Nation/Agrincourt

United Republic of Agrincourt
Flag of Agrincourt
Capital		Bristol, Agrincourt
Largest city		Bristol
Official languages		Standard Agrincourtian English, Standard Agrincourtian Latin
Recognised regional languages		Irish Gaelic, Scots, French, German
Demonym		Agrincourtian
Government		Federal parliamentary republic
-	Monarch	Windsor III
-	Prime Minister	George J. Wilson (LP)
Establishment
-	as the Empire of Agrincourt	c. 642
-	as the Noble Commonwealth	c. 900
-	Casegene exits Commonwealth and; Agrincourt becomes a republic	29 August 1895
Area
-		1,001,827 km2 386,808 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.8
Population
-	mid-2015 estimate	82,919,200
-	2010 census	82,215,450
-	Density	83.7/km2 216.8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		FY 2016-2017 estimate
-	Total	RA£2.46 trillion (NS$4.309t)
-	Per capita	RA₤29,667 (NS$51,966)
Gini (2016)		29.9 low
HDI (2016)		0.89 very high
Currency		(Royal Agrincourtian Pound) (£)
Time zone		Standard Agrincourtian Time (UTC-6)
-	Summer (DST)	Agrincourtian Summer Time (UTC-5)
		1 April to 30 September
Date format		dd-mm-yy
Drives on the		left
Calling code		+90
ISO 3166 code		AGN
Internet TLD		.agr

Agrincourt, officially the United Republic of Agrincourt, is a sovereign state located in the south-east of Teudallum, in western Astyria. It is divided into a Federal District and 14 federal provinces. These are sub-divided into counties, and local/metropolitan municipalities. The nation shares land borders with Casegene to the south-west, and Kamalbia to the north. The country's southern and western coasts border the Mare Ferum.

Agrincourt is a federal republic, with a Westminster-based parliamentary system of government. The current President of Agrincourt, who has limited executive/legislative powers, is Lewis Windsor. The current Prime Minister is George Wilson (LP), who has been in power since 2014.

For a large part of its history (11th - 19th centuries), Agrincourt was an empire, and part of a Commonwealth with Casegene. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, it controlled a large portion ofsouthern Teudallum, and a combination of colonies, dominions and protectorates known as Crown dependencies. Agrincourt now controls an area of 1,001,827 km² and a diverse population of 82 million.

The Republic of Agrincourt is developed country, with one of the highest GDPs in southern Astyria. It is primarily based on the export of many natural resources and rare earth elements, industrial supplies, crude oil, petroleum products and military arms and equipment. The financial, aerospace, oil and IT industries are also particularly large and well-developed. The services sector is the largest, followed by production/construction, and agriculture. Its infrastructure is powered mostly by renewable energy, though large amounts of crude oil and natural gas remain in use in some areas. Though its economic system was based on 'economic democracy' in the past, it has transitioned to a mixed-market economy, with both private and state-run enterprises dominating the economy. Government regulations play an important part in the nation's economy; these have been both praised and criticised. Agrincourt also maintains a system of universal health care and an extensive social security network, based on the Nordic welfare model.

Residents of Agrincourt enjoy a very high standard of living, and Agrincourt has performed well in regional rankings of health care, life expectancy, human development and education. Yet it has been criticised by some for its lack of government transparency, bureaucracy and influence of the wealthy. Agrincourt is a founding member of the Astyrian Treaty Organisation, and a member of multiple economic treaties, most prominently with the Republic of Norfolke. It is also one of the first industrialised countries in the world and was once one of the great powers in Astyria. The Republic is now a regional power, with considerable military, cultural, scientific and political influence within southern Asytria. It is a recognised nuclear weapons state. Its precarious positioning in the south of Astyria, neighbouring one hostile country and one severely unstable country, has led to a high amount of spending on defence and the military.

Previously a member of the Eastern Astyrian Treaty Alliance, Agrincourt is a founding member of the Astyrian Treaty Organisation. In the last century, it has participated in a number of conflicts: Casegenian Civil War (1933-1934), Border War of 1948, Agrincourtian Border War of 1974, Border Skirmishes of 1990, and when it was recently invaded by Casegene. The recently ended war between Casegene and Agrincourt had far-reaching repercussions on the Agrincourtian economy and its political system, increasing anti-Casegene sentiment even more, especially in its southern provinces.

History

Ancient History

The Rise of a Kingdom

Dynasty of Emperors

Commonwealth of Agrincourt and Casegene

Decline

Geography

Climate

Administrative Divisions

Economy

Science and Technology

Transport

Energy

Politics

Government

The United Republic of Agrincourt, as it is officially known, is a federal republic with a parliamentary government based on the Westminster system. The prime minister of Agrincourt is conventionally a Member of Parliament most able to command confidence of the House of Commons. Typically, they are the leader of the party with a majority of seats in that chamber. The cabinet is composed of members of both chambers - the House of Commons and the Senate. The prime minister and his cabinet exercise executive powers, with the consent of the President.

The President is the head of state, with limited executive powers. Their role is mostly ceremonial, and to act as the unifying symbol of the Agrincourtian nation. For this reason, they are conventionally expected to distance themselves from mainstream political parties and day-to-day politics of the country.

As of 2015, Agrincourt is divided into 690 constituencies, each electing a Member of Parliament to represent them. Some constituencies return more than one MP, with the highest number being four (Boston South East). There is no single electoral system used, as it is the decision of the individual states to assign them. The most commonly used systems are FPTP and STV. Members of the House of Commons are elected for four-year terms, whereas Senators are elected for eight-year terms. Senators are divided into three classes, similar to the US Senate, which are up for election every four years on the same day as the House of Commons. Legislation passed in 2000 states that a Senator can serve only two terms in office, whereas MPs are permitted four terms.

The Labour Party and the Conservative Party have traditionally dominated the politics of Agrincourt, representing the socialist and conservative elements of the nation. In recent times, especially since the introduction of proportional representation in some states, more parties have gained representation. The Liberal Party, the People’s Party and the Green Party have, combined, 86 seats in the House of Commons.

Houses of Agrincourt

Foreign Relations

Military

Demographics

A census, organised by the Royal Bureau of Demographics, is conducted across the nation every ten years. The RBD has main offices in each of the 14 federal provinces, and each one is responsible for that province. The results are collected and compiled at the main headquarters in the country's capital, Bristol. Since the late 1990s, computer technology has been used. In the 2010 census, a population of 82,215,450 was recorded. Agrincourt has one of the highest populations in southern Astyria. Between 2000 and 2010, the population increased steadily by about 0.71% annualy, mostly attributed to international migration and natural growth.

Agrincourt as a whole does not have a high population density, with around 83.7 residents per km/2. However, many of its cities are densely populated and a large majority of Agrincourtians live in urban conurbations.

Religion

Agrincourt is an officially secular state, with freedom of religion a fundamental human right. A strict separation of state and church is guaranteed through federal law.

Protestantism, Lutheranism and Methodism in particular, has been the predominant form of Christianity in Agrincourt since the 16th century. However, it is not as widespread now as it was in the past. In 1914, 79% of the Agrincourtian population identified as Protestant. In 2011, that figure was just below 44%. Only 9% to 11% of the population regularly attends any sort of religious liturgy. Since the 1960s, the fastest growing religions have been Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism, accounting for 5% of the population as a whole in 2010.

According to the 2011 census, 43% of the population was Christian, with Lutheranism (20%) and Methodism (14%) the largest Christian groups. 39% of the population was atheist or agnostic. Muslims accounted for 2% of the population. 1.6% of the population was Jewish, and 6% of the population identified as ‘other’ or didn’t state their religion.

Since the late 1890s, Agrincourt has followed the principle of separating the state and the church. Rights are not given to any religions, and they may not hold a seat of political representation of any kind. Religious organisations are encouraged to refrain from intervening in politics, though freedom of speech laws allow them to speak their mind. Churches are legally identified as ‘religious organisations’ and unlike in some countries, do not qualify for tax-exempt status. They must pay property and income taxes. Some religions which have been identified as harmful are classified as ‘sects’, and are outlawed in the nation. The most recent example of this is the Church of Scientology, which was outlawed in 2009.

Languages

English and Latin are the de facto official languages of Agrincourt. At least 95% of the country's residents can speak English, and around 50% of the population can speak Latin fluently - 24% have a knowledge and understanding of it, whereas 16% can't speak it at all. Irish Gaelic, Scots, French and German are officially recognised minority languages. Irish and Scots are spoken widely on the three islands off the coast of Agrincourt, where they are spoken by a majority of the population. Significant French-speaking communities exist in the south-west, especially in and around Beaumont. German-speaking communities are located mostly in central coastal Agrincourt, around Nottingham and Amberg. Regardless of the speaker's first language, nearly all residents of Agrincourt are able to communicate in English.

Latin was introduced into south-east Agrincourt during the late 1st century AD, and was the lingua franca of the multiple kingdoms that dominated the region during that period. A version of Anglo-Saxon was introduced into Agrincourt during the 9th century, spreading across the region and developing first into Middle English, then Early Modern English. After a difficult process of standardisation which lasted for over a century, the modern Standard Agrincourtian English was adapted in the 18th century. Latin never grew out of use and instead developed alongside English, eventually evolving into Standard Agrincourtian Latin, and which is now spoken by around 50% of the population.

The most commonly used languages by immigrants include Kamalbian Arabic, Casegenian Arabic, and Russian.

Education

Education within Agrincourt is the responsibility of individual states, although the federal government sets out a framework and has an advisory role to those states. Although the system of education is different from state to state, in general it is similar to the system used in Germany. School attendance (or alternatives) is compulsory from the ages of six to eighteen, and is divided into three categories - primary, secondary, and higher. Primary education lasts from the ages of six to eleven or twelve and is not stratified according to academic ability. Secondary education is stratified according to ability and focuses on different things, whereas higher education includes degrees and so on.

Secondary education lasts from the ages of eleven or twelve to 16-18. It is separated into three types - higher college (university), lower college (intermediate education), and national schools. Higher colleges focus on typically academic subjects, such as English, Latin, mathematics, the natural sciences, social science, history, the arts, music, computer science and so on. Students in lower colleges study similar subjects, but in less depth and with less emphasis on academic achievement. National schools focus less on traditional subjects (though they are still in place), and place an emphasis on vocational education, apprenticeships and so on. It is possible to move up from one tier of education to another, if a student passes the National Advancement Test. This test was established in 2000 by the Labour government to avoid classism and separation of the higher and working classes.

Higher education in Agrincourt refers to universities. Admission is operated by the University Admission Service, an executive agency within the Agrincourtian Department of Education. Admission to universities is based on results and qualifications gained during secondary education, though the top 5% of universities require applicants to pass an entrance examination. Interviews are generally uncommon for students, except for the most prestigious or competitive courses (such as medicine or dentistry).

State funding of higher education is very high, resulting in low tuition fees. They can cost anywhere from A£200 to A£1,000 p/a, depending on the course and level of education. Students from low-income families can apply for scholarships and bursaries, which are financed by both private and state institutions.

Apprenticeship is common and operated by both the government and private industries.

Agrincourt has achieved highly in international and regional rankings of education, particularly in the fields of science, mathematics and technology.

Health

As part of the welfare state, the health care system in Agrincourt is one of universal health care, financed mostly by government national health insurance. In 2013, Agrincourt spent 12% of its GDP, or £3,454 (NS$6,047) per capita, on healthcare. One estimate in 2012 suggested that around 80% of health expenditures are covered by the government.

Citizens affected by chronic diseases such as cancer receive care free of charge. A study published in 2014 estimated life expectancy in Agrincourt at 83 - 80 for men, 85 for women. Since the early 1990s, Agrincourt - like most developed countries - have been faced with an epidemic of obesity, with the advent of relatively cheap junk food. Regardless, the obesity rate is still comparatively low, with around 15% of the population being obese. Obesity is at the forefront of the public health issues facing this generation of Agrincourtian legislators.

Culture

Literature

Music

Arts

Cinema

Sports