Federated States (Venusian Haven)

Ishtar, officially the Federated States of Ishtar (F.S.I), is a Federal Democratic Republic comprising of 2 former Venusian colonies of the United States of America. Ishtar is currently the largest and one of the most influenticial nations on Venus. Ishtar was established in 1995 with the unification of 2 American colonies.

Etymology
The name Ishtar is derived from the name of the continent where the majority of the F.S.I is situated. The name Ishtar was given to the continent because of its beauty. Before the formation of the nation, there used to be four major nations making up the now Ishtar, both American.

Early exploration
Not much was known about the Venusian surface up until the Space Race, in which unmanned probes were able to get a closer look at the planet. Along with radar mapping from Earth-based telescopes, it was discovered that Venus did have a surface divided between oceans and continents.

Colonization
The United States exploration of Venus started badly with the loss of the Mariner 1 probe on launch. The subsequent Mariner 2 mission enjoyed greater success, and after a 109-day transfer orbit on December 14, 1962 it became the world's first successful interplanetary mission, passing 34,833 km above the surface of Venus. Its microwave and infared radiometres revealed that the Venusian cloud tops were cool and the surface temprature was matching the temprature of the tropical areas of Earth, increasing hopes that the planet might harbor ground-based life. Mariner 2 also obtained improved estimates of its mass and of the astronomical unit, and detected a magnetic field and radiation belts.

The first American landing took place on the 20th July, 1979, three years after the Soviets. This date is highly symbolic as the Lunar landings of 1969 happened on the same day. The first America to set foot on the Venusian surface was none other than Neil Armstrong himself, who had stepped foot on Luna 10 years ago.

Geography
Ishtar is currenly (ongoing debate) the largest entity on Venus, with around 65% being Temprate forests. The majority of the population is centred in the city states, Kennedy, Armstrong, Regan and Einstien

Being on the Northern Hemisphere, Ishtar has very pleasant tempratures. The warmest temprature recorded is 40 degrees Celsius in 1993 in Armstrong. The coldest temprature recorded was -9 degress Celsius in 1997. Snowfall has been recorded but only on the Northern extreme of the country.

Ishtar is very plain and flat and has a few rivers flowing through it. It has very fertile soil and has beautiful coasts. The cliffs look like the White Cliff of Dover and the residents of the country have lovingly named the cliffs the White Cliffs of Armstrong (as it is situate there).

Political divisions
The Federated States of Ishtar is currently made up of four main states. The states have some similarities with countries in the way there are governed and each state. Ishtar has 18 divisional states in total while only four main states. The American states have not been named after their city centers. They are:
 * 9.png
 * Flag.png
 * Flag.png
 * Flag.png

Economy
Ishtar has a booming economy, with some even joking that "America has a long way to go to reach the GDP growth of Ishtar." They mainly export goods and raw materials from Venus, with diamonds being a common export due to the abundance of it found as well as gold, silver and other precious metals.

The GDP per capita of Ishtar is an impressive $23,000, with the GDP being measured in Venusian Dollars ($), not in American Dollars. The value of the Venusian Dollar is equal to the American Dollar and has one of the highest currency worth on Venus.

Grains
Due to the Venus Treaty, plants cannot be planted in the rich soil of Venus and this has led many people in the search of food they could have eaten which is found on Venus. Although food is grown in special biodomes and hydroponics domes, many Venusian fruits were found eatable and were cultivated and grown as crops. Rabi, as the locals know it as, growns and tastes just like wheat and the plant is grown and bread is made from it. Another crop, Chaval, is also found naturally and has been cultivalted as it is an alternative to rice as it looks and tastes like rice aswell.

Fruits
There are many types of Fruits on Venus. They range from slightly recognizable to downright weird. The fruits usually look exotic like the one shown. This has led to many people mainly eating Venusian fruits rather than fruits found on Earth. However, a few people still prefer Earth fruits but they are classed as a minority.