Lyon

Lyon Republic
Motto: United in Independence
Capital and largest city		Port Lyon
Official languages		Lyonese
Recognised national languages		Lyonese, Codexian
Ethnic groups (2015 Estimate)		100% Human
Demonym		Lyonese
Government		Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
-	Prime Minister	Alexis Jacobs
-	Speaker of Parliament	Marcus Levin
-	Chief Justice	Hailey Hanson
Legislature		Parliament
Independence
-	From the Tyrsis Imperium	2006
Area
-	Total	32,115.5 km2 12,399.9 sq mi
Population
-	2015 estimate	7,680,507
-	2010 census	6,767,262
-	Density	239.2/km2 619.4/sq mi
GDP (nominal)		2015 estimate
-	Total	$224.2 billion
-	Per capita	$29,190.8
Gini (2015)		36.4 medium
HDI (2015)		.729 high
Currency		Federate Dollar (FD)
Date format		MM/DD/YYYY
Drives on the		right (side of road)
Calling code		+96
ISO 3166 code		LY
Internet TLD		.ly

Lyon, officially the Lyon Republic, is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic in Yasteria. Lyon covers an area of approximately 32,115.5 square kilometers (approximately 12,400 square miles), and has a largely tropical climate. It has a population of 7.7 million, nearly half of whom live in the capital of Port Lyon. Two major national groups occupy the nation, the native Lyonese and the immigrant Tyrsins, and significant animosity exists between these groups. Located in Southeastern Yasteria, Lyon borders the Gulf of Joy, Pax-Draconica, and the Federated Alliance of Free Pacific States.

A litany nations occupied modern Lyon for sixteen of the last twenty-five centuries including the Packo Empire, Tyrsis, Drakkengard, Wachovia, and Codex. The Tyrsis Imperium occupied Lyon through most of the 20th century, finally yielding control only when the death of the Tyrsin emperor sparked civil war. The Federated Alliance and Dannistaan deployed peacekeepers into Lyon as part of an international effort to restore order, and after several months, Lyonese leaders declared independence with FPS support. Lyon adopted a constitution in late 2005, and weeks later, held its first election in nearly a century. Over the next several years, Lyon and FPS jointly quelled a Tyrsin insurgency, largely by incorporating most Tyrsin leaders into the government. Lyon has enjoyed an immense economic boom since that time, thanks to trade with FPS and the Pax.

Lyon is a newly developed country thanks to ten years of unprecedented economic growth. The nominal gross domestic product reached $224.2 billion in 2015, representing an increase of an order of magnitude from Tyrsis' $22.1 billion 2005 GDP. Most economists agree that nominal growth vastly outstripped actual growth, however, and average prices have risen by nearly seven times since 2005. Nonetheless, real household incomes have improved by as much as three times, and unemployment has fallen to records unseen in Lyon's modern history. Lyon's growth comes largely as a result of support from the Federated Alliance, which views Lyon as an ally, and trade with Pax-Draconica, which has declared Lyon a protectorate. Lyon's foreign affairs are dominated by the efforts of FPS and Pax-Drakkengard to gain influence over the strategically important nation. FPS has largely been winning this fight by providing substantial aid to Lyon, amounting to $36.6 billion in 2015.

Etymology

The country's name derives from the Lyon Dynasty, which ruled the nation from approximately the 9th century BCE to approximately the 3rd century BCE. Ohthere Lyon formally named the country after his family; though neither the first nor last Lyon king, Othhere is well-known for his focus on cultural development, which truly led to the creation of a distinct Lyonese people. The Codexians that settled the Free Pacific States translated the Lyonese word "Lyon" into Codexian as the same, albeit with a much lighter inflection.

History

Humans settled modern Lyon approximately 10,000-20,000 years ago, but the Lyonese civilization only emerged in approximately 2500 BCE. Lyon existed as a kingdom from 2500 BCE to 326 BCE, when it was invaded by the Packo Empire. The Packilvanians ruled the territory until the 9th century CE, when it achieved independence again. But this independence would prove short-lived as the West Malaysian-based Korant Empire occupied Lyon from the 11th century to the 14th century, when it was conquered by Tyrsis. Wachovia in turn wrestled control of Lyon from Tyrsis in the 15th century, only to have Drakkengard seize control of the territory in the 17th century. Wachovia and Drakkengard agreed to grant independence to Tyrsis and Lyon in 1646 to create a buffer between the two nations, and Lyon existed for the next century as a constitutional monarchy. But Tyrsis invaded Lyon in 1753, conquering the country, and occupying it for the next two and a half centuries.

Lyonese resistance groups operated through that entire period, despite the best efforts of the Tyrsin government to stamp out nationalist sentiment. Opportunity struck in 2005, when the Emperor of Tyrsis died, and the Tyrsin government collapsed into civil war. The Lyonese rebel organizations united at that point to attack the territorial government, which led to a complete breakdown of order in the Lyon area. After several months, Dannistaan deployed troops to Tyrsis to restore order, and the Federated Alliance of Free Pacific States followed suit in Lyon. A group of Lyonese leaders met with the head of the Free Pacifican peacekeeping force soon after the invasion. The Free Pacificans granted a request during the meeting for a new constitutional convention, which led ultimately to the creation of the Lyon Republic. The first elected Parliament in Lyonese history, not to mention the first independent Parliament in a century, met in 2005.

But the creation of a government in Lyon did not mean an end to the ills of that nation. The Tyrsin portion of the population, largely disenfranchised by the new government, resisted the occupation violently. The Lyonese resistance leaders, who saw election to most top government positions despite a complete lack of administrative experience, failed to efficiently organize the new state. And the Free Pacificans, who were trained to fight the Pax not an insurgency, repeatedly alienated the populace. By the end of 2006, the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

The Federated Alliance and the Lyon Republic undertook a major program in 2007 to address the ongoing insurgency. The Federated Alliance replaced deployed marine and special forces units in place of regular Army units to conduct counter-insurgency operations with a greater focus on preserving civilian life. The Lyon Republic simultaneously offered immunity to any Tyrsins willing to join the military, police, or government. Most Tyrsins had previously worked for the government, government contractors, or major government-aligned corporations, and flooded the ranks of the security services. Prime Minister Alexis Jacobs took the final step of negotiating directly with Tyrsin Action Party leaders in 2008, leading the rebel group to transform into a peaceful political party. By the end of 2008, the insurgency was effectively over.

The country elected a new parliament in 2010, led by the Unity Party, and that parliament re-elected Jacobs as Prime Minister. But in a nod to the Tyrsin portion of the population, Kim named former Tyrsin politician Chris Hartin to the position of Deputy Prime Minister. The Free Pacifican military ceased peacekeeping operations in 2012, leaving the Tyrsin-dominated security services to keep law an order. A substantial Free Pacifican military presence remained in the nation, though, for the purpose of defending it against the Pax. The Tyrsin Royal Guard, a militant resistance group, continues to operate in Lyon to this day, though it has not attacked the Lyonese government since 2011.

Lyon is today best known for its strategic importance. Both the Pax and the Federated Alliance maintain close relations with Lyon, given its important strategic position. The Pax Empire has declared Lyon a protectorate, while the Federated Alliance has signed a defense pact with Lyon. The Free Pacific States currently possesses the upper-hand in influencing Lyon, maintaining a sizable military presence in Lyon, and funding the Lyonese government to the tune of $46.1 billion in 2015. The Lyonese economy has grown substantially in the last decade because of these two relationships, and a major economic boom continues today.

Demographics

The Lyon Census Bureau currently estimates the country's population to be 7,680,507. Lyon's population more than tripled during the second half of the 20th century, rising from around approximately 2 million in 1950. Population growth slowed in the late 1990s, but has accelerated rapidly in the last five years as a result of large-scale Tyrsin immigration. During that period, some 400,000 Tyrsin immigrated, increasing Lyon's Tyrsin population by 25%. The total foreign-born population in Lyon is approximately 1.3 million, the equal of about 16% of the total population.

Two national groups comprise the overwhelming majority of the population of Lyon: Lyons and Tyrsins. Lyons constitute approximately 72% of the population (5.6 million). Tyrsins makeup approximately 27% of the population (2.1 million). Much of the remainder of the population is made up of Drakkengardians, most of whom immigrated prior to independence, and Free Pacificans, most of whom immigrated since the FPS intervention in 2006. The vast majority of the population is human with only a small non-human population present in Port Lyon.

Lyon has a high birth rate for a developed nation, though that rate is falling as standards of living increase. The Lyonese birth rate in 2014 was 16. The average woman had 2.02 children in 2014, only slightly less than the replacement rate of 2.1, though significantly down from the 3.56 children that the average woman had in 1950. Lyon's population growth rate is positive, reaching nearly 1.9% in 2015. Most legal immigrants gain entry using employment visas, particularly from the defense, intelligence, interior, and foreign services. Illegal immigration is unusual, though not unheard of, and there are several tens of thousands of illegal immigrants suspected of living in the nation. Most of the illegals are Drakkengardians that have fled Pax-Draconica.

The LGBT community in Lyon has only recently gained legal status, and the number of Lyonese self-identifying as homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered is low as a result. The Lyon Census Bureau places that number around 115,000, roughly 1.5% of the population, while most media outlets place it slightly lower, around 1% of the population. Most experts agree that these estimates fail to account for the substantial number of gay, lesbian, and bisexual Lyonese that are still closeted.

Approximately 73% of Lyon's population lives in urban areas (including suburbs). The metropolitan Port Lyon area alone contains approximately 43% of Lyon's population, and the major urban centers of Madison and Oldton together contain another 22%. Urbanization has substantially increased in the last few years as a result of the Tyrsin mass immigration; the vast majority of immigrants to Lyon reside in Port Lyon, Madison, or Oldton.

Language

Lyonese is the official language of the Lyon Republic, though Codexian is also a national language. The Parliament, judicial system, and most government ministries operate in Lyonese, which is the language of the Constitution of Lyon. Yet government programming is made available in both Lyonese and Codexian, and street signs feature both languages. Furthermore, the military, intelligence services, and foreign ministry operate in Codexian, as do most law enforcement agencies. Codexian is also used at the highest levels of the private sector, particularly by senior management in large businesses.

Language spoken at home varies. The vast majority of the population speaks Lyonese at home, but nearly the entire Tyrsin minority speaks Tyrsin. Small minorities speak Drakkengardian or Codexian. Primary and secondary public school students across the nation study Codexian as a foreign language. A sizable percentage of students -- approximately 17% -- also study a second language, usually Drakkengardian or Tyrsin.

Religion

The Lyonese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and mandates a separation of church and state. The Catholic Church is the predominant religious organization in Lyon; nearly 61% of the population is Catholic. Protestantism is the only other widely practiced religion; almost 24.7% of the population is Protestant. Ethnic Lyons tend to be Catholic, while ethnic Tyrsins tend to be Protestant. According to a Shiro Academy study, Lyon has one of the highest rates of regular Mass attendance in Yasteria. Approximately 11% of Lyonese attend mass daily, and 48% attend mass weekly.

Lyon is becoming less religious, following the trend of other developed nations. Irreligion is growing rapidly among Lyonese under age 30. Polls show that overall Lyonese confidence in organized religion is declining, especially among younger Lyonese. Lyonese with no religion have 1.7 children compared to 2.2 among Christians. The unaffiliated are less likely to get married with 37% marrying compared to 52% of Christians. Approximately 14.2% of Lyonese self-identified as agnostic, atheist, or simply not religious in 2014. Irreligion is more predominant in Port Lyon than in the rest of the nation.

Family structure

A majority of Lyonese in a traditional two-parent family with 1-3 children. Most married women do not work, though there is a rising trend of women working outside the home, particularly young women. College education rates amongst women are also rising precipitously, though the majority of university students are men. As of 2007, 64% of Lyonese age 18 and over were married, 7% were widowed, 8% were divorced, and 20% had never been married. No-fault divorce exists, though divorce is frowned upon.

The Lyonese teenage birth rate is 16.7 per 1,000 women. The rate has declined by 43% since 1950. Abortion is illegal in Lyon, but Lyonese women are able to easily obtain abortions across the Free Pacifican border. Accounting for these cross-border abortions, the abortion rate is 4.6 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. Adoption in Lyon is common and relatively easy from a legal point of view (compared to other developed countries). It is technically legal for same-sex couples to adopt, though same-sex couples often face de facto discrimination. Polygamy is illegal throughout Lyon.

Health

The Ministry of Health operates the national healthcare system, providing publicly funded healthcare to all persons mostly for free at the point of use. The national healthcare system is centralized with the national government operating, or contracting with, all medical facilities. The system is liberally based upon that in the Federated Alliance. The vast majority of medical facilities are operated by the government or a non-profit company, but there are some for-profit hospitals that operate independently from the national health system. Drug manufacturers are for-profit entities.

Lyon operates a world-class healthcare system despite its size, thanks to a strong government commitment to healthcare. The government spends approximately $4550 per person on healthcare. Lyon has a life expectancy of 79 years at birth, up from 69.3 years in 1990. Increasing rates of obesity in Lyon pose a major challenge to the public health community. Approximately 16% of the adult population is obese and an additional 22.5% is overweight; the obesity rate has more than doubled in the last quarter-century. Obesity-related type 2 diabetes is considered epidemic by health care professionals. Lyon's infant mortality rate is approximately 4.8 per thousand.

In 2015, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and traffic accidents caused the most years of life lost in Lyon. Lower back pain, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain, and anxiety caused the most years lost to disability. The most deleterious risk_factor|risk factors were poor diet, tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, physical inactivity, and alcohol use. Alzheimer's disease, drug abuse, kidney disease and cancer, and falls caused the most additional years of life lost over their age-adjusted 1990 per-capita rates.

Education

The Ministry of Education operates the national education system, providing free preschool, primary education, and secondary education through a network of schools operated directly by the ministry. Children are required to attend school from age 3 to age 18, except if homeschooled. Vouchers are provided for some of the approximately 9% of children that attend parochial or nonsectarian private schools, and a tax refund is provided for the approximately 1% of children that are homeschooled. The federal government spends over $10,500 per student.

Lyon has several fledgling private and public institutions of higher education, all founded since 2010. There are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and distance learning opportunities. Vocational schools are very common. Tuition at universities is relatively affordable, and tuition at community colleges is extremely cheap.

The Lyonese education system has improved by leaps and bounds since Lyon achieved independence, but the Lyonese populace is still generally poorly educated. Approximately 72% of Lyonese have graduated secondary school, approximately 31.6% have attended some college, 16.4% have earned a bachelor's degree, and 2.1% have earned a graduate degree. However, literacy is effectively universal, but as much as 30% of the population possesses only basic reading and writing skills. Children in Lyon are generally vastly more educated than their parents, especially those that entered primary school after 2010.

Government and politics

Lyon is a unitary state, parliamentary constitutional republic, and representative democracy. Governance is conducted at the national level unicameral Parliament and the Judiciary, the two branches of government established by the Constitution of Lyon, the supreme legal document of the nation. Municipalities also provide local governance, though only with powers directly granted by Parliament. The Parliament exercises legislative authority including the power to make laws, declare war, approve treaties, control government spending, and remove government officials. The Parliament appoints the Prime Minister, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appoints members of the cabinet and judiciary with the consent of Parliament, and generally oversees the execution of laws. The common law judiciary, comprised of the Constitutional Court and lower courts, interprets laws and overturns those found unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court, led by the Chief Arbiter, has seven members, who serve for renewable ten year terms.

The Parliament is comprised of 256 members, who are elected through instant runoff voting to represent single-member districts. A nonpartisan commission conducts redistribution following each decennial census, though the total number of constituencies is set by law by Parliament. There is presently a member of parliament for approximately every 30,000 citizens. Elections scheduled every five years, but Parliament can call snap elections at anytime, resetting the 5-year clock. Parliament determines the length of elections. Most elections involve multiple candidates as there are no primary elections. Elections are generally considered free and fair. Universal suffrage exists for all citizens aged 18+.

The Lyon Republic operates under a multi-party system. Three parties have dominated politics since the 2014 election: the Unity Party (founded 2006), the Reform Party (founded 2010), and the Nationalist Party (founded 2006 as the Tyrsin Action Party). Independent candidates often achieve success as well. The Unity Party is a Western centre-left party focused largely on building up the new independent nation. The Reform Party is a Western libertarian party advocating for a smaller national government, and for greater autonomy for municipalities. The Nationalist Party is a Western right-wing party largely focused on defense, foreign affairs, and security issues. Though it has broadened its appeal, the Nationalist Party is still widely viewed as a minority political party representing Tyrsins.

The Unity Party is presently the dominant political party. Prime Minister Alexis Jacobs is the leader of the Unity Party, who has been prime minister since 2005. The Parliament currently consists of 142 Unity members, 68 Nationalist members, 34 Reform members, and 12 independents. The Unity Party curries broad support outside the capital, while the Nationalist Party is strongest in Port Lyon. The Reform Party has a more evenly distributed base of support.

Government and finance

The Lyon Republic gains revenue through two major sources: taxes and foreign aid. The national government gains tax revenue primarily through a progressive income tax, though the government also imposes import, inheritance, and gift taxes taxes. Municipalities gain revenue primarily through sales and property taxes. Capital gains are treated as regular income, but there is no tax on corporate income. Taxes collected by the government amounted to approximately 44% of GDP in 2015, a total of $98.6 billion. Municipal taxes accounted for just 4% of that total. The government receives foreign aid primarily from the Federated Alliance. The Free Pacific States provided $36.6 billion in 2015, earmarking that funding to cover all defense, intelligence, national security, and foreign affairs programming.

The Lyonese national government spent approximately $139.8 billion in 2015, approximately 62.3% of GDP. Corruption, waste, and graft are major issues within the Lyonese civilian government, and as much as 5% of this total expenditure is estimated to have been lost. The federal government and municipal governments together ran a deficit of $4.6 billion, approximately 2% of GDP. The Lyonese government commonly runs deficits in the 1-4% range, issuing bonds to cover debts. The Federated Alliance guarantees these bonds, keeping interest rates substantially low. Total government debt at the end of 2015 was $120.4 billion, approximately 51.7% of GDP. The Lyon Republic uses the Free Pacifican dollar as its currency.

Law enforcement and crime

A standard police vehicle in Lyon

The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for law enforcement in Lyon. The Interior Ministry generally exercises this responsibility through municipal police departments and through the National Police Service. Most municipalities maintain a local police department, which conducts most law enforcement operations, though it must comply with strict national requirements. The National Police Service conducts most law enforcement operations in areas without a municipal police department, particularly rural areas. All police officers are members of the National Police Service in addition to municipal departments, and the NPS can override municipal officials at any time. Several other national agencies have specialized duties such as protecting civil rights, ensuring national security, and apprehending fugitives.

Lyon has a relatively high crime rate, particularly for a developed nation. There were 6 murders per 100,000 persons in Lyon in 2012 including 4.5 gun homicides per 100,000 persons. There were 4,173 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012. There is a high degree of gun ownership amongst the population despite considerable regulations upon firearms. Gun laws remain the subject of contentious political debate. Crime rates are relatively uniform across Lyon.

Capital punishment is exceedingly rare in Lyon. The Lyonese Constitution prohibits the death penalty except in very special cases, specifically treason, espionage, piracy, terrorism, and war crimes. The death penalty cannot be imposed upon persons under 18, mentally handicapped persons, and persons that plead guilty when charged. The Lyonese government executed numerous Tyrsin insurgents from 2006-2009, but has not executed anyone since 2010.

Lyon has a sizable prison population, though far less than its neighbors. There were approximately 12,800 incarcerated persons in Lyon in 2015, the equivalent of approximately 1 person for every 600 adults. Approximately 1 in 200 adult residents in Lyon were under some form of correctional supervision at yearend 2012. The imprisonment rate for all prisoners sentenced to more than a year in state or federal facilities is 79 per 100,000 in 2015, and the rate for pre-trial/remand prisoners is 25 per 100,000 residents in 2015. Prisons are operated exclusively by the national government, though most municipalities operate jails.

Military

The Prime Minister of Lyon is the commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces. The prime minister selects the leaders of the Lyonese military, the civilian Defense Minister and the uniformed Adjutant, with the consent of Parliament. The Lyonese Defense Ministry administers the armed forces, which are divided into three services: the Army, Navy, and Air Service. The Ministry of Defense also supervises the Coast Guard during wartime. In 2015, the Defense Ministry supervised approximately 93,249 active duty personnel, 87,687 reserve personnel, and 62,729 civilian personnel (not including contractors).

Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime. The Lyonese military is focused almost exclusively on defense, though the small Lyonese special forces are capable of expeditionary operations. The Federated Alliance maintains sizable military installations in Lyon, stationing nearly as many troops in the country as Lyon has in its military. The Free Pacific States largely provides for Lyon's air and sea defense, and the Lyonese Navy and Air Force are very small as a result. The Lyonese Army is vastly larger, and is an equal partner with FPS in defending Lyon's borders. The Lyonese government funds the Defense Ministry using aid from the Federated Alliance, which spent $34.1 billion in 2015 on the Lyonese armed forces.

The military operates almost completely independently of the civilian government, despite the role of the prime minister as commander in chief. The military is comprised nearly entirely of ethnic Tyrsins, most of whom previously served in the Tyrsin Imperium, and some of whom participated in the Tyrsin insurgency. The Federated Alliance pays, equips, and trains these Tyrsins, who operate in joint command structures with Free Pacifican personnel. The military uses Codexian as its primary language, whereas the official national language is Lyonese. The military largely contracts with Free Pacifican firms for goods and services, and these firms overwhelmingly employ Tyrsins or Free Pacificans. There are many concerns in Lyonese society regarding the military's power and seeming independence, but Prime Minister Alexis Jacobs has denied that there is any reason for concern.

Foreign affairs

The Lyon Republic is a small power with little international influence, few diplomatic exchanges, and a small foreign affairs ministry. Yet Lyon is a major focus of international diplomacy due to its location in Southeast Yasteria, bordering both the Federated Alliance and the Pax. Free Pacifican President Christopher Arctoris views Lyon as an important bulwark against the Pax, and maintains incredibly close relations with the Lyonese government. The Arctoris administration provides Lyon with approximately a third of its government budget, covering the entirety of its defense, intelligence, national security, and foreign affairs spending. Pax-Draconica also emphasizes its relationship with Lyon, which its leaders view as an important prospect for future expansion. Pax leader Noi famously declared Lyon a protectorate in 2011. Lyon remains a major point of contention between FPS and the Pax.

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