East Lusavan

	Republic of East Lusavan ; Արևելյան Լուսևան Հանրապետություն; Arevelyan Lusavan Hanrapetut'yun (Lusavanic)
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	Motto: Unity, Fraternity, Fatherland
	Anthem: Lusavan forever!
Locator map
Capital city	Tenavelan
Largest city	Tenavelan
Official language	Lusavanic
Other languages	Anisoran, Parnethian
Ethnic group	Lusavans
Religion	Izha, Peratolian Orkanan
Demonym(s)	East Lusavanic, Lusavanic
Government
Government Type	Federal presidential republic
Minister-President	Alen Orbelian
Chancellor	Sasun Simonyan
Legislature	National Parliament
Establishment
Declaration of Independence	7616
Area
Total	166,999 km2
Water %
Population
Total	11,344,116
Density	67.93/km2
Economy
Economy type	Mixed economy
GDP (total)	Ꞡ 123.7 billion
GDP per capita	Ꞡ 10,904.38
Currency	Targat' (ALT)
Inequality index
Development index
Other information
Time zone	0
Driving side	left
Calling code
Internet code	.al
Nation number	139

This article is about the modern nation state of East Lusavan. For other uses, see Lusavan (disambiguation).

East Lusavan (Lusavanic: Արևելյան Լուսևան; tr. Arevelyan Lusavan), officially the Republic of East Lusavan (Lusavanic: Արևելյան Լուսևան Հանրապետություն; tr. Arevelyan Lusavan Hanrapetut'yun), is a nation state in Anaria Minor. The country is almost landlocked, having only limited sea access into the Bay of Peritia in the South Medio Sea in the east of the country, contested by an ongoing maritime border dispute with neighbouring Anisora. It is bordered by Anisora to the north, Tavonia to the west and XXX to the south and south-east. East Lusavan covers an area of 166,999 km² (64,479 sq mi) and has a population of over 11.3 million people. Its capital city is Tenalevan, which is also its largest city and dominant financial and economic centre. Straddling the large Makur Valley, it has a predominately temperate-continental climate, though its eastern coastal regions are much hotter, having a hot Medioan climate. The southern borders of the state are defined by the Levan Mountains.

East Lusavan has a long, ancient history as the cradle of Lusavan and Lusavanic culture. The region has long been at the crossroads of Anarian and Tharnan influence and civilisation, and much of its history is defined by its subjugation by large continental powers, including Anat Tahan, Anisora and Parnethia. The collapse of Parnethia in 5865 led to the establishment of the independent Kingdom of Lusavan in 5946 under Karen I. Converting to Izha in the 6300s, the Kingdom became a major battle ground between the Izhaic west and the Orkanan east during the 7th millennium. The Great Holy War (6810-6843) was a defining moment in the religious struggles and resulted in Izhaic forces pushing east into modern day East Lusavan. Since then, the region has been rocked by sectarian violence between the majority Norynan Izhaics and the minority Peratolian Orkanans, which continues to this day. The Anisoro-Lusavanic War (7372-7375) precipitated the eventual abolishment of the Izhaic Kingdom of Lusavan in 7391 and the establishment of the Grand Principality of Lusava, which largely defines the modern day East Lusavanic borders.

After almost two and a half centuries of Anisoran control, East Lusavan was granted independence in 7616, but the controverial Treaty of Marakos precluded the establishment of a unified Lusavan with that of neighbouring Tavonia. Today, Pan-Lusavism remains a dominant ideology and political project in East Lusavan, with numerous governments advocating strongly for the unifcation of East Lusavan with its 'Western' neighbour, with Tenalevan as its capital. East Lusavan retains extremely tense relations with its neighbour Anisora, and its foreign policy is largely focused on containing Anisoran influence and opposing its perceived aggression in Anaria Minor. The country is a prominent member of the Izhaic Common Association and is closely aligned with Anat Tahan, as well as a member of the Restoration Coalition, with the current Nationalist government has also sought to increase relations with Arvor.

East Lusavan is a middle-income economy, which is the 89th largest in the world by nominal GDP and has a GDP per capita of around Ꞡ 10,904 as of 7680. It is an export-focused mixed economy, and since the exhaustion of its oil reserves in the 7610s, which were amongst the largest in the world, timber, construction materials and agricultural products remain the country's primary exports.

Etymology

The name Lusavan (Լուսևան) came to describe the Lusavanic people of central Anaria Minor, and the lands in which they lived, as early as the 5th millennium. Coming from the Old Lusavanic root word լուսաւոր (lusawor), meaning star, or more figuratively prophet or bringer of light, as well as the adjectival forms meaning luminous or bright, the region has long been associated with stars and light. The root survives with the same meaning into modern Lusavanic as the adjective լուսավոր (lusavor).

The Old Lusavanic epic poem Struggle of the Stars (Old Lusavanic: կռիւ լուսաւորաց; Kṙiw Lusaworacʿ)¹ is generally agreed to have had a major influence on the origins of the name and the traditional assimilation between the Lusavanic people and the stars, with some scholars, most notably the famed Lusavanic scholar R. Hayk Petrosyan, arguing that the epic directly inspired the people to begin calling themselves the “People of the Stars”, or "Luminaries" – Petrosyan's favoured translation (Pastanan: Illustres).^a

History

Kingdom of Lusavan

Anisoro-Lusavanic War

Between 7373-7375 the Anisoran Empire waged a war of conquest over the Kingdom of Lusavan, ostensibly to “liberate” Anisoran speaking and other Orkanans living under Lusavanic rule, principally in Parrona and Vasharat (Vascano). Although emerging Anisoran nationalism and increasing religious tension undoubtedly played a part in the desire to go to war, most suspected more cynical motives on the part of the Anisoran emperor, Marius I, well known for his ruthless ambition and military credentials. Famously described as a 'political necessity' by the Anisoran Prime Minister at the time, the Duke of Giullana, war with the Kingdom of Lusavan, along with the Kingdom of Becuvitatia, had long been a goal of the new Anisoran regime. Together, the two Kingdoms represented the most immediate threat to Anisoran hegemony over eastern Anaria Minor. According to the Anisoran military historian R. Livio di Porghiano:

"War against Lusavan was not only "necessary", but inevitable. The legitimacy of both Marius as Emperor and the entire Anisoran imperial project rested on the "liberation" of all Anisorans and the expansion of imperial protection to all Orkanan people of Anaria Minor. With the Empire barely five years old, the invasion of Lusava presented the Emperor with the perfect opportunity to prove the ambition of the Anisoran project to both his own people and the international community." ^b

The war against Lusavan widened to a much larger regional conflict with the intervention of the Kingdom of Becuvitatia in 7373, although this only delayed the victory of the superior Anisoran forces. In the aftermath of the crushing Anisoran victory at the Battle of Andravan (7375), the Lusavanic King Aram III, together with his Becuvitatian ally Domnitor Nicolae, were forced to concede to harsh terms dictated by the Anisorans in the Treaty of Loraveno (7375). The Treaty diminished the Kingdom of Lusavan to a shell of its former self, annexing the vast majority of the Kingdom's lands, dividing it between the newly established Principality of Parrona and the Grand Principality of Lusava, which Marius I would rule over personally. Aram III was to abdicate in favour of his young nephew, Ruben XXIII, who effectively became a puppet of the Anisoran Emperor. The final humiliation came with the decision to name the Grand Principality "Lusava," which now dwarfed the Kingdom it took its name from.

Lusavanic nationalism in the Anisoran Empire

Following the annexation of Lusavan and the creation of the Grand Principality in 7375, the Lusavanic population still had a strong sense of national identity. As a distinct ethnic group defined mostly by speaking the Lusavanic language and adherence to the Norynan sect of Izha, the Lusavanic people have a strong tradition of nationalism. Although nationalist sentiment has always been present, for much of the 75th century calls for national recognition and independence were actively suppressed by the Anisoran imperial government, and the government of the Grand Principality itself. Anisoran oppression, as well as religiously motivated atrocities against the Izhaic population of Lusava, fuelled nationalist anger which precipitated agitation, strikes, and terrorist attacks across Lusava.

The repressive and anti-Izhaic policies of the Anisoran prime minister the Count of Andagna during the 7460s and 7470s, in particular, contributed to Lusavanic nationalist uprisings during the Revolutions of 7473. The largest uprising during the Revolutions was led by the Lusavanic nationalist Vardan Gevorgyan. This religio-nationalist uprising against Anisoran rule, the so-called 'Gevorgyan Revolt', called for independence and the end of religious persecution against Izhaics, and is still remembered in Lusava today, with many nationalists considering Gevorgyan a national hero and martyr. After the Revolution was put down, reforms were introduced that granted Lusava a constitution, considerable autonomy within the Empire, and protections for the Izhaic population, but this only went so far in placating entrenched Lusavanic nationhood and nationalist agitation.

Following the Gevorgyan Revolt, nationalist sentiment was mostly expressed through protests and parliamentary politics. The Lusavan National Party (LAK) (Lusavanic: Լուսևանյան Ազգային կուսակցություն; Lusavan Azgayin Kusakts’ut’yun) remained the largest nationalist party in Anisoran-controlled Lusava, and remained one of the two largest parties in the National Parliament. The Party actively called for independence from the Anisoran Empire. The LAK remains controversial, however, as they have been suspected of supporting terrorist activity during this time, including most famously an attack on a Moreva Petroleum Corporation oilfield in 7577, which resulted in numerous deaths. The Party was banned from standing in the Anisoran federal elections, meaning they could not field candidates for election to the Anisoran Chamber of Deputies.

Meanwhile, the Lusavan League (LL) remained the largest political party in Lusava during the 75th and 76th centuries, which did stand in federal elections. It stood as a more moderate party, supporting certain nationalist policies nevertheless. These policies included civilian oversight of the Lusavanic military,² further protections for the Izhaic faith, and Lusavanic state control of oil reserves, among other policies. The LL normally received the vast majority of votes of Lusavans during federal elections in the run-up to independence, and remained a significant block in the Chamber of Deputies as the most dominant and powerful Lusavanic voice in the Anisoran imperial parliament.

Vascanese minority agitation

The Vascano people, occupying the region known to Lusavanic speakers as Vasharat, are a sizeable Orkanan minority with ethnic and cultural links to Tovan Anisorans. They had suffered varying degrees of repression under Lusavanic rule during the Kingdom of Lusavan, where their Orkanan religion had barred them from political participation in the Izhaic majority state. Although the incorporation of the lands previously ruled by the Lusavanic King by Marius I brought greater political participation and protection for their Orkanan religious rights, no Vascanese state emerged in 7375, despite calls for one. It would take almost exactly one hundred years for the Vascanese to get true political recognition in the Grand Principality, in the wake of the turbulent years leading up to the Revolutions of 7473.

The Grand Principality of Lusava was renamed the Grand Principality of Lusava and Vascano in 7474 in response to Vascanese nationalist calls for recognition during the Revolutions of 7473 and for their support in putting down the Lusavanic rising. The name change also heralded in a power-sharing agreement, which provided the Orkanan Vascanese minority an official say in affairs of state, culminating in the appointment of Arsen Saroyan as the first ethnic-Vascanese Minister-President of the Grand Principality in 7479. In the latter days of the Anisoran Empire, the Vascanese minority frequently expressed loyalty to the Empire and fears of their subjugation under a independent or autonomous Izhaic state. Sectarian violence between the Vascanese and Lusavanic majority in the region was a frequent occurrence throughout the 75th and 76th centuries.

Independence

See also: Lusavan#Lusavanic nationalism and Anisoran Civil War

The latter years of the 76th and early 77th century saw a steady increase in tensions and nationalist agitation in Lusava, with growing calls for a truly independent Lusavanic state. Anti-Anisoran revolts erupted in 7598 known as the Tenevalan Riots, which were put down harshly by imperial Anisoran forces. Following the end of the Wolgos Scourge and the election of Lord Laurito as Anisoran Regent, who oversaw the suppression of the Tenevalen Riots as Tribune for the Interior, sectarian violence reignited across the region. Pro-independence terrorism increased, and anti-Izhaic Orkanan attacks proliferated under the spread of unitarian ideas in Anisora and the use of Orkanan ultranationalist paramilitary groups to maintain law and order across the Empire.

The 7612 secessionist movement in the Grand Principality of Lusava and Vascano formally set off the course of events that would lead to open civil war and the collapse of the Anisoran Empire. Following an assassination attempt against Princess Adriana in 7613, the Anisoran Regent Lord Laurito arranged for the young emperor Titus IV to flee to Auresia, but this move merely confirmed that the emperor had been totally sidelined and was only retained to legitimise Lord Laurito's authoritarian rule. This allowed the regent to take full control of the imperial government during the civil war, and the subsequent state of emergency formally banned all opposition movements in the Empire.

During the Anisoran Civil War (7613-7616), Lord Laurito served as the leader of the ultranationalist and so-called 'imperial' faction that sought to keep the Empire together, utilising increasingly harsh methods to put down revolts and emergency powers to suspend civil liberties, including extensive repression in Lusava. However, a growing anti-unitarian coalition made up of non-Lusavanic Anisoran liberals, socialists and moderates also emerged opposing the regent's growing authoritarianism and unitarian extremist religious policies. Some supported the restoration of the young emperor Titus IV as a figurehead and the removal of the regent, while others were republicans and called for the abolishment of the monarchy in its entirety. This anti-unitarian movement eventually allied with the Lusavanic nationalists in exchange for promises to grant Lusava independence after the civil war, but it was always an uneasy alliance. This eventually led to the Treaty of Makaros in 7616, which ended the three-year Anisoran Civil War and secured the independence of East Lusavan and the former Anisoran protectorate of Tavonia.

Post-independence

The granting of independence to neighbouring Tavonia in 7616 led to widespread calls from nationalists across Lusavan for the unification of the two Lusavanic-speaking states. As such, the newly independent state former Grand Principality of Lusava and Vascano named itself East Lusavan in the hopes of a quick unification with the so-called 'West Lusavan', Tavonia. However, the Treaty of Marakos precluded the establishment of a unified Lusavan. This led to growing disquiet and nationalist agitation and led to the outbreak of the Tavonian Revolution in 7617, which overthrew Prince Aram II and led to the proclamation of the Tavonian Republic. Despite widespread riots and protests calling for unification with Tavonia, the newly established East Lusavanic government was effectively powerless to oppose the settlement agreed by the Great Powers. In the decades since independence, the East Lusavanic government has lobbied the International Council of Nations for support to repeal the Treaty of Marakos, but despite tabling various resolutions they have failed to reach a concensus.

Economy

The East Lusavanic currency is the targat' (ALT; ծարծաթ), which literally means 'silver' in Old Lusavanic.

Notes

¹ Today only fragments of the original epic survive. Scholars have estimated that the epic in full would have contained over 9,000 lines, with only 2,778 surviving today, mostly through citation by other ancient authors (most notably Pastanan chroniclers), as well as a small number of inscriptions found in recent archaeological digs in and around the ancient capital of Tanavan. For further detail, R. Hayk Petrosyan's 7510 commentary (in Pastanan) is considered the most comprehensive scholarly work on the Epic.^a

² According to the Constitution of the Grand Principality of Lusava and Vascano, the Grand Prince was commander-in-chief of the military. During the Pan-Anarian War major efforts to integrate the armies of the Anisoran Empire resulted in significantly reduced direct Lusavanic influence and control over her armies.

References

^a Petrosyan, R.H. (7510) Commentarius: Certamen Stellarum, Tenalevan. (Hallish: The Struggle of the Stars: A Commentary); also available in Lusavanic with Armen Mirak's acclaimed 7573 translation.

^b di Porghiano R.L. (7578) Expeditiones Marii Primi, Pena. 287-8. (Hallish: The Campaigns of Marius I).