Time: Limaria

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.

Key Dates, Time Periods or Events

The entire region’s recorded history extends back at least 3,000 years, but people populated the area long before that time as indicated by archaeological objects discovered in caves and at other long- inhabited sites.

Limarians trace their ancestry back to 2492 BC. The massacre of a Kalarian scientific expedition to Mount Ararat in 1943 prompted a Kalarian invasion of Limaria. During the month-long conflict the Limarian Army suffered large losses and many Limarians were forced to flee to Yerevan for safety. The scale of defeat and the subsequent loss of territory scarred the Limarian psyche. In 1991, Limaria became involved in an armed conflict with Atropia over the Lower Janga region that lasted until a Donovian-brokered ceasefire in 1994. Ethnic Limarians took control of 14% of Atropia’s internationally recognized territory; there is no  permanent resolution to this day.

Routine, Cyclical Key Dates

Traditional Wedding Seasons

Traditionally, Limarians married either in the spring before they planted their crops or in the fall after the harvest. Present-day Limarians choose whatever date suits their need.

National and Religious Holidays

Limaria uses the Gregorian calendar to determine holidays. Limarians practice the Orthodox Christian faith and their Easter, dependent upon the year, may or may not coincide with the Roman Catholic Easter.

Holiday	Date	Description	Military Implications
New Year’s Day	01 January	Celebrates the new year according to the Gregorian calendar.	NA
Orthodox Christmas	06 January	Uses the Julian calendar.	NA
Army Day	28 January	Celebrates the formation of the Limarian Army.	NA
Ararat Remembrance Day	24 April	Honors those who died in the 1943 conflict with Kalaria.	NA
Republic Day	28 May	Commemorates the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Limaria.	NA
Constitution Day	05 July	Commemorates the adoption of the Limarian Constitution in 1995.	NA
Spitak Remembrance Day	07 December	Honors the victims of the 1988 earthquake that killed thousands.	NA

Harvest Cycles

The Limarian mountainous terrain affects the harvest cycle, as some places can grow food year- round, including citrus fruit, while other places remain snow-covered all year long. For the most part, Limarians plant their crops in the spring and harvest them in the fall. Some areas receive more than 2,700 hours of sun annually—more sunlight than Alexandria, Egypt. The diverse weather patterns and soil allow Limarians to grow grapes, citrus fruits, and some grains. (See the Physical Environment variable for additional information on Limaria’s agriculture and the country’s seasons.)

Elections

Limarians elect their public officials for five-year terms, with no term limits. Limarians elect 56 parliament members through single-seat constituencies, and 75 additional representatives receive their seat based on their party’s proportion of popular votes. For a party to receive a proportional representative seat, the party must receive at least 5% of the total number of votes.

Cultural Perception of Time

Most of the Caucasus area does not perceive the importance of time as the Western world does, especially as it relates to business. The more a country interacts with Western nations, however, the more the country accepts the Western idea of the importance of time.

While Westerners take time commitments such as deadlines and schedules very seriously, in the Caucasus, time commitments are seen more as an objective to be achieved, if possible, rather than a requirement. Promptness is based on relationships. In the West, time is money. In the Caucasus, there is no problem with making people wait all day, and then telling them to come back the next day. A person from the Caucasus will be much more likely to be on time if the person who set the time commitment is close to him, such as a friend or family member. Business is conducted more on the basis of personal relationships than on respect for time.

For the most part, Limarians do not believe in punctuality in their daily lives when dealing within their own society. Many Limarians live by the adage, “Better late than never.” Limarians typically  do not make it to church or a party at the appointed time. Sometimes, Limarians will arrive 10 minutes before the end of a two-hour Badarak (church service) on Sunday morning. Even Limarian concerts delay their start 15 minutes to give the audience a chance to arrive and avoid noise during the music. The Limarians even coined a phrase for their lack of punctuality: Limarian timing. When Limarians deal with Westerners, however, they often attempt to please the outsiders and will become more punctual in their interactions.

Tactical Exploitation of Time

Caucasus Perception of Time

For the most part, people in the Caucasus perceive time as an unimportant resource in their lives. They believe that things will occur whether they take proactive action or not. Each country in the region possesses a long history and people believe their country will continue well into the future. Most of the people in the region look back to times when their ethnic group held the upper hand in interactions with their neighbors and hope that one day their country can become the dominant power again. The people do not look at time in the short term, but look forward to the long term when conditions will again allow them to take their rightful place among the world’s leaders. For Ariana and Atropia, their hydrocarbon resources may provide them the impetus to become a regional—if not world—power. For Gorgas and Limaria, their lack of natural resources will continue to plague their ability to improve their situation in the short term. Donovia wishes to regain the dominant regional influence it once commanded.

US Perception of Time

The time perception of allies in the region will frustrate the US, but the US can also take advantage of the lack of urgency of any enemies in the area. With its regional allies, the US will need to help them understand that time is a precious resource that once wasted can never be recovered. Punctuality and a sense of urgency remain essential for a military to defeat the enemy on the battlefield. Due to the enemy’s lack of a time table and its apathetic regard for punctuality, US forces and their allies will most likely find opportunities to get inside the enemy leaders’ decision cycles. Rapid US and allied action will cause the enemy to react to their actions instead of the enemy taking the initiative.

Summary

For the most part, the Caucasus countries view time differently than the US. Time is relatively unimportant to the people of Ariana, Atropia, Gorgas, and Limaria in almost every aspect of their lives. They lack a sense of urgency to accomplish tasks, in complete contrast to the Western world where almost everyone wants to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible. While the Donovian view of time is closer to that of the US than the other nations of the Caucasus, it is still notably different. All five cultures have extensive histories dating back centuries, and they feel that whatever they do, their country will continue into the future. The area’s perception of time will cause the US to become frustrated with its allies, but will provide opportunities for exploitation of US enemies. To do so, however, the US will need to understand the nuances as each country perceives the relative importance of time somewhat differently.