Awesome Break-Away of 250land

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250land and Vera
250land and Vera

Flag of 250land and Vera
Key facts
Motto National Unity! National Identity! National Progress!
Capital and largest city Asterix
Official language Esperanto
Ethnic Groups (2014) 50% Foreign, 40% Veran, 9% Au'sum, 0.5% Qxcha, 0.5% Yxcha
Demonym 250lander or Veran (only ethnic Verans)
Government Committee of Public Safety
General Information
Independence From Khami Empire in 1943
Area
  • Total: 715,305 km2
  • Water (%): 1.0
Population Approx. 200 Million
GDP NSD$ 4 Trillion (2016)
Currency Nation States Dollar (NSD$)
Time Zone Iriel Standard Time
Date format yyyy/mm/dd
Drives on the left
Calling code +250
Internet TLD .250

250land and Vera is located in the north of the Iriel region. Bordered to the north by the former Khami Empire, to the south east lies the Former Holy Geneva, in the south by the Iriel Sea and to the west the Western Anarchy. Inhabited by more than 200 Million people - half of which are foreign, 250land and Vera has had a difficult history but today is a thriving nation with ambitions to break out on to the world stage.

Travel to, and work in 250land and Vera has never been easier and more rewarding - for the right kind of person. With most people concentrated in the sprawling metropolis of Asterix, the capital city is the place where you will spend the most time shopping or working. In the countryside of Vera is where nature walks, crazy driving and secluded villages will add flourish to your social media accounts.

Regions

  • 250land is the smaller of the two territories which make up 250land and Vera. About the size of Tunisia, 250land is a mild Mediterranean climate with a little forest but mostly occupied with the capital city and farmland. Borded to the North and West by high mountains which make natural division between 250land and the rest of the continent. To the South lies the Iriel Sea and in the East lies the Sanders Plains in Vera across the Au'n river.
  • Vera is a mountainous country, about the size of metropolitan France and directly along the Eastern border of 250land. Traditionally populated by small villages although some larger towns are starting to appear. Full of rich valleys and long rivers, Vera is where most natural minerals in the country are found. Veran people were independent until 1992 and still shirk at being identified as being called a '250lander'.

Cities

  • Asterix - Capital city and where most foreigners end up. A huge industrial metropolis of 95 million people.
  • North Sten - Closest city to the Khami Empire and major agricultural trading location.
  • Ramonopolis - Capital of Vera, an ugly city and without many interesting points but essential for organizing travel in Vera and the Former Holy Geneva.
  • Koloritny - Great starting point for scenic tours and home to a industrial district dedicated to textiles.
  • Yum'ix - Nominally a protected reserve for native tribes but in practice a center for the country's recycling industry, epic to explore.
  • Sandergrad - dynamic trading town on the border between 250land and Vera.


Other destinations

  • Endless National Park - Not really endless but a large national park in North Vera that has very protective border guards!
  • Border Crossing between North and South Vera - Built during the partition of Vera in the late 1980's, appealing to the history tourist.

Understand

History

250land and Vera has two parallel histories that merged when 250land annexed the Republic of Vera in 1992. 250land started, as the name suggests, as a break-away from the rapidly fragmenting Khami Empire in the 1940's, before then it had been a relatively forgotten outpost of a massive empire and had served mostly as a source for conscripts and access to the Iriel Sea. Vera on the other hand had a longer independence although without organized rule until around the same time as 250land. During the 1970-90's both 250land and Vera formed a political block (although were not yet part of the same country) in a regional cold war with a theocracy called Holy Geneva. Petty squabbling and border confrontations were commonplace on both sides and were only really resolved with the collapse (due to internal factors) of Holy Geneva in 1992. Now known as the Former Holy Geneva, this former nation state is heavily referenced by 250landian officials and its people make up a significant proportion of the foreign population in 250land and Vera. Today the Former Holy Geneva is administrated by a 250landian sponsored 'transitional' government and keeps law and order with the Holy Geneva Security Forces (HGSF), WA Peacekeeping Forces in the Former Holy Geneva (WAPFFHG) and the Awesome Army (of 250land).

250land itself was a typical Orwellian One Party State from its' inception in the 1940's until the 21st century, the government was an omnipresent force in society and 250land was kept as a closed country with restricted access both in and out. The Party, assisted by secret police called IQU constantly monitored and decided the fate of each individual citizen in 250land. Based on the speeches of the 'Founding Fathers' 250landian society was heavily controlled; from birth people were assessed and assigned different roles depending on their ability, political aptitude and the requirements of the state. As an example; when the central government decided in 1989 that 250land would develop a space program (The 250land Space Authority), a collection of nearly 200 students recently graduated from various complementary scientific and engineering degrees at Asterix University were ordered abroad in order that they attain the skills needed to build a reliable space shuttle. Upon return to 250land, these foreign educated students were collectively assigned to the Space Authority and dispatched to a closed city built around an old missile testing base to begin building a space shuttle. Wives/ husbands were selected for their political loyalty as a way of spying on and keeping their spouses to toe the Party line. Beginning in the 1990's 250land started to open to the world, first with so called 'ombro naas' (or shadow people) migrant workers and refugees which were officially not allowed. Because their labor was needed in an increasingly inefficient state structure, they were ignored by officials. After the First Coup of Generals in 1994 and then the 250landian Civil War in January - May 1998 which resulted in the Committee of Public Security taking power, 250land was opened officially to the market economy and tourists.

Vera was also a One Party State for much of its existence, although along the lines of a Stalinist State instead. The Veran Communist Party attempted to control society but was largely ineffective outside of the capital and major population centers. Smuggling, localized rebellions initiated by 250land and Holy Geneva were rife. After political uncertainty in 1989, the Veran Communist Party collapsed and the country split into North Vera - controlled in large part by 250land, and South Vera - under the influence of Holy Geneva. In 1992, Holy Geneva collapsed and North Vera invaded the South with help from the Awesome Army. Unfortunately for the North Veran government, the Awesome Army continued on and seized control of the entire nation, eventually annexing Vera officially into 250land on November 21 1992.

People

250land and Vera is a nation of 200 million, split roughly 50% foreign (including Holy Genevans'), 40% Veran, 9% Au'sum, 0.5% Qxcha, 0.5% Yxcha.

The foreign population is a huge mix of people from around the globe. Due to the lax immigration standards of 250land and Vera, it has become a favorite destination for people from poorer countries and stateless persons. Verans are a mixed people with distinct cultures largely lost on the government. Speakers of Veran Russian, Verans generally have a Russian outlook on life and are everywhere in 250land and Vera as a management class in society. The dominant Au'sum run the government and State Owned Enterprises, they generally keep to themselves and stay out of areas with high proportions of foreigners. 250land's native population, once hunted for food now live in reserves and rely on government handouts or try to make a living in Asterix. Once a people of the forest, with most of their traditional lands now developed they find themselves displaced.

Climate

Mediterranean Climate with temperatures ranging from 10°C - 35°C. Winter ranges from May-July and Summer late November - February.

Holidays

  • Jan 1 - New Years day
  • Jun 12 - Independence Day
  • Nov 21 - Annexation Day (of Vera)

Talk

Esperanto is the sole official language in 250land and Vera, although most Verans speak Veran Russian (written in the Latin alphabet) first. Due to the overwhelming number of foreigners in 250land, English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Persian are all very common languages and any speaker of those languages should be able to get around easily, especially English which is used frequently in business. Esperanto remains the language of the government, Police, Army and all State Owned Enterprises and they will insist on its' use whenever possible.

Get in

  • Visa

250land and Vera is an easy country to visit and work in and all citizens of World Assembly nation states are automatically eligible for a 5 year work visa on arrival. Citizens of puppets of WA member states should consult their parent nations administration. Citizens of non-WA member nations will have to apply online or at your nearest embassy for a visa. The website to apply is: ministerioprieksterlandajaferoj.250/vizo. World Assembly Refugee and Stateless Persons Travel Document holders are eligible for 90 days visa free travel.

By plane

  • Asterix International Airport (ASX) - Largest entry point to the country

Asterix International Airport (ASX) is the biggest in Iriel and has several regional and global connections. Sporting a 3,000m runway and 4 passenger and 2 cargo terminals Asterix International is the place you are most likely to land in 250land and Vera. As well as the scheduled services listed below, daily charter flights to and from other nations are also available from Air Iriel.

Air Iriel Air Iriel is the regional airline started in the 1970s as a joint venture between several nations in Iriel in order to offer cost savings to individual nations and better connections for the citizens of Iriel. Now serving all of the major cities in Iriel and with an existing code share arrangement with Air Terranea and AirZeldaen, Air Iriel is now looking to expand its international connections as part of a strategy by the 250land and Veran government to encourage investment in Iriel. Its fleet has recently been expanded and updated with the latest in domestic airliners, primarily the narrow body Paikea P200. Air Iriel has also recently applied to join IATA and claims to adhere to all ITSC standards and bulletins as mandated by the World Assembly. Air Iriel has its hub at Asterix International and serves several daily connections to both the region and internationally (See 'Get Around' below). It also has an airline partnerships with AirZeldaen and Air Terranea.

Air Terranea Currently, daily flights from over 477 destinations internationally through both direct flights with Air Terranea and a code share between that airline and Air Iriel

Awesome Airmail is a subsidiary of 250land and Vera Post and operates an airmail and freight service through both cargo terminals at ASX.

Air Miraco flies between ASX and Miraco 5 times a week.

BrazCargo connects to Iriel through ASX cargo terminal 1 and operates much of the international air-freight out of Iriel.

AirZeldaen operates a service to Equatorial Zeldaen.

Pacifican Airways Operates air-freight service between ASX, Honolulu and Hong Kong (Australialia region) twice a week.

  • Ramon International Airport - Large international airport in Vera

Several daily connections to Asterix by Air Iriel and Awesome Airmail with connections to the Former Holy Geneva and the rest of the region.

By train

  • Khami Trunk - Mostly used as a freight line but with weekly service through Vera, 250land, Western Anarchy and some of Khami. One class, NSD$ 120.00 for a full trunk ticket.

Beautiful scenic's but not a very effective way to get into the country.

By car

  • Former Holy Geneva

One good road from the refugee camp in North FHG to the Veran border, takes approximately 2 hours. This route is not recommended because of the security risk along this route.

  • Khami

There are no official routes to the border from Khami but the brave or desperate can chance one of the mountain passes. There is a border control checkpoint in North Sten City where you can have your passport stamped.

  • Western Anarchy

There are several well traveled roads through this border, from the capital, St Richard there is a paved road to the town of Sajeed which takes about 5 hours by bush taxi. In Sajeed, only 85km of dirt road separate you from the border, be sure to stock up in Sajeed, there are no stops to the border. This border crossing is considered not as risky as it once was as the Awesome Army has entered to garuntee a security buffer along the major border routes.

By bus

The border areas around 250land and Vera are rather insecure and travel through these areas are not advised. Nevertheless, buses are available from most village squares and markets in the border towns of Iriel and beyond. Make sure you know the price in advance and don't let the driver 're-negotiate'.

By boat

To the south 250land and Vera lies on the Iriel Sea. The port at Asterix is a major one accepting international freight. For private boats and sailing boats the less crowded port of Fan'gulli some 35km east of Asterix offers a much less stressful entry point and is also open to foreign vessels. From Fan'gulli there are bus and train services to Asterix.

Ramonopolis lies on the 'Ramon River' which is really a straight through which the Iriel Sea connects to the Pacific. However, Ramonopolis is not open to foreign vessels and it is not permitted to enter 250land and Vera from any port along the Ramon River.

Get around

250land and Vera is a modern nation with well funded transport infrastructure in most parts of the nation state.

  • Asterix Metro - The Metro is a vast network of underground train services with connections to every district in the city and one to Yum'ix. A flat fare ticket of NSD$1 is purchasable in automated booths in the stations or can be managed with the 'Asterix Metro' app which also includes a system map and a handy tool which shows which stops to make in order to get to a certain destination.
  • Plane - Daily flights between these cities are available with Air Iriel and fly250 (West to East) In Iriel: St Richard (Western Anarchy), Yumzix (Yumzix Indigenous Reserve, 250land) Asterix International Airport in District One (250land), S'aan Airport in District Seven (250land), North Sten (250land), Sandergrad (Vera), Koloritny (Vera), Ramonoplis (Vera), Capital Territory (Former Holy Geneva), Foin du Sud (Former Holy Geneva) and Lienia (Legacy of Lien).
  • Private Cars - Are still officially banned in 250land although not in Vera. It is however easy and cheap to rent a car for as little as NSD$5 a day. Search en.potato.250/services for 'car rental'. Alternatively, registering your vehicle in Vera can circumvent the rules and is essential for those who wish to bring a vehicle from abroad.

To do this contact a Vehicle Registration Agent who will charge a surcharge or go directly to the Veran Vehicle Registration Office (VVRO)if your Esperanto or Russian is good enough. The VVRO charges $12 for plates and can issue them same day. They also now have offices in several big towns so you don't need to go to Ramonopolis.

Veran plates are 'Europlates' and red with 8 alphanumeric characters in random order. On the left-hand side in the 'Euroband' a holographic registration disc is attached to the top where a flag would normally go and below it the letters 'VR'. In 250land plates are the same format although the colors differ; white with black characters for government vehicles, blue and white for State Owned Enterprises and Yellow and Black for commercial vehicles. All 250land plates bear a 250land and Vera flag with '250' below. In 250land the registration disc is stuck on the inside of the windscreen in the top right.

  • Bus - Intercity travel is best done by bus, both 'luxury' and 'local' buses exist depending on your budget. All major cities and towns, as well as districts within Asterix are connected by regular service. Search en.potato.250/services for 'luxury/local bus [destination]'.

See

The electronic markets of District Two, Asterix are worth a look if nothing else, although good luck not picking up several amazing deals. There are also many untouched beaches, mountain passes and river rapids that are an epic journey to get to and a great experience once you tire of the hustle in the city. Guided tours of Veran ruins depart daily from Ramonopolis and Koloritny.

Do

250land and Vera is a popular destination for upstart businesses to find contract factories and suppliers. Many a kick-starter project has found the expertise and capacity to bring their concept to market. 250land and Vera is also famous as a place to buy bulk goods cheaply and bring them back to home countries in order to sell. Larger contract manufacturing is also a big draw to the region.

In terms of tourist activity, the stark, Orwellian and Stalinist architecture of District One in Asterix is interesting as is traveling around the various regions of 250land and Vera. Despite having a large population, almost all activity is confined to the ten Districts of Asterix and most of the country outside of the capital is sparsely developed and populated.

Buy

Exchange rates:

  • NSD$ 1- 1.5 Lira
  • NSD$ 1- 1.8 Marks
  • NSD$ 1- 25 Transitional Francs (Former Holy Geneva)

250land and Vera historically used a number of currencies. Starting with the 250land Guilder and Veran Ruble respectively. In the 1980s the pan-Iriel Iryan currency was adopted and used until the breakdown of regional cooperation which occurred in the late 1990s with the collapse of Vera and Holy Geneva. Today 250land and Vera uses the Nation States Dollar and all prices in this guide are denoted as such. If you travel to the Former Holy Geneva the Transitional Franc is being issued by the 'Transitional' Council

ATMs ATMS are available widely and dispense cash in NSD. Due to the lack of a widely accepted inter-bank card system, it might be difficult to access funds while in 250land and you should be mindful on whether your bank has a presence in 250land and Vera. At present Thedosia international debit and credit cards are the only cards from outside of Iriel which are accepted (by Banko 250lando).

Banko 250lando Banko 250lando has offices in all cities and towns in the country and provides easy to open chequing accounts. Only a valid form of ID is required to open a bank account and the process takes around 10-15 minutes. Chequing accounts come with a debit card which can be used generally in Iriel and online with websites which have partnered with Banko 250lando. Credit cards are a little harder to obtain and require a history of debit usage in the country before they can be issued. The preferred method to transfer money from abroad is to open an account with Bank 250lando and then use interbank transfer.

Other financial services and inter-bank networks

Business accounts can be opened with Banko 250lando or several other commercial banks which specialize in business accounts. There are also several banks and financial services which cater to customers with specific languages and countries of origin.

The former 'KK' inter-bank card system has been retired and no longer processes any transactions. Instead private banks, Banko 250lando, the 250land and Vera State Reserve Bank, and the smaller financial institutions that operate in 250land and Vera all use competing bank cards and charges or difficulties in accessing money through card may apply.

The popular social networking platform 'Paroli' (Speak) includes an e-wallet which is popular in shops and business transactions which have not bothered to sign up to the various programs.

Eat

Due to the varied origin of many of the people in 250land and Vera - Asterix in particular - there is cusine from around the world available 24/7. The local diet consists of a generic Mediterranean fare heavy on seafood and fresh vegetables. Asian and continental European style restaurants and food stalls are prevalent and most places offer 24/7 delivery through mobile apps such as potato.250/manĝo.

Drink

A local tradition which has been adopted by many foreigners in 250land is the 'ocha-man' all night tea parties which are supposed to focus around jasmine tea but often alcohol is substituted. 'Victory Gin' is an Orwellian beverage with some popularity in 250land and Vera even though it tastes awful.

Asterix is a city which never sleeps and raving nightlife is to be found around the clock, especially in District Four.

Sleep

Hotels, hostels and apartments can be found all over 250land and Vera at prices to suit any budget. 250land and Vera is notable for the availability of flexible rental periods and the high number of residents, as much as 30% - who live semi-permanently in hotels. Typical prices for accommodation start at NSD$0.50 a night for village guest houses on up to sky's the limit. A more typical long term hotel apartment can be had for NSD$50 per week. As always, potato.250/domo presents searchable accommodation.

Learn

There are several educational facilities in 250land and Vera including international elementary and secondary schools. Schooling, and tertiary education is available in Esperanto, Russian, French, English, Japanese, German and Malay.

Asterix University Asterix University is the biggest tertiary institution in 250land and Vera and offers courses in a wide range of subjects. One of the few places where locals interact with foreigners

250land Technological University The 250land Technological University offers programs in computer science and engineering.

Asterix Pilot's Academy Biggest trainer of commercial pilots in Iriel and has a large foreign student base and modern simulators. Operates out of the aerodrome in District Three.

Work

Because of the lax visa restrictions and the aggressively export oriented State Owned Enterprises, work is easy to find in 250land and Vera at every skill level. From assembly lines in 250land and rare earth mineral mining in Vera to specialized engineering and entrepreneurial opportunities in various fields from resource extraction to automotive manufacturing or call centers and services.

Stay safe

  • National Emergency number - 112 for ambulance, fire and rescue, police.

250land and Vera has a large police force and they maintain at least a veneer of safety in the country at most times and areas. However, corruption and unstable borders lead to some unsafe situations. Exercise caution when in all land and sea border regions, in South Vera and when encountering Awesome Army units. Petty crime is almost unknown in Asterix and is rather low level in most other parts of the country so always keep an eye out.

Since the coup of the Committee of Public Safety the influence of the IQU secret police has reduced significantly.

If you find yourself in the court system of 250land and Vera, it is likely you will be forced to complete a term of labor in the prison system before you are ultimately deported, whether you are guilty or not. If you find yourself arrested for anything more serious than public intoxication or minor traffic violations make sure to hire a local lawyer and apply regularly for deportation throughout your ordeal lest you be forgotten in a Veran mining camp.

Stay healthy

Hospitals and clinics are widespread and of a good quality. Locals receive free health care but foreigners must pay out of pocket. Make sure you check with travel insurance to see whether 250land and Vera is covered. Alternatively health insurance can be purchased locally for reasonable rates.

Respect

Verans do not like to be referred to as 250landers and vice-versa, and any political discussion should only be held openly about foreign regions as both locals and the secret police can be touchy about prying eyes.

The Anything Purple Tax is a common euphemism for a bribe and depending on the activity might range from a small non-cash gift to about 10% of a transaction.

Connect

  • +250 is the international dialing code for 250land and Vera. When dialing locally, '00' is the code to access international numbers (followed by the international prefix).

Within 250land and Vera, a 10 digit closed telephone numbering plan is used. The first two numbers are the area code. All 10 digits must be dialed from anywhere in the Iriel region. When dialing from outside of the region, the leading '0' is replaced by the country code (eg. '01 12 34 56 78' becomes '+250 1 23 45 67 8')

Formally, Vera had its own numbering plan but this was thrown out with the annexation of the territory in the mid 90's to be replaced with '02' and '05'.

  • 00 Is the international calling code
  • 01 Is the code for District One
  • 02 Is the code for Ramonopilis
  • 03 Is the code for District 2-4
  • 04 Is the code for District 5-9
  • 05 Is the code for areas in 250land and Vera outside of the capital districts
  • 06 Is used for freephone numbers
  • 07 Is used for premium-rate numbers
  • 08 Is used for mobile numbers issued by INFOCOMM
  • 01 Is the code for District
  • 09 Is used for mobile numbers issued by World Cellular

INFOCOMM is the government owned provider of telecommunications infrastructure in 250land and Vera. INFOCOMM operates under several brand names and maintains a fiber optic network, mobile network and the Telegram link to the outside world. INFOCOMM also maintains the IrielSat satellite communications and GPS network in Iriel as well as a fiber connection called 'INFO-TRUNK' between Iriel and the outside world. In 2015 World Cellular signed a contract with the 250landian government in order to establish a 4G network in 250land and Vera.

Generally, INFOCOMM offers better rates and coverage (as low as NSD$1 a month for nearly unlimited data while reaching even the remotest parts of Vera with 4G) while World Cellular offers better connections in the places it does have coverage (all cities and towns) and better rates and availability for international calls. INFOCOMM does not currently have any global roaming agreements, however Voip connections are unrestricted. The electronics markets in Asterix contain many varieties of mobile phone for any price range while any phone advertised to work on the World Cellular network should have no problem.

Mobile networks INFOCOMM operates a 4G and soon to be 5G network under the 'Telkom' brand name with good coverage in 250land and northern Vera with slightly spotty coverage in southern Vera. They also operate under 'Cellulaire' in the Former Holy Geneva. INFOCOMM broadcasts on Bands 4 and 20.

World Cellular also operates a 4G network which works well and has better rates for international dialing.

Landlines There are 2 million landlines in the country. INFOCOMM operates both a copper and fiber network and connections between the two may be spotty at times especially as the copper lines are not well maintained.

Internet and internet cafes Internet cafes are popular and available in most towns, open WiFi networks are fast superseding them however. Fixed line internet is offered by INFOCOMM and delivered exclusively through fiber connections.

Postage and courier services BrazilCargo and Awesome Airmail are the premier post and courier services in 250land and Vera, both offer good rates and fast delivery times. Awesome Airmail even has pick-up services. Do not use 250land Post as your letter or package will invariably get lost or arrive up to a year late.

Cope

"Consular assistance" There are several embassies located in 250land and Vera and they are listed below:

Empire of Fifthland: 1390 Independence Blv. District One, Asterix, 250land. Alaskan Freehold, Kueland, and Australian Republic: Consular assistance can be obtained at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 3 Independence Blvd. District One, Asterix, 250land.

All other nationalities can be assisted at the World Assembly branch office at 3b Independence Blvd. District One, Asterix, 250land if your nation is a member of the World Assembly. If not, authorities in 250land and Vera are generally happy to make some kind of communication through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Telegram although expect delays and some uncertainty.

If in Vera, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in downtown Ramonopolis is your only chance at receiving contact with your home nation state.

"Newspapers" Several Newspapers are available from foreign sources. An example of a good English language newspaper which keeps up with foreign and local news is The World Dispatch. Newspaper stands are plentiful in all urban areas of 250land and Vera and also sell cellphone top-ups and hot or cold drinks, ice-creams and magazines.

"Radio" Radio in 250land and Vera is heavily regulated by the government and you may have to turn to pirate radio stations or the internet in order to hear foreign broadcasts. Radio 250lando broadcasts a French news hour on Channel 1 (1020Mhz Am) at 7pm everyday.