Lazlowia

From NSWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
People's Republic of Lazlowia
Lazlowiai Népköztársaság
Lazlowiaflag.png
Lazlowiacoa.png
Flag of Lazlowia
Coat of Arms of Lazlowia
Motto: "Workers of the World, Unite!"
Anthem: Hymn
Lazmap.png
Location of Lazlowia on Urth.
Region The East Pacific
Capital
(and largest city)
Lazlowgrad
Official language Hungarian
Ethnic groups (2018) 98% Hungarian
2% Other
Religion 55% Catholicism
15% Judaism
30% Atheism/Other
Demonym Lazlowian
Government Socialist people's democracy
 -  President of the People's Republic Mór Preusz
 -  Chairman of the Council of Ministers Gábor Lörcs
 -  General Secretary of the Lazlowian Workers Party Imre Kádas
 -  Chairman of the Politburo of the Lazlowian Workers Party Mór Preusz
Legislature Parliament of the People's Republic
Establishment
 -  Earliest Lazlowian settlements circa Vth Century BC 
 -  Kingdom of Lazlowia circa 843 AD 
 -  First Republic 1912 
 -  Kingdom of Lazlowia (Regency) 1921 
 -  Second Republic 1965 
 -  Glorious Revolution July 21st, 2003 
 -  People's Republic of Lazlowia August 20th, 2004 
Area
 -  Total 518 550 km²2
 -  Water (%) TBD
Population
 -  2018 estimate 48,354,321
GDP (PPP) 2018 estimate
 -  Total $1.769 trillion
 -  Per capita $39,944
GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate
 -  Total $1.307 trillion
 -  Per capita $30,689
HDI (2011) 0.8
Currency Lazlowian Forint (Ft.) (LFT)
Time zone LST (Meridian-7)
 -  Summer (DST) LDST (Meridian-6)
National animal None
Date formats yy-mm-dd
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .laz


Lazlowia (Hungarian: Lazlówia), officially the People's Republic of Lazlowia (Hungarian: Lazlówiai Népköztársaság) is a sovereign state in Yasteria. It is a densely populated country, with over 48 million citizens. Its capital and largest city is Lazlowgrad.

The area of modern day Lazlowia has beeen inhabited since antiquity, but the state of Lazlowia was only established in the IXth century A.D. Lazlowia was a monarchy until the revolution of 1912, which established the short lived First Republic. In 1921 a reactionary coup overthrew the republic and reinstated the monarchy. Krisztián Weimar, leader of the coup was made regent, and ruled the country as a dictator until his death in 1953. The monarchy was again overthrown in 1965 in a revolution and the Second Republic was formed. Amidts economic recession in the 1990s an authoritarian regime was established. In 2003 the Glorious Revolution led to a brief civil war, which ended with a victory of the communist forces, and subsequently the People's Republic of Lazlowia was formed.

Lazlowia is a communist state. The government is lead by the Revolutionary Popular Front, which is dominated by the Lazlowian Workers Party. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Most services such as healthcare, education, housing and food production are subsidized or state-funded. Lazlowia experienced a great recession in the 1980-90s, but since the revolution it has a rapidly developing economy.

History

Early history

The exact origins of the Lazlowians are still a matter of debate among historians. The so called "Native" school claims, that the Lazlowians have always inhabited the islands since the stone age. The other school, the so called "Settler" school, on the other hand claims, that the Lazlowians migrated into the islands in the V-IV. centuries B.C. While archeologists have found evidence, that the islands have been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic era, archeologists are quick to point out, that the earliest findings, that can be connected to the Lazlowians without a doubt, are from the late V. century B.C. Linguists and anthropologists are also divided on the issue.

Whatever is the truth, one thing is certain, by the III. century B.C. the entire island was inhabited by Lazlowians. Yet for centuries there was little central authority. Lazlowia was more of a collection of city states and tribes. It wasn't until Christianity have spread to the island in the early IX. century A.D. that a central authority has emerged. In 843 A.D. Tasziló, who was the head of one of the most powerful tribes, conquered Lazlowgrad, the largest of the city states, and as such became the de facto ruler of Lazlowia. He soon converted to Christianity and subsequently established himself as king of Lazlowia, establishing the Kurragh dynasty, which would rule Lazlowia until the XIII. century.

The middle ages

Centuries passed by without any major event in Lazlowia. The old faith, in which five deities were worshipped, disappeared, as Christianity became widespread. Lazlowia also maintained active trade relationships with other countries near and far. As Lazlowia was surrounded by the sea, it was natural, that the Lazlowians became expert sailors, and their ships have reached many distant shores. By the XII. century the Lazlowian economy was thriving. Yet at the same time central authority deteriorated. Clans, remnants of Lazlowias tribal past, remained powerful, and with their newfound riches, they became more powerful, than ever. On top of this, inbreeding in the royal family has led to a succession of monarchs with limited mental capabilities.

In 1204 the last king from the Kurragh dynasty, Tasziló III., was forced to retire to a monastery, and the throne was grabbed by Lehel, the head of the powerful Berregh clan. Other clans were of course not to happy about this turn of events, and a war broke out. Emerging as victor from this conflict was Zoltán, the head of the Ábrahám clan, who in 1240 made a tactical alliance with the League of the Seven Cities and successfully defeated the armies of the Berregh clan in the battle of Rozsgony. Thus the War of the Clans came to an end.

Zoltán I. subsequently made sure, that none of the other clans could again rise against the king. Many old noble families lost their lands and titles, while new families emerged. Zoltán also relied on the cities and the church against the nobility. By the end of the middle ages, the foundations of the absolute monarchy were laid down.

The early modern period

Culture soon flourished in Lazlowia. The first university of Lazlowia, the University of Lazlowgrad, was founded in 1378, which was followed by the University of Ittombol in 1386. The oldest works of literature, that were written in Hungarian instead in Latin, also date to the XIV. century. The arts and sciences entered a golden period.

At the same time, the absolute monarchy was established. The old aristocracy, which enjoyed great privileges in exchange for providing the armies for the king, lost its traditional position. Instead the lower nobility gained positions in the emerging bureaucracy. Although a parliament was established in the XVI. century, the king's power was still absolute.

This would change to some extent in 1696, when the last monarch of the Ábrahám dynasty, king Márk the Forgettable, died without a heir. The nobility, in order to avoid another civil war, gathered in the capital and for weeks negotiated. Eventually a compromise was made: Lőrinc Pekri, an influential but otherwise moderately wealthy baron, was elected as the new king, but in turn, the parliament enjoyed a much greater power. On January 21st, 1697. Lőrinc I. was crowned king of Lazlowia. Thus the reign of the Pekri dynasty began.

The Age of Revolutions

In the second half of the XVIII. century the industrial revolution arrived to Lazlowia as well. The country was well suited for industrialization and soon all the major cities saw a great influx of workers. The bourgeoisie also grew greatly in numbers. Yet the nobility still clung jealously to its power. As the ideals of the enlightenment reached the shores of Lazlowia, more and more people called for reforms.

In 1824 the liberal reform movement made its official debut in the Lower House of the Parliament. They called for the abolishment of feudal and church privileges, the abolishment of guilds and the establishment of a proper, representative parliament. The aristocracy immediately rejected these claims, and in the following years king Lőrinc III. (1802-1843) and the conservative Camarilla did everything in their power to oppose the liberal movement. Prominent liberals were imprisoned or were forced into exile, newspapers were censured and the universities closely watched. For years the liberal movement could only work behind closed doors. Secret societies, like the Society of Liberators, played a pivotal role in spreading the ideals of the enlightenment among the intellectuals.

In 1843 Lőrinc III. died and was succeeded by his son, Márk II. While he was more lenient with the liberals, no meaningful reforms could be made. Tensions grew, and in 1849, after a disastrous harvest led to food shortages and riots, a revolution broke out. King Márk, not being able to deal with the situation, resigned. Meanwhile on the streets the red flag of socialism appeared, as workers called for the establishment of a republic. This frightened most of the moderate liberals, who in turn decided to compromise with the reactionary elements. This lead again, like in 1696, to a compromise. Dániel, the Duke of Beregsurány, a cousin of the king Márk, was elected as the new king and a constitution was ratified. Feudalism was abolished and a representative system was introduced. The right to vote was connected to a strict census and the elections were open. These and other measure ensured, that the elite would maintain its leading position against the republicans, the socialists and other radical left wing movements.

Belle Époque

With the end of feudalism and the establishment of capitalism, the second half of the XIX. century saw an era of economic prosperity for Lazlowia. Political stability and the advancement of culture and science lead to a general atmosphere of optimism during this period. Yet below the surface tensions were constantly growing. In the parliament, the Liberal Party had an absolute majority, and the electoral system was devised in a way, that no meaningful opposition could be formed. The only prominent opposition party, that had seats in the parliament, was the Progressive Party. Dissatisfaction with the corrupt political system grew gradually over the years.

With the rapid industrialization of the country a large proletariat was born. The workers had few right and lived amidst appalling conditions. To protect the workers trade unions were formed, the first being the Textile Workers' Union, which was formed in 1865. The ideals of socialism also spread rapidly amongst the workers, and in 1873 the Lazlowian General Workers Party was formed, which in 1876 changed its name to Lazlowian Social Democratic Party. Party gained many followers amongst both the industrial workers and the agrarian proletariat.

The first cracks in the system appeared in 1883, when a sudden crash of agrarian product prices lead to an economic crisis. The Crisis of 1883 saw the fall of the Rába government, and the elections next year saw the victory of the Progressive Party. The new government of prime minister Ferenc Kovách-Hajdú passed several reforms, which managed to put the economy back on track, although the Lazlowian economy would reach the same heights it did before 1883. Other popular reforms, like the Work Laws, managed to lower the social tensions.

The death of king Dániel I. in 1893 marked an end of an era. Throughout his reign king Dániel was widely popular and was seen as a force of moderation. His successor, Dániel II., did not inherit his father's leadership skills and was widely criticized for his extravagant lifestyle.

The Second Revolution

With the end of the economic prosperity it was inevitable, that the existing tension would boil over. Yet no one expected, that it would happen as suddenly and as quickly as it did. In 1912 an anarchist assassin, László Vareca, shot and killed kind Dániel II. The king's death put the country into turmoil. The socialist, who have gained great popularity over the years took this as an opportunity to create a new political system. Amidst protests throughout the country the Constitutional Convention was assembled. The socialists and the republicans dominated the convention and subsequently managed to pass a new constitution, which abolished the monarchy and established the republic. All males over 21 now gained the right to vote (women would gain suffrage in 1918) and the secret ballot was introduced. At the time, the establishment of the republic was greet enthusiastically everywhere.

The first elections were held in 1913 and saw a victory for the coalition of the Lazlowian Social Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The main opposition party was the Christian Nationalist Party, which attacked the governing coalition for "undermining the traditional Christian values of Lazlowia. But the government soon had to face opposition on the left as well. Many were disappointed, that the social democrats, who once were the vanguard of the radical workers, now watered down their views to appeal to the conservative middle class. In 1918 the Lazlowian Communist Party was formed.

The electoral victory of the social democrats in 1917 and the establishment of the Communist Party horrified the reactionary elements. Claiming, that the country is in danger from the "red menace", the reactionary forces turned towards conspiracy to topple the democratic government. Leading to conspiracy was general Krisztián Weimar, and ambitious ultra-nationalist officer, who could count on the reactionary elements of the army. In 1921 Weimar staged a coup against the government and took over the capital with the army, officially to "protect it from a communist conspiracy". However the coup faced opposition. While the army supported the counter-revolution, the navy remained loyal to the republic and fought back against the coup. The communists also organized workers militias to fight against the reactionaries. But the left was divided and with the reactionaries gaining support among the peasantry, the counter-revolution succeeded.

Oppression

With the success of the counter revolution the parliament, which was now dominated by the christian nationalists, reinstated the monarchy. Yet the parliament could not decide who to elect as the new king, as Dániel II. died without a direct descendant. At the end general Weimar took the position of regent. While many among the christian nationalists hoped to control Weimar as a puppet from the background, the general had other ideas and in a couple of years he established a dictatorship. The electoral laws were changed again: open elections were reinstalled and about 60% of the people, who could vote in 1917, lost their suffrage. The Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party were banned, the only opposition party that remained was the Republican Party, which was renamed as the National Independence Party.

The period between 1921-1924 saw the reign of the White Terror. The victims of the Terror are somewhere between 150 000-200 000, but the true numbers are unknown. Many more were imprisoned. The main targets of the terror were the communists and the socialists, but anyone, who was considered "unreliable" was a target.

Throughout the 1920-1930 the Lazlowian economy was in almost constant recession. International loans and heavy restrictions managed to keep the economy from collapsing, and any dissent against the government was repressed. Government propaganda presented Weimar as a savior, who saved the country from anarchy, and presented to the world an image of a successfully country. Yet Lazlowia, despite its continued extensive foreign trade, remained politically isolated.

Krisztián Weimar died in 1953, but before his death he hand picked his successor in the form of Ferenc Pivárcsik, an economist with ties to the old aristocracy, who previously served as Minister of Commerce.

Thaw

Regent Pivárcsik realized, that reforms are necessary for the continued survival of system. As such the old electoral laws were replaced with more liberal ones, and several new parties were established (although the communists were still banned). In the field of economy Pivárcsik managed to stimulate the economy with subsidies and government investments. A number of welfare reforms also managed to solve some of the more immediate problems. Yet despite the reforms little changed. Oppression was still high, there was no real democracy, and unemployment still grew in great numbers.

During the years of oppression the communists have worked in illegality. Despite facing great danger from the Regent's secret police, the communists have built a network of underground cells, that have managed to keep the workers movement alive. During the Thaw the popularity of the communists grew as they could now work more openly. The communist agitation contributed to the growing dissent against the government.

The Second Republic

In 1965 the popular left wing opposition politician János Kis was killed. It was widely suspected, that Kis was killed by reactionary army officers. Silent protest soon turned into violent riots when the police tried to break up the protests. On the anniversary of the 1912 revolution thousands marched on the streets. The Regent declared martial law, but this time the Navy, which still maintained its leftist tradition, moved first and sided with the revolution. Facing such opposition, regent Povárcsik resigned and left the country. The Monarchy collapsed in what became known as the Sailors Revolution.

The Second Republic was soon formed and the subsequent elections were won by the coalition of the newly legitimized Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, which became known as the Popular Front. The worst excesses of the dictatorship were rescinded and a committee was established to investigate the crimes of the previous regime.

The 1960s and 1970s were relatively uneventful as Lazlowia slowly rebuilt itself. The Popular Front continued to govern the country until 1981, when the coalition broke up and the elections were won by the moderate Lazlowian People's Party.

The end of the Second Republic

The 1980s brought stagnation to the Lazlowian economy. The government raised the taxes, however these measure proved to be unpopular. In 1990 a recession hit the country, which lead to the sharp rise of unemployment. In addition crime became a major problem, yet the police force was underfunded and could not fight back against the raising crime rates. Amidst these problems people turned against towards the radical right. The Lazlowian Action Party , which rose to prominence during these years, promised to "restore law and order" and on this platform won the 1993 elections, gaining two thirds of the seats in the parliament. Little did the people know, that they have opened the door for another dictatorship, one that was more subtle the its predecessors.

Having the absolute majority in the parliament, nobody could oppose the LAP. The country was in fact ruled by an oligarchy, which centered around the prime minister, Rudolf Metz. Corruption was rampant, while the government officially maintained, that they are for "law and order". Indeed, measures were taken to reduce crime, and these measure even saw some success. The most controversial measure was the restoration of the death penalty, which was originally banned in 1977. To cover up the inefficiency and corruption of the regime, the government whipped up nationalist sentiments. At the same time the LAP made a strategic alliance with the New Lazlowia Party, an openly fascist party.

In 1997 the LAP again won the elections, however this time by a smaller margin, the the voters turnout was an all time low. People were growing more and more dissatisfied with the government and the Communist Party, which was reformed in 2000, grow into a major opposition. To avoid loosing the elections in 2001, the LAP and the NLP formed a coalition. Yet prime minister Metz was soon to be stabbed in the back. In the following years disputes in the reigning oligarchy made the unaware, that the fascist were slowly gaining positions in the LAP as well. In 2003 the parliament held a vote of no confidence, and Metz lost his position. The LAP and the NLP merged to form the United Right Party, which then passed the Emergency Law, which banned all political parties except the United Right and postponed the elections.

The Glorious Revolution and the birth of the People's Republic of Lazlowia

Revolution in Lazlowgrad, 2003.

The bloodless coup of the fascists was the final straw for the Lazlowian public, which was slumbering in the political apathy so far. The Communists refused to acknowledge the fascist takeover and called their supporters to arms. The university students were the first to rise up. On July 21st, 2003. the army opened fire on the protesting students at the University of Lazlowgrad. 25 dead and many more wounded. The University Massacre was the rallying call for the communists. The revolutionaries stormed the parliament, and the government escaped, but refused to surrender. The Navy, like in 1965, was on the side of the revolution. A brief, but violent civil war erupted in Lazlowia, but at the end the communists were triumphant.


"The Republic has failed us and as such, dead! Long live the People's Republic!"-proclaimed Gábor Kovács, the leader of the Communist Party on the steps of the parliament in Lazlowgrad on August 20th, 2004. Under the banner of the communists the various left wing parties merged to form the Lazlowian Workers Party, and set out to rebuild the country.

Contemporary history

The years following the revolution saw Lazlowia rebuild itself after the turmoil of the Glorious Revolution. At the same time the economy was completely rehauled, as a centralized communist economy was established. The industry was nationalized and the lands were collectivized. In 2006 on the anniversary of the revolution the establishment of socialism was proclaimed.

At the same time Lazlowia became more active in international politics. The young people's democracy was greatly tested, when the reactionary nation of Algaisia provoked a war with Lazlowia, but the reformed People's Army proved itself by liberating Algaisia and establishing a new people's democracy there.

In 2009 the Listonian Crisis revealed a new enemy for Lazlowia: Vekaiyu. In the years following the crisis relations deteriorated to the point that Lazlowia only has minimal contact with Vekaiyu and refuses to recognize the rouge nation of Listonia. The Crisis also hit hard the country of Sevropia, which lost a great deal of territory to Listonia. The economic crisis the followed, which was only amplified by the embargo Vekaiyu and its co-conspirators, Vulshain and Laiatan, established, forced Sevropia to rely more and more on aid from Lazlowia. In return the sevropian communists grow more and more influential, and eventually in the February of 2014 the Communist Party of Sevropia came to power in a bloodless coup. Since then Lazlowia, Algaisia and Sevropia formed an alliance to counter the influence of Vekaiyu.

Geology

Lazlowia is made up of a series of islands. The main island, Lazlow Island, is by far the largest of these, with all the other islands being small islands near the coast. The only exception is Lajos Island, located west of Lazlow Island.

The main island has two distinct geographic regions. The eastern part of the island is the mountainous region, with most of the mountains being volcanic in origin. The highest mountian is Mount Fehértető, which rises 2954 meters above sea level. The mountains are densely forested. The northern part of the island, as well as Lajos Island are covered by tropical rainforests. The western part of the main island is the lowlands region, which is mostly flat and only lightly covered by trees.

The longest river is the Sebes. The largest natural lake is Lake Bakony, and the second largest is Lake Sebes, an artificial lake created after the Sebes dam was built on the river Sebes in 1983.

Lazlowia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Around 20 earthquakes are registered yearly, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was in 1989.

Due to the volcanic nature of the islands, mineral deposits are abundant. The country is estimated to have large gold and copper deposits. It is also rich in nickel, chromite, and zinc. Geothermal energy is another product of volcanic activity that the country has harnessed, although it makes up only a small percentage of the country's energy sources.

Climate

Lazlowia is located in the monsoon climate zone. From May to September is the West Season, during which there is almost constant raining, which often leads to floods. Nevertheless, there are dry spells during the wet season, and there is less rain in the mountains. From September to May is the Dry Season, characterised by a lack of rain and mild temperatures. Because of maritime influences, the temperature is relatively mild during most of the year, with the hottest months being April and May.

Politics

The People's Republic of Lazlowia is a socialist people's democracy. The Head of State is the President of the People's Republic, and the Head of Government is the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, however de facto the President is also the Head of the Government. The President is elected by the Parliament every four years.

The chief legislative body is the Parliament. Officially Lazlowia is a multiparty democracy, however only those parties, that are part of the Revolutionary Popular Front, which is dominated by the communist Lazlowian Workers Party, can run in the elections. Of the 178 mandates in the Parliament, 160 are held by members of the Lazlowian Workers Party, the rest by members of the Peasant Party, the New Democratic Party and independents.

As the LWP dominates Lazlowian politics, all the major decisions are made within the party. The President is also the head of the Politburo of the party, and it is at the meetings of the Politburo, where policy is made. The members of the Politburo are elected by the Central Commitee every five years.

Foreign Relations

Lazlowia maintains a close alliance with the Democratic Republic of Algaisia and the People's Republic of Sevropia. These two countries are close economic partners of Lazlowia. Lazlowia, Algaisia and Sevropia formed a military alliance, the Alliance For the Defence of Socialism in 2016. The main goal of the alliance is to curb Vekaiyun expansion.

Lazlowia has broken all diplomatic ties with Vekaiyu and Dannistaan, and refuses to recognize Listonia as a sovereign state.

Economy

As a communist state, the Lazlowian economy is state owned and centrally planned. Lazlowia has traditionally been a highly industrialized country becouse of an aboundance of mineral resources and a relative lack of arable land. During the XXth century the economy mostly focused on heavy industry. At the time of the establishment of the People's Republic in 2004, the Lazlowian economy was experiencing a great recession. Between 2004-2006 as the industry was nationalized drastic measures were taken to revitalize the economy. While inflation and unemployment increased, the recession was stopped. Since 2006 two five year plans have been enacted. The First Five Year Plan (2006-2011) focused on the collectivization of the farms and on the expansion of industry, particurally the electronics industry. The Second Five Year Plan (2013-2018) expanded the turism sector and the weapons industry. In addition, socialist self-management was introduced. In this system most of the state owned companies are managed by workers' councils, and the workers recieve a share of the profits. This system has resulted in a sharp increase in productivity.

Lazlowia's main exports are electronics, small arms, minerals, particurally gold and copper, timber and sea food. Turism makes up about a quarter of the Lazlowian economy.

Transportation

Lazlowia has an extensive transportation system, that includes highways and railways, connecting all parts of the country. As Lazlowia is an island nation, it also has a strong maritime tradition since antiquity. Lazlowia has two major international ports in Lazlowgrad and Ittombol, and several smaller ones. Maritime transportation is managed by the Ministry of Naval Affairs.

Lazlowia also has a very extensive public transportation system, which is affordable and reliable. As a result private car ownership in Lazlowia is somewhat lower, than in other countries of similar size and population. The first electrict tram line in Lazlowgrad was opened in 1885, the first underground railway line in 1896, the first bus line in 1916 and the first trolley bus line in 1933. Lazlowia has a domestic production of buses, coaches and trams, and it exports these to other countries, mainly to Algaisia and Sevropia.

Lazlowia has two international airports: Lazlowgrad Béla Kovács International Airport and Ittombol International Airport. There is only one, state owned, air transportation company in Lazlowia, the Lazlowian Air Transportation Company (LLV).

Space Exploration

The Lazlowian space program began in the 1990s, when the reigning government initiated it as a way to increase the country's international prestige. In 1995 the Lazlowian National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LANELŰH), which in 1998 launched the country's first satellite. However, the agency sank into insignificance in the years leading up to the Glorious Revolution because of a lack of funds, and remained essentially dormant until 2011, when it was reorganized as the Lazlowian Space Exploration Agency (LAŰR). In 2016 the agency succeeded in launching the first Lazlowian into space. LAŰR also has several joint projects with Algaisian and Sevropian agencies.

Demographics

Lazlowia is not an ethnically diverse country. Of it 48 million inhabitants, 98% has declared itself Lazlowian. The main language of Lazlowian is Hungarian, an Uralic language, that is not spoken outside of Lazlowia. At the begining of the XXIst century birth rates were declining and there was an increase in emigration. In the last ten years however, the population has increased again.

Religion

The majority of Lazlowians, 55% of the population, are Catholic. Lazlowia also has a sizable Jewish population, around 15%, due to Lazlowia's traditional tolerance towards Jews. However Lazlowia is not known for being a very religious country, and about 30% of the population has either declared itself atheist, or named no religion.

Since the revolution, the government has pursued a strict line of secularism and, in line with the communist ideology, pursued an anti-religious campaign. Most religious organizations have been either banned or put under a strict governmental control. Foreign missionaries are generally banned from working in Lazlowia. However, the main religious holidays (Easter, Christmas, etc.) are also national holidays, although their religious aspects are downplayed.

Urban Centers

The largest city is Lazlowgrad, which is also the capital. Other major cities include: