The Greater Union of Paxem, GUP, or simply Paxem, is a country located in the mideastern Doggerland bank. Its territories extend from the southern waters of the Eastern Sea all the way to the Aral Valley Basin in the north. It consists of four states: New Wiltshire, Aquinas, Sedona, and Bayreuth, as well as one Federal Capital. Paxem has a diverse economy with major sectors in manufacturing and raw materials. It is the most populous nation on the Doggerland bank.
Paxem is a Federal Socialist Autocracy, led by a Consul who holds near-ultimate power on both foreign and domestic matters. Much of the day-to-day legislation is conducted by the Paxemese Senate, which meets in the People's Hall in the capital city of Concora. Many Megacorporations also wield considerable power and influence in both local and national politics within the country, especially in Cyrene.
The country holds considerable economic, cultural, and military influence over the eastern Doggerlands, often being described as a superpower. It serves as the manufacturing base of the subcontinent. It inherited vast stocks of military equipment from the Neu Corporate Republik after its downfall and has engaged in regional conflicts throughout its history.
Paxem is a largely atheist state, with the largest established religion in the Doggerland Bank, Pontifical Christianity, being actively repressed throughout much of the country. Other religions are more freely allowed, but receive no financial or cultural incentives or benefits from the government. In contrast, atheistic philosophy is supported by the government through its one state church, the Church of Reason. This has led to tensions with the Pontifical States and Imperial Doggerland Confederation. Paxem is closely aligned with the states of Atlas, the New Almere Republic, and Novenae.
Etymology
The name "Paxem" comes from the Latin word for peace, "Pax". This originated from the original vision of the nation as a antithesis to the former Neu Corporate Republic, a government with engaged in active war throughout most of its existence. Despite this, Paxem continues to maintain a large standing military and has engaged in numerous conflicts.
History
See: Republic of Paxem
The Greater Union of Paxem is a direct successor to the old Republic of Paxem. After the Cyrene dam collapse left much of the old Republic's capital in ruins and the nation in chaos, Triumvirate member Donna Winters led a successful coup against the government, assassinating one of the other members of the Triumvirate, Kotomichi Satoro, and nearly killing the third, Mycroft Morsehead. After this, Winters nullified the constitution, executed hundreds of political rivals in a governmental purge, and established the Greater Union of Paxem. The executive Triumvirate was abolished and replaced with a single Consul. The GUP existed as purely autocratic emergency government for about a year after the dam collapse. The Senate was reintroduced as a legislative body subservient to the Consul a year after the dam collapse, now being reduced to a total of 100 Senators. In addition, the old ban on political parties from the Republic was overturned, with a single political party being permitted, the Paxemese National Party, also known as PAXNAT, with every Senator being required to be a member.
The governmental changes were met with mixed reaction by the population, with some accepting the new authoritarian government for the stability it brought, while others resented the loss of democracy. Paxem has been plagued with radical political groups since the formation of its new government, which the existing government actively repressesses.
In November of 3026, the capital of Paxem was moved from its largest city, Cyrene, to a new Federal City located within the agricultural state of Bayreuth. This led to extreme civil unrest in Cyrene and an economic collapse in the city due to the loss of the governmental sector. The Fall Riots, as they came to be known, claimed the lives of approximately 1,500 people and caused billions in property damage.
Geography
Paxem has a diverse geographic layout due to its vast size. The south of the country, New Wiltshire, enjoys a mediterranean seaside climate and consists of rolling hills and limestone cliffs. Aquinas is a mountainous region, bordered by the Atlas and Sedona mountains. The climate and environment of the region has been several affected by the Zaandam Nuclear Disaster, leading to a dry, rocky arid environment prone to wildfires. The largest state of Sedona straddles the entire northern coastline of the Eastern Ocean and extends far north, past the Sedona mountains. Sedona has an extremely wet climate, with an average 284 days of rainfall per year. It is also struck by numerous tropical storms during its monsoon season. Finally, Bayreuth, which lies north of Sedona, has an extremely flat landscape and has a temperate climate. Bayreuth lies within the Aral Valley Basin, a particularly fertile region.