New Syrmia

New Syrmia (Czech: Nové Sreme; French: Nouvelle Syrmie; Serbian: Novi Srem) is a self-governing territory in the Republic of Acadia located in Sub-Antarctica, west of Acadia, east of Glaw, and north of Ed Island. The official languages are Czech, French, and Serbian, making New Syrmia the only territory outside of Checkia and the United Provinces where Czech and Serbian are recognized languages, respectively. New Syrmia is divided into six provinces, (Czech: provincií; French: provinces; Serbian: provincije), while New Winsburg is a special district. The territory is generally considered a part of Metropolitan Acadia due to its close proximity to the Acadian capital.

New Winsburg, the capital, is also the largest city in the territory, with a population of around 650,000, and the other largest cities in the country, in order, are Stephangrade, Petrograde, and New Lednik. The territory has had some degree of autonomy since being granted home rule by Acadia in 2000, and the territory's governing system is slightly different from that of Acadia's. Though the territory has a lower average income than that of Metropolitan Acadia's, when measured on its own, the territory's average income is higher than that of the United Provinces.

The territory was originally settled by Snowinn settlers in the early middle ages some time after the period of Osloven migration and settlement of Snowiny itself, and remained as a part of the Osloven Empire for many years. Check immigration from the region of Checkia in Osterreach over the years increased the Check population of the territory, until it became the largest minority by the 20th century. New Syrmia declared independence from the Osloven Empire in 1947, and was conquered by the Snowviet Union, then Puffle'and, before becoming an Acadian territory.

History
New Syrmia was settled by tribes of Oslovens from present day United Provinces in the early middle ages, decades after the Oslovens had begun migrating to and conquering Snowiny, though there had been previous settlement of the island. The Snowinn settlers referred to the island as New Syrmia, possibly after a region in the Osloven Empire from which many of the early settlers originated from. The island became a part of the Osloven Empire, and maintained close connections to the rest of the empire despite not being a part of the mainland of the empire.

Osloven rule over the island continued for hundreds of years, with the empire managing to fend off several attempted invasions of New Syrmia by the Antarctic powers at the time such as the High Penguin Confederacy. Beginning in the 18th century, many Check settlers from Checkia began to immigrate to New Syrmia, eventually forming a sizable minority in the territory. During the Khanzem War, the territory was defended by the remnants of the Osloven military after the Osloven Empire had fallen, backed by Puffle'and, and the territory managed to defeat a Khanzem invasion in 1915.

The Check population during the Khanzem War increased as many Checks fled persecution and war in Osterreach, and continued in large numbers after the war as well. After the Khanzem War, New Syrmia declared independence from the Osloven Empire in 1947, during the chaos that resulted in the formation of the authoritarian Republic of Snowiny by Julien Lawrence, and became the Socialist Republic of New Syrmia, a Snowviet client state. The country was closely allied with the Comintern, especially the Snowviet Union, during the False War, and became enemies with Snowiny, a fascist state.

During the STINC War in 1990, the Socialist Republic of New Syrmia was invaded by a combined Puffish, Caladian, and Acadian force, and the country became a part of Puffle'and after the war as a region in the Commonwealth of Acadia, rather than Colonial Antarctica. After the Puffish repeatedly rejected demands for independence, New Syrmia rebelled against the Puffish in 1999 during the much larger Antarctic Revolution, and the New Syrmians formed a temporary alliance with the Acadian rebels to defeat the Puffish, with both sides planning to negotiate after the war was over.

After the Antarctic Revolution ended in 2000, both sides negotiated for New Syrmia to become an independent country once more, but the Acadians wished for New Syrmia to stay as a part of Acadia, wanting the economic benefits of New Syrmia being a part of Acadia. The New Syrmian rebels attempted a second rebellion in 2000, this time against Acadia, but were defeated due to the larger numbers of the Acadian forces. Though the Acadians refused to let New Syrmia become independent, they agreed to recognize the territory as a self-governing territory of Acadia later that year.

During the Frosian War, the New Syrmian government was concerned of a possible Puffalian invasion of the territory, as the Puffalian navy had already been attacking New Syrmian ships at sea. With Acadia already defending its other colonies, New Syrmia felt that it had to take its own defense into their own hands, and the New Syrmian Armed Forces was increased from around 5,000 active soldiers to 15,000 active soldiers. However, the territory was never invaded during the war, though thousands of New Syrmians volunteered to fight for Snowiny during the Puffalian-Western War.

Government
New Syrmia is a self-governing territory in the Republic of Acadia, and the head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the population of New Syrmia rather than being a governor appointed by the Acadian government, while the head of state is the President of Acadia. The territory also has its own regional Parliament that makes its own legislation, though Acadia has the right to intervene at times. New Syrmia's defense and foreign affairs are both handled by Acadia, along with many other aspects of the country, while the country is mostly free to handle its own internal affairs.

The territory's Parliament consists of the upper Senate, which consists of 80 seats, and the lower National Assembly, which consists of 100 seats. Elections for the Senate are held every six years, while elections for the National Assembly are held every four years, and there are no term limits for either houses of Parliament. The New Syrmian Parliament has the ability to impeach the Prime Minister through a vote of no confidence, approve justices nominated by the Prime Minister for the supreme court, write and pass laws, and call for a referendum in the territory.

Military
The territory is defended by the New Syrmian Armed Forces, which was formed in 2000 after the Acadian Revolution, and was mostly made up of former New Syrmian rebels, and with Acadia also stationing around 5,000 soldiers in New Syrmia. The deal made between the Acadian and New Syrmian rebels allowed for the territory to have its own military to defend itself rather than depend on Acadia, though the Acadian government would have some control over the military. The New Syrmian Armed Forces has around 15,000 active soldiers, which was increased from around 5,000 at the start of the Frosian War.

Economy
New Syrmia has a developed market economy, with the largest industries in the economy being agriculture, manufacturing, and shipping, and the territory also maintains a welfare state. The official currency of New Syrmia is the Acadian franc, but the Circum was also adopted in the territory in 2018, with the Circum being an official currency alongside the franc. The unemployment rate in New Syrmia is at about 5%, slightly higher than in Metropolitan Acadia, and New Syrmia has a low poverty rate compared to many other member states in the Western Union.

The waters around New Syrmia are abundant with fish, which means that fish has become a staple in New Syrmian cuisine, but the territory has also exported a substantial amount of fish to the rest of Antarctica as well. Additionally, there are many oil wells in the country and many oil drills in the surrounding waters that produce oil that is exported to many places around Antarctica. Oil plays a somewhat major part in the New Syrmian, and by extension, the Acadian economy, though oil takes a smaller role in the New Syrmian economy, with other sectors dominating the economy.

Agriculture
The territory has a favorable climate for farming, similar to that of the United Provinces, meaning that agriculture is a major sector in the New Syrmian economy. New Syrmia is one of the largest providers of frozen fruit to the Western Union, after the United Provinces and a few other countries. The territory is also the second largest provider of raspberries in Antarctica, after the United Provinces. There are also many vineyards in New Syrmia that produce Cream Soda, a very strong Cream Soda that is also similar to the Cream Soda produced by the United Provinces.

Industry
The main sectors of the New Syrmian economy are agriculture, manufacturing, and shipping, and there are many factories in the country which produce goods that are exported to many other countries around Antarctica. Industrial production somewhat decreased in the aftermath of the Antarctic Revolution, but began to increase again soon after, and New Syrmian production has increased greatly since the 1990s. New Syrmia produces their own cars that are common in countries like Rusca and the United Provinces, and the territory is also a minor arms supplier to some of Antarctica.

Tourism
New Syrmia has been an important tourist destination for many in Antarctica since at least the 1980s, with millions across Antarctica visiting the territory since then. The favorable climate of the territory has meant that many visit the territory each year to enjoy the more hospitable climate, with many visiting the territory's many beaches. Places like Stari Grad in the capital also have hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, with many coming to visit the city's architecture; New Syrmia's architecture and landmarks often draw thousands of visitors each year as well.

Culture
As New Syrmia was settled by Snowinns, and the territory was itself a part of the Osloven Empire for hundreds of years, the territory's culture shares many similarities with that of the United Provinces. The district of Stari Grad, meaning Old City, in New Winsburg, has many buildings built in the old Osloven architecture and draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from around Antarctica each year. Additionally, its position in the Sub-Antarctic has meant that New Syrmia has cultural influence from many other countries and regions as well, mostly from mainland Antarctica.



Historically, New Syrmia has been a minor center for cultural aspects such as art, literature, music, and theatre, influenced by the United Provinces and Checkia, although it wasn't a major cultural center. Influence from the Snowinn and Check populations has meant that the territory has many cultural aspects from both the United Provinces and Checkia that sometimes influence one another, with kolo, a dance from the United Provinces, being somewhat popular in New Syrmia. The territory also observes many traditions that are observed in the United Provinces and Checkia.

Cuisine
Staple foods in New Syrmian cuisine include bread, dairy, fish, fruits, and vegetables, with fish playing a major role in many New Syrmian dishes. The territory's cuisine is based off of the cuisine of the United Provinces, but has developed into its own distinct cuisine due to influence from the Check minority and from previous Puffish colonization. Some foods from the United Provinces such as ćevapi and burek are popular, along with other foods from Checkia such as svíčková, and the history of Puffish colonization has meant that some Puffish foods are also enjoyed in the territory.

Music
New Syrmian music tradition goes back the middle ages, and New Syrmian music has developed through the years to include many different genres of music in history. Instruments such as accordions, drums, flutes, trumpets, and horns are often used to play New Syrmian music, with accordions being a more recent addition to the territory's musical tradition. Rock music was first introduced to the territory in the 1970s and 1980s from the United Provinces, and pop music is also extremely popular, with New Syrmians listening to pop songs from the rest of Antarctica along with turbofolk.

Sports
Sports is important to New Syrmian culture, and a large amount of New Syrmians often watch sports and support a variety of teams. Important sports in the territory include basketball, football, which is referred to as soccer in the United States of Antarctica, and tennis, among other sports. New Syrmia tends to have separate sports teams than the rest of the Republic of Acadia, and sometimes compete under their own flag and name in Antarctic sports events, similar to how the separate kingdoms of Puffle'and compete separately in Antarctic sports events.

Geography
New Syrmia is located in Sub-Antarctica, surrounded on all sides by the Sub-Antarctic Sea, and is located west of Acadia, south of Glaw, and north of Ed Island. The territory has an area of around 7,800 sq mi, and shares a short border with the Snowinian territory of Alexandria, which is Acadia's only border with the United Provinces, and the only land border in the Western Union. New Syrmia's geography is varied, with the eastern regions of the territory being mountainous, while the western regions of the country are flat, and are home to many rivers with their source from the mountains.

Climate
New Syrmia has a temperate oceanic climate, with cold winters and warm summers, though the climate varies across the territory by region and elevation. The mountainous regions of the territory and the areas close to the mountains are often much colder than rest of the country, with colder and more snowy winters. The coldest month in New Syrmia is either January or February, while the warmest month is either June or July. New Syrmia receives snow in the winter months and heavy rain in the spring and summer months, with the heaviest rainfall occurring during summer.

Transportation
The territory has around 260 miles of highways, with the first highway being built in the 1960s during the communist era to connect the capital, New Winsburg, with the second largest city of Stephangrade and the major port city of Alexandria. Some highways were also built during the era of Puffish occupation, and major expansions of the highway system have been built under the period of Acadian rule as well. The most common method of transportation in the territory is by car, but motor scooters and bikes are common as well, especially in the major cities, where it is often crowded.

New Syrmia has an extensive rail system, with the main railway hub in the territory being in the capital, New Winsburg, where many railroads travel to, while the territory's third largest city, Petrograde, is a secondary railway hub. The train system connects all the major cities in the territory and the United Provinces territory of Alexandria as well. Railroads have been important in transporting goods in the country's history, and are still significant in doing so, even with the introduction of highways, and many New Syrmians use the train system to go to work or school and back.

Petrograde, the third largest city in New Syrmia, is the territory's largest port, and is located in the north of the territory. Many of New Syrmia's waterways, such as rivers and canals, connect many of the major cities inland with the port. The port is one of the largest ports in Sub-Antarctica, and is responsible for shipping a large amount of New Syrmia's exports to other countries. Although not a part of New Syrmia, the United Provinces territory of Alexandria is an important port to New Syrmia, with shipping being made easy due to Acadia's and the United Provinces' WU membership.

New Syrmia has a total of 25 airports and 5 heliports, with the territory having four major international airports. New Winsburg International Airport, located in the capital and largest city in the territory, is the largest and busiest airport in New Syrmia, serving around 5 million passengers each year, and is also a major hub for both Acadia Airlines and Air New Syrmia, which carries around 3 million passengers each year. Other major airports in the territory exist in the territory's three largest cities, Stephangrade, Petrograde, and New Lednik.

Trivia

 * New Syrmia is generally considered part of Metropolitan Acadia due to its close proximity and accessibility to the rest of the mainland.