arrival. The region was, at the time, hotly contested between the two groups, and it proved easy for the better equipped Gelenian army to assert claim to the region - with the Pact of Sodai, named after the Sodai Creek where leaders from the three groups met to sign the treaty, establishing Queensport and the regions surrounding it as Gelenian territory, becoming the Colony of Gelenian South Korasha.

Government
South Korasha is a semi-presidential parliamentary democracy governed under the democratic framework laid out in the Constitution of South Korasha. The government has three branches: the executive, headed by the President as the head of state, while the Prime Minister serves as the head of government, and administers the powers of the executive. The President has the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet on the advice of the Assembly, as well as the right to sign legislation into law with the consent of cabinet. The Prime Minister has the authority of head of government, with the power to direct the policy of cabinet and the government; serving as the commander in chief of the armed forces; the power to advise the President on matters of national importance; the power to request the dissolution of the Assembly; the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers; and the responsibility of serving as the chief diplomat of the nation.

The legislative branch is composed of the unicameral Legislative Assembly, which is composed of 251 assembly members who serve three year terms. The Assembly has the power of the legislating for the nation; the right to declare war; the right to approve the budget as proposed by the Prime Minister; the right to elect or remove a sitting Prime Minister and their government; and the right to hold the government to account through means of regular hearings and questionings of the Prime Minister and other cabinet officials. The Assembly is elected through means of mixed member proportional representation, and the chamber elects the Prime Minister through a majority vote of all members of the chamber.

The Judicial Branch of government is led by the Constitutional Court, which is tasked with reviewing the decisions of lower courts throughout the federal and regional judicial systems, and ensuring that all actions are compatible with the constitution, as well as ensuring that all actions of public and private individuals and bodies are compatible with national civil rights.

Politics in South Korasha take place under a system of multi-party parliamentary democracy. Every three years, citizens who are above 20 years of age go to the ballot box to elect members of the Legislative Assembly through means of mixed member proportional representation. The incumbent Prime Minister is Ellis Smyte of the Democratic Party, who has served in his role as Prime Minister since 1922.

Local Administration
South Korasha is a federal republic, and as such the Constitution divides significant powers between the federal government and the constituent regions. Section 3 of the constitution lays out the groundwork for local governance: establishing 15 Federal Regions in the South Korashan republic.

Foreign Relations
South Korasha is a developed social market economy, which is regularly ranked in the top tier of nations for diplomacy and civil rights.