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= Verbiza =
<!-- CONCEPT: Hillbilly socialists -->
{{Infobox country
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name      = People's Communal Republic of Verbiza
|conventional_long_name      = People's Communal Republic of Verbiza
|native_name                =  
|native_name                = ''Narodna komunalna republika verbiza'' ({{wpl|Bulgarian language|Verbizan}})
|common_name                = Verbiza
|common_name                = Verbiza
|status                      =  
|status                      =  
Line 14: Line 10:
|alt_flag2                  =
|alt_flag2                  =
|flag2_border                =
|flag2_border                =
|image_coat                  = verbiza_star.png
|image_coat                  = File:Verbiza_star.png
|alt_coat                    = Emblem of Verbiza
|alt_coat                    = Emblem of Verbiza
|symbol_type                = Emblem
|symbol_type                = Emblem
|symbol_footnote            =  
|symbol_footnote            =  
|national_motto              = Survival is insufficient
|national_motto              = ''Rabotnitsi i fermeri, obedinete se!''
|englishmotto                =
|englishmotto                = Workers and farmers, unite!
|national_anthem            = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIhP1bmWHW0 Arise! Arise! Arise!]
|national_anthem            = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj1pnTzoMk4 ''Internatsionalŭt''] <br><small>{{wpl|The Internationale}}</small>
|royal_anthem                =
|royal_anthem                =
|other_symbol_type          =
|other_symbol_type          =
Line 27: Line 23:
|alt_map                    =
|alt_map                    =
|map_caption                =
|map_caption                =
|image_map2                  =
|image_map2                  =  
|alt_map2                    =
|alt_map2                    =  
|map_caption2                =
|map_caption2                =  
|capital                    = [[Dobbston]]
|capital                    = [[Bunevgrad]]
|coordinates                =
|coordinates                =
|largest_city                = capital
|largest_city                = capital
|largest_settlement_type    = largest city
|largest_settlement_type    = largest city
|largest_settlement          =
|largest_settlement          =
|official_languages          = {{wpl|English language|English}}, [[Verbizan language|Verbizan]]
|official_languages          = {{wpl|Bulgarian language|Verbizan}}
|national_languages          =
|national_languages          =  
|regional_languages          =
|regional_languages          =
|languages_type              =  
|languages_type              =  
Line 44: Line 40:
|languages2                  =
|languages2                  =
|languages2_sub              =
|languages2_sub              =
|ethnic_groups              =
|ethnic_groups              =  
|ethnic_groups_year          =
|ethnic_groups_year          =  
|ethnic_groups_ref          =
|ethnic_groups_ref          =
|religion                    =
|religion                    =
Line 51: Line 47:
|religion_ref                =
|religion_ref                =
|demonym                    = Verbizan
|demonym                    = Verbizan
|government_type            = {{wpl|Multi-party system|Multi-party}} {{wpl|socialist state}} under a {{wpl|federal republic|federal system}}
|government_type            = {{wpl|Single-party system|Single-party}} {{wpl|socialist state}} under a {{wpl|federal republic|federal system}}
|leader_title1              = [[President of Verbiza|President]]  
|leader_title1              = [[President of Verbiza|President]]  
|leader_name1                = Elizabeth Dobbs
|leader_name1                = [[Dimitar Tanev]]
|leader_title2              = [[Vice-President of Verbiza|Vice-President]]
|leader_title2              = [[First Overseer of Verbiza|First Overseer]]
|leader_name2                = Dennis Moore
|leader_name2                = [[Kamena Bunev]]
|legislature                = National Congress
|legislature                = [[National Council of Verbiza|National Council]]
|upper_house                = Council of Overseers
|upper_house                =  
|lower_house                = Popular Forum
|lower_house                =  
|sovereignty_type            =
|sovereignty_type            = Established
|sovereignty_note            =
|sovereignty_note            =
|established_event1          =
|established_event1          = Verbizan Revolution
|established_date1          =
|established_date1          = 5 April 1926
|established_event2          =
|established_event2          =
|established_date2          =
|established_date2          =
Line 68: Line 64:
|established_date13          =
|established_date13          =
|area_rank                  =
|area_rank                  =
|area                        =
|area                        =  
|area_km2                    =
|area_km2                    = 49,632
|area_sq_mi                  =
|area_sq_mi                  =
|area_footnote              =
|area_footnote              =
|percent_water              =
|percent_water              = 1.4
|area_label                  =
|area_label                  = Total
|area_label2                =
|area_label2                =
|area_data2                  =
|area_data2                  =
|population_estimate        = 1.2 million
|population_estimate        = 4.2 million
|population_estimate_rank    =
|population_estimate_rank    =
|population_estimate_year    = 2015
|population_estimate_year    = 2015
|population_census          = 1.105 million
|population_census          = 4.105 million
|population_census_year      = 2010
|population_census_year      = 2010
|population_density_km2      =
|population_density_km2      = 84.6
|population_density_sq_mi    =
|population_density_sq_mi    =
|population_density_rank    =
|population_density_rank    =
|nummembers                  =
|nummembers                  =
|GDP_PPP                    =
|GDP_PPP                    = 31.5 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank                =
|GDP_PPP_rank                =
|GDP_PPP_year                =
|GDP_PPP_year                = 2019
|GDP_PPP_per_capita          =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita          = 7,500
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank    =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank    =
|GDP_nominal                =
|GDP_nominal                =  
|GDP_nominal_rank            =
|GDP_nominal_rank            =
|GDP_nominal_year            =
|GDP_nominal_year            =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita      =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita      =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|Gini                        =
|Gini                        = 26.8
|Gini_ref                    =
|Gini_ref                    =
|Gini_rank                  =
|Gini_rank                  =
|Gini_year                  =
|Gini_year                  =
|HDI_year                    =
|HDI_year                    =
|HDI                        =
|HDI                        = 0.700
|HDI_change                  =
|HDI_change                  =
|HDI_rank                    =
|HDI_rank                    =
|HDI_ref                    =
|HDI_ref                    =
|currency                    =
|currency                    = [[Verbizan Rubla]]
|currency_code              =
|currency_code              = VRA
|time_zone                  =
|time_zone                  =
|utc_offset                  =
|utc_offset                  =
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}}
}}


'''Verbiza''', officially the '''People's Communal Republic of Verbiza''' is a {{wpl|landlocked}} {{wpl|sovereignty|sovereign}} {{wpl|federal republic}} under a {{wpl|multi-party system|multi-party}} {{wpl|socialist system}} wherein all citizens live in primarily remote, mountainous {{wpl|communes}} instead of traditional {{wpl|cities}} and {{wpl|towns}}. The capital and largest city, [[Dobbston]], is the sole exception and largely resembles a normal population center, though its neighborhoods are largely organized along the same lines as the communes found in the five provinces.
'''Verbiza''', officially the '''People's Communal Republic of Verbiza''' (Verbizan: ''Narodna komunalna republika na verbiza'') is a sovereign, landlocked nation.
 
The People's Communal Republic of Verbiza is the successor state to the [[Kingdom of Verbiza]], which was toppled during the [[Verbizan Revolution]] (1922 - 1926). The Verbizan Revolution was caused partially by the Verbizan economic crash in 1918, as well as by violent retaliation towards trade unionist and left-wing protests against the monarchy. The escalation of tensions between protestors and the government eventually led to conflict. [[Petar Krasimirov Bunev]], a prominent labor organizer before the war, rose to lead the [[Communist Party of Verbiza]], which formed the government after the war.
 
The mountainous terrain, lack of sophisticated infrastructure, and inefficiencies of the command economy hampered economic progress, and even caused brief periods of famine. Since the 1990's, however, Verbiza has distributed economic and political power among the provinces and communes, which has led to a growing, albeit slowly, economy. Kamena Todorova Bunev, First Overseer of Verbiza since 2006 and granddaughter of national founder Petar Bunev, has been implementing economic reforms to open the country to the modern world while retaining the prima facie aspects of the communal system her grandfather designed.
 
Today, Verbiza is slowly developing its national infrastructure, education system, and economy. Despite improvements, the country is regularly criticized by international monitors for human rights abuses, unfair election policies, and general lack of political and individual freedom.
 
== Government and politics ==
 
Verbiza is a one-party Communist state. The ruling [[Communist Party of Verbiza]] wields total and exclusive political power.
 
=== Administrative divisions ===
 
Verbiza is divided first by province (''provintsiya''), second by commune (''komuna''), and third by &quot;working unit&quot; (''rabotno zveno''). The administrative divisions of Verbiza are organized as such to more efficiently delegate management of the command economy.
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Province !! Capital !! Province flag
|-
| [[Gŭstagora]] || [[Gorskapolyanagrad]] || [[File:Flag_of_Macedonia_(1944–1946).svg|100px]]
|-
| [[Zemyanaprakh]] || [[Bunevgrad]] || [[File:Flag of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia (1946–1991).svg|100px]]
|-
| [[Nizini]] || [[Pritok]] || [[File:Flag of Gagauzia.svg|100px]]
|}
 
=== Executive ===
 
The head of state of Verbiza is the [[President of Verbiza|President of the People's Communal Republic of Verbiza]] (''Prezident na narodnata komunalna republika''), currently [[Dimitar Tanev]]. The president has very few powers. The president can sign legislation, veto legislation, and act as the national representative in foreign affair matters. The president is directly appointed by the Communist Party of Verbiza every 5 years at the Party Congress. The president is typically, but not always, the same person as the General Secretary of the Communist Party.
 
The [[First Overseer of Verbiza|First Overseer]] (''Pŭrvi nadzornik'') is the [[Government_of_Verbiza|head of government]]. The First Overseer is typically, but not always, also the person who is Chairperson of the Communist Party. The First Overseer is considered to be the most powerful person in Verbiza. The current First Overseer (since 2006) is Kamena Bunev,
 
=== Judiciary ===
 
[[File:Military-Academy-in-Sofia-Bulgaria.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The Verbizan People's Court in Bunevgrad]]
 
Verbizan law is based on preserving the social good rather than protecting the rights of individuals.
 
The [[Verbizan People's Court]] (''Verbizanski naroden sŭd'') hears all criminal, civil, and constitutional cases. It is the nation's highest court. Most citizens, however, do not appear physically at the Verbizan People's Court complex in Bunevgrad. Instead, the court appoints [[Judicial Marshal (Verbiza)|marshals]] to wander the countryside, hear grievances, and levy justice.
 
While the law does place protections on individuals from petty and serious crimes, crimes against the state generally carry harsher penalties. For example, in the case of theft against a citizen, the penalty is typically 5 years of hard labor. In the case of theft against a government store house, the penalty is typically 10 - 15 years of hard labor, depending on the severity of the theft.
 
The legal standard of ''Nullum crimen sine lege'' (no crime without law), that an individual cannot face prosecution except when there is a determined law before the criminal act took place, does not exist in Verbiza. Instead, there is a legal principle of analogy where the state can demonstrate the harm of an act against the social good though the act itself may not be defined in the criminal code.
 
Legal authority is derived from the dictatorship of the proletariat, so all legal principle is based on the ideology of protecting the common good over the good of the individual.
 
The most common punishment for any crime is time in a labor camp. Sentences in a labor camp typically range from 6 months to twenty years. Labor camps are rated by level of severity, S1 - S4, with S1 being the least severe (for minor crimes) and S4 being the most severe (for major crimes). The locations of labor camps with severity ratings of S1 - S3 are published, but the locations of S4 labor camps are kept secret by the state. International human rights observers and governments have published satellite imaging that claims to depict S4 labor camps in the mountains of Gŭstagora, likely built into the mountains, but the Verbizan government has refused to comment on their locations, only that they exist "for the most violent and dangerous offenders."
 
The death sentence is outlawed in Verbiza except for acts of treason during times of war. International human rights monitors claim, however, that individuals routinely disappear in Verbiza, likely at the hands of government security forces.
 
=== Legislature ===
 
[[File:OperaAndBaletPalaceChisinau.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The National Council in Bunevgrad]]
 
[[File:LogoBKP.svg|200px|thumb|right|The [[Communist Party of Verbiza]] is the ruling, and sole legal, party]]
 
The national legislature is called the [[National Council of Verbiza|National Council]] (''Natsionalen sŭvet''). It is comprised of 300 representatives.
 
Administrative units (from local to national) are working units, communes, provinces, and the nation as a whole. The democratically elected head of a working unit is called an Overseer (''Nadziratel''). All of the overseers of a commune's working units meet regularly in a Commune Council (''Obshtinski sŭvet'') to decide local matters.
 
Each Commune Council in a province can elect a proportional number of representatives to serve in the Province Council (''Provintsialen sŭvet''). Each Province Council can likewise elect a proportional number of representatives to serve in the National Council (''Natsionalen sŭvet'').
 
The National Council elects the First Overseer (''Pŭrvi nadzornik''), who forms the [[Government of Verbiza|cabinet]]. The First Overseer is typically, but not always, also the person who is Chairperson of the Communist Party. The First Overseer is considered to be the most powerful person in Verbiza. The current First Overseer (since 2006) is Kamena Bunev,
 
=== Military ===
 
The [[Armed Forces of Verbiza|Revolutionary Armed Forces]] (''Revolyutsionni vŭorŭzheni sili, RVS'') are the armed forces of Verbiza. They're comprised of the [[Ground Force of Verbiza|Ground Force]] (''Nazemna sila''), [[Air Force of Verbiza|Air Force]] (''Vŭzdushni sili''), and [[Gendarmerie of Verbiza|Gendarmerie]] (''Zhandarmeriya''). Due to Verbiza being landlocked, there is no navy, but there is a small unit of vessels used for patrols of rivers and lakes.
 
There are about 40 thousand active duty service members and 20 thousand reservists in the RVS. Additionally, most civilians receive basic firearms experience through practical experience or through basic education courses during secondary education.
 
Verbizan military defense strategy focuses almost entirely on self-defense. Verbizan defense doctrine relies heavily on asymmetrical, guerrilla, and partisan tactics. Much of the existing national military infrastructure is designed to create difficulties for invading and occupying military forces. Since most of the country is mountainous, the military trains extensively in mountain warfare under the assumption that the mountains would act as the national redoubt.
 
== Demographics ==
 
The population of Verbiza is 4,105,000 million people according to the 2010 census, although more recent estimates place that number closer to 4,200,000 million people. Nearly half of the population, 45.5%, reside in urban areas. The most populated urban centers are (descending): [[Bunevgrad]], Gorskapolyanagrad, Pritok, Cherganski-Strashilov, and Avramovagrad. The rest of the country lives in markedly rural areas that are oftentimes difficult to access.
 
Population density is 84.6 people per square kilometer.
 
=== Education ===
 
==== Primary and secondary education ====
 
Education policy in Verbiza is managed by the Ministry of Education. Education is broadly managed under two frameworks: the System for Public Education (''Sistema za obshtestveno obrazovanie''), which oversees all primary and secondary schools in the country, and the System for Rural Education (''Sistema na selskoto obrazovanie''), which trains, funds, and deploys educational professionals to rural regions of Verbiza where the presence of a permanent physical school would be disadvantageous or unrealistic.
 
Members of each service must receive identical education training, but members of the System for Rural Education must also pass wilderness survival and self-defense standards. Teachers with the System for Rural Education often include practical skills and lessons along with the standard curriculum that is often left out by the System for Public Education.
 
This, coupled with the fact that Verbizan ex-military service members often transition to teaching in the System for Rural Education due to the skill crossover, has resulted in divides in educational outcomes for students in Verbiza. Rural-educated students are more likely to pursue career opportunities in ideologically-lauded sectors like the mining, timber, energy, or the military. Urban-educated students are more likely to pursue higher education opportunities. Approximately 20% of Verbizan students seek opportunities in higher education.
 
Literacy rates are high; 99% of all Verbizans are at least functionally literate in Verbizan language, mathematics, and science.
 
==== Post-secondary education ====
 
There are two public universities in Verbiza:


The People's Communal Republic of Verbiza was born out of protests by {{wpl|left-wing}} {{wpl|unions|trade unions}} in the hills of central Verbiza during the early 20th century, then a province of [[!NATION]]. Dissatisfied with poor working conditions and marginalization of the Verbizan language and culture, community organizer [[Elmo Dobbs]] began organizing general strikes in an effort to improve working conditions and earn recognition of Verbizan rights. Escalation of tensions from both sides eventually led to violence between the protesters and the government, which led to the [[Verbizan Revolution]] (1922 - 1926). The Verbizan Revolution ended with the formal establishment and recognition of Verbiza as an independent state. Verbiza adopted a socialist, multi-party, communal federation to maximize workers' say.
* Petar Krasimirov Bunev University (Bunevgrad)
* Gorskapolyanagrad Technical Institute (Gorskapolyanagrad)


Landlocked, mostly mountainous, and lacking sophisticated infrastructure, Verbiza remained a poor backwater for the entirety of the 20th century. This was also due in part to the inefficiencies of an economy solely based on manual mining from communal villages. In 2006, however, [[Elizabeth Dobbs]], granddaughter of Elmo Dobbs, rose to power and began implementing economic reforms to open the country to more modern economic methods, while retaining the ''prima facie'' aspects of the communal system her grandfather designed.
=== Gender equality ===


Today, Verbiza is slowly developing its national infrastructure, education system, and economy. Despite improvements, the country is regularly criticized by international monitors for human rights abuses, unfair election policies, and general lack of freedom for political voices right-of-centre.
Gender equality is relatively high in Verbiza. Since the Verbizan Revolution, the Communist Party of Verbiza has ideologically placed the genders in equal footing in its literature, communications, and propaganda, as well as in its policy. {{wpl|Universal suffrage}} was included in the Verbizan Constitution. Men and women have equal rights, equal access to opportunity, and equal pay in all industries and sectors.


== Politics ==
=== Language ===


[[File:The West Virginia State Capitol Building in Charleston, WV.jpg|thumb|right|The National Congress building in Dobbston]]
The {{wpl|Bulgarian language|Verbizan language}} is the only official national language, and it is spoken by virtually all of the population as a first language, excluding foreign diplomats, businessmen, and students.


Verbiza operates as a {{wpl|federal republic}} under a {{wpl|multi-party system|multi-party}} {{wpl|socialist system}} wherein all citizens live {{wpl|communes|workers' communes}}. Verbiza is divided into five provinces, each of which contains dozens of workers' communes.
=== Religion ===


The five provinces are:
Verbiza is officially an atheistic state, and the practice of religion is outlawed and heavily discouraged. Because of this, there are no verifiable figures as to the religiosity of the Verbizan public. Travelers to Verbiza have reported meeting individuals who practice traditional folk religion, but little is known about folk religions or customs in Verbiza.


* Central Verbiza
== Culture ==
* North Verbiza
* South Verbiza
* Elmoland
* Yondricks


The Verbizan {{wpl|legislature}}, the National Congress (''Nation Congress'') of Verbiza, is bicameral. The upper house is the Council of Overseers, and the lower house is the Popular Forum. The Council of Overseers is comprised of all the elected commune overseers from across the nation. The Popular Forum is comprised of two elected representatives from each of the communes. The Popular Forum is responsible for creating all legislation. The Council of Overseers can offer advice and consent to the Popular Forum; it has limited veto powers to limit the legislative ability of the Popular Forum, but the Popular Forum can vote to reject any veto made by the Council of Overseers.
=== Sport ===


The President of Verbiza, currently Elizabeth Dobbs, and the Vice-President of Verbiza, currently Dennis Moore, are elected by a national popular vote.
{{wpl|Motorsport}} is one of the most popular sports in Verbiza. The highest level of motorsport in Verbiza is [[People's Formula]], an {{wpl|open-wheel racing|open-wheel}}, single-seater racing series funded in-part by the Communist Party.


There is no independent judiciary in Verbiza. All matters related to the law are handled at the level of local commune leaders, who are responsible for interpreting the law and applying it.
[[Category:Verbiza]]
[[Category:Countries]]

Latest revision as of 03:04, 29 July 2020

People's Communal Republic of Verbiza
Narodna komunalna republika verbiza (Verbizan)
Motto: Rabotnitsi i fermeri, obedinete se!
Workers and farmers, unite!
Anthem: Internatsionalŭt
The Internationale
Capital
and largest city
Bunevgrad
Official languagesVerbizan
Demonym(s)Verbizan
GovernmentSingle-party socialist state under a federal system
• President
Dimitar Tanev
Kamena Bunev
LegislatureNational Council
Established
• Verbizan Revolution
5 April 1926
Area
• Total
49,632 km2 (19,163 sq mi)
• Water (%)
1.4
Population
• 2015 estimate
4.2 million
• 2010 census
4.105 million
• Density
84.6/km2 (219.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2019 estimate
• Total
31.5 billion
• Per capita
7,500
Gini26.8
low
HDI0.700
high
CurrencyVerbizan Rubla (VRA)
Date format01 Jan 1900
Driving sideright

Verbiza, officially the People's Communal Republic of Verbiza (Verbizan: Narodna komunalna republika na verbiza) is a sovereign, landlocked nation.

The People's Communal Republic of Verbiza is the successor state to the Kingdom of Verbiza, which was toppled during the Verbizan Revolution (1922 - 1926). The Verbizan Revolution was caused partially by the Verbizan economic crash in 1918, as well as by violent retaliation towards trade unionist and left-wing protests against the monarchy. The escalation of tensions between protestors and the government eventually led to conflict. Petar Krasimirov Bunev, a prominent labor organizer before the war, rose to lead the Communist Party of Verbiza, which formed the government after the war.

The mountainous terrain, lack of sophisticated infrastructure, and inefficiencies of the command economy hampered economic progress, and even caused brief periods of famine. Since the 1990's, however, Verbiza has distributed economic and political power among the provinces and communes, which has led to a growing, albeit slowly, economy. Kamena Todorova Bunev, First Overseer of Verbiza since 2006 and granddaughter of national founder Petar Bunev, has been implementing economic reforms to open the country to the modern world while retaining the prima facie aspects of the communal system her grandfather designed.

Today, Verbiza is slowly developing its national infrastructure, education system, and economy. Despite improvements, the country is regularly criticized by international monitors for human rights abuses, unfair election policies, and general lack of political and individual freedom.

Government and politics

Verbiza is a one-party Communist state. The ruling Communist Party of Verbiza wields total and exclusive political power.

Administrative divisions

Verbiza is divided first by province (provintsiya), second by commune (komuna), and third by "working unit" (rabotno zveno). The administrative divisions of Verbiza are organized as such to more efficiently delegate management of the command economy.

Province Capital Province flag
Gŭstagora Gorskapolyanagrad Flag of Macedonia (1944–1946).svg
Zemyanaprakh Bunevgrad Flag of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia (1946–1991).svg
Nizini Pritok Flag of Gagauzia.svg

Executive

The head of state of Verbiza is the President of the People's Communal Republic of Verbiza (Prezident na narodnata komunalna republika), currently Dimitar Tanev. The president has very few powers. The president can sign legislation, veto legislation, and act as the national representative in foreign affair matters. The president is directly appointed by the Communist Party of Verbiza every 5 years at the Party Congress. The president is typically, but not always, the same person as the General Secretary of the Communist Party.

The First Overseer (Pŭrvi nadzornik) is the head of government. The First Overseer is typically, but not always, also the person who is Chairperson of the Communist Party. The First Overseer is considered to be the most powerful person in Verbiza. The current First Overseer (since 2006) is Kamena Bunev,

Judiciary

The Verbizan People's Court in Bunevgrad

Verbizan law is based on preserving the social good rather than protecting the rights of individuals.

The Verbizan People's Court (Verbizanski naroden sŭd) hears all criminal, civil, and constitutional cases. It is the nation's highest court. Most citizens, however, do not appear physically at the Verbizan People's Court complex in Bunevgrad. Instead, the court appoints marshals to wander the countryside, hear grievances, and levy justice.

While the law does place protections on individuals from petty and serious crimes, crimes against the state generally carry harsher penalties. For example, in the case of theft against a citizen, the penalty is typically 5 years of hard labor. In the case of theft against a government store house, the penalty is typically 10 - 15 years of hard labor, depending on the severity of the theft.

The legal standard of Nullum crimen sine lege (no crime without law), that an individual cannot face prosecution except when there is a determined law before the criminal act took place, does not exist in Verbiza. Instead, there is a legal principle of analogy where the state can demonstrate the harm of an act against the social good though the act itself may not be defined in the criminal code.

Legal authority is derived from the dictatorship of the proletariat, so all legal principle is based on the ideology of protecting the common good over the good of the individual.

The most common punishment for any crime is time in a labor camp. Sentences in a labor camp typically range from 6 months to twenty years. Labor camps are rated by level of severity, S1 - S4, with S1 being the least severe (for minor crimes) and S4 being the most severe (for major crimes). The locations of labor camps with severity ratings of S1 - S3 are published, but the locations of S4 labor camps are kept secret by the state. International human rights observers and governments have published satellite imaging that claims to depict S4 labor camps in the mountains of Gŭstagora, likely built into the mountains, but the Verbizan government has refused to comment on their locations, only that they exist "for the most violent and dangerous offenders."

The death sentence is outlawed in Verbiza except for acts of treason during times of war. International human rights monitors claim, however, that individuals routinely disappear in Verbiza, likely at the hands of government security forces.

Legislature

The National Council in Bunevgrad
The Communist Party of Verbiza is the ruling, and sole legal, party

The national legislature is called the National Council (Natsionalen sŭvet). It is comprised of 300 representatives.

Administrative units (from local to national) are working units, communes, provinces, and the nation as a whole. The democratically elected head of a working unit is called an Overseer (Nadziratel). All of the overseers of a commune's working units meet regularly in a Commune Council (Obshtinski sŭvet) to decide local matters.

Each Commune Council in a province can elect a proportional number of representatives to serve in the Province Council (Provintsialen sŭvet). Each Province Council can likewise elect a proportional number of representatives to serve in the National Council (Natsionalen sŭvet).

The National Council elects the First Overseer (Pŭrvi nadzornik), who forms the cabinet. The First Overseer is typically, but not always, also the person who is Chairperson of the Communist Party. The First Overseer is considered to be the most powerful person in Verbiza. The current First Overseer (since 2006) is Kamena Bunev,

Military

The Revolutionary Armed Forces (Revolyutsionni vŭorŭzheni sili, RVS) are the armed forces of Verbiza. They're comprised of the Ground Force (Nazemna sila), Air Force (Vŭzdushni sili), and Gendarmerie (Zhandarmeriya). Due to Verbiza being landlocked, there is no navy, but there is a small unit of vessels used for patrols of rivers and lakes.

There are about 40 thousand active duty service members and 20 thousand reservists in the RVS. Additionally, most civilians receive basic firearms experience through practical experience or through basic education courses during secondary education.

Verbizan military defense strategy focuses almost entirely on self-defense. Verbizan defense doctrine relies heavily on asymmetrical, guerrilla, and partisan tactics. Much of the existing national military infrastructure is designed to create difficulties for invading and occupying military forces. Since most of the country is mountainous, the military trains extensively in mountain warfare under the assumption that the mountains would act as the national redoubt.

Demographics

The population of Verbiza is 4,105,000 million people according to the 2010 census, although more recent estimates place that number closer to 4,200,000 million people. Nearly half of the population, 45.5%, reside in urban areas. The most populated urban centers are (descending): Bunevgrad, Gorskapolyanagrad, Pritok, Cherganski-Strashilov, and Avramovagrad. The rest of the country lives in markedly rural areas that are oftentimes difficult to access.

Population density is 84.6 people per square kilometer.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Education policy in Verbiza is managed by the Ministry of Education. Education is broadly managed under two frameworks: the System for Public Education (Sistema za obshtestveno obrazovanie), which oversees all primary and secondary schools in the country, and the System for Rural Education (Sistema na selskoto obrazovanie), which trains, funds, and deploys educational professionals to rural regions of Verbiza where the presence of a permanent physical school would be disadvantageous or unrealistic.

Members of each service must receive identical education training, but members of the System for Rural Education must also pass wilderness survival and self-defense standards. Teachers with the System for Rural Education often include practical skills and lessons along with the standard curriculum that is often left out by the System for Public Education.

This, coupled with the fact that Verbizan ex-military service members often transition to teaching in the System for Rural Education due to the skill crossover, has resulted in divides in educational outcomes for students in Verbiza. Rural-educated students are more likely to pursue career opportunities in ideologically-lauded sectors like the mining, timber, energy, or the military. Urban-educated students are more likely to pursue higher education opportunities. Approximately 20% of Verbizan students seek opportunities in higher education.

Literacy rates are high; 99% of all Verbizans are at least functionally literate in Verbizan language, mathematics, and science.

Post-secondary education

There are two public universities in Verbiza:

  • Petar Krasimirov Bunev University (Bunevgrad)
  • Gorskapolyanagrad Technical Institute (Gorskapolyanagrad)

Gender equality

Gender equality is relatively high in Verbiza. Since the Verbizan Revolution, the Communist Party of Verbiza has ideologically placed the genders in equal footing in its literature, communications, and propaganda, as well as in its policy. Universal suffrage was included in the Verbizan Constitution. Men and women have equal rights, equal access to opportunity, and equal pay in all industries and sectors.

Language

The Verbizan language is the only official national language, and it is spoken by virtually all of the population as a first language, excluding foreign diplomats, businessmen, and students.

Religion

Verbiza is officially an atheistic state, and the practice of religion is outlawed and heavily discouraged. Because of this, there are no verifiable figures as to the religiosity of the Verbizan public. Travelers to Verbiza have reported meeting individuals who practice traditional folk religion, but little is known about folk religions or customs in Verbiza.

Culture

Sport

Motorsport is one of the most popular sports in Verbiza. The highest level of motorsport in Verbiza is People's Formula, an open-wheel, single-seater racing series funded in-part by the Communist Party.