10-08-2016, 11:05 AM
The Grand Imperium of Ezkanteia
![[Image: escanthea__959385.png]](https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/escanthea__959385.png)
"Of noble Ezkanteia, I can say, there is no country whose beauty could ever surpass it. It is and was, truly, the winter palace of the gods..."
-Romanos Doukas, Ezkanteian writer and philosopher
History
Were it so easy to describe where Ezkanteia came from, then historians of the country might rejoice in song and drink, but it is not so. The land the country now occupies was once the home of the Ezka people, said to have been a sinewy people with high cheekbones and boorish dispositions. They fished by the coast and hunted in the forests. Despite their primitive order, they thrived for many centuries before the arrival of the Hellenes, who were exiled from a far away land now lost to time and had traveled on 10,000 ships to find a new home. With black hair and tanned skin, they resembled a people more accustomed to sunny skies and calm waters than the stormy and cloudy north. Nevertheless they were able to successfully take over Ezkanteia and assimilate the natives to their way of life. That is how the Old Kingdom began and reigned for so many centuries before a dynastic collapse created a great Civil war only ending with the coronation of the first Emperor of the Draconid dynasty. After that the country went into a golden age of splendor, it is said. A great and mighty power was carved out. Yet iw would all melt away in the last two centuries. Humiliation after uhmiliation, economic failure after economic failure. Another succession crisis between three brothers. Now though, things are different. Our country is united, our people are with us to the end. We will not fail. We will expand our Empire to the reaches of the earth and restore what was lost...
Politics
Ezkanteia is a somewhat constitutional monarchy, where the Emperor still retains much executive power, however the unicameral parliament has been gaining more powers recently. The candidates are chosen on a lottery basis and then voted on by citizens of the Empire. Many opponents of the current regime believe that the crown has been sabotaging the lottery system for advancing their own goals. The current monarch is Iustinianus VI, and his heir is the infant Konstantin (XXV)
Economy
Ezkanteia thrives on its fishing and lumber industries mainly, as well as exports of alcoholic beverages, which are highly prized for their quality. Distilled beverages like whisky, rum, and gin are the most popular, while brewed substances like beer and honeywine come in shortly behind. Farming is a big industry along the more developed coast, however very few goods are exported, and foodstuffs are generally kept within the country.
Military
Ezkanteia has had a long military tradtion, leading back for over a thousand years. There is a mandatory conscription of all able bodied young people for two years after the end of their secondary education, regardless of whether they dropped out or graduated. Ezkanteia's most important and prized branch of the military is its navy, which patrols the waters for boats carrying illegal drugs into the country and for any activity by the navies of their neighbors.
Culture
In Ezkanteia there can be found a unique blend of native Ezka (slavic esque) culture and Hellene (Greek) culture. Generally, the coastal areas are more purely hellene, while the interior is more mixed. Although the home of the Hellenes was warm enough for vineyards to produce quality wines, Ezkanteia is far too cold for this, resulting in the only vineyards being located near the mountains in an area of geothermal activity, creating a warm enough area for specially bred grapes to grow. Only the monks of the adjoining monastery know how to cultivate these grapes, and they use it to create a special wine called "Ezkanteia blue", known for a "unique" taste that only Ezkanteians can seemingly stand. Generally, the populace speaks the same language (Ezkanteian) and follows the same religion, that which was brought from the mysterious land of the Hellenes, called Orthodoxy. This homogeneity has created a strong sense of nationalism and trust among the populace, reinforcing the ties that keep the state together.
"Of noble Ezkanteia, I can say, there is no country whose beauty could ever surpass it. It is and was, truly, the winter palace of the gods..."
-Romanos Doukas, Ezkanteian writer and philosopher
History
Were it so easy to describe where Ezkanteia came from, then historians of the country might rejoice in song and drink, but it is not so. The land the country now occupies was once the home of the Ezka people, said to have been a sinewy people with high cheekbones and boorish dispositions. They fished by the coast and hunted in the forests. Despite their primitive order, they thrived for many centuries before the arrival of the Hellenes, who were exiled from a far away land now lost to time and had traveled on 10,000 ships to find a new home. With black hair and tanned skin, they resembled a people more accustomed to sunny skies and calm waters than the stormy and cloudy north. Nevertheless they were able to successfully take over Ezkanteia and assimilate the natives to their way of life. That is how the Old Kingdom began and reigned for so many centuries before a dynastic collapse created a great Civil war only ending with the coronation of the first Emperor of the Draconid dynasty. After that the country went into a golden age of splendor, it is said. A great and mighty power was carved out. Yet iw would all melt away in the last two centuries. Humiliation after uhmiliation, economic failure after economic failure. Another succession crisis between three brothers. Now though, things are different. Our country is united, our people are with us to the end. We will not fail. We will expand our Empire to the reaches of the earth and restore what was lost...
Politics
Ezkanteia is a somewhat constitutional monarchy, where the Emperor still retains much executive power, however the unicameral parliament has been gaining more powers recently. The candidates are chosen on a lottery basis and then voted on by citizens of the Empire. Many opponents of the current regime believe that the crown has been sabotaging the lottery system for advancing their own goals. The current monarch is Iustinianus VI, and his heir is the infant Konstantin (XXV)
Economy
Ezkanteia thrives on its fishing and lumber industries mainly, as well as exports of alcoholic beverages, which are highly prized for their quality. Distilled beverages like whisky, rum, and gin are the most popular, while brewed substances like beer and honeywine come in shortly behind. Farming is a big industry along the more developed coast, however very few goods are exported, and foodstuffs are generally kept within the country.
Military
Ezkanteia has had a long military tradtion, leading back for over a thousand years. There is a mandatory conscription of all able bodied young people for two years after the end of their secondary education, regardless of whether they dropped out or graduated. Ezkanteia's most important and prized branch of the military is its navy, which patrols the waters for boats carrying illegal drugs into the country and for any activity by the navies of their neighbors.
Culture
In Ezkanteia there can be found a unique blend of native Ezka (slavic esque) culture and Hellene (Greek) culture. Generally, the coastal areas are more purely hellene, while the interior is more mixed. Although the home of the Hellenes was warm enough for vineyards to produce quality wines, Ezkanteia is far too cold for this, resulting in the only vineyards being located near the mountains in an area of geothermal activity, creating a warm enough area for specially bred grapes to grow. Only the monks of the adjoining monastery know how to cultivate these grapes, and they use it to create a special wine called "Ezkanteia blue", known for a "unique" taste that only Ezkanteians can seemingly stand. Generally, the populace speaks the same language (Ezkanteian) and follows the same religion, that which was brought from the mysterious land of the Hellenes, called Orthodoxy. This homogeneity has created a strong sense of nationalism and trust among the populace, reinforcing the ties that keep the state together.