Difference between revisions of "Nation/Xiopothos"

Revision as of 22:28, 23 January 2016

Republic of Xiopothos
Motto: One Country. One People. Same Peace.
Capital		Hevelin
Largest city		Giu
Official languages		Codexian
Recognised national languages		Codexian
Ethnic groups (2015 Estimate)		99% Human 1% Other
Demonym		Xiopothan
Government		Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
-	Prime Minister	Genevive Allen
-	Speaker of Parliament	Louis Ginns
-	Chief Justice	Jeremy Lintos
Legislature		Parliament
History
-	Autonomy from Codex	1906
-	Independence from Holy Codexian-Columbian Empire	1942
Area
-	Total	1,946,050 km2 751,374.1 sq mi
Population
-	2015 estimate	31,915,220
-	2010 census	30,668,687
-	Density	16.4/km2 42.5/sq mi
GDP (nominal)		2015 estimate
-	Total	$1.3 trillion
-	Per capita	$41,115
Gini (2015)		33.6 medium
HDI (2015)		.936 very high
Currency		Xiopothan Dollar (XD)
Date format		MM/DD/YYYY
Drives on the		right (side of road)
Calling code		+29
ISO 3166 code		XIO
Internet TLD		.xp

The Republic of Xiopothos is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic situated in Aurora. The nation has a diverse climate, which is tropical along the Northern coast, subtropical along the Eastern coast and in parts of the interior, temperate along the Southern coast, and desert in the interior. Xiopothos is amongst the largest nations on Urth with an area of approximately 1,946,050 square kilometers (751,374.1 square miles), populated by around 31,915,220 people. The population is relatively diverse, thanks to widespread immigration over the last century. There are three Xiopothan states.

Codex colonized Xiopothos in the mid 18th century during its colonization of the greater Spoiliaverunt Ocean area. Xiopothos' population grew steadily over the next two centuries until, in 1901, it was granted autonomy by the Codexian Empire. Conflict erupted in the 1930s when the Holy Codexian-Columbian Empire sought to revoke that autonomy, leading Xiopothos to declare independence in 1942. Xiopothos subsequently established a stable liberal democracy, which has endured without significant interruption for close to seventy years. Xiopothos is a close ally of the modern Federated Alliance of Free Pacific States and East Malaysia, and helped found the East Pacific Treaty Organization in 2005.

Xiopothos is a developed country with a high standard of living, a medium level of income inequality, and a sizable global domestic product. Xiopothos is a post-industrial nation, though it retains substantial manufacturing and agricultural industries. The 31.9 million Xiopothan people have enjoyed continuous prosperity for decades, achieving a GDP of approximately $1.3 trillion in 2015. Xiopothans enjoy amongst the most comprehensive social safety nets in the world. Xiopothos' economy is largely driven by information technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and the service sector.

Etymology

The word Xiopothos derives from the names of the three Codexian officers that founded the Hevelin colony: Captain Robert Anxion, Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Poter, and Lieutenant Richard Menhos. Anxion served as the first Governor-General of Hevelin, and Poter and Menhos both served in key positions in the colony's administration. All three had died by the time that Codex amalgamated Hevelin and Giu into a single crown colony, which was named Xiopothos to honor the first three Codexians to settle Aurora.

History

The East Pacific is currently in the process of revising its regional history, leaving no information available at this time.

Demographics

Government and politics

Xiopothos 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 Xiopothos, the supreme legal document of the nation. Municipalities provide local governance, and are granted limited home rule under the constitution. 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 nine 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 48,700 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 government operates under a multi-party system. Two parties have dominated politics since the 1960s: the centre-left Progressives and the centre-right Conservatives. The right wing Nationalist Party has also picked up some seats since the mid-2000s on a platform largely focused on defense, foreign affairs, and national security. The Progressive Party presently holds a majority in Parliament, possessing 389 seats. The Conservative Party is the formal opposition, holding 240 seats. The Nationalist Party controls 12 seats, and the final nine seats are occupied by independents. The Progressive Party is generally more popular in the more densely populated coastal areas, while the Conservative Party draws its strongest support from the more sparsely populated Xiopothan interior.

Government and finance

The Xiopothan national government gains revenue primary 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 40% of GDP in 2015, a total of $525.3 billion. Municipal taxes accounted for 9% of that total.

The national government is responsible for the lion's share of spending, which it overwhelmingly focuses on welfare, healthcare, social policy, and education. The national government spent 67.2% of its budget on these areas in 2015, amounting to $367.1 billion, 28.7% of GDP. The national government and municipalities together spend $539.1 billion in 2015, approximately 41.1% of GDP. There was a $13.8 billion deficit, equating to 1.1% of GDP, and this deficit drove national debt to $485.1 billion, 35.9% of GDP. Xiopothos usually enjoys interest rates in the mid single digits, thanks to the strength of the Xiopothan Dollar.

Law enforcement and crime

The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for law enforcement in Xiopothos. 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.

Xiopothos has a relatively low crime rate, even for a developed nation. There were just 1.8 murders per 100,000 persons in Xiopothos in 2014, a five year low. Yet sexual assaults did reach a five year high in 2014 with approximately 88 victims per 100,000 persons. Overall, there were 92.1 major crimes per 100,000 persons in Xiopothos in 2014, such classification including murders, sexual assaults, and kidnappings. There is a high degree of gun ownership amongst the population, but semi-automatic and automatic weapons are nearly prohibited, and gun crime is rare. Crime rates tend to be higher in Xiopothos' cities, but more crimes go unsolved in more rural areas.

Xiopothos has a low incarceration rate. There were approximately 196 prisoners per 100,000 persons in Xiopothos in 2015, a total of 62,554. A majority of the prisoners, 51%, were persons sentenced to prison after being convicted of committing a violent crime. A plurality of the remaining prisoners, 21%, were persons in pre-trial detention. Capital punishment is prohibited by the Xiopothan constitution, and the longest sentence received by any prisoner is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Prisons and jails are operated exclusively by the government.

Military

The Prime Minister of Xiopothos is the commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces. The prime minister selects the leaders of the Xiopothan military, the civilian Defense Minister and the uniformed Adjutant, with the consent of Parliament. The Xiopothan 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 Maritime Security Ministry during wartime. In 2015, the Defense Ministry supervised approximately 82,741 active duty personnel, 57,020 reserve personnel, and 48,454 civilian personnel (not including contractors).

Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime. The Xiopothan Navy is the largest service, and is largely designed to conduct expeditionary operations. The Xiopothan Army and Xiopothan Air Service are smaller, and are focused more on defensive operations. Most Army and Air Service units are based along Xiopothos' land border, and commonly support the various law enforcement agencies charged with border security. Most naval forces are based in the nation's largest cities by contrast. Xiopothos spent $41.4 billion on its armed forces in 2015.

Foreign affairs

The Republic of Xiopothos is a small power with little international influence, few diplomatic exchanges, and a small foreign affairs ministry. Xiopothos is a member of the East Pacific Treaty Organization, and most of its foreign policy is focused around promoting the interests of that organization. Outside the context of the EPTO, Xiopothis is well-known for its substantial commitment to aid, committing approximately $9 billion to humanitarian programs in 2015.