Difference between revisions of "Nation/Nuskijan"

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Revision as of 06:18, 26 May 2019

The Kingdom of Nuskijan
MottoPax, Vita et Rex
AnthemDeed and Fate
Capital
and largest city
Domburton
Official languages English
Demonym Nuskijani
Government Constitutional monarchy
 -  High King Baunell XIV
 -  Representative of The Royal Houses King Kilster XVII
Legislature The Committee of The Lords of the Five Houses
Establishment
 -  The Five Houses Accord 1681 
 -  Constitution of the Five Houses 1704 
 -  Crowning of Baunell XIV 1982 
Area
 -  Total 4,194,732 km2
1,619,595 sq mi 
Population
 -  2019 estimate Increase 45,000,000
 -  2019 census Increase 45,000,000
GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
 -  Total Ⱥ1.84 trillion
 -  Per capita Ⱥ63,422
Gini (2019)18.1
low
HDI (2019).54
medium
Currency Nuskijani aureus (Ⱥ) (NAU)
Date format DD/MM/YYYY
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code NKJ
Internet TLD .nkj

Nuskijan, officially the Kingdom of Nuskijan is a country in the Greater Dienstad region. The sovereign state is comprised of five semi-independent royal houses each headed by a Lower King, with one house providing the High King via a complex line of succession and ascension. With an area of 1.6 million square miles, Nuskijan is one of the larger nation states in the Greater Dienstad region. The capital and largest city, Domburton, is located in western Nuskijan and contains over 1 million citizens. The second-largest city is Port Wolfsmouth, which is located on the northern coast of Nuskijan.

Nuskijan had been continuously inhabited by various tribes and groups of nomadic peoples since the early Bronze Age, until colonization by white settlers. A systemic genocide campaign beginning in the 9th Century wiped out nearly all native peoples, and today few people of native Nuskijani heritage remain. Nuskijan is notable for never having been permanently occupied or subordinated to a larger nation. The first kingdoms were established in the 11th century, but were not unified until 1681 with the Five Houses Accord. Various invasions of surrounding free peoples are recorded, particularly in the 9th, 10th, and 14th centuries.

The five kingdoms that make up today's Nuskijan, Baunell, Kilster, Harringlace, Barstrong, and Stilmaim, unified in 1681 under the the Kingdom of Baunell, which was historically the largest and most powerful of the five kingdoms. Political infighting delayed the adoption of a constitution for 23 years, which was finally adopted in 1704. The constitution outlined the political system that has governed Nuskijan for over 300 years. The constitution defines the High King's role, as well as the responsibilities of the Low Kings, and established limited checks and balances to prevent the High King executing a state of absolute monarchy. Borders that had existed since 1681 were formalized in 1704, but were subsequently redrawn in the early 20th Century as transportation advances and wide-scale industrialization necessitated a redistribution of land to the five houses.

Nuskijan is officially a monotheistic deist state without official religion. The government publicly acknowledges the existence of a god but does not follow any established canonical version of events. More than 60% of citizens are deists without denomination (DWD).

Etymology

The name Nuskijan is a compound word referring to the Nusk River, so named in 1430, and named by Geoff Jan. Geoff Jan settled on the northern Nusk River valley, and over time, the name began to refer to the watershed as a whole. Upon unification, the newly unified kingdom used the word to refer to the greater nation due to the importance of the river. This was confirmed and incorporated into the Constitution of 1704 and began to see widespread use after each of the five houses' lands were subordinated to the High King and wider government.

History

Ancient Nuskijan

Colonization

Genocide and invasions

Rise of the Five Houses

Internal conflict

Unification and the Five Houses Accord

20th Century

21st Century

Geography

Government and politics

Foreign relations

Military

The Nuskijani Armed Forces comprise the military of the Kingdom of Nuskijan. It consists of the Nuskijani Army, the Nuskijani Air Force, the Nuskijani Navy, the Nuskijani Royal Guardsmen, and various paramilitary forces. Each of the Low Kingdoms also maintains a single corps-sized independent combined arms unit, each referred to as a National Guard unit, reporting directly to the Low King of each house. National Guard units may be nationalized by decree of the High King.

The High King is the supreme commander of the armed forces, but cannot unilaterally declare war or utilize military forces outside the territorial borders of Nuskijan without a majority consent from the Committee of The Lords of the Five Houses for any purpose other than military operations other than war (MOOTW). Subordinate to the High King is the Committee of War, staffed by the highest rank officer from each branch of service, and a rotating head from the Paramilitary Services and Royal National Guard each, thus the Committee of War is comprised of 6 highly-ranked professional officers. The Committee of War is responsible for ensuring the High King's orders are complied with, as well as forming battle plans in conjunction with the Nuskijani Intelligence Services and advising the High King on military affairs.

Military service is compulsory for all male citizens upon completion of basic education. Conscripts are paid the same as professional servicemen, and are released from service after a one year commitment. Those that wish to remain in the military are required to commit to a four-year minimum service term, each subsequent service term is 2 years. During times of national duress, the High King may conscript male citizens aged 17 to 29, or by consent of the Committee of The Lords of the Five Houses, male citizens aged 15 to 39.

The armed forces are constitutionally obligated to provide frontier patrols, offshore search and rescue operations, air policing, and counter-terrorist operations. In addition, the constitution mandates the Army, Air Force, and Navy to each operate at least one war college. Recent decrees have also tasked the armed forces with assisting law enforcement in major cities, protection of significant strategic facilities and infrastructure, and with protection of nature reserves.

The Nuskijani Armed Forces have a combined manpower of xxx,000, not including paramilitary forces, reserves, or the individual Royal National Guard units.

Administrative divisions

Nuskijan is divided into four Low Kingdoms and one High King's District which functions administratively as a Low Kingdom. Each of the four Low Kingdoms is divided into territories, which are further divided into parishes. Each of the Low Kings of Nuskijan retains sole administrative control of his Low Kingdom.

Human rights

Political freedoms are effectively prohibited by the 1704 constitution and later revisions. As a result, there are no active officially-recognized political parties. Citizens of Nuskijan are required to obtain a national identity card upon reaching the age of 15, which is required to receive any form of governmental services or health care. Public protests are strictly forbidden and crackdowns on protesting activity are publicly acknowledged as being "brutal and uncompromising." Press freedom scores significantly lower than other nations in the region, with strict governmental regulation on the type of information that may be presented as news. This has led to a black market of unofficial newspapers and websites dedicated to running stories otherwise censored by the government. While the state has official control of the internet and various content filtering systems, the internet remains relatively free of official censorship.

The High King reserves the right to order an "administrative execution" of a citizen or non-citizen anywhere within the territorial borders of Nuskijan without seeking consent from the Committee of The Lords of the Five Houses, which has led to several unofficial news and political watchdog organizations to denounce the High King and this policy. To date, there are no official or unofficial records of this type of killing taking place.

The Nuskijani government does not prohibit expression of religion, and approximately 29% of all citizens are practicing members of an organized church. The Nuskijani government also does not prohibit the use, possession, or sale of "lower" narcotic substances, such as cannabis, psychedelics, and qhat.

A license must be obtained to legally reproduce, and citizens may be fined or imprisoned for illegal reproduction. Doctors are required to prescribe chemical birth control drugs to all females aged 14 and older, until they have obtained a reproductive license.

Economy

The Kingdom of Nuskijan is officially a capitalist mixed economy that is extensively fueled by natural resources and above-average productivity. Nuskijan's workforce is skilled and has a low level of corruption, both in the government and private sectors. The official national average unemployment rate is 9.85%, down from 12.3% in 2015.

The Nuskijani aureus is the currency for the nation, being used in all five of the Low Kingdoms.

Nuskijan exports more than it imports and has a slight trade surplus of 128.2 million aureus as of 2019. In 2018, the largest import commodity was machinery and industrial equipment. The largest export commodity was steel.

Mining is the leading manufacturing field. Nuskijan is a major producer of steel, copper, gold, bauxite, lead, titanium, uranium, and others. Salt, phosphates, liquid natural gas, and coal are also extracted on an industrial scale. Agriculture is also a major industry in Nuskijan and exports of food products is considered the second major industry.

State-owned industry is a minor component of Nuskijan's economy, although the government is obligated by the constitution to maintain interests in major industries. This includes the mining and agriculture industries, where the government nationalizes a percentage of extracted resources and food items to place into the Nuskijani Strategic Reserve System. Private industry is responsible for the majority of employment in Nuskijan.

The royal government ensures all workforce members are paid for 30 days of vacation time, as well as paid maternity leave for 16 weeks.

Agriculture

The total area of cultivated land in Nuskijan is estimated at 103,000 square miles in 2019.

The royal government has made significant progress in ensuring a stable food supply since the early 20th century, when food shortages were a relatively common occurrence. Since 1992, Nuskijan has a net food surplus, and exports food products to neighboring nations.

Primary crops are pulses, rice, wheat, oats, alfalfa, corn, potatoes, stonefruit, citrus, and tomatoes. Livestock accounts for approximately 38% of the national agricultural output, with goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs being the most commonly farmed animals.

Fishing accounts for a large portion of the nation's food supply, particularly around the coast where mollusks, crabs, and tuna are regularly caught. Farmed fish, particularly salmon are also supplied, but on a smaller scale.

Energy

Nuskijan has a large natural gas reserve, and natural gas is the primary energy source for power generation. Coal and petroleum are also produced, however coal power was phased out in the 1950's due to pollution concerns. Petroleum is extracted, refined, and stockpiled for the national market only.

Electricity production is a primary focus of the government, and half of all power generation stations are government-owned, mostly in rural areas. Nuskijan uses natural gas to supply the majority of the national power grid's demand, but several nuclear and geothermal stations supply demand to large urban areas. Nuskijan's first nuclear power plant was put online in 1997, and there are currently 7 nuclear plants in operation today, with two under construction and seven more planned.

Recent government initiatives have prioritized solar and wind energy production for the future. Natural gas plants will be phased out and replaced with solar farms, wind farms, and nuclear stations, or be used as strategic backups to ensure electric supply at peak times. The eventual goal of the royal government is to reduce reliance on natural gas and utilize the nation's mostly untapped uranium reserves.

Transportation

Nuskijan's transportation network is robust and diverse. A full 7% of the national budget is assigned to public transport.

Rail transport is the most common method of inter-city travel and freight hauling. Most major cities are connected to a 4-track national railway system that provides bi-directional passenger rail and freight rail access. The nation's rail hub is located in Aelydale, the 7th largest city. Passenger rail services are operated by NuskRail, a government-owned corporation. All passenger rails are electrified, and all rails are standard gauge.

Road transport is less-heavily utilized, though the national highway system ensures efficient cross-country travel. All major cities and some minor cities are served by "loop road" systems that move traffic above- or below-grade. Intercity roadways are required to have 2 lanes in each direction at a minimum. There is no maximum speed limit for non-controlled roads in Nuskijan.

Port Wolfsmouth is the largest sea port in Nuskijan. Blackbury, Hewe, and Astonville are also home to major ports. The nation's merchant marine stands at 371 ships.

The Kingdom hosts over 120 airports, with 18 being considered international airports. The busiest airport is Domburton International Airport. Air cargo transport is an expanding sector in Nuskijan, and several airlines, including the flag carrier NuskAir have begun air cargo operations.

Major cities typically have well-developed public transport systems, the most common systems being bus and light rail. Only Domburton and Port Wolfsmouth have underground metro systems, and both cities have over 350 miles of metro lines.

Demographics

Remaining native groups

Immigration

Immigration to Nuskijan is conducted by a lottery system. All applicants must speak fluent English, must have an education equivalent to a Primary School Education Degree, and must have a clean bill of health and no major pre-existing conditions. Nuskijan does not accept refugees from neighboring nations, and those found to be in the country illegally are subject to immediate arrest, forfeiture of assets, and deportation. Repeat offenders may be incarcerated for terms of up to 5 years. Immigration services are provided by the Nuskijani Customs Enforcement Corps.

Emigration may be conducted by citizens who have obtained permanent residence in another nation, and have renounced their citizenship permanently. Former citizens who enter the country without a valid visa are subject to arrest and imprisonment. Repatriation is prohibited by law upon renunciation of citizenship. A one-time fee of Ⱥ50,000 must be paid to the Royal Government upon exiting the country.

Dual-citizenship is not permitted for Nuskijani citizens.

Language

Religion

Largest cities

Largest cities of Nuskijan
Nuskijani Royal Census and Statistics Bureau (2015)
Rank Name Territory and Low Kingdom Pop.
Domburton
Domburton
Port Wolfsmouth
Port Wolfsmouth
1 Domburton High King's District placeholder Beckton
Beckton
Blackbury
Blackbury
2 Port Wolfsmouth placeholder placeholder
3 Beckton placeholder placeholder
4 Blackbury placeholder placeholder
5 Hewe placeholder placeholder
6 Beckpool placeholder placeholder
7 Aelydale placeholder placeholder
8 Arbington placeholder placeholder
9 Astonville placeholder placeholder
10 Warcester placeholder placeholder

Culture

Cuisine

Nuskijani cuisine is based around the staple traditional food sources, notably pulses and goat. The national dish, goat stew with lentils, is anecdotally said to be eaten by 75% of the population at least four times a month. Abundance of goat meat and pulses has led to a variety of dishes based around these ingredients.

Other common foods are beans stewed in tomatoes, as well as fish cooked in tomato sauce served over wheat crackers or bread.

Street food is becoming a popular feature of many urban areas. Food trucks are also becoming increasingly common.

Alcohol, being legal, is permitted to be served 24 hours per day. The national beverage, citrus cider, is produced on a wide scale from the abundant citrus crops. Most citrus ciders are mildly alcoholic, ranging between 4 and 8% ABV. A burgeoning craft beer scene has developed since the 1980's, with most locales having at least one microbrewery. In recent years, microdistilling has also become popular, but has yet to become popular in rural areas where less expensive liquors are typically consumed.

Education

Education spending in Nuskijan comprises 12.8% of the national budget. School attendance is compulsory for all youths and schooling age is 5 to 18, utilizing a K-12 program. Basic education is provided free of cost to all citizens, and a Primary School Education Degree (PSED) is required to obtain full-time employment. Education is nominally the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, however, schooling programs and funding is appropriated to the Low Kingdoms. The Ministry of Education is obligated to set the minimum standards for the PSED, as well as a national curriculum which includes history, maths, science, English, social studies, and sport.

Secondary education is provided by 15 national universities, as well as five lower universities each administered by a Low Kingdom. Six private colleges with nation-wide presence exist, but are prohibited from providing four-year degrees. University education is partially funded by national tax and partially funded by tuition fees. Citizens who graduated with a PSED in the 90th percentile nationally are provided with tuition exceptions and are permitted to pursue up to three degrees free of charge. Citizens who score in the 10th percentile are prohibited from obtaining secondary education. All other citizens must pay for all or part of their tuition, or apply for the national scholarship lottery.

Nuskijan has a reported literacy rate of approximately 92%.

Health

The average life expectancy in Nuskijan is 58.78 years, ranked 44th of 72 in Greater Dienstad. Leading causes of death are old age at 46.4%, heart disease at 18.4%, and cancers at 16.7%. Total expenditure on health care is 4.3% of the national budget, excluding private sector spending. The Kingdom has a free-of-charge health care system in place for all citizens, though citizens who have private health insurance may utilize private health care options, including hospitals and ambulance services. The system, known as NusCare is funded by a flat income tax surcharge of 2%.

Private health care services are significantly more well-equipped than the state-operated services, and quality of care at state-operated hospitals and clinics is considered to be barely adequate. To alleviate some of the service shortfall, military hospitals are available to handle overflows of patients. The Nuskijani Army is also responsible for providing medical care to frontier areas that are not served by state-operated facilities, including medical evacuation. In addition, the Nuskijani Navy hospital ships NNS Mercy I and NNS Mercy II regularly make medical visits to remote coastal towns to provide medical services. These are considered a significant benefit to the citizenry as well as the armed forces, as military medical personnel receive extensive experience with everyday medical needs, as well as more severe injuries. Both hospital ships are equipped with 120 regular medical beds, a level one trauma facility with 5 beds, a full surgical theatre with 3 operating rooms, dental and optical facilities, and advanced medical imaging suites.

See also

External links