Difference between revisions of "Nation/Kabalina"

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The Federal Republic of Kabalina is a Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Republic in Northern Europe. As an island in the North Sea, Kabalina borders no other nations, but is located tightly between the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian Peninsula. Kabalina covers an area of 89,751 square kilometers, and has a population of about 20.1 million and a moderate population density of 243 persons per square kilometer. A solid majority of the population lives in the country’s many urban areas. The climate is largely mild and temperate, and a great many freshwater rivers make up 8 percent of Kabalina’s total area. The geography of Kabalina is full of striking contrasts, with a dense forested area forming a border between the plains of the south and mountains of the far north.

A diverse array of settlers are responsible for Kabalina's development into the multi-linguistic and multi-cultural nation that it is today. Originally settled by Norsemen in the late 8th century, the island quickly became home to various newcomers from continental Europe, with its environmental beauty, natural resources and wildlife, and convenient geographic location leading several surrounding powers to claim portions of the island as their own. By 1400 A.D., three European powers had established claims to Kabalina: the eastern half of the island was ruled directly by the Scandinavian Kalmar Union, while the west was split, with English settlers in the northwest claiming a small amount of territory for their own, and the central/southwest serving as the northern-most province of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire. Internal conflict in the early 1500s allowed the Germanic west to assume near total control of former Kalmar and English territories on the island. Around 1600 A.D., the unified Dutch state had also laid claim to the port city of Haven along the west coast. A power vacuum formed after the early 1700s collapse of the Holy Roman Imperial rule in Kabalina was quickly exploited by neighboring Great Britain, and the island of Kabalina was subsumed into the British Empire. Independence was declared from Britain in 1867, thus establishing the First Unitary Kabalinian Republic, which survived until internal turmoil led to civil war in 1948. An authoritarian, fascist puppet government stealthily assumed power following a period of intense violence known as the Great Turmoil, and The Kabalinian Nation was established. Dictatorship dominated the island until 1968, when another violent revolution ousted the single-party dictatorship, and a new constitution was approved, thus establishing the current Federal Republic of Kabalina.

Since the implementation of the current constitution in 1968, Kabalina is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic. Legislative power is vested in the 200-member unicameral Federal Parliament, usually referred to as "Bundesparlament," or simply "Parliament." Executive power is exercised by the heads of Government and States, the Prime Minister and Executive Minister respectively. Kabalina is made up of 9 states (Stater), though the relationship between the states and the federal government is almost more unitary than federal in practice. Its capital and seat of government is Amalia, and the largest city by population is the port city of Haven. Unlike most of its European neighbors, Kabalina is not a member of the European Union, nor is it a member of the Eurozone or the Schengen Zone, though special travel and trade agreements exist between the country and the EU. It is, however, a member of the United Nations, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Council of Europe, and enjoys many bilateral agreements with the European Union. Kabalina is not, nor has it ever been, a member of NATO or any other military organization, having remained effectively neutral since its inception in 1867.

Kabalina is a very highly developed country with an advanced, high-income economy, and a high standard of living. The country also ranks among the most peaceful in the world according to the Global Peace Index, and achieves strong performance in democratic governance. Despite its Free Market Economy, the environmentally-stunning nation maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and cost-free tertiary education for all its citizens. Per capita income In Kabalina is among the highest in the world, and the country ranks quite highly in all metrics of national performance, including quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, equality, prosperity, and human development. The success of this system is evidenced by Kabalina’s consistently high rankings in cross-national studies of happiness, even though the country has one of the highest total personal tax burdens in the world.

Like other northern European countries, Kabalina has a long legacy of political, social, and cultural progressivism, having long maintained strong civil and political liberties for all of its people. Kabalinian social thought and culture are amongst the most progressive in the world.

Etymology

The name Kabalina came about the in the early 1700s, when a group of nobles (identified at the time as a "cabal") attempted to declare independence for the country, culminating in the unsuccessful June Revolt. After the failure of the revolt, the island became known both domestically and abroad as "Kabalina," with the "-lina" being a Scandinavian/Germanic diminutive suffix. Ever since 1712, the island has been officially referred to by itself and outsiders as "Kabalina," a catchy way of saying "Little Cabal." While the original name was derived from the derogatory branding of the revolting nobles as a "cabal," the name was maintained domestically largely as a way of showing the disposition of the island's inhabitants toward the necessity of a greater understanding of the universe and existence, harkening back to the original Jewish term.

A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue, usually unbeknownst to persons outside their group. In European culture it became associated with occult doctrine or a secret, such as with King Charles II's 'Cabal Ministry'. The English term cabal originates from the earlier French word cabale, which evolved from the Medieval Latin cabala. Cabala (or Kabbalah), is the ancient, esoteric Jewish discipline of interpreting Hebrew scripture. Traditionalists argue that the term refers to a pre-religion era philosophical method for understanding the nature of the universe, human relationships with possible spiritual beings, and the purpose of existence.

Geography & Climate

Kabalina is a northern nation with vast, lush forests rich with wildlife, and temperatures averaging around 20°C in summer and -4°C in winter. Its climate is generally humid and chilly. Snowfall can be brutal in the latter months, and weather is normally cloudy, rainy, and somewhat dreary, with a yearly average precipitation of just over 600mm (23.62 in.), though sunshine is particularly strong when the skies are clear. An aurora may sometimes be visible from most areas of the country. Numerous mountain ranges exist, mostly in the northern areas of the country, and dense forests dotted with beautiful lakes and several small rivers encompass most of the hilly central area of the nation. Uniquely, the southern-most areas are largely tundra, vast expanses of flat lands with patches of trees and waterways. Projects to implement solar and wind power generation in the south have received substantial government funding, and now provide a significant amount of renewable, green energy for the nation. Kabalina claims numerous coastal islands, most under 2km in total area, and the government has declared that its maritime boundaries extend 20 nautical miles off of its coast.

Kabalinians pride themselves on their environment’s beauty and species diversity, particularly the abundance of their national animal, the Stag, the male sex of a breed of deer exclusive to Kabalina. Logging and lumber businesses have been severely limited, though they still comprise a significant amount of Kabalina’s industry. Fishing and hunting are large local industries that thrive thanks to the wildlife of the country, and Kabalinian farmers have proven themselves to be experts at adapting to the terrain of the country that would cause trouble for many in the profession. Meat, dairy, fish, and produce products are abundant in the country, and are a sizable portion of exports. Numerous waterways provide ready access to clean drinking water for the entire population, and waste management systems are given high priority in order to preserve the quality of water and the rest of the environment. It is hypothesized that a tremendous variety of natural minerals and resources (such as copper, gold, iron, silver, uranium, petroleum, and zinc) lie underneath Kabalinian soil, but the government’s staunch environmental protections and economic regulations have restricted both searches for and acquisition of much of these resources.

History

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Initial Settlement: Danes and Franks (~700 C.E. - ~900 C.E.)

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Middle Ages: Scandinavian and Germanic Coexistence (~900 C.E. - 1505 C.E.)

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Early Modern Period: Germanic Rule (1505 C.E. - 1754 C.E.)

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Age of Imperialism: British Colonial Rule (1754 C.E. - 1867 C.E.)

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First Unitary Kabalinian Republic (March 1867 C.E. - August 1940 C.E.)

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The Second World War and British Naval Occupation (August 1940 C.E. - May/June 1945 C.E.)

Situated directly, and practically equidistant, between Norway and the British mainland, Kabalina was of substantial strategic value to both sides in the war, capable of being used by Germany to invade Britain, or by Britain to invade occupied Denmark or Norway. In congruency with the nation’s preparedness mindset, Kabalina began a large military buildup in the fall of 1939, with full mobilization occurring within only one week in September. The government began directly overseeing production of military goods starting in early October, and full conscription of both men and women was initiated on September 30th. A sizable military force and the potential of indefinite resistance by the population helped guarantee Kabalina’s neutrality throughout the Second World War.

Kabalina’s regular army, comprised of only 6 divisions, was bolstered to approximately 850,000 men by April of 1940, with substantial reserves able to field between 1.5 and 2 million men and women. In addition to these numbers, nearly all adult-aged Kabalinians were armed in accordance with the national tradition of deterrence and readiness of the general population, assuring a massive irregular Home Guard force would also be present in event of invasion. Front-line troops were well-trained and equipped with relatively modern personal equipment and small arms, specifically the K37, a domestically-produced Karabiner 98 kurz Mauser bolt-action rifle variant, chambered in the German 7.92x57mm Mauser and equipped with an M1 Garand-esque rear sight. Regular army divisions consisted of three infantry brigades and one or two artillery regiments.

Motorized and cavalry forces were modeled off of the French “fast divisions” of the time, with divisions consisting of 1 tank and 2 cavalry or motorized infantry brigades. At the first outbreak of war, Kabalina had only 40 tanks, all outdated models. By July of 1940, Kabalinian industry had boosted the number of tanks to 450, mostly domestic variants of Czech and French tanks, such as the Panzer 35(t). Unlike many militaries of the day, Kabalina focused on ensuring that all forces had access to modern radio equipment, meaning that radio-equipped Kabalinian vehicles could communicate almost as easily as their German counterparts, a quality that early deployed French and Czech tanks lacked. On top of this, a relatively large percentage of Kabalinian forces were motorized or equipped with horse-drawn transportation. While small in number compared to German armoured forces of the time, Kabalinian AFVs were more than sufficient in number to defend the open, flat terrain areas where they were most needed. Anti-tank and anti-aircraft vehicles were also widely produced and integrated where needed.

Kabalina’s air forces, organized at that time under the army, numbered only 120 combat aircraft at the war’s onset, including 80 fighters, 20 bombers, and 20 reconnaissance aircraft. Most were older aircraft, though modern fighters such as Hawker Hurricanes were being produced domestically under license since summer 1938, and were being phased into service at a lagging pace. Even though Kabalinian aircraft were equipped with modern technology, such as excellent radios and armaments, most of the designs present in the air forces were antiquated as of late 1939. Ground-based air defense systems dominated Kabalinian military strategy throughout the war period.

The Kabalinian Naval Flotilla of September 1939 was a strong regional navy, capable of effective defense of Kabalinian territorial waters and mild escort duties for trade vessels. Though initially consisting primarily of surface vessels, the navy shifted its focus to submarines in early 1940 to counter overwhelming British naval superiority. The importance of destroyers also increased as responsibility grew for the navy to provide merchant security against potential British and German attacks. Throughout the entire war, the Kabalinian Naval Flotilla remained relatively small, but respectably modern.

Perhaps most vital to the effective defense of Kabalina, and the deterrence of potential invasion, was the elaborate system of military fortifications build in the mountainous Bergen and Waldstaat regions of the island. Inspired by the Swiss National Redoubt fortifications constructed initially in the 1880s, Kabalina began construction of an extensive series of underground tunnels and bunkers capable of housing a substantial armed force, and enabling a very small force of defenders to effectively repel a massive-sized assaulting force, while also serving as a base of operations for irregular forces and resistance fighters. Like the Swiss structures, these lines were intended to be an impassable barrier of complex fortifications that could allow Kabalinian forces to continue armed resistance indefinitely, while also denying control of a sizable portion of the island to potential aggressors, including vital northern ports. These fortifications, known as Fortress Bergen, remain in use to this day.

Diplomacy, in addition to military deterrence, was necessary to avoid war. A non-aggression pact was signed between Kabalina and Nazi Germany in mid-July 1940, guaranteeing Kabalinian neutrality against the Axis powers under the conditions that Kabalina would not aid Allied nations, and would continue its naval protection of Kabalinian-German sea commerce. Up until early 1945, Kabalinian trade provided Germany with vital strategic resources, such as coal, iron ore, steel, pharmaceuticals, and chemical goods. Despite the wartime British naval blockade of the North Sea, neutral Kabalinian sea trade to Germany suffered little serious harassment due to both trade agreements with the Allies, and the escort activities of the Kabalinian Naval Flotilla.

Following the successful German invasion of Norway in June of 1940, fear began to propagate in Britain that another German invasion, this time targeted against the island of Kabalina, was inevitable. Knowing that Kabalina would resist any potential invasion with force, and that this resistance would be continued indefinitely by partisan forces, Britain elected to take a more cautious route. In the early morning of August 9th, a sizable detachment of British naval vessels, along with a significant number of Royal Marines, entered Kabalinian waters, leading to a tense standoff between the two navies. Faced with the prospect of a losing naval conflict followed by an inevitable invasion and bloody occupation, the government of Kabalina was quick to negotiate a compromise with the British.

Under the terms of the Haven Agreement, Kabalina would allow British occupation of its ports with certain conditions. Occupation forces would be confined to ports, airfields, and other potential invasion locations, with only troops on official leave allowed outside of designated areas. No air forces would be permitted in Kabalina’s airspace, and no offensive operations of any type were to be initiated from Kabalinian ports or waters. Kabalina would remain responsible for the security of Kabalinian trade and territorial waters, and British naval vessels were only to engage in direct defense of their own ships- security of Kabalina’s waters against potential German threats was a task that was to remain to the Kabalinian Naval Flotilla. Additionally, trade between Germany and Kabalina was to remain neutral, under the condition that Kabalina would also trade with the Allies, offering them better financial terms and first preference in deals.

A few incidents occurred in Kabalinian waters, including German U-Boat attacks against British naval vessels and British attempts to mine and patrol waters to harm German vessels. However, both the Germans and the British largely respected occupation terms. Therefore, while all of Kabalina’s major seaports were garrisoned by British troops and warships, Kabalinian neutrality and self-rule were largely maintained.

Intentions to invade Kabalina were discovered after the war as having been a part of the planned, but never initiated, Operation Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion), a proposed German invasion of the British mainland in September of 1940. Luckily for the relatively small nation, German focus shifted to the east with the beginning of 1941’s Operation Barbarossa, an invasion of the Soviet Union, and all German offensive plans against Kabalina were totally abandoned, along with the proposed Sea Lion invasion. Nonetheless, having suspected that its neutrality would be violated by the Axis in spite of the July Non-Aggression Pact, Kabalina secretly developed contingencies to join the Allies in event of a German declaration of war. Many historians attribute Kabalina’s suspicion of German intentions as having been a major driver in the country’s decision to negotiate rather than resist British occupation.

With German defeat looming, Kabalina elected in March of 1945 to renegotiate the Haven Agreement to engineer terms more favorable for the Allies. Allied aircraft would be allowed unrestricted access to Kabalinian airfields, and both airfields and ports would be permitted to serve as launching points for offensive operations. On top of this, offensive and defensive operations by Allied naval vessels in Kabalinian territorial waters would be permitted. Kabalinian trade of designated vital resources with Germany came to an end in February of 1945, with all trade with the Axis powers effectively terminating by mid-April.

Allied occupation of all Kabalinian territory officially ended on the 25th of May 1945, with all Allied forces having completely evacuated Kabalinian territory by the second week of June. Although Kabalina had successfully remain neutral, and retained virtually full sovereignty during the entire war timeframe, intense domestic pressure had been put on the ruling government due to its perceived weakness and collaboration with the nation’s historical adversary, Great Britain. Tensions generated during wartime would eventually boil over into violence, leading directly to the Great Turmoil of 1946-1948.

The Great Turmoil (1946 C.E. - 1948 C.E.)

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The Kabalinian Nation: A Fascist Puppet (1948 C.E. - October 1968 C.E.)

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Cold War Era/Modern Federal Republic of Kabalina (October 1968 C.E. - 1990 C.E.)

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Post Cold War Era (1991 C.E. - Present)

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Demographics

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Population

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Languages

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Race/Ethnicity

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Health & Healthcare

The universal health care system in Kabalina is almost exclusively government-funded, and is relatively decentralized, with a few optional private healthcare providers providing additional service on a very small scale. The system is financed by tax revenues from various forms of taxation at the municipal and state level, and full coverage is provided free of charge to all citizens of any age or social status. An annual physical and mental health checkup is required for all citizens and is provided free of charge. Federal healthcare spending equates to roughly 5% of GDP, though most spending is at the state or local level, bringing total expenditures to approximately 10% of GDP. Average life expectancy is 80 years for men, 85 for women, and there is one doctor for every 195 persons, thanks largely to federal immigration and education policies. The Kabalinian healthcare system is regarded as being one of the most monetarily efficient and quality care providing systems in the world.

Unlike some other countries, Kabalinian law does not allow citizens to be directly charged for physician visits, and wage-working patients with certified physician “Notes of Illness” must be paid minimum 70% of their normal daily wage by their employer for the first two weeks of illness, after which the state may, depending on financial circumstances, continue to provide a figure between 20 and 70 percent of the individual’s wage indefinitely, so long as the daily wage does not exceed an amount set by federal guidelines. Average waiting time for non-emergency a physician appointment is three to five days, with emergencies naturally obtaining immediate treatment. Emergency Care facilities exist that can provide basic treatment, diagnosis, advice, and “Enhanced Speed Referrals;” these locations offer relatively fast, same-day service and are primarily focused on situations that require timely assistance, but are not urgent enough to necessitate a hospital visit, such as certain broken bones, cuts, or low-level, short-term illnesses. Under the Constitution, the government may not, at any level, refuse to provide coverage to any citizen, or refuse to fund medical operations or other services, so long as these procedures are recognized by at least one municipality as medical and not cosmetic. The public healthcare system covers not only physical illness, but also mental illness as well. A maximum of two dental visits per year are also covered by the public system, with additional coverage extending for certain procedures, such as fillings. After the patient has met an annual “pre-pay limit” of $250 USD, the state will pay in full for prescription drugs for the rest the year, so long as the patient maintains an active prescription authorized by a physician or psychiatrist. Coverage also includes assisted living and nursing home services, as well as end-of-life expenses such as funerals (up to a certain limit). Hospitals are exclusively public, government-run, and not religiously affiliated.

In organization, the system is somewhat similar to that of Sweden, with three levels for management and organization: national, regional, and local. At the federal level, the Kabalinian National Health Service is responsible for setting guidelines and principles for care, as well as coordination between the various state healthcare agencies. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Kabalina directly identifies healthcare as a right of all citizens, and requires government health services to always craft healthcare policy to provide good-quality services at a low cost to all. This portion of law is often used by state and federal agencies to guarantee that even the most cash-strapped municipalities continue to provide a high quality minimum of service. Although funding comes primarily from state and municipal taxes, a certain portion of federal funds may also be made available to state and local agencies in event of budget issues. Close cooperation between the public healthcare sector and the private technology industry has made Kabalina one of the leading users of healthcare technology, with electronic records and prescribing being prolifically adopted. Expansive efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles and exercise receive sizable government funding and other support.-

Regulations exist that place certain burdens on private insurers, whose policies are generally supplements for small, specialized gaps in public coverage, such as dental or cosmetic procedures. Private insurers are regulated by the NHS, as well as state level agencies, and are legally obligated to follow specific guidelines set at the federal and state levels, with notable regulations pertaining to fees and coverage costs, as well as quality of care standards. Strict taxation and profit limitations are placed on private insurers, though these measures are criticized by some as being a government attempt to discourage the existence of private insurers.

The effectiveness of the healthcare system is readily demonstrated by the country's long life expectancies, low rates of preventable illness and obesity, and overall excellent physical health of its citizens. The prevailing non-criminal causes of death are attacks by wild stags, which are currently overpopulating parts of the country, exposure or accident related death in the wilderness, cardiac issues (of which Kabalina still possess a considerably lower rate that most other countries), and end-of-life ailments ending in death. Kabalinian medical recording considers years of life lost and premature death to be best calculated by years of life remaining until age 75. Cause of death after the age of 75, while expanded upon in detailed after-death reports, is listed primarily as "Old Age."

Education

Kabalina prides itself on its expansive, high-quality, and low-cost educational system, which provides cost-free access to tertiary education of various types for all citizens. Due to high spending on the system and an emphasis on advanced studies and continuing education, the county maintains a disproportionately high rate of individuals with professional and graduate-level degrees, and the population is amongst the most educated in the world (by time spent and level of degrees obtained). As the burden for funding education falls exclusively at the federal level, rather than the state level, federal spending on education is naturally extremely high, comprising 18.4% of federal spending, or 6.7% of GDP. Tuition, books, and other fees are paid for by the government, and subsidization exists for certain living expenses for qualifying students.

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Religion

Formerly a protestant-dominated island, Kabalina underwent a process of separating religion and government in the late 1800s. Modern Kabalina maintains no national religion, with the government avowedly atheist, and a strict separation of religion and state existing that functions to protect both institutions from infringement by the other. Formerly a protestant stronghold, the population of Kabalina is now overwhelmingly non-religious, with 38% of citizens identifying themselves as atheist and only 18% affiliated with mainstream religions.

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Largest Cities

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Government & Politics