Merala

Merala, officially the United Socialist Meralan States (Castrian: Estados Unidos Socialistas Meralenses; EUSM) is a country in the southern portion of Antigonia, It is borded to the north by Temischa; to the south and west by the Cirenian Ocean; and to the east by the Gulf of Merala. Merala covers 4,769,248 square kilometers (1,841,416.95 sq mi) and has approximately 145 million inhabitants, making it one of the world’s largest countries by area and population, and the most populous Castrian-speaking nation. It is a federation comprising 42 states and Anochtepec, its capital city and largest metropolis. Other major urban areas include Yanga, Taovayzes, Caracapa, Tequesta, Cosoy, Atepe, and Monterayón.

Pre-Contact Merala traces its origins to 8,000 BCE and is identifies as one of the cradles of civilization; it was home to many advanced Notogonian civilizations, most well-known among them the Winic and the Totlecs. In 1517, the Verdesan Empire conquered and colonized their territories, which collectively became known as New Verdesa. The Catholic Church played an important role as millions of indigenous inhabitants converted. These populations were heavily exploited to mine rich deposits of precious metals, which became a major source of wealth for the Verdesans. Merala became an independent with Acronian support after the successful Meralan War of Independence against Verdesa in 1804.

The nascent country established itself as a presidential federal republic, quickly forming trade relationships with major Elysian powers and it also signed the first equal treaties with Serican countries, with the Meralan Peso becoming one of the first global currencies. Despite this, Vazandian disputes over property led to the Princes’ War in which Vazandian nobles attempted to establish a puppet state using mercenaries, but were expelled thanks to a combined effort by Merala, Acronia and Temischa. The following years were marked by the rise of Belisario Tasoyo, who became president in 1868 and consolidated power for himself and the Progressive Party, establishing a dictatorship characterized by rapid industrialization, modernization, political repression, corruption and widening economic and social inequality leading to the Meralan Civil War and the establishment of a socialist state under the control of the Revolutionary Communist Party in 1920. Merala played a major supporting role in the Second Great War, and the Post-War era saw the creation of an information network designed to assist economic planning, and political strife that led to major democratic reforms.

Merala is a developed country, and has high human development, boasting the second-largest economy in Antigonia. Its large economy and population, global cultural influence, and technological innovations make Merala a regional and emerging power. It ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care and education, with government policies having largely eradicated hunger and poverty, with Merala boasting among the lowest malnutrition rates in the world as a result. However, the country struggles in addressing the inequalities between cities and remote indigenous areas and international non-governmental organizations and experts consider Merala as an authoritarian regime, without free and fair multi-party competitive elections and have accused the Meralan government of numerous human rights abuses, including short-term arbitrary imprisonment and jailing of political opponents, purges and curtailed press freedom.

Merala ranks first in Antigonia and highly in the world for number of World Heritage Sites. Merala is an ecologically megadiverse country, ranking highly in the world for its natural biodiversity. Merala receives a significant number of tourists every year, in 2019, it was the most-visited country in Antigonia and one of the most-visited in the world with 45 million international arrivals. Merala is a founding member of the Congress of Nations, the Vastava Pact, the Council of Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Community of Petroleum Producing Countries.

Etymology
The term Merala originated from a typo made by Acronian explorer Jean-Marie de Blanquefort, who was hired by the Verdesan crown to explore and settle territories in its name. Whilst he originally named the land “Nueva Verdesa” (New Verdesa), a name that was adopted in a royal decree on September 16 1517, the origins of the term Merala surfaced from a typo he made on a letter to the court notifying them of his discoveries:

"La tierra es verde y fértil, cubierta de preciosas maderas y llenas de extraordinarias bestias. Los nativos son gente dócil y honesta, bien organizados. Es posible amaestrar estas nuevas tierras que he nombrado en honor a su reino con su ayuda, sin tener que caer en los excesos de previas conquistas. Es por la gracia de Dios que se nos ha bendecidos con estas tierras del mer [mar] allá."

"The land is green and fertile, covered of precious woods and full of extraordinary beasts. The natives are docile and honest people, very organized. It is possible to conquer these new lands I have named in honor of your kingdom with their help, without having to fall into the excesses of previous conquests. It is by the grace of God that we have been blessed with these lands from the mer [sea] beyond."

This typo quickly became the subject of ridicule in the court and the general public, with the lands often being referred as Mer Allá rather than Nueva Verdesa. The term Merala properly appeared for the first time in a graffiti found in the port of Laguna del Borde a Verdesan city from which various expeditions originated:

"Se buscan marineros y soldados estúpidos para luchar contra enemigos notorios por comer corazones en las tierras de Merala"

"Stupid sailors and solders are wanted to fight against enemies notorious for eating hearts in the lands of Merala"

The name Merala became the colloquial name of New Verdesa. The official name of the country has changed as the form of government has changed. The declaration of independence signed on 8 December 1786 by the deputies of the Congress of Jumanso called the territory Antigonia Austral (Southern Antigonia); the 1804 Treaty of Odèneville also used Antigonia Austral. Both pre-revolutionary constitutions (1808, 1857) used the name Estados Unidos Meralenses, which have been translated as "United Meralan States". The 1916 Constitutional Convention, which created the current constitution, changed the named to Estados Unidos Socialistas Meralenses, United Meralan Socialist States in Cambrian.

Geography
Meraka is located in the southern portion of Antigonia. Almost all of Merala lies within the Antigonian Plate, with the archipelago of Chichumel belonging to the Verico Plate. Merala also borders the Tiburones Plate to its southwest, and the Cirenian Plate as well the Barbosa Plate to its northwest.

Merala's total land area is 4,769,248 km2 (1,841,416.95 sq mi), making it the largest country in Antigonia by total area. It has coastlines on the Cirenian Ocean and the Gulf of Damiya, as well as the Gulf of Merala and the Verico Sea, the latter two forming part of the Fale Ocean. Within these seas, Merala possess a sizeable amount of island territory, and it covers an impressive amount of land from its farthest points.

On its northeast, Merala shares a border with Temischa. This border is defined by Lake Piapa, from which the Tomichi River flows from and delineate the Temischa-Merala border via a series of natural and artificial borders all the way to the Tomichi Delta. On its northwest, the border is defined by Lake Titsapa, from which the Timpanogos River flows into Lake Pahasu and from which the Awanga River flows into Gulf of Damiya.

Merala is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges known as the Sierra Verde Oriental and the Sierra Verde Occidental both being extensions of the Asinwati Mountains from northern Antigonia. From east to west at the center, the country is crossed by the Sierra de Fuego, a volcanic belt, containing the Totlec Lakes. A fourth mountain range, the Sierra Verde del Sur, runs from Zuanga to Yoknal.

As such, the majority of the Merala central territories are located at high altitudes, and the highest elevations are found at the Sierra de Fuego: Iztactépetl (5,700 m or 18,701 ft), Mixtitépetl (5,462 m or 17,920 ft) and Sepayatépetl (5,286 m or 17,343 ft) and the Atictépetl (4,577 m or 15,016 ft). Three major urban agglomerations are located in the valleys between these four elevations: Nepintahihui, Anochtepec and Cuetlaxcoapan.

Government
The United Socialist Meralan States are a federation whose government is representative, socialist and republican based on a semi-presidential according to the 1916 Constitution. After amendments in 1994, the constitution establishes four levels of government: the federal union, the state governments, the municipal governments and borough governments. According to the constitution, all constituent states of the federation must have a republican form of government composed of three branches: the executive, represented by a governor and an appointed cabinet, the legislative branch constituted by a unicameral congress and the judiciary, which will include a state Supreme Court of Justice. They also have their own civil and judicial codes. Boroughs are unique in that they are directly ruled by their inhabitants, via popular assemblies. Municipalities and boroughs with substantial indigenous populations are ruled by traditional and customary law.

The highest body of state authority in Merala is the Congress of People's Power, composed of directly-elected delegates that meets every three years. This congress elects the President, the Vice-President, for non-renewable six-year terms, and the members of the Cabinet, and the members of both houses of Congress alongside their Speakers for non-renewable three-year terms. It has the powers to amend the Constitution, repeal acts by Congress, ratifying the First Secretary, holding nationwide referendums, resolving issues related to the national-state structure of the country, defining national orders and ratifying border changes within federal entities, defining the basic guidelines of foreign and domestic policy, ratifying Six-Years Plans, long term social plans and other national affairs.

The federal legislature is the bicameral Federal Congress, composed of the Chamber of States and the Chamber of Deputies. The Congress passes and initiates laws, submits questions to the President and First Secretary, schedules elections of delegates, convenes the Congress of People's Power, appoints the First Secretary on the submission of the president, ratifies the composition of the Cabinets and changes it on the submission of the First Secretary, establishes and disbands secretariats with the approval of the First Secretary, overrides presidential vetoes with a two-thirds majority, ratifies presidential declarations of war, impeaches the president, hears reports of appointed officials, implements laws, lays down the principals of local and state power and the legal status of social organisation, submits budgets, economic and social plans for ratification and ammendment of the Congress of People's Powers, oversees the granting of foreign aid and negotiating foreign loans, and determines basic measures for national security (including declarations of war, troop mobilization, and meeting international treaty obligations). The People's Congress elects the Presidium to act on its behalf while the Federal Congress is not in session and is in charge of organizing the work of the Federal Congress, preparing meetings of the Congress of People's Power and sessions of the Federal Congress, coordinating the work of the committees of the Federal Congress, and organizing the nationwide discussion of legislative bills and other important matters of state.

The delegates of the Congress of People's Power, as well as the state legislatures, are elected via secret ballot with representatives serving non-renewable three-year terms with no possibility of re-election. Candidates are approved by public referendum. All Meralan citizens over 16 who have not been convicted of a criminal offense can vote.

The President of the Republic, currently Jarlato Abdalá Meara, is the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces and has the power to propose and veto legislation, appoint the First Secretary (which has to be approved by the Federal Congress), fire the First Secretary if necessary, appoint and dismiss government secretaries and officials, declare states of emergency or martial law within the country, act as the nation's top representative abroad and sign international treaties, call for national referendums on matters of importance, award military ranks and honorary titles, grant and revoke citizenship if required, and overrule goverment decisions that violated the constitution or endangers the rights and freedoms of citizens. The Vice-President, currently Alberto Barbosa, becomes Acting President if the President dies in office or is unable to be in office.

The First Secretary, currently Ariel Nuñez Lang, is the head of government and is in charge of organizing the work of the Cabinet and its Presidium as well as to manage their meetings, distribute responsabilities among the secretariats, represent Merala abroad if require, make decisions on public administration that do not require consideration at a Cabinet meeting, promoting secretaries and other officials of bodies subordinate to the Cabinet, impose disciplinary penalties on them, report Cabinet activites at sessions of the Federal Congress and its committees, and to question the Federal Congress the confidence on the Cabinet. The First Secretary and their deputies and the Manager of Cabinet Affairs constitute the Cabinet's Presidium, which ensures the day-to-day management of the national economy and solve issues of state administration. The First Deputy, currently Juande Juandopolous, becomes Acting First Secretary if the First Secretary dies in office or is unable to be in office.

The highest organ of the judicial branch of government is the People's Supreme Court of Justice, the national supreme court, which has eleven judges elected by popular vote. The People's Supreme Court of Justice interprets laws and judges cases of federal competency. Other institutions of the judiciary are the Federal Electoral Tribunal, collegiate, unitary and district tribunals, and the Council of the Federal Judiciary.

Politics
Meralan politics are dominated by the Revolutionary Communist Party (PRC), a communist party that is the sole legal and vanguard party in Merala created in 1916 out of the surviving members of the Meralan Democratic Socialist Party during the Meralan Civil War. Unlike most Vastava Pact countries, the party is subordinated to the state, and there is a clear divide between party and state, as the President of the Republic does not hold a leadership position within the party. This was done in order to avoid consolidating too much power within one individual but in practice, party leadership is composed of individuals subordinated to the president.

The party is led by the Party President, currently Raúl Alfonso Mourinho, elected every six years which is the most powerful position in the party. The General Secretary, currently Ernesto Orozco, is subservient to the Party President and is in charge of the day-to-day running of the party and elected every three years. This is in stark contrast to most communist parties worldwide, wherein the position of General Secretary is the most powerful and whose officeholder is also head of state and/or government in Vastava Pact countries.

The Congress is the supreme organism of the party, which convenes every six years and is the party's main decision-making body, defining the party's political orientation and activities as well as electing the members of the Central Committee. Party Conferences are convened every three years to discuss party policies, make personnel changes within the party and elect the members of the Central Auditing Commission.

The Central Committee acts on behalf of the Congress when not in session, directing party activities. The Central Auditing Commission is responsible for supervising the handling of affairs by the central bodies of the Party, it audits the accounts of the Treasury and the activities and directives of the Central Committee, ensuring compliance with the party statute.

The Politburo is the highest organ when the Congress and Central Committee are not in session, is in charge of policy-making and headed by the Party President, who also leads the Politburo Permanent Committee which conducts policy discussions and make decisions on major issues when the Politburo is not in session and whose members are elected by the Central Comittee. This organ is assisted in these functions by the Secretariat, which manages and directs the day-to-day operations of the party and is headed by the General Secretary; and the Organizational Bureau, which coordinates party cadres and activities. All organizations within the party are supervised by the Central Disciplinary Commission, the party's disciplinary body.

Due to the illegality of other political parties, the Meralan oppossition is forced to operate and finance itself internationally, with their activities within the country being limited due to strong surveillance.

The military in Merala does not participate in politics and is under civilian control.

Economy
Merala maintains a state-controlled planned economy, whereby production and distribution of goods were centralized and directed by the government, managed through the Sistema de Administración Económica Automatizada. This means that resource allocation is managed by a interlinked computerized system composed of a five-tier network with computer centers in Anochtepec, Yanga, Caracapa, Atepe, Guamachil and Kaminaljuyú with various midlevel and local centers spread throughout the country. The economy is directed by six-year plans, carried out by the Secretaries of Planning, Finance, and Economy; which are reviewed and adjusted or modified every three years. Allocated resources and plan targets are denominated in physical goods and set by the government, although how these plan targets are met is left up to the producers. Most of the means of production are owned and run by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state, although cooperatives and family-owned businesses exist. Foreign companies are also allowed to operate in the country, but they must comply with Meralan labor laws and pay the government directly, which in turn pays the employees.

Colonial Merala primarily relied on mining (particularly silver), farming, ranching and trading, as many trading routes to Serica were established in Merala. After independence, agriculture and ranching became far more predominant as powerful families created massive estates in south and central Merala and the government gave immigrants land in the north. The discovery of gold in Damiya led to a massive wave of immigration in Northwestern Merala and a surge in mining across the country. During the Tasoyato, factories and railways were built en masse, and an export-oriented economy developed, fueled by the discovery of oil fields in Damiya, Taisha and the Gulf of Merala. Following the Civil War, the post-revolutionary governments were tasked with repairing and reconstructing damaged infrastructure throughout the country, after this, the country prioritized the development of consumer goods and the creation of strong logistic networks to ensure availability country-wide. The development of SAEA spurred the government to foster a strong electronics sector.

Agriculture employs a large amount of the population, due to the structure of ejidos. Whilst agricultural production is primarily geared towards domestic consumption, the country is the largest exporter of agave, avocados, chili peppers, chocolate, papaya, tomatoes, and vanilla in the world, as these crops originated in Merala. The country currently disputes the title of largest maize exporter with Elesar, and is also a top exporter of beer, coffee, cotton, limes, grapes, oranges and pineapples.

A number of basic services are state-funded, such as education and health care. Every Meralan household has a ration book entitling it to a monthly supply of food and other staples, which are provided at nominal cost. There is virtually no homelessness in Merala, thanks to almost 60 years of innovation in urban planning and construction under Marcos Palla, with 95% of Meralans owning their own homes, paying no property taxes or mortgage interest.