Granzery

The Granzerian Kingdom (: Grozyar Királyság), also known as Granzery, is a Constitutional Monarchy located in Eastern Vesperia. It is ruled by the Senate of the Granzerian Kingdom, for which an election is held every 3 years, and the Vezér of the Granzerian Kingdom, for which elections are not held. Granzery is comprised of seven provinces, the largest of which Bastarnyy, is home to the Second largest city in the nation, Csongrád. Greater Véragyőr is the third largest by land area and second largest by population, and is home to the capital city of Véragyőr. The other Provinces are in descending order of population size, Nagykert, Transkarpatia, Téliföld, Szász-Nagykun and Straknia.

Etymology
The name Granzery originates from the word Grenze, which was used by the Sassic kingdoms inhabiting the Granzerian basin prior to the Grozyar migrations of 700AD. It was used to describe Grozyar tribes as "those beyond the borders". The term Bastarny was used frequently to describe the area until the mid 1900s. The term Grozyarország is used natively, although it is sometimes shortened to Grozyar.

The Bastarnae 720BC-385AD.
The Bastarnae were the first organized nation to inhabit what is now known as Granzery. It was founded out of the city of Sutta (now near Csongrád), and at it's height in 300B.C. controlled most of what is now known as Bastarny. The Bastarnae were a TBA tribal people who exhibited much more centralised government and organisation compared to most other tribal groups in the empire. The Bastarnae reached their cultural peak around 160AD, with advanced metallurgy and agricultural skills and had begun operating professional armies known as the Zalmoi, allowing them to extend their command to conquer and rule most of lowland Granzery.

The Bastarnae began to collapse with the onset of migrating western tribes from Ordia and Vazandia, primarily the Sassics, who had been pushed out of their homelands by war and famine. This, combined with an unsteady government still seeped in tribalism, resulted in a total collapse of Bastarnae society in 385AD.

Sassic Migration 385AD-785AD
After the collapse of the Bastarnae, a particular Vazandisch Tribe known as the Sassics (: Säßen : Szászek) conquered much of north-western Granzery, from Csongrád to the border of Ordia and Antitanca. Displacing the Bastarnae further east towards the Granzerian basin itself. The Sassics mixed with the local Bastarnae eventually creating a unique culture and system of governance. These tribes were largely disparate and multiple petty Sassic and Bastarnae kingdoms emerged around the area of Modern day Granzery.

Granzerian Migration 700AD-785AD.
During the period from 700AD and 785AD, Ygralic tribesmen originating from inner Stasnov migrated under the leadership of the kende Taksony migrated first to areas of Elesar, before being pushed out by local tribes into the Granzerian Basin. The migration and subsequent conflicts lasted some sixty years, but by 785AD only small holdouts of Sassic towns and duchies remained. In 785 the kende of the Granzerians, Bécs, changed his name to Péter I and began the Christianisation of the Granzerian people, and adopted a feudal-type system over the next few years.

Early Medieval Granzery 785-1274


With the adoption of feudalism in Granzery as well as the permanent settlement and Christianisation of the Grozyars, the medieval era began in Granzery in 785, with the settling of the first Grozyar permanent settlements in the Granzerian Basin (in what is now Greater Veragyor and Nagykert). The Kingdom of Granzery extended most of the way into modern day Bastarny in this period, with the exception of the independent City-State of Vizifekete, which was a wealthy maritime merchant city. Multiple Sassic and Strakni kingdoms dominated northwestern Granzery in this time period, and continued to exist and wage war on the Kingdom of Granzery until being conquered by the Holy Vazandian Empire in 1256.

A distinct divide developed between the wealthiest landowners (which were referred to as true landowners) and the lesser nobles which were originally royal servants and advisers that had been granted nobility by the king despite not owning land. These lesser nobles were forced into the retinues of the landowning noble class, which gave the landowning class significantly greater political and military influence over the royal family.

One of these landowning barons, László of the Tetkeled clan, captured the Granzerian King Emeric's heir, the child Sigismund, in 1263. Emeric died some months later, causing a civil war between the leading families who all attempted to control the central government in the name of the young Sigismund III. Sigismund came of age in 1269 and was coronated as King of Granzery however failed to quell the ongoing conflicts. The Duke of Bastarny, Károly the Black, at the time the most powerful vassal of the Granzerian Kingdom, attempted to usurp the throne of Granzery but was ultimately defeated and killed in battle in 1274, ending the war.

Divided Granzery 1618-1728


The collapse of the ruling Taksony clan in 1618 ushered in an era of warring Granzerian city-states and minor duchies, but also saw a renaissance in Granzerian culture, and the assimilation of the Sassics into Granzerian culture. During this era the city-state of Vizifekete was one of the wealthiest in Vesperia, and Atlas in general. Other Granzerian city-states like Véragyőr, Torony, Mejetet and Mezővörös also contributed heavily to financial and cultural development of Granzery and Eastern Vesperia in this time period, the Maritime Republics of Vizifekete and Magas-torony in particular came to dominate much of the Eastern Achelian sea, and traded extensively with the far eastern states such as Huda and Chilokver. Some Granzerian city-states such as Véragyőr and Mezővörös retained a nominally late feudal structure but were still greatly influenced by the merchant class' growing power and influence. While the freedom offered by the republics of Torony and Vizifekete did not resemble the sufferage of a modern day democracy and generally resembled an oligarchy, the greater liberalism than surrounding monarchist states led to significant advanced in Science and the Arts.

During this period the Holy Vazandian Empire occupied Diravia-Bessara, Sassia and north-western Bastarny extending as far as Csongrád. The Granzerian basin area, under the control of both Véragyőr and other minor duchies, was politically torn between influence from The Vazandian and Elesarian Empires. The Elesarian empire at the time ruled over the partially-independent state of Karpath, which, with Elesarian help was eventually able to capture northern Granzery, including Kantelyek and surrounding regions, which had at the time belonged to the Grand Duke of Mezővörös. Karpathian mercenaries also formed the backbone of the Vizifeketan and Toronian militaries, which employed large numbers of independent Karpatian Cossacks and foot soldiers.

Granzerian Wars of Unification 1728-1748


The reunification of Granzery was the result of rising nationalism and the efforts of House Dohnányi of the Duchy of Mejetet to establish a Kingdom which would encompass all Granzerian-speaking peoples. One of the most notable figures of this period was the Republican Revolutionary Zsolt Pesty, who led the Felújítás ( Restoration) movement, and is considered the father of Granzery despite handing power over to the Duke of Mejetet, Istvan V Dohnányi.

The wars began after the August Rebellions in Mezővörös and Kantelyek against the Karpato-Elesarian puppet governments in power at the time. The rebellions severely weakened Elesarian grip on northeastern Granzery and the Duchy of Mejetet supported by forces loyal to the Holy Vazandian Empire struck at the Principality of Karpath. The five-year war ended with Mezővörös and Kantelyek in the hands of the Duchy of Mejetet, and a brief alliance between Mejetet and the HVE.

The onset of the Five Decades War between Acronia and the Holy Vazandian Empire resulted in the bulk of the Imperial forces being withdrawn from their holdings in western Granzery. A coalition of Granzerian states including Mejetet, Véragyőr and the Duke of Téliföld began a campaign to liberate the Bastarny regions from Vazandia, eventually being victorious in 1840.

The Third War of Granzerian Unification began in early 1848 and involved the invasion of Véragyőr and Téliföld by the Duchy of Mejetet which was now in command of large swathes of inland Granzery. The war was relatively quick, the capture of Véragyőr occured on the 10th of November and the battle itself lasted only a day before the Véragyőr garrison surrendered, this event is commemorated by the 10th of November Street in downtown Véragyőr, which is one of the largest thoroughfares in the country. Istvan V was coronated as the King of Granzery on the 20th of November that year.

Dohnányi Kingdom 1748-1840


The consolidation of power in Granzery was largely peaceful, the Principality of Karpath in the northeast had severed ties with their Elesarian overlords and entered a personal union with the House of Dohnányi, the southwestern merchant Republics Torony and Vizifekete also entered similar agreements with Granzery, enjoying the protection of the Kingdom of Granzery in exchange for providing taxes and military assistance to the Véragyőr government.

The distant Five Decade's War still occupying Imperial attention led to a second Imperial-Granzerian war, however they met far stiffer resistance from the Holy Vazandian Empire, and the war was not concluded entirely until the end of the Five Decade's War in 1812, resulting in the annexation of Diravia, Bessara and Sassia into Granzery.

Sassia at this point was divded into three distinct cultures, Granzerian settlers who had arrived in Sassia before the 17th Century, the local Sassics who had been partially assimilated by Granzerian culture and Vazandian settlers who had arrived within the past hundred years. This developed a unique and challenging environment for the Granzerian authorities ruling the area. The region was renamed to Szász-Nagykun after the Sassic natives (Szász) and the Nagykun River. Diravia-Bessara was renamed to Zsakország (Strakni country) after the native Strakni people.

Between the Great Wars 1929-1940
After the political instability of the Rotenko Revolution, the fascist Senate and People's Party rose in popularity greatly, and Istvan Huszar was elected President in 1928, he swiftly abolished the institution of democracy and declared himself Emperor of the Grozyar Birodalom.

Geography
The majority of Granzery's citizens live within either the Véragyőr Basin region in Greater Véragyőr, or the rolling hills and forests of the Bastarny regions, both are temperate in climate with a diverse quantity of natural wildlife including bears, beavers, deer and the Grozyar Wolf. The mountainous regions of Transkarpatia are dominated by the Karpaty Mountain Range, which is home to the highest peak in Granzery, Mount Szabar. Straknia and Szász-Nagykun are the two easternmost provinces of Granzery, and are only very lightly populated, Szász-Nagykun is covered with heavy pine forests and swamplands, while Straknia is largely a rocky, hilly landscape with less vegetation than elsewhere in Granzery.



Government
The Granzerian Kingdom is a one-party constitutional monarchy, following an internal coup on the 6th of June 2018 which resulted due to the assassination of President Viktor Szőke, the current constitution is undergoing revision to reflect the change of the political climate. The federal government is governed with the elected Senate as the legislative branch, and the Nemzeti Vezető Kabinet/National Executive Cabinet (known as the Vezekabinet) as the executive branch. The Vezér, or leader, is selected by the Vezekabinet and Senate jointly, and is currently István Árpád. The King of Granzery has minimal political involvement.

The Federal Government is comprised of three branches:


 * Legislative - The unicameral parliament, comprised of the 900-member Senate, adopts federal law, declares war and approves treaties. Members of the Senate are elected by popular vote, but can only be a member of the Grozyar Nationalists, Royal Clique, Granzery Renaissance Party or Republican Moderate Party.
 * Executive- The Executive Cabinet of the Grozyar Renaissance Party, the Vezekabinet has no defined number of members, but currently has 109 members appointed from the Granzery Renaissance party. The Vezekabinet administers and enforces federal laws and policies and has the power of impeachment of the Vezér. The Vezekabinet can also veto legislative bills before they become law. In times of national crisis the Vezekabinet has the authority to disband the Senate and will in those cases become the legislative branch.
 * Judiciary - The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and lower federal courts (Provisional and State Courts), whose judges are appointed by the Vezekabinet on the recommendation of the President, interpret laws and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional.

Enforcement and administering of Federal law, and adoption of local law, and public works, are all handled by the Provincial Governments of each of Granzery's 7 provinces. These Provincial governments are comprised of elected officials who are elected every 4 years by popular vote.

Foreign Relations
Granzery is a founding member of the Véragyőr Security Organization, and is also the location of the primary VSO headquarters.

Military
The Granzery Royal Defence Force was established in 1971, and has a total manpower of 1,682,940 active personnel, and receives 3% of National GDP for funding.

Ethnic groups
The dominant ethnic group in Granzery are Granzerians. Native to Granzery are also Straknis and Karpatians. Karpatians (: Kárpátyek) are native to the region of Transkarpatia and also have significant populations in Nagykert and Téliföld. Straknis (: Zsakorek), are native to the region of Straknia, and are also commonly found in Szász-Nagykun. Other significant ethnic groups include Elesarian and Ordian ethnicities, mostly located along their respective borders.

Despite significant immigration restrictions set in place since the 1980s, Granzery has a significant ethnic minority population with both !Arab, !African and !Hispanic backgrounds. These populations mostly migrated from former Granzerian colonies from 1975-2000, due to an immigration loophole considering people with one Granzerian parent ethnically Granzerian, many Kevert (Mixed) Grozyars were able to immigrate to the country despite the restrictions. Immigration law was changed in 2001 to exclude those with !Black heritage, and later in 2017 was expanded to exclude those with mixed !Arab and !Hispanic heritage. The vast majority of these minorities are located around Sejpedek and Vízifekete, many areas such as Véragyőr and Csongrád have in late 2018, implemented segregation laws to prevent ethnic minorities from owning land within city limits. Despite a far-right fascist coup in mid 2018, the Granzerian government has encouraged the self-deportation of these populations but confirmed that they will not lose citizenship or be targeted. The Sejpedek and Vízifekete city authorities have been designated sanctuaries for these minorities within Granzery, implementing anti-discrimination laws which are absent in the rest of the nation.

Roma people have been subject to similar discrimination within Granzery, and are segregated from many major cities across the country. Several areas across the country have been set up both by the Granzerian government and non-Government Organizations to support and house displaced Roma, Islamic and Kevert Grozyar residents.

Religious Groups
Religion in Granzery has been dominated by forms of Christianity for centuries. At the 2013 census 42.5% of Granzerians were Orthodox, 22.8% were Protestants, 8.2% were Catholic, around 2% followed other religions, 23.1% were non-religious and 1.5% were atheists. Other religions practiced in Granzery include Sunni Islam and Judaism.

In 2015 a ban was placed on Muslim immigration, and since the 2018 seizure of power by István Árpád, Muslim practitioners have been encouraged to self-deport, and over a hundred mosques have been closed thus far. Restrictions have not yet been placed on Jewish members of the Granzerian community but analysts suggest that musing within the Vezekabinet point towards a similar system targeting Jewish practitioners and synagogues.

Major cities


Much of the Granzerian population lives in the area in and around the Csongrád-Véragyőr-Magas-torony triangle (CVMt region), with the areas of southern Bastarny and Greater Véragyőr comprising over a quarter of the entire population of Granzery, with almost 29 million people concentrated around the city centres of Véragyőr, Csongrád, Magas-Torony, Sejpedek and Mejetet and another 6 million in the various cities and towns in and around the area. The CVMt metropolitan area is the only in Granzery and the second largest continuous urban region in Atlas after Defense, Acronia.

Outside the CVMt area, Granzery is far more sparsely populated, with the remaining population being spread out in an area roughly 9x the size of the CVMt Megalopolis.

Health
The Granzerian health care system is considered a "mixed" health care system, with a universal health care system largely financed by government health insurance, however despite this, citizens can elect to pay for private health insurance and health care. The State Medical Insurance scheme or ÁEB ( "állami egészségügyi biztosítás") is completely free for children, handicapped people and pensioners. The highest cause of death in Granzery is, causing 47.5% of all total deals annually, the second highest cause of death is with 26.7% of all annual deaths attributed to it. Life Expectancy in Granzery in 2019 was 78.5 years for males and 83.4 years for females. The leading preventable cause of death in Granzery is, responsible for 8.1% of total mortality and disease. Ranked second in preventable causes is at 7.3%, with Obesity third at 6.1%.

There are huge differences between the western and eastern parts of Granzery, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and suicide is prevalent in the mostly agricultural and low-income provinces of Transkarpatia, Téliföld, Szász-Nagykun and Straknia, but infrequent in the high-income and middle class characteristic Greater Véragyőr, Nagykert and Bastarny. The homicide rate was 1.3 per 100,000 people, which is among the lowest in Atlas.

Education
Primary and Secondary education in Granzery is predominantly public, run by the Education Cabinet ( "Oktatási kormány") Primary education usually lasts for eight years, from the ages of 4 to 12, and is exclusively publically funded and run. Secondary education includes three traditional types of schools focused on different academic levels. The "Akadémia" or Academy system lasts between 4 and 6 years, and generally prepares the most gifted students for university education, and is the most common enrolment in Granzery, including approximately 62% of total enrolments. The "Főiskola" or Vocational College System prepares students for tertiary vocational education and lasts for four years. "Iskola szakember" or Specialised School system lasts between 4 and 8 years and educates students in various specialised ways such as sporting, music and drama. The system is partly flexible and bridges exist, graduates from an Academic school can achieve a two years program to have access to vocational higher education for instance. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) rated 13–15-year-old pupils in Granzery among the best in the world for maths and science.

School attendance, or registration for home schooling, is compulsory throughout Granzery. Education is the responsibility of the individual provinces so the rules vary between provinces, but nationally children are required to attend school from 4 years old until 16 years old. In Greater Véragyőr, children aged 16–17 are required to either attend school or participate in vocational training, such as an apprenticeship. Granzery has an adult literacy rate of approximately 99.7%. However a 2016 report by the National Bureau of Demographics ( "Nemzeti demográfiai iroda") indicated that the province of Szász-Nagykun has only an adult literacy and numeracy rate of 68%.

Granzery has 37 government-funded universities and 18 private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level. The TBA places Granzery among the most expensive nations to attend university. There is a state-run system of vocational training, known as MÉT, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. About 56% of Granzerians aged from 25 to 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications, and the tertiary graduation rate nationally is 47%.

Energy


The largest producer of energy in Granzery is Nuclear, coming from fourteen separate power plants, and making up 58.3% of the countries total energy production and 230.8 TWh production annually. Oil and coal-fired power plants together generate a further 27.1% of the countries energy (107.3TWh). The largest producer of renewable energy is hydroelectric, produced by six dams across the country and one dam in Antitanca owned by Granzery, totalling 27TWh, or 6.78% of the countries energy production. Other renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind combined make up 7.8% of the countries energy production. The Granzerian government has made a commitment to retire all coal and oil fired power by 2030 in favour of increased renewable energy sources.

Located in Antitanca, the Észak-Zsakorek Power Plant was built in 1923 on the TBA River in the then province of Antitanca, in Granzery, with a capacity of 2,069 and generates up to 2,000  annually. The Dam itself is the tallest gravity dam in Atlas and the fifth tallest dam in the world. After the Second Great War, the complex was taken over by the Antitancan government, but a hundred year lease was signed between Granzery and Antitanca in 1975.

Architecture
Granzery is home to the largest medicinal bath in Vesperia (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath), completed in 1913 in Modern Renaissance Style and located in the City park, the biggest building in Granzery with its 268 metres (879 feet) length (the Parliament building), one of the largest basilicas in Vesperia (Mezővörös Basilica), notable architectural styles in Granzery include Historicism and Art Nouveau. In contrast to Historicism, Granzerian Art Nouveau is based on the national architectural characteristics. Taking the eastern origins of the Granzerian into account, Ödön Lechner (1845–1914), the most important figure in Granzerian Art Nouveau, was initially inspired by Hudian and Siqubiyyahn architecture, and later by traditional Granzerian decorative designs. In this way, he created an original synthesis of architectural styles. By applying them to three-dimensional architectural elements, he produced a version of Art Nouveau that was specific to Granzery.

Foreigners have unexpectedly "discovered" that a significantly large portion of the citizens live in old and architecturally valuable buildings. In the Véragyőr downtown area almost all the buildings are about one hundred years old, with thick walls, high ceilings, and motifs on the front wall.

Cinema
Granzery has had a notable cinema industry from the beginning of the 20th century, the first Granzerian film was a few minutes, and was an illustration of one of the shows of the Uránia Scientific Theatre. Cinema was extensively used by the Granzerian Senate and People's party, who founded Granzery's renowned "Mozibizott" studio for the production of propaganda.

After the Second Great War (Atlas), Granzerian film remained highly censored and controlled by the Communist Party. Notable Granzerian film directors from this period include István Szabó, Béla Tarr, and Miklós Jancsó; some of these are recognised among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Movies include world cinema treasures such as Merry-go-round, Mephisto, Werckmeister Harmonies and Kontroll. The mid-1960s to the early 1970s was the heyday of neorealist films in Granzery, reflecting the poor condition of post-war Granzery and began to have a distinctly anti-communist spin following the fall of the Communist Party.

Music
Granzerian music consists mainly of traditional Granzerian folk music and music by prominent composers such as Liszt and Bartók, considered to be among the greatest Granzerian composers. Other renowned composers are Dohnányi, Franz Schmidt, Zoltán Kodály, Gabriel von Wayditch, Rudolf Wagner-Réserpent society, László Lajtha, Franz Lehár, Imre Kálmán, Sándor Veress and Rózsa. Granzerian traditional music tends to have a strong dactylic rhythm, as the language is invariably stressed on the first syllable of each word.

Granzerian has renowned composers of contemporary classical music, György Ligeti, György Kurtág, Péter Eötvös, Zoltán Kodály and Zoltán Jeney among them. One of the greatest Granzerian composers, Béla Bartók, was also among the most significant musicians of the 20th century. His music was invigorated by the themes, modes, and rhythmic patterns of the Granzerian and neighboring folk music traditions he studied, which he synthesized with influences from his contemporaries into his own distinctive style.

Modern Granzery is one of the leading producers in Vesperia of Indie, Hip-hop, Industrial Metal, and Rock music. The most popular Granzerian-language artists such as Sub Bass Monster, Majka, Tormentor, Kispál és a Borz and others being relatively popular even throughout the rest of Vesperia. While certain English-speaking global bands such as Ivan & The Parazol and Platon Karataev have found success across the globe.