Ziridava

Ziridava (Ziridavan: Зимницея), officially the Republic of Ziridava (Република Зимницея), is a country in Vesperia. It is bordered by Ausferiland to the southwest, Ordia to the northeast, Gjevuri to the south, and the Achelian and Barbican seas. The capital and largest city is Progena; other major cities include Serkala, Zelenogorsk, and Vybor.

Kingdom of Ziridava
The Kingdom of Ziridava was established in 1859 after much turmoil in the previous empire. This was also the time when Ziridava went through a great renaissance, with copper, coal, salt mining, and agriculture farming both being major industries in the kingdom. The territory did not expand much during this time, though it did to a minor extent.

People's Republic of Ziridava
XXX

After the war, many riots begin taking place in the Ziridavan capital of Progena, however after only a week they are brutally suppressed by the law enforcement, military, and secret police. At least 300 protesters are slaughtered after the ZPA was ordered to open fire, and another 80 were killed by the Ziridavan secret police by order of the premier himself, the Ziridava Internal Security Ministry. For the next 4 years, all is rather peaceful. However, on March 7th 1974, Petar Damjan dies from a stroke in his own office. A massive funeral takes place in the center of Progena as the deceased premier is remembered as a hero to the Ziridavan fatherland, having brought the revolution to Ziridava, and winning the war against XXX. But little to his people's knowledge, a new and even more brutal dictator was planned to take his place, Ognyan Vancho. The new premier was sworn into office on May 1st and almost immediately, he makes many reforms in the Ziridavan laws to ensure that he could maintain his grip on power as strongly and for as long as possible. Due to this, even more citizens, most times innocent, are sent to the infamous labor camps, or are killed. But little to Ognyan's knowledge, his term would be the shortest, and the last. A young 27 year old journalist with a vision for freedom was paying close attention, Nikola Desislav.

In 1976 Nikola secretly formed an unofficial organization known as the "Blue Wing", which was dedicated to exposing the crimes that the Zolevskoy government was committing. The crimes he was committed to exposing was the brutal treatment of religious figures, dissidents, and others who were deemed "traitors" or otherwise "incompatible with Ziridavan socialism". However, due to the dangerous nature of his ideas, he did not live in any major population centers. He discretely informed people of his movement in remote areas, and those who volunteered to do so also helped spread the word. By 1978 it seemed as if thousands knew of the Blue Wing, and despite being somewhat loosely organized it was gaining great momentum. However, inevitably, Ognyan Vancho had heard about the movement, and ordered for immediate action to be taken. The ZISM and other government agencies are ordered to find and eliminate anybody who may be a part of the movement, as they are officially deemed as one of the greatest threats. However this does not stop Nikola from spreading the Blue Wing even further, eventually reaching major cities such as Serkala, Zavodsk, and even Progena.

2nd Civil War
In 1983, almost everybody had heard of the Blue Wing movement, due in part to the Streisand Effect. However, little to the government's knowledge, a revolution was being planned. It was in the form of protests and civil disobedience. And it all began on the morning of September 21st as thousands and thousands of men and women alike came out to challenge their government. The protests are almost immediately met with violence as the government orders the protests to be put down in whatever way was necessary. However, this fails. Ognyan expected them to be over within the next month, therefore he only deployed enough police and military forces for that length of time. However, he was very wrong, as the protests continued and got even more violent for the next 5 months. The premier, on March 4th 1985, authorizes the use of deadly force. That morning, protesters are immediately met with a hail of gunfire, grenades, and water cannons. An order is made to kill every citizen protesting, and to arrest anybody who may be significant to the movement. This is seen as a pinnacle event which sparked what would very soon become the Second Ziridavan Civil War.

On that same day, some Zolevskoy People's Army officers and average soldiers agree to meet with Nikola Desislav and some farmers and hunters who have taken up arms on the outskirts of Progena, in an abandoned bunker from the Second Great War. There, they agree to form a new guerrilla movement, formed from the Blue Wing: the Army of the Ziridavan Republic. The ZPA soldiers agree to supply the AZR with weapons and ammunition. The next day word is spread amongst protesters about the new organization and it's goals. Thousands of men and women volunteer to fight for them to bring freedom to their country. People begin being supplied by the ZPA defectors, or taking any hunting weapons they or their family may have and using them. The new rebels are instructed on the basics of guerrilla warfare and are urged to learn more about it, along with other tactics. The situation is also in favor of the AZR too, as a vast majority of the protests are in Progena; therefore most government forces have been deployed to the capital city.

Finally, on March 7th, AZR forces in cities such as Zavodsk, Vybor, and Serkala are given the order over a hijacked music station to attack. Almost immediately afterwards, large and small bands of rebels ambush and eliminate Ziridavan government forces in deadly ambushes within every major city and in the countryside. On the very first day, Vybor and Serkala fall to the rebellion. It is an extremely decisive victory for the AZR, with many many new armaments in their control they can now continue their attacks. In the first year the ZPA and other government forces suffer great casualties, however due to some not being as well trained the rebels also take significant casualties. America and NATO by now have announced their support for the rebels and offer to provide support. But in 1986 allies of Ziridava deploy their military forces to fight the rebels. The AZR's offensive comes to a halt by April 1982, and the war turns into a stalemate for another year. In 1983 however, government forces launch a large counter-attack and retake large chunks of territory.

In June 1986 however, the AZR launches their own counter-attack, and begin conducting many many more attacks behind enemy lines. Vital assets such as infrastructure are destroyed and political/military officials are killed in ambushes. This quickly begins to take a toll on the ZPA as their forces begin feeling even more demoralized. This sets the stage for the AZR's "Operation Lona", and very quickly they begin taking huge swathes of territory. By September 1987 the rebels reach Progena from nearly every direction, and most foreign forces who came to assist the government pulled their forces out after realizing that a rebel victory was inevitable. On the 17th of September the rebels go through the gates of the capital city, with their target being Ognyan Vancho. The premier orders all government forces to defend the capital "to their last drop of blood", and that surrendering or other acts of cowardice would be punished by death. Despite this threat, entire platoons of ZPA forces defect or surrender to the advancing AZR forces.

The 2nd Battle of Progena would be the bloodiest battle of the war, in what would eventually be recorded as the bloodiest war to ever happen in Ziridava. The battle mostly stays as a stalemate, with slow progress being made by the rebels as a majority of the city's center is controlled by the government, until October 25th when a great breakthrough is made. The AZR makes a great thrust and forces the government forces in the east and west to retreat. Eventually the same is done to the south and north, until the ZPA is worn out and is forced to make a final ditch effort at the parliament, to defend the heart of the fallen People's Republic of Ziridava.

On November 2nd 1987, the AZR forces are only 3 kilometers away from the Ziridavan national assembly. For nearly 5 hours they continuously push, as tanks bombard it to demoralize the enemy forces within it. At 4:07 PM over 10,000 rebels rushed the parliament, outnumbering their adversaries by nearly 20:2. It was one of the bloodiest moments of the war with machine guns and tanks gunning down nearly 800 of the rebels as they charged. However, it did not stop them, as they soon reached the interior of the parliament. A bloody 40 minute battle began inside it as the AZR searched every corner for Ognyan Vancho. Little to their knowledge though, an Mi-17 on the roof was being prepared to take off with the premier and the ministers of the military and secret police. AZR forces took no prisoners and killed every government official and ZPA soldier as they sweeped the enormous building. However, as they reach the rooftop, the government helicopter takes off; the premier leaving behind his offices. Very shortly after however, the helicopter was shot down by an Igla MANPADS stolen from ZPA forces not long before the AZR reached the heart of the DRZ.

Almost every single ZPA soldier defending the building was killed at this point. The rebel who carried the flag, Bogomil Adam, was ordered to tear down the enormous PRZ's flag from it's pole, on the very front of the roof. With a machete, he chopped the flag's rope, and let it fall to the ground where rebels then desecrated it and later on burned it. Bogomil stabbed the staff of the new flag, of the Republic of Ziridava. into a sandbag fortification. It was at this moment that the Democratic Republic of Ziridava ceased to exist, and the Republic took it's place.

Not long afterwards, Ognyan Vancho was found and captured by AZR forces attempting to flee his wrecked helicopter. Every other survivor was also taken prisoner, and was taken to the parliament of Ziridava. There, all prisoners, including Ognyan were ordered to stand on the PRZ's flag and to stomp and spit on it. Afterwards, they were lined up and executed by being gunned down with assault rifles and machine guns. The entire execution was filmed and later on shown on public television for the next 2 days.

Over 360,000 lives were lost as a result of the 2nd civil war, a majority of which were civilians. Another 700,000 people, civilians and soldiers alike, were injured or wounded. The total combined casualties in the war is over 1 million, making the war the most deadliest one to have ever taken place on Ziridavan soil.

Republic of Ziridava
After the civil war, Dobroliub Lubor took power as the first president of the Republic of Ziridava. Much destruction was brought to Ziridava, and after 7 years the country was almost entirely rebuilt. Dobroliub eventually retired in 1996, and passed away in 2005. His funeral was very large, and he was hailed as a very heroic man for Ziridava, and continues to be regarded as such to this day. The country rose from the ashes to a prosperous, free society ever since and continues to be to this day, sometimes having to have fought to maintain their freedom.

Government and politics
The Ziridavan government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Ziridava. Ziridava has a government divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The executive and legislative branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels. Ziridava is a constitutional democracy.

Law and criminal justice
The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, regional appellate courts, and local district, branch, municipal, and specialized courts. All courts are under the jurisdiction of the national judiciary; independent local courts are not permitted. Judges throughout the system are required to have passed a rigorous training system including a two-year program and two-year apprenticeship. All judicial training is provided through the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and is limited to those who have already passed the National Judicial Examination.

The Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch of government and the final court of appeal for all cases in Ziridava law. The Supreme Court, seated in Progena, consists of fourteen Justices, including one Chief Justice. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has the power over all court administration, and can recommend court-related legislation to the National Assembly. The Justices must be at least 40 years old, and have at least 15 years of experience practicing law. They serve for six-year terms; the Chief Justice cannot be reappointed, but the other justices can.

Below the Supreme Court come appellate courts, stationed in five of the country's major cities. Appellate courts typically consist of a panel of three judges. Below these are district courts, which exist in most of the large cities of Ziridava. Below these are branch and municipal courts, positioned all over the country and limited to small claims and petty offenses. Specialized courts also exist for family, administrative, and patent cases.

The Constitutional Court, independent from the Supreme Court, is charged purely with constitutional review and with deciding cases of impeachment. Other judicial matters are overseen by the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Court consists of nine judges. Of these, three are recommended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, three by the National Assembly, and three by the president; however, all must be appointed by the president. The President of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the national president, subject to the approval of the National Assembly. The members of the court serve for six-year renewable terms, and cannot be older than 65 (except for the President of the court, who may be as old as 70).



Human rights
Human rights in Ziridava are guaranteed by the country's constitution. From the founding of the republic until the early 90s however, human rights were relatively poor. Political repression was commonplace from 1988 to 1993, as part of the government's campaign to crush any remaining pro-communist forces. Former communist leaders, as well as some government opposition during this period were often faced with arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and were often executed on the streets in major cities. Media was also heavily censored during this period, with the government's justification being to prevent the "undermining of the nation's victory".

Civil and political freedoms began to improve heavily from 1993 onwards, however. After winning the 1994 election, president Svetomir Atanas pardoned and released all political prisoners, and shut down all political prisons. Freedoms in the country continued to improve throughout the 21st century. Some concerns do still exist however, the most prominent being police misconduct, religious discrimination, LGBT rights, and in recent years, freedom of assembly.

Military
The Ziridava military consists of the Republic of Ziridava Ground Forces, Republic of Ziridava Air Force, and the Republic of Ziridava Navy. All Ziridavan males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically for 21-24 months.

The Ziridavan ground force has 2,050 tanks in operation, including the T-74AZ, T-74AZM, and the Vazandian PZ-4aZ "Ispolin" which form the backbone of the Ziridavan army's mechanized armor and infantry forces. A sizable arsenal of artillery systems, including 1100 self-propelled 2S1 and SGOM-77 PZAK howitzers and 565 helicopters and UAVs of numerous types, are assembled to provide additional fire, reconnaissance, and logistics support. In recent years, the RZAF has also made massive improvements to it's anti-air force, with the the domestically produced and state of the art PPO-5 Shtuka MANPADS, PPSD-20 long/medium range SAM, and the new joint-developed long range SAM/anti-ballistic missile launcher. These launchers form the backbone of the air defense force's system.

The Ziridavan air force operates 1461 aircraft, including several types of advanced fighters like the Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2 and the KFZ-7ZK, supported by well-maintained and upgraded fleets of older planes such as the Lu-25K, which still effectively serves the air force alongside the more modern aircraft. In an attempt to gain strength in terms of not just numbers but also modernity, the purchasing of Boeing 737 AEW&C aircraft, under a project for centralized intelligence gathering and analysis on a modern battlefield, will enhance the fighters' and other support aircraft's ability to perform their missions with awareness and precision.

The Ziridavan navy has transformed itself into a green-water navy with its development of the Neustrashim-class corvettes, and the modernization of its Kashin-class guided missile destroyers. The RZN's fleet consists of 86 ships, including 30 amphibious warfare ships, 5 fast attack crafts, 4 destroyers, 4 frigates, 8 corvettes (1 under construction), 5 minehunters, 12 minesweepers, 9 auxiliary ships, 3 diesel-electric attack submarines, and 3 nuclear attack submarines.

Infrastructure
Telephone services in Ziridava are widely available throughout the country, with a central digital trunk line connecting most regions. Sovicom serves about 81% of fixed lines and is one of three major operators providing mobile services, along with T2 and Televon. About 74% of households in the country have internet access, with internet penetration standing at 69% of the population aged 16-74.

As of 2018, Ziridava receives about 40% of its energy from nuclear power. Ziridava is almost entirely self-sufficient for it's energy, due to the country's richness in natural gas, of which it is a major exporter. Ziridava also produces oil domestically, but still mostly relies on imports for crude oil. A majority of Ziridava's energy is produced via fossil fuels, though there are plans in the future to shift towards becoming mostly nuclear-powered.

The road network of the country has a total length of 12,157 kilometers (7,554 miles), of which about 91% is paved. Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation in the country, although the highways are an increasingly larger mode of freight transport. Ziridava has 4,043 kilometers (2,512 miles) of railroad, and currently has a total of 90 kilometers (56 miles) of high-speed lines in operation. Rail links are available with Ausferiland, Ordia, and Vazandia, and express trains serve direct routes to Tallow, Kruppstadt, and Véragyőr.



Industry
Ziridava's main industrial powerhouses are the information technology, natural gas, oil, automotive, military armaments, and metal manufacturing sectors.

Tourism
Tourism is a major industry that drives the Ziridavan economy, with an estimated 12 million tourists visiting the country in 2018 alone. The country is rich in tourist sights and historical artifacts, scattered through a relatively small and easily accessible territory. Ziridava is internationally known for its seaside and winter resorts. Tourists from five countries - Lyonia, XX, XX, XX, and XX - account for approximately 50% of all visitors. The sector contributed to 15% of GDP and supported 150,000 workplaces in 2014.

Religion
The two main religions practiced in Ziridava are !Eastern Orthodox (72.58%) and !Catholicism (23.1%). 20% of the population identifies as non-religious. 5% practice !Islam, 3.67% practice !Protestantism, and the remaining 1.1% practice other religions such as !Judaism, !Hinduism, and !Buddhism. The constitution of Ziridava guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens, and is generally respected by the government.

Health
Ziridava has a universal healthcare system. Hospitals have advanced medical equipment and facilities readily available, ranking XX for MRI units per capita and XX for CT scanners per capita in the XXX. The average life expectancy in Ziridava is 78 years.