Riyata

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the modern day, Riyude has retained its historical status as one of the world's great powers, forming an integral part of the !EU diplomatic bloc. It is a highly developed economy with a GDP (PPP) of $8.4 trillion. Riyude is a developed nation and ranks very high in the Human Development Index (HDI), with extended social programs including free education for all and a limited universal healthcare system. Although it suffers from high income and wealth inequality compared to similarly developed nations, Riyude has relatively low poverty rates and has placed well on quality of life indexes. Riyude is a founding member of the !EU.

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

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

Biodiversity
Vatupic ground sloth

Government and politics


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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Economy


Riyude has a highly developed social market economy that ranks among the world's largest with a GDP of $7.06 trillion nominal and $8.42 trillion purchasing power parity. It has a highly skilled labor force and a high level of innovation. Riyude ranks very well in economic freedom, economic competitiveness, and workforce productivity. It has been a member of the !EU since !Year and a member of the !Euro currency union since !year.

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

In 2020, it was estimated that the service sector contributed around 69% of Riyude's total GDP, followed by industry and the primary sector at 29% and 2% respectively. Riyude is rather unique among postindustrial nations in that the secondary sector remains a considerable part of its economy; it is among the largest manufacturing countries worldwide and its automotive and shipbuilding industries, among others, are internationally competitive and contribute significantly to the country's exports.

Agriculture
Main Riyudic staple crops include potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, squash, beans, and maize. Agricultural products including livestock make up a large portion of the country’s exports.

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

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

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

Most Taxic-speakers are also fluent in Riyudic, though the same is not true in reverse.

Religion
TBD is the majority religion in Riyude, split between two main denominations. TBD is common throughout Riyude but TBD is mostly confined to the western states. Together, they make up around two-thirds of the Riyudic population. However, both are declining steadily, and irreligion is the second-most common religious affiliation, at around one-third of the population.

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

97.7% of Riyudic adults age 30 or older have completed secondary education. 52.5% attended a college or vocational school, 28.6% earned an undergraduate degree, and 10.9% earned a postgraduate degree. The literacy rate is 99%. Riyude ranks very highly on education indexes and is a world leader in diversity and quality of higher education. It has many public and private institutions of higher education, including many of the world's top universities.

Oene
Although not as prevalent as it was historically, Riyude is home to a weaving technique known as oene. It is very difficult to learn, and many Riyudic children begin learning at a very early age. The practice declined considerably during the 19th and 20th centuries, as the industrial revolution and invention of mass production largely replaced traditional handwaving. However, the practice has seen a resurgence in popularity recently, due to its growing international reputation as a luxurious, expensive material. Oene textiles are considered a luxury good in international markets and have developed a burgeoning commercial relationship with the clothing and tourism industries.