Nation/Free Syllvin

The Confederate Islands of Free Syllvin
The Confederate Islands of Free Syllvin Adante Illa Farvin Sillwen
	Motto: "Best Way Forwards"
	Anthem: "The Unsung War"
Capital; and largest city	Syllvan Center
Official languages	Avannian, Island Common
Demonym	Syllvanian
Government	Tricameral Parliamentary Republic
Legislature	Syllvan High Senate
Formation
Population
GDP (PPP)	2012 estimate
Currency	Syllvanian E-dollar (ΣD) (SED)
Time zone	Syllvan Island Time (GMT + 13 hours)
Drives on the	right
Calling code	407
Internet TLD	.sv

The Confederate Islands of Free Syllvin, most commonly referred to as Free Syllvin, is an equatorial nation that enjoys a high standard of living and a comfortable tropical climate. It is comprised of 12 large islands and 29 smaller isles and atolls, as well as recently colonized areas on the mainland, which are officially split into "the Confederacy" and "Syllvania," respectively. While also laying claim to some 237 other small landmasses in the area, Free Syllvin only maintains a passing presence on them due to their usage as resource mines or military posts. The largest island, Valandar, has almost a third of its landmass covered by the capitol city of Syllvan Center.

The ecosystems of Free Syllvin are widely diverse, with the most-common being tropical rain-forest and the second most-common tropical savanna. Several inland territories have grasslands and tropical deserts covering their interiors behind mountains. Salt marshes and mangrove swamps form the outer regions of most populated landmasses. The archipelago hosts a wide assortment of coral reefs and cays as well. The highest point is Cormin Peak, 1712 meters above sea level, with an average height of 234 meters above sea level.

Free Syllvin is a traditional nautical power, boasting a rich history of pre-industrial societies. The sight of fishermen and pearl divers hailing from the ancestral home of the Syllvanians was a common sight in the island chains. The first society to arise in the area were the Ado people, a skilled group of industrial inventors who pioneered many things for their local archipelago, including the sail. They were wiped out by the cannibalistic Gynn, who were in turn wiped out in a tidal wave. The foundations for what would become Syllvin Center were laid by what is known as the Kwun people in 800 CE.

First coming into its own as a proper nation state at around 1650 CE, the modern Free Syllvin is a leader in law enforcement, public transport, and defense. Its income per-capita is consistent within 30,000 E-dollars of the highest and lowest levels of society thanks to extremely tight income tax on the top 10%. Private corporations are effectually illegal, with company boards being populated by officials from an associated committee in the Syllvanian legistlature. The nation's primary exports are military equipment, technology, and sea-craft.

History

Early Inhabitants

Archaeological records show that the archipelago was inhabited as early as 300 CE. However, the most comprehensive and intact signs of native inhabitants date to 535 CE. Rock carvings on the islands of Valandar and Lipock contain records of a tribe known as the Ado, who developed a fishing society with small stilt villages spread out across the northern cays. Carvings on basalt pillars indicate that the Ado used a crude form of sailing and navigation to travel, making them the first Syllvan society on record to do so. They are remarkable in other aspects such as practicing a form of writing, having a grasp of trade and bartering,

The Ado people were competent sailors and divers, but were unaccustomed to conflict due in part to the lack of any other tribes in the area. A structured hierarchy also seemed to prevent internal disputes. This left them easy prey for the nomadic Gynn tribe, who can be traced to the Emoro Straights. Records from both the Ado and Gynn detail a short, brutal conflict in which the stilt villages of the Ado were burned, their religious sites destroyed, and people eaten. The only remains of their society are in the form of sunken canoes and basalt carvings.

The Gynn, seemingly violent and cannibalistic from the few ritual artifacts they left behind, remained the dominant inhabitants of the islands until around 612 CE. Geological indicators of a tsunami can be found pertaining to this event, as well as the disappearance of relics with the design of Gynn culture at around this time. The nomadic nature of the tribe ensured few permanent settlements, and there is little protection from a tidal wave on open water. With the Gynn gone, the archipelago would remain uninhabited for another hundred and fifty years.

The Kwun people, who are regarded as the true founders of Free Syllvin, first appeared near 800 CE. Their establishment of a village on the Rillin Bay is the first archaeological sign of their existence, so it is likely they emigrated from the area of Butan to the northwest. The Kwun were a cautious and careful people, and detailed translations of pictographs reveal a deep mistrust of outsiders. Their village, as it expanded, was fortified and restructured to prevent outside access. Many anthropologists believe that the xenophobia and love of fortifications passed from the Kwun to the Syllvan peoples.

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Monarchy

The Succession Wars

Stabilization

Modern Era

Geography

The Syllvan islands developed as the tectonic plates shifted, exposing a volcanic hotspot. This hotspots is still active to the north of the nation and there is a small ethnic group from the islands who make pilgrimages there. The island it is located on currently does not fall within Syllvanian influence. The oldest and southmost of the islands in the chain, Daesan, is estimated to be 17 million years old, and the largest and northernmost, Valandar, is just under 500,000 years old. There are several dormant volcanic peaks throughout the chain, but each has been inactive for at least 3 million years. The rock content is mostly silica, with large deposits of basalt thoughout the area. Along the eastern side of the island chain, there is a long series of barrier islands, atolls, and coral cays that are known as the sisters. This archipelago is built upon the Greater Allas Boundary, an extensive reef ecosystem that extends 1,800 miles north-south and 200 miles east-west.

The territories of Syllvania

Climate

Marine Ecosystem

The Gear

Government

Administration

Free Syllvin is currently led by a three-house parliament. The upper house, known as the Conclave, consists of 52 Councilors elected from each of the major territories. The role of Chairman, essentially the head of state, rotates positions every 2 years based upon an interior vote, and the Councilors are re-elected by their constituents every 5 years. Each is the head of a certain department within the government, such as Commerce or Agriculture. They serve as a quasi-executive branch, voting upon resolutions approved by both lower houses, and enacting edicts themselves.

The "lower houses" are the Commons and Island Assembly, though the Assembly is considered higher. They are the de-facto legislative branch, and deal with passing, altering, and repealing law. The Commons is made up of 312 officials from around the nation; each territory is allotted 6 representatives. They usually deal with pettier subjects such as business safety regulations, federal allowances, and farm crop distribution. The Island Assembly is composed of 106 delegates, 2 from each territory. While they officially function as a separate order, it is not uncommon fro delegates to represent their associated Councilor's interests in practice. They handle matters such as foreign policy, healthcare, and infrastructure spending and whatever else comprises a larger amount of money and time to work.

Foreign Relations

Until the recent months, Free Syllvin has been a completely isolated state, guarding its borders and airspace zealously.

Military

Free Syllvin has a long history of war, and their focus on defense and security reflect this. The standing military forces of Free Syllvin are split into two groups. The External Defense Forces handle the protection and security of the nation's borders as well as taking part in any offensive operations. The Internal Defense Forces are tasked with law enforcement and security within the borders. Both of the two organizations are funded separate and have divisions specific to an area of operation. An understandable rivalry exists between them, with one being overseen by the Councilor on Interior Security and the other being overseen by the Councilor on National Defense.

Internal Defense Forces

The Internal Defense Forces, or IDF, take the place of police in Free Syllvin. A centralized command structure and a wide array of military issue equipment ensures a safe and crime-free nation. The IDF is also tasked with protecting the sovereignty of Free Syllvin at home. This encompasses patrolling the waters and lands for poaching or environmental destruction, dealing with domestic terrorism or rebellions, and engaging invaders inside the borders of the nation. The IDF is much larger than its counterpart thanks to the combination of these duties, numbering 620,000 active personnel and 4,850,000 permanent reserve personnel.

The five divisions of the IDF cover a specialized area of operations to allow trained professionals to operate more efficiently. Holding responsibility over maritime operations and arguably the most important branch when it comes to war, the IDF Sailing Corps is the naval arm of Internal Defense. The branch that is the primary law enforcement division as well as infantry and armored forces, the IDF Sentry Corps is the land operations division. The IDF Air Corps is in charge of pursuit and surveillance of criminals, and count interception of hostile aircraft as one of their duties in times of war. The maintenance and R&D division of the IDF, the Engineering Corps are responsible for maintaining and constructing the IDFs' arsenal. Aside from managing cybercrimes and the extensive defense network, the IDF Tech Corps serve as tactical oversight and cyber-war specialists.

External Defense Forces

The External Defense Forces are the traditional armed forces of Free Syllvin. They are smaller than the IDF but are equipped with more advanced technology

Economy

Government Oversight

Arms Manufacturing

Global Presence

Demographics

Regions

Religion

Languages

Culture

Transporation

Education