Gorgas

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The Republic of Gorgas
Flag
Capital	Tbilisi
Largest city	Tbilisi (1.5 million)
Official languages	71.0% Gorgan (official) 9.0% Donovian 7.0% Limarian 6.0% Atropian 7.0% Other
Ethnic groups	71.0% Ethnic groups in Gorgas 9.0% Donovian 7.0% Limarian 6.0% Atropian 7.0% Other
Religion	83.9% Orthodox Christian 9.9% Muslim 3.9% Limarian Gregorian 0.8% Catholic 0.8% Other 0.7% None
Demonym	Gorgan
Government	Democracy
• President	Sikhale Askash
• Prime Minister	Anri Stepane
Legislature	Unicameral Legislature
Independence
Area
• Total	28,401 sq mi (73,560 km2)
Population
• July 2016 estimate	4,585,874
GDP	2016 estimate
• Total	$20.23 billion
Time zone	West Africa Time

The Democratic Republic of Gorgas, like Atropia, is a small yet fiercely independent state in a fragile and dangerous area, but without Atropia’s hydrocarbon assets. The country’s primary strength is geographical—its Black Sea ports and land borders make it a logical pipeline route and regional outlet to the outside world. Gorgas remains among the smallest and least economically developed nations in the region. It currently exists in a state of “frozen conflict” with Donovia over Donovian attempts to block Gorgas from NATO and EU membership, as well as Donovian support for Zabzimek and South Ostremek—two breakaway provinces formerly part of Gorgas.

The breakaway province of Zabzimek is located in northwest Gorgas and borders Donovia. Currently, a ceasefire and line of separation exist between Gorgas and Zabzimek, but the Zabzimek militia poses a threat to the port of Poti and lines of communication from the Black Sea to the Gorgan capital city of Tbilisi. Zabzimek achieved de facto independence after the conflict with Gorgas 19 years ago, but only Donovia and Nicaragua recognize the country internationally. Strong criminal elements operate in Zabzimek.

South Ostremek, in north-central Gorgas, also wants independence from Gorgas. Like Zabzimek, South Ostremek achieved de facto independence after the first Donovia-Gorgas War 19 years ago, but only Donovia and Nicaragua recognize the new country internationally. South Ostremek wants to reunite with North Ostremek, a Donovian republic. Currently, a ceasefire remains in effect between Gorgas and South Ostremek, primarily monitored by Donovian peacekeepers.

Political

Main article: Political: Gorgas

The Democratic Republic of Gorgas is democratizing power, leaning toward the US, and attempting to maintain its political independence and internal stability in an increasingly dangerous environment. Gorgas maintains warm relations with Atropia due to the Atropian oil that passes through Gorgan pipelines and the greater interest of both nations in their independence from large and powerful neighbors. Gorgas faces its own regional threats from breakaway provinces.

Military

Main article: Military: Gorgas

Gorgas has a history of irregular and regular warfare that is common throughout the region. The country remains unsatisfied with the tumultuous regional political boundaries over the last century, especially with Donovia. Like most countries, Gorgan military strategy reflects the country’s political agenda. The country uses the military for defensive purposes and to maintain territorial sovereignty that includes force against breakaway provinces. Gorgas currently wants to join NATO and remains the most accepting of Western influence of the five countries in the region.

Economic

Main article: Economic: Gorgas

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.

Gorgas possesses a somewhat weak economy as it attempts to emerge from the chaos created by its former economic dependence on Donovia. The Gorgan economy shows signs of growth despite a small population, lack of any flagship industry, and an uncertain geopolitical landscape. Gorgas enjoys significant investment from the West while it diversifies trade and locates new partners in Europe as a means to wean itself away from previous dependence on Donovia. Gorgas’ largest exports include agricultural products such as wine, nuts, and mineral water. Gorgas also exports scrap metal, ammonium nitrate, and other industrial products. The country imports most high value-added products including medicines, vehicles, aircraft, and power production equipment.

Social

Main article: Social: Gorgas

A large majority of Gorgans speak the same language, practice the same  religion, and claim the  same ethnic heritage. Gorgas, however, does not contain the same type of homogeneous population found in Limaria. While 71% of its residents speak Gorgan as their first language and 83.9% practice the Orthodox Christian faith, 83.8% declared themselves as ethnic Gorgans. Unlike many other countries in the Caucasus, most Gorgans will call themselves Gorgan when asked their nationality instead of another ethnic group or tribe. The effects of two runaway provinces—Zabzimek and South Ostremek—changed Gorgas, as it created many IDPs and forced the Gorgan government to provide additional social services or create new refugee settlements. The tension between Gorgas’ claim on Zabzimek and South Ostremek and the inability to bring them back under Gorgan control, largely due to Donovian support for the runaway republics, influence many Gorgans’ daily lives.

Information

Main article: Information: Gorgas

Gorgas has a dynamic and relatively free media environment. Gorgan information warfare INFOWAR capability is growing, with training and equipment adhering closely to NATO standards. Gorgas will be limited compared to regional neighbors on the resources it will be able to expend to grow both information and INFOWAR infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Main article: Infrastructure: Gorgas

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.

Gorgas contains few natural resources and little industry and needs to find its role in the Caucasus region. This is true for Gorgan infrastructure, as the country possesses a negative urbanization rate of 0.6%. In order for some urban Gorgans to avoid starvation, they returned to their rural roots where they can attempt to survive through subsistence farming. Most rural Gorgans cannot access modern utilities (electricity, potable running water, and a modern sewage disposal system), and the same holds true for many urban Gorgans. Even with one-third of the Gorgan people located in one city, Gorgas remains almost evenly split between urban and rural dwellers.

Physical Environment

Main article: Physical Environment: Gorgas

Over 200,000 square miles comprise the Caucasus, a mountainous region located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The Caucasus includes Atropia, Limaria, and Gorgas, 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

Main article: Time: Gorgas

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
Zabzimek Separatists	Separatist Insurgents	Zabzimek	Maintains an armed military force. While Zabzimek declared its independence, Gorgas did not recognize this declaration and fought the Zabzimek separatists to reinstate its control. Donovia intervened on behalf of the Zabzimeks and oversaw the ceasefire agreement that left Zabzimek independent. A few years later, another six-day confrontation took place between the Zabzimek military and Gorgan militia units when Zabzimek recovered its territory occupied by the People’s Liberal Republican Martyrs Group and the Falcon Brothers, two pro-Gorgan groups.	Gorgan government facilities and leaders
South Ostremek Separatists	Separatist Insurgents	South Ostremek	When South Ostremek declared its independence after Zabzimek, Gorgas attempted to bring it back under its control. Gorgas failed again due to Donovian intervention on South Ostremek’s behalf. While Gorgas contributes an infantry battalion to the Donovian-led peacekeeping force in South Ostremek, the standoff remains. South Ostremek also supports a small military force of an unknown number of military personnel, tanks, APCs, and artillery pieces.	Gorgan government facilities and leaders
People’s Liberal Republican Martyrs Group	Pro-Gorgan Guerrillas	Zabzimek-Gorgas border	Conducts low-level guerrilla warfare in an attempt to reunite Zabzimek with Gorgas.	Zabzimek Separatist leaders and infrastructure
Falcon Brothers	Pro-Gorgan Guerillas	Zabzimek-Gorgas border	Conducts low-level guerrilla warfare in an attempt to reunite Zabzimek with Gorgas.	Zabzimek Separatist leaders and infrastructure
Zabzimek Irregular Forces	Separatist Insurgents	Zabzimek	Pro-Zabzimek irregular forces operate freely within Zabzimek and occasionally conduct cross- border operations into Gorgas. These forces coordinate with and receive support from the Donovian and Zabzimeki regular and SPF units. Their primary goal is to insure an independent Zabzimek and regularly harass and intimidate ethnic Gorgan civilians. These small irregular units are capable of conducting small unit operations, dependent largely on support from the SPF or Donovian regular units. Capabilities of these units include disruption, fixing, physical destruction, intimidation, and Reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA).	Gorgan leaders, facilities, and civilians
Criminal Organizations	Criminal	Country-Wide	Serves as a prime transshipment point for drugs from Central Asia. Corruption is driven in part by organized crime. Gorgas lacks the resources to effectively tackle crime, especially in the mountainous northeastern border with the Republic of Failaq in Donovia. Much of the support provided to anti-Donovian elements in Failaq comes from criminal and terrorist organizations that operate in this region. Zabzimek and South Ostremek are also dangerous, and organized crime permeates both areas. Gorgas enacted a limited official trade embargo against Limaria in order to placate Atropia and Kalaria, but turns a blind eye to illegal Gorgan-Limarian cross-border trade.	Gorgan police and security forces