Valithoria

The Confederated States of Valithoria (Kathic: Delherandair Khonotir Valithorasir) is a confederation of four formal Kathic colonies in central Veharia. It borders the Allonian Ocean to its northeast, Florencia to its north, a large mountain range to the south, and a desert to the west. Valithoria is home to approximately 57 million citizens, over half of those living in the state of Valithoria. Prior to Kathic colonization, the lands that now comprise Valithoria were inhabited by various native groups, the largest of which were the Preostians and the Ustilians, from which two Valithorian states take their name. These natives were largely nomadic, though some settlements existed along the Ustili and Preost rivers.

Kathic settlers landed in current day Valithoria in 1552 and established a colony near the modern day city of Daszau in 1563. Valithoria was founded as a colony of the Kingdom of Kathia in 1567. More settlements were established along the coast and further inland, causing native push back. The colony of Preostia was established in 1589, and the colony of Ustili was given autonomy from Preostia in 1620 to appease the natives of the region. In 1644, hearing news of Kathia's defeat to Daeron, some northern regions of Valithoria along the Tiszian Peninsula attempted to unilaterally secede. The rebellion proved unsuccessful, though the colony of Tiszia was established in 1657 alongside the founding of the Kathic Empire. Feeling the increasing overreach and militarization of the Kathic Empire, the colonies fell into unrest. During the late 1600’s and early 1700’s, numerous small secessionist rebellions popped up throughout the colonies. Tensions boiled over into revolution in the late 1700's, with the CSV declaring its independence on 20 August, 1788. The faltering empire quickly lost grips on the newly formed CSV, being focused on the struggle to remain in power in the Kathic homeland and ill prepared to deal with a war overseas. Valithoria acted quickly to establish trade relations with Aurora, believing it to be important for continued economic growth, which lead Valithoria to advance quickly alongside the Auroran nations. Valithoria remained neutral during the great wars, using a tactic of defensive neutrality. During the Second Great War, protests raged across the nation urging action, but the confederate government was unwilling to take a stance, deciding instead to focus on domestic issues.

Today, Valithoria is a highly developed nation with a GDP of 2.34 trillion and varying levels of urbanization between states. The state of Valithoria is the dominant economic and cultural force within the nation due to its high population and technological development. Valithoria is a member of the World Concordat, but tends to avoid entanglement with other international organizations. Valithoria has a developed national military, but does not possess nuclear warheads. Valithoria is officially a confederation, and its national government operates as a series of democratically elected representative councils. Each state has its own local government that has the power to create laws, operate judiciary and punitive systems, and tax its citizens. While this creates a clear divide between regions, the nationalized military, currency, and freedom of travel within the nation create a unified national identity.

Indigenous peoples and Kathic colonization
It is believed that the native people of modern day Valithoria arrived from the north (modern day Florencia) and the southwest of the region, with the northern tribes being largely nomadic and the southern tribes containing a greater variety of cultures, both nomadic and sedentary. The Preostians settled largely along the Preost river basin and the Ustilians along the Ustili river basin and the nearby mountains. The Preostians and Ustilians were the two largest native tribes encountered by Kathic settlers, with initial accounts describing the natives as having large settlements and a complex society. Though friendly interactions were not uncommon, many of these native settlements were met with hostility by Kathic settlers, with natives being sold into slavery or killed. Despite any good intentions to establish trade with the natives, disease was often spread between the settlers and the natives, leading to severe depopulation in dense native settlements. These combined forces greatly weakened the natives' ability to prevent the establishment of Kathic settlements on their lands.

The first Kathic settlement was established in Daszau in 1563, 11 years after the first Kathic settlers arrived in the region. Valithoria was founded as a colony of the Kingdom of Kathia in 1567. Other settlements, such as Lauria, Valithal, and Locida were founded soon after, leading to higher tensions and frequent battles between the settlers and the natives. Numerous agreements to preserve native lands and restrict the settlers' expansion were made, however, settlers continued to initiate conflicts and claim land that violated these agreements. The natives that chose to assimilate to the Kathic culture were often accepted into society, though many were also sold into slavery. The colony of Preostia was established in 1589, and the colony of Ustili was given autonomy from Preostia in 1620 to appease the natives of the region. In 1644, hearing news of Kathia's defeat to Daeron, some northern regions of Valithoria along the Tiszian Peninsula attempted to unilaterally secede, believing that a Kathic state in political turmoil would be unable to enforce sovereignty. The rebellion proved unsuccessful, though the colony of Tiszia was established in 1657 alongside the founding of the Kathic Empire.

Confederation
Following the founding of the Kathic Empire in 1657, the Valithorian colonies fell into unrest. Numerous protests and small rebellions cropped up throughout the colonies during this time, though the vast resources supplied to the Kathic homeland made maintaining control worth the extra cost. Despite unrest in the colonies and the increasing militarization of the Kathic Empire, the colonies continued under Kathic rule much as they had prior to the founding of the empire. This changed following the Kathic Empire losing the War of Hijjmayan Independence; the defeat made the Kathic empire look weak in the eyes of the colonists. On 20 August, 1788, the four colonies declared the independence from the Kathic Empire and the formation of the Confederated States of Valithoria. The empire, already dealing with pressures at home, was unable to support a counter revolutionary operation in Valithoria and was forced to allow it to secede. The confederation mandated the formation of a national military, created the national bank and the national currency, created the National Legislative Council, and the National Council, which acts as the executive branch of government. The judiciary exists at a state level, however, each state has a national judiciary that is run by the confederation.

Modern Valithoria
In the early 1800's, Florencia was in turmoil. The revolution taking place spurred conflicts along the Valithoria-Florencia border, which the Valithorian National Military was called to defend. While the conflicts did not ultimately result in a full scale war, it was an early sign of future political tension between the nations. Later that century, the industrial revolution was in full swing. As Valithoria industrialized, the states began to invest more into improving working conditions and minority rights. The move toward an industrialized nation caused an economic boom in Tiszia, where oil deposits along the Tiszian coast were found. The following years would see a mass immigration to Tiszia, mostly concentrated in the northern tip of the peninsula where oil and jobs were plentiful. In 1868, Preostia was the last Valithorian state to outlaw slavery. Women's suffrage was achieved nationwide during the civil protests of 1887.

Because a consensus on who to support could not be achieved, Valithoria remained neutral during the great wars, deciding to focus on issues at home. This internal division lead to the Valithorian Second Great War Protests in which mainly pro-autocrats demonstrated in the streets across the nation. During both wars Valithoria announced a state of defensive neutrality, where any foreign military operations within Valithorian territory would be met with immediate action. This proved an effective deterrent despite Valithoria's somewhat weak military. Among the projects pioneered by the National Council during this time, perhaps the most significant was the construction of a robust national transportation system. By 1970, the Valithorian High-Speed Rail System completed its initial construction plans, operating five lines and connecting 37 major cities across all four states. The rail system has since expanded, adding five more lines and expanding service to six more major cities.

Valithoria today is highly developed and is a generally rich nation, though due to its wealth inequality there is an estimated 1.6%, or approximately 950,000 people living in poverty (defined as earning below $5 PPP per day). Wealth inequality continues to grow slowly in Valithoria, though the poverty rate has been trending down since 1949. The notable exception exists in Tiszia, where wealth inequality has been trending downward since 1967. Tiszia is by far the most urbanized state in the nation, with approximately 90% of its population living within cities. Nationwide, the urbanization is significantly lower, at around 65%, though this is trending upward. Valithoria is a member of the World Concordat. Valithoria is not currently a nuclear weapons state and has no official plans for the development of nuclear weapons.

Geographical features
Valithoria has a warm but varied climate, ranging from mountains along the southern border to the humid lowlands in central Valithoria to the Aszivan Desert in the north. The Tiszian Peninsula, and more broadly the northern coastline, is generally more rugged and less humid than central and southern Valithoria. Two major river systems, the Ustili and Preost, run through central Valithoria and terminate at the port cities of Valithal and Vira. Far eastern Valithoria contains heavily forested and swampy areas, largely due to the region's hot and wet climate. Off the coast of the mainland, there are nine major islands (each with an area greater than 3500 km²) and approximately 150 minor islands. Valithoria has over 250,000 km of coastline facing the Allonian ocean.