Ephrazi

Ephrazi, formally the Republic of Ephrazi, is a , as well as a  spanning over both the northeast corner of Dihara and the southwestern corner of Tarsis via a  formed by what is known as the Ephrazian Isthmus. Ephrazi shares a border with XX and YY to the south and west in Dihara, and ZZ and AA to the east in Tarsis, while, although it does not share a land border, faces Achysia to the north across the Median Sea to its northwest. Situated on the isthmus between the Median and Pelagian Seas and the Sea of Azad, it is the only continuous nation in Themys that borders both the Allonian and Indian Oceans simultaneously. The nation is home to 28 million residents; Caisiphon, the nation's capital, is also its largest city, followed by Maha.

Being in a unique geographical position as the crossroads of civilization in Azora, Dihara and Tarsis, the history of Ephrazi has been influenced by interaction with nearby powers. Most of ancient Ephrazi saw the coexistence of powerful kingdoms dominating most of modern-day Ephrazi and city-states dotting its northern coast; Ephrazi was first unified under the Astahki Empire, which grew into major prominence to challenge the rising Elyrian Empire until it was annexed after a series of wars in the 5th century AC. Under Elyrian rule, it flourished as one of the major cores of the empire, given its proximity and geographical similarities with southern Azora. After the decline of the Elyrian Empire, Ephrazi was once again unified under the Symeid Empire in 228 AC, which remained predominant as a major world power in the medieval world.

The rise of Aranism in Ephrazi, most notably in the south, resulted in the increase of religious divide within the nation, resulting in the Symeid Empire's collapse and the further plunge into civil war and division. It was reunified under the Aranist-dominant Ephsahr Empire in the 10th century AC, which resurrects Ephrazi as a world power and creates a unified Ephrazian identity in the region, all while maintaining a precarious rule against the Vayonist majority in the north. Ephrazi entered a golden age under the Ephsahr Empire, which lasted throughout the 12th and 13th centuries; its fate was met with decline amid the discovery of trans-Allonian maritime trade routes and increased conflicts with southern Azoran states, including Ichoria and Achysia, the latter of which led to significant territorial losses both in Dihara and Tarsis. The empire became a  of Achysia in 1446 AC, although it had nominally avoided colonialism from Azora. The early 16th century, however, was met with revolutionary independence movements led by Miron Demallis and changing geopolitical circumstances in Azora, which resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Ephrazi in 1510 AC, built around republican political ideals. The construction of the Grand Ephrazian Canal in the Ephrazian Isthmus and the discovery of petroleum and gas in central Ephrazi, coupled with industrialization efforts since the 15th century, significantly elevated its economic status in the later half of the 16th century.

Today, Ephrazi is considered to be a in both northern Dihara and southwestern Tarsis, often being referred to as the  in international politics. Its unique geography has given the nation significant geopolitical and strategic importance throughout its history as well as the present day, while its economic and industrial initiatives have pushed it closer into the domains of a economically. Although it is a major player in the global petroleum and gas industry, being a founding member of the Union of Petroleum and Gas Exporters as well as the world's sixth-largest producer of both and, it has attempted an increasing focus on decreasing its dependency on oil and gas than before and is actively focusing on commerce and tourism.

Prehistory and antiquity
The earliest evidence of prehistoric human presence in what is now Ephrazi dates back to almost 800,000 years ago, found in the Helamas cave in northwestern Ephrazi. Earliest remains of anatomically modern humans have been found in the Kamaperos cave in western Ephrazi, dating back to around 250,000 years ago. In southern and central Zhenia, a handful of prehistoric remains of human life dating back to at least 240,000 years ago, focused mainly on the oases, have been discovered. As Ephrazi is situated at the northeastern edge of Dihara, it is speculated that Ephrazi was a major gateway of human migration from Dihara to the outside world, with estimates that a land bridge between it and modern-day Achysia resulted in the migration of the first Azorans, while many humans migrated into western Tarsis via central and southern Ephrazi. Both the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages are represented throughout Ephrazi, although a general tendency in discovered remains suggests that northern Ephrazi developed faster than the south. Remains of neolithic settlements, for instance, are on average almost five centuries older in the north than in the south, with the arid climate of the south somewhat inhibiting further development of civilization.

Ancient Ephrazi was home to one of the first advanced civilizations in the world alongside western Tarsis.

Ephsahr Empire
Following a series of wars against lesser Vayonist kingdoms, Salas I of Kassaran unified what is modern-day Ephrazi into one and established the Ephsahr Empire in 907 AC. After consolidating Aranist rule over the region, Salas I expanded the empire into northern Dihara and western Tarsis, once again asserting its presence as a contender against the Vayonist states in Azora.

Military
The Republic of Ephrazi Armed Forces was formed shortly after the establishment of the Republic in 1510 AC, and is the primary defense force of the nation. It consists of the Army, Naval Forces and the Air Force, while the Coast Guard and the Gendarmerie, although not officially part of the Armed Forces, can fall under military command in wartime. As the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, the President appoints both the Minister of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While the President can assume control over the military as its commander-in-chief, the right to declare war against other nations and allow foreign armed forces in Ephrazi rests solely within the Parliament - a measure intended to prevent the President from single-handedly making decisions against the state's security.

The Republic of Ephrazi demands all fit male Ephrazian citizen otherwise not restricted is required to serve in the military for at least 21 months or 24 months, depending on service branch. While it does not officially recognize, Ephrazi offers civilian alternatives to military service, although they normally last 30 to 36 months depending on the type of service. There have been several petitions to expand the conscription law to all fit female Ephrazian citizens as well: since 1606 AC, all fit female Ephrazian citizens are mandated to serve in the military for six to twelve months. Both men and women who have served in the military are required to serve in reserve duty for a ten-year period, normally consisting of wartime conscription and around two weeks of state-paid mandatory training every year. As of 1610 AC, around 45% of male citizens and 12% of female citizens of ages between 25 and 34 have served in the Armed Forces.

The Republic of Ephrazi Armed Forces is considered one of the most powerful military forces in western Tarsis and northern Dihara, as well as one of the largest by manpower, with an estimated strength of around 630,000 deployable forces in a 1608 estimate.

Education
The Ministry of Education is responsible for all pre-tertiary education and much of tertiary education in the nation. The compulsory education system lasts twelve years, from the age of seven to nineteen, and consists of six years of primary school, two years of intermediate school and four years of high school; each level is separated by a set of academic assessment tests that act as an indicator towards the student's academic skills and aptitude, which in turn influence the student's admissions well into college. Normally all levels of schools are separated according to grade; in select areas and circumstances, however, primary and intermediate schools can often be within the same building and thus in the same system, under the name 'unified school'. As education is compulsory until high school, almost all Ephrazians between ages 25 and 34 have completed at least high school; this is because education is regarded as a key pathway to success in Ephrazian society, although the emphasis on higher education in particular is somewhat fading today. The overall adult literacy rate as of 1609 was 99.4%, one of the highest in both Dihara and Tarsis.

There are 144 four-year universities in Ephrazi as of 1609 AC. Entrance to almost all universities in the nation is regulated by a standardized admission system that runs on a number of separate tracks, each distinguished by the varying degree of importance they place on the student's Higher Education Assessment Test (HEAT) scores, essays, letters of recommendation and separate tests by the university. Some of the top universities in the nation include the Miron Demallis University, University of Caisiphon, the Caisiphon Institute of Technology and University of Maha. Around 40% of the universities in the nation are national institutions or are state-funded, while a vast majority of the remainder are run by non-profit institutions. As of 1609, 47.8% of all Ephrazian adults between ages 25 and 34 were graduates of universities or technical institutes.

Oil and gas
Despite economic diversification efforts since the 1560s AC, it still plays an important role in the Ephrazian economy. Proven reserves of petroleum within Ephrazian soil and waters total around 89.3 billion barrels of petroleum and around 20,000 cubic kilometers of natural gas, making it home to the fifth-largest and seventh-largest petroleum and gas reserves in the world respectively. On June 1610, Ephrazi's daily total oil liquid production stood at around 3.77 million barrels, making it the sixth-largest producer of petroleum and gas in the world. The oil and gas sector altogether generated around 25.5% of the nation's total GDP as of 1609. The nation's oil and gas production and refinement is focused primarily in central and southern Ephrazi, although there are a handful of refineries to the north with aims for the Azoran market.

Since the discovery of petroleum and gas in 1539 AC, the government has been responsible for the handling of revenue from the sector, including taxes, licensing fees, dividends and sales revenues. It has been maintaining a significant amount of the sector's revenue in a government-maintained (the Ephrazi Sovereign Fund) since 1580 AC, with the primary intention of diversifying the nation's economy from oil and gas as well as minimize uncertainty from oil price fluctuations. The Sovereign Fund in recent years has significantly invested back into Ephrazian businesses and infrastructure projects, most notably the recent expansions of the Grand Ephrazian Canal, The Ephrazi Sovereign Fund is estimated to have over $700 billion worth of accumulated revenue and assets from the nation's oil and gas sector as of July 1610, while there are projections that the total balance would exceed $1 trillion by 1625 if current trends in oil and gas prices continue.

Tourism
Tourism has been a major element in the Ephrazian economy since the later half of the 16th century AC. Today, tourism is one of its most important sectors, contributing an estimated 18.8% of the nation's total gross domestic product as of 1609. Over 36 million international visitors have visited Ephrazi in 1608, a increase from the 29 million in 1600. Of the 36 million visitors, half of its international visitors are from Azora, due to its geographic proximity and cultural similarities, particularly along its northern coasts. Achysia was the most common nation of origin for visitors to Ephrazi, at 4.2 million, followed by Salia (3.1 million) and Kathia (2.2 million).

Many of the nation's most popular tourist destinations are located on the northern coast, particularly facing the Median and Pelagian Sea.

Infrastructure
As of 1610 AC, Ephrazi has a road network of 70,813.1 kilometers (44,001.2 miles) throughout its territories. Due to the nation's landscape, road remains the most common means of passenger transport in the nation, although the government's significant investments on rail has partly changed the circumstances. Ephrazian Rail, the main operator of the nation's rail network, has operated Dihara's first network in 1590 AC, when a line along the nation's northern coast commenced operations. and networks are also commonplace in many Ephrazian cities.

There are 89 airports throughout the nation, 28 of which are international airports. Caisiphon International Airport, the nation's largest airport, is one of the world's busiest airports by number of passengers and is the primary hub of Ephrazi Airlines, the and largest airline in the nation among other airlines. Ephrazi is also a major player in global shipping, being home to the Grand Ephrazian Canal that connects the Pelagian Sea and the Sea of Azad. Being responsible for almost a third of the world's shipping traffic, it is at the choke point of some of the world's most important shipping routes. The strong presence of shipping and trade in the Ephrazian economy has resulted in several of its ports, including the Port of Caisiphon and the Port of Maha, become one of the world's largest ports in terms of cargo tonnage. With its pleasant climate and landscape, it is also a popular destination for cruise ship lines traversing the Median and Pelagian Seas, as well as the Sea of Azad: Elmas International, one of the largest cruise companies in the world, is headquartered in Caisiphon.

As a major global producer of oil and gas, Ephrazi is highly dependent on natural gas for its electricity needs, with natural gas alone generating almost half of the electricity used in the nation. However, at an attempt to decrease its dependency on fossil fuels, it has invested aggressively on, particularly in and. It maintains a total of eight reactors across the nation - four in the Karaltin nuclear power plant in the nation's northwestern coast and the remaining four in Arkas Island nuclear power plant along its southern coast. Under the government's Climate Initiative 1650, solar and wind energy are expected to generate around 30% of the nation's entire electricity demands by 1630, and 70% by 1650.

Water supply and sanitation throughout Ephrazi has been a significant challenge by itself, given that over 60% of the nation is desert. While access to drinking water and adequate sanitation has been universal in the northern coastal regions, much of the desert region has been characterized with chronic water shortages that are unable to sustain large populations at natural states. A series of aboveground and underground canals and aqueducts, built throughout the later half of the 16th century under the Ephrazi River Initiative, is one of the world's largest water management systems, managing almost 40 km3 of water every year and transporting groundwater from the Central Ephrazi system to the city's coastal regions. Ephrazi has also invested heavily in wastewater recycling and management as well as ; the Hegweg Desalination Plant, located along the Sea of Azad, is one of the largest single desalination plants in the world.