Lyon

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Lyon Republic
MottoUnited 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)Increase .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 of 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 in 2004 was 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 through an agreement that allowed Tyrsins to dominate the defense, intelligence, and security services. Lyon has enjoyed an immense economic boom since that time, thanks to trade with FPS and the Pax. But the nation is plagued by major tensions between the Lyonese and Tyrsins

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.

Geography and environment

Lyon has a total area of 32,112.5 square kilometers. It lies between longitudes 80E and 90E, and its territory lies entirely within 5 latitudinal degrees of the equator. Pax Draconica borders the nation to the North and East, FPS borders the nation to the Southeast, and Oceanus Spoilaverunt borders the nation to the West. Though mostly constituting a self-contained territory in Southeast Yasteria, Lyon the large Airuk island, plus a number of smaller coastal islands. The Lyonese population almost entirely resides on the mainland with the islands being sparsely inhabited.

Lyon is characterized by its rolling plains, formed as a result of large-scale wikipedia:deforestation. Nearly 80% of Lyon was covered in tropical rainforests as recently as 1900, but the Tyrsin government engaged in mass-scale logging throughout the 20th century. Lyon today has strict laws protecting its remaining old-growth forests, and this has allowed substantial reforestation to occur in the last decade. Nonetheless, today, only 32% of Lyon is covered in rainforests.

Lyon also features a sizable mountain range, which runs along its Eastern and Northern borders. There are several active volcanoes amongst these mountains, though no major eruption has been reported in decades. Lyon nonetheless frequently suffers earthquakes and tsunamis due to its location along a major tectonic fault. Recent investments in earthquake engineering, tsunami monitoring, volcano monitoring, and emergency response have reduced the historically high death toll from such events, but several tens of thousands of Lyonese nonetheless died in the 2004 Southeast Yasteria tsunami.

Climate

Lying along the equator, Lyon has a tropical climate with distinct monsoonal wet and dry seasons. The wet season usually spans from November to March while the dry season lasts from June to October. Rain usually falls in sudden, tropical bursts during the wet season, but it is not unusual for rain to fall for multiple days on end. Rain still falls during the dry season, but much less frequently. Colloquially, April and May are referred to as spring, June through September are referred to as summer, October and November are referred to as fall, and December to March are referred to as winter, though there will often be crossover.

Average annual rainfall in the lowlands varies from 1,780–3,175 millimetres (70.1–125.0 inches), and up to 6,100 millimetres (240 inches) in mountainous regions. Mountainous areas receive the highest rainfall. Humidity is generally high, averaging about 80%. Temperatures vary little throughout the year; the average daily temperature range of Port Lyon is 26–30 °C (79–86 °F). Lyon experiences relatively little change in the length of daylight hours from one season to the next; the difference between the longest day and the shortest day of the year is only forty-eight minutes. Most of the nation is contained within two time zones, and in each, federal legislation has set the official time 60 minutes later than the sun. As a result, throughout the nation, the sun always rises between 6AM and 7:30AM, and the sun always sets between 7PM and 8:30PM.

Flora and fauna

The Lyonese government's recent efforts at conservation have done little to makeup for a century of environmental devastation at the hands of the Tyrsin government. The Tyrsin government destroyed 70% of Lyon's primary forests through logging activities, doing immense damage to the nation's ecosystem. The Tyrsin government also authorized substantial poaching, further damaging local wildlife. A substantial number of Lyonese indigenous species are endangered today as a result including the nation's national animal, the elephant.

Lyon's coastlines have generally fared better than then nation's interior, though substantial shipping and fishing activities have caused some damage. Lyon's coastlines are surrounded by tropical seas that contribute to a high level of biodiversity. Lyon has a range of sea and coastal ecosystems, including beaches, sand dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds, coastal mudflats, tidal flats, algal beds, and small island ecosystems.

Demographics

Species/Race/Ethnicity (2015)
By species/race:
Human 99+%
Other >1%
By ethnicity:
Lyonese 72.4%
Tyrsin 26.7%
Other 1%

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 has slowed in the last decade, even though immigration 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 starkly different national groups comprise the overwhelming majority of the population of Lyon: Lyons and Tyrsis. 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 per 1,000 persons per year, but this varied by ethnic group. Lyons had a birth rate of 18.5 per 1,000 per year in 2014 while Tyrsins had a birth rate of 10 per 1,000 per year in 2014. 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. Lyons had slightly more children on average than Tyrsins.

High immigration rates have driven substantial population growth in Lyon despite the nation's low birth rate. The population growth rate reached 1.67% 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. Nearly all Tyrsins reside in urban areas, while the nation's rural population is almost exclusively Lyonese.

Language

Languages spoken at home by more than 10,000 persons in Lyon as of 2015
Language Percent of
population
Number of
speakers
Lyonese (only) 72.4% 5,560,687
Tyrsin 26% 2,050,695
Codexian .4% 46,083
Drakkengardian .6% 15,361

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. The main primary and secondary public school system teaches in Lyonese, and provides foreign language education in Codexian. But a competing public school system operated by the Defense Ministry teaches in Codexian, and provides foreign language education in both Lyonese and Tyrsin. Most private elementary and secondary schools also operate in Codexian. Higher education is generally provided in Codexian, though most vocational education is provided in Lyonese, the noteworthy exception being national security related training, which is almost exclusively provided in Codexian.

Religion

Religious affiliation in Lyon (2014)
Affiliation % of the Lyonese population
Christian 85.4 85.4
 
Catholic 60.7 60.7
 
Protestant 24.7 24.7
 
Other .4 0.4
 
Irreligious 14.2 14.2
 
Nothing in particular 8.8 8.8
 
Agnostic 3.2 3.2
 
Atheist 2.2 2.2
 
Total 100 100
 

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. Tyrsins and foreigners have a higher tendency to be irreligious than Lyonese.

Family structure

A majority of Lyonese live 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. Ethnically Tyrsin women are more likely to be educated and employed than ethnically Lyon women. 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 government provides publicly funded healthcare to all persons mostly for free at the point of use. The vast majority of medical facilities are operated by the government or a non-profit company, and are reimbursed according to a fee for service model. There is just one private hospital in the nation, located in Port Lyon, and it mostly serves Free Pacifican expatriates. Drug manufacturers are for-profit entities, most of which are based in FPS. Parliament appropriated approximately $4,550 per person on healthcare in 2015, continuing a trend of investing heavily in this area. Despite this high level of investment, the Lyonese healthcare system struggles to provide quality care, largely due to a shortage of doctors, pharmacists, and effective administrators. Lyon has a life expectancy of 74 years at birth, up from 69.3 years in 1990. Lyon has an infant death rate of 7.8 per thousand, down from 23.9 in 1990. Life expectancy rates and infant death rates are substantially higher for Lyons than for Tyrsins and immigrants.

There are two competing public healthcare systems in Lyon, both of which operate in Codexian not Lyonese. The Ministry of Health operates the National Healthcare System, which is designed to provide medical care to all Lyonese civilians but in effect only treats the ethnic Lyon population. The vast majority of NHS doctors, pharmacists, and senior administrators are Free Pacificans or Drakkengardians given the few ethnic Lyons that have formal medical education. There is a chronic shortage of medical personnel in NHS institutions, despite an ongoing effort to recruit more Free Pacificans. The Ministry of Defense operates the competing Military Healthcare System, which is supposed to only treat members of the armed forces, but in reality treats nearly all Tyrsins and foreigners. The vast majority of MHS employees including medical professionals are Tyrsins. The MHS is widely considered to be superior to the NHS, despite receiving less funding, because of its surplus of experienced medical personnel.

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. 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.

Education

The government provides free preschool, primary education, and secondary education to all children ages 3 to 18, and requires all children ages 5 to 18 to attend school. Parliament appropriated over $10,500 per student in 2015 to cover the costs of education, distributing that money through vouchers to public schools, charter schools, and both parochial and nonsectarian private schools without discrimination. Homeschooling is illegal.

There are three competing education systems in Lyon: the National Education System, the Military Education System, and the small number of private and charter schools. The Ministry of Education operates the National Education System, directly administrating schools that provide education to students in Lyonese while teaching Codexian as a foreign language. Nearly all ethnic Lyons attend NES schools. The Ministry of Defense operates the Military Education System, directly administrating schools that ostensibly teach only the children of members of the armed forces, but in reality provide education to the vast majority of Tyrsins. Nearly all ethnic Tyrsins attend MES schools, which teach in Codexian while providing foreign language education in the form of Lyonese or Tyrsin. The small network of private and charter schools in the country mostly tailor themselves to Free Pacifican and Drakkengardian immigrants; they teach in Codexian while requiring students to learn Lyonese as a foreign language.

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. Tyrsins, Free Pacificans, and Drakkengardians tend to be much better educated than ethnic Lyons.

Government and politics

Lyon is a unitary state, parliamentary constitutional republic, and representative democracy. Governance is conducted at the national level by the unicameral Parliament and the Judiciary as provided 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 elects from amongst its members the Prime Minister, who is the head of state and chief of government. The Prime Minister 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 are 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

Total Lyon government spending (2015)
Area Percent
of GDP
Billions
of $FD
Welfare and social policy 15.9% 35.7
Healthcare 15.7% 35.3
Defense 15.2% 34.1
Education and science 4.8% 10.6
Infrastructure 2.8% 6.2
Law & order 1.6% 3.5
National security
and intelligence
0.8% 1.7
All Other 2.3% $5.2
Debt interest 3.6% $8.1
Total 62.7% $167.5

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 corporate, import, inheritance, and gift taxes taxes. Municipalities gain revenue primarily through sales and property taxes. Capital gains are treated as regular 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 $167.5 billion in 2015, approximately 62.7% of GDP. Corruption, waste, and graft are major issues within the Lyonese civilian government, and as much as 12% of this total expenditure is estimated to have been lost. The national government and municipal governments together ran a deficit of $5.3 billion, approximately 2.3% 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 $121.7 billion, approximately 51.9% 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 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

Lyon military branches overview (2015)
Branch Funding in
Billions
of $FD
Active Duty
Personnel
Reserve
Personnel
Army 20.7 73,832 76,820
Navy 1.7 3,172 625
Air Force 7.1 18,638 9,860
General Defense 4.4 N/A N/A
Total 34.1 93,249 87,687

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 95,642 active duty personnel, 87,305 reserve personnel, and 63,426 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. 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 generally oscillates more towards the Federated Alliance, and is a member of the East Pacific Treaty Organization.

There is immense controversy within Lyon regarding Free Pacifican funding of the Lyonese government. The Federated Alliance provides Lyon with approximately a third of its state budget, covering the entirety of its defense, intelligence, national security, and foreign affairs spending. The Lyonese government is highly reliant upon the Federated Alliance as a result, and FPS has used this reliance to force domestic policy concessions on the Lyonese. Just as contentiously, the Federated Alliance has largely organized the defense, intelligence, national security, and diplomatic services, staffing these agencies overwhelmingly with Tyrsins that are commonly viewed as being more loyal to FPS than to Lyon. Indeed, these services all operate in Codexian, not Lyonese, and the leaders of the services have consistently clashed with senior Lyonese officials regarding policy issues.

Economy

Economic indicators
Nominal GDP $224 billion (Q2 2015)
Real GDP growth 11.5% (Q2 2015, annualized)
13% (2014)
CPI inflation 3.8% (August 2015)
Employment-to-population ratio 66.3% (August 2015)
Unemployment 3.6% (August 2015)
Labor force participation rate 62.9% (August 2015)
Total public debt $120.4 billion (Q3 2015 federal, state, and local)
Household net worth $479.6 billion (Q2 2015)

Lyon has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fed by trade with the Pax and the Federated Alliance. Lyon's nominal GDP was estimated to be $224.2 billion in 2015, approximately $29,190.79 per capita. Lyon has enjoyed an economic boom over the last decade with real GDP growth averaging 15%, compared to anemic 1-2% growth rates over the previous several decades. Lyon does not use its own currency, instead relying upon the FPS dollar. Government debt approximates 52% of GDP with most bonds held by Free Pacifican entities.

The Lyonese economy is highly reliant upon trade with the Federated Alliance and Pax-Draconica. The Pax trade solely with the Federated Alliance and Lyon, providing each of those nations a massive market for consumer and agricultural goods, and providing each of those nations with access to considerable raw materials. Trade with the Pax is estimated to account for as much as 15% of the Lyonese economy, and trade with the Federated Alliance is estimated to account for another 25% of the economy. In 2015, Lyonese trade amounted to $103.1 billion, approximately 46% of the Lyonese economy. Lyon generally maintains a substantial trade surplus, estimated at $23.6 billion in 2015.

The Lyonese private sector comprises approximately 67% of the economy with government activity accounting for the remaining 33%. The government employs more persons than any other entity in the country. Lyon has achieved a postindustrial level of development with services comprising 56.2% of the total private sector, manufacturing comprises 37.4%, and agriculture comprising 6.4%. The leading business field by gross business receipts, and by net income, is manufacturing. Resource refining, wholesale and retail trade, and defense are also major business sectors. Agriculture accounts for 6.4% of GDP, thanks to decades of Tyrsin policy encouraging farming in Lyon, and thanks to immense Pax food demands.

Consumer spending comprised 63% of the Lyonese economy in 2015. The Free Pacifican labor force in 2015 comprised of 4.8 million people. Government is the leading field of employment. The largest private employment sector is manufacturing. Approximately 41% of workers are unionized. Employment is at-will throughout Lyon, though it is prohibited to make employment decisions based off certain factors. Lyon has a sizable welfare state, and welfare spending has substantially increased in recent years. Workers receive paid vacation, paid family leave, and sick leave as a legal right.

Most of the wealthiest Lyonese are ethnic Tyrsins, Drakkengardian immigrants, or Free Pacifican expatriates. Ethnic Lyons tend to have much lower incomes, vastly lower standards of living, and little ability for professional advancement. Most major businesses in the nation are Tyrsin-owned or foreign-owned.

Science and technology

Lyon has enjoyed substantial technological gains in the past decade thanks to Free Pacifican investment, and the nation is becoming increasingly advanced as a result. The Federated Alliance invested nearly $30 billion in Lyonese infrastructure between 2006 and 2011, and the nation boasts a robust telecommunications network as a result. 81% of Lyonese have some internet access and 69% of Lyonese have high-speed internet access. 83% of Lyonese have a cellular phone, and 56% have a smart phone. Free Pacifican telecommunications firms provide most internet, data, and cell services in Lyon.

The recent Lyonese technological advances belie the nation's long history of occupation by neglectful powers. Occupiers throughout Lyonese history denied the Lyonese people access to scientific development, desiring to facilitate the continued subjugation of the territory. The Tyrsis Imperium in particular exercised a policy of prohibiting the vast majority of Lyonese from even pursuing scientific knowledge, something that has left Lyon with a lack of native STEM professionals.

Transportation

A high-speed rail train outside Port Lyon.

Lyon maintains an interlinked national mass transit system featuring high-speed and conventional inter-city railways, train and regular ferries, rapid transit systems, light rail systems, trams, and intercity and transit bus services. Government corporations operate most of these systems with financial support from the state. Mass transit accounts for approximately 42% of national work trips, and for approximately 55% of urban work trips. Approximately 62% of Lyonese normally commute through some combination of walking, biking, and mass transit, though some of these commuters also use a personal vehicle for part of the trip. The overwhelming majority of Lyonese live within a kilometer of a mass transit stop.

The Federated Alliance funded the construction of most of Lyon's modern transportation infrastructure, and this infrastructure seamlessly links with the Free Pacifican mass transit system as a result. High speed railways run from West Malaysia across the border to Madison, then to Port Lyon, and finally to Oldton. Lyon's freeway system runs parallel to the high-speed railway. Lyon's mass transit system also connects to the nation's three major passenger airports, which are respectively located in Port Lyon, Oldton, and Madison. Government corporations operate these airports, the biggest of which is Port Lyon International. The civil airline industry is dominated by state-backed Lyonese Airways, and privately owned Free Pacifican Airlines, Federated Alliance Airlines, and Pan-Yasterian Airways. Air travel is significantly more expensive than other mass transit, and is most commonly used only for international travel.

Personal automobiles are nonetheless a highly popular form of transportation in Lyon. Approximately 40% of Lyonese commute in a personal vehicle. Lyon maintains a well-funded system of roadways, and a freeway system connecting Port Lyon, Madison, and Oldton, and also heading into West Malaysia. The overwhelming majority of vehicles are powered by a traditional gasoline internal combustion engine, though government vehicles commonly use electric, hybrid, or other alternative fuels. Diesel combustion engines comprise the remainder of the market, mostly trucks. Approximately 9% of Lyonese personal vehicles are gas-powered vans, SUVs, or light trucks. The use of personal automobiles in Lyon has skyrocketed in the past decade, and it is expected to increase substantially in the coming years.

Transport of cargo is dominated by private rail companies, private trucking companies, and private shipping companies. Port Lyon is amongst the world's largest and busiest ports, especially for container traffic. The government owns most ports, though individual docks are often leased to private companies.

Energy

FPS Electricity (2015)
By source:
Fossil Fuels 81%
Nuclear Power 14%
Renewable Energy 3%

Lyon is undergoing a major energy transformation, moving from a lightly used fossil fuel powered electrical system to a more heavily used, nuclear-based system. The Federated Alliance began this upgrading process in 2006, when Lyon had poor electricity infrastructure that only permitted approximately 9 terawatt hours per year of energy consumption. Lyon has continued to invest heavily in the transformation even with the end of FPS funding, hoping to create a system capable of supporting as much as 50 terawatt hours per year of energy consumption. Lyon also hopes to shutdown most of its fossil fuel-based power plants in the next two decades, ideally replacing them with nuclear plants.

Most electricity in Lyon is presently generated by coal, natural gas, or petroleum power plants, which account for approximately 83% of energy production. A half dozen nuclear power plants constructed by the Federated Alliance account for another 14% of energy production, while renewable energy accounts for approximately 3% of energy production. Lyon plans to reduce use of fossil fuel as an energy source by 50% by 2035, largely through the construction of more nuclear power plants.

The Lyonese government is highly committed to energy conservation, green technologies, emission reduction activities, water resource management, and environmental protection. But funding for these efforts has lagged with Lyon committing only $257.7 million towards environmental protection in the 2016 national budget. Nonetheless, Lyon recognizes that climate change is occurring as a result of human activities, and has pledged to combat this phenomenon. Lyon exports its nuclear waste to the Federated Alliance.

Water supply and sanitation

Local government corporations provide water and sewer services for most Lyonese, but 22 percent of Lyonese receive water from private utilities, mostly owned by Free Pacificans. Approximately 21% of Lyonese are served by their own wells, and use their own sewage systems. Nearly the entire Lyonese population has access to safe, clean water. Water consumption is high in Lyon, despite water management efforts. The government has invested substantially in water conservation and water reclamation efforts in a bid to reduce the costs associated with this high level of water consumption. Most public water originates in Lyon's mountain ranges

Culture

Lyon has developed a unique culture with western and eastern influences. Tyrsis, Wachovia, and Packilvania all suppressed indigenous Lyonese culture while occupying Lyon, seeking to supplant it. The Tyrsis Imperium took a particularly hard line, banning the Lyonese language, destroying Lyonese artifacts, and killing Lyonese cultural leaders. Lyon has little cultural heritage remaining as a result, though the Lyonese language remains dominant. Many Lyonese looked to Free Pacifican culture for inspiration in the late 20th century amidst the Tyrsin purges, positively viewing FPS' commitment to political liberty, republicanism, and cultural freedom. As a result, Codexian is commonly spoken in the nation, and many Free Pacifican cultural norms have been imported into Lyon. The Tyrsis minority largely sticks to Tyrsin culture, however, except that Codexian is the standard language amongst Lyonese Tyrsins.

Cuisine

Lyonese cuisine largely survived the suppression of Lyonese culture, and remains dominant in Lyon. It is characterized by extensive use of fish products like fish sauce, ngapi (fermented seafood), and dried prawn. The national dish is Mohinga, a traditional breakfast food. Along the coast, seafood is a regular ingredient, especially in Port Lyon, where Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, Mawlamyaing (formerly Moulmein), Mergui (Myeik) and Dawei are common. Meat and poultry are more commonly used in landlocked areas. Freshwater fish and shrimp have been incorporated into inland cooking as a primary source of protein and are used in a variety of ways, fresh, salted whole or filleted, salted and dried, made into a salty paste, or fermented sour and pressed.

Lyonese cuisine also includes a variety of salads (a thoke), centered on one major ingredient, ranging from starches like rice, wheat and rice noodles, glass noodles and vermicelli, to potato, ginger, tomato, kaffir lime, long bean, lahpet (pickled tea leaves), and ngapi (fish paste). Rice as a staple thoughout most of Lyon.

Lyon has little issue with obesity as a result of its cuisine's low sugar and calorie count. Nonetheless, the government requires food products to be labeled with basic nutritional information, and requires restaurant menus to contain basic nutritional information. Food distributors and restaurants must make more extensive information available online. Sizable labels are required to be placed on food products with a high sugar content, or with a high content of any sugar substitute, especially highly sweetened soft drinks. Several states have gone further, limiting the size of soft drinks.

Entertainment and the arts

Most critics agree that Lyon is enjoying a renaissance in terms of art, music, and entertainment. Lyonese artists, musicians, and entertainers had been forced for decades to only perform Tyrsin cultural pieces in public. When Lyon achieved independence in 2006, this changed overnight. Concert halls, art galleries, and theaters quickly sprang up in Port Lyon, and the performance of traditional Lyonese pieces became commonplace. Substantial development in these areas has occurred in the last decade as a result of this sudden openness, which has allowed for widespread evolution. Rising incomes in the nation have fueled this cultural renaissance by allowing vastly more Lyonese to afford attending cultural programs, and thus to contribute to further evolution.

Sports

Sports are highly popular in Lyon at the amateur, college and professional levels. There are two major sports seasons: spring/summer (April-October) and fall/winter (November-March). Football (soccer) dominates the spring/summer season, and is generally considered the de facto national sport. Baseball is also somewhat popular, and it is gaining in popularity. There are no professional sports during the Winter season. Chinlone is the most common amateur sport, though many also engage in martial arts, notably Lethwei, Bando, Banshay, and Pongyi thaing. At the college and professional level,

The Lyonese Football Federation is organized around a promotion and relegation system. The several Lyonese professional baseball teams are members of the South Yasterian Baseball League, which is organized around a franchise-based system. Port Lyon also has a basketball team, though basketball is not a highly popular sport in the nation. College athletics are organized by the Free Pacifican University Sports Organization, a for-profit entity.

Media

The internet is rapidly becoming the primary source of media consumption in Lyon, thanks largely to Free Pacifican infrastructure investments that made high-speed internet available throughout urban Lyon. Lyon's few indigenous media outlets now maintain a substantial online presence, often making programming available for streaming following traditional broadcast. The Free Pacifican streaming service WebFlix accounts for a third of bandwidth usage nationally, providing its subscribers with access to a wide variety of movies, full seasons of television shows, and original content. Competing Free Pacifican services NetTV and Nile provide original content as well, and are unique in also providing programming the day after broadcast. Traditional sources of media consumption continue to be highly profitable, however, and the internet is not expected to dominate the media for another 10-15 years. Social media, search engines, and portals are the most accessed sites in Lyon.

There is a single major terrestrial television station in Lyon, the Lyonese Broadcasting Company. The publicly funded LBC provides new, entertainment, and sports programming, and largely operates independently of the government despite being a government corporation. There are additionally a half dozen popular Lyonese cable television stations, though every cable provider in Lyon is a Free Pacifican entity. Nearly all Lyonese cable stations are for-profit entities, the sole exception being a channel focused to broadcasting live events in Parliament. The most popular channels in Lyon, except for the LBC, are not Lyonese channels.

Lyonese listen to radio programming, also largely commercial, on average just one hour a day. In 2010, the number of Lyonese commercial radio stations had grown to 29 AM stations and 37 FM stations. In addition, there are 3 public radio stations. All of these public stations are run by universities and public authorities for educational purposes and are financed by public or private funds, subscriptions, and corporate underwriting.

The most well-known Lyonese newspapers are the Port Lyon Herald, Madison News, Oldtown Chronicle, and Codexian-language Lyonese Times. Although the cost of publishing has increased over the years, the price of newspapers has generally remained low, forcing newspapers to rely more on advertising revenue and on articles provided by a major wire service, such as the FPS Press, for their national and world coverage. With very few exceptions, all the newspapers in Lyon are privately owned, many by large Free Pacifican chains. MMajor cities may also support a local business journal, trade papers relating to local industries, and papers for local ethnic and social groups.