Republic of Suverska

Republic of Suverska
Symbols of Suverska
Location of Suverska
Capital	Paskrai
Language	English
Demonym(s)	Suverskan
Government	Unitary liquid democracy
• Executive	Federal Council
• Parliament	National Assembly
Independence from Canada
• Foundation	October 27, 2013
• Current constitution	May 3, 2021
Area
• Total	4.00 km² (193rd)
• Water (%)	0.34
Population
• 2020 census	44 (196th)
• Density	11.00/km² (180th)
Currency	Cabin Dollar Canadian Dollar (de facto)
Time zone	UTC−07:00
Date format	HE yyyy.mm.dd (de facto) ISO 8601 (de jure)
Membership	MOAV, UAMW, UCI, WCS
Website	Republic of Suverska

Suverska (/suːvɛərskə/), officially the Republic of Suverska and formerly the Republic of Suwerenny, is a North American micronation and the founding member of the Western Canada sector. With a population of 44 and an area of 4.00 km², the nation consists of two regions, Suveria and Meteora, which are made up of of enclaves and exclaves landlocked entirely within the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The land that is now Suverska was inhabited by various groups of indigenous peoples for thousands of years prior to European colonisation. European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s, and the region was incorporated into Canada in 1870. Throughout the 20th Century, the ancestors of today's Suverians immigrated to the area, mostly from Eastern Europe following both world wars. Today, most Suverians remain of Eastern European origin; the 2020 Census of Suverska found that over three in four Suverskans have Slavic ancestry.

In October 2013, the nation was formed under the name the Republic of Suwerenny, and in March 2014, it declared independence from Canada as a federal parliamentary republic. Its original constitution, which was written in March 2014, remained in effect until a series of referendums in May 2019 dissolved the previous system of government and began a two-year transition which ended in May 2021 with the implementation of the 2021 Constitution of Suverska and a unitary, liquid democratic system of government.

The older region, Suveria, consists of the historical regions of Flosia, Veskrai, and the nation’s capital Paskrai, while the newer region, Meteora, joined Suverska in 2018 and has devolved powers. Both regions of Suverska are located within the Canadian prairies, specifically the province of Saskatchewan. Externally, the country is a member of the Union Against Micronational War and the Union Cycliste Intermicronationale.

Etymology

The name Suverska is a blend of various words from the Slavic languages that altogether roughly translates as 'northern sovereign land'. Firstly, the name originates from words meaning 'sovereign' such as the Polish suwerenny or the Ukrainian суверенний, which was chosen to represent the claim to sovereignty that the nation makes. Secondly, the name takes influence from the Slavic words meaning 'northern' or 'cold' such as the Ukrainian сі́вер or Serbo-Croatian sjȅvēr (a word which may have also influenced the name of the Severians). Finally, the nation's name ends with the prefix of -ska, which is especially common in Polish place names. From 2013 to 2019, the country's name took origin only from one of the words and was called the Republic of Suwerenny (as it was written in documents such as the Deceleration of Independence and the 2014 Constitution of Suwerenny). During the 2019 Referendums, voters chose to rename the country from Suwerenny to Suverska, an altered version of the original name that had found its way into common use. Since then, the name Suverska has become the regular name of the country, with it becoming official in the 2021 Constitution of Suverska.

History

Pre-Suverskan history

The land that is now Suverska was inhabited by various indigenous peoples for thousands of years prior to European colonisation. Peoples indigenous to present-day Suveria and Meteora include the Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda, and Saulteaux people, with the area also being the homeland of the Métis. European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s, with the Dominion Lands Act of 1872 encouraging homesteaders to come to the area where they could purchase 160 acres (0.65 km²) of land for $10. By the 1880s, the Canadian Pacific Railway had made its way through the then District of Assiniboia, and with the construction of the railway through the region, European settlers began farming there. From 1871 to 1877, Numbered Treaties 2 and 4 were signed between Queen Victoria and various First Nation band governments, with their coverage spanning present-day Suveria and Meteora. The region was incorporated into Canada in 1870 as a part of the Northwest Territories and later as a part of Saskatchewan in 1905. The ancestors of today's Suverskans immigrated to the area, mostly from Eastern Europe, throughout the 20th Century.

Formation and early history

A photo taken in 2015 of the landscape in the region of Paskrai.

The predecessor to modern Suverska, originally called the Republic of East Butte, was founded on October 27, 2013 in modern-day Veskrai. With a population of seven, it declared itself autonomous from the rest of Canada and established a provisional government.

On March 27, 2014, the Republic of East Butte declared independence from Canada as the Republic of Suwerenny. Four days later, the nation’s citizens voted unanimously to enact the 2014 Constitution of Suwerenny and to elect John of Flosia to a two-year term as the first president of the republic. Over the next two months, additional regions would join the country, bringing the total population up to sixteen in time for the first national census on May 19, 2014. On the same day, the nation’s first parliamentary elections were held, with four of the National Assembly’s five seats being awarded to the Suwerenny Party (the other one were independent candidates). In May 2014, Suverska entered the international micronational community when it began foreign relations with other countries and organisations. Suverska began informal communications with other nations, including the Republic of Molossia, the People's Republic of Hashima, and the Great Empire of Dikameppra. The country joined the Union Against Micronational War on May 8, 2014 to establish its focus on intermicronational peace; throughout its entire history, Suverska has lacked any armed forces.

Between 2014 and 2016, Suverska’s population grew by fifty percent from 16 to 24. During this time, the Canada Party split off from the Suwerenny Party while what remained of the party renamed to the Libsoš Party. In the 2016 elections, John of Flosia was re-elected president and Libsoš won four seats, the Canada Party two, and and an independent candidate one). Referendums in May 2017 scheduled the movement of the national capital from East Butte to Paskrai and the eventual integration of Meteora into the nation (which was to happen within a year). In June 2017, the capital moved to Paskrai, and in April 2018, the regions of Meteora joined the country. For the census in May 2018, the national population was now 39. In this month’s elections, John of Flosia was re-elected as president once again, and the Libsoš Party only formed a minority government (4 Libsoš, 3 Prairie, 2 Canada). In October 2018, Arctic of Veskrai was elected president.

Recent history

Transitional period

The increasing popularity of the Canada and Prairie parties challenged the incumbent Libsoš minority government. In 2019’s national referendums, the nation voted in favour of various proposals, including the for various government reforms, for increased autonomy in Meteora, and for the country to be renamed to Suverska. Within the next few weeks, further referendums approved the Transitional Constitution of Suverska and the creation of the Transitional Council, a five-member, nonpartisan council which was to temporarily lead the country through a two-year transition period and draft a new constitution. At this time, the parliament was dissolved in favour of this temporary council.

COVID-19 pandemic

Amidst the transitional period, the COVID-19 pandemic entered the area and began to impact in the neighboring nation of Canada significantly in March 2020. This month, the government declared a state of emergency and two-week national lockdown which would be renewed throughout the spring, finally ending in June 2020. During this time, the government urged its citizens to stay home unless essential, and Suverskan school children transitioned to learning at home as their Canadian schools were closed due to the pandemic. Most Suverskan workers returned to their places of employment in Canada in June, while students returned to school in September. Any major events were cancelled, postponed, or moved online. Some public gatherings, mostly outdoors and all physically distanced, took place during the spring and summer, but colder temperatures and rising cases in Saskatchewan forced all events to close down once again in November 2020. At this point, the government reaffirmed its state of emergency and discouraged any indoor gatherings.

With the spread of the spread of variants of concern and a third wave of cases throughout Canada (for which Southern Saskatchewan became a global hotspot) in March 2021, Suverska once again reaffirmed its national emergency and implemented a second national lockdown which lasted until May 2021.

2021 Constitution

Following the two-year transitional period of Suverska's history, the 2021 Constitution of Suverska went into effect on May 3, 2021. The first elections to the Federal Council are set to take place on June 25, 2021.

Geography and climate

A pronghorn in Akawobek, the national animal of the country.

Despite its small size, Suverska has a diverse geography which consists of prairie, aspen parkland, valleys, and lakes. The urban areas where most of the population lives are located on a flat, treeless plain. The biodiversity of the nations is typical of the Great Plains, as common wildlife of Suverska include the coyote, red and swift fox, bobcat, lynx, white-tailed deer, and the pronghorn. The diversity of Suverska's plants and animals are represented in the nation's symbols, which includes the pronghorn, chokecherry, chokecherry.

Land use in Suverska is divided between residential, agricultural, and environmental reserves.

Most of the nation experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), while some regions experience a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). All regions of Suverska experience with warm summers and cold winters where precipitation is heaviest in late spring and early summer as rain, while snow is common in the winter months. July and August are the warmest months, with temperatures going as high as above 40 °C (104 °F) a few times a year, although the nights are still cold in the summer. In the winter, temperatures regularly drop below -40 °C (-40 °F) with wind chill.

Climate data for Veskrai, 1981–2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	-10 (14)	-6 (21)	0 (32)	11 (52)	18 (64)	23 (73)	26 (79)	26 (79)	19 (66)	11 (52)	0 (32)	-7 (19)	9 (48)
Daily mean °C (°F)	-15 (5)	-12 (10)	-5 (23)	5 (41)	11 (52)	16 (61)	19 (66)	18 (64)	12 (54)	4 (39)	-5 (23)	-12 (10)	3 (37)
Average low °C (°F)	-20 (-4)	-17 (1)	-10 (14)	-2 (28)	4 (39)	9 (48)	12 (54)	10 (50)	5 (41)	-3 (27)	-11 (12)	-18 (-0)	-3 (27)
Average Rainfall cm (inches)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	2 (0.8)	5 (2)	7 (2.8)	7 (2.8)	5 (2)	3 (1.2)	2 (0.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	31 (12.2)
Average Snowfall cm (inches)	19 (7.5)	11 (4.3)	19 (7.5)	7 (2.8)	4 (1.6)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	7 (2.8)	13 (5.1)	20 (7.9)	100 (39.4)
Source: Environment Canada

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Suverska

The political system of Suverska. Note that this was a proposed representation during the transitional period and is not entirely correct.

Since the enactment of the 2021 Constitution of Suverska, the nation has been a unitary liquid democracy in which all citizens of voting age are a part of the nonpartisan legislature and five elected citizens make up the executive Federal Council. Prior to 2019, the nation was a federal parliamentary republic with a president elected by popular vote. During this time, Suverska’s political scene was dominated by the Libsoš Party (initially called the Suwerenny Party), who formed majority governments in 2014 and 2016 followed by a minority government in 2018. Opposition to Libsoš included the Canada Party, Prairie Party, and numerous independent politicians.

The Suverskan government is made up of a executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The Federal Council is the executive branch and the head of government (similar to the Swiss Bundesrat); it governs as a nonpartisan consensus government, and each of its five members direct one of the government's Public Enterprises. Elections to the Federal Council take place no more than every six months, in which members are elected by the National Assembly using ranked voting, and individual members may be removed from the council at any time if a majority of the National Assembly votes for their removal. The National Assembly, which is the legislative branch of government, is a nonpartisan collective of all voting-age citizens of Suverska. As opposed to the Federal Council which meets regularly, the National Assembly meets irregularly and votes on laws using liquid democatic means. The People's Court, as described in the "Law" section, is the judicial branch of government.

Name		Symbol	Founded	FCMs (2021)	Largest result	Ideology
	Canada Party Канадський		2015	1 / 5	2 / 7 (2016)	Social liberalism, big tent, pro-Canadianism
	Libsoš Party Лібсоц		2014	2 / 5	3 / 5 (2014)	Libertarian socialism, environmentalism
	Prairie Party Прерія Партія		2018	1 / 5	3 / 9 (2018)	Right-wing populism, Meteoran regionalism

Law and courts

The 2021 Constitution of Suverska is the supreme law of the country. The constitution is a short, dynamic document that is regularly changed by the populace by mandatory annual referendums. The laws that govern the country consist entirely of the 2021 Constitution of Suverska and the Acts of the Government (law-related acts made by the executive and legislative branches of the government). Laws are consistent and uniform across the nation, and the laws of Canada and Saskatchewan still apply in the country.

Civil law prevails in Suverska, and the nation's laws are interpreted by the People's Court, which, in each case, consists of a random selection of two Federal Council members plus three other citizens, in which the highest-ranking Federal Council member directs the session. Cases settled by the People's Court are non-binding outside of that specific case, meaning that they only apply on a case-by-case basis unless the decision is later adapted into an act or amended into the Constitution. As of May 2021, no court sessions have taken place during the New Republic.

In the case that the Constitution conflicts with an act made by the Federal Council or National Assembly, the words of the Constitution (which are written by the people, therefore giving the people the ultimate power) are supreme, which is decided at the discretion of the People's Court. In order for a constitutional amendment to be voted on by the people in a referendum, the idea must either collect at least 10 signatures in an official petition or be organised by the Federal Council or National Assembly in their regular meetings. Referendums also take place when the National Assembly deems an issue of ultimate concern to the populace.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Suverska

The Western Canada sector of which Suverksa is a leading member and founder.

Suverska creates and maintains foreign relationships with other nations and organisations through its Public Enterprise of Foreign Affairs, and the country is known to seek out and establish foreign relationships with nations of similar ideology, and ones that promote intermicronational peacekeeping and security. Suverska began its foreign presence in 2014 when it declared independence from and attempted to open communications with Canada.

Throughout May 2014, the nation engaged in informal communications with Kevin Baugh, the President of the Republic of Molossia, and in the following months, the country began its earliest formal diplomatic relations with the now-defunct nations, the People's Republic of Hashima and the Great Empire of Dikameppra. As of June 2020, Suverska has ambassadors to Canada, the European Union, India, and the Unified Royal States of Australis, and the country has embassies in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Unified Royal States of Australis. Notably, Suverska also recognises and has been in communications with the Central Tibetan Administration since April 2020.

The nation has also been a part of various intermicronational organisations, including the Union Against Micronational War, the Micronational Organisation for Asexual Visibility, and the former United Micronations.

Regions and devolution

Suverska is a unitary state that is divided into two regions, Suveria and Meteora, which are made up of of enclaves and exclaves landlocked entirely within the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The older region, Suveria, consists of the historical regions of Flosia, Veskrai, and the nation’s capital Paskrai, while the newer region, Meteora, joined Suverska in 2018 and has devolved powers.

Name	Flag	Capital	Founded	Pop.	Area	Executive
Suveria	None	Paskrai	2013	24	0.9 km²	None
Meteora		Oskana	2018	20	3.1 km²	Meteora Council

Economy and education

Suverska's economy is a partially-regulated market, and transactions in the country take place using the Canadian Dollar or the local Cabin Dollar. Almost all trading is done between Suverska and Canada, while some trading takes place with the United States. Most Suverskans are employed in Canada and import goods back into Suverska, causing the country to import more goods than it exports. Common imports into Suverska include foods and perishable goods, gasoline, plastic products, and sports equipment, while common exports include waste, produce, lumber, newsprint, and music. Suverska's main industries include tourism, agricultrue and horticulture, and the media industry.

Under normal circumstances, all school-aged citizens of Suverska attend public or independent schools in the neighbouring nation of Canada. However, due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, schools and universities across Canada were closed, leaving all of Suverska's school-aged citizens without any regular form of education. Because of this, the government created a special programme for educating students in Suverska. This program was later integrated into the Public Enterprise of Domestic Affairs.

People and culture

Pond hockey is a popular outdor activity in Suverska, especially Paskrai.

Suverskan culture resembles the culture of the neighbouring country of Canada and is also greatly influenced by Eastern European culture and Christian traditions. Like Canada, Suverska's people and its government place an emphasis multiculturalism and equality. Suverians value their nation's peaceful foreign policy, emphasis on the rights and freedoms of all, and its national park system. Historically, Suverska and its citizens have been influenced by Ukrainian and Polish culture, which are the nations where most of its citizens' ancestors immigrated from. Because of this, many Suverians practice and continue to value traditions from these cultures, such as egg decorating and other Christian traditions.

Popular sports in Suverska include ice hockey, baseball, and Canadian football. Many Suverians are fans of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders. The national sport of Suverska is ice hockey, and the country is also a member of the Union Cycliste Intermicronationale.

Holidays

Because of their Christian backgrounds (specifically Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic), many Suverians observe traditional Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter Sunday. While Christianity is not the state religion of Suverksa (as it has no state religion), many Christian holidays are still recognised by the government because of their importance to a large portion of the populace. Recognised religious holidays include Eastern and Western Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and All Souls' Day, while secular holidays include New Year's Day, Independence Day (March 27; celebrating Suverska's independence), May Day, Family Day (second Monday in October), Remembrance Day, and Holodomor Memorial Day (fourth Saturday in November).

Language and ethnicity

A traditional Ukrainian Orthodox meal eaten on Christmas Eve, photo taken in Tumakrai in 2020.

The 2020 Census of Suverska found that the nation is mostly home to white Canadians of European descent, as well as some Candians of Chinese descent and people of two or more races (10.0 percent). The Census results found that 97.5 percent of Suverskans have some European ancestry, which includes Polish (75.0 percent), Ukrainian (62.5 percent), and Hungarian (7.5 percent) ancestry, while 12.5 percent of the nation's residents have some Chinese ancestry. 12.5 percent of Suverians are visible minorities.

According to the 2020 Census, 92.5 percent of Suverksans were born in Canada and 2.5 percent in Poland, while only 5.0 percent of residents were born in Suverska itself. In a similar statistic, 82.5 percent of Suverskans reported in the 2020 Census that both of their parents were born in Canada, while 10.0 percent said one parent and 7.5 percent neither.

Suverska has no official language, although English acts as the de facto official language and the lingua franca of communication within the nation's government and between citizens. The 2020 Census of Suverska found that 90.0 percent of Suverskans speak English as their mother tongue, while other common mother tongues included Cantonese, Polish, and Ukrainian. As well, every adult Suverskan is able to read, write, and speak in English, while some people can carry a conversation in Cantonese, French, and various Slavic languages.

Religion

Religion in Suverska (2020 estimate)
Ukrainian Orthodox			36%
Roman Catholic			18%
Unspecified Christianity			14%
Lutheran			5%
Nonreligious/unspecified			20%
Non-Christian religions			7%

No official statistic of religion in Suverska has ever been recorded, but the nation is estimated to be a fairly religious nation by church membership. However, most of the nation's residents are relaxed adherers to their faiths, as the average weekly church attendance among Suverskans is estimated to be very low. Despite low attendance numbers, most Suverians are members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada or the Roman Catholic Church. A 2020 study by the Public Enterprise of Domestic Affairs estimated that Christians make up approximately three-quarters of the national population, including at least 36 percent Eastern Orthodox, 18 percent Roman Catholic, and 5 percent Lutheran, while the remaining citizens are members of other religions, non-religious, or did not specify their answer.

2020 Census

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
2014	16	—
2016	24	+50.0%
2018	39	+62.5%
2020	44	+12.8%

The 2020 Suverskan Census, which was taken on May 18, counted the nation's total population as 44, an increase of 12.8 percent from the result of the 2018 Census. Since its founding in 2013, the nation has grown greatly from its original seven residents mostly because as a result of the expansion of the country's borders. Suverska's population density of 11 people per square kilometre is considered very low by international standards, with the statistic being comparable to that of Kazakhstan and the Central African Republic. Despite this, the country is extremely urbanised, with 85.0 percent of the population living in cities or towns.

Suverska has a young population. In 2019, it was estimated that 40.5% of the population was below the age of 18, and that the median population was 30.1 years, with that statistic being slightly higher for women (30.3 years) than men (29.9 years). The two most prominent age groups in the nation are youth and working-age citizens, and as of the 2020 Census, the male and female population of Suverska was equal (both 50.0 percent). The nation's life expectancy at birth is currently estimated to be 83 years. Also as of 2020, the large majority of Suverskans (92.5 percent) live in family households, while 7.5 percent of Suverians live alone. The average size of a household is 3.08 people, with house sizes ranging from one person to six people.

National symbols

Various symbols are used to represent Suverska and its people, such as the national flag and coat of arms. Along with these formal symbols, the government has also declared that the national sport is ice hockey, the national animal is the Pronghorn (antilocapra americana), the national fruit is the chokecherry (prunus virginiana), and the national flower is the marigold (calendula officinalis). As of 2020, the national colours of Suverska are black, gold (#FFCA60), and white.

See also

• This article in other languages.

External links

• Official website