Vermejo
| República Vermejo (Vermilion Republic) | |||
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| Motto: | |||
| Anthem: For the glory! | |||
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| Map versions | 18.0.0 | ||
| Capital | Glorieta | ||
| Largest city | Glorieta | ||
| Official language(s) | Guano Martino Britannic Istvanistani | ||
| Official religion(s) | 78% Nazarene 8% Tribal Religions 5% no religion | ||
| Demonym | Vermejan | ||
| - Adjective | Vermejan | ||
| Government | Federal presidential republic | ||
| - President | Raul Sanchez | ||
| - Prime Minister | Esteban Gutierrez | ||
| - Legislature | National Congress | ||
| Establishment | 22.XI.1743 AN | ||
| Area | |||
| Population | 1,212,440 | ||
| Active population | 1 | ||
| Currency | Vermejo Peso (VPS) | ||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | CMT - 1 | ||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | right | ||
| Track gauge | |||
| National website | |||
| National forum | |||
| National animal | Javelina | ||
| National food | Nopal | ||
| National drink | Tequila | ||
| National tree | Yucca | ||
| Abbreviation | VMJ | ||
Vermejo, formally the República Vermejo (Vermilion Republic), is a small country located along the coast of Taylor Bay on the eastern seaboard of Keltia. It occupies parts of the former nation of Anahuaco, mostly within the old province of Pavón.
Following the East Keltian Collapse of Anahuaco, the Republicanos Anahuacanos who had been forced to the hinterlands by the Imperialistas soon found themselves able to advance. Pushed east by the Confederacy of the Dispossessed, they occupied the ruins of San Miguel el Grande and took possession of the Ferrocarril Pavón al Golfo de Taylor. They utilized the rail line to shuttle their army across Pavón, exerting control over the surrounding territory, to the small Golfo de Vermejo, a smaller bay within the larger Taylor Bay. Here they established a capitol at the village of Glorieta. The son of rebel leader Roberto Sanchez, Raul, was elected first President of the Republic, officially establishing the República Vermejo in 1743.
Etymology
The republic takes its name from the small Golfo de Vermejo (Vermilion Bay), located along the northwestern shores of the larger gulf known as Taylor Bay (Golfo de Taylor). The name refers to the reddish color of the water, likely due to the presence of red plankton or the muddy-red waters created by nearby red clay deposits and the delta of the Rio Glorieta.
History
Formation of the Republic
In 1705, Roberto Sanchez's defeat at the hands of the Imperialistas led to his fleeing to the hinterlands of Anahuaco. Operating from the Green west of Pavón, the Republicanos led a nomadic lifestyle surviving off of the generosity of locals. Here they slowly rebuilt an army of disenfranchised Anahuacana that were disgusted with the sloth and greed of the royalty while the rest of the population suffered. By the time of the East Keltian Collapse in 1736, the Republicanos saw an opportunity to seize the day. By this point Roberto Sanchez was in his eighties and had retired, while his son Raul had risen in his footsteps as a commander in the Republican Army.
When the government of Anahuaco collapsed, Raul led his army into the ruins of San Miguel el Grande and seized the railway depot there. He quickly organized what remained of the city and its supplies for bolstering his army, effectively turning it into a military base. The train was armed with plating pulled from whatever metal could be found, and in this way he was able to move his men very quickly over the mountains of the Sierra del Sur. With the Anahuacan diaspora ongoing, many families were fleeing to other countries. But this left a power vacuum that Sanchez seized upon. The rail terminus at Glorieta provided not only a strategic port and rail depot, it was also a hotspot of republican sentiment. By 1740 he had secured the rail route, ruins of San Miguel, and established a main base in Glorieta.
The next three years (1740-43) were spent consolidating republican control over the surrounding territory and preparing to transition to an official government. In mid-1743 the first Republican Congress of Vermejo was held in Glorieta. Sanchez was easily elected president of the republic. Minority leader Esteban Gutierrez was elected as Prime Minister to serve as chair of the National Congress, the state legislature. A ceremony on 22.XI.1743 AN, held in the plaza of Glorieta, announced the official declaration of the republic.
Sanchez's first obstacles will be to achieve unity among a people fractured by years of war, deprivation and exploitation. Republican support rests on the elimination of the upper classes that mistreated the lower class for generations, meanwhile establishing a viable industrial base to support the fledgling economy.
Modern Vermejo
In the three years since achieving independence, President Sanchez has spent most of his time working on eliminating class inequalities while establishing vital social services and restoring state infrastructure. The spring session of the National Congress in 1744 saw approval of a major investment into the Pago Express to restore services along the rail. While it is currently only a single-track passenger rail, the legislature approved a plan to allow an alternating schedule to run light freight during evening hours when passenger service is generally at its lowest. This would serve as an interim solution to moving freight across the country until a second track can be constructed exclusively for freight cars. The legislature approved expenditures to this end and construction on a second line began in early 1745. Construction is expected to take five years to complete, but once done will allow a continuous flow of passenger and freight rail across the country.
Sanchez's other projects included allocating funding to work restoring basic infrastructure such as roads and repairing damages from the civil war. Social services such as hospitals, fire and police were also restored, mostly on the municipal level. To help bolster the economy, the President negotiated trade arrangements with Moorland to the north, which is connected via the Trans-Keltian Express. Exports increased significantly of beef, dairy and farm products, seafood, and raw ores mined from the Sierra del Sur mountains. In return, Moorland has begun exporting more refined goods to Vermejo, such as machinery, electronics, steel and iron, and petroleum. Several Moorlander companies have also opened locations in Vermejo. This has helped drive down the price of these goods, which previously had to be imported at significant costs. It has further helped the large agricultural community, who have struggled with the cost of expensive farm equipment.
While class inequality continues to be a problem - rooted in large ranch families with vast tracts of land - Sanchez continues to tackle the problem by pushing for the development of a strong social security system. By allowing foreign investors to open businesses in Vermejo, Sanchez is slowly breaking up local monopolies that have long held a stranglehold on the economy. The success of these reforms has helped quell resistance to these measures, although some of these families remain aloof, sympathetic to the old Imperialistas. With two years left before the next election, Sanchez is pushing for significant progress to secure a victory in the next presidential run.
Geography
Most of the country is confined to the temperate coastal region that offers ideal conditions for farming and ranching. The state is split in the center by the Sierra del Sur mountains, traversed mainly by the Ferrocarril Pavón al Golfo de Taylor railway and a single winding road that is prone to seasonal temperaments. The coastal region is where most of the population resides, especially along the coast where small fishing villages thrive. On the western side of the range the land turns to arid desert that is nowadays mostly devoid of settlement. Most of these areas are held by far-reaching cattle ranches.
Economy
The currency of Vermejo is the Vermejo peso (MOS: VPS). It is not currently pegged to another national currency, and is therefore considered a volatile market.
Government and politics
See Politics of Vermejo for details
Vermejo is a federal presidential republic with an elected head-of-state (President) and elected head-of-government (Prime Minister).
The country is a federation of ten states: Alta, Guanajuato, Chilie, Quelite, Verde, Baja, Hidalgo, Sierra, Felicitas, and Desierto.
The executive power is exercised by the executive branch, which is headed by the president and their Cabinet, which, together, are independent of the legislature. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress, a bicameral legislature comprising the Senate (49 seats) and the Chamber of Deputies (60 seats). Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, the Council of the Federal Judiciary, and the collegiate, unitary, and district courts. Elections are held every five years. The next election cycle is set for 1749.
Demographics
The largest percentage of people in Vermejo identify as ethnic Guano, mostly of the former Anahuacan lower class. As smaller percentage claim Martino descent, these mostly from upper class families, some of which defected from royal lineage and gave up their titles in lieu of serving in the republic. The remainder are a mix of indigenous peoples, Nova English and other Britannics, and other transplants to the area.
Culture
The majority of modern Vermejans trace their ancestry back to Gran Verionia and the migration of the Guano people from the northern provinces across the Rio Rojo into what would become Anahuaco. The second-largest ancestry group stems from settlers who migrated from Nova England. These two groups have slowly amalgamated over the interceding generations into Vermejan society as we now know it.
Defence
The country's defense is organized by the Secretary of Defence, a cabinet-appointed position, while the President acts as Commander-in-Chief. The Republican Army was formed out of the various militias of the Republicanos and various rebel armies organized by Roberto Sanchez. With the founding the republic, these were formally incorporated into the Republican Army and efforts begun to standardize the various units within a cohesive and unified command structure. At present, Vermejo possesses only a small Air Force of several planes based out of the aerodrome at Glorieta, and a small naval fleet stationed at Las Islas.
