Astograth

Astograth, officially the Grand Duchy of Astograth (Astograthian: Dukerria Astograthiko Atzira) is a unitary absolute monarchy in the northeastern Goose Coast of Rushmore, covering an area of 358,778 square kilometres (138,525 sq miles). The Grand Duchy borders Civil Citizenry to the west, Vermark to the northeast, Kernansquillec to the southeast, and the Modraine Sea to the north, and also includes the Bakartirla archipelago east of Princess Béatrice Island in the Modraine Sea. With 89.5 million inhabitants, Astograth is a major economic and political power in Rushmore.

The territory of modern Astograth has been continuously settled since prehistoric times. Early civilisations centred around Astograth's interior valleys and Lake Anzar were succeeded by a unified Kingdom of Astograth over one thousand years ago, in year 413 Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.). Four centuries later, after the Battle of Aratzalbarra, it was divided into a multitude of independent states. Astograth once again became a unified nation when these states were brought together by the Duchy of Rumiatzi between the 5th and early 7th centuries, as the modern Grand Duchy of Astograth. An absolute monarchy since its formation, its current ruler is Grand Duke Gaxan.

During the reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur, which stretched from 615 to 661, Astograth came to the fore of the Rushmori stage, becoming renowned for its civil rights, economic development, low income inequality, and high standards of living; this despite the violent independence of the Republic of Iturributa, achieved during the Succession Crisis of 646. Following the 661 assassination of Grand Duke Lastur by Iturributan agents, Minister of the Interior Gaskon Ugarte seized de facto power as head of government, Lord Protector and Regent to the underaged Grand Duke Gaxan, in order to re-annex Iturributa and establish a closed, highly nationalistic police state.

Widely condemned for human rights abuses, the Grand Duchy remained largely shut off to outside influences from 662 to 674, whereupon Grand Duke Gaxan was able to supersede an infirm Ugarte. The country has since tended to follow the route of the previous reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur, favouring a strong welfare state and global integration. A high-income nation with very high living standards, Astograth's economy is strongest in heavy industry, mineral extraction, electronic manufacturing, basket weaving, and tourism. Its currency, the Diru (Đ), is one of the strongest in Rushmore.

Etymology
The English word Astograth is the Romanisation of native pronunciation [ˈastogɾað], subsequently adopted by Astograthian itself as the Latin script came into use as the Astograthian alphabet. Astograth derives from Old Astograthian Astugrað, which comes from Ancient Gesterlaki Astukrað, attested to refer to the region between the Modraine Sea and Lake Anzar at least as far back as the 13th century B.A. This is believed to descend from hypothetical Proto-Astograthian *æsdu "large", and *kraþ "carnation". Artists and academics have given many interpretations to this etymology, with the most popular including Astograth itself conceptualised as a flower, or as a country of rolling carnation fields. Wild carnations are common in the central valleys of Astograth, and are the country's national flower.

Prehistory (before the 17th century B.A.)
The earliest traces of hominin habitation in what is now Astograth have been dated to approximately 1.2 million years. Remains of the oldest modern humans, found at the Gobea Caves near the city of Uertza, date to 85,000 years before present.

There is no academic consensus on the origin of the Astograthians. The Astograthian state and most Astograthian scholars support the view that Astograthians are integrally descended from these early human inhabitants of the territory, and are thus indigenous peoples of the Rushmori Goose Coast. Other theories sustain that Astograthians are partially descended from indigenous inhabitants of the area and partly from ancient seafaring settlers from Azerty, Audioslavia, or Tikariot, among other candidates. These latter views note similarities between local languages in the "settler" countries and the Astograthian language; within Astograth, the official state and scholarly position is that Astograthian is a language isolate, unrelated and mutually unintelligible with any other. Genetic studies have been inconclusive in demonstrating the "Astograthian admixture" hypothesis.

Sedentary settlements focused on agriculture and/or fishing were first established along the northern coast, the Leizaran and Araxes rivers, and Lake Anzar in the 5th millennium B.A. Early metallurgy of gold, silver, and copper appears in the archaeological record toward the end of the 4th millennium B.A.

Classical and Post-Classical periods (17th–6th century B.A.)
The earliest written records in Astograthian history come from the late 17th century Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.), as the Latin script was adopted from other peoples of the Goose Coast and the Modraine Sea. The early diffusion of writing was slow, as its initial application was largely limited to transactional records and Astograthian polities remained small in both territory and population. Nevertheless, writing is believed to have been crucial to the establishment of increasingly larger trade networks and the first cities over the following five centuries.

Notable early cities in ancient Astograth, founded between the 14th and 12th centuries B.A., include Gesterlake and Arexa on the Araxes river, Antiguoko in the Eguzkiaren Valley, Izuna and Langaraitz on the coast of the Modraine sea, Latzerria on the Leizaran river, and Urizaharra on the southern shore of Lake Anzar. These cities became prosperous centres of trade, manufacture, science, arts, religion, and literature, and would frequently come into conflict over the territory of modern Astograth.

In the early 9th century B.A., the Pale Plague devastated Izuna, killing an estimated fourth of the city's population and spreading from there across Astograth. The epidemic, falling amid a period of prolonged drought, would trigger widespread famine and a collapse of classical Astograthian civilisation. Few written records survive from the following centuries. Re-emergence would take place in the 6th and 5th centuries as the city-kingdom of Gesterlake, under Berlasko the Bold, embarked on an aggressive campaign of expansion that brought most of the Araxes watershed under its control, up until that point the largest polity to take shape in Astograth. Berlasko's successor Otsoko the Silent would extend Gesterlaki conquests west to the Leizaran valleys and the Mendebal, while Aitor the Magnificent expanded them south to Lake Anzar and north past the Blue Mountains and to the Modraine coast, founding the cities of Ituraitz and Iturributa by the sea. Aitor would name himself the first King of Astograth, and the symbol of the House of Gesterlake – silver castle on green, with a black chain – would come to identify the country in the coming centuries.

Astograthian Kingdom (5th–1st century B.A.)
Aitor I of Astograth, the Magnificent, formally declared the Kingdom of Astograth in the year 424 B.A., and oversaw two largely peaceful decades of growth and prosperity. Later kings of Astograth would struggle to exert control over their vast territories, facing resistance to their authority from landholding elites and urban burghers across the kingdom. Increasing centralisation of the king's power would intensify tensions over the following four centuries and spark the especially devastating, multi-generational War of the Pact of Bizkarra from 193 to 109 B.A.

The collapse of the kingdom would come under the reign of Errolan II. The costly, unpopular, and unsuccessful war against Eastern Chase (4-1 B.A.), to the south of Astograth, led to the Dukes' Rebellion in the year 1 B.A.: the most powerful of Errolan II's subjects revolted, demanding independence from the kingdom. Initial campaigning in central Astograth was in the king's favour, but he and his army would be ambushed and destroyed by a joint Ituraitzi-Iturributan army at the Battle of Aratzalbarra, while attempting to cross the Blue Mountains. The current Astograthian calendar is reckoned from the year in which the events of Aratzalbarra took place, as Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.) and After Aratzalbarra (A.A.).

The king's heir, Errolan III, was captured in the battle and held hostage as the rebel armies steadily sieged the capital Gesterlake and other loyalist strongholds. The royalist armies surrendered by 2 A.A., concluding the war. Errolan III was made to renounce his and his house's claims to the throne, as the victorious allies vowed there would be no more kings in Astograth.

Early modern period (1st–5th century A.A.)
The early 'Years of No Kings' were chaotic, as there was frequent struggle between the independent successor states of the Kingdom. The Duchies of Ituraitz, Iturributa, Basabe and Rumiatzi consolidated themselves during this time as the richest and strongest of Astograth, each controlling key lands and resources that made it difficult to break a deadlock. In the six subsequent centuries, urban centres flourished and there was a great development of the arts, sciences and trade. The rivalry between Iturributa and the new Republic of Ituraitz, which overthrew its feudal rulers, became particularly entrenched, as they were direct competitors in profitting from the trade of the Modraine Sea. They frequently went to war over control of the lands of Olarria, more commonly in the hands of Ituraitz, and the strategic island of Bakartirla, near Mytanija, usually held by Iturributa. Modern industrialisation arrived to Astograth in the late 5th century.

Astograthian reunification (5th century–611 A.A.)
By 593, the Duchy of Rumiatzi had expanded its territory to cover most of central Astograth, with allies and vassal states ensuring the Rumiatzi influence stretched from east to west. In that year, Aitor of Rumiatzi began what is generally considered by historians to be the first of the definitive Astograthian Wars of Unification, wresting the southern Mendebal from Basabe. In 597, Rumiatzi subjugated the Duchy of Echegoyan, which controlled vital mineral resources and crossings over the Blue Mountains. The relations between Ituraitz and Iturributa were strained since the burning of an Iturributan ship in the harbour of Olarria in early 601; by the time they formed a coalition to keep Rumiatzi from taking Basabe and the rest of Lake Anzar in 602, their forces were blocked from advancing south over the mountains. In 606 the Rumiatzi forces completed the conquest of Ituraitz, the Republic's fleet scuttling itself to avoid capture. This effectively prolonged the campaign on Iturributa, as their powerful fleet and anti-aircraft defenses held strong for another four years. After eight months of direct siege, Rumiatzi occupied the city of Iturributa on the 14th of March, 611. With the conquests completed, the Duke of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Aitor III, Grand Duke of Astograth, and adopted the old Kingdom's banner as the national flag.

Contemporary period (611–present)
On the 18th of March 611, Aitor Duke of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Grand Duke Aitor III of Astograth, picking up the monarchical numbering of the old kingdom, and adopted its prior symbols. Power was consolidated upon the monarch, dissolving all positions of nobility and representation that could pose a significant threat. The High Lords' Council, effectively a hereditary cabinet of ministers, was established by Aitor III to serve him directly, while the country was divided into fourteen provinces and their administration entrusted to fourteen Captains General chosen by the Grand Duke. Industry was nationalised and dissidents repressed, especially in Iturributa and Ituraitz, as the Grand Duchy closed itself off to the outside world. In the year 615, Aitor III was drowned in the Disaster of Martiola; his son Aitor IV inherited and quickly sought to open up the country. Though limited by the High Lords' Council, under his reign Astograth was opened to migration, highly profitable tourism, a gradual liberalisation of the economy, diplomatic integration into the world stage, and the development of a highly efficient welfare state. During his reign, Astograth rose to have one of Rushmore's highest standards of development, happiness, safety, education, health and sustainability.

In 646, 31 years after being crowned Grand Duke, Aitor IV died of myocardial infarction in his sleep, setting in motion a series of events that would result in the independence of the fiercely patriotic Iturributa region.

Prince Lastur the heir apparent, heralded as Aitor IV's successor since his birth, was set to take over after his father's death when the High Lords' Council informed him that, in accordance with the succession law set down by Aitor III, it was not him but the infant son of his elder sister who was the legitimate Grand Duke. Considering the oversight an injustice, Lastur fled and rallied a loyalist movement in the Mendebal region, disrupting valuable routes to and from Civil Citizenry. At the same time, underground independence movements arose throughout the regions conquered by Aitor III, most fiercely in Ituraitz and Iturributa.

The High Lords, as regents of the infant Grand Duke Gaxan, struggled to pacify these; Iturributa in particular displayed a great level of organisation and was able to hold out even when the city proper was occupied by armoured brigades of the Astograthian Army. The High Lords feared that unless negotiations were successful, international condemnation would mount and the country as a whole would be vulnerable to outside intervention. This forced them to cede on boths fronts, agreeing to a ceasefire with the Iturributan Republican forces and relenting to Lastur's demands, on the condition that his successor would be his nephew Gaxan.

In practice, these events granted Iturributa free rein to establish itself as an independent state, the Free Republic of Iturributa. This state was never recognised by the Astograthian government, considering the territory a part of its own and all Iturributans as Astograthian citizens. Borders were militarised and subject to heavy inspection, but free movement of people and goods was generally allowed.

In 661, Grand Duke Lastur was assassinated while taking part in a motorcade in the city of Letzama. The heir to the throne was his nephew Gaxan, underaged at the time. Therefore, Gaskon Ugarte, Minister of the Interior, Chief Advisor to the Grand Duke and retired Navy admiral, immediately assumed the role of head of government, adopting the titles of Regent and Lord Protector. The assassins of Grand Duke Lastur were quickly identified as Iturributan agents, prompting Ugarte to order the Astograthian Armed Forces to cross the border and annex Iturributa, which the state had held as being in rebellion since their independence. The 2nd, 5th, 6th and 9th Brigades of the Astograthian Army took part in the initial operation, with Air Force and Navy support. The city of Iturributa was occupied on the sixth day of the war, the government of the Free Republic fleeing into exile, and Ugarte announced the "assertion of sovereignty" over Iturributa complete on the following day. Ugarte would never lift the state of emergency that had been instituted during the war, which heavily restricted personal freedoms, and closed off Astograth to the outside world. Foreign nationals were ordered to abandon the country and Astograthians abroad were instructed to return or be stripped of their citizenship; after a one-month grace period, the borders were sealed shut. As claims of widespread human rights abuses mounted, Astograth became a pariah in the Rushmori and worldwide communities, to which Ugarte's answer was a policy of economic independence, reducing international trade to the bare minimum.

In mid-673, an ailing Ugarte fell into coma, creating a power vacuum. Grand Duke Gaxan, by now an adult, came out victorious in the internal power struggle with Ugarte's ministers, asserting his will as sovereign. In this new period of his reign, he would lift the restrictions imposed by Ugarte, opening up the country and following the route of his predecessors Aitor IV and Lastur, favouring a strong welfare state and global integration. An attempt to join the Common Rushmori Community was frustrated when it was pointed out that Astograth is not a democracy nor has a parliament, but the intent highlighted the country's shift in regard to international relations.

Geography
Astograth is located on the Goose Coast of Rushmore, and borders the countries of Civil Citizenry to the west, Vermark to the northeast, Kernansquillec to the southeast, and the Modraine Sea to the north. Its sovereign territory also includes the Bakartirla archipelago in the Modraine Sea, east of Princess Béatrice Island and Mytanija. Astograth's total territory covers 358,778 km2 (138,525 sq mi).

The Blue Mountains run across the north of Astograth from east to west, and include the highest elevations in the country. The nation's two most important rivers, the western Leizaran and the eastern Araxes, originate on the south side of the Blue Mountains and wind southeast, joining into the Anzar river and draining into the large Lake Anzar. Uplands and valleys dominate the north, centre and west of Astograth, while the eastern and southeastern regions comprise mostly flat lowlands. The Blue Mountains and surrounding ranges are rich in economically valuable ores and minerals, including iron, nickel, gold, coal, platinum, potassium salts and a large variety of gemstones. Oil and natural gas from the Modraine Sea, as well as timber from the areas surrounding Lake Anzar, are also significant natural resources.

Climate
Most of Astograth has a Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot or warm summers and mild, wet winters. Temperatures and humidity gradually increase to the south of the Blue Mountains, with the provinces surrounding Lake Anzar having a humid subtropical climate of hot, humid summers and mild winters. The upper reaches of the Blue Mountains are classified as a tundra climate, with no average monthly temperature above 10°C; surrounding areas, including most of Echegoyan province, are classified as a humid, warm-summer continental climate. The Bakartirla archipelago has a cool oceanic climate, and is known for its strong seasonal winds of up to 130 km/h.

Government and Politics
Astograth is an absolute monarchy, with the executive, legislative and judiciary powers ultimately residing in the sovereign Grand Duke. The Constitution of Astograth, instituted in 611, lays out the country's political framework, whereby the Grand Duke acts as head of state with executive authority and delegates legislative responsibilities to his Cabinet and their respective ministries. Judicial powers are likewise delegated to the Supreme Court and its derivatives, which operate under a civil law system. The High Lords' Council, which assists the Grand Duke in his executive and ceremonial duties, is headed by the Chief Advisor and comprises members of the royal family, high-ranking members of the peerage, and senior members of the government and military. Per the Constitution, it is the High Lords' Council which officially proclaims a succession or regency. Despite the monarchs of Astograth not holding the title of King or Queen Regnant, by tradition they bestow the title of "royal" (errege) upon certain institutions, such as the Royal Armed Forces. The Grand Dukes and their families are also commonly referred to as royals (erregeak) in the media.

The official state ideology of Astograth is termed Aitorism. Proponents and neutral observers identify two competing currents within Aitorism: the more authoritarian Thirdism or Orthodox Aitorism, associated with the ideas of Grand Duke Aitor III, and the more liberal Fourthism or Revisionist Aitorism, associated with Grand Duke Aitor IV.

Foreign relations
Astograth has an active involvement in foreign affairs, maintaining a network of diplomatic missions within most countries in Rushmore and many others beyond the region. Astograth is a member of the World Assembly and all its dependent institutions. Historically, the country has maintained strategic relationships with Civil Citizenry, Polar Islandstates, and Eura. It has also promoted the political and economic integration of Rushmore, but was denied entry to the Common Rushmori Community due to not being a democracy. Since 682, the headquarters of the Rushmore Institute of Cartography have been located in Urbizania.

Administrative divisions
Astograth comprises 15 provinces (probintziak), each governed by a Captain General appointed by the Grand Duke; their role is similar to that of a regional governor in other countries. The provinces are subdivided into a total of 95 districts (distrituak), each governed by a Lieutenant Warden appointed by the respective Captain General. Districts are subdivided into more than 10,000 municipalities (udalak), in some urban areas called boroughs (barrutik), with each local government headed by a Knight Guardian that is either appointed by the Lieutenant Warden or elected by popular vote, depending on the district. The latter are the only open elections in Astograth.

Military
The Astograthian military is organised into the Royal Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, collectively the Royal Armed Forces. The Astograthian monarch is the Commander-in-Chief, and to whom all members of the forces swear allegiance. In daily operations, the military are managed by the Ministry of Defence. Military service has been compulsory at various times, but since 674 it is fully voluntary. Persons of all genders may serve in all functions of service.

As of 688, the Astograthian Army has approximately 75,000 soldiers in active duty, with headquarters in Rumiatzi and divisions based across Astograthian territory. The Navy is approximately 28,000 strong and headquartered in Ituraitz, with another major base on Bakartirla. The Navy flagship, Aitor III, is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in STOVL configuration that grants Astograth significant regional capabilities in power-projection. The Air Force, 30,000 strong, is headquartered in Rumiatzi and has its main installations in Antiguoko.

The country's chemical and biological weapons programmes were publicly cancelled and reserves destroyed in 621, under the reign of Aitor IV. Some observers believe the programmes may have been restarted in secret during the regency of Lord Protector Ugarte, which his and subsequent governments have denied. Astograth utilises nuclear power in civilian and military applications and is thought to have the capacity to develop nuclear weapons, though no government has expressed a desire to and no dedicated programme is believed to exist.

Astograth purchases most of its materiel, including vehicles, from Euran companies Rabarra and Mansley Systems, and from the more distant nations of Haruspex and Anemonia. The local defence industry, dominated by the state-owned Royal Munitions and Armaments (EMEA), manufactures the rest. The defence budget accounted for 1.1% of GDP in 684, or approximately $43.8 billion NSD.

Language
Astograthian is a language isolate and spoken across the country in a variety of dialects; standard Astograthian, as espoused by the Royal Academy of Language, is based on the dialect of Rumiatzi. Astograthian grammar includes an unusual Subject-Object-Verb syntax and an extensive declension system. Astograthian is written with a 21-letter Latin alphabet, and uses Arabic numerals.

English is an official language and widely spoken thanks to bilingual education. Other languages spoken include Azertienne, especially along the southern border with Kernansquillec, the Varish languages along the northeastern border, and Spanish.

Sport
Association football is by far the most popular sport in Astograth, enjoyed by all sectors of society and regulated by the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa (FAF). The best teams in the country play in the Astograthian First Division, while the national team represents Astograth in international football competitions. Major football tournaments have also been held in Astograth, including World Cup 62 (with Carpathia and Ruthenia), the 48th Cup of Harmony (with neighbours Civil Citizenry), the 45th and 53rd Baptisms of Fire (with Kagdazka and Pazhujebu and United Gordonopia, respectively), Copa Rushmori VII and Copa Rushmori XXXV (with Savojarna). International club competition finals to take place in Astograth include the UICA Champions' Cup, UICA Series B Champions' Cup and the Rushmore Copa de Campeones.

Astograth has sent large delegations to the Sixth, Seventh and Fourteenth Summer Olympics, winning a combined total of 12 gold medals, 20 silver medals and 24 bronze medals. Petri Narbarte won gold medals at both the Sixth and Seventh Games, in men's mountain biking; he and Itziar Treto, winner of the 200m sprint at the Sixth Olympiad, are the most renowned Astograthian Olympians. The Yogutz Lantzia racing team represented Astograth in the 11th and 12th seasons of the World Grand Prix Championship (WGPC), while Astograthian driver Sotil Morua finished second in WGPC 12, racing for Liventia's Carvenlo team.