Karthya

Karthya, officially the Gaîan Republic of Karthya (Ϫⲩⲙϩⲩⲣⲓⲁⲧ Ⲅⲁⲓⲁⲛ Ⲕⲁⲣⲑⲓⲁ) is a country in Rhodin that borders Ponterosa. The capital and largest city is Talun, which has been the financial center of the country ever since it's existence. The country is a totalitarian dictatorship, with a hereditary regime that promotes a hardline stance on religion, and further cements itself in Rhodin nationalism by establishing a cult of personality with the country's first leader, Saabiq Hasen. Before the Karthian Revolution, the country was an unstable mess that was reliant on its neighbor, Al-Sahran, and foreign companies to secure its legitimacy. Afterwards, however, the country has raced to compete with its neighbors in the modern era, with a growing economy, better living standards, and sweeping reforms to end local corruption. While the country does have a prime minister, it is mostly ceremonial, and power is ultimately centered around the Lord of the Sacred Land.

Outside of modern politics, Karthya is home to a rich history. It was the founding place of the Khalijtu civilization which built modern wonders like the East Obelisks, a set of ancient pyramids that were said to have been built from the top-down. The most famous of these pyramids is the Obelisk of Alkalayid, which is the final resting place of King Alkalayid his possessions, most of which still survive to the modern day. The Khalijtu were also responsible for the founding of what would become the city of Talun, along the Arhasi River. Originally named Almanubia, it was the largest marketplace in all of Rhodin during the Khalijtu Golden Age, and was home to a rich merchant class that was able to influence the civilian population. After the Almanubian Silver Crisis in 1150 BC, the city was largely abandoned and only recovered after the beginning of the Salaqamh Dynasty, who made Almanubia their legislative capital while Kurum was the executive and 'official' capital of the empire. After the empires fall, the city changed hands several times until 1901, when the Sultinate of Qiladan, Azarah, changed the name of the capital city to Talun. This was due to a wave of gentrification that Azarah was enacting over the country as a part of his modernization policy, which also saw the destruction of many holy sites to be replaced with theatres, swimming pools, hotels, etc. The official reasoning was that the name 'Almanubia' was, "tied to its ancient past rather than its growing future."

Internal Politics and Government
Karthya is a, with the Gaîan Socialist Party (GSP) holding dictatorial power since the 1961 revolution. The National Assembly is the highest legislature in the country, being the body that collectively elects the Speaker. The Lord of the Sacred Land is the, while the Prime Minister is the de facto of Karthya and holds ceremonial powers, elected to represent the assembly. Prior to the 2009 Ratified Constitution, the National Assembly was strongly under the control of the Lord of the Sacred Land, and could, at any moment, nominate a new assembly speaker if he felt they were 'unqualified'. This control has since been repealed.

Many, if not all, political parties are listed as illegal within the country, as the government declared the Gaîan Socialist Party to be the only recognized legal body under the 1961 Constitution. As such, all opposition parties have either been dismantled or cracked down on by the government. There are no freely elected national leaders, political opposition is suppressed, all religious activity is controlled by the GSP, dissent is not permitted and civil rights are curtailed. The XXXXXXX measured Karthya's state of democracy in 2021 and gave it a 3.21 on the index, which labelled it an.

Law
The Gaîan Socialist Party bases its ideals, and thus its laws, off of the original Red Script, which combines traditional Khepric Wa’hid beliefs with "socialist aspects" derived from Arsytia. Under official law, women have the same equal rights as men, and the assets and debts within a divorce are always split 50/50 between the parties. Wa'hid is recognized as the official religion of the country, while other religions are classified as 'accepted', but not officially recognized as legitimate. Atheism is an outliner, as it is given more protection than other religions due to its toes to the Red Script. Atheism has higher legitimacy than, say, Kaurissism, but is always below Wa'hid. In line with Wa'hid beliefs, alcohol, pork, carrion, the meat of carnivores and animals that died due to illness are forbidden from consumption. This enforcement of law is not only carried out by the police & Wa'hid imams, but also the Qartaj, who can legally persecute suspected lawbreakers if they find any fallacies in their searches. The Qartaj also has the legal approval to persecute individuals on the grounds of, especially Ponterosans, who are labelled 'possible terrorists.'

In line with the Red Script, beheading is the only accepted form of execution within the country. Any other method of execution is considered by the state, and therefore can be punishable by death. Beheading is also commonly conducted in public for burglars, murderers, and illegal gamblers, while offenders with heavy crimes, like terrorists and pedophiles, are given private executions. In 2010, the Supreme Constitutional Court outlawed the use of as a form of execution, citing its  as the primary inducement.

Foreign relations
Karthya is known for having its more stranger relations towards other countries, especially with its widespread changes during the 20th century. Karthya is a staunch socialist ally of Arsytia and one of Karthya's largest trade partners, making up 41% of national imports to the country. These imports mostly consist of automobiles, computing, and to a lesser extent, military equipment. Karthya is currently an observer state of the Trans-Serratar Union, and already has made some steps towards joining the organization. While it is more hostile towards east, Karthya also has friendly ties with Barenia and Union State, though more towards the latter. The Karthian government has considered the existence of Ponterosa as a threat to world peace ever since the Agiraf War, and has actively boycotted any attempts of cooperation with them. Karthya and Ponterosa also share the second largest in the world, which was erected following the end of the Agiraf War to prevent further conflict. Despite this, unrest remains high across the DMZ, and there have been numerous times where the Karthian and Ponterosan militaries have fought in small border skirmishes. This political disruption expands to Barenia, which Karthya has blamed for supporting the Ponterosan invasion. Karthya also has a rivalry with Raiftsmark; both religious and military, as the two have disputes within the Uhaakia region.