Zwazwamia

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The Holy Nation in Zwazwam
Flag
Capital
and largest city
Dovamon
Official languages Zwazwan
Area
 -  145,589.2 km2
56,212 sq mi
Population
 -  estimate 11,025,000
 -  Density 75.7/km2
196.1/sq mi

Zwazwamia (Zwazwan: Zwazwam, IPA: /zᵝázᵝam/), officially the The Holy Nation in Zwazwam, is a country located in eastern Vaniua, bordered by Amaia to the north, Balakia to the west, and the Zwazwan Gulf to the south. The Zwazwan economy is primarily centred around the manufacturing of cheap consumer goods, such as plastic toys.

Following the [crusade name] spearheaded by Terminia, a number of ethnic Zwazwans adopted the Pashaist religion. To this day Zwazwamia is unique in being the only independent Pashaist-majority state in Vaniua.

Throughout the course of the 19th Century the Zwazwan Empire rose to prominence, building up a sphere of influence in the region. Through wars such as the Presidential War this influence continued to grow among the eastern Balak states. However, this period came to an end following the Balak-Zwazwan War, which saw the Balak states, including those previously under Zwazwan influence, unite and overtake the Zwazwan Empire.

Etymology

Zwazwam (Proto-Amaian *psápsam), the endonym for Zwazwamia, is related to Zwazwa (Proto-Amaian *psápsa), the name of the ancient clan from which the Zwazwan people are descended.

History

Geography

Geology

Climate

Most of Zwazwamia is characterized by a warm Mediterranean climate.

Biodiversity

Zwazwamia, being flatter than Amaia and lacking the latter's mountains, has lower biodiversity. However, the primary reason for Zwazwamia's low biodiversity in the modern era is the impact of Zwazwamia's heavy industry and higher population density on the environment, compounded by the lack of attention to environmental issues in Zwazwamia. While many species have gone extinct or been extirpated from Zwazwamia, the lack of ongoing research in the country means that the total extent of the damage is unknown.

Politics

Government

Zwazwamia is a centralised unitary theocratic state, with central power concentrated in a body of religious officials. This is reflected in the country's bicameral legislature, the Holy Zwazwan Assembly, which comprises an upper house - the High Council - and a lower house - the Advisory Council. The High Council comprises TBD members, with each of the country's provinces sending a delegation of 3 representatives, whereas the Advisory Council comprises TBD members, with one representative being returned by each county. Zwazwamia uses a form of the Terminian parliamentary system; as is typical for a Terminian system, the High Council has sole legislative privilege as the upper house, with the Advisory Council as the lower house serving to approve or reject the High Council's proposals and return its comments. In practice, the Advisory Council has been accused by human rights organisations of serving simply as a rubber stamp for the High Council.

The Zwazwan political structure displays noteworthy oddities compared to other countries which use the Terminian parliamentary system and Terminian federalism, in part due to the country's relatively high centralisation. Unlike other unitary states which have adopted Terminian federalism - such as Gushlia and Baghazan - the Advisory Council is not divided into regional compartments. Instead, each provincial delegation to the High Council forms a collective leadership for their respective province, a reversal of the standard Terminian model wherein the upper house remains uncompartmentalised while the lower house is divided. In the provinces, these members serve as the highest-ranking executive and judicial officials there.

Elections

what elections lmao

Provincial delegations to the High Council are indirectly elected by members of the clergy(?) through block voting; the 3 candidates with the highest vote totals are returned. Representatives in the Advisory Council are directly elected by the citizenry through a secret ballot with universal suffrage, using the first-past-the-post voting system. All candidates for election in Zwazwamia must be strictly nonpartisan and independent, as is enforced by the country's constitution. Candidates go through a vetting process conducted by authorities, however, to determine their suitability for government, which has been criticised by human rights watchdogs as undemocratic and rife with abuse. Grounds for rejection include, but are not limited to:

  • Renouncing the Pashaist faith
  • Previous abuses of power
  • Having a "notorious reputation"
  • Denouncing the Zwazwan state or its constitution

Administrative divisions

Foreign relations

Relations with other countries in Vaniua are poor due to Zwazwamia's strong religious differences with them. Although Amaia is relatively secular, its relations with Zwazwamia are still relatively poor due to cultural resentment in Amaia towards Zwazwan people and a perception that migrants from Zwazwamia place a heavy burden on the already-deficient Amaian welfare system.

Instead, Zwazwamia enjoys warmer relations with other Pashaist countries, particularly those in Parshita.

Military

The military is headed by the High Council.

Economy

Zwazwamia's primary source of revenue is manufacturing. Despite its small size, it produces almost 30% of the world's plastic toys with value below US$10 per unit. It also produces many chemicals in bulk, such as concrete. Steel beams for construction form another major component of the Zwazwan economy.

Transport

Energy

Science and technology

Tourism

International and even domestic tourism are limited in Zwazwamia due to restrictions on population movement and the prevalence of religious fundamentalism within the country.

Demographics

Due to tight restrictions on population movement, Zwazwamia is quite homogeneous ethnically and linguistically. There is a small Manatak minority which faces some discrimination from the Zwazwan majority. Recently there has been some immigration from Kaisen and Czisilia.

Ethnic groups

Urbanisation

Zwazwamia is 97% urbanized, but the cities are mostly the same size (except for the capital Dovamon, which is the largest settlement by far), due to restrictions on migration from one province to another.

Language

The Zwazwan language is functionally identical to the Amaian language except for the large-scale replacement of about 20% of the vocabulary with words of Terminian origin.

Education

Healthcare

Religion

Culture

Heritage

Architecture

Literature

Art

Music

Theatre

Film

Cuisine

Sport

Symbols

See also