Kingdom of Ushuraajji
Official Names:
ઉશુરાજ્જિનો રાજ્ય (Ushuraajji)
औशारैजत् खोदेल (Kivdha)
उशुराज्जिन राज्य (Patripradi)
Βασιλείας τῆς Ὠσυραζῆ (Heclivinian)
Ethnic Groups:
– Marines: 93.5%
– Scalies: 1.2%
– Avians: 1.0%
– Arthropods: 1.0%
– Mammals: 0.7%
– Others: 2.6%
Religion (1019 est.):
– Madrucism: 65.6%
– Arsavashta: 18.8%
– Avecitism: 8.9%
– Carianism: 2.2%
– Folk religion: 1.4%
– Irreligion: 1.3%
– Deoism: 0.3%
– Other or undeclared: 1.5%
Capital: Hirapanhkot (legislative), Dhrishkanpur (executive)
Largest city: Dhrishkanpur
National language: Vasurian
Official languages: Vasurian, Heclivinian
Government:
– King: Kharpishada II
– Prime Minister: Anaphbirajan Chhengong
– Upper house: House of Advisors
– Lower house: Chamber of Deputies
Population: 41,627,069 (1020 est.)
Area: 7,112,054 km2
Population density: 5.9 /km2
GDP (PPP): US$172.7 billion
GDP (PPP) per capita: US$4,149
HDI: 0.588 medium
EAFDS: Level IV
PHI: Unstable
Currencies: Ushuraajji Satamana (UJS)
Driving side: Left
Calling code: +799
Country’s TLD: .uj
Ushuraajji, officially the Kingdom of Ushuraajji (Ushuraajji: ઉશુરાજ્જિનો રાજ્ય; Kivdha: औशारैजत् खोदेल; Patripradi: उशुराज्जिन राज्य; Heclivinian: Βασιλείας τῆς Ὠσυραζῆ) is a Syracian marine country located slightly southwest of the Cormantian continent. The country has no land. Ushuraajji shares maritime borders with Barvagkar to the west, and Gayutharna.
Archaeological evidence of settlement by marine peoples can be dated to at least 50,000 years along the Ushuraajji Mountains. The Ushuraajji seamount became the centre of numerous petty kingdoms throughout the first millennium AV, before coming under control of various empires, including the Barvagkar Empire and Shudhama Empire. The Ushuraajji seamount was colonised and consolidated under the single rule of Masreghera throughout the 6th and 8th century, instituting language reforms and modifying local political systems for Masregheran ones. In 883, Patripradesh was formed by the unification of several fish states, and the newly formed country instigated Ushuraajji nationalism throughout the 890s to 930s at the expense of Masregheran control over the colony. Ushuraajji fought a war of independence lasting from 925 to 931. In 932, Ushuraajji was granted independence by Masreghera, with Kharpishada I becoming its first king. In 937, the country began to grow in wealth, thanks to the eruption of Nuraj Volcano which spewed unprecedented amounts of minerals for fertiliser export and mana stones. System corruption, regional nationalism, and foreign intervention saw Ushuraajji plunge into a three decade year civil lasting from 939 to 970. In 971, Kharpishada I died and was succeeded by his son, Sahi who reigned for only 10 months before a successful Barvagkari-led 972 coup deposed him. Sahi died of mysterious circumstances a few months later, and was succeeded by an 11 year old Kharpishada II. With a child on the throne, Ushuraajji, led by regent General Jhopaji Khalasherajao, transformed the country from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 974, with himself appointed ‘Prime Minister for life’. After four sham elections and allegations of abuse, torture, corruption, and poor economic policies (which led to hyperinflation of the Ushuraaji Satamana), Khalasherajao was overthrown in violent coup in 996, led by fellow army general Anaphbirajan Chhengong. Ushuraajji held its first democratic elections in 998 where Anaphbirajan Chhengong won in a landslide. In 1003, a peace settlement between rebel groups was made, and the Ushuraajji Kivdha People’s Army disbanded. In 1010, prime minister Anaphbirajan Chhengong implemented Project 1060 which aims to transform the country into an advanced economy in 50-years time. In 1017, Chhengong was formally charged by members states of the International Criminal Justice Agreement for ‘grave violations of human rights, extrajudicial killings and torture of prisoners’.
Ushuraajji is rich in natural resources. The Ushuraajji seamount, in which 80% of it’s population lives on, has some of the largest concentration of seafloor massive sulphide deposits, estimated to be worth 2 trillion worth of gold, silver, copper, uranium, oil, mana stones, cobalt, zinc and manganese. However, endemic corruption, unsafe environmental practises, high levels of poverty, brain drain and capital flight pose huge challenges for Ushuraajji.
The country is a member of numerous international organisations, including the International Gatrovian League, Syracian Community, Gatrovian Bank, Association of Oceanic States, Marine Wildlife Conservation Agenda and the World Submarine Transport Agreement.
Etymology
Ushuraajji’s name is shrouded in mystery, and most modern linguists generally agree the name is from an unknown Syracian substrate language. The first record of the name can be found in the Patripra Chronicles written in 1100 AV to describe a tribe of lemon shark people that inhabit the Ushuraajji seamount. The chronicle’s inconsistent spelling meant Ushuraajji was also spelled Oshorajhi, Osurajji and Ushoraujji. The name only became associated with the name of the state in the 7th century during Masregheran colonisation which saw the establishment of the Principality of the Ushuraajji Seamount.
Government and politics
Ushuraajji is a constitutional monarchy, with Kharpishada II the head of state, and the prime minister, Anaphbirajan Chhengong, as its head of government. Under Chhengong’s premiership since 996, Ushuraajji is effectively an authoritarian regime, governed by the Ushuraajji National Liberation Party. The current Constitution of 996 is the supreme law of the state. The legislature of Ushuraajji is bicameral, with the upper house being the House of Advisors, and the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies. Both houses are effectively rubberstamp bodies under Chhenggong’s premiership. Elections are held once every five years with the most recent one being held in 1016 in which Chhengong won for a 5th term.
In theory, the king has legal powers to dismiss the prime minister and dissolve the legislative assemblies. However, according to the Gatrovian Human Rights Commission, the king and his family are ‘effective hostages’ of the army. Loyalty and cronyism amongst the armed forces meant that the king has very little, if any, real control over politics. In 1017, Kharpishada II’s son and heir apparent, Pechai Subruhindha Mejhong, was arrested for ’embezzlement’, and then exiled to Masreghera a year later. In 1019, Kharpishada II, on the advice of Chhengong, made his 8 year old grandson, Jihansi Mejhong heir apparent.
Foreign relations
Ushuraajji has a modest diplomatic presence on the world stage. The country is a member of the Syracian Community, but has historically had antagonistic relationships with its immediate neighbours of Gayurtharna, Barvagkar and Patripradesh. Throughout the first half of the 10th century, much of Ushuraajji’s existence was influenced by outside meddling. In combination with Ushuraajjian nationalism, Ushuraajji sentiment towards its neighbours tended to be cool throughout the 60s to 90s.
Since the 960s, Ushuraajji’s foreign policy is influenced by its ability to control prices of precious metals to neighbouring states. The country has close relations with many of Gatrovia’s great powers, especially Masreghera which they enjoy close relations. Ushuraajji also has close ties to Sorgun and Ka’akani, with the former being it’s largest investor in its mining operations. Vasuria was formally a traditional ally of Ushuraajji up until the premiership of Chhengong. Today, relations have significantly cooled with embargoes and sanctions placed on Ushuraajji.
Law and judicial system
Ushuraajji’s uses civil law in tandem with customary traditions. The judicial system is enforced by the Supreme Court, as well as various smaller courts that litigate provincial matters. The Ministry of Justice carries out the execution of legislation that would modify, remove or enact new laws to the country’s laws.
Decades of corruption have made the judicial system ineffective, with court cases persistently delayed, unresolved or ruled in favour of the party with the most influence, both monetary and patrimonial. The practice of blood money has diminished drastically in the last 40 years, but remains a problem in more rural areas where family feuds and disputes are resolved through the services of gangs to eliminate rivals. Prisons are overseen by the Prison Service of Ushuraajji. Prisons are violent, overcrowded and in poor condition, and rehabilitation programmes are largely absent.
Ushuraajji does not have a unified national police force. Instead, each region overseas its own jurisdiction. The Dhrishkanpur City police is one of the country’s largest police forces, and since 1000, been the official prime minister’s own personal body guards. According to the Police Corruption Index, Ushuraajji is ranked 194th out of 280 countries for police corruption.
Defence
The Royal Ushuraajji Armed Forces, founded in 937 is made out of the army, navy, marine corp and land force, with the army being the largest, and the land force the smallest. Ushuraajji’s imports all of its equipment mostly from Masreghera, Sorgun and Icyria.
The armed forces have been involved in numerous internal conflicts, especially the Ushuraajji Civil War.
Administrative divisions
Since 998, Ushuraajji is officially divided into 6 first level administrative divisions called regions. They are: North, South, East, West, Central, and the Royal Capital Region and Municipality of Hirapanhkot and Dhrishkanpur (often simply referred to as the Capital Region). Each region is further divided into municipalities, and then further into districts, then city neighbourhoods/wards and villages.
Human Rights
Ushuraajji has a poor human rights records. Since independence, Ushuraajji shifted between dictatorships and absolute monarchy, whilst also suffering from a plethora of civil unrest, gang violence, rebellion and civil war. Despite significant political stabilisation in the 1000s, system corruption and a lack of government transparency has stifled economic and social development. Arrests with trial and extrajudicial are rampant, especially between the years 997 and 1003 during Chhengong’s ‘reign of terror’. According to the Gatrovian Human Rights Commission, between 3600 and 5800 people were arrested, a vast majority being opponents of Chhengong’s regime. Ushuraajji has the death penalty. In 1019, 54 individuals were sentenced to death in Ushuraajji by lethal injection; the vast majority of them were syndicate or gang members sentenced for multiple counts of murder.
Freedom of speech is remarkably respected to a certain degree, unless content is directed towards government. Independent news outlets must be vetted by the Information Securities Bureau before being allowed to operate. Criticism of the government, the royal family, or Chhengong himself, are punishable by hefty fines and lengthy imprisonment.
Human trafficking is a major problem in Ushuraajjian society. Syndicate activities and gangs are the primary culprits of kidnappings, terrorist attacks, robberies, trafficking and the sale of illicit drugs and mana stones. Violence between gangs, syndicates, government forces and police mean high crime rates.
In rural areas, honour killing is still an endemic practise amongst feuding families. Families will often pay large amounts of money to hire members of gangs, mafias and syndicates to extort, terrorise, or assassinate rivals in other families. While efforts have been made to quell this problem, it remains a significant cultural tradition in some parts.
Economy
Ushuraajji is a Level 4 country according to the EAFDS. The country’s gross domestic product (PPP) is US$172.7 billion and has a GDP per capita of US$4,149 (PPP). About 45% of the country lives below the poverty line (i.e. S$44,000 Ushuraajji Satamana, or US$1.27 a day). Income inequality is astronomically high, with just 400,000 individuals (1.2% of the country’s population) controlling over 50% of the country’s entire wealth. Suffering brain train, emigration from Ushuraajji hovers around 150,000 to 360,000 a year from 996 to 1019.
Ushuraajji’s economy is dominated by its export of raw materials, primarily precious metals including gold, silver, copper and platinum. Ushuraajji seamount, stretching over 500km north to south, has over 70 individual mines, each operated by various state and foreign mining companies. The mining industry alone contributes to over 75% of the country’s entire GDP, making it vulnerable to price changes in commodity prices.
Despite its large mining industry, Ushuraajji is overwhelmingly agrarian, with 50% of its population working in agriculture. Aquaculture, primarily kelp, seaweed, sponge and fish farming are some of the most common industries in the country. Kelp are primarily grown for animal feed and consumption, but also carbon sequestration which many NGOs and government projects have embarked. Canary exports is ubiquitous, employing up to 15% of it’s country’s population working in this industry.
Years of civil war has made tourism to Ushuraajji difficult. However, since the 1010s, tourism has grown, thanks to the opening of Sayagharna Trench National Park to the southwestern region which offers submarine tours to Sayagharna Trench (at 9482m deep).
Ushuraajji’s brain drain also contributes to its large diaspora population, with over 17 million people with some connection to Ushuraajjian ancestry. Remittances alone contribute anywhere between 19%-25% of the country’s entire GDP. Since 1001, Ushuraajji banks have made numerous international agreements with other banks, allowing cash to be returned through demand drafts.
Demographics
Ushuraajji is a multiethnic state. The term Ushuraajjian describes a person of Ushuraajjian nationality, and not the ethnic group: the Ushuraajji. As of 1020, the population of Ushuraajji is 41,627,069.
Making up half of the entire country’s fish population are the Ushuraajji, an ethnic group that of shark species and their historically associated manumitted races. Of the entire Ushuraajji population, 27% are Shark Ushuraajji (which also includes the elite of the country), while the remaining 73% are other fish species. The next largest group are the Kivdha at 20% of the country’s population. 15% are members of the Patripradi ethnic group (i.e. people from Patripradesh) and the remaining 15% are other smaller fish ethnic groups.
Non-marine races take up 6.5 of the country’s population. They are overwhelmingly expatriate in nature, many being employed in mining companies as supervisors or construction workers, or as diplomats, businesspeople and professionals.
While Ushuraajji has 7 million km2 of oceanic territory, 92% of its territory is deeper than 600m, making it unsuitable for sustained habitation. This leaves about 568,000 km2 in buildable space. With Ushuraajji’s fertility rate at 5.0 as of 1019, overpopulation is a major problem in many of its major cities, especially its two largest cities of Hirapanhkot and Dhrishkanpur, with many areas covered in shanty towns, poor living conditions and hazardous living conditions. On the other hand, depopulation of numerous small towns and villages have accelerated over the last three decades, with people flocking to cities for work as environmental damage, mining and climate induced natural disasters make living far away from the city centre increasingly difficult.
Language
Ushuraajji is linguistically diverse with over 75 different languages identified. The official language of the countries are Ushuraajji, Kivdha, Patripradi and Heclivinian. About 32% of the population speaks Ushuraajji at home as a first language, but this rate goes up to 88% when counting all those who speak it as a second or third language. Kivdha is primarily spoken in the southern portion of the country by 24% of its population. Both Ushuraajji and Kivdha are from completely different language families and are therefore, not mutually intelligible. Patripradi is spoken by the people of the same name to the north at about 11%. Controversially, Heclivinian (a language made official only in 1013) is spoken by only 1.7% of the population, almost exclusively by its small dolphin and orca elite population in the capital, though Heclivinian fluency amongst its native population is high at about 40%.
Religion
The official state religion is Madrucism, albeit the constitution grants freedom of religion to all citizens of the country.
As with a significant number of marine nations, Madrucism is the most popular religion amongst Ushurajjians. At 65.6%, the vast majority are adherents to the Sharathi Orthodox Tradition. Arsavashta is the second largest religion, and is primarily concentrated amongst the Kivdha people. During the civil wars, militant Madruci and Arsavashti factions have come to blows with each other, with lynching, forced conversions and crucifixions committed by either side in acts of violence and religious intolerance. Today, the two major religions live relatively peacefully alongside each other. Avecitism stands at 8.9%, Carianism at 2.2% and folk religions at 1.4%.
The number of irreligious people is not certain, though official census indicate that 1.3% are atheist or agnostic. Some estimates suggest that this number could be higher at 5-10%. However, given the topic of irreligion is often taboo in much of Ushuraaji society, self-censorship and underreporting is common.
Travel
Getting in
Ushuraajji is a difficult country to enter. Most travel agencies generally advise all non-essential travel to Ushuraajji. All nationals are required to obtain a visa in advanced. Only nationals of of Barvagkar, Bulema, Cotto, Gayutharna, Majhairin, Patridrapdesh, Masreghera, Ichyx, Vata-Tama and Xowana are allowed visa-free access into the country for up to 30 days.
By sea
Almost all international sea arrivals to Ushuraajji arrive at Dhrishkanpur Sea Hub and Terminal. Hypertubes from from Patripradesh, Gayuthurna and Barvagkar run daily. A hypertube connecting Goduvia and Ushuraajji was completed in 1019, but as of 1020, service between the two have not begun.
If choosing to pilot yourself, all dockings must be made at a city or town with an immigration centre or police station. However, this puts you at the risk of being bribed or arbitrarily arrested. When choosing to do this option, it’s best to travel with a local who can negotiate their way through the authorities.
By air
Ushuraajji’s only international airport is Dhrishkanpur Virmakhana Airport (DXV). It is built on an artificial island platform amongst the Surface District (i.e. the above sea-level area of the city). The airport has just a single terminal. There are daily flights from Durkhakuyanashi, Qoshimka, Zardan, Baeticia, Nocha and Sridhupur.
By land
Ushuraajji is a marine country with no land access.
Getting around
Note on water life: For persons who can't breath underwater (or cannot hold their breaths long enough) and must visit 'airless' zones, mana breathing stones or lozenges are a must. Phone signals do not work underwater. Only on the surface, in domes and airlocked buildings will they work fine. If absolutely necessary, you must find a telco booth (which allows you to hook your phone to a cable which then transmits information through optic cables), a sonar transducer (which emits sonars to one of many sonar towers scattered across the landscape), carry an extremely low frequency (ELF) pack or simple swim to the surface. Note, sonar transducers should not be used in the presence of fish folk as many of them are sensitive to sonar pings.
A vast majority of Ushuraajji’s major cities and towns are located on and around the Ushuraajji Seamount either within underwater domes and/or surface-level water cities built on concrete platforms or reinforced stilt structures. Numerous highways connect these places and are usually congested and poorly maintained. For the foreigner, Ushuraajji’s two main cities of Dhrishkanpur and Hirapanhkot can feel like intimidating cities to navigate. Like most water cities, canals, bridges, roads and footpaths are means to navigate the surface. Beneath the surface is the dome. Bare in mind, however, the numerous elevators that dot the city tend to be slow, and have the tendency to breakdown often. If feeling adventurous, taking the stairs, renting a submarine vehicle, or using water breathing magic (for those who can’t breath underwater for long) are alternatives to reach the city’s bottom layers.
Unlike water cities in developed countries (like Masreghera or Picimaka), Ushuraajji water cities tend to have wards, neighbourhoods and even whole districts without air to breath. There is generally no reason for one to venture into these parts as they tend to be areas of slums and high criminal activity.
Submarine (underwater car)
Provided you have a submarine license, 4-8 seater submarines for rent are readily available in and around major transportation hubs and can go for rates as low as S$10,00,000/day. However, at economy rates, expect cars to be of poor quality. Before choosing a sub, it is a good idea to check that the hydraulic doors and are well oiled, as some poor quality cars have faulty door hydraulics, making it impossible to open the door at depths where water pressure would be too great to open the doors manually.
Piloting a sub in any major Ushuraajjian city can be hectic and nauseating experience. Traffic is often chaotic, jammed, and seemingly free-for-all. Accidents are common, especially at major T-junctions in the centre of the city where there is very little room to manoeuvre.
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