Hetfold

Fourth Republic of Hetfold 𐲏𐳊𐳦𐳌𐳛𐳖𐳇 𐲙𐳉𐳎𐳉𐳇𐳐𐳓 𐲓𐳛𐳯𐳀𐳦𐳀𐳢𐳤𐳦𐳀𐳍 Hëtfold Negyedik Kozatarstag
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Vágtató szabadság" At the gallop of Liberty
Capital and	Levitzag
Official languages	Hazedgar nyelv
Recognised national languages	Hazedgar nyelv
Ethnic groups	Hazedgar
Demonym(s)	Hazedgar
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Republic
• Father of the House	Artur Karoyl
• Chairman of the General Security Committee	Milhak Ragyori
• Chairman of the General Safety Committee	Sandor Ruhako
• Chairwomen of the Venuszi Committee	Agota Nagy
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	Second Chamber
• Lower house	First Chamber
Population
• Estimate	130 million
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	4.725 trillion USD
• Per capita	35,000 USD
Gini	26.8 low
HDI	0.908 very high
Currency	öntvény (ö)

The Fourth Republic of Hetfold, commonly known as Hetfold, is the most populous country of the region of the world known as Nordano-conitia, and the second largest economy of the same area. The capital and most populous city is Levitzag. It's bordered by Inaltia to the south-west and Erytheria to the south-east.

Today, Hetfold is a Unitary Parliamentary republic led by a system of Committees and Ministries. The country possess an highly developed post-industrial economy, the third largest of Nordo-Conitia, and performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development.

Etymology

In Hazedgar, the "Seventh Earth", "Het Föld", which represents the modern area inhabited by the Hazedgars after their first six homes of legend. While at first a purely geographical term, it came to design the entire country after the Republican Uprising.

History

Main article: History of Hetfold

The Hazedgars have a long, mythic past with origins in the central steppes. They descended into Nordania and, according to their folk histories, were unified under the leadership of the Great Prince Arpazhar. The Hazedgars conquered many of the smaller Norse/Celtic states. They practiced a strict system of de-urbanization in conquered areas, completely destroying any permanent habitations that they found. After making the populace homeless, they would be required to relocate and rebuild their communities, often on the site of another village. The first thing they did on their arrival was to erect stone houses for their Hazedgar overlords before being allowed to build their own homes. This effectively allowed the Hazedgars to transfer the more stable, long lasting properties to themselves while forcing the natives to live in wooden or adobe houses. Over time, the regulations over who was allowed to live in stone homes was greatly relaxed and wealthy citizens of any origin were allowed to purchase the right. The control of durable goods, such as stone housing, became a permanent feature of the Hazedgar conquests.

After suffering several large defeats to coalitions of local states, however, the Hazedgars were forced back north towards their primary mountain powerbase. They were later joined by migrating Turkic peoples are were able to renew their conquests. It was also during this time that the Hazedgar Great Prince Carpazhad converted to Annwynism and allowed the druids to join his courts. This greatly reduced the pressure on the Hazedgar government since some druids endorsed the Hazedgars. The second conquest resulted in the formation of the Kingdom of Hazedgaria, which was a strong, centralized state with its capital at Levitzag. They instituted the Stones Law, which was a corvee system that required those who lived in wooden (or other “temporary”) structures to assist the constant maintenance and repair of the wooden homes and, more importantly, on public projects. This proved to be a very effective system and allowed Hazedgaria to quickly develop a network of granaries, fortifications, and religious sites connected by well-maintained roads. As the complexity of the projects grew, however, the kings of Hazedgaria relied more and more on the local Stone-born population to administer their kingdom. Ultimately, the reliance on local lords, and the steady creation of fortifications in Hazedgaria, resulted in the formal limitation on the monarch’s powers. The constitution of Hazedgaria codified the status of the Stone-born, druidry, and the monarch. The constitutional state was short-lived, however, as Hazedgaria was unable to maintain its statehood without the dominance of the central monarchy.

Infighting began directly after as three forms of state developed: republics, in which all of the stone-born were enfranchised; voivodeships, which rejected and persecuted the druidry; and principalities, which accepted the druidry. During these chaotic times, Arubinian the Radiant rose to power in Mogerden as the captain of the republic there and as a scion of the Alangar Clan. Aurbinian’s successes in wars on behalf of Mogerden not only enlarged that state, but also lead to revolutions all across old Hazedgaria and beyond. The unified state that emerged from this period, the All People’s Alliance of Avérkormánia, enjoyed a great deal of stability and materially contributed to the industrial revolution.

Avérkormánia fell to the Szabolcsist Revolution, which made several important reformations, including universal male suffrage. The wholesale execution of the ruling classes by the Erkölcist faction of the Szabolcsists was a shock the rest of the world. The Szabolcsists later appointed Vazul Prince of the People and he lead a successful conquest of Nordania until an alliance of the other world powers ended Vazul’s reign decisively. The Council of Vatha restored the conquered states of Nordania and instituted a new system of international legitimacy. Hetfold, the post-Avérkormánian state, practiced a form of illiberal democracy with several important factors. The Hetfold government system, which is variably called Septenarianism, Nordpolitika, and Eszakism, has had a strong influence on Nordanian and the world. Important elements include the collectivization of durable assets, the exclusion of women from the primary legislature, and the prominence of family-groups.

Politics

Government

Committees

The Committees form the first half of the Executive Government of Hetfold. They are Deputies selected by their colleagues of the First Chamber to oversee the activities of the Ministries and act generally as the liaison between them and the Assembly. There are three main Committees : the Committee of General Security charged with overseeing the Intelligence Services, the police, the firefighters, and the military forces of the country. The Committee of General Safety, take care of the Finances, Public Heath, Social Programs, Infrastructures, Census, Communications, and the Inspection of the regional administrations. And then, the Committee of International Relations watch over the Diplomacy of Hetfold, with control over its embassies, international visits, and everything in relation with the "International Image" of the Republic. All three Committees have twelve members in total.

Ministries

There are currently 12 ministries in Hetfold : the Ministries of Internal Affairs, of Justice, of the Armies, of Foreign Affairs, of Public Heath, of the Regional Administration, of the Economy, of Finances, of State-owned industries, of Education, of Agriculture, and of Religious Affairs. Contrary to other republics, none of the Ministers are elected. Instead, they are promoted from inside the departments they supervise after long careers as public workers and civil servants. As a result, the Ministries are purely technocratic departments, under the supervision of the Committees. While they have a certain autonomy to them, they are nonetheless bound to follow the general directions and guidelines established by the Assembly and enforced by the Committees.

First Chamber

The First Chamber of the National Assembly is the lower house of the Republic of Hetfold. It's composed of Deputies, each representing a Foltok, or District, delimited prior to each general election on the basis of population and of the total revenues of an area as measured by the Annual Census. Each Foltok is entitled one Representative mandated for 10 years. Representatives are elected through a Census suffrage where the electors are required to be at least 20 years old and to pay the First Electoral Tax. Deputies themselves need to be over 30 years old and to pay more than 500 Öntveny in direct contributions, plus the First Electoral Tax.

Members of the Committees are deputies chosen by the First Chamber and confirmed by the Second. Therefore, Hetfold is considered to be a parliamentary republic. The House Master is the Speaker of the First Chamber. He isn't technically a member of the Assembly but the Mayor of Levitzag that preside the First House's sessions following an old tradition saying that First Assembly met in the house of Levitzag's mayor and as such, following the Hazedgar customs, had all the rights and duties that comes with the position of Host. The House Master is, as a result, generally considered to be Hetfold's head of state.

Second Chamber

The Second Chamber of the National Assembly is the upper house of the Republic of Hetfold. It's composed of Representatives, also elected by Census suffrage but with different requirements : electors need to be over 25 years old and to pay both the First and Second Electoral taxes. Candidates to a Seat in this Chamber must be over 40 years old, pay more than 1000 Öntveny in direct contributions, and the First and Second Electoral taxes as well. Contrary to the First Chamber, the Representatives are elected by Electoral Colleges including all the elligible electors of a fixed area, generally a city and its associated countryside.

Out of the 301 seats in the Second Chamber, 75 are considered to be "for life" and are essentially rewards given by the Representatives to old Ministers, renowned scientists, retired generals, or any individual considered by the Senate to be of "Outstanding talent and merit".

The Second Chamber as a role mainly of control, "correcting" law proposals from the First Chamber, auditing every year the members of the Committees and can dissolve them and force the First Chamber to elect new Committees.

Economy

Hetfold has a partially regulated market economy. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunications. The service sector contributes approximately 72% of the total GDP (including information technology), industry 36%, and agriculture 2%. Unemployment rate amounts to 5% in January 2016. While its economy has reached a postindustrial level of development, Hetfold remains an industrial power. The leading business field by gross business receipts is wholesale and retail trade; by net income it is manufacturing.

The chemical industry is a key sector for Hetfold, as it has aided in the development of manufacturing activities and contributing to economic growth.

Agriculture accounts for just under 2% of the GDP yet Hetfold is a one of the world's top producers of wheat and soybeans. The National Agricultural Censorate maintains agricultural statistics for products that include peanuts, oats, rye, wheat, cotton, corn, barley, hay, sunflowers, and oilseeds but also livestock statistics regarding beef, poultry, pork, and dairy products. The country is a major developer and grower of genetically modified food, representing half of the world's biotech crops.

Hetfold is a top producer of liquid natural gas, sulfur, and phosphates. Most of the mining activities, both historical and modern, are concentrated in the north and east of the country. The Undersecretary of Non-renewable Resources provides data pertaining to coal and minerals that include copper, lead, magnesium, zinc, and others.

Financial services, banking and the insurance sector are an important part of the economy. The Mohgerden Stock Exchange is an old institution established during the Third Principality to better coordinate the development of the growing textile industry and remain an important center of international finances to this day.

Culture

Philosophy

Main article: Philosophy in Hetfold

Zoltan Szulerdo was a Hazedgar philosopher and religious figure of the First Principality. Szulerdo is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Hazedgar classic texts, but modern scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Szulerdo himself. An enigmatic figure, he made no writings, and is known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers writing after his lifetime, such as those of his disciples Bibros, Fenyos, and Igarzga, who all wrote their own compilations of their master’s teaching and funded their own philosophical schools inspired on them. The ancient hazedgar historian, Tortenelm, also wrote a full segment dedicated to Szulerdo, referring to other texts and documents that are today lost.

Akos Bibros was a Hazedgar philosopher, religious figure, and politician of the First Interregnum and early Second Principality. He is widely considered a pivotal figure in the history of Hetfold and of its philosophy. He introduced of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in Hazedgar philosophical traditions.

Kardosa Fenyos was a Hazedgar philosopher and religious figure of the First Interregnum and early Second Principality. He was a disciple of Szulerdo, and abundantly recorded and commented on the teachings of his master.

Lajos Igarzga was a Hazedgar polymath of the late First Interregnum and Second Principality. He is considered one of the Fathers of the Hazedgar philosophy and his writings covered many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics, and government. He provided a complex synthesis of the various philosophies existing prior to him, both from the Hazedgar Principality but also from the Lazarene Coast. His most well known disciples, Zületisten, wrote what is still considered one of the major pioneering work in botany, with some of his technical terms still in use to this day. He was much less concerned with formal causes than Igarza was, instead pragmatically describing how plants functioned.

Kisfiu Nincsnev was a Hazedgar philosopher of the Second Principality and the grandson of Zoltan Szulerdo. He was the second youngest of his grandfather’s forty pupils. After Szalerdo’s death, Nincsnev is said to have put his notes and memories into order and to have written them down into “The Lessons”, a resume of his grandfather’ teaching and ideas. Nincsnev is famous for his “meditations”, where he attempted to analyse as many types of action as possible. He believed that wise people who are conscious of their moral and intellectual duties can copy the reality of the universe into themselves. In the later years of his life, he was influenced by some Lazarene philosophical schools and attempted to combine Szalerdian teaching with the principles of numerology. This led to a passion for mathematics and music that was inherited and built upon by his pupils.