Limaria
| The Republic of Limaria | |
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Flag of Limaria Flag | |
| Location of Limaria | |
| 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 | |
| Population | |
• July 2016 estimate | 2,967,975 (188th) |
| GDP | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $16.24 billion |
| Time zone | WAT |
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Contents
Political
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 embargoes imposed by Atropia and Kalaria contributed to a sharp economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Limarian government decided to launch an ambitious, IMF-sponsored economic program that 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. The Limarians are proud to inhabit the country that chose Christianity as the state religion before any other nation in the world. An additional key historical factor for all Limarians is the 1943 invasion of the country by the Kalarians. This traumatic event resonates throughout the Limarian culture, and much of their distrust of their Muslim neighbors stems from an intense desire to ensure that no such action against Limaria ever occurs again.
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, Limaria, and Gorgas, as well as parts of Ariana, Donovia, and Kalaria. 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 Gorgas, Limaria, Atropia, and parts of Ariana and Kalaria.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salasyl | Insurgent | Southeast Atropia with nation-wide capabilities | Possible ties to transnational criminal and terrorist actors. Has engaged the Atropian regime in a lowlevel insurgency for the past 20 years. Promotes violent populace opposition to state taxation policies, unreliable public services, substandard medical preventive services, inaccessible state education programs for working class citizens, and a judicial system that illegally favors the ruling political party. Salasyl and South Atropian People's Army (SAPA) insurgents often clash violently over ideology, limited resources, and similar recruiting pools. | Atropian government facilities and leaders |
| South Atropian People's Army (SAPA) | Insurgent | Focuses on eight provinces in the south with cultural ties to Ariana | Primary goal is to create a separate country composed of southern Atropia and Ariana's northwestern provinces. Receives most of its training, equipment, and supplies from Ariana. SAPA and Salasyl insurgents often clash violently over ideology, limited resources, and similar recruiting pools. | Atropian government facilities and leaders |
| Bilasuvar Freedom Brigade (BFB) | Insurgent | Northern Vetlia and Erdabil Provinces | Donovia supports the BFB, creating political tension between Donovia and Atropia. | Atropian government facilities and leaders |
| Provisional Army of Lezgin (PAL) | Insurgent | Southern Erdabil and Western Sirvaki Provinces | Small insurgent group with limited regional activities. | Atropian government facilities and leaders |
| Bocyowicz Crime Family | Criminal | Ungoverned Territories | Acquires political power in poorly-governed regions, eventually gaining control of geographic space. These political actions are intended to provide security and freedom of movement for the criminal organization's activities. As a result, the third-generation criminal organization and its leadership challenge the legitimate state authority. | Atropian police and security forces |
| Atropian Organized Crime (AOC) | Criminal | Baku | The growth of illegal narcotics, smuggling, and even human trafficking conducted outside of established channels only began recently. Many of those involved in Atropian illegal activities live in communities of displaced Atropians from Lower Janga and persons who fled Donovia. Atropia serves as a transit point for narcotics travelling to Donovia and Western countries. | Police and security forces |
| Al Iksir Cartel | Criminal | Northern Atropia and Southern Donovia | The growth of illegal narcotics, smuggling, and even human trafficking conducted outside of established channels only began recently. Many of those involved in Atropian illegal activities live in communities of displaced Atropians from Lower Janga and persons who fled Donovia. Atropia serves as a transit point for narcotics travelling to Donovia and Western countries. | Police and security forces |