United States of Shalrirorchia
Reference: U.S.S., Shalrirorchia, Shalrirorchian Republic
Head of State: President Shanu Aeri
Predecessor: President Tarumigan Aeii Gistarai
Government: Representative Democracy (Congress, Presidency, Supreme Court)
Major Exports: Technology (advanced computer systems), hydrogen fuel, machine tools, synthetic chemicals and materials, foodstuffs, books, uranium
Major Imports: Unrefined petroleum, iron and copper ore, synthetic chemicals
Major Fields of Research: Theoretical physics, information technology
President Shanu AeriShalcoria, Capital of the United States of ShalrirorchiaCapital: Shalcoria
Brief history:
The vast Shalrirorchian state is a blend of highly advanced technologies and lush natural features. Major Shalrirorchian cities are towering, graceful establishments crafted of steel, glass, and other composite materials. Shalcoria itself is a vast, monumental city of beautiful buildings surrounded by lush parks; it is referenced sometimes as "the Federal City" or "the Imperial City" even though the Shalrirorchian Empire has not existed for several centuries.
Shalrirorchia was united by great warrior and administrator Tamu Sheshara, king of Shalcoria. Upon his death, the Shalrirorchian Empire was ruled by a feudal system known as "The Noble" in which the warrior aristocracy of the vast country kept power in their hands. The Noble ruled Shalrirorchia effectively for several hundred years before declining into despotism; this slide triggered a massive, religiously-led revolt that would ultimately topple the Noble in the Imperial Civil War.
The civil war raged for several years, first against the forces of the Noble itself, then later against religious fanatics who sought to turn Shalrirorchia into a theocratic state. The swords of more moderate leaders prevailed however, and the Shalrirorchians formed the first real democratic republic they had ever known, the Most Serene Republic of Shalrirorchia. The Republic would persist for another four-hundred years until the year 1998, when President Tarumigan Gistarai was brought into office by an electorate deeply disillusioned with a now-corrupt political establishment in Shalcoria, an electorate that deeply desired change. President Gistarai completely reorganized the Shalrirorchian state, and in 1999, a new Constitution was approved by the Shalrirorchian people. The Serene Republic ceased to exist, and the United States of Shalrirorchia rose in its' place.
Society:
Shalrirorchia is progressive on a wide variety of social issues. Concern about the environment has led to many energy-saving technologies being developed. Shalrirorchia is a country that no longer relies exclusively on petroleum as a source of energy; the country's energy infrastructure has been replaced with hydrogen fuel cells and renewable energy resources. Every car on the road today in Shalrirorchia relies on either a hydrogen fuel cell, an electrical engine, or both. Shalrirorchia is quite willing to sell this technology to other countries in the interest of cleaning up the environment.
Technology:
Shalrirorchia is a highly advanced society that values not only raw research, but the applied science that improves the lives of its' citizens. The U.S.S. has been a world leader in Information Technology for decades, and has produced stable artificial intelligences. Advanced computer science is something of an art form for the Shalrirorchians, who use these systems and intelligences all throughout their society on a daily basis.
Shalrirorchia's crowning achievements in this area come in the form of their two massive information networks; MILSTARS and SCSN (Shalrirorchian Civilian Satellite Network). MILSTARS is by far the larger network and represents a total-information awareness system for the Shalrirorchian Defense Force (SDF). The purpose of MILSTARS is to seamlessly link Shalrirorchian forces together from the infantryman all the way up to the command general or aircraft carrier. SCSN is a civilian version of the same concept that mirrors the traditional internet, yet offers more connectivity and higher speeds than most conventional worldwide data networks. Both networks are governed by Shalrirorchian AI's (though it might be surmised that the military-grade AI's that defend MILSTARS are a higher order intelligence than their civilian counterparts).