Felsinia

Felsinia, officially the Most Serene Republic of Felsinia (: Sragnéssma Repóbblica ed Felséggna, pronounced ), is a country in central Vestea. It is a with capital Fêlsna. It borders to the south, Umbrellia to the west, Vellemia and Santvily to the north and the Aclidian Sea to the east. It is geographically divided among the Eridan valley, the Horns and the Aclidian lagoon, spanning a total area of 22,784 km2. The largest cities and economic centers are located either at the feet of the Horns chain, among them Fêlsna, La Stad and Forlàvvda, or in the Aclidian hinterland, these two main clusters encompass most of the industrial and financial output of the country, as well as its major infrastructures. Aclîdia is considered the financial capital of Felsinia being the location of stock exchange but also due to its long banking and manufacturing tradition, while Fêlsna is the main political hub with both the chambers of the parliament and most government buildings.

The republic draws its orgins from the Felsinian War of Independence against Lindenholt, The government of Artwingen used to rule over the entire region for over a century until, in fact the westernmost province of La Stad had been part of the Lindian Kingdom since its unification in the XVI century and the cultural heritage persists in part up to these days. Before the XX century Felsinia had never been an independent unitary political subject, but geographical proximity and partial isolation contributed to build a unique yet not uniform cultural identity since the latinisation of the area which valicated borders for millennia.

Economically speaking Felsinia is one of the most prosperous countries in the world, with a GDP (PPP) per capita of over AUR65.000, and is known for being the first country having completed the transition to digital currency: cash money ceased legal tender in 2015. Even so, since Felsinia is part of the Aureizone, the cash counterpart of the currency exists and is laregely used abroad, but it's banished inside the territory of the republic.

Felsinia has a few linguistic minorities which are recognised on a local level, exluding which is still broadly used as a secondary language in the former territories of the Maritime Republic of Aclidia, the largest minority is the  community near the border with Santvily. The other geographically delimited linguistic island is Pradâz, a region on the Horns south to Fêlsna where is primariliy spoken. and are sparsely diffused in some areas of the country. A continuum of dialects of ( is still used alongside standard Felsinian, especially among older generations. Felsinia used to be nearly equally diveded between and  but nowadays demographic inquiries show how a wide majority of Felsinians consider themselves non-religious, the transition to irreligion was recently encouraged and accelerated by a series of government policies inaugurated with the Millennium referenda in 1999.

Since 1991 the republic is part of the Vestean Union, Vestean integration was the bone of contention behind the events which led to the White revolution in 1990, before that Felsinia has had a long history of diffidence towards international political institutions. Neutrality and non commitment to some international bodies are still active policies today.

Etymology
The name Felsinia is indirectly related to the name of the capital Fêlsna, historically the region was known as Aclîdia, but in the XVIII century in an effort to support the legitimacy of Lindian expansionism in the area, the new territories in central Aclîdia annexed by the Kingdom were named Felsinia, (Felsenmark in, literally 'March of Fêlsna') after the largest city in the area, mostly as an insult to the Maritime Republic of Aclîdia, the only regional power in competition for the supremacy in the region.

In the following century the War of the Three Towers terminated the existence of the thousand-year old Maritime Republic, and its mainland territories were integrated into the Felsenmark province. In time independentist movements grew as several strains of local identitarianisms, with "Aclîdia" identifying only the territory of the former Maritime Republic. Those movements united under the official name of the province they were all fighting in, that name remained unaltered after independence.

The origins of the name of the city of Fêlsna aren't certain, historians and linguists speculate the name might come from for "fertile land" or "fortified place".

Antiquity
The most ancient archeological evidence of human presence in Felsinia harks back to around 180,000 BCE, confirming that in mid era south-eastern Felsinia was already settled by hunter-gatherers. First sedentary tribes are to be located around 10,000 BCE, with the diffusion of agriculture following around 5,000 years later. An important discovery of a 1.200 BCE settlement near Fêlsna, brought to light the remains of the Lôsnan culture (named after the town of Lôsna) and its iconic palafittes, it is believed that this culture was predominant in Felsinia until 900 BCE, when the Achlysi settled in the area, suddenly replacing or most likely absorbing the present indigenous cultures. Over centuries, until the Sertorian Empire conquest in ?81 BCE, urban centers were formed and the Achlysic society, in the form of a confederation of independent cities, ruled continuously facing only temporary incursions from hostile neighboring tribes, typically from Umbrellia or  from Vellemia.

Sertorian domination had to deal for a long time with the rebellious temperament of the Achlysi, the latinisation process was slowed down by Sertorian rule being consolidated only in the city centers of Eridan valley, while remote territories retained a certain degree of cultural independence, this allowed the and  to survive in small communties all the way to middle ages. Christianisation followed the same pattern, with the Achlysi hanging onto their pagan beliefs despite early and undaunted efforts from missionaries. Several sources cite Christianisation attempts with varying degrees of success well after the fall of the Sertorian Empire.

When barbarian invasions torned apart the Empire, Felsinia suffered constant raids from the north which worn out the local population. In the areas to the north of the Eridan delta, people from local villages found refuge on the nearly uninhabited lagoon island of Sułṡîa, giving origin to the center of what eventually became the city of Aclîsia.