Kitami

The Kitamic State or simply Kitami is a Constitutional Republic located in Tiandi, bordering Nukigurun to the north, Manaban to the east, both Kyidwulyi and Poshtal to the south, and both Kagibey and Heerad to the West. The country is one of the wealthiest in Central Yoju, with an impressive service, financial, agricultural, and energy base. It's capital Horoame is seen as one of the largest financial hubs in the Fusenic speaking world. Kitami is a major Yojuan partner of the Sinju Union, and hosts a few Fusenese military bases with thousands of troops. The country is a major rival to Nukigurun, and an important partner of Jeongmi and Fusen.

Kitami is divided into 15 provinces, and 3 special economic regions. It's largest cities include Horoame, Uenohara, and Ai. The capital and largest city, Horoame has over 7 million people, and is seen as one of the most dynamic in Yoju. Kitami sees a sharp divide between a wealthy urban landscape, and poor countryside, and even within cities much of the wealthier Fusenic populations have left towards sprawling suburbs. Kitami's cities have faced issues of "urban decay" since the 1980s, as well as the offshoring of much of it's industries.

Kitami's government system is a monarchy, aiming for the "harmonious cooperation" of diverse interest groups. While the country has a Parliament, suffrage is restricted to male Fusenic property owners, or scholars who have passed civil service ex. The monarchy has limited powers, limited by the Convent of Monarchical Powers, which gives most power to Kitami's Legislature. The nation has two major political parties, the Tsutsuji Clique, and the Kitamic Association of Merchants. The Tsutsuji Clique is commonly seen to endorse more socially democratic positions, whereas the KAM is more pro-capitalist and conservative. Kitami's government system is often seen as slow moving, due to it's extreme polarization, but also orientated towards Kitami's wealthy and elite. Regardless, it it has provided stability, rule of law, and a framework for much of Kitami's service sector to thrive.

Kitami began as a series Fusenic trade outpost in the 16th century on the periphery of the greater Nukigurun polity. Eventually in 1620 the crown of Fusen declared these outposts as "tributary states" to the larger Fusen Empire, and forced them to give gifts to the Fusenic crown, in exchange for defense and protection. Furthermore during the strife that engulfed Fusen during the Fusenic Centralization Kitami would expand in popiulation. To acquire more land Kitami would scout new territories, and assimilate native groups in the political arrangements of Kitami. Kitami became Fusen's major colony in Central Yoju. In 1750 the Fusenic Crown declared that Kitami would pay no tribute to Nukigurun, effectively breaking up up from Nukigurun, an leading to the Fusenic-Nukigurun Wars for 5 years. After the wars Kitami had stable borders with Nukigurun, but smaller skirmishes would continue. In the early 19th century the Fusenic Revolution many Fusenic nobles fled Fusen, and established a monarchy in Kitami, declaring independence. Kitamic merchants revolted against many of these merchants, and forced them to sign the Convent of Monarchical Powers. After the Fusenic Wars, Fusen officially recognized Kitami, and both nations developed extensive trade relations. Since Kitami's plentiful natural resources gave it a massive capital stock, it engaged in a massive industrialization of it's own. Kitamic industrialization was unique for the relative absence of the state, and the brand new institutional structures, and manufacturing processes pioneered. In 1920 Kitami gradually grew more friendly towards Nukigurun, would join Nukigurun in the Eulhae Wars after a coup in the 1930s. After the wars Kitami was occupied by Jeongmi forces, who further stripped the powers of the monarchy and forced Kitami to enter into the Horome Accords, making it reliant on Jeongmi and Fusen for defense. Kitami during this post war period saw the complete restructuring of it's economy, since many factories moved away, while banks, mining firms, and others settled themselves or developed in Kitami. Kitami was, and still remains the primary node for trade and financial transations between Nukigurun and the rest of Sinju. Kitami also developed an extensive information technology, and cultural industry in the 80s, and so called K-Jazz and K-Television remain popular today.

Today Kitami is a, and is the X largest nation in the world by GDP, and X largest nation in the world by population. It is one of the most diverse nations in the world, with large immigrant populations, and is seen as a "melting pot". Kitami's economy is a post-industrial economy, dominated by the financial, mining, cultural, information technology, energy, and agricultural sectors. Kitami is one of Tiandi's largest exporters of natural gas and soybeans, and is considered an "energy superpower" due to it's large natural gas reserves. Since the 1960s it has stayed as one of the major financial hubs in Tiandi, with trillions flowing in the financial markets of Horoame. Kitami has faced censure for how it's banks facilitate money laundering by the wealthy in Nukigurun. Kitami also has massive inequality, with one of the highest GINIs in Tiandi. Another major issue with it's economy is the massive offspring of Kitamic industries in recent years, denying many in the country access to work. Kitami maintains one of the least generous social safety nets out of high income countries in Tiandi, with an underfunded government pension system, private healthcare, and extensive means based testing. Kitamic education is known for it's competitiveness, and inequality with many public schools underfunded by the government. In recent years there has been a phenomena of emigration out of Kitami due to the intense competition many face.

Etymology
The characters for Kitami, 喜多見, translate into seeing happiness. The kanji was given by the original Fusenese settlers into Kitami, believed to be in praise of the abundant arable land they found.