South Torbia
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South Torbia | |
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Capital | Tehran |
Largest city | Tehran (12 million) |
Official languages |
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Ethnic groups |
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Religion |
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Demonym | Arianian |
Government | Theocracy |
• Supreme Leader | Ayatollah Mahmood Mekhenei |
• President | Ahmad Moudin |
Legislature | Unicameral Legislature |
Theocracy | |
Area | |
• Total | 588,764 sq mi (1,524,890 km2) |
Population | |
• July 2016 estimate | 8,372,373 (129th) |
• Density | 8,372,373/sq mi (3,232,591.3/km2) (167th) |
GDP | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $85.77 billion |
Time zone | WAT |
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Contents
Political
At the heart of political power in Ariana is the Council of Guardians Revolution. The Revolution considers itself the vanguard of proper Islamic sentiment on the planet, and the heart of a global conversion to its version of Islam. The Revolution has successfully defended itself from both internal and external threats, and remains committed to the export of its vision of theocratic rule.
Military
Due to South Torbia’s defensive plans and the island terrain, most units in the South Torbian Army are infantry. There are a limited number of other type units including one tank division, one mechanized infantry brigade, and one airborne brigade. The infantry battalions, however, must move on foot or be transported in trucks available to the infantry battalions from a higher command.
Economic
South Torbia was able to transform itself in a relatively short period from an underdeveloped, poverty-stricken nation to one of the most advanced and powerful economies in the world. However, as the structure naturally transitions from that of manufacturing to services, the administration faces a number of domestic challenges, including the highest household debt level in recorded history, high youth unemployment, a rapidly aging society, and an alarmingly low birthrate. These challenges, coupled with declining trade with Olvana and a nuclear North Torbia, are immense.
Social
Ariana enjoys an ancient heritage and rich culture. Ariana possesses a well-documented reputation as the center of knowledge, art, poetry, and mathematics in the region that dates back thousands of years. Most Arianians are proud of their nation and consider themselves Arianians and/or Persians, dependent on their ethnic group.
Over the last few years, radical Arianian powerbrokers with extremist world views have provided sanctuary to international terrorists. Ariana also sponsored the proxy wars of the Shia Internationalist Brigades and the Martyr’s Army versus Israel, as well as training and/or supplying Arianian Shia insurgent groups such as local Shia Internationalist Brigades. Ariana continues to threaten Israel, the US, and their allies with its domestically popular and successful nuclear weapons program.
Since President Ahmad Moudin took power in 2003, his continual references to the 12th Imam’s imminent return and the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate stir the Shia faithful to action. The rhetoric also diverts increasing social discontent to a common foreign enemy—the US and its infidel allies, such as Israel and Egypt. As long as religious zealots control the government, it remains likely that Ariana and the US will never become allies in the Caucasus region.
Social discontent and civil unrest continue to rise in Ariana. Tens of thousands of people protested the last election (August 2009), in which Moudin received the most votes in what many observers perceived as a rigged election. The perception by many Arianian citizens of deeply ingrained government corruption, skewed wealth distribution, high inflation, and high unemployment rates continue to drive this discontent and unrest. Protests, to include student organized protests, persist even to date in Tehran.
Regardless of these problems, the Arianian populace still enjoys a higher living standard than many regional neighbors. Ariana is not a poor nation. The Arianian poor generally earn more than $2 per day, the United Nations (UN) poverty standard. The government, however, states that only 18% of its citizens live below the poverty line. The Arianian people’s discontent may eventually lead to minor governmental changes but likely will not result in any fundamental changes to the Arianian political situation.
Most citizens enjoy clean water and electricity, most attend primary and secondary schools, and most urban citizens have access to phone services. Literacy rates remain very high in Ariana (77%), and over 80% complete high school. Each year, over one million high school graduates apply for entrance into Arianian universities. The more educated the Arianian public becomes, however, the more likely that they will speak out against the theocracy.
Information
The Republic of Torbia, also known as South Torbia, has a thriving and relatively free media environment, with freedom of speech and loyalty to the country. South Torbian Information Warfare (INFOWAR) capabilities will continue to grow in both equipment and training of personnel, and will rely on Western nations to help continue the modernization of this capability. Internet and television are state of the art and the most important form of media in South Torbia.
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.
The Arianian infrastructure resembles a patchwork quilt with a mixture of modernization and obsolescence. While previous Arianian leaders made substantial investments, the infrastructure now faces significant challenges from the stresses of both war and peace. While rail, road, air, and seaports are marginally adequate, the natural gas and oil infrastructure suffers from archaic construction. Environmental and population pressures on aquifers, along with considerable pollution levels, create significant stress on water and other natural resources. Over 40% of Ariana’s more than 77 million people reside in its 18 largest cities, all of which have at least 350,000 residents.
Physical Environment
South Torbia is a small country located in an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. It borders Belesia, Gabal, and North Torbia—its primary regional opponent. The country’s terrain consists primary of forested mountains and low valleys used for agricultural pursuits. Both vegetation and climate are tropical in nature. Multiple natural hazards exist, resulting from the country’s geology, weather, native wildlife, and human activity.
South Torbia lies in southeastern Asia and consists of the central part of Luzon Island, one larger additional island, and several smaller islands and islets. The country is part of a larger archipelago bounded by the Philippine Sea—part of the western Pacific Ocean—to the east, the South China Sea to the west, and the Celebes Sea to the south. South Torbia shares land boundaries with North Torbia to the north and Belesia to the southeast, but only maritime borders with its other neighbors, including Gabal to the southwest. The islands are mountainous in nature, with interspersed valleys on the larger islands.
South Torbia can be broken into two parts centered around the largest islands: Luzon and Mindoro, which are separated by the Verde Island Passage. The country’s share of Luzon Island consists of a large central valley bordered by mountains—the Zambales in the west and the Sierra Madre in the east. Two significant lakes and a large bay take up much of the southern portion, with large areas of swampland north of the bay. Mindoro Island lies due south of South Torbian Luzon, and contains a north-south mountain range with valleys on the eastern and western coasts. A few small islands lie near the main ones, with the largest being Pulong Polillo to the east of Luzon and Lubang to the southwest of the same. Caves—both above ground and under water—are common in the archipelago.
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.
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