Riyata

Riyude, officially the Commonwealth of Riyude, is a country located in Vatupaya. It consists of 31 states, 2 Imperial Cities, and 3 autonomous cities. Continental Riyude extends from the !Mountains in the north to the Tupic Sea (Bay of Guasu) in the south, and from the !Canal in the east to !River in the west. It borders Coranelle in the east, which is its closest economic, political, and military ally, and Ta'aroha and Tiepu in the west. It also borders Citelota through the three semi-exclaves of Mailot, Pitana, and Telana. The nation has two capital cities: Grana, the executive capital and home of the Imperial Family, and Isaye, the legislative capital in which the Imperial Diet convenes. Other major cities include Citana, Kaleyo, Tasuo, and Manava.

The Commonwealth of Riyude is a constitutional monarchy and a federal parliamentary democracy. The current monarch is Empress Litiya IV, who assumed the throne in early 1959. The Peerage of Riyude is composed of hundreds of noble families descended from the time of the Mirati Confederation. Although they hold positions of national and international fame, nobility in Riyude no longer possess exercisable political power.

During the Vatupic iron age, what is now western Riyude was inhabited by three distinct ethnic groups: the !TBD, !TBD, and !TBD. However, following the region's annexation by the Aunic Empire, these peoples were either displaced or assimilated into the Aunic cultural sphere, laying the foundations of what would later become the Riydic language and culture. After the Aunic Empire's collapse in the 4th century, the region experienced a period of great turmoil as various Aunic and barbarian factions came into frequent conflicts with each other in an attempt to fill the power vacuum. In the year 482, the Proto-Taxic Invasions swept across Riyude and unified the petty kingdoms into a singular entity, the Mirati Confederation.

The Mirati Confederation was initially ruled by a proto-Taxic lineage of emperors and nobles, but they were replaced by ethnic Riyudics during the Hitovy Uprising from 990-992. The capital was moved from Manava to Grana, the seat of power of the new TBD imperial dynasty, who had come to power through sea power and control of trade in the Tupic Sea. The TBD, though their immense wealth, were able to command the loyalty of the many minor nobles at first. However, after only a few generations, the Confederation began to slip back into decentralization.

In the late 18th century and early 19th century, increasing levels of industrialization combined with a successive line of increasingly powerful monarchs saw the imperial government grow more centralized than ever before. The Unification of Riyude was formalized in February of 1838, when the 53 member states of the Mirati Confederation became officially united under the Riyudic Empire. Throughout the 19th century, Riyude rapidly industrialized, coming into frequent conflict with its neighbors. In particular, two inconclusive wars with Ta’aroha in the latter 19th century would fuel nationalistic and militaristic fervor in Riyude that culminated in massive loss of life during World War I.

In 1922, the May Revolution saw Emperor !Emperor overthrown and replaced with his third daughter, !Empress, who advocated strongly for the creation of a democracy in Riyude. Over the next decade, Riyude transitioned to its modern-day Commonwealth government. However, the government retained almost all of the institutions and systems of Imperial Riyude, albeit with significant reform, and it is still widely debated if Imperial and Commonwealth Riyude should be considered two distinct historical entities.

The Summer War was Riyude's last conflict with Ta'aroha and also the sparking incident of the Second World War. The conflict, lasting from 1940-1945, would see most continental Riyude fall under Ta’arohan military occupation. However, a government-in-exile was formed in neighboring allied Coranelle, which eventually succeeded in liberating Riyude from foreign control. The aftermath of this conflict largely saw the Riyudic-Ta’arohan rivalry disappear, replaced by a cooperative !ECSC that eventually would lead to the creation of the !EU.

In the modern day, Riyude has retained its historical status as one of the world's great powers, forming an integral part of the !EU diplomatic bloc. It is a highly developed economy with a GDP of Ꝟ8.4 trillion. Riyude is a developed nation and ranks very high in the Human Development Index (HDI), with extended social programs including free education for all and a limited universal healthcare system. Although it suffers from high income and wealth inequality compared to similarly developed nations, Riyude has relatively low poverty rates and has placed well on quality of life indexes. Riyude is a founding member of the !EU.

Antiquity
Most of modern-day continental Riyude was annexed into the Aunic Empire in the 2nd Century AD.

Geography
Riyude is located on the Vatupic subcontinent in Vidina. Its territory covers a large portion of land in eastern Vatupaya, 1,176,294.16 square kilometers (454,169.71 square miles). It shares borders with four countries: Coranelle, Citelota, Ta'aroha, and Tiepu.

Biodiversity
Vatupic ground sloth

Government and politics


Officially a monarchy under Empress Litiya IV, the government of Riyude conducts the day-to-day governance of the nation under her name. Riyude has consistently ranked high on the Democracy Index in recent decades.

The monarchy of Riyude has been extant directly since the establishment of the Riyudic Empire in 1838, and indirectly since the Hitovy Uprising in 992. Although originally ruled as an absolute monarchy, various reforms throughout the 19th and 20th centuries transformed Riyude first into a semi-constitutional monarchy and then into a fully constitutional monarchy and democracy.

In the Riyudic federal model, there are two layers of government; the "empire" (federal government) shares power with and exists alongside various constituent "realms" (states) which exercise their power through the Imperial Diet and other methods. This system has existed in some form or another for centuries, stemming from the decentralized model of government that was practiced in the early Mirati Confederation.

Branches of government
Riyude has three branches of government, under the separation of powers model: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Executive
Empress Litiya IV is the monarch and head of state of Riyude, but her powers are limited by the constitution. The Prime Minister, TBD, is the head of government and conducts the day-to-day administrative affairs of the nation.

Legislature
The legislative branch of Riyude is formed of the Imperial Diet, a bicameral body split into the House of Representatives and the House of Electors. There are 1,045 voting members: 961 in the House of Representatives and 84 in the House of Electors.

Administrative divisions
The Commonwealth of Riyude is a federal monarchy of 31 states, 2 Imperial Cities, and 3 autonomous cities.



Economy


Riyude has a highly developed social market economy that ranks among the world's largest with a GDP of Ꝟ8.42 trillion. It has a highly skilled labor force and a high level of innovation. Riyude ranks very well in economic freedom, economic competitiveness, and workforce productivity. It has been a member of the !EU since !Year and has used the Vatupic Dollar (VAD) since 2003.

Since the 19th century, Riyude has been a major player in global trade; its location has historically allowed it to access and control trade between the markets of the Vidinan Interior and those of the wider world. Today Riyude is an integral part of the !EU and is one of the largest exporters in the world, both to other members of the !EU as well as other nations around the globe.

In 2020, it was estimated that the service sector contributed around 70% of Riyude's total GDP, followed by industry and the primary sector at 29% and 1% respectively. Riyude is rather unique among postindustrial nations in that the secondary sector remains a considerable part of its economy; it is among the largest manufacturing countries worldwide and its automotive and shipbuilding industries, among others, are internationally competitive and contribute significantly to the country's exports.

Energy
According to the Ministry of Energy and Water, Riyude consumed around 46.77 exajoules in 2020, or 268.3 gigajoules per capita. Of this, 64.51% comes from nuclear power, 18.32% comes from renewables, and 17.17% comes from fossil fuels (primarily oil).



Most of Riyude's nuclear power plants were built in the 1980s, after the 1977 oil crisis made it clear that foreign oil was an unreliable and increasingly volatile resource. Riyude has been reliant on nuclear power ever since and has not significantly invested in renewables, except for hydropower. It is still dependent on fossil fuels for transport as well as for residential and commercial use. Nevertheless, nuclear energy is considered a green power source by the Riyudic government and is a central part of the plan to become carbon-neutral by 2035. Nuclear energy is generally privatized in Riyude, but the industry is heavily regulated and the disposal of nuclear waste is the sole responsibility of the federal government. Energy and electricity as a whole are considered an "integral industry" in Riyude and are subject to high levels of government regulation and intervention.

Agriculture
Riyude has historically been a major food producer in Vatupaya. Main Riyudic staple crops include potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, squash, beans, and maize. Agriculture made up around 1.8% of the Riyudic economy in 2020, or Ꝟ151.56 billion. Since the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945, the Riyudic government has pursued a policy of self-sufficiency for foodstuffs and water; the country is a net food exporter and is a major producer of various cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Riyude also has a minor wine industry, started using imported grapes from Gladomyr, mainly in Muatiy and Iriy.

Trade
Riyude is one of the largest trading nations in the world. In 2020, it exported around Ꝟ4.35 trillion, or 51.68% of total GDP, and imported Ꝟ3.99 trillion, or 47.44% of total GDP. Due to its large industrial capability, Riyude is a net exporter of many advanced manufactured products, which are exported to countries all over the world. It is a world leader in the production of automobiles, consumer electronics, machine tools, ships, and processed foods. Traditionally, the Riyudic government places a high import tariff on manufactured goods in order to encourage the domestic production and export of high-value products. Its primary trade partners are other members of the !EU, but it exports to many countries all across the world. It has a trade surplus of around Ꝟ350 billion, the largest in the world.

Manufacturing
Riyude has a very large industrial capability and has been described as one of the preeminent producers of advanced, manufactured goods in the world. Industry makes up 29% of Riyude's GDP, and its manufacturing output is the second-highest in the world.

Population
The 2020 Riyudic Census officially counted 174,328,305 people living within Riyude's borders. Around 78% of Riyude's population lives in urban areas.

Language
Riyudic is the official and most widespread language spoken in Riyude. However, Riyude is a large country, and there are many dialects of Riyudic within the nation. Particularly in the northern parts of the nation, a few of these differ significantly from Standard Riyudic. Although many regional dialects have seen a significant decline in use ever since the Unification of Riyude, some major dialects still hold a significant presence in their regions.

The second-most common language in Riyude is Taxic, spoken mainly in Taxata and neighboring states. Although it is from a different language family than Riyudic, the two languages have influenced each other greatly ever since the Proto-Taxic Invasions. The proto-Taxic conquests established the Mirati Confederation in the 5th century and made lasting impressions on the Riyudic language, especially in the south.

Many Taxic-speakers are also fluent in Riyudic, and the reverse is also true.

Religion
Religion in Riyude is a controversial subject and is notoriously difficult to measure. The branch of Tevatua that is practiced in Riyude is highly decentralized and personalized, and is tightly interwoven with culture to the point where it can be difficult to separate the two. Practicers of Riyudic Tevatua are not necessarily excluded from other religions, and it is also entirely possible to practice it alongside atheism or irreligion. Because of this, research on religious affiliation can have wildly different results. Most Redes practice Tevatua simultaneously with local folklore and traditions, and many are also atheist and/or irreligious. This is possible due to Riyudic Tevatua's incredible flexibility and ability to syncretize preexisting beliefs.

Education
Education in Riyude is provided in public and private schools. By law, children are required to attend school starting from the age of 3 or 4 until they turn 18, usually taking them through two years of preschool in addition to the primary and secondary levels of education. About 94% of primary and secondary school students attend public schools. The remaining 6% of children are enrolled in private schools, the vast majority of which are secular. Homeschooling is illegal after the age of 5 or 6, when primary school usually begins. Around 79% of college students attend public universities.

97.7% of Riyudic adults age 30 or older have completed secondary education. 52.5% attended a college or vocational school, 28.6% earned an undergraduate degree, and 10.9% earned a postgraduate degree. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, the literacy rate is around 99.9%. Riyude ranks very highly on education indexes and is a world leader in the diversity and quality of higher education. It has many public and private institutions of higher education, including many of the world's top universities.