Population: ~480 million
Primary Language(s): Basic
Economy: Strong
Exports: Various
Civil Unrest: Low
Borders: Open
Leader: President James McDaniels
Capitol City: Corneria City
Government
The central government has two major power-holding branches: the Executive Council and the Senate. The Executive Council consists of all the governors of Natherica's eight provinces, the President of Natherica, and the Grand Marshall of the Senate (ten members total). The Senate is the main bulk of the central powers, with representatives from all eight provinces and presided by the Grand Marshall, whom serves as the Senate's main voice in the Executive Council and as an emergency tie-breaker in the Senate. There is a third branch, the Executive Court, but their power only lies in declaring a bill or law as constitutional or unconstitutional.
The President serves six year terms, and can be reelected for as long as the incumbent wishes. Every governor, regardless of province, serves four year terms, and can be reelected continuously with no restriction on the numbers of terms (the longest any governor had served in history was thirty-two years). The Grand Marshall is only elected by the Senate, and elections occur annually. Senate representatives (the Grand Marshall included) serve three year terms, with no restriction on the number of reelected terms. The Executive Court justices, seven in total, serve lifetime terms and are handpicked by the President with Senate approval. While it largely varies in the history of Natherica, there are currently three major political parties, each with their own views of governing and leans of power.
History
In January 15th, 2156, eight countries in the Alika continent formed together to create Natherica. While Corneria City was declared as the nation's capitol, the city also became the planet's capitol, and thus no country in the world has official claim on it. Presidential elections were held, and a constitution had been ratified. Joseph Crusora, a former Ausman Prime Minister, became Natherica's first President, and served for two terms.
Due to the size of the nation, and the fact that the eight countries, now provinces, were already economically wealthy and powerful in their own right, Natherica quickly became the continent's (if not the world's) primary superpower.
Provinces
Ausman
Because of the dense mountainous terrain that cover the entire region, Ausman has the most sparse population in the country, not to mention mostly isolated from each other. The spring and summer seasons are mildly hot, but it's the autumn and winter seasons that Ausman is notorious for, especially in high elevations. Tourism and mining are the two main industries here, and Ausman is especially well known for their chocolate, rivaling those from Jhaunta.
The province capital is Swisgard, with 1.2 million people located 4500 feet above sea level, and there are no other notable cities. Quiet villages and towns are found throughout the many mountains, and much of the country's wealthy class have secondary homes in Ausman due to the serenity of the environments.
The Ausman natives, known to most as Ausmies, vary greatly by region, and in some towns, they differ by which half of the town. They welcome the countless number of wealthy and upper-middle class outsiders taking up secondary homes among themselves, but only if they respect their own land and ways of life. Various dialects in the Basic language are found here, and some are different only subtly, while others are so blatantly different that it might as well be a foreign language altogether. Stereotypically, they are known to be peaceful and friendly to strangers, and due to their many mountain communities and harsh winter conditions in those high elevations, they are people hardened to the elements. It has been said that Ausmies learn how to ski before they can walk.
Canatia
Taking up most of the northern section of the country, Canatia is the largest of the eight provinces, and the only province that legalizes province-wide casino gambling. Due to the large size of the province, the terrain varies from mountainous to prairies to even tundra in the far north. The climate also varies by region, from freezing winters to blistering hot summers and rainy spring seasons. The province's economy depends primarily on gas resources and gambling.
The capital is Beno, with 950,000 residents, but the gambling mecca city Megas and the mountain casino town of Dolassa Peak are more popular among the tourists that frequently travel to Canatia in large droves.
Canatians are known to be tolerable of people from outside their province, but are more reserved than others. While they appreciate the tourists making their economies thrive through the gambling industry, they have tendencies to blame them first for the high crime rates in hot spots such as Megas. They are mostly proud of their Canatian heritage, especially in politics, which was why all governors elected in office in Canatian history had been born in Canatia. To make matters worse, while it is still in the minority, there is a growing sense of xenophobia among the Canatia natives, especially as they began to view the gambling mecca cities as blights in their heritage.
The nation of Argentus was formerly a Canatian region.
Cecil
The terrain here is mixed due to its location and the size of the region, with lush green fields and mountains to desert areas. The climate also varies, and so is the province's population. Cecil is regarded as the most 'important' province in the country, but mainly because this is the province where Corneria City is situated at. Not surprisingly, there are many industries to be found here as well.
Notable cities, other than Corneria City itself, are St. Haris with 5 million residents, Dollas with 2.4 million, and the major river port city Milwasia with 2 million people. Devil's Shore is also located here.
Cecilians, unfortunately, have a reputation of having a sense of superiority when comparing themselves to those in other countries and even other Natherican provinces. When Cecil was a country by itself, they considered themselves as a force to reckon with in terms of economic and social influence. Corneria City was a place for millions of immigrants over the centuries, and when Natherica was formed, the city became a world capital. These factors pushed the Cecilians' pride in their province, boasting of their diversity and political power. They are hard to be categorized however, due to all the diversity. Some writers considered Cecil as a melting pot of cultures, all blended together to form an unique heritage.
Ezura
Province in the western region of the country, landlocked by surrounding provinces. The terrain is mostly prairie, with ranches dotting the landscape. Although the province is well-known for their hot summers and wet spring seasons, some areas are known to have snowfall in the winter. The main industry here stems from the livestock ranches, some spanning for hundreds of square miles, for meat processing.
Meza, the province capital, has 950,00 people and is separated by a major river running through the city. The Cornerian Rodeo Association of Natherica is located twenty miles north of the city and their primary event, always occurring in the summer, attracts many athletes and fans from all over the country.
The people living there can either be properly called Ezurans or Ezurites, depending on who is talking (the 'Ezurite' term is a minority however). Besides the city dwellers, many Ezurans prefer living and working in ranches and adjacent neighborhoods. A casual observer can tell a Lylatian is from Ezura by their unique style of dress, from their hats down to their dust-worn boots (along with their accents). They like to refer themselves as a tough breed, not one to be pushed around by 'softies that don't have a lick of sense'.
Itali
Located on the southern region of the country. With 80% of the landmass consisting of a peninsula, fishing and trade stemming from its numerous port cities are its main industries. Also due to the ancient structures found there, tourism is also important. The climate is mainly warm in the summers and only slightly cold in the winters, with snowfall occurring only in the northern mountainous areas of the province.
The province capital is Roma, with 3.6 million people, and other notable cities are Venca with 1.9 million residents and Napalla with 1.5 million. Itali is famous for their worldwide-known pasta, and their wine.
Italins are known to be a friendly group of people toward those outside of their province (with the exception to Kanisians), due to centuries of warm relations and trade between them and their neighbors (except Kanis). When the formation of Natherica was being considered, much of the resistance came from Italins, especially after they heard that Kanis had agreed to be a Natherican province. Even after over a century of being 'Natherican neighbors', both peoples look at each other coldly for the most part, and have a 'I will leave you alone if you leave me alone' sense of relations. Thankfully, this is only between Itali and Kanis, and no other province and their peoples. The reasons for their chilled viewpoints of each other vary, but one popular theory among historians is that it stemmed all the way back to the ancient periods, when the Kanisian Empire had conquered and occupied the Italin lands for hundreds of years.
Jarva
Unlike the other seven provinces of the country, Jarva mostly consist of islands and a narrow strip of shoreline as its only section of mainland. Located on the southeastern side of the country, the climate is generally hot, humid, and occasionally have hurricanes. Jarva has forty-five islands of varying sizes, and most of them are sparsely populated and heavily covered with jungle. The allure of the tropical islands and beach cites on the shoreline made Jarva a highly-reputed attraction for tourists from all over the world. Because of the terrain, it is the least populated province in the country.
The capital is Helena, with 195,000 people living in the mainland shoreline, and the only other notable city is Haaki, located in Hawan Island, with 50,000 residents. Pineapple, cigars, and various other 'exotic tropical' products are frequently exported to the rest of Natherica and most other countries in the world.
The Jarvans depend on tourism more than anything else to boost their economy, and as a consequence, they focused their lifestyles based around that. While some of the natives still maintain their unique heritage, they are in the minority as the rest of their kin adjusted to 'blend in' more with the countless outsiders that come in to enjoy the fruits of paradise. The workforce is also changing as property values balloons to seemly outrageous numbers (a 'standard' apartment in Helena is often in the 3000 to 3500+ credits per month rent range, for example). As living in Jarva itself becomes less and less affordable, people commute to work from neighboring provinces at a growing rate, and is already in the majority. Over the years, the hardline natives became vocal about the decline of their culture, and they feared that within a hundred years, the culture that made them unique would be completely lost in the muck of capitalism and outside influences.
Kanis
The province is mainly a peninsula and numerous islands that surround the mainland, and the terrain is mostly mountainous. The climate is usually blizzard-snow cold during the winter seasons and sweltering hot in the summers. The primary industry in Kanis is fishing, although due to the ancient structures and ruins that litter the mainland and islands, tourism is also a major economic factor. Kanis-grown wine is especially famous and sold worldwide and their seafood is considered the best in the world.
The capital is Athon, with a population of nearly 1.6 million, and another notable place is the port city Thebes with 950,000 people. Ten miles south of Athon is the military facility Konosso Base.
Kanisians are exceptionally proud of their heritage and history. During the ancient times, the Kanisian Empire was the most powerful by far in the Alika continent. For centuries, Athon was the largest city in the world. Kanisians are very warm to those from outside their province borders, but the one exception are the Italins. Even today, there had been reports of Kanisian-Italin racial violence in places such as Sikyona and Athon.
Polyuso
Located just east of Kanis, and is a landlocked province. Most of the terrian found here are prairies and a few sparse mountains, and the climate is generally moderately cool in the winters and warm in the summers, and windy days and nights are common. Agriculture is a major industry here, and it has a reputation for being the 'breadbasket' province for the country.
Notable cities are Caris with a population of 1.5 million people, and the capital of the province, Raperia, with a million residents. Raperia is also home to several big-name adult magazine companies and pornographic studios, and that along with its infamous red light district gives off the impression that Raperia is a city of sin. Ironically, it is a sister city to the gambling mecca city Megas in the Canatia province, and the city is also the home of the Raperia Administration of Parental Education.
While many Polyusons insist that their bad reputations are only because of those living in Raperia, the reputations stuck onto them like an unwelcome guest in their houses. Known to be mentally-hostile toward outsiders, Polyusons are often the butt of many jokes and insults. There is a popular saying that if you are from Polyuso, you would automatically be a sex-fiend with too many fetishes to count. They also have a reputation for being 'slightly off-kilter' in the sanity department, and no matter how hard the Polyusons try to refute that stereotype, the outsiders only have to point at the city of Raperia to enforce their prejudice. At one point, there was a referendum amid the Polyuso government to force Raperia to secede from the surrounding province and become its own country. Sadly (for most) however, the referendum failed. For some unfathomable reason.
Terrorist Organizations
Revolutionary Italin Nuclei
Perhaps the largest racist-based terrorist organization in Natherica, the RIN, as the name implies, is based out of the Italin province, and its members consist entirely of Italins. Their main motive is clear: to start a genocidal movement to wipe Kanis off the map, complete with their culture, identity, and even history. Since its formation in 2230, the RIN had claimed responsibility for bombings in Kanisian cities such as Athon and Thebes. Their current leader, Viviana Rossi, is listed in the Top Twenty in the Bureau's Top Wanted List, and there are some investigations under way concerning the RIN receiving funds from various corporations.
Cecilian Triad
Otherwise known as the Natherican Mafia, the Cecilian Triad has been in existence for over two hundred years. Although their 'glory years' of controlling the criminal underworld are long gone, they are still powerful enough to remain a threat to the security of the Natherican people. Their goals vary tremendously, but they undergo drug smuggling, assassinating key political and influential figures, and illegal arms trading, to name a few. While they have holdings throughout Natherica and even several international branches in Ultima and Jhaunta, they are based out of the Ausman province.
Red Paw Defenders
When Natherica was officially created by forming the eight countries together, several groups protested, stating that this move would destroy nationalism as the countries would cease being as such. The Red Paw Defenders is unique in the aspect that they have no central authority and no unifying trait except for one goal: to split Natherica back to its original pieces. While most of the separatist groups wished to achieve that goal through peaceful means in government, the RPD expresses their views with violence, feeling that the only way to change Natherica is to destroy the central government outright. There are RPD factions located in all of the Natherican provinces, each with their own provincial pride. After President Bailey rounded up many RPD leaders after a bomb nearly took her life in 2279, the RPD influence diminished dramatically.
Miscellaneous
Holidays & Other Special Dates
New Year's Day - January 1st
Presidential Inauguration - January 9th (in appropriate years)
Union Day - January 15th
Remembrance Day - February 11th
Labor Day - March 5th
Ferragosto - May 27th (Itali only)
Kariaskaki - June 18th (Kanis only)
Election Day - October 20th (in appropriate years)
Halloween - October 31st
Christmas - December 26th