Galvia

Galvia (: Galvija), officially the Kingdom of Galvia, is a country located in eastern Alutra. It is bordered by Renesia to the north, Ecoralia and Aquizireiki to the east, and Izlegal to the southeast. The territory of the Kingdom of Galvia expands over a total land area of 753,285 square kilometres (290,844 sq mi), with a mostly. The capital and largest city is Antonija; other major cities and urban areas include Zvanas, Sienal, Aizsargāt, and Vilciena.

Considered to be the first Galvic state, the Varic Empire was founded in the 1st century under Valerijs II following the Conquest of Lempia. After its collapse, it was succeeded by the Varic Kingdoms and the Union of Krona at the start and end of the 13th century respectively. The Union of Krona was eventually overthrown by the Legion of Galvia, commanded by Antonija Ivuškāns, during the mid-14th century, and replaced by the United Kingdoms of Galvia in 1399, of which Antonija was crowned Queen. This was followed by the Sacred Expansion in the mid-15th century, and eventual Royal Campaigns between 1467 and 1517 - a 50-year period of internal conflict followed by nearly a century of tension and unrest, leading to the War of Antonija in 1693, before coming to an end after the Battle of Straume in 1709. Not long after the Battle of Straume, all Galvic lands were evenly distributed between the Kingdom of Vakars and the Kingdom of Lietus, to be later unified under a single monarch in 1731; this time period and its events are collectively referred to as the Unification of Galvia.

In the second half of the 18th century, the Galvic lands became more industrialized, entering their first in 1770. At the start of the 20th century, the Kingdom of Galvia remained neutral during the entirety of World War I despite its location amidst one of the conflict's largest fronts. During the 1940s, under a more interventionist government, Galvia joined the Alutran theatre in World War II, supporting both the Principality of Renesia against the Eastern Front, and the newly formed, and unrecognized, Tretuish State, or Tretland, in southern Ecoralia, both of which ended unsuccessful. Galvian intervention continued in support of the Tretuish people in Ecoralia until 1953, when it came to a halt with the Tretland Nuclear Crisis, and the launch of Operation Mauve in Ecoralia. Withdrawal from Tretland led to to internal conflicts, particularly between the Tretuish population of Galvia, in support of the intervention, and the Galvic population, in opposition. Conflict came to an end in 1956 during the Autumn Riots, when all and rebel Tretuish groups were dissolved by the government.

Today, the Kingdom of Galvia is a   and  with an advanced, high-income. However, and despite of this, the country has been criticized for its rates,  situation, and increasing, all ranking higher than the regional average.

Etymology
The name "Galvia" is an standardization of the country's native name Galvija or Galvijas, which in turn derives from the name Galvai. The name Galvai derives from the word galva (meaning 'head') and the  declension -ai, and first came into use during the 13th century with the formation of the Legion of Galvia (Galvai Milzums) under the command of Antonija Ivuškāns. The name was chosen to promote the belief that the Legion were the true rulers of the Galvic people, and it is believed that the name Galvai was then chosen to signify the Legion as the "Head that should wear the Crown" (Galva Nēsā Vainagu).

The name was then changed to Galvijas with the formation of the United Kingdoms of Galvia (Galvijas Apvienotā Karaliste). The name Galvijas comes from the word galva, the suffix -ija (used to indicate a location), and the declension -s. The name was given a geographic connotation after the Legion's success in conquering all land that once belonged to the Union of Krona, and has been used to refer to the territory that today encompasses present-day Galvia ever since 1399. The name was then repurposed one last time in 1731, with the formation of the current Kingdom of Galvia and the adoption of its shortened name "Galvia" (Galvija), losing the nominative declension.

Varic Republics
The name of "Varic Republics" in Galvia refer to the territorial split succeeding the fall of the Empire of Juras in the year 65 BCE. Though collectively referred to as "republics", not all of these post-Juric states fell under a republican government, and a considerable amount were instead monarchies. Because of the disorderly nature of the Empire of Juras' fall, most of the Varic Republics were at constant odds with one another due to territorial discrepancies, as most maps were being made to favor the territorial claim of the republic where they had been made. This conflict, which lasted uninterrupted for nearly a decade, is referred to as the Cartographic War, named after the countless variations of different maps that were made in this ten-year span. During the Cartographic War, one of the largest republics in the region, the Republic of Lempia, led by Vadonis Valerijs I, sought to unify once again all Varic territories under a single entity, in resemblance to the former Empire of Juras. In the year 60 BCE, Valerijs I began to command a series of annexations of smaller neighboring republics, taking advantage of the ongoing Cartographic War that was keeping the other large republics in the vicinity occupied. By 55 BCE, the entire western portion of what had been Varic territory split into twelve different republics was now under the Lempian rule, making the Republic of Lempia the largest Varic state at the time, being almost triple in size to the second largest. This specific moment in history is deemed as the start of the Conquest of Lempia, which lasted until the beginning of the (CE).

Conquest of Lempia (55 BCE - 4 CE)
'' The Conquest of Lempia started sometime around March of 55 BCE, with the complete annexation and gained control of twelve Varic Republics by the Republic of Lempia. The term was coined by the remaining Free Republics in reference to the clever and rapid Lempian military advance over Varic territory. In 53 BCE, the Republic of Lempia declared war on its neighbor, the Republic of Ciltkoks, the largest producer and exporter of food in the region due to its arable and flat territory. Ciltkoks was successfully annexed into Lempia by 51 BCE, despite other republics coming to its aid. A year later, Valerijs I cut off food supplies into the Free Republics in an attempt to weaken them before advancing on their territory, this resulted in several smaller republics neighboring the former Ciltkoki territory to willingly surrender control over to the Lempian central government in exchange for access to food that they could not produce. Lempia advanced north and faced the remaining Free Republics in battle for nearly five years until the death of Valerijs I in 45 BCE. The Lempian Republic and its army found themselves at a loss of morale and leadership, as Valerijs' only son, Valerijs II, was a toddler at the time of his father's death. The Republic of Lempia, and therefore its conquest of the Free Republics, remained stagnant for almost a decade without changing its borders or advancing on other territories. In 43 BCE, the Free Republics formed the Council of Sienal, named after the Republic of Sienal, the largest of the Free Republics. The Council of Sienal advanced north during the Lempian stagnation in order to acquire more arable land, as their territory at the time was mostly comprised of hilly terrain, eventually settling in what are the present-day Kingdoms of Zināša and Tirguš.

Valerijs II came of age in the year 25 BCE, and assumed full command of the Lempian army the following year. Following in her father's footsteps, he marched into Sienal territory with the purpose of annexing the Republics comprising the Council of Sienal and forming a new union of Varic Republics. The Council of Sienal and the Republic of Lempia went to war with one another in 23 BCE, when the Council began to retaliate offensively as opposed to defensively as it had in the past. The newly gained strength of the Free Republics, and the inexperience of Valerijs II led to the war being more drawn out than anticipated, eventually ending before reaching the fifteen year mark. At the end of the war in 8 BCE, the Republic of Lempia had gained control of all southern republics in the Council, and was advancing northward to the city of Sienal, the capital of the Council. The Conquest hit a second halt in the year 7 BCE, when the southernmost territories of the Republic of Lempia revolted to gain back their independence; with the central authority continuously moving north, the vigilance and law enforcement on the southern territory increased drastically. The Republic of Lempia entered a 5-year long civil war in 6 BCE.

The Council of Sienal was annexed in its entirety in the year 1 CE, with the conquest and destruction of the city of Sienal, and the execution of the Council's King. The Conquest continued northward for three more years, before reaching what would go on to become its permanent territorial boundaries. In the year 4 CE, the territory was renamed as the Varic Empire (Varasja Impērija), crowning Valerijs II as its first Emperor.

Varic Empire
The Varic Empire was formed in the year 4 CE, under the command of Valerijs II as Emperor at the age of 50. Valerijs led the Varic Empire following his father's ideology of Varic expansion across eastern Alutra and the spread of Varic values into neighboring civilizations, and his son, Gvido I, was educated under these same values. At the age of 55, in the year 7 CE, Valerijs II began his march northeastward across Alutra, into what was territory inhabited by ethnically Ecoralian and Tretuish civilizations, in the present-day Kingdom of Lietus. Valerijs was assassinated at the age of 60 in 12 CE, during a battle around what is the modern day city of Krustojums, and his son automatically ascended the throne as Varic Emperor at the age of 23. For the following decade, the Varic borders remained unchanged as the conquest for new land had come to a stop, and the Empire began to form closer ties with neighboring nations in Alutra. Around the year 22 CE, Gvido led his army for a last conquest of uninhabited territory in what is now northern Galvia before the country entered a period known as the Varic Quiet for the remainder of the century.

With the growth in population and the necessity for better methods of trade, the Varic Empire made its first advance on foreign territory for the first time since the 1st century in the year 550 CE, under the direction of Emperor Augusts VII. The Varic empire marched into the Kingdom of Æðelstan, in what is in the present day Renesian territory, conquering the city of Renes in the process, and integrating the state as part of the Varic Empire by the end of the 6th century. With the new territorial acquisition, the Varic Empire had, for the first time in its history, direct access to the ocean, which was used specifically to trade with the lands of present-day Velorenkya and Ecoralia. Varic-Ecoralian relationships remained mostly undisturbed for most of the 7th century until the year 644, when Emperor Jānis III commanded military advance into what was considered Ecoralian territory, extending the Varic coastline until nearly reaching the base of the Witland peninsula. Toward the end of the 7th century, the Varic Empire reentered a period of peace and stagnation in its territorial expansion that would last for the remainder of the state's existence.

Fall of the Varic Empire (12th century)
During the mid-1100s, the economic boom of the so-called Samenwaterijk period in Ecoraland drove its government to a more expansionist ideology in a pursuit for new markets, this led to outright war between Ecoraland and the Varic Empire in 1147. This was originally intended as a peaceful integration of Varic ports along the North Alutran Sea into the Samenwaterijk network, however, the integration was never agreed on by the Varic government, who perceived the ordeal as an attempt to integrate Varic port towns into Ecoralian territory. As retaliation, the Varic Emperor at the time, Ludis III, ordered an advance on Ecoralian territory through the Upper Gaal River Valley, officially hindering the relationship between the two countries and changing the Varic borders for the first time in three hundred years. The Varic Empire declared war on Ecoraland in April of 1147. The invasion was met with majoritarian support from the Varic Court, with the exception of the state of Renesia and its nobles, who stood amongst the most vocally opposed to Emperor Ludis' initiative, fearing the unnecessary expenditure in Varic resources, that would have had to be drawn from all regions in the Empire, including Renesia. The complaints of the Renesian nobles remained unheard, and Emperor Ludis moved into Ecoraland in the summer of 1147.

The start of the war resulted into rebel uprising in Renesian territory (present-day Renesia and Neziņas). This uprising remained mostly unmonitored due to the central government's focus on the conflict with Ecoraland. However, at the start of 1148, with the assassination of Emperor Ludis III in the battlefield, and the ascension of his son Artūrs V into the Varic throne, the Varic military strategy saw a shift. Emperor Artūrs, who automatically succeeded his father at the age of 30, continued the war on Ecoraland, while simultaneously stationing troops in and out of the Renesian territory of the Empire in an attempt to contain a possible rebellion. Artūrs declared complete seize of all Renesian seaports to ensure continuous access to the sea during the war with Ecoraland. The war came to a halt in 1149, after Ecoraland successfully annexed nearly half of the coastal territory of the Varic Empire. Meanwhile, the Varic army was only able to recover some of the lost territory, returning Varic borders similar to how they had been before the 7th century. The recovery of this territory required the pulling of several Varic military forces from their stations in Renesian territory, and this, combined with the massive loss of people, allowed for the Renesian nobles of the city of Renes, along with many other cities in ethnically Renesian territory, to declare independence from the Varic Empire on 3 March 1150. The massive loss of Varic lives, Renesian and Ecoralian territory, and access to the sea, are all factors considered to signify the start of the fall of the Varic Empire.

Varic Kingdoms
The Varic Empire remained united even after the independence of Renesia until the start of the 13th century, before eventually breaking apart in 1201. Prior to its fall, the noble courts of the largest regions comprising the imperial territory had begun to demand higher levels of autonomy, with some threatening to seek independence similarly to Renesia. In a last attempt to contain any rebellious and separatist movements, Emperor Artūrs granted these regions their autonomy. However, this promptly showed itself to be counter-productive, as the newly autonomous regions began to make larger and bolder demands regarding territorial expansion, resources, power in the central government, and military. This eventually led to the assassination of Emperor Artūrs in 1200 at the hands of the self-proclaimed Emperor of Kaudze, the largest of the regions. The loss of the Emperor left the country without a central head of state and allowed for all the kingdoms that had been autonomous up until that point to seek independence and draw new territorial boundaries, eventually justifying the invasion and annexation of one another, this brief time period that lasted between 1201 and 1205 is referred to as the Varic Abolition. The catalyst event for the Abolition is agreed to be the assassination of Emperor Artūrs V, the last Emperor of the Varic Empire, on 6 October 1200. Artūrs had five daughters and no sons, which resulted in controversy within the Empire, as the law mandated the Emperor was to always be a man. This led to King Artjoms of Kaudze, the one to have conducted the assassination, to volunteer for the title of Varic Emperor, which was met with massive resistance from all regions in the Empire, and eventual separatist movements, particularly in the southern territories. The first territories to become independent kingdoms began invading smaller territories that were still part of the Varic Empire but could not be defended due to a lack of imperial central authority. Other regions within the Empire quickly followed suit, including the Kingdom of Kaudze, and by November of 1205, the Varic Empire officially collapsed, splitting into ten feudal kingdoms, known as the Varic Kingdoms. Though some of the kingdoms managed to remain neutral throughout most of their existence, the larger kingdoms were constantly at odds with each other and sought to acquire more land from their neighbors. In 1223, the Kingdom of Kaudze, the northernmost of the Varic Kingdoms, expanded eastward into what had been land inhabited by ethnically Ecoralian peoples. News of this reached the kingdoms lying directly south of Kaudze, and as a way to prevent possible invasion from their northern neighbor, the three kingdoms of Dienvinurenes, Nokļūšana, and Spārnu joint into a military alliance known as the Varic Belt.

The Kingdom of Kaudze and the Varic Belt went to war in 1234, when the former attempted to expand southward into Spārnu's territory under the pretext that the lands historically belonged to Kaudze. This opened the doors for the kingdoms south of the Belt to also take some of their lands. However, this attempt backfired as the Kingdom of Nokļūšana was readily prepared militarily and managed to annex land belonging to two of its southern neighbors. The three-sided conflict lasted until 1239, when the Kingdom of Kaudze called for a ceasefire as all its attempts to take over the Belt had continuously failed. In 1245, due to the unpredictable and volatile nature of Kaudze, the King of Skaja, Janus II, offered to form a joint state with the eight other Varic kingdoms, in a fashion not so disimilar from the Varic Empire, in order to withstand any possible future attacks from the threat presented by Kaudze. The three kingdoms comprising the Varic Belt agreed almost instantly, and in 1247, they joined their territories with Skaja to form the earliest form of the Union of Krona.

Union of Krona
The name "Union of Krona" (Galvian: Kronisūnija) was first used in 1247, by King Janus II of Skaja, in reference to the alliance created between his kingdom and the kingdoms of the Varic Belt. The name Krona derives from the Galvian word kronis (meaning 'crown') to signify the unity of monarchies under a single state. In 1248, maps of the Union of Krona entered common circulation, and news of the union eventually reached the Kingdom of Kaudze. As a precautionary defensive maneuver against the Union, King Artjoms ordered the construction of the Wall of Uzkrājumi along the Kingdom's southern border. The Wall was finished in 1250, a year before the death of Artjoms. Artjoms was succeeded by his son Raivis I, who, unlike his father during his final moments before passing, had a much more aggressive approach to foreign threats, and in 1251, he ordered a section of the Wall of Uzkrājumi to be destroyed to allow for Kaudzian forces to advance onto the Union's territory. Despite the military alliance, the Kingdom of Kaudze was able to outmaneuver the Union's army, and successfully occupied the northern half of the Kingdom of Spārnu by 1252. The Kingdom of Kaudze continued advancing on Spārnik territory, annexing the entire kingdom by March of 1253. The loss of an entire kingdom to the Kaudzian army resulted in the remaining Varic kingdoms south of the Union to join them in an attempt to dismantle the Kingdom of Kaudze. The Union's bordered were officially redrawn in September of 1253 to encompass all newly joined Varic Kingdoms.

The Union of Krona declared war on the Kingdom of Kaudze in April of 1254, indicating the start of the Varic War. The war was fought primarily in the territory that encompasses present-day Tirguš and Neziņas, and lasted until 1257, with the capture of Kaudze-Prima, the capital city of the Kingdom of Kaudze. Soon after the city's capture, King Janus II executed Raivis I on 23 October 1257, officially putting an end to the Kaudzian monarchy. The kingdom of Kaudze was incorporated in its entirety into the Union of Krona and its lands were distributed between the members of the Union, and the Kingdom of Spārnu was given back its original lands. The Agreement of Krona between the nine kingdoms was drafter and signed in 1258, establishing the autonomy of each kingdom and prohibiting the central government from exercising overbearing authority over the Union. King Janus II was crowned King of Krona in January of 1259, renouncing to his Skajan heritage, lands, and titles. He was succeeded by his son Eižens III. In the first decade since its creation, the Union of Krona entered what is considered to be one of the most prosperous times in Galvic history up until that point. Between 1260 and 1269, not a single battle was fought on the Union's territory, and the central government had managed to rebuilt Varic relations with its neighboring countries. However, in 1270, the Union would witness its first and last catastrophe, as and diseases across the country's crops led to the start of a nation-wide. As a first attempt to contain the deaths caused by the famine, the central government began to trade materials for food from neighboring states, and redistribute them equally among the kingdoms. This was eventually met with resistance from the citizens as the kingdoms with the larger populations demanded bigger amounts of food; it is estimated that between 1271 and 1273, the kingdoms of Nokļūšana, Tēvijana, and Skaja lost around 50% of its population, based on the amount of death testimonials dating back to this time period. The nobles of the Union, on the other hand, were opposed to the proportional distribution of food, as they didn't want for one court to benefit more than another. In 1274, the kingdom of Skaja wrote a pleading letter to the central government asking for more food, claiming that most of their population had succumbed to the famine. Although met with resistance form the other courts, King Janus complied and increased the amount of food supplies delivered to Skajan territory. However, the following year, it was discovered that the Skajan nobility had been gathering bigger rations of food than the rest of the courts, leaving very little to be distributed among its population. This led to the Hunger Uprising of 1274 during the month of June, during which the Skajan people stormed the Zaļāizbrīns Castle in the kingdom's capital city and captured King Eižens with the help of the Skajan royal guard.

Common War (1274 - 1276)
The Common War is an umbrella term referring to interim in the history of the Union of Krona, during which the Kingdom of Skaja was officially removed as an adherent kingdom. This was done in order to allow for the central government of the Union to go to war with the Kingdom of Skaja without defying the Agreement of Krona. King Janus marched into his native Skajan territory, on 4 April 1274, with the Union's army in a rescue delegation to return his son and King of Skaja, Eižens III, to the Union's court. Eižens III had been captured during a three weeks prior by the Skajan royal guard and the Skajan citizens, who began exchanging release letters with the central government of the Union, willing to trade the Skajan's monarch freedom for larger food rations from the Union, and threatening to kill King Eižens if both parties failed to come to an agreement. Unwilling to accept these terms, King Janus began to plan the rescue of his son, despite being met with resistance from the Union's nobility, who believed a war was an unnecessary spending of already limited resources.

During the initial months of the war, the Union was able to pull through much of Skajan territory, and by 1275, it had built several fronts near the Skajan capital. However, in February of 1275, the Kingdom of Dienvinurenes, that had up until that point been battle ground for the war as it stood between Skaja and the Union's capital territory, officially withdrew from the Union of Krona and announced it would declare war on the Union if the central government failed to retreat from Dienvinur territory. Not long after the ultimatum set by Dienvinurenes, King Janus was assassinated on 14 February 1275 during a small battle on the shores of the Nemitīgi River. He was immediately succeeded by Agris of Vēderija, who declared war on the Kingdom of Dienvinurenes, while simultaneously continuing the invasion on Skaja. This was regarded as treason by the remaining kingdoms of the Union, who collectively pulled all their soldiers from the ongoing war in an attempt to weaken Agris' advance on Skaja and Dienvinurenes. The war came to a halt in July of 1275, during which Agris and his remaining army returned to the Union's territory and began negotiations with the Kingdom of Skaja to recover King Eižens, and reintegrate his kingdom back into the Union. By September of 1275, the parties could not settle on a mutually beneficial agreement, resulting in the execution of King Eižens III in the Zaļāizbrīns Square on 27 September 1275. As a result, the Union advanced once again into Skajan territory to overthrow the Skajan royal guard, this time with the support of four out of the seven Varic courts. The Union's army advanced over Dienvinur territory in order to reach Skaja, which signified the start of a four-way war between the Union of Krona, the opposing Varic courts, and the Kingdoms of Dienvinurenes and Skaja, this specific period of the conflict is regarded as the Common War. Though specific numbers are unknown, it is estimated that around 500,000 people died during this time period, making it one of the biggest loses of life in Galvic history. In October of 1275, the Kingdom of Dienvinurenes was successfully annexed back into the Union, with the execution of Queen Tekla XVI and the entirety of the Dienvinur royal family, and their replacement by lesser nobles part of the Union's court.

The Common War came to an end in January of 1276, after the Union detained an executed the Skajan royal guard, inserting a noble of the Union's court as the new Skajan monarch. However, and in spite of the conflict coming to an end, the Common War served as impetus for the creation of the Legion of Galvia in 1280, and the eventual fall of the Union of Krona in 1296.

Legion of Galvia
The Legion of Galvia was formed in 1280 by Antonija Ivuškāns, an alchemist born in Abatija in the Kingdom of Skaja. Antonija first founded the Legion as an underground anti-unionist group in 1277, a year after the end of the Common War, and the reincorporation of Skaja back into the Union of Krona. This underground group was originally referred to as Ar Uzviju, and its primary objective was the recollection of information from the central government and the Skajan court, as well as the stealing and redistribution of resources from the nobility and to the plebeians. The Ar Uzviju expanded to the neighboring kingdoms of Dienvinurenes, Nokļūšana and Tēvijana in 1278, and in 1279 it had members from all ten kingdoms in the Union, including the capital territory of Vidus. That same year Antonija joined the Royal Guard of Krona, disguised as a man under the name of Austris Jaunzems, as a way to overthrow the nobility and set the Ar Uzviju up as the new head of state. The Ar Uzviju was renamed the Legion of Galvia (Galvai Milzums) the following year in 1280, and Antonija was appointed, as Austris, commander of the Skajan division of the Union's Royal Guard.

Starting in 1280, the Legion began to undertake larger and riskier jobs, going as far as raiding the kitchens of castles or intercepting carriages traveling in between posts, and carrying goods from the nobility. Anonymous letters were found addressed to several members of the Union's nobility, threatening to set up castles on fire, or assassinate noble children in exchange for better living conditions for the commoners. In 1281, several members of the Legion became publicly exposed, including Antonija, which led to an immediate and  to be sent out across the Union. Antonija and the exposed followers quickly went into hiding, around May of 1281. No records of Antonija Ivuškāns exist between the years 1281 and 1285, which has led historians to believe her employment of one or several pseudonyms to move across the Union and eastern Alutra in secrecy.

Antonija went out of hiding in 1286, after which the Legion had grown significantly larger in size and resources. In December of 1286, the Legion of Galvia declared war on the Union of Krona, and began raiding several castles and cities across the country simultaneously, during which Antonija marched as commander of the largest front in the capital of Vidus. The war lasted four years before coming to an end in July of 1290.

United Kingdoms of Galvia
After the end of the war between the Legion of Galvia and the Union of Krona in July 1290, the Legion of Galvia went on to exist as the ruling state in the region for nearly six decades before being succeeded by the United Kingdoms of Galvia in 1350. The United Kingdoms of Galvia were established with the Galvic Accords as its founding document, drafted and signed by Queen Antonija I (formerly known as Antonija Ivuškāns) and the new monarchs of the Legion of Galvia in 1320, twenty years before her death at the age of 80 on 3 October 1340. The Accords, among several other clauses, called for the formation of an ethnically Galvic state that would allow its constituent kingdoms to hold complete autonomy while abiding to pre-established mandates. Among these mandates were, most notoriously, the equal distribution of wealth among the plebeians, and the abolishment of several gender-based rules in different work places and professions (such as the exclusion of women from the military). As most Galvic kingdoms perceived the Accords to be benefitial, it was unanimously decided on 5 May 1350 that they would unite under a single entity, the United Kingdoms of Galvia, with Queen Antonija I as its monarch.

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Geography
Galvia is a landlocked country located in the in the eastern region of the continent of Alutra, covering a total of 742,513 square kilometres (290,844 sq mi), making it the 17th largest country by land area. It borders Renesia to the north, Ecoralia and Aquizireiki to the east, and Izlegal to the southeast.

The Galvian territory has a in its entirety, with small north-south variations. The southern part of the country sits higher in elevation than the north, where most of the rivers flow into before moving into Ecoral and Renesian territory before flowing into the ocean. Most rivers running across Galvia are born in the small mountain range that runs latitudinally across the country, almost completely dissecting the territory into a western and an eastern half. These mountains have an average elevation of 950 (3,116 feet), merge in the south with highlands and hills of southeastern Alutra. In this southern region of Galvia are also located the two largest inland bodies of water in eastern Alutra: the Varas Lakes. The Western Varas Lake is fed into primarily by the rivers flowing from Mount Varas situated directly north, with the Balta and Aslepto Rivers being the largest of these. Out of the Western Varas flow two major rivers, the continuation of the Balta River running southwestward, and the Varas River running eastward and into the Eastern Varas Lake, which is located at a lower altitude. Four river flow into the Eastern Varas Lake, two of which start in the Serpentines region further southeast.

The Eastern Varas Lake is located entirely within the the largest of the three Galvian plain regions (Līdzenumi). The Līdzenumi are significant flat areas of land within Galvia that the population relies on primarily for, , and , and are divided into three regions: the Vakarian plain, the Zemaki plain, and the Lietian plain, situated in the kingdoms of Vakars, Zemakija and Lietus respectively, and they're all characterized for sitting right next to the Galvian border. The Eastern Varas Lake is located in the largest of these, the Vakarian plain, which shares a border with Izlegal and Aquizireiki. The second largest is the Lietian plain, sharing a border with Ecoralia, located in the northeastern tip of the country. The Lietian plain sits a lower altitude than the other two, and has a more swampy terrain as opposed to forested. The smallest is the Zemaki plain, the narrowest of the three running entirely along the Galvian border. Despite being smaller in size, the Zemaki and Lietian plain have a much smoother transition into higher altitudes than the Vakarian plain, which makes the surrounding areas higher in elevation much more accessible for agricultural activities.

The tallest parts of the country are concentred in the center within the Galvian Mountains, a small mountain range concentrated entirely within Galvia, making the land territory almost 85-90% mountainous and hilly. The tallest point in Galvia is Mount Sirds at 1,050 meters above sea level (3,444 feet), located in the kingdom of Izaiciņa, overlooking the capital city of Antonija, which is situated at the foot of the Galvian Mountains. Contrastingly, the lowers points in the country are situated entirely within the kingdom of Lietus and include the aforementioned Lietian plain and the flat territory expanding across northwestern Galvia and into Renesia, outside the city of Kaudze.

Wildlife and Conservation


Since before the inception of proper modern states in the territory that encompasses present-day Galvia, records exist of its earliest inhabitants developing what has been considered to be a sense of harmony with the flora and fauna of the region. along the Galvian Mountains in present-day Vakars exist depicting the early domestication of animals such as horses, dogs, and cattle, and archeological discoveries show early Galvic and Varic civilizations to have consistently maintained a vegetarian diet, seemingly never fully adapting to the consumption of meat. The native Galvic religion of Majanism also contributes supporting evidence to this early environmentally-friendly lifestyle, as several religious texts and scriptures have been found prohibiting a number of practices surrounding animals and certain plants. These practices, however, have been met with a steady decline since the rise of the Varic Empire, and the adoption of Stroomism as the major religion in the country. Varic people showed less interest in the preservation of environmental harmony and more so in the rapid domestication of horses and cattle, particularly during times of war. Consumption of meat quickly became the norm and a prevalent part of Galvian lifestyle to the present day. The states that succeeded the Varic Empire maintained, and in certain cases increased, these practices. The country only recently entered a rebirth of eco-friendly mindset, particularly with the rise of anti-war movements during the second and third World Wars, which led, among other things, to public demand to the government for the preservation of Galvian wildlife and landscapes, which eventually resulted in the creation of the Ministry of Wildlife and Preservation in 1955. Despite the Tretland Nuclear Crisis taking place nearby in Ecoralia, the country continued to employ for much of the remaining of the decade, and well into the 1960s. This was, until 1964, when 10,000 Galvian and Tretuish workers stormed the Delegation of Energy of Žvanijak, Kingdom that was home to the largest in the country, protesting for the preservation of wildlife and demanding the decrease of use and dependency of nuclear energy. For the following three months, nearly 27,000 nuclear power plant workers went on a continuous strike that lasted from December of 1964 until March of 1965. This led to the central government eventually passing the Slimnīk Resolution on 1 July 1965, compromising to slowing the use in nuclear energy by implementing an annual decreasing rate of 1%, while simultaneously manufacturing renewable energy infrastructure to represent a quarter of the national energy output by 1990.

Since 1975, environmentally cautious measurements have been taken increasingly by the Galvian government. In 1976, the Legislature added a clause to the National Constitution establishing the creation of Green Areas, meant to be protected biological sanctuaries scattered across the country. As of 2022, about 128 Green Areas exist in the country, representing nearly 20,000 square kilometres (7,722 sq mi) of total land area. In 1981, for the 250th anniversary since the inception of the Kingdom of Galvia, the Royal Family of Galvia renounced the royal gardens of three castles in the cities of Ziemeļumežs, Varasitija and Vijums to be "reclaimed by nature". And six years later, in 1987, 235 species were declared under governmental protection by the Ministry of Wildlife and Preservation. Since the start of the 21st century, many towns and large cities, including the capital city of Antonija, have banned and closed and the inclusion of animals in  or any other form of entertainment.

Government
The Kingdom of Galvia is a  and  comprising ten kingdoms and an autonomous territory. The federal is the Monarch of Galvia, who holds the title of either King or Queen, meanwhile, the federal  is the Grand Secretariat of Galvia, a 4-year term elective position. The Constitution of Galvia, or Sesaprātsme, is and separates the government into three mutually responsible branches: the, the , and the.

Executive
The title of Monarch of Galvia is hereditary under a system of, meaning it'll always be passed down to the sovereign's eldest child, regardless of gender. In the event the doesn't meet the minimum ruling age required, the next person in line within the Galvian Royal Family over the age of 21 will be declared, and serve as the substitute Monarch in the Heir's place until this one comes of age. The current Monarch, Queen Margrieta III, crowned on 21 March 2007, is the tenth person to hold the title of Monarch of Galvia, the fifth Queen from the current royal line, and the youngest Monarch to have ascended the Galvian throne since King Leonārs I in 1731. Aside from being the federal head of state, the Monarch is also the Head of the Galvian Church, and holds that may be exercised without the Legislature's consent.

The federal head of government of Galvia is the Grand Secretariat, a 4-year term elective position that is part of both the Executive and the Legislature. The Grand Secretariat isn't directly elected, and is instead the leader of the to gain the majority vote during  for the parliament of Galvia, the Galvic Covenant. Upon election, the Grand Secretariat is in charge of forming the Government of Galvia, comprising 21, electing a to oversee the Legislature, and choosing three member of each political party to join the Middle House of the Legislature, the Svarias.



The Cabinet of Ministers, also referred to as the Government of Galvia, is a governmental body part of the Executive that is formed by the Ministers of Galvia and the Grand Secretariat. The main function of the Cabinet is to act as an advisory body to both the head of government and state through monthly reports that will be delivered to both. All ministers are drawn from the of the Legislature directly by the head of government. The ministers' is dependent on the Grand Secretariat as they are the ones to form the Cabinet, however, unlike the head of government, the ministers can be appointed for the position an indefinite amount of times, and may outstay the Grand Secretariat that originally appointed them. Once appointed, the only people with constitutional power to dissolve Cabinet are the members of the Legislature and the head of state.



All ten kingdoms of Galvia have a regional head of state, head of government and government. The heads of state are the Nobles of Galvia, referred to as either Lord or Lady, whose lineage dates back to the surviving Noble Houses of the kingdoms of Vakars and Lietus, and whose former territory comprises what is present day Galvia. Much like the Monarch, their title is passed down hereditarily. Nobles can dissolve the regional government, and hold reserve powers that mirror that of the Monarch. The Crown Capital Territory is the only administrative division without Nobles as it is under direct sovereignty of the Royal Family, and by extent the Monarch.

The regional heads of government are the Secretariats, all of whom have a 4-year term, and similarly to the Grand Secretariat, are elected through the regional Legislature during general elections. Secretariats are tasked with the formation of the regional government, the Councils, governmental bodies akin to the federal Cabinet but with fewer members, all of which are drawn from the regional Legislature. The members of the Council are the Delegates, who are in charge of the regional executive departments known as Delegations. All Delegates share a 4-year term with their regional Secretariat, by whom they are appointed but not bound to. Unlike Ministers who answer to both the federal head of state and head of government, the Delegates only report to the Secretariat, as the Nobles of Galvia hold a much more ceremonial position than their federal counterpart.

Legislature


The Legislature of Galvia functions under a, and is formed, on the federal level, by : the Lordship or Menors, the Svarias, and the Kopienas, all of which form the Galvic Covenant, simply known as the Covenant, or Galīgums, and meet at the Parliament of Galvia, in the capital city of Antonija. The Galvian Legislature is formed by, a collective term used to refer to all members of the Legislature regardless of chamber.

The Lordship (Menors) is the of the Legislature, and is formed by 22 members, known as Valdnieks, of which there are two for each administrative division. Of the 22 total, 20 of the Valdnieks are directly appointed by the Nobles of each kingdom, while the remaining 2, representatives of the Crown Capital Territory, are appointed by the Monarch. All members of the Lordship are members of the regional Noble Houses of Galvia or the Royal Family, and represent the monarchy in the Legislature. During legislative sessions, if a bill is presented to the Lower House, said bill must obtain an approving vote by from the Upper House before being presented to the Svarias.

The Kopienas is the of the Legislature, and is formed by 530 elected members known as Novēlēt, each of whom represents a. At the start of every secretarial term, ever four years, Novēlēt from the previous term are summoned by the Grand Secretariat to form the government by joining the Cabinet, to become of the Legislature, or to join the Middle House of the Covenant (Svarias). As the only elected chamber, the Grand Secretariat of Galvia is always elected through the Lower House of the Covenant as they are the leader of the political party to gain the majority vote after general elections.

The Svarias is the Middle House of the Legislature, and is formed by the Zvīņas, of which there are three for each political party in the Lower House after general elections. Despite not having a fixed number of members, the Svarias can never have fewer than 30 people; and in the event this number isn't met, the remaining seats will be filled by independent Novēlēt or members of the Noble Houses. The Middle House acts as the chamber in the Covenant, and its main purpose is passing or vetoing proposed bills before being passed to the head of government. The Svarias is the only chamber with the power to dissolve government, and remove other members of parliament from their position based on a. Unlike the Lower and Upper House, members of the Svarias must be renewed every four years after every general election, with no exception, as no member of parliament can hold a seat in the Middle House twice.

Unlike the Covenant, regional Legislatures are all. They are formed by elected every four years. Regional Legislatures are known as Reunions, and they follow the same system as the federal Legislature.

Judiciary
The judicial branch of the federal government is formed the Supreme Court of Galvia (Taismāja). The Supreme Court is run by nine Magistrates, four of which are appointed by the Monarch, four by Grand Secretariat, and one is elected by all citizens over the age of 35. Magistrates hold life tenure, and they can't be removed from their position unless caught in flagrante amidst committing a crime. The Supreme Court is in charge of interpreting the Constitution of Galvia, as well as the National Archive of Galvia which contains all passed laws, and dictating sentences accordingly.

The judiciary of Galvia functions in hierarchical fashion, and it's divided into two categories (Courts and Tribunals), which in turn are divided into four geographic levels (National, Regional, Provincial, and Municipal). All Tribunals at any level are divided into two types (Inquiry and Adjure), while all Courts can only be of Adjure. Tribunals of Inquiry have three Judges each, and hear cases in the first instance to determine whether or not they warrant a to be present. Depending on the gravity of the case in inquiry, it should be presented to either a National, Regional, Provincial, or Municipal Tribunal. If a case is considered doubtful, it will be moved to a Tribunal or a Court of Adjure, depending on its severity. Tribunals and Courts of Adjure hear disputed cases once they've been ruled out by the Tribunals of Inquiry, and are formed by a single Judge and a 15 people jury.

The Supreme Court is the only one in the country to fall under the category of "Court of Last Resort", as it will only hear cases that have been rejected by Tribunals and Courts of Adjure. The Supreme Court will only act as a court of Inquiry on matters of political or government crimes, specific cases of national urgency (e.g. or ), and demands against the Galvian government.

Foreign relations
The territory that encompasses present-day Galvia and the states that have occupied it historically have had significant ties with its immediate neighbours and other countries in Alutra ever since before the start of the (CE). For one, the region was part of the Pan-Alutran Trade Route that connected the entire continent on a west-east fashion, and ensured the arrival of otherwise unheard of resources, traditions, foods, and people to Galvic lands as a direct destination or stop for western Alutran travellers. A prime example of this was the transportation of Fimivrea from Threazari, which in turn became quite common in use among Galvian people to the present day. The territory also has a long-standing common history and culture with the the Renesian lands to the north. The now Renesian territory was once a part of the Varic Empire, one of the Galvic states predating the current Kingdom of Galvia, before gaining independence in the 11th century. Both countries have maintained close ties throughout history ever since, and remain close economic and diplomatic partners. Galvia, historically and currently, shares a complicated trajectory with its largest neighbour, Ecoralia. Both countries have fought in opposing sides during two of the most gruesome conflicts in Galvian history, the most recent of these being Galvian recognition of Tretland as a state during WWII. Since the end of World War III, both countries have remained cordial toward one another, with Galvia recognizing the Ecoral language and ethnic group within Galvia since the 1980s.

Today, the Kingdom of Galvia only acknowledges itself to have strained relations with two other states, these being Izlegal and Vojandzeka. Since 2005, the Galvian government has shown vocal disapproval and opposition of the current Izlegalian government system, having withdrawn the Galvian diplomatic mission in Silburskip in 2007, and prohibited all entries of non-Galvian citizens from Izlegal in 2009. The common border between the two nations is the most well-patrolled in Galvia, only comparable to that with Vojandzeka. The Galvian government only recently recognized Vojandzeka's statehood in 2016, and refuses to set an embassy in the country, as well as to accept any Vojanak diplomatic mission from entering the country. Prior to 2016, the Galvian government denied entry to all carriers of a Vojanak passport, closed the border between both countries, and had permanently stationed soldiers along its southern border. As of 2022, travel restrictions to Vojandzeka are the same as those applied to Izlegal, and all Vojanak aircrafts are prohibited from entering Galvian airspace.

Military
The Galvic Guard (Galviešu Zemessargs) are the Armed Forces of Galvia. In accordance with Article 33 of the Constitution of Galvia, the Grand Secretariat of is the Galvian armed forces, a title previously held by the Monarch of Galvia until the Constitutional Reform of 1986. During wartime, the position of Commander-in-Chief may be reassigned to the Director of Combat of Galvia if the Grand Secretariat wishes to do so. The Galvic Guard consists of the National Army, the National Navy, the National Air Forces, and the Royal Guard. The military is the only aspect of government that only exists at the federal level, as the Constitution prohibits the Kingdoms of Galvia to possess their own armed forces.

The Galvic Guard has a combined manpower of 476,000 active duty personnel and another 780,000 active reserve personnel. The armed forces are managed by the Ministry of War of Galvia, headed by the Minister of War, and commanded by the Defence Council of Galvia, headed by the Grand Secretariat of Galvia during wartime, and the Director of Combat of Galvia during peacetime. The Galvian defense budget has increased from Ꝟ11 billion to Ꝟ37 billion in 2019, accounting for approximately 3.2% of the total GDP (PPP) as of 2022. Since 2018, the Ministry of War has refused to issue a public statement regarding this budgetary increase to the country's military expenses. The National Army of Galvia (Galvijas Nacionālā Armija) is the land-based, and has a total manpower of 590,000 active personnel (duty and reserve), and at more than half a million people, it's the largest branch of the Galvian military. A subdivision of the Army is the Frontier Guard, stationed across Galvia's international borders and all points of entry into the country, such as and, whose main objective is the prevention of illegal border crossing into and out of Galvia. The Army is also subdivided into the National Žandarmērija, stationed throughout Galvia is various specific locations. The Žandarmērija (or ) will act as border patrol forces, defending and patrolling the land frontiers between the Galvian Kingdoms, antiterrorism, VIP escort missions, hostage situations and special military operations in war times (when it's attached to the National Army). It is also responsible for the protection of key facilities (such as nuclear or governmental), and recovery in case of criminal or enemy activities, counter-narcotraffic operations, internal security reinforcement, pacification, smuggling control, road controls on federal and regional highways, and counter-sedition activities under martial law. As a nation, the National Army of Galvia is considered the most vital section of the Galvian military, and around 35% of the Armed Forces' total budget is directed toward it.

The National Navy of Galvia (Galvijas Nacionālā Eskadra) is the branch of the Armed Forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare, namely -borne,, , or -borne combat operations and related functions. It has a total manpower of 190,000 active personnel (duty and reserve), and it's the smallest branch of the military, consequence of Galvia's location as a landlocked country. Despite it's lack of direct access to the world's oceans, the Navy of Galvia has one active subdivision in the form of the National Coast Guard, in charge of patrolling the country's two largest lakes: Western and Eastern Varas (Rietumuvaras and Austrumuvaras), as well as all rivers flowing in and out of Galvia. The remaining National Navy is stationed in military harbors in Renesia, in the cities of Weinsbeck and Liesnier, as part of the Rabe Treaty signed in 1941, where it's tasked, during peacetime, with ensuring the safe passage of merchant ships entering Galvia through Renesia, following the course of the Pon River. The National Air Forces of Galvia (Galvijas Nacionālā Gaisa Spēki) is the branch of the military that primarily conducts. During wartime it's responsible for, carrying out and  missions, and providing support to  and  often in the form of  and. It has a total manpower of 310,000 active personnel (duty and reserve). During peacetime, the Air Forces' tasks are reduced to air policing, ensuring that the of Galvia is enforced by all nations, and.

The Royal Guard of Galvia (Galvijas Karaliskā Gvarde) is the smallest branch of the military in charge of safeguarding the Galvian Royal Family both domestically and internationally. The Royal Guard is on itself divided into 2 branches: the Ceremonial Guard, present during all public events taking place in Galvia during which any member of the Royal Family might be present; and the Itinerant Guard, tasked with accompanying any member of the Royal Family during any travel abroad. The Royal Guard employs 166,000 people active at all times.

Administrative divisions
The Kingdom of Galvia is divided into ten kingdoms and one territory, however, all eleven political divisions are oftentimes collectively referred to as 'kingdoms' for simplicity. Each kingdom holds jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory, where it shares sovereignty with the federal government. They are subdivided into and further divided into. The Crown Capital Territory (Karaļazemi) is the only division without shared sovereignty as it's entirely under federal jurisdiction, as a result, it does not have its own heads of state or government, laws, constitution.

Economy
Galvia is a with an advanced, high-income. As of 2021, the country had a (GDP) by  of Ꝟ1.15 trillion, the 17th largest in the world, and 8th largest in Alutra, with a GDP (PPP) per capita of Ꝟ31,000. A majority of Galvia's current economic footing can be attributed to the and s, particularly the transport and heavy machinery industries, as well as  sector, such as banking, foreign exchange services, insurances, and credit card networking. Since the mid-2000s, the government has also put focus on the research and medical industry and service sectors, increasing the production of nationally distributed vaccines, pharmaceutical drugs, and hospital equipment.

Much of the southern and western regions of Galvia are focused mainly on activities part of the, mining in particular is especially prominent in the kingdoms of Cietoķsni, Izaiciņa, and Rozežjosla, where the extraction of raw materials such as , , and is more common due to the territories' geography. The western kingdom of Zemakija and the southern kingdom of Vakars hold the largest agricultural production in the country, as they are both home to the largest plains in Galvia, fishing is also common in the Eastern Varas lake in Vakars and the Western Varas lake in Rozežjosla, particularly in the cities of Vilciena and Varasitija respectively. Forestry is almost exclusively conducted in the kingdom of Lietus, which hosts the largest forest populations in the country. Raw materials that can't be extracted from Galvian territory, are primarily imported from neighboring Renesia and Ecoralia, particularly maritime resources and oil. Virtually all products of the primary sector obtained in Galvia are redistributed domestically for consuming or to national industries, with the country's largest export of raw materials being its minerals. The Galvian primary sector overall contributes up to Ꝟ26.45 billion, or around 2.3%, to the GDP (PPP) annually. The industry sector in Galvia is primarily divided between the, , and. Since the 1960s, with the implementation of better science academic programs and institutions, as well as the increasing interest from private companies to invest in national research technology, Galvia has seen large and rapid technological advancements on areas such as transportation, medicine, and energy. Vehicles such as trains, planes, and for construction have been almost entirely nationally produced since 1985, and with the quick development of  engineering, the country has been not imported energy from neighboring countries since the start of the 21st century. Exports stemming from the secondary sector are Galvia's largest and most profitable, these include vehicle parts, electrical equipment, (railways, bridges, dams, and tunnels), and nuclear reactors. The industry sector makes up 36.5% of the total GDP (PPP), accounting for nearly Ꝟ419.75 billion in revenue annually.

Galvia's service sector is mainly comprised of financial, transport, and medical industries. The biggest company in the country is Plexus, a financial services corporation that processes payments between merchants and users of the "Plexus" brand, and  cards to make purchases. Galvia is also home to one the world's largest banking institutions and financial services holding company by total assets, the NUAB Financial Group, headquartered in the cities of Novērošana and Aizsargāt. The transportation services in Galvia have undergone rapid development since the 1990s, the national train, tram and underground companies part of the Galvian Rails Group (Galvijas Izlamāt) stand among the most well-developed in the continent, with a railroad system connecting the country's 200 largest cities and towns. companies are Galvia's most profitable service in the transportation sector, connecting the 50 largest cities in the country, as well as running into neighbouring nations. All large metropolis in the country have a underground system, the largest of which is in the capital city of Antonija, all run by the Underground division of the Galvian Rails company. The pharmaceutical and medical companies of the service sector have been a main focus of the government since the start of the 2000s, and as of 2022 several hospitals in Antonija as well as the Medical school of the University of Antonija are among the most developed medical research facilities in the region. The service sector makes up 61.2% of the total GDP (PPP), contributing up to nearly Ꝟ703.8 billion in revenue annually.

Demographics
As of 1 January 2021, Galvia had a population of 36.6 million, according to its last census, with an estimated population for 2022 of 37.1 million, projecting for an annual population growth rate of 1%. According to the Constitution of Galvia there are two official languages at the federal level: and, both of which are spoken by virtually every citizen in the country as either a first or second language, with the official percentages of fluent speakers being 96.1% and 10.7% respectively. The country also allows for its kingdoms to establish their own official languages at the regional level, as of 2022 the languages that hold regional recognition in Galvia are Renesian, Tretuish, and Ecoral.

Population
As of 2022, six cities in Galvia have a population of over one million people, with the largest of these being the capital city of Antonija, one of the largest capital cities in eastern Alutra with 3,709,388 people within its city limits, and over 7 million people living in the surrounding metropolitan area. Most cities are located on either one or both shores of one of the country's many rivers, attributed to the country's landlocked position. As of 2022, 55.1% of the population lives in the twenty largest cities, and an additional 32.4% in smaller cities and towns, making for a total of 87.5% of the population living in, with the remaining 12.5% living in.

Ethnicity
Based on the 2020 census, the Department of Population and Census of Galvia issued a statistical report that stated that around 65.3% of the population identified as ethnic and linguistically Galvic, 15.2% identified as Zemaki, 9.3% identified as Renesian, 7.3% as Tretuish, 2.7% as Ecoral, and the remaining 0.5% as 'Other' or 'Unknown'. It is estimated that, despite associating with a specific ethnolinguistic group, around 46% of the total population is actually, with a 34% of those being mixed between Galvic and other minority ethnicity present in Galvia.

Galvic people are the native population and ethnic majority, at 24.2 million people, of Galvia (excluding the Greater Zemakija sub-region), with records of their presence in the territory dating as far back as 10,000 BCE. Linguistically, every Galvic person in Galvia declared a full comprehension and usage of the in every day life, with the cities reporting the largest number of Galvic citizens being the capital city of Antonija (2.8 million), Aizsargāt (2.2 million), and Novērošana (1.1 million). Galvic people have shared historical ties with ethnically Renesian people, however, both communities have remained distinct from one another, and, though not a, the Galvian language is the only of the that remains in present times. Zemaki people make up the largest ethnic minority in the country, accounting for a total of nearly 5.6 million people. The ethnic name Zemaki comes from the Galvian word zemākais (meaning 'inferior' or 'lower'), and though primarily used in reference to the -speaking communities of western Galvia, over time it has been adopted as an umbrella term to refer to all ethnic groups in the region (Zemaki, Avakht, Oxellians, Ardvogals, Recens, etc.). The name stems from the time of the Sacred Expansion in the 1450s during which Greater Zemakija was annexed as a part of Galvia, and its inhabitants were regarded as lower-class citizens due to their different style of living. Zemaki people in Galvia refer to themselves as Gortseviy (Горцевй) in their native Zemaki language, meaning 'people of the highlands', in reference to their native land's geography. The Zemaki people have close historical ties to Bolotovskian Empire, to which they were a part of before being conquered by the United Kingdoms of Galvia, which has resulted in the rise of numerous separatist movements over the years, and a constant advocation for the improvement of Zemaki life conditions as Galvian citizens. The cities that reported the largest amount of Zemaki population are Varasitija (600,000 people), Yugzamok (480,000 people), and Aslēpto (450,000 people).

The second largest minority are Renesians at around 3.4 million people. About half of all Renesians living in Galvia are reportedly descendants of the Renesian population that can be traced back to the Renesian states of the Varic Empire in present-day Neziņas and Lietus. The rest of Renesians are often children or grandchildren of Renesian immigrants, or immigrants themselves. Renesians hold the closest historical ties with Galvic people out of any other Alutran ethnic group, and it was the first ethnic group aside from Galvics to be officially recognized by the government in the 19th century. Most ethnically Renesian Galvians have dual citizenship. The cities reporting the largest amount of Renesian population are Zvanas (980,000 people), Kaudze (560,000 people), and Sarkagrauds (470,000 people).

Tretuish and Ecoral people make up the fourth and fifth largest ethnic minority at 2.6 million and 1 million people respectively. Both of these groups stem from the territory that encompasses present-day Ecoralia, with an existing Tretuish diaspora of around 10 million people existing outside of the country. Galvia hosts the largest population of ethnically Tretuish people living outside of Ecoralia, most of whom live in the kingdoms of Tirguš and Žvanijak where the Tretuish language has been official since the 1990s. Since the Autumn Riots of 1956, the government has put specific sanctions on its Tretuish population, resulting in a more oppressive treatment from the Galvic population. Both Ecoral and Tretuish people in Galvia are the most different from the native Galvics, and Galvian Tretuish citizens in particular tend to avoid marrying into Galvic families. The cities reporting the largest amount of Tretuish and Ecoral population are Sienal (1.2 million), Krustojums (800,000 people), and Vijums (550,000 people). The city of Ziemeļumežs in Lietus is the only city in all of Galvia to be inhabited in its entirety by non-Galvic people, with all 454,294 of its citizens as of 2020 reporting to be ethnically Ecoral, Renesian or Tretuish.

Among the ethnicities categorized under 'Other', Serpentine people tend to make up the largest percentage. Much like 'Zemaki', the term 'Serpentine' in Galvia is used to encompass all ethnic groups within the Serpentines region in Alutra (Izlegalian, Aquizi, Marte, Gožyar, and Vojanak). Most Serpentine people living in Galvia are descendants of illegal immigrants from Izlegal, Aquizireiki and Vojana. Due to historical turmoil in the region, the southeastern region of Galvia is the most heavily patrolled and secured part of the country. Serpentine people were only recognized as a separate ethnicity of Galvia in 2017, however, the government has shown no initiative in taking more inclusive measurements such as linguistic or cultural recognition. The cities reporting the largest number of citizens that identify as 'Other' are Izbēdzis (80,000), Vilciena (60,000 people), and Alķīmija (40,000 people).

Language

 * Main articles: and 

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The Kingdom of Galvia recognizes two languages to hold official status on the federal level: and. It also allows for each of its administrative divisions (Kingdoms) to officially recognize any other language spoken within its borders. The current regionally recognized languages are Renesian, Tretuish, and Ecoral.

The Galvian language is spoken by around 35.7 million people as a first and second language, or 96.1% of the population, and it is the only language official in all eleven kingdoms. The Galvian language is the native language of the Galvic people, whose origin can be traced back to present-day southern Galvia in the vicinity of the Varas Lakes region. The language has been spoken in the territory since its incepcion and has been the predominant language of the Galvic people throughout all of their history. The language is written in the [SCRIPT], shared among other eastern Alutran countries. As of 2020, the Galvian language is the only modern language from the, only spoken as a majority language in Galvia and a minority language in Renesia, Ecoralia, and Aquizireiki. Galvian was the only federal official language until 2005 when it was joined by Zemaki after a Constitutional reform called upon after the passing of Aslanov Law on 5 August 2004. Despite of this, specific pieces of media are still broadcasted entirely in Galvian such as royal addresses, national news programs, and emergency broadcasts, and Galvian diplomatic missions abroad will almost always use Galvian as the primary language.

The Zemaki language is spoken by around 4 million people as a first and second language, or 10.7% of the population, it is the official language of three Galvian kingdoms: Cietoķsni, Rozežjosla, and Zemakija, and joined Galvian as the country's federal language in 2005. The Zemaki language is native to the Zemaki people from western Galvia, and is part of a much broader language family, known as that encompasses other languages spoken in central Alutra. Unlike Galvian, Zemaki is entirely written in the, however, despite holding federal status, only 5 kingdoms have adopted is a signage script for street, road, and highway signs, these being Cietoķsni, Rozežjosla, Zemakija, Vakars, and Izaiciņa, as well as the capital city of Antonija, everywhere else in the country the Zemaki language is often written in the same script as the Galvian language, especially in the northern provinces where the Zemaki population is below the 3% mark. Zemaki is taught everywhere in Galvia as a second language (or third, depending on the kingdom's legislation), except for the kingdoms where it is an official language, in which case it is used as the primary teaching language in most schools. In 2007, the city of Varasatija became the first place in Galvia to prohibit theaching in Galvian as the primary language, and it was quickly followed by other cities in the Greater Zemakija region. Zemaki linguistic equality since the start of the century can be attributed to Yegor Aslanov, a Zemaki activist who vocally and publicly campaigned during the 70s and 80s for linguistic, cultural and civil equality between Galvic and Zemaki citizens. The Aslanov Law, passed in 2004, was named in his honor after his death a year prior.

Education
The education system in Galvia is administered and overseen by the Ministry of Ecuation. The Ministry is in charge of selecting a National Education Programme (Galvian: Valsts Izglītības Programma) every three years, by which all academic institutions must abide. The programme, or gVIP, as it's known domestically by its Galvian acronym, applies to all schools within the 2-stage system (,, and ) in the country, both private and public, and all taught subjects in any given school must follow the regulations set by the gVIP. The Ministry of Education is divided into ten Secretaries, four of which are responsible of supervising a specific academic field. These are the Secretary of Science and Mathematics, Secretary of the Arts, Secretary of Linguistics and Philosophy, and the Secretary of Health and Physical Activities. After the publication of the gVIP, every school's academic department must submit a revised syllabus to the respective Secretary, to be used for the following three years, which will then be approved or denied in accordance with the gVIP regulations. The Constitution of Galvia states education to be a universal right to be granted to every Galvian citizen, because of this, public education is accessible on every academic level. In public schools, students do not owe the school tuition or fees, and can attend by simply registering before the start of the school year. For the or post-secondary level institutions, students are oftentimes required to pass an entrance exam before being approved for enrollment, however, this is entirely dependent on the regional laws of each kingdom and their respective Delegations of Education, most of which already follow the model set by the Ministry of Education. are, most of the time, owned by a group of scholars, a church or diocese, or a for-profit academic institution specialized in a particular academic field. Schools that offer courses on specific fields, such as schools of Sciences, Arts, or Engineering, are almost all private institutions with virtually no exceptions, as public schools focused on a specific field always require students to either pay for a fee or tuition, but never both, in order to afford the necessary equipment and in-campus student housing.

Public in Galvia is more scarce than for the primary or secondary level institutions. All kingdoms have no more than 2-3 public universities accessible to their citizens, with the rest of public post-secondary schools being non-university tertiary schools, that offer specific courses and are taught during the night-shift in secondary school buildings. This is attributed to the massive academic privatization that occurred during the 2000s, during which the Galvian government, unable to sustain public universities across the country, sold most of its institutions to research companies and wealthy scholars. By 2007, 87% of all universities in the country were private, 64% of which were research based. Today, around 94% of all universities are private, and 79% of them have research purposes. During recent years, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research has handed over one million scholarships to students who show particular aptitude in the Science and Mathematics field during secondary school to join the research programme at specific universities with a higher demand of students in specific areas of study.

As of 2021, and according to the last census, 98% of citizens aged 5 to 24 were enrolled in some form of academic institution. Around 83% of citizens aged 17 to 27 were enrolled in post-secondary academic institutions, and 75% of citizens aged 25 and above held either a university or secondary school degree. Galvian schools have academic foreign exchange programmes with schools across virtually all of eastern Alutra, as well as several others with schools in Vidina and Osamia. International students arriving to Galvia average to 250,000 annually.

Culture
Galvia is a self-proclaimed nation, where both Galvic and Zemaki cultures coexist as part of the same territory. Throughout history, Galvic states have had the tendency to spread its cultural traditions across the region, reaching Renesia, Ecoralia, and Aquizireiki at the peak of expansion of its sphere of influence. However, since the definitive establishment of the Kingdom of Galvia in 1731, Galvic governments have adopted a much more protectionist approach to their culture, folklore, and traditions, particularly the practice of the Galvic native religion of Majanism, which in present times is only followed by about 10% of the population. For much of the country's modern history during the 19th and 20th centuries, Zemaki cultural identity became particularly diluted in favor of Galvic culture being enforced across the country. Today, Galvic and Zemaki cultural practices and protected and promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Galvia since Aslanov Law was passed in 2015.

Cuisine
Galvian cuisine stands distinct from other culinary traditions in the region, primarily attributed to the country's self-inflicted historical isolation and aggressiveness toward foreign powers, resulting in a lack of friendly exchange between Galvic nations and its neighbors, as well as the mix of Zemaki and Galvic cultures that has existed since the 14th century. Most culinary stamps that have carried into the present day stem from Varic times, and can be traced back to the regions that today encompass the kingdoms of Zināša, Žvanijak and Vakars. Majanism, the region's native religion, has also played a significant role in shaping the country's cuisine, as certain Majan beliefs prohibit the consumption of a number of animals and plants.

Animal consumption is very common in Galvia, and and  practices are oftentimes looked down on as they can be viewed as disrespectful. This is because most traditional Galvian foods are animal-based, or include animal derived ingredients in some capacity. Food produce derived from and  are particularly prevalent in Galvian foods, such as Sirsnīgs, Grozs, or. Goat milk products are found nearly everywhere in the country, and as of 2020 around 98% of the population drinks goat milk instead of cow's. The most popular animal product in Zemaki culture is, a food that has been adopted by Galvic people in the 15th century when it began to be included into traditional meals and desserts. The kingdom of Zemakija is home to some of the largest and most productive bee farms in the country, exporting up to 100 million pounds of honey annually. Duck is considered a delicacy among Zemaki people, and the Citrona (: цитрона; duck meat fermented in lemon juice) is regarded as the regional dish of Zemakija, Cietoķsni, and Rozežjosla. Fruits and vegetables have historically been companion to the animal-based meals, however, around the start of the 18th century, more plant-based foods began to arise as main courses or desserts, mainly in northern and eastern Galvia. , and  are the most common vegetables to eat in the country as meals without meat. and are the two most common dished prepared with beet and potato respectively. Oftentimes, sour milk or sour cream will be added to plant-based dishes. Potato flour is also incredibly common in Galvia, and can be found in many national meals or side dishes, such as or certain. ,, and are the fruits most frequently found in Galvian dishes, both sweet and savory. For desserts, snacks and sweets, Galvians tend to favor acidic, tart and sour flavors such as the aforementioned orange, lemons, and tart cherries. Vinegar chips are the most common snack nationwide, usually sold alongside.

Most Galvian desserts incorporate both plant and animal-based produce, and can be either sweet or savory. Cherry and lemon are the most popular flavors to include in desserts or pastries, or as dressings of other dishes. Cherries have been part of Galvic cuisine since the 8th century, grown especially in present-day Lietus and Tirguš; lemons are an introduced ingredient from Zemaki culinary traditions that date as far back as the 1st century. One of the national desserts is the Ķiršucitron, a lemon loaf cake filled with cherries and dressed with cherry sauce and lemon glaze, most commonly prepared during Heritage Day to celebrate Galvic-Zemaki culture. have also been more recently included in Galvian foods, particularly those of milk derivates such as ice cream or yoghurt. Milk derivate meals in Galvia were not regarded as desserts until the 16th century when yoghurt started to be made with larger quantities of sugar under the direct orders of certain nobles. Majanism also played a major part in the adoption of certain ingredients to be used for desserts, as is the case of, usually boiled into a syrup and eaten as a jelly. Honey and honeycombs are among the most recently adopted foods as desserts, reaching the Galvic parts of Galvia in the 17th century, but present in Zemaki cuisine since the 4th century. Imported foods such as, , , and certain spices have also been used in modern times in combination with traditional Galvic and Zemaki recipes, such as chocolate-covered honeycombs and cherries, or vanilla-flavored milk products.

Sports
The people of Galvia, Galvic and otherwise, have a longstanding history of organization and participation in sports, games, and overall physical activities that can be traced back to the time of the Varic Empire at the start of the (CE). Most sports in Galvia are group activities are call for higher than average physical strength. A historical explanation that can be attributed to this pattern that can be applied to all popular physical activities in Galvia is that the territory was, up until the mid-18th century, in what has been considered a continuous state of unrest, which led to many citizens around this time period, commoners and nobles alike, to spend their leisure time practicing and getting ready for either ongoing conflict or possible future conflict. Most battles and wars in Galvian history have always dragged commoners into it either accidentally or by force of the nobility. This has not only played a big part on the formation and decisions of the current government, but also the modern cultural values and activities of present-day Galvians, including sports.

The most popular sport in the country is  or rugby, particularly common in the central and southern regions of Galvia. The sport first appeared in Galvia toward the end of the 18th and start of the 19th centuries. The game consists of two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. Traditionally, male and female teams would play the game separately and compete different tournaments. In its early start, the game would be more popular among men, however, since the start of the 20th century, more women have been participating in the sport, and today, based on reports of several academic institutions across the country that include Regbijs in their curriculum, around 48% of all female students in Galvia take part in their school's Regbijs team. It is not uncommon for young children in Galvia to be introduced to the sport early on, and many schools have Youth Regbijs Programs dedicated specifically to children aged 5 to 10. The following two most popular sports in the country are ' (field hockey) and ' (basketball). Both appeared in Galvia much later on than Regbijs, toward the end of the 19th century. Hokejs is the most popular sport in the northern parts of Galvia, particularly in Lietus and Neziņas, where the two most popular teams in the country, the Zelta Krauklis (Golden Ravens) and the Kaudzian Lions, are from. Gredzenā is much more common in western Galvia, among the Zemaki population, who stand genetically taller than Galvic people and are, on average, better suited for the game. All three sports have international teams that represent Galvia abroad in their respective federations, and all their playes are trained in the Galvian cities of higher altitude (particularly the cities of Antonija and Aslēpto) in order to build stamina and not be at a disadvantage when playing overseas in countries of much higher elevation.

and in Galvia are, along with Regbijs, the most popular activity in the country, however, these taken with much more precaution and are usually not taught at schools. ' (wrestling) and ' (fencing) are the most common non-armed and armed combat sports in Galvia, with Paukošana usually being common at schools in eastern Galvia, particularly the kingdoms of Tirguš and Zināša where it's the regional official sport. Unlike Regbijs, which is considered a cultural development based around historical events, both Cīņas and Paukošana can be traced back directly to the times of war and conflict c. 17th century, with Cīņas in particular being the inspiration point for many of the modern sports played today in Galvia. As a part of this tradition, Galvia has been an Assembly member of the Grand Martial Championship Association (GMCA) since 1966, which is an international organization that focuses on creating, managing and overseeing martial competition among its member nations. Also considered to be a sport,, or Šahs as it is known natively, originated in Galvia in the 11th century during the Golden Age of the Varic Empire. Unlike the other sports and games popular in Galvia, Šahs sticks out as both an individual sport and a non-conflict activity. This is due to the uncharacteristic time of peace that existed in the territory between the 7th and mid-12th centuries, which allowed for much more creativity and strategic thinking to be put into the inventions and innovations during this time period. However, Šahs is not without its historical links to other popular sports in the country, as the game also features the themes of war, battle and conflict, only done in a much more subtle and artistic way. The game consists of two opposing parties, each of which carry a total of 16 pieces on a black and white board, each representing common archetypes present in the monarchies and empires of the time (rooks, knights, bishops, queens, kings, and pawns). Both sides would then go to "battle" against one another by strategically moving their pieces across the board. Šahs is the most popular board game in the country, and one of a few Galvian inventions to have expanded beyond Galvia's borders.

Holidays and festivities
The Galvian government recognizes four types of holidays: national holidays, regional holidays, spiritual holidays, and days of remembrance. Most calendar-bound holidays and important dates, such as summer/winter break, the start and end of the academic year, as well as and  follow the Galvic calendar. The Galvic calendar has been in used in the region since as far back as 700 BCE, and it is based entirely off of Majanist astrology. Today, Galvia employs a dual-calendar system, combining both the Galvic and s, for international holidays or events, as well as reporting events to other countries.

National holidays in Galvia tend to be commemorations of important historical events for the region. A date can only be selected as a national holiday by the head of government, while its observation (working or non-working) is determined by the legislature. Regional holidays follow a similar procedure, but only applied to specific kingdoms and their government. Most kingdoms in the country choose to abide by the national holidays, with the exception of the majority-Zemaki kingdoms who have more unique cultural and political holidays than the other kingdoms. Spiritual holidays are immovable and unchangeable, and most of them stem from traditions that have taken place in the region since before the inception of Galvia as a state. The creation of new federal spiritual holidays is prohibited by law, however, with the recent official recognition of foreign ethnicities, kingdoms are allowed to establish new regional spiritual holidays to best fit their population.

The days of remembrance are five (six during leap years) consecutive days that collectively form the Week of Remembrance, simply known as the Remembrance (Atmiņas). Remembrance is a week located in the middle of the Galvic calendar that acts as the divider between the seasons of and  in the first half of the year (Months of Dawn), and  and  in the second half of the year (Months of Dusk). The Week is not considered a part of any season, and the holidays that comprise it are unique to Galvic culture.