INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the official website of the Republic of the Vosks and the Gurds, or Voskia for short. Voskia is a country in Southern Europe, situated between Italy, Albania, and Greece, with which countries it shared a lot of common history. Typically, the two main people of Voskia are the Vosks, who are distantly related to the Greeks, and the Gurds, who are closer to the Albanians. Voskian and Gurdian are both official languages of the republic, a third being Voskian Romantsch, which is a variant of the language spoken in Switzerland and Northern Italy, introduced to Voskia by monks and adopted by the Voskian inhabitants of the island that is now known as the Isla Rumantşa.

Until the '90s of the 20th century, Voskia was a kingdom. A short lived dictatorship put an end to the monarchy and when democracy was restored, the country became a republic. Despite that, there is still a strong monarchist movement present in Voskia.

Voskia has only recently started membership negotiations with the European Union; it may take however many years before Voskia will be suitable to join. Voskia is however a member of the international organisations FICT (2012) and AGL (2012/2013).
 


Map of Voskia
GENERAL DATA
Official name: Dēmukraciā Voşkoded kē Karzgoded (Voskian), Republika a Vuşţu đi a Gyrdau (Gurdian), La Republika dals Vuosçs e dals Gurdais (Voskian Romantsch); The Republic of the Vosks and the Gurds
Official short name: Voşģis (Voskian), Vuştì/Vuştja (Gurdian), Voskia (Voskian Romantsch)
Time zone: UTC +1
Drives on the: right
National holidays: 1 June (independence, 1946)
Anthem: wordless hymn 'Kūzā Metēz'/'Pàjsi i Nemyj'/'Il Noss Pajais' ('Our Country'), music written in 1947 by Rubertas Pudģavs (1894 - 1968)
Flag:

 
GENERAL DATA (contd.)
Inhabitants: 2,398,584 (est. 1-1-2018)
Growth rate: 0.46% (2017)
Life expectancy: men 73.3 years; women 77.4 years
Top 5 cities (+ inhabitants):
     Rāģidz (214,179)
     Divis (214,057)
     Dzāvuniģis (194,872)
     Kvēvuste (165,216)
     Turiç (139,588)
Languages: official: Voskian, Gurdian, Voskian Romantsch. Other: Italian, Greek, Albanian and others
Literacy: >99%
Religions: Greek-Orthodox (33%), Roman-Catholic (31%), Islam (27%)
Universities: Turiç (1771), Kelvius (1824), Divis (1948), Màjmal (1960)

Capital: Divis
Administrative divisions: three regions (subdivided in sixteen provinces) and a capital district
Form of government: parliamentary republic
Head of state: president Bautasars Kustādzas, since 2018
Parliament: unicameral parliament with 229 seats (Bōvēa/Kuvendi/La Dieta)
Main political parties: K-ĢP (socialdemocrats), PD (conservatives, republicans) V-ĢP (liberaldemocrats), MV (centre-liberals), MS (monarchists), IP ('Irtiazists', conservatives), KP (communists), PA (farmers' party), SSA (socialist farmers' party)
Head of government:
     Luçia Apavia (V-ĢP), since 2013
     Başkim Arhali (PD), 2008 - 2013 (second time)
     Gian Parpan (V-ĢP), 2007 - 2008
     Başkim Arhali (PD), 2004 - 2007 (first time)
     Ģiōģius Krugvavs (K-ĢP), 2002 - 2004
Minister of foreign affairs: Melpomenì Kerenģi-Çafa (MV), since 2018
Membership international organisations: United Nations, Council of Europe, Mediterranean Union, WHO, FAO, ILO, OECD, IMF, World Bank, AGL, FICT, a.o.

Highest mountain: Arsēc (1877 m)
Largest lake: Lake Neði
Longest river: Veçe
Climate: Mediterranean (Cs)
Average temperature in January and July: 5°C, 25°C
Average quantity of rain: 750 mm per year

GDP: $33.74 billion (2017) = $14,065 per capita
Currency: 1 Krisis = 40 Petis = €0,61 (1-1-2018)
Inflation: 3.7% (2017 est.)
Unemployment: 8.1% (2017)
Working population: agriculture 42.9%, industry 25.1%, services 32.0%
Export: fruit and vegetables, dairy products, clothing and textile, metals and asphalt, ...
Import: machinery, chemical products, food products, ...
Main partners: European Union, Turkey
Main businesses: VosTelecom (telecommunication), PēvAr (clothing and tapestries), Ģenikē Bankā Rāģigoş (ĢBR, banking), ...
Main newspapers: The Voskian Times, Epēmèdza ek Voşģioş, Voşkiko Loģuzvĕ, Botimi i Màjmalse, Socialisti, Il Currier Quotidian

Roads: four lane motorway A1 Kvēvuste-Rāģidz-Dzāvuniģis
Railroad companies: VŞS (lines Ēdeza-Rāģidz-Dzāvuniģis-Pernādepūvis, Dzāvuniģis-Arvūzo-Vazāzvĕ-Hibēzvĕ-Kelvius, and Hygis-Pādģiōrs) and HG (Màjmal-Korv)
Airports: International airport of Divis, former international airport of Rāģidz. Several smaller airfields throughout the country (e.g. in Kelvius, Pādģiōrs, Turiç, Todģekc, and Korv)
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