Lathistia

Lathistia (Lathistian: Lath o' Stia [Lah-thee-sti-a], officially United Lathistian Islands) is a sovereign island-nation comprising of 3 primary islands and over 10,000 other islands, the main islands being Dotamik (the largest island to the west), Smorkuta (second largest to the north), and Kopenza (smallest to the south-east). The smaller islands are mostly uninhabited and unexplored. It has maritime borders Japan to its west, and Russia far north. Lathistias capital city and largest city is Khazartsky with a population of 9,300,000 (2022 estimation). The 5 most populated cities in Lathistia are Khazartsky (9,300,000), Velodograd (8,900,000), Dmirisk (7,800,000), Vladilensk (7,600,00), and finally Geliningrad (7,300,000).

Lathistia has a population of 175,500,000 (2022 estimate). A large portion of the population lives in towns with <1,000 population. Most of Lathistia is flat grassland, with mountains, desert, savannah and forests also appearing in various places around the country. Dotamik is covered with fjords, mountains and lakes, with most of the population being spread out, and the only major concentration of people being around the northern coastline. This geography is comparable to countries like New Zealand.

Lathistia has been inhabited since at least the 11th century, but historians are not completely sure. The first city in Lathistia was the Portuguese settlement of Acabei de encontrar a ilha (English: "Just Found Island"), established in the 10th century by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, later renamed to Magellan in the 15th century after its founder, and again renamed in 1913 to Domedavgrad. It currently has a population of 370,400.

The official currency of Lathistia is the Lathistian Dollar, which currently exchanges at a rate of 0.61 USD.

Etymology
The world Lathistia comes from the word Lath o' Stia, meaning Land of Stia (The Naturán (Native Lathistian religion) god) in Native Lathistian. The word was mispronounced when told to the people of Portugal after Magellan returned.

Indigenous Heritage
Before the arrival of Portuguese explorers in the 11th century, the land that would later become Lathistia was inhabited by a diverse array of indigenous peoples. These native Lathistians had established a rich cultural heritage rooted in their deep connection to the land and the sea.

The indigenous populations of Lathistia were organized into various tribes and communities, each with its own distinct customs, languages, and ways of life. These tribes often coexisted peacefully and engaged in trade and cultural exchange.

Traditional Practices
Native Lathistians were known for their deep understanding of the region's natural resources and their sustainable use. They relied on fishing, hunting, agriculture, and craftsmanship as primary means of subsistence. Their traditional practices reflected a harmonious relationship with the environment.

Discovery by Magellan
In 1775, a Portuguese ship operated by Magellan set out from Guimar on a mission to discover new land masses in the Pacific Ocean. After 2 months of sailing, they found Lathistia, and landed in now Modola Bay. As the news of the discovery of Lathistia spread, thousands of people from around the world traveled to Lathistia and the town of Acabei de encontrar a ilha was established and grew to over 3,000 people.

Portuguese Colonization
Magellan and his crew established a network of coastal outposts along Lathistia's lush and fertile shoreline, including the first city, "Acabei de Encontrar a Ilha." These outposts served as centers of trade and governance, facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and ideas between the Portuguese settlers and the indigenous peoples of Lathistia.

Cultural Repression
With the arrival of Portuguese settlers and the subsequent colonization, a period of cultural repression ensued. The Portuguese authorities attempted to impose their language, customs, and religious beliefs upon the native Lathistians, suppressing the use of the Lathistian language and indigenous customs. Despite these efforts, native Lathistians preserved their spiritual beliefs and customs. Many continued to practice their traditional rituals and ceremonies in secret, maintaining their spiritual connection to the land.

Native Lathistians faced challenges in preserving their artistic and craftsmanship traditions, but some artisans continued to create and pass down their artistry, albeit discreetly. This effort most likely saved the entire native Lathistian language, customs, art and religion.

British Interests in Lathistia
As the colonial era unfolded, the British Empire, a rising global power, began to take a keen interest in Lathistia's strategic location, resources, and economic potential. British merchants and investors established trade networks in the region, fostering economic ties and diplomatic relations. The British influence grew, attracting settlers and capital, leading to an increased British presence in Lathistia.

Treaty of Dotamik (18th Century)
In the 18th century, tensions between the Portuguese and British governments heightened as both powers vied for control of Lathistia. A series of diplomatic negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Dotamik, a significant historical document that outlined the transition of Lathistia from Portuguese rule to British ownership. All of this happened without consulting the natives, and the treaty is often seen today as a violation of the natives right for their land.

The Treaty's Provisions
The Treaty of Dotamik granted Britain ownership of Lathistia, recognizing its influence, economic interests, and growing colonial presence in the region. In exchange, Britain agreed to compensate Portugal for the transfer of territorial rights.

British Colonial Era
With the Treaty of Dotamik in place, Lathistia entered a new phase of colonial rule, this time under British authority. The British Empire introduced its governance, institutions, and culture to Lathistia, reshaping the nation.

Geography
Lathistia's territory comprises of 11,546 (known) islands extending across the pacific ocean. The countries 5 largest islands are, from largest to smallest, are Dotamik (the "mainland"), Smorkuta, Kopenza, Tivetsky, and Ramevtsk. The country is covered with northerly lakes, glaciers and fjords. Moving south into the middle it is mostly flat grasslands, with the Tornolev mountain ranges to the west. Down south of the island is a large savanna forest, and further down is the Kono O' Qa Laybe (English: Desert of Our People).

The Lathistian Islands are 39% grassland, 21% forest, 18% mountain, 9% savannah, 7% lake, and 6% desert. Most of the Lathistian population lives in spread out towns with very low population density. The only major densely populated zones are around the mainland island's coastlines, with around 45% of the population in these cities. 55% of the population lives in towns with under 2,000 people, and 20% live in towns under 750 people. The largest lake in Lathistia is Koa o' Stia (English: Bath of Stia) with a land area of around 47,000 km2 (181450 m2)

Climate
The climate of Lathistia varies depending on island. The usual climate in the north is a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is heavy, and the islands usually develop deep snow cover in the winter. South, it is typically arid, or at the very least, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#:~:text=A%20semi%2Darid%20climate%2C%20semi,low%20as%20a%20desert%20climate. semi-arid]. Its coldest recorded temperature was -47° on December 29th 1989, and hottest was 37° on May 8th, 2022.

Biodiversity
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Environment
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Government and Politics
"Main article: Politics of Lathistia"Lathistia is a unitary state with a democratic socialist political system. The country is a representative democracy, where the people elect their representatives to represent them in the parliament. The legislative body in Lathistia is the Parliament, which is the highest state authority and is composed of 210 members. The legislative body is responsible for making laws, adopting and amending the constitution, and passing the budget. It holds debates on various social and political issues and takes decisions on important national and international matters.

In Lathistia, the head of the state is the president, who is elected every five years by the parliament. The president serves as the head of state and the symbol of national unity, and they are charged with executing the law within the confines of the constitution. In the executive branch, the government is headed by the prime minister and a council of ministers. The prime minister is appointed by the president and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the government and implementing government policies.

Political parties in Lathistia are diverse and represent different ideological tendencies. Some of the major political parties include the Lathistia Socialist Party, the Lathistia Social Democrat Party, the Lathistia Green Party, the Lathistia Left Party, and the Lathistia Democratic Party.

'''Note: I have no clue about politics so this whole section is AI generated. Please do not hesitate to edit this for it to make more sense.'''

Foreign Relations
"Main article: Foreign Relations of Lathistia"Lathistia has been a member of UN since 1972, and is also a member of WWPA (Founded by Lathistia), APEC, and G-20. Lathistias largest ally is Liteir, and has been since the 1930s. They both have a mutual military agreement where if a country declares war on one of them, it is equal to declaring war on both of them. Lathistia is the 3rd largest arms exporter, with their largest customer being Liteir, followed by Matoranesia and India.

Military
"Main article: Lathistian Defence Force"Lathistia is a regional superpower, with the largest military and military budget is Asia, followed closely by China.. Lathistia, depending on views, is either said to be 2nd (By western countries and Europe) or 4th (By Russia, North Korea and China) in military power. In World War 2, Lathistia fought against the Japanese 1940-1945, and dropped a nuclear warhead

Economy
Lathistia has the 4th largest economy measured by GDP, after the United States, China and Germany.

Agriculture and Fishery
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Industry and Services
Lathistia has been a leader in technological innovation since the late 19th century and scientific research since the mid-20th century. Methods for producing interchangeable parts and the establishment of a machine tool industry enabled Lathistia to have large-scale manufacturing of sewing machines, bicycles, and other items in the late 19th century. In the early 20th century, factory electrification, the introduction of the assembly line, and other labor-saving techniques created the system of mass production. Lathistias industrial might were shown in World War 2 as a massive advantage over Japan, as they managed to build a large quantity of aircraft, tanks, and ships, while also keeping the quality of hand-built vehicles.

Science and Technology
Lathistia holds progression through science and technology as a high priority as education is a very prominent part of Lathistia's culture. Their space program, Lathistian Aeronautical and Space Engineering Association, or LASEA for short, was founded in 1941 as LRS (Lathistian Rocket Systems, then later renamed in 1952) as a way to develop long-range missiles to hit Japanese positions without getting near them. This evolved into LASEA's attempts of manned flight, leading into the Yestac Program, a series of 14 manned and unmanned rocket launches. The first of this series, Yestac I (Roman numeral of 1), was an unmanned flight with the cat Eikel, who safely returned to earth after 5 hours in space. THe final of the Yestac program was Yestac XIV (Roman numeral of 14), which docked with Lathistia's space station Kharkov I in 1972. The Kharkov I station had been orbiting since 1970, and the previous 2 Yestac missions had also docked (Yestac XII and Yestac XIII, launched December 1970 and August 1971 respectively)

Transportation
Lathistia has invested heavily in highways and transportation. Lathistia relies heavily on rail transportation, having the second largest rail system in the world, behind China. The rail network comprises of approximately 139,000 kilometers (86370 miles) of rail, stretching across the mainland islands. There are also several underwater rail tunnels, as well as a barge service for transporting rail carts across the straits. High-speed rail trains are often used for intercity travel in the mainland islands,

= Everything Below Here is Old Writing! =

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Trivia

 * The life expectancy is 93 for men, and 97 for women.
 * The drinking age is 18.
 * The age of consent and marriage is 16.
 * Presidential elections are held every 5 years and the winner is declared on the 25th of August.
 * Lathistia mesures in the Metric System.