Bellinsgauzenia (Great White South)

The United Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia (: Соединённые Губернии Беллинсгаузении, Soyedinyonnyye Gubyernii Byellinsgauzyenii), colloquially known as Bellinsgauzenia (Беллинсгаузения, Byellinsgauzyeniya), and abbreviated as the UGB (СГБ, SGB); is a located in. Originally part of the, Bellinsgauzenia was establish as an independent and unified nation in 1926. While never involving their armed forces into the conflict, Bellinsgauzenia gained infamy during as a supporter of the. The nation remained under military domination until the 1970s, at which time it has become a.

Bellinsgauzenia is the largest nation in Antarctica (both in area and population) and is regarded as the primary regional power on the continent (as well as within the southern hemisphere). The armed forces of Bellinsgauzenia are regarded as one of the largest in the world, with the military being culturally and politically connected within the nation. Due to its growing economy and military history, Bellinsgauzenia has been regarded internationally as an emerging.

Names

 * See also: 



The term Bellinsgauzenia gains its origins in the early 19th century. The name is in reference to, the Russian officer who led the expedition which discovered in 1820. The contemporary spelling is based on the Russian spelling Беллинсгаузения (Byellinsgauzyeniya), and is comparable to the naming of after.

The name was originally a nickname used by the Russian Empire for the continent as a whole. It wouldn't be until 1926 that the name became officially used for the modern day nation. Early drafts of the 1926 constitution referred to the new nation as the "United Governorates of Antarctica," but the name was altered to "United Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia" prior to its adoption. The name was favored among the Russian nationalists as it favored a expressed Russian and continental patriotism among the founding fathers.

Early English translations used the name "Bellingshausenia" over the direct Russian translation, but the name initially never caught on. Instead, many early maps simply referred to the new nation as the "United Governorates of Antarctica" or simply the "United Governorates." It wouldn't be until the Cold War that the current Russified name became the international standard. The only noted exception is the German name of "Bellingshausenland," which gained popularity as Bellingshausen was an ethnic, as well as their existing good relations between the two nations during the early 20th century.

Pre-European Contact
The earliest known human settlements within modern day Bellinsgauzenia date back to the later-half of the, in which from  and the eastern islands of the  crossed the  and established settlements as far inland as the. From around up until, the Ross Sea coast was under the control of the , which were a proto- people under conflict with the neighboring. It's believed that continued conflict and a changing climate resulted in the fall of the Ogana Empire, with most of the peoples living around the Transantarctic Mountains becoming scattered tribes.



The region would remain loosely populated until the and the arrival of  from the  and. Unlike the Ogana before, the maritime Maori would establish bases across the (as war west as the ) and several kilometers inland (via the river systems). The majority of these settlements focused primarily on trade with and New Zealand, leaving inland exploration limited prior to European contact. Over the centuries since settling began, these Antarctic Maori began to develop a unique culture compared to the other of the Pacific. Communication links between Antarctica and New Zealand remained unaffected for several decades after first contact with Europeans.

Russian Colonization
While first contact between and  was made by the n-lead expedition of  in January 1820, this was made present day. The were the first Europeans to explore the lands of Bellinsgauzenia in the late 1820s, coming over from the. and Russian outposts were established in the area by the early 1830s. The Dutch were the first to explore the interior in great detail during this period, helping to establish a footing in what would become known as the. Dutch control would end in the 1850s when the Russian Empire absorbed these Dutch settlements, thereby establishing Russia's control over Eastern Antarctica from the to the.



Russia would establish four in Eastern Antarctica (not including their control over most of Western Antarctica). These included the, , , and. Oodavai was established in the 1870s following the discovery of gold around and across the Vostok River. The following population boom further helped in the development of the region, which also resulted in tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom (among which border disputes arose). This period would also bring tensions between these Russian settlers and the native. Despite following similar tactics as did the Maori of New Zealand against the British, the low numbers of these Antarctic Maori proved a weakness that the Russian Empire exploited by the 1870s.

By the end of the, the abundances of along the  would start to come into play, allowing for a period of  across Russian Antarctica. To help export coal, railways began to be constructed by the early 1900s (which mostly benefited Eastern Antarctica). Despite these early positives, progress was limited following the defeat of Russia in the, slowing down the access between the Russian Empire and her Antarctic colonies by means of the Pacific Ocean. This progress was virtually halted in 1914 as began in Europe, followed by the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917.

Independence and Civil War
Following the in 1917, the colonial governments and settlers of  initially supported the change in government. But following the rise of the during the, Russian Antarctica express their opposition to. The following year, representatives from the six came together in  for the first Continental Assembly, which would act as a provisional government for Russian Antarctica. The assembly proclaimed their support for the in the motherland. To help fight the sparse communist revolts in Russian Antarctica, the assembly allowed for to intervene in Russian Antarctica (as part of their intervention in the Russian Civil War as a whole).



With a Bolshevik victory in Russia by 1920, Russian Antarctica began to see themselves as the true successor of the Russian Empire. The Second Continental Assembly of 1920 proclaimed the independence of Russian Antarctica as the "United Governorates of Antarctica" and requested the removal of Allied forces from its territories. Despite this, the fear of communism spreading across the continent, combined with border disputes which had existed between Russia and the, Allied troops (predominantly British) would remain stationed in parts of Russian Antarctica. By this time, the more radical elements of the began to take shape in Antarctica, including, , and. Several noted participants of the Continental Assemblies (including World War I general ) began to side with these factions, eventually uniting as the National Movement.

In a campaign more furious and supported than communism, the nationalists began offensives against Allied troops. Considering them no different from the communists, the Allies fight on for the provisional governments of Russian Antarctic. By 1923, the nationalists have ceased control over western Eastern Antarctica (including the major cities of, , and ). Within a few more years, Allied troops only held control over what would become and much of the. In 1925, an end of the fighting was established in Novopetrograd. With the exception of a few areas, Allied troops would leave Russian Antarctica. Nationalist governments take control over Eastern Antarctica.

Despite the end of Allied occupation, hopes of a fully transantarctic nation soon became dashed. Fighting among the native n peoples soon broke out into a regional civil war. The ongoing civil war also cutoff contact between Eastern Antarctica and, which would soon fall to communist forces. The subsequent in Eastern Antarctica accelerated the formation of a unified government. In September 1926, the five nationalist governments of, the , , , and came together as the United Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia. The new nation was partially modeled after the fascist movements of (especially that of the  under ). General would be elected as the nation's first.

World War II
With the election of in 1938, Bellinsgauzenia's path moved more towards the Axis powers. Kliugin was a devout Orthodox Christian, and Kliugin's Bellinsgauzenia would gather support from Adolf Hitler in Germany and Juan Perón in Argentina.



Despite Bellinsgauzenia never [officially] becoming part of the Axis powers, Bellinsgauzenia and New Swabia acted as the primary "Axis powers" of Antarctica. After New Swabia declared their neutrality in the war after the unprovoked Japanese attack on the United States, Bellinsgauzenia was left alone, and would continue to be an Axis supporter. Prior to the Battle of Stalingrad, talks between the Axis powers with Argentina and Bellinsgauzenia discussed the possibility of the two joining the Axis powers. The possibility of military alliance was crushed with Stalingrad and D-Day, in which both Argentina and Bellinsgauzenia began to back from Axis support.

Cold War
Shortly after World War II, the political situation within Bellinsgauzenia on their military junta were put into question. Seeing as how the nation has evolved to the point of no longer needing a junta, talks were on to disband the AKZM to promote more democracy. The talks also came when incumbent Boris Kliugin discussed the possibility of a third term in office, which the people did not want. By 1950, the Federal Assembly adopted a new amendment to the constitution, declaring that the President of Bellinsgauzenia was only allowed one six-year term in office, declaring that any additional terms for Kliugin were not to happen. The election of 1950 would have Leonid Itsov being elected. He would be the last military general to become President for many years to come. Within his election, the AKZM was disbanded into the Continental Army of Bellinsgauzenia.

During the early decades of the Cold War, Bellinsgauzenia declared their alliance to NATO and the other western powers. But by the 1970s, the relationship between the Soviet Union and Bellinsgauzenia would come into focus with the election of in 1974. His platform was based on political reform and improved foreign relations with the eastern bloc, which for years had been non-existent. In July 1976, Bogomolov would become the first sitting leader of President to visit the motherland (which had not happened since the collapse of the Empire). Following a similar path that US President Richard Nixon took years before, the trip to the USSR, East Germany, and China would lead to better relations with the USSR and the UOB.

During the 1980s, Bellinsgauzenia and the Soviet Union went through a period of almost brotherly relationship between the citizens of Bellinsgauzenia and the USSR. The UOB would attend the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo (a feet which most likely wouldn't have been likely years prior). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Bellinsgauzenia would become a lifesaver for the eastern bloc, becoming a safe haven for the former USSR and Yugoslavia.

Modern era
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, a a wave of change flew across Bellinsgauzenia, leading to both good and bad feelings on the nations future. A large amount of immigration took place as Russian and former Soviet citizens wished to flee the chaos of the Motherland that took place in the 1990s. Though the influx of former communist lead to semi-chaos for those of Bellinsgauzenia, it would also help both the people and government evolve. One such program by Bellinsgauzenia became known as the, which began in 1993. The project was both an attempt for the UO to gain access to military nuclear technologies and to keep former Soviet scientists from selling their information to potential terrorist organizations or hostile governments. The project would make world headlines in September 1997, when Bellinsgauzenia announces that it had detonated a nuclear weapon in the mountainous regions of the Transantarctic Mountains, becoming the first and only nation of the southern hemisphere to have the bomb. Despite the world's mixed opinion of, the western world would consider Bellinsgauzenia as the least threatening nation to have the bomb than India and or Pakistan (which also became nuclear around the same time).

The Bellinsgauzenian economy began to grow in the 1990s and the 2000s, with the becoming the most powerful currency of the southern hemisphere, and one of the top five currencies of the the world (along with the dollar, euro, pound, and yen).

With the taking place on September 3, 2010, the mainland portion was annexed by Bellinsgauzenia and reformed into the.

Government and Politics


The United Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia is a and. The government of Bellinsgauzenia is structured as a and is divided into three branches of government:, , and. The acts as the, the , and the  of the military. The highest legislative body of the nation is the, which is a legislature comprised of the State Duma (lower house) and the Senate (upper house).

Bellinsgauzenia constitutionally allows for a within the nation, but functionally exists as a. The main political parties include the (which is a  political party) and the  (a  to  political party). The largest minority political parties in the nation include the Continental Party, the Greens , and the New National Party ; with many regional parties existing across the nation.

Prior to the 1950s, Bellinsgauzenia existed as a dominated by the National Party (a  and  political party) under a quasi-federal structure. The global discrediting of fascism following became a major push for reforms in Bellinsgauzenia.

Foreign Relations

 * Main article: 

The United Oblasts of Bellinsgauzenia has a mixed relationship internationally since its formation in 1926. At the beginning, Bellinsgauzenia had no diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and United Kingdom (which had invaded former Russian colonies in Antarctica). The relationship with Nazi Germany was almost brotherly, while the Bellinsgauzenian-Japanese relationship was almost fearful. As the Japanese Empire continued southward, it was unsure whether they would invade Australia and Antarctica.

Bellinsgauzenia's continental relationships began rocky. The only continental ally up to and during World War II was (which was a Nazi puppet state at the time). In 1939, Bellinsgauzenia and declare war on each other, leading to a bitter, two-year war.

During the early years of the Cold War, Bellinsgauzenia would stay an isolated nation with no true alliance with either the United States or the Soviet Union, but sided more towards the United States. By the late 1970s, President would help move Bellinsgauzenia out of its isolationist foreign relationship. In 1979, Bogomolov would travel to Moscow, the first Bellinsgauzenian leader to do so. Beginning in 1983, Bellinsgauzenian troops would be deployed in Afghanistan as part of the Soviet-Afghan War taking place. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bellinsgauzenia would help assist the Russian Federation and the former Soviet republics.

Military

 * Main article: 



Bellinsgauzenia's military forces hailed from the White Russian forces that remained in Russian Antarctica during the Russian Civil War, and later of escaped White Russian units (particularly some Cossack units) in World War II. The Bellingsgauzenian armed forces is composed of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Total peacetime strength is about 120,000.

According to the constitution, mandatory military service is required for all fit men and women between their 18th and 30th birthday, and are required to serve a minimum of 18 months.

Several of Bellinsgauzenia's equipment and techniques come from Nazi Germany during the alliance between them prior and during World War II. Today, most sources of military technology hail from the United States, Germany, France, and from the former Soviet Union and CIS. These days, local Bellingsgauzenian companies produce their own equipment. The standard assault rifle is the MB-51, loosely based on the IMI Galil and the Russian ABAKAN assault rifles.

Political Subdivisions

 * ''Main article:



The United Governorates of Bellinsgauzenia is a currently comprised of 10  (: губернии, gubyernii) and one  (федеральный округ, fyedyeral'nyy okrug). Bellinsgauzenia was established in 1926 with the unification of five governorates, which previously constituted four of. Five additional governorates were split from the founding five between the 1930s until the 1970s. The Federal Okrug of Concordia was established in the 1930s as a capital district for the nation.

Under its constitution, Bellinsgauzenia proclaims all the territories of Russian Antarctica to be under the nation's claims. Though these claims have gradually been recanted since the 1950s as formal relations and compromises were established. The only exception to this is the (currently a territory of ), which Bellinsgauzenia claims as being part of its Ross Coast governorates. Bellinsgauzenia's claims to the Ross Dependency are currently inactive as part of its foreign policy with New Zealand.

Economy
Bellinsgauzenia has one of the richest economies in the southern hemisphere, and one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Bellinsgauzenia owes its success to its free a capitalist economy, and an abundance of natural resources.

Energy
Bellinsgauzenia is one of the world's largest energy generators. The nation gains its energy from state-run power plants, with a wide range of technology and ways of producing energy; including fossil fuels, civil nuclear power, and an emerging green energy movement.



By far, Bellinsgauzenia has gained most of its energy from its sum 70 nuclear reactors across the nation. It was announced in 2005 that about 60% of the power produced in Bellinsgauzenia was by civil nuclear power, ranking as the second largest nuclear power nation (after ). Many Bellinsgauzenian scientists and geologists have made note that the large abundance of uranium ore in southern Bellinsgauzenia and across the was a major catalyze in the growth of civil nuclear power in Bellinsgauzenia. In a 2010 study, Bellinsgauzenia was ranked as the safest nuclear power nation, thanks in part to routine safety checks and employment satisfaction.



Despite its vast nuclear resources, Bellinsgauzenia is also one of the world's largest oil exporters (exporting approximately 3% of the world's oil needs). Bellinsgauzenia has a wide fleet of offshore oil rigs in the, as well as varying pockets of oil across the nation (the largest being and ). After the growth of civil nuclear power, Bellinsgauzenia exports almost 60% of its excavated oil.

With the becoming a major issue in Antarctica, Bellinsgauzenia has begun to take an active role in green energy. The 1990s and 2000s saw the increase of hydro, solar, and wind power across the nation. The most noted was the construction of the Vostok Hydroelectric Plant, which was also one of the first Soviet/Russian-led constructions in Bellinsgauzenia since the 1920s. Beginning in 2007, Bellinsgauzenia and the began construction on a vast solar farm to be located along the border Bellinsgauzenian-New Ingrian border. Designed to take advantage of the night-less Antarctic summer, the 20 acre solar farm will be able to collect the three month long sunshine, supplying a vast amount of energy to Bellinsgauzenia and the United Republic.

Demographics
According to the 2008 census, Bellinsgauzenia had a recorded population of 27,081,694 residence, though current estimates show the population is closer to 29 million (roughly similar in population to ). The majority of the population is located within 30 km of the and the.

Ethnography


Much like the other nations of the, Bellinsgauzenia has a diverse population comprised mostly of  settlers. The majority of Bellinsgauzenians trace their ancestry to the former ; with, , , , , , , , , , , and being prominent. Other prominent European peoples include, , , , , , , , , , and. The Dutch especially have a historic presence in Bellinsgauzenia, with those of Dutch and ancestry making up the majority in the.

Non-Europeans peoples who have an extensive presence in Bellinsgauzenia include (primarily, , and ), , , , , , , and ns. The Japanese population constitutes the largest non-European group in Bellinsgauzenia, with the nation containing the third largest concentration of Japanese people outside.

Making up about 2% of the population includes the native of Bellinsgauzenia, most of whom living in the northeastern portions of the nation.

Language
The official language of Bellinsgauzenia is Russian. But similar to how the English language in the United States has greatly differed from British English, Bellinsgauzenia has its own distinct form of Russian. Most of the differences came after the collapse of the Russian Empire, with the colonies and the motherland moving in different directions. While the Soviet Union was working to improve and standardize the Russian language, Bellinsgauzenia did not wish to get involved with the Soviets. Upon its formation, Bellinsgauzenia continued to use the four abandoned letters of the Russian language, and continued to use Imperial grammar and spelling. With the Russian language becoming a major world language by the 1950s, Bellinsgauzenia officially adopted the Soviet changes, but did not enforce them. Today, the four missing letters are used in Bellinsgauzenia, but used more as a historical reference, rather than true letters. Bellinsgauzenian Russian also uses the Russian letter "Ъ" more often than does Russian Russian, leading to similar confusion that plagues English ("Color" or "Colour", "Shop" or "Shoppe"). Also, many Ognian loanwords were adopted, as well as purely Bellingsgauzenian expressions. Bellingsgauzenian Russian descended from the Northern Russian dialects and its "archaic" spelling and pronounciation was often mocked in Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian media as un-sophisticated and old-school.

In Bellinsgauzenia, the Russian language is divided into two major dialects. This includes Bellinsgauzenian Russian and "Soviet Russian" (despite the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, most Bellinsgauzenians still use the term "Soviet" as the name of someone from Russia or the former Soviet republics).

Measurements


Bellinsgauzenia is only one of only four countries (including, , and the ) which has not adopted the , and instead continues to use the. Following the 's adoption of the metric system in 1924, the former Russian colonies of Antarctica began to use both metric and Russian Imperial. It wasn't until 1926 that Bellinsgauzenia officially barred the adoption of metric, due in many ways to the new nation's strong opposition to the USSR. A national movement to adopt the metric system took place in the 1990s, but much like in the United States, the majority of Bellinsgauzenians were either unsupportive or indifferent to metrication. Though since the 1990s, a level of metrication has taken place and is comparable to that within the United States (in which both Bellinsgauzenian and metric are shown).

Much like the, the Bellinsgauzenian units are similar to many European units of measurement. Many names are similar to their European counterparts (e.g., funt = ; millia = ), but the Russo-Bellinsgauzenian units have differing values in comparison. The most noted example is a Bellinsgauzenian millia (mile) is roughly 7 (about 5 miles), whereas the Bellinsgauzenian verst (lit. "turn") is more comparable to a km (0.6 miles) and is thereby the Russo-Bellinsgauzenian choice of distance (especially in directions and vehicle mileage).

Sports


Among the most popular sports in Bellinsgauzenia include, , , , , , , and many more.

Since the 1970s, cycleball has been regarded as the most popular sporting event within the country. Originating in, the sport became active in Bellinsgauzenia during the 1930s as relations between the two were excellent. Popularity gradually grew, reaching its zenith in 1983 when Bellinsgauzenia won gold in the in. Bellinsgauzenia would host the 2000 and 2006 games, and is scheduled to host the 2014 games. Many have credited the popularity of the games in both Bellinsgauzenia and helped to bring cycleball further into the global mainstream.