Azkali

The Azkali State (азкалиден езтатен) (Azkali: Azkali Herria; Inori: Aścali Heriścae; Hakainaki: Afukali Etorifun), colloquially known across the world as Azkali, was a country in southern Ukilen, with an area of approximately [placeholder] square miles. The Azkali State shared borders with Sunteria and Baphia to the west and north respectively, as well as maritime borders with Loremesia and Hallei to the west and southwest. At its peak, the Azkali State had a population of over 42 million, concentrated mostly in the west of the country. Its capital was the city of Chekearoa, and its largest and most influential city was Otzeipao.

The Azkali State was first declared on the 19th of August 1967, following the unification of the three largest Azkali nations at the time: the Grand Duchy of Otzeipao-Chekearoken, the Independent State of Azkali, and the Azkali Republic in late 1966. The Azkali State was unstable, and faced several revolts and separatist movements, aswell as two civil wars throughout its existence. The Azkali State was a federative semi-presidential republic for most of it's existence.

The Azkali State was formed in 1966 following the unification of three Azkali states. The Azkali State's government was able to unify the several largest Azkali ethnic groups into one state, however major ethnic revolts and allegations of corruption and a military coup d'etat caused the state to catastrophically collapse into a civil war in 1978. Fighting ceased suddenly as the 1980 Azkali Plague outbreak and 1st Baphian-Azkali War occured, causing the deaths of 65-70% of Azkali's population, between 3.5 to 4 percent of the global population, mostly via disease. Following the widespread vaccination of the remaining Azkali populace, most of the remaining population immigrated to various parts of the world.

Following the exfiltration of Baphian troops and the eradication of the Azkali Plague pandemic, any resemblence of a unified Azkali nation-state collapsed, as the former Azkali State entered into a decade and a half long period of fragmentation and warlordism. Following the unification of several Azkali warlord states and successor states, aswell as an invasion of seperatist nations in the East and North, the Azkali State was redeclared in 2006.

Throughout the next 17 years, the Azkali State was extremely unstable politically, and was preoccupied with repairing the effects of the 1980 plague outbreak. The disease had depopulated swathes of the interior and coast, and had caused countless cities to become abandoned. Under the presidency of Maishi Tortauzer, from 2006-2012, countless abandoned cities and settlements were either demolished or repopulated by ethnically Azkali immigrants. In 2011, General Akele Koraz Eimalotz launched a coup d'etat against the Azkali government, establishing a military junta alongside several of his officers and relatives. During this time, Azkali was renamed to the Azkali Legionary State. In 2013, Akele was assasinated by General Telamon Ekeizassodho, and took control of Azkali, holding the first democratic elections in two years several months after.

In late 2023, the Azkali State was couped by paramilitary leader, author, and cult leader Korru Mezenas Naaru. His brief two and a half month reign as the dictator of Azkali saw the destruction of virtually cities, the genocides of the Hakainaki, Inoriz, and Protiheuserkali, as well as a democide against the Azkali people themselves. His reign saw the murdering of approximately half of all humans within Azkali, aswell as the enslavement of prisoners of war, humans, Protiheuserkalis, and foreigners. In addition, his rule saw the fleeing of approximately half a million Azkalis from Azkali to other nations, mostly Alloti and Loremesia. His reign also saw the start of the brief but devestating Suntero-Azkali War, 3rd and larger Azkali War - culminating in the collapse of the Azkali State and "Directive 92", the planned mass murder of all Azkali citizens.

Prehistory

Kali Migration to Azkali

Modern day Azkali has had occupants for between eight and ten thousand years. One of, if not the oldest example of writing in the continent of Ukilen was discovered at the Atsokorrol Site, being atleast 7000 years old.

Modern History

Main article: History of Azkali (1967-2024)

Formation

The Azkali State was formed from the short lived Azkali Provisional Government (1966-1967), which controlled the areas held by the Grand Duchy of Otzeipao-Chekearoken, the Independent State of Azkali, and the Azkali Republic following their unifications in November of 1966. Elections were held on the 20th of August 1966, and the first president, Ari Kaiskahouta, running under the Social Democratic Party of Azkali, was sworn in on the first of January of the following year. Mock elections were held on the 2nd to 18th of January of 1967 in order for the Azkali people, generally foreign to the concept of democracy, to grasp this idea.

1980 Plague, Societal Collapse

Warlord Days

Main article: Warlord Days (Azkali)

Popularized by the future president Maishi Tortauzer, the warlord days were a period of time lasting a decade and a half, from 1985 to 2000. following the end of the plague outbreak. During this time, Azkali was fragmented into countless hundreds of warlord and secessionist states. The average life expectancy during this tumultous time was one of the lowest in the world, and a further hundred thousand people - mostly civilians - were killed via fighting. The 1989 Hotzoru Earthquake, the most severe earthquake in world history, caused the further destruction of urban centers and a further ten thousand deaths.

Korru M. Naaru coup d'etat

A photograph taken of the Parliament building in Chekearoa circa the 15th of January, showing the destruction.

On the 24th of December, 2023, Korru Mezenas Naaru, alongside the paramilitary and cult group he ran, the Society of the Yellow Dragon, performed a coup d'etat on the Azkali government. The parliament building and presidential estate in Chekearoa were all shelled by tankfire, in addition to most of the other important Azkali government ministries. Meanwhile, government ministries and some foreign embassies in other cities, such as Otzeipao, Tautauzi, and Harrikam were occupied by armed militants. Government resistance was virtually absent during this fighting, allowing the militants to establish a government over the following hours and days with virtually no resistance.

On the next day, of which has been colloquially termed The Day of Trauma, approximately 58,000 Azkali citizens - just shy of one percent of the population of Azkali, were murdered - consisting of university students and professors, teachers, ethnic minorities, humans, members of the old government and of city governments, foreign ambassadors, and so on. Although mostly commited by members of the Society of the Yellow Dragon, hundreds of Azkali civilians not connected with the organization commited murders as a part of the frenzy. This group of people have been colloquially known as kohoseki kalereinti (those who [commit] genocide). The violence continued from the 25th to the collapse of Korru's government in February. Most of the murders victims were not ethnically Azkali, however - most of the death toll of ethnic Azkalis resulted from starvation, disease, though a significant amount was due to execution.

Starting from the 27th and continuing until the collapse of the Korru government, most urban centers of population within Azkali (save Chekearoa and several interior cities) were evacuated, their residents forced to march into the countryside of Azkali; those who were unable to walk - i.e the elderly, sick, newborns, and so on, were murdered or abandoned to die.

Demographics

Population

The population of Azkali in 2023 was approximately 5.68 million, not accounting the population of the Eastern Indigenous States. Following the Azkali War, the population was reduced by approximately 1 million, most fleeing internationally before the start of the Suntero-Azkali War. Between 250,000 and 500,000 Azkali citizens were murdered during the course of the conflict. During 1978 to 1985, roughly 25 to 28 million Azkalis died via the 1980 Azkali Plague - one if, if not the most deadliest disease outbreaks in world history. Due to this, Azkali is one of, if not the least densely populated regions on the planet.

The highest total Azkali population as an ethnic group was in 1912, where there were an estimated 63 million Azkalis spread across 15 nationstates. The highest total population in one Azkali nation was in 1976, during the reign of the Azkali State, where it was approximately 46.74 million. At this point, approximately one quarter of Azkalis had emigrated from Azkali to various places across the globe, mostly to communities in Baphia and Sunteria. This "first wave" of Azkali migration is partially responsible for the Azkali Diaspora.

Population of the Eastern Indigenous States

Photograph of an unnamed shootoff range of the Erioka Mountains in Southeastern Azkali.

The total population of the Eastern Indigenous States is, the tribal quasi-states dotting the foothills of the Erioka Mountains in Eastern Azkali, is unknown. Estimates range between 600,000 at the low end to perhaps 4 million: higher estimates have estimated that perhaps 6 million indigenous people, straddling the border between Azkali and Baphia. People residing as a part of the Eastern Indigenous States are not citizens of the Azkali State, instead being “aligned” as whatever tribe, chiefdom, or kingdom they belong to.

Before the onset of the 1980 Azkali Plague, the population in the Eastern Indigenous States was estimated to have been to be between 7-8 million.

Languages

Between 12 and 14 languages are natively spoken in Azkali. The largest is Azkali, being the official language and de jure only official language in the nation. The speakers of Azkali, along with Hakainaki and Inori - collectively the 2nd and 3rd most spoken languages in Azkali respectively - account for 97% of Azkali's popuation.

Religions

Turruism is the most followed religion in Azkali, with around 58 percent of the population claiming "active membership" in the faith. Of that, approximately 23% believe in the Koltleki sect of Turruism. 12% follow the Notlezeki sect, with approximately 3% claiming adherence to various other different sects. 20% follow a nonspecific variety of Turruism. The second most followed religion, being followed by roughly 7% of the Azkali population is Loremesian Saulism, mostly due to trade and extended contact between Azkali and Loremesia. Approximately 5% believe in Totezkalen.

Infastructure

Transportation by Road

Motorways

A segment of the Azkali motorway system in Central Azkali. Everything from the paint used, width, and so on are unstandardized, and vary between province.

The Azkali Motorway System consists of approximately 927,000 kilometers of motorway, a vast majority of which is unpaved. The vast majority of the system is abandoned and or in severe disfunction. A majority of the paved highways are around the Chekearoa and Otzeipao metropolitan areas.

Transportation by Air

Azkali's state airline is Airazkal, formed in 2012. It serves flights from every nation on earth to Azkali. The largest airline in Azkali is AeroToztan, serving mostly domestic flights, aswell as flights to

Culture

Opera

Main article: Azkali opera

Marching Band

Marching band is one of the most popular forms of music within Azkali. The world's earliest marching band, the Western Otzeipao University Dragon Band, was formed in 1892, in the then Grand Duchy of Otzeipao-Chekearoken. Within Azkali, all middle and high school marching bands, in both private and public schools, are governed by the International Marching Corps Association, formed in 1969. This organization also governs competitions outside of Azkali - in Sunteria, Baphia, and Loremesia.