Caselonia

The Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic
Каселонская Социалистическая Федеративная Республика

Flag and National Seal of Caselonia
State Motto:Честь и Слава! Transliterated: "Chest' y Slava!" Translated: Honor and Glory!
Official Language	Russian; (English widely spoken)
Capital	Novaya Moskva
President	Vladimir Chistyakov (KPKF)
Chairman of the Federal Soviet	Mikhail Gromyko
Chairman of the Council of Ministers	Aleksandr Fedorchuk
Area  - Total  - % water	22,402,200 km² 0.5% water
Population  - Total (2005)  - Density	4.857 billion (TS: 7th) 13.38/km²
Establishment  - Declared  - Recognized	7 November 1915 May 1919
Government type	Democratic Unitary State
Nation type	Socialist Democracy
National animal English name	Panthera tigris altaica Siberian Tiger
National flower English name	Rosa phoenicea Summer Damask Rose
National tree English name	Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian Silverberry
GDP (FY2005)   - Total (USD)   - GDP/capita (USD)	$179,066,869,374,217 $36,951.48
Currency  - Exchange rate	1 ruble (R) = 100 kopecks R1,00 = US$1.79*
National Charter	Caselonian Constitution of 1978 (Amended 2005)
Time Zone	UTC +0200 - +1300
International Abbreviations  - sport  - government	CSFR CSFR, KSFR
CHDI	.979 (very high)
Naval Craft Classification   - Military   - Civilian	КНВФ КМКК Note: Russian-only
National Anthem	Гимн Каселонии (Hymn of Caselonia)
Internet TLD	.cl, .cf
Calling Code	+7
* - Exchange Rate subject to change by order of Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Overview

The Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic; abbreviated CSFR; (Russian: Касело'нская Социалисти'ческая Федерати'вная Респу'блика (КСФР); tr: Kaselonskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Federativnaya Respublika [KSFR]); more commonly known as simply Caselonia is a multipartite socialist democracy that was founded in 1915. From 1915 - 2005 it was known as the People's Republic of Caselonia. Since 2005 its official name is the Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic.

The CSFR was created as a union of Caselonian republics formed within the territory of the Caselonian Empire abolished by the Caselonian Revolution of 1915 followed by the Caselonian Civil War of 1915 - 1918. The geographic boundaries of Caselonia have varied with time, but it is significantly smaller than the Caselonian Empire which controlled the modern republics of Daemoniata, Melbournistan, Palmbekistan, Ferretatia and Karakazia and, at one time, Cherisovia. Most of these republics either gained independence (such as Karakazia) or were absorbed by other imperial powers (such as Melbournistan and Ferretatia) during the collapse of Imperial Caselonia or during the Civil War that followed.

Caselonia eventually became a primary model for future communist states; the government and the political organization of the country were defined by the sole political party, the Caselonian Socialist Party. Modern Caselonia is a multipartite state led by the Communist Party of the Caselonian Federation.

According to the UN description, "The Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its devotion to social welfare. Its compassionate, hard-working population...enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated. It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Education, Defence, and Social Welfare. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare."

History

The Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic is a successor of sorts to the Caselonian Empire. The last Caselonian Tsar, Leonid XII, ruled until March 1915 whereupon he abdicated and fled to New Preussen. The People's Republic of Caselonia was established in December 1915, ruled by the Caselonian Socialist Revolutionary party.

A spontaneous popular uprising in Petrograd, following a continued erosion of well-being, morale and stability during the Great War, culminated in the collapse of the imperial government in March 1915. The monarchy was replaced by the Caselonian Provisional Government, a coalition government of both right- and left-wing parties whose leaders intended to establish a Western-style liberal democracy in Caselonia and to continue participating on the side of Yannia and New Preussen in the Sunbelt Great War. At the same time workers' councils, known as soviets, began to spring up across the country. The Socialist Revolutionaries, a comparatively moderate socialist party led by Konstantin Maximovich Gromov, began to agitate for socialist revolution both in the soviets and on the streets, gathering support from battle-weary soldiers who wanted an end to the war and urban workers who had been subjected to harsh working conditions to support the war effort. After sweeping aside competition from the Caselonian Social Democratic Party and the Labour Party of Caselonia, the Socialist Revolutionaries seized power from the Provisional Government in November 1915. Only after the long and bloody Caselonian Civil War of 1915-1918, which included combat between government forces and foreign troops in several parts of Caselonia, was the new Socialist regime secure.

From its first years, government in Caselonia was based on the one-party rule of the Caselonian Socialist Party, as the revolutionaries began calling themselves in March 1918. After the harsh economic policies of the war years, the government began to permit some private enterprise to coexist with nationalized industry and total food requisition in the countryside was replaced by a food tax. The elimination of total requisition proved immensely popular with the still-large peasant class in Caselonia during the 1920s and complete agricultural collectivization, as well as the total elimination of private enterprise, never took place in Caselonia, unlike many other socialist powers of the era.

In 1926 the collective leadership which took power after Gromov's death in 1925 introduced the "First Five-Year Plan For Building a Socialist Economy." Unlike the internationalism expressed during the course of the Revolution, and by many other socialist parties, both in Caselonia and abroad, the decision was made to pursue "single-state socialism." Caselonia became a major industrial power in the decade following, but immense growing pains were experienced in the form of occasional food shortages and the odd uprising of disgruntled peasants or workers. Yet despite this occasional turmoil, Caselonia managed to develop a substantially powerful industrial economy in the years leading up to the Great Motherland War.

Today Caselonia remains a powerful economy, lagging behind only a few much older "Western" republics in GDP and GDPPC. Caselonia is widely considered a regional superpower and is a major lender and aid provider to other socialist republics in the region as well as being considered the leader of such international organizations as COMECON, the Fuerzan Union of Socialist Republics and one of the founding members of The Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Sunbelt.

Politics & Government

Socialist Revolutionaries formed the People's Republic of Caselonia seizing power from the Provisional Government in 1915, which was renamed the Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic in July 2005. The Caselonian government has undergone several major changes, including the adoption of the first Caselonian Constitution in 1922, the adoption of the second Caselonian Constitution in 1978 and the legalization of opposition political parties in 2004. On 23 June 2005 Vladimir Vladimirovich Chistyakov, candidate of the recently-renamed Communist Party of the Caselonian Federation (CPCF), was elected President, defeating the candidate running on the Caselonian Socialist Party ticket. Chistyakov also declared the adoption of many tenets of the previous government's system but also began a program of fundamental reform, including changing the country's official name.

The government now consists of a powerful head of state, the President, who appoints the head of government, known as the «Chairman of the Federal Soviet.» The Council of Ministers and the 965-member Federal Soviet, in turn, elect the 36 members of the «Presidium of the Federal Soviet», which carries out the day-to-day duties of the Federal Soviet, which officially meets only biannually. The 485-member «Congress of People's Deputies» is also elected by the citizens of Caselonia and can veto any legislation proposed by any other legislative body with a 2/3 majority vote. A Presidential veto cannot be overridden except by the Supreme Court of the CSFR.

Caselonian government and politics are unlike those of any other nation on Earth. While Caselonia is described as a "multipartite socialist democracy" and currently modeled on a democratic unitary model Caselonia's political history is as diverse and interesting as the nation itself. Since opposition parties were legalized in early 2004 the nation has undergone substantial changes including economic liberalization, increased tolerance and even encouragement of small business and the election of the first Caselonian President who is not a member of the Caselonian Socialist Party. In the last several years Caselonia has gone from a politically strict one-party state to a multipartite democracy allowing a large degree of political freedom. So far Caselonians have shied away from ushering in fundamental reform in a Western mold preferring a slow transition to a mixed economy that retains all the benefits of socialism such as employment guarantees, free and universal education and healthcare and generous pension schemes. All major Caselonian branches are directly elected now except the courts.

Executive Branch

The executive branch of the Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic is arguably the most powerful, with the President wielding a veto over legislation passed by either legislative organ that cannot be overridden except by order of the Supreme Court of Caselonia if found to be in direct violation of the Constitution. The Federal Soviet, however, in league with the Council of Ministers can vote to remove a President from office with a two-thirds vote. Presidents are elected to a six-year term with no term limits.

Legislative Branch

The Caselonian legislative branch is a sprawling bureaucracy that is impenetrably confusing to outsiders. Consisting of two directly elected legislative organs (the Federal Soviet and the Congress of Peoples' Deputies) and one appointed Council of Ministers, all three branches have the ability to legislate, but only the elected branches have the ability to veto bills proposed by any other branch. Bills are not required to pass through all three organs before becoming law and unless another branch vetoes a bill within 10 days of its passing in a single organ it is considered law. The President can veto legislation from all three organs and the veto cannot be overruled except by the Supreme Court. The courts also possess the ability to strike down any legislation passed that is found to be unconstitutional.

Legislative Organs

The legislature is decentralized, consisting of the «Congress of Peoples' Deputies» (485 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the «Federal Soviet» (965 seats; directly elected; 36-member Presidium appointed by Chairman). Furthermore, the Council of Ministers has law-making authority through each Ministry's control over its particular area of specialization. President Chistyakov is currently working toward re-centralizing legislative authority to the two main bodies mentioned above although, naturally, he is meeting stiff resistance from hard-line bureaucrats.

Congress of Peoples' Deputies by Political Party

Party	Leader	Platform	Seats	Percentage
Communist Party of the Caselonian Federation (КПКФ)	Алексей Зюганов (Aleksei Zyuganov)	The KPKF's candidate for President, Vladimir Chistyakov, was elected in June 2005. The KPKF has continued the previous administration's program of reform and liberalization while slowly but surely reorganizing government organs along more orthodox "Soviet" lines and recentralizing legislative authority. It has proven popular among young and old alike due to its commitment to reform and loosening of government controls while preserving and even expanding Caselonia's world-class social welfare system. While a "Communist" party, the KPKF has shown itself quite tolerant of small- to medium-scale private enterprise, trade with capitalist nations and tolerance of opposition viewpoints. It describes itself as neither Marxist nor Leninist, though it does maintain that public ownership within a mixed economy is ideal.	223	48%
Caselonian Socialist Party (КСП)	Григорий Иванов (Grigoriy Ivanov)	The Caselonian Socialist Party ruled Caselonia from its modern founding in 1915 until mid-2005 when its candidate narrowly lost the Presidential election to the Communists. The previous President, Eamon McGinnis, began a program of reform that included the legalization of opposition parties in 2004 and toning down Caselonia's rhetoric abroad, even actively seeking rapprochement with former adversaries and establishing trade and cooperative links with capitalist nations. The party has lost ground recently due to ingenius election campaigns on the part of the Communists. However, in the Caselonian Far East and Siberian areas the CSP maintains its core constituency who were more than satisfied with the status quo. The ideologies of the CSP and KPKF do not differ substantially and rumors have been circulating recently about a merger of the two parties.	191	41%
Social Democratic Party (СДП)	Николай Вознесенский (Nikolai Voznesensky)	The Social Democratic Party, while currently enjoying very little representation, is a party dedicated to remolding Caselonia in a Western-style social democratic mold. Its platform states support for the complete legalization of private enterprise, a shift toward an entirely market economy and more expansive trade links. The SDP also wants to maintain a "reasonable level" of the social welfare benefits that Caselonia currently provides, which are among the finest and most generous in the world. The party enjoys most of its support from so-called "Young Reformers" who are often young professionals working in government and law who see the West as a model rather than an adversary. Support is currently very weak among a majority of the population.	33	7%
Caselonian Democratic Union (CDU)	Артём Климов (Artyom Klimov)	Coming Soon	18	4%

Judicial Branch of the CSFR

Constitutional Court;
Supreme Court;
Superior Court of Arbitration;
Courts of the Republic;
Municipal & Regional Courts;

Judges for all courts of «Superior»-level and above are appointed for life by the Council of Ministers and approved by the Federal Soviet and the President.

Heads of State & Government

President Vladimir Vladimirovich Chistyakov waving to the press after voting in the first Presidential election in Caselonia since 1915.

President Vladimir Vladimirovich CHISTYAKOV (President since 23 June 2005);

Chairman of the Federal Soviet (Premier) Mikhail Yefimovich GROMYKO (since 24 June 2005);

Deputy Premier Aleksandr Dmitriyevich FEDORCHUK (since 24 June 2005)

Vladimir Vladimirovich Chistyakov was the Presidential candidate of the Communist Party of the Caselonian Federation (CPCF). Chistyakov defeated Grigorii Ivanov, the candidate of the incumbent Caselonian Socialist Party (CSP) after President Eamon McGinnis, having led the nation for more than 10 years as Caselonia's only ethnic Irish President, retired and named Ivanov as successor. McGinnis also made the decision to allow Presidential elections and legalized opposition political parties, including capitalist and nationalist parties. Chistyakov was elected on 20 June 2005 and, while continuing the economic and political reforms started by McGinnis in his final days in his office, he is working toward consolidating the power of the Communists while pushing for increased prosperity in Caselonia. Chistyakov is adamantly against the independence of Novaya Khabana and has vowed to pursue, and win, the war against Islamist rebels in the troubled southern republic.

Mikhail Yefimovich Gromyko, Chairman of the Federal Soviet, was appointed by President Chistyakov on 24 June 2005 and was previously a Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs. He joined the CPCF after it was legalized last year and explained his change of parties as, «An attempt to get back to our socialist roots - to get closer to the people.»

Aleksandr Dmitrevich Fedorchuk, the Vice Chairman of the Federal Soviet and a member of the Council of Ministers, was previously a Deputy Minister of Labor. Deputy Premier Fedorchuk remains a member of the Caselonian Socialist Party.

Elections

The President is elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 20 June 2005 (next to be held June 2011); note - no Vice President; if the President dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health or resigns, the Chairman of the Federal Soviet succeeds him; the Premier serves as acting President until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; Premier appointed by the President.

Election Results

Vladimir Vladimirovich CHISTYAKOV elected President;
percent of vote - Vladimir Vladimirovich CHISTYAKOV (KPKF) 51.2%,
Grigoriy IVANOV (CSP) 43.7%,
Nikolay VOZNESENSKY (SDP) 5.1%

Caselonian Ministries

The Caselonian bureaucracy is maintained by a large number of government ministries each tasked with handling a specific area of government, etc. In essence, every aspect of Caselonian life is overseen by a ministry responsible for that aspect. The Council of Ministers, a powerful political institution in Caselonia, oversees the Ministries themselves (a full list is available in the related Council of Ministers article).

Administrative Organization

Main article(s): Administrative Divisions of Caselonia

The Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic has 89 administrative divisions including 49 oblasts (oblasty, singular - oblast), 21 internal republics (respublik, singular - respublika), 10 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomny okrug), 6 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast').

Foreign Relations

Caselonia has a long history of international engagement, participation and cooperation. Caselonia has been, at various times, a member of the UN, IFTA and CACE. Disagreements over trade policy led Caselonia to withdraw from CACE in late 2004, but Caselonia remains a member of the United Nations and a signatory of the International Fair Trade Agreement. Caselonia has also formed the Committee for Mutual Economic Assistance, a Sunbelt economic alliance aimed at solidifying support among developing nations and developed socialist regimes for Caselonian policy through foreign aid and infrastructure upgrade incentive programs and is aggressively pursuing members for the Fuerzan Union of Socialist Republics, currently comprised of Caselonia, Melbournistan, Palmbekistan and Cherisovia. The FUSR is a treaty encouraging member states to adopt a common currency system based on the ruble, and establish tariff-free "common economic zones" between member states. Caselonia is also involved in the Organization for Security & International Cooperation in the Sunbelt (OSICS). OSICS, while off to a rocky start, is expected to act as a sort of regional UN, brokering peaceful resolutions to aggrieved nations and fostering a spirit of peace and stability in the region.

Caselonia, since its widespread recognition in 1919, has maintained diplomatic relations with a majority of nations with which it has contact, both regional and international. Relations with capitalist nations, while often strained, have been steadily improving over the past two decades and currently Caselonia maintains substantial trade links with many of the capitalist powers in the region. The glaring exception has been the Holy Empire of the Water Cooler which declared war on Caselonia in 2004 and, although ending without a single shot being fired (due to ceaseless work on the part of Caselonian and intermediary nation's diplomats), continues to rattle its saber in the region, having recently invaded the nation of Publik. The majority of Caselonia's defense budget is geared toward protecting itself and its interests against Caselonian aggression. Caselonia continues to maintain diplomatic links with Publikan officials in areas of the nation under not under Coolian control and has offered asylum to the citizens of Publik.

Additionally Caselonia has close relationships with two "client states" which, although entirely sovereign, are closely tied to Caselonia through economic and defense agreements as well as being recipients of large amounts of foreign aid. The Democratic Republic of Melbournistan, freed with Caselonian help from a colonial monarchy in 2003, went on to elect a socialist President that works closely with Caselonia on both international and domestic issues has pledged staunch allegiance to the socialist superpower. Caselonian construction firms built substantial numbers of modern apartment blocks and public buildings in Melbournistan before, during and after the elections in 2004 and continue to perform work on infrastructure upgrade projects. The Soviet Socialist Republic of Palmbekistan, Caselonia's second "client state," while not very vocal on the world political scene, has converted the bulk of its power grid to nuclear with help from Caselonian engineers and is a major shipping hub for Caselonian export goods destined for southerly markets. Both client states were once part of the Caselonian Empire which fell in 1915, as was the Democratic Republic of Karakazia, which achieved independence in 1918 during the Caselonian Civil War. Karakazia does not receive foreign aid from Caselonia and has very limited ties to it, although in recent months relations have begun to thaw and several economic agreements are being discussed.

People

Main article(s): People of Caselonia

Caselonia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse countries, with more than 150 distinct ethnic groups within its borders. The total population is estimated at more than 293 million in (for roleplaying purposes). The majority of the population are ethnic Caselonian (Russian) (50.78%), followed by Melbournis (15.45%) and Ferrussians (5.84%). Other ethnic groups include the Palmbeks, Karakazians, Khabanans, Cherisovians, Ferretatians, Daemonians and others.

Culture

Main article(s): Culture of Caselonia

All forms of media in the Caselonian Socialist Federated Republic are controlled by the state including television and radio broadcasting, newspaper, magazine and book publishing. This extends to the fine arts including the theatre, opera and ballet. Art and music is controlled by ownership of distribution and performance venues. While limited censorship is still practiced it is rapidly falling out of favor even with Party leadership as reforms begin to open Caselonia up more to Western-style democratic practices. Recently a privately-owned weekly news journal entitled Caselonia Today has been authorized, even allowing partial ownership by foreign stockholders.

Holidays

Major holidays in Caselonia:

Suffrage

Caselonia observes universal suffrage for all citizens at age 18. Military service obligation, for both sexes, begins at age 18 as well. There are no codified vice laws in Caselonia, although merchants can be prosecuted for selling alcohol or tobacco to minors.

Religion

The freedoms Caselonians enjoy includes religion. While Caselonia is a secular republic some 68% of Caselonians consider themselves adherents to a religion. According to the most recent figures of those 68% a majority 52% are Caselonian Pagan, 28% Caselonian Orthodox Christians, 9% Muslim, 6% Buddhist and 3% Zoroastrian while a further two percent consider themselves to be of other faiths.

Language

Ethnic Caselonians speak Russian and it is the official language. While certainly not a native language, English is also widely spoken, mainly due to the high quality education in Caselonian primary and secondary schools which stress language ability. In addition a large number of people speak the native language of their particular ethnic group or the area in which they live. Many Caselonians speak three or more languages, especially those involved in diplomacy.

Education

Basic Education

Ages: 3-5 years
This basic level of education is a chance for Caselonian children to get a head start in education, learning skills such as basic reading, writing, verbal communication and social interaction. Basic education, called начальное (beginning-level) in Caselonian lasts for two years or until the child is prepared to enter primary-level education. Enrollment in basic educational programs is compulsory for all Caselonian children.

Primary Education

Ages: 5-12 years
Upon completing the basic level educational programs, Caselonian children begin to attend primary schools. This level of education builds upon the skills learned at the basic level to improve reading, writing and basic mathematical skills, as well as continuing their socialization. In subsequent years Caselonian primary students begin to attend classes in science, music, culture, philosophy and economic theory. Some political parties have criticized the policy of political and economic instruction in the primary schools but this practice is unlikely to be eliminated anytime soon. Children attend primary school until the age of 12, whereupon they are ready for the more advanced classes that Caselonian secondary schools offer.

Secondary Education

Ages: 12-17 years
Students entering Caselonian secondary schools already have a grasp on the foundations of the reading, writing, mathematical and problem-solving skills they will need to become productive citizens. Furthermore, most secondary school pupils already exhibit fluency in at least one language other than Russian, Caselonia's official language. Secondary students choose a specialization during their time in this level of the educational system and begin preparing either for university or for a technical school. Further political and economic theory instruction is offered but becomes optional at this level. Only students wishing to pursue work in government are required to attend further political and economic instruction. Upon demonstrating satisfactory mastery of "necessary life skills," students are required to sit for exit examinations. Successful completion of exit examinations guarantees enrollment in a Caselonian university or technical/specialist school.

Post-Secondary Education

Ages: 17+ years
Upon successful completion of secondary-level exit examinations students choose a university, usually specializing in their area of study (e.g., Geology, Economics, International Relations, etc). Older citizens wishing to attend university are more than welcome to do so, at no cost, simply by providing proof of successful completion of secondary-level courses. No students, citizens or foreigners, are required to pay for tuition, books or lodging. Caselonia spends more per capita on education than any other nation in The Sunbelt and Caselonian universities are extremely popular destinations for foreign students. Competition for the finite number of foreign seats available is fierce. While university or specialist school attendance is not strictly required, every job function of any real worth requires post-secondary education. Given that such education is free, there is little reason not to pursue this level of education among Caselonians. Caselonians are the highest-educated citizens in the region and rank in the top 1% in the world.

Economy

Main article(s): Economy of Caselonia

There is no tax rate for most workers and enterprises in Caselonia, but the State Planning Committee, known as «Gosplan» (an acronym devised from Gosudarstvennyi Planovyi Komitet), controls wealth redistribution in the nation. All income generated is appropriated by the State, which then redistributes currency via a wage system «based on the value of the labor performed to the State.» In short, «Gosplan» sets and adjusts all wages, and workers are paid according to that schedule. Any surplus is reinvested in segments of the economy which need it, based on the recommendations of several Ministries and Bureaus. Private enterprise, which has been legal on a small scale for many decades, has opened new areas of economic growth and an increase in availability of consumer goods. Private enterprises are subject to a 45% tax rate, but employees of small private firms receive the same social benefits as workers employed by State-owned enterprises. Private enterprise that would interfere with State enterprise, however, remains illegal.

Decentralized economic administration includes regional economic planning councils which recommend local economic planning policy submit their plans to the appropriate division, whereupon «Gosplan» either accepts the regional policy or adjusts it accordingly. Administration is highly centralized with central Ministries having final say over all regional committees' recommendations, though regions are given a certain degree of autonomy with both economic and political issues.

Caselonia ended 2004 with its sixth straight year of growth, averaging 6.5% annually since the reevaluation of its economic system, and the appointment of a new Economic Affairs Minister in 1998. Although high oil prices and a very strong ruble are important factors in this economic rebound, since 2000 investment in the emerging markets of allied developing and developed nations and foreign demand for Caselonian goods have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last five years, and real personal incomes have realized average increases over 12%. Caselonia has also improved its international financial position since the 1998 financial change, with its foreign debt declining substantially. Strong oil export earnings have allowed Caselonia to increase its foreign reserves from only $32 billion to some $620 billion at yearend 2004. These achievements, along with a renewed government effort to advance structural reforms, have raised foreign business and investor confidence in Caselonia's economic prospects. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 50% of exports, leaving the country somewhat vulnerable to swings in world prices. Caselonia's manufacturing base is becoming more and more modernized and the country is poised to achieve broad-based economic growth, especially given its recent trend toward economic liberalization.

Geography

Main article(s): Geography of Caselonia

Caselonia occupies the eastern portion of the Fuerzan continent. Most of the country is north of 50° north latitude and covers a total area of approximately 22,402,200 square kilometres. Due to the sheer size of the state, the climate varies greatly from subtropical and continental to subarctic and polar. 11 % of the land is arable, 16 % is meadows and pasture, 41 % is forest and woodland, and 32 % is declared "other" (including tundra).

Caselonia measures some 10,000 kilometres from Murmansk on the Northern Sea in the west to Ratmanova Island in the Eastern Ocean. From the tip of the Taymyr Peninsula on the Polar Ocean to the town of Kushka near the Ferretatian border extends almost 5,000 kilometeres of mostly rugged, inhospitable terrain.

Defense

The Caselonian armed forces consist of four branches. The three largest branches are the People's Army, People's Navy and People's Air Force while the Airborne troops comprise a fourth independent branch which also encompasses the «Strategic Rocket Forces» which perform security and provide operations personnel for strategic-level missile units as well as providing cosmonauts for Caselonia's manned space program, the most active and advanced in the region.

Transnational Issues

Since 2004 Caselonia has enjoyed increasingly better relations with most nations of the world and almost all of its regional neighbors. Relations with The Holy Empire of the Water Cooler have continued to deteriorate over Coolian militarism, unrealistic demands for territorial waters boundaries and the recent Coolian invasion of Publik. While in the past Caselonia was looked on as a pariah and had tense, if not outright hostile, relations with most imperial and capitalist powers Caselonia has been mending these relationships steadily over the last two decades and the Coolian Empire is beginning to feel the effects of wide-ranging sanctions against its aggression.

External Links

The Sunbelt Official Forums
Caselonian Website (Outdated)