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Balanda Republic

Fact Sheet

  • Size: 360'000 q
  • Religion: 24% Carlistic Christian, 15% Svantevicje, 9% Arianic Christian, 8% Jewish, 7% Muslim, 5% Prosomists, 20% no religion, 7% other
  • Language: Balanda
  • Alphabet: Latin
  • Capital: Kazinsk

Balanda Republic is the poorest state of the Federation. It used to be split culturally into the original Balanda Tribes, living mostly in the countryside and the east and the Contract Settlers, refugees and emigrants from Musograd and other regions living in the cities. In the last decades, this split has slowly disappeared.

The Balanda language is a blend of tocharic and slavic languages. The original Balanda adhere mostly to Svantevicje, a traditional slavic religion, and Arianic Christianity. In the south, many converted to Islam. The Contract Settlers mostly are Carlistic Christians or Jewish. In recent years, Prosomism has found many followers, and the proportion of those following no religion has grown.

Historically, the rural Balanda dominated the state, called "Balanga Respublike". Urbanisation and modernisation has changed this - the Balanda Republic is dominated by people living in the larger cities who have mostly mixed descend. There are still remnants of the historic tribal organisation of rural Balanda, with the remainders of the militant and conservative Balanda Liberation Movement (BLM) dissolved only in 2016. Local "Shu Zen" associations hold up those militant traditions today, combining special kinds of chemically enhanced meditation with martial arts.

The etymology of "Balanda" which is applied to the population of the Balanda Republic, is not clear. There are three different theories:

  1. Derivation from Dutch speaking settlers who have founded various towns in the Balanda Republic, calling themselves "Holländer", which may have been converted into "Balanda" and then adopted by the general population, together with parts of their language. The Balanda used to call people from other lands "Yolngu" ("strange people").
  2. The small but centrally located Balanda river may have gained its name from a local tocharic word indicating its windiness. The Balanda capital Kazinsk took its old name "Balanda" from the river and then gave it to the region and state, while it itself was re-named after the mythic First President of the Balanda. .
  3. A slavic word for "partying" may have been applied to the people living east of the Goralny mountains by the Musogradians, with the names of Balangrad ("Party Town") and Balanda ("Party People") first meant as a joke, but then adopted by the population.

There are historic precedents for all of the three theories, and the lack of written documents makes it difficult to decide which theory is correct. Maybe all three theories are correct at the same time, due to a strange coincidence.

Due to better education and infrastructure, the Balanda Republic has seen a slow economic upturn in the last few years. This has been stopped by the Star Sickness crisis, though. The diverse religious and ethnic groups living in the Republic have agreed to a decentralized structure of government and a policy of friendship with all other FM member states. To safeguard this, the Balanda Defense Forces are co-operating both with Musogradij Armije and Capricornian and Naquarnian Defense Forces, maintaining joint bases with all three. An agreement with SR Murwillumbah has been made which resolved long standing territorial conflicts on the southern coastline and which created a zone of co-prosperity in the Beynon / Noell area.

In 2020/2021, a high number of Balanda volunteers were drawn into the Musogradian Legion in the ill-fated Shoolscath operation. The destruction of the Legion on 2021.06.03 was a shock to the nation. In the aftermath, many surviving volunteers ended up in the Goralnigrad area, strengthening Balanda cultural influence in the easternmost Musogradian province.

Cultural history

There is a traditional story which is seen as a kind of "founding myth" of the "Balanga Respublike" of ancient times.

According to this, the Balanga state was founded by a secretive President, a Shoolscath (visionary) who tried to turn time around by negating all modern tools and developments. He fought a long and lonesome war against the powers of the world, while his words and ideas echoed in the Balanda and formed them into a nation. Finally, though, he was betrayed by his brother who felt this war to be senseless and cruel, and was put into eternal prison by the Western People. His ideas still live on in traditional Balanda people, supporting their struggle for freedom.

Years later, another pair of brothers, both Awailscaths (shape shifters) took his Name (the Real Name being a traditional magical secret of the Balanda) and acquired power over the People of the Eastern Plains. One of the brothers, the one who had acquired the office of the President of the Plains, decided to fly to the East to honour their ancestors. He was warned by his underlings of a huge nebula blocking his path, but in his hybris decided not to heed the warnings. This let to his downfall and death. But his brother still rules the People of the Plains, it is said.

Many traditional Balanda believe that they will win their true freedom when their President re-emerges into the world and smites down the Impostor. Urban and young Balanda reject this as dangerous fantasy and are striving for development, often emigrating to the cities or other FM states.

The true historic background of these myths has not yet been established, but ethnologist and historians continue to research them. In 2023, rumours emerged that the mythic President has finally left this world. These rumours may be related to the echoes of the Shoolscath shock and the new role of Balanda Republic after the reorganisation of the Federated Micronations. This is seen as a good sign that the Balanda now are starting to leave behind their past.

Recent Developments

  • 2022.01.01: Agreement with the SR Murwillumbah, returning parts of the occupied southern shoreline to that state and creating a co-prosperity zone in the Noell/Beynon region.
  • 2021.07.26: Opening of the Joint Sovereign Base.
  • 2021.06.03: Black Thursday: Musogradij Legija, staffed to a large part by Balanda, destroyed in final nuclear exchange of Shoolscath project.
  • 2021.03.17: Negotiations started with Murwillian government regarding Transdonarian lands occupied by Balanda forces in 2007
  • 2021.03.06: "Joint Sovereign Base" - signing of joint military base agreement with Republic of Capricornia and Repubblika tal Naquarnia.
  • 2020.09: Many Balanda volunteers join "Musogradij Legija", supporting Shoolscath.
  • 2020.05: Withdrawal of most Musogradian security forces stationed in Balanda Republic.
  • 2020/21: Star Sickness raging in Balanda Republic, leading to local lockdowns, crises and protests.
  • 2020.02.03: Balanda Republic declines to participate in Shoolscath effort.
  • 2016.04.10: Decentralization Agreement allows extended self-administration of cities and "Krajse" (rural districts)
  • 2016.03.24: Central Committee of BLM lays down arms and dissolves the organisation after a peace and reintegration agreement has been signed.
  • 2014.09: Cooperation Agreement with the Dershowo, allowing Musogradian security forces to be stationed.
  • 2014.07: Radical BLM factions called "Jaulscath" attack and destroy several smaller Contract Settlements.
  • 2011.08.15: First free elections to the Kanbarra (Parliament) in Kazinsk
  • 2009.10.03: Balanda Republic joins Federated Micronations
  • 2008.04.10: "Young Balanda" coup by reform-minded factions, cities and Contract Settlements declares Balanda Republic.

  • 2007.07: Balanda forces attack the Murwillian Jamaihiriya and occupy large tracts of land south of the River Donar.
  • 2007.02.01: Joint attack by Balanda and Capricornian forces on Balangrad City, occupying parts of the city until 2008.03.
  • 2006.08.01: Formal Independence of Balanga Respublike, led by anti-modernist traditional Balanga forces.

Historic events:

  • 1987: Forces of the Musogradian communist government commit war crimes while suppressing Balanda rebels.
  • ca. 1970: Balanda rebels declare their own underground republic under the name "Balanga Respublike".
  • 1820: Balanga Province formed as part of the Empire of Musograd.
  • 1792: The Balanga Kanbarra (tribal assembly) accepts the Protectorate of the King of Musograd.
  • 1423: Tolerance and Settlement Contract between the Balanga leaders and the Christian refugees
  • ca. 800 - 1200: Dutch speaking immigrants merge with the original population, founding small towns.
  • ca. 600 - 800: Slavic proto-Musanian people are integrated into the population, introducing their traditional Svantevicje religion.
  • ca. 400 - 600: Tocharic tribes settle the lands east of the Goralny mountains.