Lathadu

Lathadu, officially the Republic of Lathadu, is a country on the eastern coast of Alutra. Situated on the western shore of the Sedea Sea, Lathadu is bordered by Ordrey to the north, and Salia to the east across the water. Lathadu has an estimated population of just below 10 million people. Its capital is Calleebane, and its largest city is Ushteyghoo. Lathaduns are largely Gundioc, but the country is also home to a large Ordrish population. The official language, Lathadun, is part of the Cedic family of languages.

For centuries, the riverlands, marshes, and shores of the region were inhabited by various tribes. The region was a fairly isolated part of the Sedic Confederation prior to its collapse, later becoming home to Ordrish refugees from the Salian invasions in what is remembered as The Long Walk. Shortly after, the region was conquered by Salia, before the Lathadun Peasant’s Revolt led by the mythic warrior-matron Barriaght kicked them from the country. Lathadu spent the next few centuries within Ordrey’s sphere of influence, before the region’s clans seized on the chaos of the Ordrish War of Succession and seceded from the Ordrey, forming the Lathadun Federation. Following industrialization of the country in the early modern era, the Anti-Aristocracy movement was created by alliances of urban and rural workers to oppose the stranglehold on political power held by the region’s big clans, leading to a peaceful transition into the Republic of Lathadu as it is known today.

Lathadu is classified politically as a unitary dominant-party parliamentary republic with an executive presidency, known for its long-standing and stable dedication to democracy. It rates highly in metrics of civil liberties, freedom of press, internet freedom, democratic governance, and peacefulness. It enjoys a partially-planned economy, with many of the nation’s natural resources having been nationalized in decades past. Lathadu has a moderate level of human development, ranking highly in other metrics of national performance for a country of its size and wealth. The country spends roughly 7% of its budget on education, compared to a global average of just over 4. Its economy once depended heavily on agriculture, but has since diversified to manufacturing goods such as textiles, foodstuffs, furniture, lighting, signs, and prefabricated buildings. Lathadu is a member of the Northeast Compact, Alutran Commercial Community, the International Union for Labor and Liberty, and the World Forum.

Etymology
The first known record of the name Lathadu is from an Ordrish chronicle dating back to 1398. The chronicle recorded the name of the furthest south of Ordrey’s holdings: a hot, humid, marshy land of rivers and lakes called Lathadu, meaning “blackest marsh” in that tongue.

History
The oldest traces of human life in Lathadu date back from approximately 1.6 million years ago. Over the ensuing millennia, humans there were confronted by a harsh and variable climate, marked by several glacial epochs.

Human settlement in Lathadu became possible 13,000-11,000 years ago, when ice from the last glacial era melted. The oldest known settlement in Lathadu is the Cosney settlement, which once laid upon the banks of the Aarnieu River prior to its changing course. According to radiocarbon dating, it was settled nearly 11,000 yeard ago. The earliest human habitation during the Mesolithic period is connected with the Cayr culture, named for the River Cayr in northern Lathadu. At that time, the country was covered more densely in forests, and people lived lives of semi-nomadic communities near bodies of water. Subsistence activities included hunting, gathering, and fishing. Around 4900 BC, ceramics begin to appear from the neolithic period, produced by what is known as the Marrinagh culture. Starting from around 3200 BC, the Crayee culture appeared, including new activities such as primitive agriculture an animal husbandry.

After strong demographic and agricultural development between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, metallurgy appeared at the end of the 3rd millennium, initially working gold, copper, bronze, and later, iron. Lathadu has numerous mound sites from this era that once served as burial sites, places of worship, and community centers, notably the internationally-recognized Serpent Mound Site (approximately 3,300 BC).

Antiquity
Human settlement in Lathadu became possible 13,000-11,000 years ago, when ice from the last glacial era melted. The oldest known settlement in Lathadu is the Cosney settlement, which once laid upon the banks of the Aarnieu River prior to its changing course. According to radiocarbon dating, it was settled nearly 11,000 yeard ago. The earliest human habitation during the Mesolithic period is connected with the Cayr culture, named for the River Cayr in northern Lathadu. At that time, the country was covered more densely in forests, and people lived lives of semi-nomadic communities near bodies of water. Subsistence activities included hunting, gathering, and fishing. Around 4900 BC, ceramics begin to appear from the neolithic period, produced by what is known as the Marrinagh culture. Starting from around 3200 BC, the Crayee culture appeared, including new activities such as primitive agriculture an animal husbandry. The Bronze Age in Lathadu began around 1800 BC, seeing the establishment of the first hill fort settlements. A transition from hunting-fishing-gathering to single-farm-based settlement started around 1000 BC. The large amount of bronze objects indicate the existence of active communication with Sedic tribes to the north and east.

Although local peoples had maintained contact with the outside world for centuries, they became more integrated around the mid-2nd century BC. It was around this time that the region entered the sphere of influence of the Sedic Confederation; it would remain on the frontier of the confederation until its dissolution in 85 BC. The native tribes did not maintain close political contacts with the confederation, but they did maintain trade contacts and borrowed heavily from their language. The Lathadun language is considered to be very conservative from this period forward, for its close connection to its Sedic roots. It is believed to have differentiated from the Ordrish language, the most closely related existing language, by the 10th century. Traditional Lathadun customs and mythology, with many archaic elements, were long preserved. Rulers’ bodies were buried in mounds up until the conversion to Ayekism; descriptions of the burial ceremonies of various high chieftains have survived into the modern day.

Middle Ages
The middle ages produced both changes and threats appearing from nearly every direction. Lathadu’s insular, clan-based society continued largely as it had dating back to before the collapse of the Sedic Confederation, but this was upset by the 10th century CE, when waves of Ordrish refugees fled south from frequent Salian invasions. These peoples were most heavily concentrated in what is now called Thói'achith in Lathadu’s north, but were dispersed throughout the region, in most instances were assimilated by existing populations. These migrations, called The Long Walk in Lathadu today, are viewed as the beginning of Lathadu’s coming together as an identity appreciable by modern standards. However, only a few short decades after Ordrey’s being invaded, Lathadu found itself facing the brunt of Salian incursions. It would face the same fate as its northern neighbor; by 1257 CE, the Salians had established a hill fort at the site of Ushteyghoo, what would go on to be the nation’s capital.

In the centuries following the Salian conquest, what would become the region’s chief political and administrative subdivisions began to emerge. Two larger subdivisions appeared: the hyool, and the theayee, which consisted of multiple hyool. A hyool was led by appointed military governors centered on a hill fort, although in some cases a hyool contained multiple forts. In larger hyool, councils of community elders were assembled to advise the Salian governors on local matters of importance, although new governors would often dismiss the councils assembled by their predecessors. These councils, called çhiollagh, would go on to form the foundation of later regional governments. By the 14th century, Lathadu consisted of six major theayee: Blaas, Messglassey, Crongan, Gareyblaa, Neear, and Doochassagh. Theayee were generally independent of one another and engaged only in loose cooperation, generally against common threats such as revolts. Peasant revolts led by medium to large-sized clans wishing to establish Lathadu as separate from the authority of Salia, and to a lesser extent Ordrey, were irregular from the 15th century to the 17th century, when Lathadu would finally win its independence.

There is little known of early Lathadun religious practices; chronicles of travelers, largely Salians, mention a dualistic faith heavily informed by ancestor worship. Spiritual practices were guided by shamans called billybwee, with sacred groves, especially oak groves called darraghoo as focal places of worship. Other accounts even alleged human sacrifice, although these accounts are considered questionable by most.

Independence
The following centuries saw a sort of revival in Canachism on the mainland, perhaps stronger than anywhere in Lathadu. Compared to Ordrey, Lathadu retained much larger holdouts in the face of Ayekism, and what Ayekists were found there were much more likely to engage in syncretism with local beliefs and practices. While Lathadu had largely been left to its own devices under their appointed governors in centuries past, attempts by the Salian crown to integrate its territories more closely led to serious unrest, as local religious practices across the mainland continent began to face repression. Spurred on in the face of the Succession Crisis by radical cleric Adaue, large swaths of Lathadu erupted in open revolt as the peasants abandoned their fields and took up arms. Unlike as in previous conflicts, the greater clans did not split their allegiances; virtually all saw independence as the path forward, especially with its next would be master-Ordrey-busy fighting the Salians themselves. Lathadun peasants organized themselves into sceldtrome, packed formations of peasants armed with polearms and bows designed to fight formations of better-armed warriors to a standstill. Now with the full backing of Lathadu's clans, Salian forces were largely either forces from the region outright, or into hiding in what few hill forts they retained. Within a year, most of the sieges had broken; Salia simply could not afford to hold onto Lathadu with so many other places to focus its attention. Perhaps the most famous figure from the war was the high matron Barriaght, whom the most populous region of the country is named for today.

After the war’s end, the various clan leaders and chieftains of present-day Lathadu assembled at the city of Ushteyghoo to conduct a moot in order to appoint the Lanshad, or High Chief. For her service and leadership during the war, the high matron Barriaght was chosen, although the position was largely an honorary one. In truth, power laid with the local clans, generally free to conduct their own affairs as they saw fit outside wartime. Despite being mostly burned after it was besieged by rebel forces during the war, Calleebane was quickly rebuilt due to its optimal location for trade and shipping, soon becoming a major commercial hub once more. In no small part due to its control of the region’s rivers, Lathadu’s clans grew wealthy off of shipping and trade. Many guilds formed during this period, evolving from preexisting trade groups called quaiyl that were generally only found at the local level. Goods like textiles, foodstuffs, and rock salt were traded with eager foreign merchants to increase the prestige and wealth of Lathadu's great clans. Ayekism continued to be the dominant faith in Lathadu, but it was undeniable that it had taken on a separate character than elsewhere, unique to Lathadu and its convergence of peoples and belief systems. The Lathadun Federation, as it was called, would last from its founding in 1751 CE well into the late 19th century.

Early Modern Era
While tenancy for farmers was largely retained from previous eras, legal reforms took place at the local level which strengthened landholders’ land usage and inheritance rights. This resulted in the period’s reputation of the, “Good Old Federation Times” in Lathaduns’ historical memories. Wealthier clan leaders, such as those for clans Tailley or Sooill, established salons, theaters, and other cultural monuments with the money they had assembled from trading various goods, namely textiles and salt. Printing presses were established for the first time, first in Ushteyghoo and soon after in Calleebane, and then many more across the region. In the 18th century the beginnings of the Lathadun educational system appeared, largely due to efforts of reformers such as Malane Shaghney and Ector Greesaghey, the former of whom introduced various orthographic reforms to written Gundioc. The Great National Awakening began in the 1720s, as the nation’s leading figures began promoting a more unified Lathadun national identity among the general populace. Its economic basis was formed by widespread farm buyouts by peasants, creating a class of Lathadun landowners. In 1737, Nellyn Saiaghey began publishing the first Gundioc language newspaper, popularizing the denomination of oneself as Lathadun, over the nation’s various regional identities. Schoolmaster Doona Giarrey and clergyman Silvester Amylt of Ushteyghoo became leading figures in the national movement, encouraging peasants to take pride in themselves and their collective identity.

The first nationwide movements formed, such as the founding of the Society of Lathadun Poets and the Lathadun Students’ Society, along with the founding of the national song festival, first held in 1769 in Ushteyghoo. Reforms to promulgate and strengthen the Gundioc language helped develop it further; the national epic Skeeal ny Giare Çhayraghyn (Tale of the Four Sisters) was published in 1762, and 1770 saw the first performances of what is traditionally considered as a distinct form of Lathadun theater. In 1778, a major split occurred within the movement; the moderate wing focused in Ushteyghoo and Calleebane prioritized the development of Lathadun national culture and education, while the radical wing focused in more rural areas had begun to demand increased political and economic rights in the face of Lathadu’s growing economy and income disparity. Lathadu’s population grew rapidly for this period, until the Famine of 1795-97, in which hundreds of thousands are recorded to have faced starvation conditions or starvation. Many Lathaduns migrated northward to Ordrey at this time, in part to escape the natural disaster and in part in hopes of taking advantage of the economic opportunity there.

The Anti-Aristocrats
In 1805, the first political parties in Lathadu were founded to participate in local elections. However, these changes only begat others; following the increase of national awareness of the Lathadun identity, Lathaduns across the nation began demanding a greater say in their governance. This was aggravated by the lack of central competence during the Famine of 1795-97, which frustrated many. At the worst moments of the famine, peasants and workers stormed manor houses and raided their stores. The great clans responded in a generally asymmetrical manner; some overlooked the desperation of the peasants, but others responded in harsh crackdowns. In 1817, Lanshad Vorana founded the National Assembly, an expansion of the national government to include the common folk to a greater degree; it was promised that local regions would retain their autonomy through provincial assemblies. The Landshad hoped that the creation of these new legislatures would appease the radicals who had grown in number in recent years. The cornerstone to this was the Salvation Council, a group that was half-peasant and half-landed aristocracy, meant to diffuse disputes between the two bodies in government and headed by the Lanshad personally. The new National Assembly sat for the first time in 1819, passing sweeping land reform that expropriated some of the nation’s larger estates, as well as drafting and ratifying a constitution establishing the nation as a democratic federation. However, the upper house of the National Assembly, made up of the heads of Lathadu’s clans, blocked the new constitution and many of the reforms. Those laws that did survive were those granting autonomy to ethnic minorities, among the National Assembly’s greatest early accomplishments. Increasing economic disparity put heavy pressure on Lathadu’s political system, and in 1853, the conservative faction split between those who believed that the Lanshad should be granted more sweeping central authority to guide the country’s political process, and those who wished to stay with tradition. In 1854, Lanshad Teige declared martial law throughout the nation, falsely claiming that radicals were planning a coup. Together with Generals from the Sheeyney and Hambil clans, Lanshad Teige established a de facto dictatorship beginning what is remembered as the “Silent Years" today. The National Assembly was dissolved, and political parties were outlawed.  To legitimize the regime, a new constitution incorporating a few moderate versions of previously failed performs was adopted, and elections were held in 1858.  Opposition candidates were permitted to participate, but only as independents.

Following public demonstrations across Lathadu’s towns and cities in what was increasingly becoming known as the Anti-Aristocracy Movement, Lanshad Teige established a regime of repression; most high ranking civil servants, intelligentsia, and public figures seen as being aligned with radical political elements were arrested, and many executed summarily. This drove many into the nation’s rural areas and forests. Thousands opposing the regime soon banded together and formed partisan groups. Most infamous of these were the Forest Brothers, who were the first to carry out a protracted campaign of armed resistance in the central riverlands of the country. Although Teige was obstinate, the rising fever was suddenly broken just over a decade into the Silent Years, when General Hambil, his right hand man, conducted a coup of his own and placed a military government over the nation. Teige was killed in the fighting, and Hambil announced soon after that elections would be held to avoid any further violence. In 1869, he fulfilled his promise, and open elections were once again held. The Peasant and Laborer’s Progress Party, which has since evolved into the Democratic Laborer’s Party, swept these first elections. Many of these figures who would go on to define the new regime were the same individuals who had been forced into hiding during the Silent Years. An updated, refined version of the previously rejected constitution was ratified, naming the country as the Republic of Lathadu. The new government initiated policies of workplace collectivization. Economically, heavy industry was strongly prioritized, and the standard of life for the average of Lathadun improved considerably.

Republic of Lathadu
In 1871, Lathadu’s new constitution was fully enacted; the document engineered radical, progressive ideas, including the right to work, to food, and to healthcare. Mawde Cannell was elected as the nation’s first Prime Minister, who proceeded to appoint Carmac Kneale as its first Premier. Cannell’s government carried out major social reforms, with members of various parties holding office under her administration. Work programs helped improve the infrastructure of the countryside immensely, with some regions seeing their first paved roads ever. By 1878, Lathadu was relatively well situated amount Eastern Alutran nations. Its citizens enjoyed an ever increasing quality of life, with some of the largest labor union privileges in the region, including bans on dismissals and mechanization in certain instances. Between 1878 and 1900, the Lathadun economy expanded enormously, largely in the fields of light industry manufacturing. Populations shifted toward the more built-up towns and cities along the nation’s rivers, although it remained a largely rural nation in many aspects.

Geography
Lathadu lies on the eastern shores of Alutra, across the water from Salia to the east and bordering Ordrey to the north. The country may be divided into two parts: the western uplands, and the alluvial plains along its major rivers and coast. The alluvial region includes low swamplands, coastal marshlands and mangroves, and barrier islands covering several thousand square kilometers. Lathadu lies principally along the Aarnieu River as it empties into the Sedic Sea. The Aarnieu flows along a ridge formed by its natural deposits, from which the lands decline toward a river beyond at an average of six feet per mile. The alluvial lands along other streams present similar features.

The higher and contiguous hill lands of the north and western parts of the nation consist largely of prairies and woodlands. The elevations above sea level range from 3 m at the coast and swamplands to 15-18 m at prairie and alluvial lands. In the uplands and hills, the elevations rise to Mount Soothallooin, the highest point in the nation at 163 m above sea level. The Lathadu Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority spends a considerable amount in funds each year to help shore up and protect Lathadu’s shoreline and land. Artificial levees block spring floodwater that would bring freshwater and sediment to marshes. Swamps historically were extensively logged, leaving canals and ditches that allowed salt water to move inland.

Lathadu has over 1,400 lakes. Most are small, although the nation’s largest ones can be found in the south. Several minor rivers crisscross the region as well, marked by various marshes and swamps. The most common tree species are pine, spruce, and birch.

Geology
Modern day Lathadu formed as a result of the interplay of the region’s major rivers, and the influence of the Sedic Sea. It is composed mostly of deltaic, coastal, and eolian derived sediments during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods. Almost all of eastern Lathadu is composed of the Aarnieu river estuary, but human intervention greatly modified the natural processes at work. Most of eastern Lathadu is at or below sea level due to the human processes of turning standing bodies of water into usable land. In western Lathadu, remains are found of the last ice age. As the continental ice sheet moved in from the north, it pushed moraine forward. The ice sheet halted as it covered the northern part of Lathadu; after the ice age ended, the morraine remained in the form of a long hill line that makes up the region of Thói'achith.

Floods
Over the centuries, the Lathadun landscape and coastline have changed considerably as a result of natural disasters and human intervention. In 1287, a series of floods affected Lathadu and nearby Ordrish settlements, killing over 50,000 in total in one of the most destructive floods in recorded history. The 1421 floods and the mismanagement in their aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed area, replacing several square kilometers of new floodplain with what became marsh and mangrove. The huge Sedic Sea floods of early 1953 caused the collapse of several dikes off of Lathadu’s eastern coast; several hundred square kilometers of marshland were lost due to high salinity levels that resulted. The Lathadun government subsequently instituted a large-scale program, the “Marsh Manuvers”, to protect the country against future flooding, which was completed over a period of more than thirty years.

The impact of disasters was, to an extent, increased through human activity. Relatively high-lying swampland was drained to be used as farmland. The drainage caused the fertile peat to contract and ground levels to drop, upon which groundwater levels were lowered to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to contract further. Additionally, until the 19th century peat was mined, dried, and used for fuel, further exacerbating the problem. Centuries of extensive and poorly controlled peat extraction lowered an already low land surface by several metres. Even in flooded areas, peat extraction continued through turf dredging. To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were developed. In the first millennium CE, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called kiap. Later, these kiap were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called high home councils began to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods; these agencies continue to exist. As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system.

Politics
Lathadu is considered to have among the earliest written governing documents still in effect, as the Statutes of 1751 remain at the core of its constitutional framework. It was originally led by the Council of Clans, initially formed from the heads of each major clan. In the 16th century, power was given over to the Council of General Estates, widening power to include more of the nation’s landlords and middle class.

Today, Lathadu’s politics take place in the framework of a  , whereby the Premier of Lathadu is both head of state and head of government, and is elected by and accountable to the National Diet of Lathadu. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Diet. The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are all subject to the supremacy of the 1871 Constitution, and the nation’s Constitutional Court has the power to strike down executive actions and acts of the National Diet if they are found to be unconstitutional.

The National Diet of Lathadu is a unicameral body elected by citizens over 18 years of age for a five-year term by party-list proportional representation, and has 199 members. After each national election, the National Diet elects one of its members as Premier; hence the Premier serves a term of office the same as that of the National Diet of five years. No President may serve more than three terms in office, a precedent established by Carmac Kneale, the nation’s first Premier. The Premier appoints a Deputy Premier and Ministers, who form the Cabinet, which consists of various Ministries. The Premier and the Cabinet may be removed by the National Diet by a motion of no confidence.

In the most recent election, held in the Spring of 2019, the Democratic Laborer’s Party (DLP) won 57.5% of the vote, along with 5.4% for the Lathadun Agrarian Party (LAP) and 4.3% for the Lathadun Ecological Party (LEP). The main opposition, the Lathadun National Party (LNP), won 28.2% of the vote, while the Lathadun Liberal Democratic People’s Party (LLDP) won 2.6%. Regionalists and Independents accounted for an estimated 2% of the vote. This translates to 114 DLP seats, 10 LAP seats, 8 LEP seats, 56 LNP seats, 5 LLDP seats, and 6 seats for the Regionalist and Independent Caucus, a special nonpartisan body that fills seats won by such votes. The LAP has controlled Lathadu's government for its entire history, either through an outright majority or by forming a coalition government with the LAP and LEP, which is how it earns its reputation as a dominant-party state.

Law
The 1871 Constitution of Lathadu is the nation’s fundamental law, establishing the constitutional order based on five explicit principles: democracy, rule of law, human dignity, the importance of the social state, and the Lathadun identity. Lathadu has a legal system that borrows heavily from the Salian and Ordrish models. Its court system has a three-tier structure: the first instance are local courts of general jurisdiction, which handle all criminal and civil cases, and administrative courts, which hear complaints about government and local officials and other public disputes. The second instance are courts of appeal, which handle appeals about first instance decisions. The Supreme Court of Appeals and the Constitutional Court are the third instance courts; the Supreme Court of Appeals handles appeals from second instance courts, while the Constitutional Court deals with unique questions of constitutionality in law, and may review drafts of laws or treaties submitted by the Premier. The judiciary is independent and operates under the inquisitorial model; judges are appointed for life, and can be removed from office only when convicted by court for a criminal act. The Lathadun justice system has been rated among the most efficient in Alutra in recent studies.

Direct democracy
Direct democracy has been a hallmark of the Lathadun political system since the adoption of the 1871 Constitution, which defines a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it is aided by more commonplace institutions of a representative democracy). This instruments of this system are defined constitutionally as popular rights, which includes the right to submit a national initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn decisions of the National Diet.

By calling a national referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by the National Assembly, if they gather 45,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to endorse or reject the law. Similarly, the national constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a potential constitutional amendment to a vote, if 100,000 voters sign the petition within 18 months. The National Diet can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, and then voters must indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in the National Diet, must be accepted by a majority of the nation in a referendum of some kind.

Foreign relations and international institutions
Traditionally, the Republic of Lathadu avoids alliances that might entail direct military or political action, and has been largely neutral since its founding. However, Lathadu is a member of several international organizations, notably the Northeast Compact, the Alutran Commercial Community, the International Union for Labor and Liberty, and the World Forum. Lathadu joined the World Forum in 1921, and has been a member of the Northeast Compact since 2004, the same year it joined the Alutran Commercial Community. In 2007, it joined the International Union for Labor and Liberty.

Beginning in the early 1990s, Lathadu began involvement in active multilateral Alutran states cooperation with its neighbors, notably Ordrey, Salia, Gladomyr, and Edury. It has been close relationships with these countries, especially Ordrey, and has taken part in numerous joint projects relating to education, public administration, and mobility for business and industry.

Military
The Lathadun Armed Forces, including the Land Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force, are composed largely of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (up to 50 in special cases) years. With its coastline being fairly small and mostly marsh, Lathadu has no deep water navy, instead relying largely on armed military patrol boats. Lathadun citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, unless they are a dual citizen of a foreign country and a resident there.

The structure of the Lathadun conscript system stipulates that the soldiers keep their Army issued equipment, including all personal weapons, at home. Some organizations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women may serve voluntarily, and many have begun to push for their inclusion in the draft in decades past. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 19. About two-thirds of young Lathaduns are found suited for service; for those found unsuited, various forms of alternative civil service exist. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centers for a duration from 18 to 21 weeks. Reforms adopted by popular vote in 2001 replaced the previous model’s requirement of an effective force from 400,000 to 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training and 80,000 are in non-training reserves.

Due to its neutrality policy, the Lathadun army does not currently take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but is part of some peacekeeping missions around the world. Since 1996 the armed forces have also maintained the Ebonheart intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications. Lathadu has never had nuclear weapons, but has declined to sign any treaties banning their being tested. There have been a number of attempts to curb military activity, or even abolish the armed forces altogether. A notable referendum on the subject was launched by members of the Lathadun Liberal Democratic People’s Party in 1973. It was defeated, with about two-thirds of the voters against the proposal. Gun politics in Lathadu are unique in that more than a third of citizens are legally armed. The majority of firearms at home are issued by the Lathadun army, but ammunition is no longer issued outside of official exercises.

Economy
Lathadu’s economy is mixed, with most of the nation’s natural resources being nationalized under state-owned companies. While technically being owned by the state, these companies are collectively managed by the employees themselves rather than being under a top-down structure as one might expect. In the 1960s, the economy was reorganized according to Lathadun thinker Alsac Faragher’s theory of associated labor, in which the right to decisionmaking and a share in profits of worker-run companies is based on the investment of labor. All companies were transformed into organizations of associated labor. The smallest, basic organizations of associated labor roughly corresponded to a small company or a department of a larger one. These were organized into enterprises, which in turn associated into composite organizations of associated labor, which could be large companies, or even whole-industry branches in some areas. Most executive decision-making was based in enterprises, so that these continued to compete to an extent, even when they were part of the same composite organization.

In order to give all employees the same access to decision-making, the basic organizations of associated labor were also applied to public services, including health and education. The basic organizations were usually made up of no more than a few dozen individuals and had their own workers’ councils, whose assent was needed for strategic decisions and appointment of managers in enterprises or public institutions. The results of these reforms helped shrink the income gap between the poorer west and the relative affluent urban regions in the east, and the self-management system stimulated the somewhat inflationary economy with what was needed to support it. Life conditions steadily improved in Lathadu well into the 1980s, reflected in flow rates of unemployment and inflation. In the late 1980s, unemployment in Lathadu was 1.6%. Real net personal income had steadily increased as well. However, by the 1980s, many of these reforms had met that logical extremes, and the national government opted to reform the self-management system and create the more open-market system as it exists today.

Today, the economy of Lathadu is characterized by export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing sectors and a well-educated workforce, along with high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1986-89, Lathadu’s economy suffered a moderate downturn in 1989-1992, stemming largely from spillover effects of the economic problems of its larger neighbors.

Agriculture
In 2010, Lathadu’s export-oriented agricultural sector contributed to 9.3% of its GDP and employed 13% of its workforce. Its principal agricultural products include seafood, cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, rice, and sweet potatoes. Official statistics from Lathadu’s Ministry of Agriculture indicate that meat and dairy farming in Lathadu occupies 39.6% of the land. The percentage further increases to 52.4% when cattle breeding is linked to other farm activities such as forage and rotation with crops like soybeans, rice, sugarcane, and yams.

According to international studies, Lathadu is among the world’s largest producers of soybeans (9th), cheese (12th), beef (14th), rice (14th), and sweet potatoes (17th). Most farms (65%) are family-managed; beef and dairy represent the main activities and main source of income for these, followed by vegetable farming and poultry. Beef is the main export commodity of the country. In 2005, Lathadu had cattle herds totalling 12 million head, making it the country with the most cattle per capita at 1.21. However, 24% are in the hands of 11% of the farmers who have a minimum of 500 head. At the other extreme, 48% of farmers exploit small lots and have herds averaging below 100 head.

Manufacturing
Major manufacturing industries within the overall sector in Lathadu include food processing, furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings, textiles, and various types of machinery. Due to sparse energy and raw material resources, Lathadu is forced to import most of these materials to satisfy the demands of the industry. In the past few decades, the industry has undergone restructuring and modernization at a remarkable pace. The leading industry is machinery, followed by its various light industry products, while food processing and the textile industry make up small but not insignificant sectors. In spite of the significant drop in the last decade, the food industry still gives up to 14% of total industrial production and amounts to 7-8% of the country’s exports.

Nearly half of energy consumption is dependent on imported energy sources. Gas and oil are transported through pipelines from Ordrey, while coal continues to be imported in lesser amounts each year due to environmental obligations shouldered by both nations.

Demographics
Modern Lathadu is a fairly ethnically heterogeneous country, but this heterogeneity is not a feature of the entire nation, as the non-Gundioc population is concentrated largely in the region of Northern Lathadu known as Thói'achith. Most of Lathadu speaking geographically is over 80% Gundioc in makeup. In the eastern parts of the country, however, where most of its cities lie, ethnic Gundioc make up closer to 60% of the population.

The Lathadun Cultural Autonomy Edict that was passed in 1819 was unique for its time, granting cultural autonomy to minorities numbering more than 3,000 with longstanding ties in Lathadu. By the turn of the 19th century, the nation’s Ordrish and Salian minorities managed to elect cultural councils. Historically, large parts of Lathadu’s eastern coast and southwestern lake country have been home to subculture groups that have since also gained such recognition.

Society
Lathadun society has undergone considerable changes over the past century, one of the most notable being the small but increasing level of stratification, and the distribution of family income. The Gini coefficient has been steadily higher than the world average, but it has clearly dropped. The registered unemployment rate at the beginning of 2010 was 5.4%. Modern Lathadu is a multinational country in which over 100 dialects are spoken, according to a 2000 census. 67.3% of Lathadun citizens speak Gundioc as their native language, 16% Ordrish, and 3% speak Salian, with others speaking various local tongues. As of 2010, 94.1% of Lathadun residents are Lathadun citizens, 4.6% are citizens of other countries, and 1.6% are “citizens with undetermined citizenship.” Since 1990, roughly 200,000 people have acquired Lathadun citizenship by passing naturalization exams. Lathadu also accepted quota refugees under the migrant plan agreed upon by Northeast Compact member states in 2010.

The ethnic distribution in Lathadu is very homogeneous, wherein most parts of the country have 90% or more majority of ethnic Gundiocs. This is in contrast to large urban centers like Ushteyghoo or Calleebane, where Gundioc account for as little as 60% of the population, the remainder being composed mostly of Ordrish, Salian, and other Sedic inhabitants who arrived during the early modern period or later.

Religion
Lathadu has a rich and diverse religious history, but in recent years it has become increasingly secular, with a growing percentage of the population identifying themselves as nonreligious in recent censuses. The main groups are the various Ayekist denominations, principally ones originating in Lathadu and Ordrey. The largest minority are those who identify with Canachism, a traditional faith that has enjoyed a resurgence in years past.

In ancient Lathadu, prior to the introduction of Ayekism from Salia, Canachism in its ancient form was the dominant faith. However, it became the dominant faith after the Salian conquest of the region. Today, freedom of religion is guaranteed by Lathadu’s constitution, as is separation of church and state and individual rights to privacy of belief and religion. Despite recent strides in modernization, Lathadu remains a very religious country, with a 2005 poll finding that 96% of Lathaduns polled professed a belief in some higher spiritual power.

Languages
The official language, Gundioc, belongs to a branch of the Sedic languages most closely related to Salian. Of the mainland dialects, Gundioc is most closely related to Salian, and has remained distinct from continental neighbors like Ordrish despite some overlaps in vocabulary due to borrowings. Ordrish is by far the most spoken minority language in the country. There are towns in Northern Lathadu with large concentrations of Ordrish speakers, where Gundioc speakers are in the minority. Starting in the 14th century, there were Salian-speaking communities in Lathadu, particularly in the coastal areas and on the islands along the Sedea sea. These communities have since largely been absorbed or displaced, but the minority remains today as a diminished but proud one. The most common foreign languages learned by Lathadun students are Ordrish, Salian, Myrish, and Eduran.

Education and science
The history of formal education in Lathadu dates back to the 14th century when the first monastic schools were founded. The first primer in the Gundioc language was published in 1475. The oldest university still in operation is the University of Ushteyghoo, established by the Matron of Clan Corlett in 1532. Today’s education in Lathadu is divided into general, vocational, and hobby. The educational system is based on four levels: preschool, basic, secondary, and higher education. A wide network of schools and supporting educational institutions have been established; the Lathadun education system consists of national and municipal institutions. All education in Lathadu has been public since 1871.

Academic higher education in Lathadu is divided into three levels: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies. In some specialities (basic medical studies, veterinary, pharmacy, dentistry, architect/engineer, and a classroom teacher program) the bachelor’s and master’s levels are integrated into one unit. Lathadun universities have significantly more autonomy than applied higher education institutions. In addition to organizaing the academic life of the university, universities can create new curricula, establish admission terms and conditions, approve the budget, approve the development plan, elect the rector, and make restricted decisions in matters concerning assets.

The Lathadun Academy of Sciences is the national academy of science. The strongest public non-profit research institute that carries out fundamental and applied research is the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics. The first computer centres were established in the late 1950s in Calleebane and Ushteyghoo. As of 2015, Estonia spends around 1.5% of its GDP on Research and Development, with recent focus specifically on the development of ethanol and other biofuels.

Culture
The culture of Lathadu incorporates indigenous heritage, as represented by the Gundioc language and various local traditions, with mainstream Sedic and Alutran cultural aspects. Because of its history and geography, Lathadu’s culture has been influenced by the traditions of the adjacent area’s various Ordrish, Salian, Myrish, and Eduran peoples as well as the cultural developments in the former dominant powers of Salia and Ordrey. Today, Lathadun society encourages liberty and freedom for the worker, with popular commitment to the deals of limited government, discouraging too much centralized power and corruption. Like what is observed in neighboring nations, Lathadun culture can be seen to build upon the ascetic environment realities and traditional livelihoods, a heritage of comparatively widespread egalitarianism out of practical reasons, and the ideal of closeness to nature and self-sufficiency.

The Lathadun Academy of Arts is known for its providing higher education in art, design, architecture, media, art history, and conservation, while Ushteyghoo Culture Academy has an approach to popularize indigenous culture though such curricula as native construction, blacksmithing, textile design, handicraft, and music, but also newer styles of music. In 2010, there were more than 300 museums of varying sizes whose combined collections contain more than 10 million objects.

Music
The earliest mention of Lathadun singing dates back to the writings of Osen d'Nantes, recorded as a traveler and merchant from Ordrey. D'Nantes speaks of Lathadun warriors who sang at night while waiting for a battle. Older folk songs are also referred to as shennfarven, songs in the poetic meter dhonevuigh. Runic singing was widespread among Lathaduns until the 18th century, when rhythmic folk songs began to replace them. Traditional wind instruments derived from those used by shepherds have historically been widespread, and are now becoming commonly played once more. Other instruments, including the fiddle, zither, concertina, and accordion are used to play various kinds of dance music.

The tradition of Lathadun Song Festivals began at the height of the Lathadun National Awakening in 1769. Today, it is among the largest amateur choral events in the world. In 2002, nearly 100,000 people participated. Since 1918, the Ushteyghoo Song Festival Grounds have hosted the events every five years. Additionally, Youth Song Festivals are also held every four or five years. In popular music, domestic artists were dominant until the 1970s, when these fell to the infamous Ordrish Invasion that lasted until the mid to late 1980s.

Literature
Lathadun literature refers to literature written in the Gundioc language. The domination of Lathadu by foreign powers such as Salia and Ordrey resulted in few early written literary works in the Gundioc language. The oldest records of written Gundioc date from the 14th century. Many folk tales are told to this day originating in the Gundioc language, and some have been written and even translated making them accessible to international readership.

The cultural stratum of Gundioc was originally characterized by a largely lyrical form of folk poetry based on syllabic quantity. Apart from a few, albeit remarkable, exceptions, this archaic form has not been employed much in later times. One of the most outstanding achievements in this field is the national epic Skeeal ny Giare Çhayraghyn (Tale of the Four Sisters). At a professional level, traditional folk song reached its new heyday during the last decade of the 20th century.

Media
The cinema of Lathadu began in 1885 with the production of a newsreel about Premier Carmac Kneale’s visit to his old homeland in Lathadu’s southwest. The first public TV broadcast in Lathadu was in 1945. Regular, live radio broadcasts began in 1916. Deregulation in the field of electronic media has brought radical changes compared to the beginning of the 1990s. The most internationally known Lathadun films include Following the River, The Heart of the Bear, Heart in the East, Widows and Soldiers, and Ship’s Whispers. Lathadu and its cities have also served as a filming location for international productions.

Today, the media is a small yet vibrant and surprisingly competitive sector. There are a plethora of weekly newspapers and magazines, and Lathaduns have a choice of nine domestic TV channels and a host of radio stations. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and Lathadu has been internationally recognised for its high rate of press freedom in various international studies. Lathadu has two news agencies. The Sedic News Service, founded in 1990, is a public regional news agency covering Lathadu, Ordrey, and Salia. The LTV is an agency owned by a publicly funded radio and television organisation created in 2007 to take over the functions of the formerly separate National Radio and Television companies under the terms of the Lathadun National Broadcasting Act.

Architecture
The architectural history of Lathadu mainly reflects its contemporary development in Eastern Alutra. Worth mentioning is especially the architectural ensemble that makes out the Old Town of Ushteyghoo, which is an International Cultural Heritage Site. In addition, the country has several unique, preserved hill forts and mound sites dating back to antiquity, as well as intact medieval forts and temples, while the countryside is still shaped by the presence of a vast number of clan manor houses from earlier centuries. More recently, River Country style houses from the 18th and 19th centuries have come back into style, with many being preserved as National Historical/Cultural Heritage Sites.

Holidays
The Lathadun National Day and Independence Day are holidays celebrating the founding of the Republic and separation from Salia, respectively. As of 2010, there are 12 public holidays that come with a day off.

Cuisine
Historically, Lathadun cuisine has been heavily dependent on seasons and simple peasant fare. Today, it includes many typical international foods, a benefit of increased international connectedness in the modern day. The most typical foods in Lathadu are rice, beef, sweet potatoes, and dairy products. Traditionally in summer and spring, Lathaduns like to eat everything fresh - berries, herbs, vegetables, and everything else coming straight from their gardens. Hunting and fishing have also been very common, and remain so today.

Traditionally in winter, jams, preserves, and pickles are made so that different foods can be enjoyed out of season. Gathering and preservation of fruits and vegetables has long been popular, and remains especially so in the nation’s countryside.

Sports
Sport plays an important role in Lathadun culture. After the founding of the modern republic in 1871, Lathadu almost immediately began competing in international sporting competitions. Athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, and various track and field events have tended to be their best events. Basketball is another notable sport in Lathadu, having been invented there in 1981 as part of a celebration of the republic’s second decade in existence. Lathadun clubs participate in Alutran and other regional competitions, and are considered to have among the best players and teams in the world.