Gemurtrak

Gemurtrak, officially the Federated Duchies of Gemurtrak, is a country in north-west Osamia. It is situated by the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait to the west, the Osamian Ocean, and is bordered to the south by Takjaana. The capital, Ornpyat, is often regarded as a major hub for global trade given its location. It is comprised of 4 duchies which are separated into 12 states, and one federal administrative territory, all of which collectively spans 1,496,557.08 km2, holding a population of 78,244,122, making it the most populous in Osamia. Other major cities include Metenzhana, Sywetatum, and Raswe.

Formally a collection of minor nations, Gemurtrak formed following military pressure from the Southern Empire which threatened to consume the various nations. They joined together as the Confederation of the North and held back numerous small invasions. The Confederation almost collapsed after some time into the Great Southern War but made an immediate recovery following the catastrophic defeat of the Southern Empire after the death of the Stag King and subsequent loss in the Battle of fallen kings. This victory soon led to a consolidation of power in the northern nations behind the Yedak drisnyet into Gemurtrak. This period of success soon fell apart after King Ardik, the original Yedak drisnyet died in 1045 after decades of attempts to maintain control in the region. What followed was decades of scheming and infighting caused by a weak central government and uncertain lines of succession. The internal strife calmed following the ascendance of Udrak of Nzek to the throne and the implementation of the Rights of Imperial Lineage in 1090. The nation enjoyed general prosperity until the Inheritance Wars in 1490 following the death of the entire royal family. This caused shock waves that would additionally result in the loss of much of the eastern territories of Gemurtrak after the Two Brothers War. The nation continued to maintain its position of trade power it was lucky to possess that soon fell into the ire of international interests during the mid-late 1600’s in the interest of opening the international trade-way to be better aligned to the goals of foreign powers, particularly those of Salia. This series of struggles for control of the area (later dubbed the Wars for the gap) saw Gemurtraks dominant presence begin to dwindle after numerous painful losses in cessation of territory. These were later reobtained during the Fury War of 1872 which saw the collapse of salian control in Osamia and the return of Gemurtrak.

With independence secured, the country rapidly modernized and efficiently organized under Korya Dzekana, the first president of the Republic of Gemurtrak, who stabilized negotiations between the various interest groups of the Gemurtrak government and reformed numerous parts of the archaric national administration. These reforms would not be completed to their entirety following his death in 1891. With the hegemony of Korya gone, the national government ceased to function effectively and would suffer numerous power grabs for complete control over the country, all of which failed to reach the same heights of power. The disorganization and internal conflicts led the government incapable to react to the Osamian economic crisis of 1899 in a responsive way, aggrevating the public. Problems would intensify further with an additional economic crash following the beginning of the First World War leading to a fear of potential revolution that came true in 1907 after Petek Muzo, leader of the Party of national solidarity, stormed the capitol building and declared the Osamian Federation, leading to a Continent spanning revolt resulting in the formation of the first Gekezikist state in the world. The Federation, while initially proving successful, struggled under external and internal pressures for its existence and fostered a growing demand for the return of pre-revolution conditions. The demands were granted following numerous defeats of the National Federation Army and a coup initiated by high ranking military members in 1951. Since then, the new reformed Monarchy and its variety of political parties have maintained a generally stable peace within the nation.

Gemurtrak still holds popular control of the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait which has allowed it to remain a major trade entity which, besides ideological differences, has kept the Strait generally open for business in the interest of continued national economic prosperity. The position of Ornpyat has allowed it to become regarded as a global city, acting as one of the key cities for global trade. Gemurtrak stands as one of the strongest nations in Osamia and is the largest economy on the continent. Gemurtrak is a member of the international community heading the Southern Prosperity League and is an active member of the World Forum.

Etymology
Prior to the Age of the raiders, People of the northern parts of Osamia referred to themselves and others as Katamur, meaning All People or in a literal sense, what was every person in existence according to them. Following the strides in boat design and cartography brought about by the initial !TBD invasions in the 500's AD, Many began to adopt the title of Gemurtrak, meaning People of the North or People belonging to the North. This later stuck following the formation of the unified nation as a spit to the face of the then shamed Southern Empire, seeing the declaration of the name as the movement of imperial right, from the defeated south, to its victorious northern counterpart.

Pre-history and old empires
The first hints of human presence have been predicted to have gone as far back as some 45,000 years ago with movement across the land bridge that now forms the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait. Numerous old artifacts and cave paintings have been discovered across the Jwem psabki mountain range area dating as far back as 10000 BCE. The first signs of established settlements are denoted to coming around 6000 BCE after previous millennia of hunter gatherers. These settlements later became larger entities by 2000-1500 BCE where numerous communities formed across the north. These protonations experienced general peace until drastic change following the North crop plagues which disrupted early trade and caused an increase of distrust between nations. This mass cluster of conflicts, the Scramble wars, calmed by 950 BC with the culmination of multiple larger power blocs now in play, as well as advancements in agricultural technology. with a general peace returning to majority of the remaining powerful nations in the Northern continent, the societies prospered from the large expanses of land to cultivate and the generally improved life conditions. This period, denoted as the False Peace, fell apart in 722 BC after the Slaughter of seven kings, which resulted in the death of all but 3 major political leaders in the national stage, these being the rulers of Gadram, Oztmark, and Thizen. Everyone weary of each other, war broke out between the nations until only three Empires, of magnitudes not experienced on the continent, remained.

The three lived in a hostile peace, commonly engaging in border disputes constantly but never engaged in larger conflicts due to the overextension already experienced. The initial consolidation would give way to the creation of the Greater Trakmir Group set of cultures, predominantly Gemamir (from the Western Gadram), Ostzamir (from the northern Oztmark), and Thizemir (from the Southern Thizen). A power Vacuum eventually culminated following the collapse of order in Thizen resulting from the outburst of a Volcano near its national capital. This eruption flattened the entire city and suspected to have killed 88-90% of the populace. Gaddram and Oztmark erupted in full conflict against one another in hopes to take advantage of the chaos in Thizen. The brutal conflict lasted for almost three decades, until Gemamir troops finally reached the capital of Oztmark in 465 BC. The sheer size of territory Gadram now controlled placed excessive strain in the administrative functions of the empire. Gadram would itself collapse as well following the death of their emperor in 422 BC, fracturing into numerous successor states. Many details are unrecorded for this period largely from the mass disorganization and loss of communication across the large stretches of land previously occupied by the empires.

The onset of the dark age threw centuries of progress away, many technologies indicative of the times were last used by around 1300 BC and would not return to the peaks of the old empires until the late 300's AD. The rediscovery of the trade routes around the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait provided a large boon to the coastal cities, which exploded in wealth during the period. To maintain wealth was equivalent across the Strait, Krathkay, the most influential of the trader cities at the time, introduced the meten currency which soon became the standard and improved the flow of trade between the many port cities.

Confederation of the North
For the following centuries, the north remained a varying collection of powers. Many migrated to the more fertile coasts, those who stayed in the far east soon formed their own expansive nation, Okrimet, which is where many Okirmir link the origin of the culture. The West coast remained heavily divided politically, all vying for control over the crowded waterways of the Ornyenka-Sthulista Strait. The bustling trade region would experience multiple attempts at conquest in the region from foreign powers, however none were particularly effective until 500 AD when raids from the Southern Empire began to occur. Initially in small raiding parties, they slowly became a huge issue to civilians on sea and land. Many of the independent cities began long processes of enhancing and expanding their defensive capabilities, some of these becoming some of the greatest feats in defensive architecture of the period, such as the Buksazhek Forts in the city of Ras Borzh. In their attempt to make money off of the situation, numerous mercenary groups flourished during this time, often charging exorbitant fees to protect those far from the protection of city walls. Many of the former 23 Mercenaries of Gemurtrak had much of their foundations formed at this time and saw extensive combat before later being directly hired by the major nations in counter-offensive plans.

With the invasions from the Southern Empire continuing on for numerous centuries, many of the city states combined into singular states organized into an oligarchy to pool resources against the raids. These small collectives of city states came to in various forms ranging from sheer political cohesion (in regards to the Council of Utek and its 11 members) to militaristic dominance of their local competitors (such as the Duchy of Stiorzhya). Some still, like Krathkay, stood independent, existing through use of mercenary armies and abundant wealth. Despite the consolidation of these powers, none were able to defend effectively against the Southern empire. Seeking common ground with the other developing power blocs, Stiorzhya's King, Kanay III, called for a dialogue in helping to resolve the centuries long crisis. He suggested a joint declaration of protection and the formation of a confederation. Many were convinced in cooperating for the sake of commerce as well as the guarantee of security this would bring to some eastern nations who were locked into conflict often with Okrimet. While the confederation was formed for the singular goal of protection against foreign invaders, the agreement helped build positive relations between the realms, improving trade and intermingling with territories away from the port cities.

While the conflicts in the Strait slowed, more attention was placed towards the south, where growing infrastructure from the now organized nomadic tribes of Tákjaana under the Southern Empire had reached a point where invasions from the south were a viable choice for the empire to assault the Confederation. In response, the Confederation completed the largest joint project led under the chief architect of Ras Borzh, Padmkan Resya, the Zwarkin Wall which successfully repelled serious assaults from the south and mitigated the damages from the Prelude wars. The influx of support heading towards the southern border of the confederation saw rapid improvement in the living standard of much of the territories who suffered frequent bouts of famine due to the poor infrastructure that would fail to bring food from the temperate north during the winter times in the region. The improvement saw a revival of art and culture of the Thizemir people who became one of the most disorganized following the collapse of Gadram.

Great Southern War
On June of 1000, a force of never before seen proportions stood and soon destroyed the Zwarkin Wall and pushed north. Naval raids grew in ferocity towards cities throwing them into sieges for numerous months reducing the effective support they could give to the conflicts erupting down south. The confederacy was being pushed back at an alarming rate, many assuming it would collapse soon. The Southern Empire's push slowed upon reaching the more developed northern members which granted time to recuperate and organize around the new situation. In wake of the early failings, the confederation centralized the military efforts instead of the previously disconnected set up it had. This angered numerous members of the confederate council, however it was passed anyways due to the dire situation facing many of the members. As the forts began to fall, the chief of the new Confederate Military command, Badak Truka, was inducted and successfully repelled numerous attacks and began to gain the advantage.

While advancing their forces, the confederate army came upon the main force of the Southern Empire and were dealt a devastating blow. Reeling from it, the Confederate army retreated to a strategic location and hunkered down for the arrival of the main army while also waiting for supporting troops within the region. These troops arrived just in time for the deciding conflict. While at a disadvantage in numbers, the advantageous environment gave the north the resources they needed to cause serious damage to the Southern army. The conflict immediately flipped upon the death of the Stag King leading the southern army. Lacking in leadership, the southern forces routed. Over the following months, the Confederation would defeat all remaining forces within occupied territory. The raids subsided with word of the Southern empire collapsing shortly after the loss of their leader.

With ties and relations becoming inseparable after centuries of the Confederates existence, along with the high support for the Yedak Drisnyet, King Ardik I, the council, now lacking many members after their deaths in the massive battle and previous conflicts prior to it, saw fit to continue the unity of the north but in a format further centralized than what was present. Ardik took to becoming the leader of the Northern Empire with many celebrating the unification.

Post-unification turmoil
While many nations joined into the newly declared empire, many others heavily opposed the idea of unification under a singular sovereignty and declared themselves against the empire. The ensuing conflicts in 1015 tested the new king of the empire who dealt with numerous small forces all across the former confederation. This state of unease among the member states stayed for numerous decades, on many occasions conflicts would erupt between former allies, only further encouraging dissonance. Peace would not return to the region until 1033, after the pacification of the surrender of the city state of [CITY] in the spring of that year. A growth in concerns about the proper governance of the empire were the most often debated topic about the empire at the time. Many claiming the right of imperial governance for themselves, especially with an aging king on the throne.

The First noble council feared the possibility of collapse in the event of Ardik I's death. The council, alongside the king, completed the Rights of self-governance in 1040, a decree that permitted extensive self autonomy for all members. Ardik I's death in 1045 did not spell disaster to the fortune of the empire's biggest supporters. A new wave however of issues sprouted, mainly in the realm of inheritance. While Ardik II was placed onto the throne,support for him plummeted in the council, and schemes began to develop. Ardik II and his successors all died of assumed assassination by members of the council due to their dissatisfaction.

With the assumption of a child to the throne in 1074, the various members of the council council all vied for the goal of imperial leadership. Most of these plans led to small scale wars within the empire's borders that ended quickly. However. Udrak of Nzek, one of the more popular members of the council, went to declare himself the sole defender of the Regency, the first council collapsed and the War of the first council erupted within the empire concluding in 1090 with Udrak and his supporter's success. They later deposed the former king of Gemurtrak and Udrak as king. Udrak, alongside the Second noble council created the Rights of imperial lineage, allowing all members of the second council as eligible candidates for the crown of the emperor through election. This new system of shared imperial authority improved relations and stabilized the empire.

Kezik period and Inheritance War
With the calming of political conditions inside the empire, professional military servicemen and generals, began to grow restless in the period of incomparable peace. Some sold their skills where it was needed and formally restructured the mercenary system that had stayed as it was for centuries. Others demanded forms of compensation for their service, taking large reward sums, land, nobility rights, even government positions or influential marriages as reward for their efforts. While the upper echelons of the government remained peaceful, the lower nobility were highly decentralized due to the explosion of new landed individuals. The complexity of the lower realms developed a court culture famously regarded as impossibly complex.

By 1183, the Northern Empire was at its height with development on the west coast growing and trade in the region bringing in all time high rates of finance. Dissatisfied with only a single branch of the Imperial families, the Kazha, commonly achieving the throne, Gurmak of Tenrok, head of the Tenrok family, subverted influence against the Kazha family and demanded a reform of the system. The reforms were partially successful, splitting power between two elected monarchs. This dual monarchy system only developed further suspicions among the families, especially during vacant periods of the first crown elect, the position held by the Kazha family. This in itself was changed again in 1231 when the Kazha family formally solidified their position as the prime head of the empire, assuming the position of the first elect as a permanent position for their family.

While intrigue remained, attention grew more towards the Ornyenka-Sthulista strait and the Skephon half of the strait owned in part by Mitruhmoer. Political chaos occurring in Mitruhmoer during the 15th century encouraged Gemurtrak to invade in 1455 and experienced intense competition for the peninsula against native rebels who held an advantage knowing the mountainous terrain. The war would stretch on for 15 years across three separate campaigns (in 1455, 1461, and 1468) eventually concluding in 1470 with the establishment of Ketra yenka and its dominions on Skephon. Unlike the political gauntlet of the Borzh kasu peninusla, the territories of Ketra yenka were placed under the right of the first crown elect. This soured relations of those in the council but the Imperial family held a sizable army and personal coffers that could sustain a large confrontation by the council. In 1490, a suspicious fire in the imperial palace killed almost all of the imperial family excluding the lone pregnant wife of the emperor, Empress Miki. The noble council was thrown into panic, blame was thrown about, many considering it an attempt for the claim of the first crown elect. The situation remained passive as empress Miki was still expecting a child, all hoping it would be a male, cancelling the crisis. The birth resulted in a girl, the council fell apart overnight and battles broke out across the nation. For the next 60 years, the Northern Empire would remain in a state of civil war over claims of legitimacy, territorial disputes, and influence in a grab for Imperial leadership. Yazeku of Yorgerr attempted to claim the position of Emperor by marrying the last living member of the Kazha family, Daysikya, to have her legitimize his push. Daysikya knew the mass dissatisfaction of this push among the nobility beyond the peninsula and began developing relations between these parties. By the time of the marriage in 1515, Daysikya declared herself the rightful emperor and murdered Yazeku at the wedding, fleeing and joining the nobles backing her under the banner of the newly formed Makazhu family. The war would continue for another 40 years, The family growing during this period until holding some degree of national stability by 1540 and much of the combat occurring in the northern reaches of the recreated empire. the war would conclude in 1550, after Maguste III, son of Daysikya, defeated the Mazu geyak family.

Majority of the eastern territories remained in control of parties opposing the control of the Kingdom of Gemurtrak. Maguste III attempted a sweeping conflict to reclaim the remaining territory of the former empire but would fail miserably, accepting the loss and later acknowledging the former holdings as independent after the Two brothers war. Ketra yenka was also lost, declaring themselves independent of Gemurtrak shortly after the war had begun. The economy of the country was in a complete wreck which was only being held afloat by exorbitant taxes towards the former members of the merchant coalition. These problems and the failure of the Two brothers war brought the empire on the brink again, with noble rebellions resurging in the Borzh kasu peninsula. While the western situation subsided with the submission of the Second Merchant Republic in the Merchant rebellion, and the restriction of the powers in the 1582 Imperial measures act, The rest of the nation was not as fortunate.

Warlord period
Cooperation between military factions during the Inheritance War was broadly focused on the regard of restoring some form of central authority towards the disorganized empire. Daysikya, who presented herself as the most credible individual towards the completion of this goal, gained a large and loyal following to support that end goal. With the conclusion of the Inheritance war and the assertion of Maguste III as the unopposed heir of the Kingdom of Gemurtrak, the numerous military factions, now legitimized as formal houses or clans, lacked a single unifying goal. While some form of control was present early on in Maguste's reign, his failure during the Two brothers war fostered doubt and mistrust towards the imperial rulership. While there were those who swore themselves towards the imperial family, a majority of the new families were ambivalent towards the central authority.

Much of the administrative functions of the central state were strained by the disagreements and minor conflicts occurring between rivaling families. Some of these families or group of united families were often times comparable to the strength of the central government, however they still regarded the imperial family as the head of the nation and did not consider themselves outright independent, only exhibiting an extreme amount of autonomy. Large swaths of the kingdom were under the control of these strong military families, the central government only having de jure control. The local authority (often termed as warlord), would control the administrative and defensive functions of the region, only giving small compensation towards the imperial family. The bulk of the effort of the government was coaxing these families to be aligned towards the kingdom, with the eventual hope of eliminating the stranglehold of power they possessed in these regions and reinstate the imperial family as the direct administrative figure. While efforts were coming to some success during the 16th century, the aggression experienced by Gemurtrak from other powers began to strain the nation.

Salian colonial occupation
With the turn of the 16th century, naval trade began to expand exponetially due to a period of colonialism in the Alutran region. The Ornyenka-Sthulista strait became a major artery of global trade, acting as the fastest route around the old world. The importance of this route caught the eye of multiple Alutran states. Salia would begin acts of invasive trade conflicts in Gemurtrakian ports through the course of the 1600's and escalate over the century. Gemurtrak was largely incapable of fending off the invasions and submitted land to the Huenarno Import Company (HIC) in 1666 after crushing losses in the trade conflict of that year.

Futher territories would be ceded as Salia strengthened their position in the strait, choking trade of the region and requiring a violent response from Gemurtrak, which would commonly result in their own loss. With the salian dominance all but established in the region, Salia initiated a finishing assault on the Imperial palace of the emperor of Gemurtrak and demanded the signing of the formal surrender of Gemurtrakian sovereignty. The treaty was signed in 1702 and officially declared the former empire as a subsidiary of the HIC and placed the Imperial family into permanent house arrest. The HIC grew to exorbitant heights off of the abundant resources and strategic trade region their conquest gave. The company grew to being one of the most profitable within the Osamian region.

While the HIC and the Salian authority claimed total control of the territories stipulated in the 1702 agreement, their official control was far more limited. Administrative authority outside of the western coast was only partial and heavily limited, instead direct control was handed towards the local nobility who governed in the stead of Salia. These nobles were typically staunchly against the imperial family and happily cooperated with the foreign authorities.Control would grow more centralized as the colonial authority expanded in size and fortune. While nobles were still kept into positions of power, their actual powers were progressively being curbed in favor of more direct systems that communicated more efficiently, placed under colonial provinces. While these nobles did occasionally rebel due to their positions in governance retracting, such as the Budwagu rebellion, they held very small military forces that were only given for local control, and were incapable of competing against the larger direct colonial forces.

Conditions for Gemurtrakians varied depending on their state of assimilation into Salian society with those refusing to partake in the new system finding little success while those who submitted to Salian rule were treated to government positions within the regional administration. This caused a disparity within the territories, widening the gap between the lower and upper echelons of Gemurtrakian society. The colonial occupation of Gemurtrak would continue until a string of rebellions led by Mazkwat, formerly removed and later restored Emperor of Gemurtrak, led to numerous large scale conflicts within the country. The Fury War of 1872-1876 was the conclusive blow to the Salian control of the colony, which admitted defeat and lost its grip on the Osamian continent, agreeing to terms laid out by Korya Dzekana, the new leader of the colonial revolution following Mazkwat's death in the conflict. The various former colonial provinces would reunite into the Republic of Gemurtrak lead by Korya.

Modernization
Restored to the front stage of affairs, Gemurtrak quickly developed to the new environment it had found itself in. Korya, a large supporter in the efforts of modernization, introduced multiple national restructuring programs to take advantage of any and all industrial facilities left behind by Salia. All Salian industry was forcefully repossesed by the government and were nationalized under the Osamian Industrial Collective (later named the Gemurtrak Imperial Industry Collective), centralizing and focusing the industry into key parts of the Gemurtrakian economy to jumpstart reconstruction. These efforts paid off as industrial development in Gemurtrak exploded in size over the course of the 1880's. These actions and his general push for mass reform in Gemurtrak made Korya a popular public figure, holding massive influence over all the political factions within the republic's legislature.

Almost all members of the republic legislature were high ranking officials in the military or other positions of power, Korya was able to maintain these groups under his leadership during his time as president allowing him to push highly necessary reforms including the Liberalization of the Nagsenur system, introduction of a welfare system, the confirmation of the status of religion (specifically Owkuga), and the creation of a formal Gemurtrakian constitution. All of these efforts eventually culminated in Gemurtrak becoming one of the most developed countries in Osamia and holding considerable power in international affairs.

With relations still sour towards Salia and a growing fear of retaliation in the near future, Korya would begin travels around the world in the late 1880's where he would formalize relations and guage Gemurtrak's position in the world. His trips to Haksarad and Mitruhmoer were the most successful and solidified the position of Gemurtrak in the world stage. Korya would die on the 12th of August, 1891 after being shot by a member of the Osamian national revolution following his return to Osamia after a trip to Alutra which the nationalist group viewed as a traitorous act against the republic. The incident would throw the republic into immediate chaos as the government factions, previously held under Korya's control, argued over the position of presidency and who would obtain it.

Kazhena, grand niece of Mazkwat, suspected daughter of Korya, and the head of what remained of the royal family, asserted herself in claiming the powers of the presidency and converting the republic into a constitutional monarchy, stating that it was the best option for the preservation of the republic. The proposition was met with mixed feelings, later resolving with the republic recognizing the imperial family as a head of state, but only in a ceremonial role. The presidential position would eventually be filled by Yanro Katezuza, head of the patriots party, who would lead as president until 1899. During his presidency, Yanro pushed for improved construction regulation laws and a hallmark reform of the legislative system. His reforms called for term limits as well as restrictions of private ownership of companies by members of the Imperial chambers. The reforms passed with a slim majority with numerous caveats favoring ministers who were active or formerly active members of the Imperial Army.

Crisis of the 20th century
Following the disastrous financial crash of the Ornpyat Stock Exchange in April 1899, believing to have originated from the bursting of the national investment bubble, the economy of Gemurtrak entered a freefall with some of the largest private corperations part of the investment program including Korzha and Central Transit declaring bankruptcy by the end of April of 1899. Unemployment rose as high as 31%, an increase of around 600% from its pre-collapse average of 5%, and nominal GDP dropped 8% by the turn of the next century. The situation eventually spilled out to surrounding countries in Osamia and east Skephon and global shipping routes began to experience complications when docking in Gemurtrak, making many companies to use ports in Mitrumoher, worsening economic conditions. Numerous attempts were made in the government, led by Marbuk Sagra, to alleviate the growing economic crisis, but internal divisions continued to place the government in a standstill. The situation only worsened with labour protests and riots that threatened to spill across the country. Twethak Nyen would replace Marbuk in 1901 after his forceful push of the controversial economic refurbishment act led to members of his party unconfident of his leadership. Twethak would only lead until the start of 1902 when he is forcefully removed from his position by Stagek Mazya. Opposition within the party by Marbuk, Twethak, and Stagek spilled over on the 12th of March, 1902 when Twethak forcefully stormed the capitol building with members of the Imperial Army and attempted a coup. His attempted was thwarted when other members of the Imperial Army broke the siege and killed Twethak. Marbuk barely survived but recovered and reinstated himself as president and declared a maximal state of crisis.

With Marbuk holding presidency until the conclusion of the declared crisis, a mass purge of ministers was instigated in attempts to replace uncooperating members of government. Further pushes in industrial reform and revitalization in 1903 would begin resolving the damages caused by the 1899 crash. With the beginning of the First World War in 1905, the efforts of the reforms, which relied heavily on the restoration of the shipping industry in Gemurtrak, were wasted as international shipping lanes were disturbed by the conflict resulting in the Gemurtrakian economy falling even further. While Marbuk and his government would continue to try to overturn the economic hardships, finding success in the later months of 1906, public opinion was at a new lows as workers and some military units, disgruntled by military tax cuts in the same year, began organizing with hopes of overthrowing the government. The Party of National solidarity, an unofficial and banned political party under the crisis declaration in 1902, led by Petek Muzo officially organized on December of 1906 and would instigate protests and riots across the country. Crackdowns and a state of martial law was announced in February of 1907 with the situation slipping away from the governments hands. On the 23rd of June 1907, Petek, alongside members of the self declared National Federation Army stormed the capitol building and declared the Osamian Federation, a new republic built on new ideas free from Alutran control. The Osamian revolution erupted all across the continent as colonial governments buckled under the strains of the First World War and growing dissent of the native population. Osamia would be plunged into chaos for the next seven years as colonial control collapsed and a panicked response by the international community would lead the continent to being a major battlefield of the First World War. After securing their position, the Osamian Federation signed the Treaty of Ornpyat, formally recognizing the Federations existance and its control of the Osamian continent.

Geography
Gemurtrak sits along the western stretch of north mainland Osamia, bordering Tákjaana to the south. The country can be split into 3 distinct regions consisting of the western highlands, northern lowlands, and eastern plains. The highlands consists of the whole western stretch of coast gemurtrak occupies, where the Jwepsab mountain range resides and influences the rest of the geographic landscape. The mountain range is the tallest and longest on Osamia with the highest point on the continent being Mount Gemabukza standing at just above 7000 m. The height of the mountains causes a rainshadow, making the western portion of the mountains dry and lightly forested. Rivers are still abundant on the west side, generated by the snowmelt of the upper Jwepsab mountains.

The amount of rivers in the area are capable of supporting a considerable amount of flora and fauna that are heavily focused around these major rivers. Areas further north and south of the mountains are typically unaffected by the rainshadow and are some of the most heavily vegetated. By the northern coast, the low coast combined with exposure to monsoons has led to a vibrant ecosphere among the swampy lowland with extensive forests.

The monsoonal weather patterns of the region lead some parts of the northern region lacking in yearly rainfall. While the coast still obtains a sustainable amount of water for year round widespread vegetation, the central plains is less consistant. Rainfall comes in strong season specific periods under 30° southern latitude. This leads to long periods of little to no rainfall within the central plain. The lack of year long rain, and only one major river, has encouraged grazing animals who migrate across the region, typically moving northwards during the dry season and returning south with the arrival of the monsoon season.

Climate
Gemurtrak possess a varying climate primarily dominated by a climate that covers the whole northern coast and the majority of the interior caused by monsoonal weather that hits around just before the summer period (October-December). The Jwepsab mountain range causes a drier climate on the western side of the mountains, leading to a along the central western coast before turning to a  further south along the Isthmus of Jwepsab. The higher altitudes of the mountain range gives way to an and later  and  grade climates at its highest points. A small section east of Skorn ortna also displays traits of a. The northern coast experiences considerable tempreture swings between dry and monsoonal seasons. During the monsoonal period of the latter end of the year the area experiences a high rate of humidity averaging around 82% in the northernmost parts of the country. The summers have average highs of around 30°C with daily averages ranging around 27°C in most parts of the north coast. June-August are the cold periods for the whole country where it can reach freezing tempretures in the southern reaches. The north experiences little to no snowfall during this time while the interior is commonly covered in a few inches of snow every year.

Government and politics
Gemurtrak functions under a federal parliamentary system led by the Minister of the Republic (MR) as the head of government, and a monarch as the head of state. Legislative power at the federal level is managed by the collective Imperial Chambers, consisting of the Chamber of Ministers and the Chamber of States. The Chamber of Ministers is elected through using the  system and are all elected every four years. The Chamber of States are separated into three sets of seats that are elected at different times either during separate state elections, specific chamber elections, and council elections (in regards to seats assigned to the state of Suzhya). Direct chamber election seats are voted on every four years through single transferable vote, while state election seats are voted on through and are done alongside state elections and are subject to the term lengths of the state. The political framework observed in Gemurtrak is enshrined in the 1960 constitution which is separated into two parts; the Unity Edicts and the Rights of the Republic. While the Unity Edicts have remained largely untouched since their condification into law, the Rights of the Republic have been changed on multiple occasions with the most recent changes occurring in 2004. The constitution guarantees the preservation of the seperation of power between the monarchy and states, the structure of the federal government, and the declaration that no man, not even the monarchy, is above the rule of law.

The monarch, currently Metenyanu, is the head of state and holds the most power within the executive and legislative government. The position is an inherited title via law for the imperial family of Ramizna and is legally unatainable and cannot be claimed by any other family. The monarch controls the majority of executive functions of the federal government alongside the hereditary Council of Lords and the Minister of the Republic and their cabinet. The monarchy has the right to intervene in standard political procedure within the legislative government should they see it as a necessary use of their imperial powers. The Chamber of Duchies is a part of the executive branch comprising of the four lords who lead their respective duchies and state subdivisions. Their position likewise inherited via primogeniture law through the current ruling family, each legally locked to that single family. The chamber of duchies acts primarily as an advisory position towards the monarch and minister of the republic concerning the conditions of the respective states. These lords are each the heads of their own duchies and lead the respective states as the head of the state executive branch. The Minister of the Republic is the highest electable office within the federal government, who is elected through the chamber of ministers based on the leading party of the chamber. Their duties focus on the management of the daily affairs of the federal government and to lead an executive cabinet created in tandem with the monarch. The MR, alongside his cabinet, work with the monarch and chamber of duchies to manage the federal government, however, most daily tasks are completed independent of the nobility, with collaboration between the two sections of the executive branch occurring during uncommon matters of the government.

Administrative divisions
As of 2004, Gemurtrak is divided into 4 duchies and one federally administrated state, Suzhya. Each duchy is further subdivided into three states, one of which is designated as the head state of the duchy for the purpose of acting as the administrative center for the duchy. Each state is then subdivided into 57 districts, each further subdivided into rural and urban councils, numbering around 205 in total. Many of these councils are typically combined into departments for services that act between multiple councils including policing and paramedics as well as establishing inter-state judiciary juristictions. All subdivisons are given a level of self administration excluding deparments and the cultural Nagsenur subdivisions, of which are managed by their respective duchy boards. Alongside the council subdivision, some cities may possess a special designation including the autonomous administration zone of Raswe and designated capital council of Krasyet kwez. These subdivisions are grant special exemptions towards the cities for various purposes including heightened self governance through the self appointment of an elected city council independent of the state (granted through the autonomous administration zone designation), and interstate cooperation towards a single city, (such as Krasyet Kwez, which is divided across three state lines).

Independent of this is the federal state of Suzhya, who possesses a different administrative structure. The monarchy is the formal leader of the federal state, taking the position typically held by state leaders. Suzhya is subdivided into 4 Economic regions each comprising of three cities. These cities are then divided by four prefectures for a total of 12 which in turn are divided into boroughs. On the prefectural level, Ornpyat is designated an Imperial Administrative Zone, making it the only collection of prefectures the Emperor of Gemurtrak has direct contol of. Excluding economic regions, all other subdivisions have the ability of self governance with economic regions acting as the combination of cities and prefectures in order to improve connectivity between civil services and long range infrastructure including roads and city metros.

Military
The Imperial Armed Forces of Gemurtrak are comprised of five branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces, and the Local Service Aid & Defense (LSAD). All branches excluding the LSAD, are organized under the Department of National Defense, while the LSAD are placed under the authority of the Department of Internal Management and is lead by the Duty Bearer of Internal Management. All other branches are relegated under the Department of National Defense unless in the occasion of military conflict. On such an occasion the LSAD can be reorganized under the Department of National Defense as an milita force should the purpose be necessary. The powers of commander-in-chief is split between the Duty Bearer of National Defense and the Acting Monarch. Majority of the authority of the monarch is relinquished to the Duty Bearer but can be forcefully reaquired at the demand of the Monarch. The commissioning of officers and the arrangement of the military cabinet remain as powers exclusively exercised by the Monarch.

The Imperial Armed Forces has an active state of conscription demanding all Gemurtrakian civilians from the ages 18 to 28 for a limited period in a single branch (excluding special forces) or within public service departments including state police, firefighting or paramedics. Men must serve a total of 18 months while women serve 12 months, after which they are excused of active duty and placed into reserves until age 35. Gemurtrak has a sizable force, possessing the largest naval fleets and equally one of the largest land forces in the southern hemisphere. Gemurtrak spent $75 Billion in 2020 on the military, roughly 3.3% of the total GDP, a reduction that has been active in the budget since the 2010's coming from the former high of 5.8% in 2012. The Imperial Armed Forces stands as one of the most active military entities in the world, providing support for international missions under the World Forum or directly in some occassions(such as the Agar civil war. Although formerly recognized as a nuclear power in the 1960's, Gemurtrak formally disarmed all their nuclear warheads in 1976 under the 1976 Gemurtrak Nuclear Disarmament Act. Demands by the military were made to reverse the act during the 1980's following heightened tensions during the Ordish Revolution but were ultimately kept in place across the period.

Economy
Gemurtrak has a developed that stands as the 7th largest global economy by  and in terms of purchasing power parity according to 2020 estimates. Gemurtrak has stood as one of the top ten largest global economies following its economic recovery and boom in the 1960's and 70's. In the modern day, Gemurtrak has a highly skilled labour force and a major innovator in the international field. Gemurtrak is often considered a major economic power, leading to it membership in international economic groups including [Group], [Group], and [Group]. While they are the largest economy in Osamia, being the only country surpassing Ꝟ2 trillion in GDP (PPP), Gemurtrak is one of the slowest growing economies in Osamia, averaging 1.4% GDP growth since the beginning of the 2010's, being outpaced by Tákjaana in rate of growth. Despite falling GDP growth, the Trakian yosker remains a popular within the Osamian economic sphere. Unemployment rate has remained at 2.7% in 2020, maintaining Gemurtrak's record low unemployment rate, reaching below 3% in 2018. Approximately 62% of total GDP is represented by the, 29% towards the , and 9% from. Gemurtrak is a net exporter, with its agricultural, and mining industries being the largest exports.

Gemurtrak is the leader and major contributor to the Southern Prosperity League, an economic bloc initially created as a customs union with Mitruhmoer before the formal creation of the league in the 1980's following economic disparity concerns. The league represents the economic doctrine of Zhyagameten, a economic philosophy focused on policy towards non-osamian economic powers to support the local economy and protect it from abrasive foreign intervention, however some cities (such as Raswe) have special policy to circumvent these restrictions. This has led Gemurtrak's economy to be largely insular, having their largest exports being nearby Skephonese countries or the eastern coast of Alutra. Gemurtrak's main export partners are Tákjaana (16.2%), Gladomyr (12.7%), and [Nation] (11.6%), the Osamian market alone accounts for 39% of Gemurtrak's total exports. Gemurtrak primarily exports vehicles and vehicle parts, foodstuffs (primarily rice), rare metals, and general media and telecommunication. As a mixed economy, Gemurtrak is known to intervene in the economy but maintains a free market economy with measures implemented to ensure economic competition. This has given way to a highly competitive economy that has been infamously difficult for foreign companies to maintain popularity. This has been met with support and disdain over the economic systems of Gemurtrak, some seeing the market as being too restrictive and risky to compete with other international economies. Gemurtrak also has nationalized some industries considerably, primarily mining (through Zhwagezwar), media (Imperial Entertainment Industries), and shipping (OISC), however many of these have slowly been reduced in size with parts becoming privatized in recent decades.

According to reports from the Gemurtrak central bank, Gemurtrak is 15th in the world for GDP (PPP) per capita, at Ꝟ28,400 per capita. Majority of the economic wealth and infrastructure of the Gemurtrakian economy is situated on the coast concentrated in one of the three major cities of Gemurtrak, colloquially known as the three seaside diamonds, of Ornpyat, the largest and most prosperous of the three, Raswe, and Nagnenwan. These three cities have acted as the bulwark of the economy since industrialization and have each been major sites of trade. Ornpyat, being the largest of these cities, is also home to the Ornpyat Stock Exchange, the largest by  in the southern hemisphere. Of the 500 largest companies according to the World Forum's international economic report, 12 are headquartered in Osamia, seven of which are located in Ornpyat alone. Onrpyat is infamously known for being one of the hardest economic regions to break into, many corperations part of economic collectives to circumvent monopoly laws. Most smaller companies are generally part of low cap collectives (typically referred to as free local collectives) in order to compete against other coperate collectives within the economic region. This collation of some sections of the Gemurtrakian economy has allowed for continued economic competition while still allowing for risk that can be mitigated by cooperation between multiple large cap companies or a mass of low capital companies. This has also invoked worker competition between and within collectives. Jobs within Ornpyat and the surrounding region are often regarded as life-setting careers, causing many to remain in a single company or company collective for their entire lives. This has left much of the lower level careers in Gemurtrak to be highly competitive and result in large yearly turnovers for those unable to achieve more permanent positions.

Demographics
According to the 2020 Census, Gemurtrak's population stands at 78,244,122 with a population density of 52.28km2. This population is concentrated heavily on the coast with more than 40% of the total population living in one of the major coastal cities in Suzhya, Ros Yorges, and Meduser swe.

Ethnic groups
Indisputably, the largest ethnic group in Gemurtrak are the various culture groups of the northern reaches of Osamia, collectively termed the Greater Trakmir Group (GTG). This grouping comprises all ethnic communities that have collectively developed under Gemurtrak and its predecessors and make up 90% of the whole population (around 70.41 million). Modern Gemurtrak holds four groups of the GTG; Gemamir, the largest group comprising about 35% of the nation, who are primarily located on the Borzh kasu peninsula. Ostzamir, the second largest at 25%, cluster largely in the northern lowlands and extend across much of the northern coast. Thizemir, at 18%, is the last major coastal group, consolidating between the western coast and the Jwem psabki mountain range. Okirmir, the smallest group at 12%, represent the collective nomadic northern cultures that cover the entire north central desert. Outside of the GTG, the remaining 10% consist of other Osamian ethnicities including the Tákjaan people (4%), the Yuchvanese (1.6%), and the !TBD people (1.2%). The remaining 3.2% consist of non Osamian groups including Mudruvese, Sedic people and various other minor peoples. All of these groups, excluding the Tákjaan who generally live in the southern parts of Gemurtrak, live in the major cities of Gemurtrak, namely Ornpyat.

Languages
Gemurtrak in a practical format has only a single official language in the country, Trakian, which is spoken by the vast majority of the population with at least 98% of people showing lingustical competency. Gemurtrak also partially recognizes the salian language of Cídeach which is only officially recognized in the autonomous region of Nyiki swe due to the large concentration of Sarya-Gemurtrakians on the island, ethnic salians who were born and raised in Gemurtrak from holdouts of the colonial period. Other languages spoken within the country are largely tied to other ethnic groups including for the Tákjaan minority, and Tenkogul for the Yuchvanese. These groups however, also showed the largest rate of competency during the lingustical census, with 98% of them capable in Trakian. The lowest rate of competancy in language based on ethnic group was the !TBD people with only 37% showing a solid understanding of the language. No other native languages are known to be actively spoken

Religion
Gemurtrak has declared itself a secular state in its 1952 constitution, permitting any and all faiths to practice within the country. According to the 2020 census, around 92% of the population took part in some form of religious activity within the past month relating to the Owkugan faith. While they may practice it, only 53% of the population considers them as following the cultural religion of Owkuga actively. It has been denoted that this comes from the basis that Owkuga is a largely passively followed faith with many holidays, cultural traditions, and non religious practices stemming from the faith originally. About 22% of the population has declared themselves as atheist or agnostic in nature, a continuing drop that has reportedly occurred since the 1980’s from a high of 48% in 1982 and has steadily declining since. Many have denoted the origin of this trend as a sign of an increased cultural push by post federation families reinitiating themselves and their children into religious faiths after the religious crackdown during the 1910-50’s. A popular trend of growth has been the H’Ejrad faith, which has had a meteoric rise in practitioners from around 0.7% in 1960 to almost 16% in 1978 where it has been trending since, remaining at 10% in the 2020 census. The cause of such growth comes from numerous Gemurtrakian exiles picking up the faith in their time in Haksarad and returning as active practitioners. 11% were noted as following faiths originating from Mitruhmoer, primarily Tsuapshong, and a remaining 4% practitioning a variety of faiths ranging from cultural background faiths (such as Sedic people practitioning Ayekism) to new age religions.

Health
Gemurtrak functions under a universal healthcare system paid for by either state providers or company based healthcare subscription funds depending on a persons employment and/or personal decisions. Gemurtrak has maintained this system since the 1960's after demands to reintroduce workplace based healthcare schemes after their removal during the transition from the Osamian Federation. The system has since remained generally balanced with the option to opt into private health funds for a higher quality if a person has the financial capital. While the medical system has been successful, many health problems still plague the country with heavy concerns on smoking originating complications including lung and various other s, and concerns of overworking leading to heart based medical episodes such as, , and. Gemurtrak has one of the highest global rates of smoking with around 48% of the adult population being active smokers.

Education
Officially codified in 1960, the National education act enforced the requirement of compulsory education for any Gemurtrakian civilian under the age of 18. Schools are active year round and are separated into two semester years, with a month break between each. The education system is partially decentralized with education curriculum having some differences between duchies. Education lasts for 12 years comprised of 3 groups; primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary. Each last for 4 years with most schools accommodating both groups of secondary education in their facilities. All education facilities are publically funded and free for all Gemurtrakian citizens to attend. All of these matters apply to all duchies. While curriculum can vary, it is still compulsory for all schools to teach liturature, maths, and humanties at minimum. All other subjects are left to the respective education board of the duchy in question. Although Gemurtrakian students are regarded as very successful in their studies, many do not continue into tertiary education. A steady decline has been occurring in tertiary enrolment from its peak of 48.6% in 1990 to its lowest of 15.7% in the 2016 cencus. Many claim the decline from pessimistic opinions of a tertiary degree in the working field of Gemurtrak, most opting to enter the workforce or study for Vocational Training Diplomas. This decline has provoked the government to institute multiple systems of encourgement including offering financial compensation towards tertiary education to those who served beyond the compulsory military training period, atop of other financial services they were already recieving.

Despite the decline in tertiary education, the secondary education sector of Gemurtrak still remains a very successful field. International education program results typically place Gemurtrakian students within the top 10 most well educated secondary students. Multiple universites in Gemurtrak are also internationally renowned for their quality of education and see the vast majority of enrolments in the country, the most popular including the Mazkwat university, the Suzhyan imperial university, and Maguste university, all of whom rank within the top 50 of the best universities in the world.

Culture
Gemurtrakian culture is regarded as one of the most well known of the broader Osamian cultures given its international exposure across ancient and modern history. Gemurtrak has stood as the cultural center for Osamia since its period of political domination during the 11th till 17th century where much of its traditional culture is derived from including classical forms of literature, art, performance, music, and philosophy. Many surrounding countries on the Osamian continent take influence from elements of Gemurtrakian culture during these periods of hegemony the empire enjoyed as well as the cultural revolutions that were commonly emphasised during the Federation period. These fields would develop and change drastically after the colonization of Gemurtrak from 1702 until 1846 by the Alutran state of Salia, who would bring many Alutran practices to Gemurtrak and generate a blend of the two that remained in popular use even after Gemurtrak's independence, becoming the contemporary formats alongside the traditional forms maintained by the Owkugan clergy. Gemurtrak's modern position in the international community and the growth of popularity of traditional Gemurtrakian practices has brought about a Renaissance in reinterprating much of the traditional arts to realign with the modern world, giving way to a multitude of unique practices that are growing in popularity again. studies generally separate Gemurtrakian culture, commonly refered to as the Greater Trakmir Group, into four groups, these being the most prominant cultures within the modern Gemurtrakian borders that have developed to have major similarities between one another. These include the Gemamir, Ostzamir, Thizemir, and Okirmir. Much of Gemurtrak's cultural variance within its regions originate from the major group in the region which has changed and gained influence due to their connected exposure to one another over the multiple centuries.

Music and performing arts
Music within gemurtrak has been a major focus within society since the classical developments of the Owkugan faith which regarded the learning and performance of music as one of the great pillars of spiritual enlightenment. The culminiation of this was large scale performances comprised of the full bredth of instruments within the Gemurtrakian repertoire. This took the shape of and Gemurtrakian opera which became the two defining features of high court music across the nation. Opera would later permeate into popular culture and transform the format into numerous sole or small group performances such as Kradenizu which had only two performers make use of three separate instruments, one of which is shared between the two. This gave way to a popular culture that would see the creation and retention of numerous oral stories that are well preserved to the modern day. Gemurtrakian performers would also frequently travel to Skephon and Alutra where they would pick up traits and return with them, introducing a wide range of performaces by Gemurtrakian musicians which would only increase in intensity after the arrival of the colonial period. Traditional opera would also develop into a variety of smaller (and in cases such as [Performance], larger) performances that would also develop to be popular within the common cultural sphere.

Into the 20th century, while the party line of the Osamian Federation called for it removal, non-Osamian genres of music still remained popular during the period (such as ), however attention was still placed on traditional folk songs and transforming them into modern anthems of the federation. Counterculture movements within the Federation led to the popularization of newly growing genres that would explode in activity following the Federations fall. took an especially popular hold of the young post federation population which saw the rise of artists and bands such as [Rockartist] who would become national stars and have some success in the international music field. Further liberalization across the late 60's and 70's would see the creation of the genre, one of the most internationally successful genres to come out from Gemurtrak. After the blue scare of the 80's, the rock field gained even more popularity with, , as well as the newly growing international scene of , taking hold within the country. Modern Gemurtrak still holds a vibrant rock and metal scene with a growing revival of the shortlived disco scene in the form of.

Fashion
Prior to the liberation of many cultural elements of Gemurtrakian culture, which were restrained by the Nagsenur system, clothing and the styles and presentation were commonly used as a sign of determining a persons position in the societal hierarchy. Some articles of clothing were outright banned for some to wear due to the association of these pieces towards the Owkugan clergy, the Imperial family, and in extension, an association with some degree of divinity. This stratification of clothing developed a large and complex collection of meanings and styles of clothing associated with certain topics or events. Following the liberalization of the Nagsenur system, the legal consequences of wearing improper attire were removed, bringing about a boom in the fashion industry across the 19th century with a large range of new clothing inspired by court fashion.

This gave way to numerous formerly court fitters creating fashion companies including Getradum, [Company], and [Company], all of which remain major players in the modern fashion field. The formation of the Osamian Federation saw a radicalization of fashion culture which demanded for a reimagination of former styles to relinquish the traditional ties of Gemurtrakian fashion with the upper class and nobility, as well as any influences that were deemed as a product of outsider intervention, typically only targetting influences that were attributed to the Alutran continent. This gave way to the Semurchagu movement, which saw a rejection of popularly accepted trends and adoption of ideas which would permeate into later trends even after the fall of the federation.

Internationally, Gemurtrakian fashion remains largely nieche outside of Osamian fashion circles, most outside exposure being countries of eastern Skephon. Outside of these regions much of the popularity stems from members of the Gemurtrakian diaspora who've generated small fashion circles within places of significant Gemurtrakian people including diasporas found in Haksarad and Ordrey.

Media
Gemurtrak is home to multiple major media companies including Westbank media, The Makadena Company, and the Crown National Productions. These companies were created during the privitization of multiple industries following the dissolution of the Osamian Federation. The People's National Media Collective (PNMC) was the first major media organization after the culmination of a multitude of minor media groups under the federal department of culture and arts. The media collective was later separated and sold to financially aid in the redevelopment of Gemurtrak. One of the major companies made from the split, Imperial Entertainment Industries, is the official state owned entertainment company which operates three major child companies: Imperial Media and Filmworks (IMF), National Channel 3, and the Imperial Community Broadcast Network (ICBN).

Holidays
Since 1846, Gemurtrak has officially used the [Universal Calendar] as the official national calendar to recordkeep. National holidays and festivals however are instead based on the Gemurtrakian calendar which is still maintained and updated by the Owkugan faith. The Gemurtrakian government have officially observed national holidays for 12 of the traditional calendar holidays including Foundation Day, Emperor's Birthday, Teguznorma, Unions Day, and the Summer and Winter Lunar Convergence Day. Gemurtrak also celebrate two instances of based on both calendars, however the traditional new years is far more popular, consisting of a multitude of festivals across the ten day celebration. Additional non-religious holidays are observed but through use of the [Universal Calendar] including, Independence Day, and Rememberance Day. Multiple national holidays have been removed and replaced by non-religious holidays due to events of cult based terrorism during these holidays which had been in debate concerning some controversial material surrounding them.