Cities of Uralia

A region consisting almost exclusively of relatively young states, the Uralian region is a direct result of WWIV and the rebellions in Russia. Following a rapidly destabilizing political climate in the wake of WWIII, coupled with a second war against Finland and Japan (known outside Russia as the Reclamation Wars), various political movements who were dissatisfied with the political system in the country, coupled with the horrible economic situation, the nearly destroyed infrastructure and the disastrous results of the Third World War, joined together with ethnic liberation movements and with foreign backing (mainly from Finland, Japan and the Baltics) managed to stage a series of simultaneous revolts throughout the mastodontic country. When the European Intervention finally came, the pro-rebel Europeans quickly struck a deal with the majority of the separatists, forming the states that today compose the Uralian region of Europe. The admission of Kazakhstan in 2071, the latest member of the Federation, significantly boosted the regions potential and changed it from a Federal backwater to the second most important part of the Federation after Western Europe.

Uralia has quite a sizeable number of natural resources and its agricultural potential is not to be underestimated, though neither of those two succeeds in putting Uralia in a fair position when it comes to competing with the other regions. Instead, since the admission of Kazakhstan in 2071, Uralia has shifted gears entirely and is more or less focused on the astronautics industry, with nearly every constituent country’s GDP being at least 40% derived from space-related activities and enterprises. Kazakhstan, also one of the four most influential countries in the Federation, boasts the worlds first and to date second largest spaceport, located in Bayqoñır. Since admission, Bayqoñır has grown to be one of the largest cities in Europe due to it being first on the scene when space travel became more than just a wild dream. Its industry has also managed to keep up with the swift changes, with Kazakhstan today being one of the most industrialized countries in Europe, while also being a net exporter of agricultural products. Through the regional cooperation, Kazakhstan has also managed to export its success to other Uralian countries, whose industrial output is essential for the smooth running of Kazakhstan’s (and thereby) Europe’s space industry, creating a sort of regional interdependence. Other Uralian countries besides Kazakhstan to have spaceports are Nenetsia and Komiland, though those are much smaller and of far lesser economic value than the Bayqoñır one. Most of the natural resources mined in space are first sent to Kazakhstan, which then exports it to other destinations in Europe.

Since Uralia is one of the few regions in which Islam is a major religion, the Muslim Democrats usually occupy a significant number of seats in the Regional Diet, with only Western Asia having more. The Christian Democrats, Party of Traditions, Rosefront – Social Democrats and Progressive Conservatives are also major forces in the Diet, while the European Democratic Party, European Federal Reform Party and the European Autonomist Alliance also holding a number of seats.

The states of Uralia are: the the Nenets Republic; the Republic of Yugra; the Republic of Komiland; the Republic of Tatarstan; the Republic of Udmurtia; the Mordovian Union; the Republic of Chuvashia; the Republic of Mari El; the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Kazakhstan.