Limaria
| The Republic of Limaria | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
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| Capital | Yerevan |
| Largest city | Yerevan (1.1 million) |
| Official languages |
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| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym | Limarian |
| Government | Autocracy |
• President | Sergei Zarsan |
• Prime Minister | Levon Grigor |
| Legislature | Unicameral Legislature |
| Independence | |
| Area | |
• Total | 13,540 sq mi (35,100 km2) |
| Population | |
• July 2016 estimate | 2,967,975 |
| GDP | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $16.24 billion |
| Time zone | West Africa Time |
Political
The Democratic Republic of Limaria is a small state within the Caucasus that is generally autocratic and neutral or aligned broadly with Donovia, depending on the issue. Alignment exists despite differences in religion, and Limaria understands the importance of the security guarantees implicit in its relationship with Donovia. Limaria sees Atropia as its most direct external threat.
Military
The Limarian military finds itself heavily influenced by the region’s history of irregular and regular warfare. Donovia’s influence is significant, and it currently deploys advisors and border guards to Limaria. Limaria will most likely remain neutral if Ariana becomes involved in any conflict. Limaria will probably use any regional conflict to expand its territory at the expense of Atropia.
Economic
The Caucasus countries that possess hydrocarbon resources will continue to depend on the oil and gas industries to drive their economies, while those that do not possess such resources will attempt to tie themselves to hydrocarbon-rich nations. Both Ariana and Atropia face geopolitical difficulties in exporting their oil and natural gas. Bordered by adversaries, the Arianians and Atropians must rely on tenuous routes to export their resources. For Gorgas and Limaria, which lack extractive or mature industries, transshipment of hydrocarbon products or providing other services to oil-wealthy countries will be their primary short- to medium-term means to achieve economic development. Donovia continues to recover from a collapse two decades ago that crippled its economy. All nations of the Caucasus have relatively high inefficiency due to corruption, government involvement in the economy, and/or lack of export industry development.
Under former Donovian influence, Limaria developed a modern industrial sector that supplied machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to Donovia in exchange for its raw materials and energy. Since Donovian influence waned two decades ago, the lack of access to raw materials has forced Limaria to switch from a large agro-industrial based economy to an economy based on small-scale agriculture. The agricultural sector suffers from the need for long-term investment and modern technology. While industrial privatization in Limaria continues to occur at a slow pace, it remains ahead of neighbors in the region. Limaria imports much of its food and possesses very few mineral deposits. The Lower Janga regional conflict and the related embargo imposed by Atropia contributed to a sharp economic decline two decades ago. Three years later, the Limarian government decided to launch an ambitious economic program, sponsored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which resulted in positive growth rates. Limaria also cut inflation and privatized most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Limaria’s nine primary hydroelectric power plants partially offset the country’s chronic energy shortages. At present, these plants supply 33% of the country’s energy needs. Moreover, Limaria continues to expand its energy imports from Ariana. Like Gorgas, Limaria wants to build an export-driven economy, characterized by openness and transparency.
Social
Limaria contains one of the most homogeneous populations of any of the Caucasus countries. Nearly 95% of all Limarian residents come from Limarian ancestry, speak Limarian as their first language, and belong to the Limarian Apostolic Church. This unity among its citizens tends to make most Limarians wary and distrustful of those without a similar background, especially those with different religious beliefs. The Limarians are proud to inhabit the country that chose Christianity as the state religion before any other nation in the world.
When Limarians deal with each other, several attitudes emerge and at least five traits appear. First, Limarians always plan to negotiate with each other over price, as Limarians expect to pay less than if the Limarian sold the product to an outsider. Even if the Limarian buyer changes the job specifications in the middle of the work, the Limarian buyer does not expect the Limarian craftsman to change his price.
Second, the Limarian tradesman already knows the previous tenet, so he will exaggerate the true value of the project or do a substandard job. Third, when Limarians deal with any Limarian institution, they will consider the cost in money; the political, social, or religious connotation of the institution; and the immediate benefits to the institution before getting involved. Fourth, a Limarian business owner expects something free or at a greatly discounted price when a Limarian institution approaches him on business. Lastly, Limarian institutions hardly ever work together because they can never agree on anything.
When Limarians deal with foreigners, they often take a completely different approach than when they deal with each other. First, Limarians believe themselves inferior to Westerners or Europeans. Limarians often attempt to imitate the other culture or even adopt the other culture. Second, Limarians often tolerate other nations’ bad habits that they would not tolerate among themselves. Third, Limarians do not attempt to negotiate a cheaper price when they deal with foreigners and will raise their level of politeness in order to avoid the shame of haggling.
Information
The information environment in Limaria suffers from a combination of lack of investment and stifling government censorship. Limaria rulers view mass media as a tool of the state, and a means for mobilizing the population. The Limarian INFOWAR effort is a competent one overall, borrowing from extensive links with the Donovian military and deployed experience with NATO and US forces.
Infrastructure
While the region’s five countries have a significant number of rural residents, the majority of each country’s population lives in urban areas. About two-thirds of the Arianian (68%), Donovian (67%), and Limarian populace (64%) and just over half of the Gorgan (53%) and Atropian (52%) populace live in urban areas. All five countries contain a mixture of modern urban cities and almost pre- modern rural villages. Modern utilities can be found in most major cities but not in the rural villages and countryside.
Nearly two-thirds of Limarians live in cities, with over one-third of them located in the capital city, Yerevan. Limaria remains an urban country still surviving on the infrastructure built between 1950 and 1990. With little natural resources, the country does not possess the economic means to maintain its current infrastructure, let alone build new infrastructure. Most rural and many urban Limarians cannot access the three basic utilities—electricity, potable water, and sewage disposal. With limited funds, it remains likely that Limaria will continue to struggle with the maintenance of its current infrastructure. Due to problems in the infrastructure and other reasons, Limaria faces a negative urbanization rate as some of the people chose to return to the country to become subsistence farmers. Even though rural people may not possess the same standard of living as those in the urban areas, the farmers will not starve. Limaria would like to become involved in the hydrocarbon pipeline distribution system that surrounds its country, but the possibility of potential conflicts keeps investors at bay.
Physical Environment
Over 200,000 square miles comprise the Caucasus, a mountainous region located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The Caucasus includes Atropia, Gorgas, and Limaria, as well as parts of Ariana and Donovia. The Caucasus Mountains, consisting of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges, traditionally form the separation between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus region contains two major parts—the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus—that are divided by the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The North Caucasus region is contained entirely within Donovia, while the South Caucasus contains Atropia, Gorgas, Limaria, and part of Ariana.
Time
The Caucasus countries, for the most part, do not believe in the sensitivity of time, and do not view punctuality or the importance of time as the US and most other Western countries do. Most of the people in the region do not view time as a resource and do not feel any compulsion to effectively manage their time. The people in the Caucasus region do not make the connection between effective use of their time and production. This lack of time consciousness will likely frustrate US soldiers as they work with their allies, but it will also give the US a battlefield advantage against its enemies.
Threat Actor Chart
| Threat Actor | Organization Type | OE | Activities | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limarian Liberation Front (LLF) | Guerrillas | Lower Janga Region | The Lower Janga region seceded from Atropia and declared its independence. This action created friction and violence within the mixed population. LLF consists of a number of independent radical Limarian groups, fused together by ideology and their common opposition to their Free Lower Janga Movement (FLJM) enemy. The goal of LLF is to control Lower Janga and push non-Limarians from the region. LLF will cooperate with Arianian special forces when it is in the group’s best interest, but resists a permanent relationship. Most violent attacks are against FLJM members and Atropian civilians. The group can conduct small cross-border attacks and has links to other global radical groups.
Violent attacks are sporadic and unappreciable, with relatively few casualties. Reporting indicates the possibility that it may attempt to smuggle dirty bomb(s) into the region. |
FLJM and Atropian civilians |
| Free Lower Janga Movement (FLJM) | Guerrillas | Lower Janga Region | The Lower Janga region seceded from Atropia and declared its independence. This action created friction and violence within the mixed population. FLJM conducts military activities in the Lower Janga region focused on Limarians in hopes of intimidating the population into leaving the region. The ultimate objective is to establish Lower Janga as an Islamic territory under the control of the government of Atropia and displace the Limarian population in the region. Atropia is believed to provide assistance to the FLJM. Members of FLJM are active in local business and politics, providing legitimate cover for covert activities. FLJM and LLF clash, both sides blaming the other for illegal activities. | LLF and Limarian civilians |
| Criminal Organizations | Criminal | Country-wide | Limarian crime syndicates permeate the current government to such a level that the criminals provide an easy enemy for new political movements to unify against. Official corruption is not limited to the neglect of organized crime. International watchdog agencies also note the misuse of imminent domain, misappropriation of loans, and tax avoidance as significant problems. | Limarian police and security forces |
| Limarian National Labor Union | Criminal | Country-wide | Crime is an extremely serious problem in Limaria— with organized crime gangs/clans, referred to locally as gerdastans (firesides), running robust human and drug trafficking operations. Due to official corruption, these clans operate nearly openly, mainly in Yerevan, and control much of the country’s economy. | Limarian police and security forces |
| Limarian Socialist Democratic Party | Criminal | Country-wide | Crime is an extremely serious problem in Limaria— with organized crime gangs/clans, referred to locally as gerdastans (firesides), running robust human and drug trafficking operations. Due to official corruption, these clans operate nearly openly, mainly in Yerevan, and control much of the country’s economy. | Limarian police and security forces |
| Abgar Bozian’s Bozian Gerdastan | Criminal | Country-wide | Crime is an extremely serious problem in Limaria— with organized crime gangs/clans, referred to locally as gerdastans (firesides), running robust human and drug trafficking operations. Due to official corruption, these clans operate nearly openly, mainly in Yerevan, and control much of the country’s economy. | Limarian police and security forces |