|national_motto = ''"To dwell together in unity"''<br/><small>Pharexian: "Að búa saman í einingu""</small><br/><small>Icelandic: "-"</small><br/><small>Swedish: "-"</small>
|national_anthem =
|national_anthem = ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMQXEVNLGss "O, Land of Prosperity and Peace"]''<br/><small>Pharexian: "Varðstjóri""</small><br/><small>Icelandic: "-"</small><br/><small>Swedish:"-"</small>
|royal_anthem = <!--N/A-->
|royal_anthem = <!--N/A-->
|other_symbol_type = <!--Another symbol, e.g. Hymn-->
|other_symbol_type = <!--Another symbol, e.g. Hymn-->
|other_symbol = <!--another symbol text-->
|other_symbol = <!--another symbol text-->
|image_map = [[file:blank.png|250px]]
|image_map = USA Minnesota relief location map.svg
|size_map = 300px
|alt_map = <!--alt text for second map-->
|alt_map = <!--alt text for second map-->
|map_caption =
|map_caption =
|capital = [[Breíddalsvík]]
|capital = Péturholm
|religion = [[Church of Pharexia]]
|religion = Church of Svenskbygderna
|largest_settlement =
|largest_settlement_type = <!--Type of settlement if largest settlement not a city-->
|largest_settlement_type = <!--Type of settlement if largest settlement not a city-->
|area_dabodyalign = <!-- text after area_label2 (optional) -->
|area_dabodyalign = <!-- text after area_label2 (optional) -->
|population_estimate = 230,435
|population_estimate = 4,104,926
|population_estimate_rank = 193rd
|population_estimate_rank = 178th
|population_estimate_year = 2020
|population_estimate_year = 2020
|population_census =
|population_census =
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|Gini_change = stable
|Gini_change = stable
|Gini_category =
|Gini_category =
|HDI = 0.926
|HDI = 0.946
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_year = 2020
|HDI_year = 2020
|HDI_change = increase
|HDI_change = increase
|HDI_category =
|HDI_category =
|currency = Sherðeg
|currency = Luther Mynt
|currency_code =
|currency_code =
|time_zone =
|time_zone =
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|utc_offset_DST = <!-- +N, where N is number of hours-->
|utc_offset_DST = <!-- +N, where N is number of hours-->
|drives_on = right
|drives_on = right
|cctld = .px
|cctld = .hv
|iso3166code = PHX
|iso3166code = HV
|calling_code = +54
|calling_code = +54
|alt_map3 =
|alt_map3 =
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|footnote7 =
|footnote7 =
}}
}}
'''Pharexia''' ({{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|/fərɛziɑ/}}; Pharexian: ''Lýðræðisríki Fuðursvæði'' {{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|[kiɒkju:lɛgd l ʁɛ:i af hɑjɛgss]}}, Icelandic: ''Lýðræðislegt'' {{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|[ˈfɒːbɔnˀ æˀ kʰʁ̥yˈlænd̥ə]}}, Valian: ''демократия умо'') is a Nordic nation. The capital city of [[Breíddalsvík]] is located on the northwestern part on the coast of the - Sea. Most of Pharexia’s terrain is flat
'''Svenskbygderna''' (Swedish: ''Svenskbygderna'') is a country in the upper midwestern region of North America. is located around 300km southeast of {{wpl|Iceland}} and 100km from {{wpl|Norway}}. The capital city is Péturholm. It is home to around 4 million people.
Culturally, Pharexia's small population of just over 230,000 demonstrates a {{wpl|nation-state|cohesive national character}}. Pharexia is a combination of {{wpl|individualism}} and {{wpl|egalitarianism}}. Pharexians are highly {{wpl|agreeableness|agreeable}} and {{wpl|compassionate}} people, reflected in the state's strong {{wpl|social welfare}} system, while also harboring {{wpl|conscientiousness}} and responsibility, reflected by the high {{wpl|GDP per capita}}, high level of {{wpl|educational achievement}}, and more recently significant technological advancements.
Svenskbygderna comes across as a typical Scandinavian-inspired state: it has liberal views towards the LGBT community, gender equality, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty. It is home to a collective bargaining culture, a strong belief in both personal and more specifically digital privacy, a high degree of public safety and a complex social insurance scheme which mixes private and public funding and provision. Svenskbygderna has reluctantly accepted the need for firearms within its uniquely-positioned society. The development of many of Svenskbygderna's significant social reforms have been instigated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbygderna, which is the official state church of Svenskbygderna. Around 81% of citizens were members of the church in 2021.
Pharexian politics have been described by scholars as an eclectic amalgamation of both {{wpl|conservative}} and {{wpl|liberal}} thought: for example, despite having rather restrictive {{wpl|abortion law|abortion laws}}, it has relatively liberal {{wpl|LGBT}} laws. This dichotomy is usually attributed to the rather unique teachings of the state church, the Lutheran [[Church of Pharexia]], which has both a high adherence and a {{wpl|Religion in politics|large influence over public policy}}. Pharexia maintains a Nordic {{wpl|social welfare}} system that provides {{wpl|universal health care}} and {{wpl|tertiary education}} for its citizens. Pharexia ranks high in economic, democratic, social stability, and equality. It is consistently ranked as one of the most developed countries in the world and high on the {{wpl|Global Peace Index}}. The country runs entirely on {{wpl|renewable energy}}.
== Demographics ==
Hverland is one of the most racially homogenous societies in North America, with 95% of the population identifying as Northern Europeans.
Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality, this has been questioned in recent years, with Pharexia becoming a member of NATO in 2017. Though Pharexia is philosophically and constitutionally a pacifist country, it continues to maintain a minimal defense force that consists of a coast guard and national guard.
Statisics Hverland is the national statistical institution established in 1905. It's primary responsibility is to collect, process and share data on the economy and society with the public.
==Etymology==
It is thought that the word Pharexia is derived from an Old Norse word for 'ice healer', a reference to a medicinal herb found in the country's modern-day western coast. This herb is believed to have been used by native Pharexias to treat {{wpl|influenza}}, which is known to be an interesting fact used by the tourism industry. The name for Breíddalsvík, the capital city, is thought to have come from an old Icelandic word for 'wooded', a reference to the city’s former densely forested landscape.
==History==
===Antiquity (Before 7th Century CE)===
[[file:Alta petroglyphs.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Ancient petroglyphs found in Rífjorþur depicting hunting and animism]]
The first recorded settlement of Pharexian territory is Rífjorþur (located in modern-day Sojord) around 8000 BCE. Between 8000 and 5000 BCE, early inhabitants used stones to make tools and weapons for hunting, gathering and fishing as means of survival. Primitive structures were eventually erected, indicating an important shift from nomadism to sedentism. Sheep, moose, and red deer were known to roam freely in the forest and were a common source of food for proto-Pharexians. Agriculture was likely brought to the settlement by invaders from what is now Fjerholtia, as the inscriptions written in the region’s ancient tribal alphabet are found in the area's early agriculture sites. The settlement had evidence of cherry and sheep farms, and there have been cave paintings showing similar animist undertones. These settlements grew in the subsequent years, and around 3000 BCE there were many small settlements dotted around the northern forests and into the upper southern plains.
Neighboring tribes of modern-day Selsoykenia began interacting with the Rífjorþur settlements, and the two exchanged knowledge of pottery, agriculture, and it is believed this is what spurred the development of the ancient Astellian language.
Settlements grew quickly in the north regions due to their proximity to the Passäcaglia sea, ease of irrigation for their crops, and the high fertility of the land. In this time of agricultural development the various bands of people began consolidating into large tribes. The largest and by far most well known of these was the Skóglenðians, who developed the first nation state of Pharexia. Through a series of conquests and marriages, the Skóglenðian tribe would come to control much of the southwestern portion of the Sofjord mainland.
In 1400 BCE, bronze and iron importation was introduced to Pharexia; first from Selsoykenia and then increasingly from central Sofjord. Since Pharexia had no natural sources of metal, it had to be imported. Iron was almost exclusively used for tools to make bronze objects.
===The Skóglenðian Era (700CE to 1000CE)===
By 700CE, the Skóglenðians had dispersed throughout the Pharexian plains and forests. Close to 200 independent settlements are believed to have existed at this time, with each organized and governed by independent {{wpl|Thing (assembly)|things}} (Pharexia: ''lögbrjótamenns''). These things served many roles: as proto-parliaments, proto-courts, and for public religious rites. However, over the next 300 years, independent community rule slowly eroded and was replaced by a feudal system. This feudal system is believed to have originated from three of the larger northern settlements who wished to maintain a more rigid hierarchical structure throughout the region. Seven wealthy families were given the title of lord families (Pharexian: ''höfuðfjölskylda''). These lord families could then lease land to baron families (Pharexian: ''framhaldsskóla''), who in turn could lease them to peasants (Pharexian: ''smábóndi'').
Due to the Passäcaglia Sea that separated the two nations, Pharexia was largely spared from Klyasilian invasions, which were common during this time period.
Around 1015 CE, a large army of invaders from the Valian Kingdom successfully annexed most of northern Pharexia, ending the Skóglenðian's 600 year claim to the region. At this point in time, the Valian Kingdom covered most of the Sofjord mainland. It was during this period that the Ilyçisian religion was first introduced to Pharexia, although it did not become widely accepted until the Barony of Holafsöson (Pharexian: ''Valdatíma Holafsöson'').
A major civil war (known now as the Great Civil War) broke out in the Valian Kingdom in 1424 CE when King Teodaria III's twin sons fought for the right to rule. The war resulted in the death of Prince Gallio and began the reign of King Holafsöson I.
===Medieval Era (1000CE to 1500CE)===
====The Barony of Holafsöson I====
In early 12th century, King Holafsöson made Ilyçisianism the official state church of the Valian Empire, to the exclusion of all others. This was prompted by the leaders of the Church, who had begun to condemn the diverse religions practiced throughout the Empire, especially in "the South" (referring to the pagan traditions existing in the Pharexian and Fjerholtian territories). Pleas for religious tolerance from local Pharexian authorities were ignored; Ilyçisian monotheism became a feature of the Empire. Ilyçisian heretics as well as non-Ilyçisian were subject to exclusion from public life or persecution.
====Valia and Pharexia====
Despite being occupied by the Valian empire, Pharexians and the Valians remained rivals and locals instigated many uprisings, during which the Valians were forced to cede important provinces back to Pharexian people in 1443 and 1491. These tit-for-tat wars and retaliative invasions led to popular resentment against Pharexians among Valians, and eventually in 1523 they ceded the territory back to the Pharexian monarch-in-exile, Fydør II.
====Ilyçisian Enlightenment====
After Pharexia re-gained its independence, there was significant debate over whether to continue to recognize the Ilyçisian Church as the official state religion. Those in the south and east of Pharexia, who had been most influenced by Valian occupation, argued that the King should establish a new state church and have it be in communion with the Church of Valia. However, over the course of the Valian occupation, the citizenry of the north had formed a new sect of Ilyçisianism known as Reykjavík (Reformed), which fused progressive Pharexian philosophy with traditional Ilyçisian thought. This time is often referred to as the Ilyçisian Enlightenment. Fydør II, being from the north, sided with his fellow citizenry and declared that the [[Church of Pharexia]] would be based on Reykjavík theology.
Fydør is also credited as establishing Pharexia's first legislative branch of government, the Föremål, although all members were selected by him and by the Church of Pharexia's clergy.
===Industrial Era (1500CE to early 1800CE)===
====The Rough Times====
The Rough Times (Pharexian: ''erfiðleikum'', Astellian: ''deacrachtaí'', Valian: ''сложно'') was a period of increased tension between northern and southern Pharexia. It is believed that this tension began during the enlightenment period. Though no fracturing of the nation like during the Great Civil War occurred, there was widespread violence and disorder spread in this time. The Monarchy, the clergy, and members of the Föremål were unwilling or unable to deal with the problems, causing a large desire for sweeping political change in the general population. It was early on during this period that a large swath of land was purchased from Susonia in order to help alleviate tensions by giving minor sects new land to settle. This pseudo-colonization program was widely unpopular among the general population due to its heavy drain on monetary resources and was unsuccessful in reducing sect tensions. The economic hit the country took from this purchase and the unhappiness with the establishment would go on to lead to the rise of new organizations that were farther to the left and right than usual in the country.
Since the enlightenment, many Pharexians longer supported the monarchical system of governance. There was also frustration among Pharexian mill workers and peasants due to persistent low pay and poor working conditions. During 1869, a series of worker-led insurrections occurred throughout the country, with hundreds of mills and farms being "liberated". The Monarchy, the military, and the Föremål were all overthrown after refusing to negotiate with the newly formed Bloç Fharheckx, a powerful, militant worker's union who established their own representative body, the Verkalýðsþing. This insurrection resulted in the formal establishment of the Socialist Republic of Pharexia on December 20, 1869, with Andres Knudson ascending to the newly established office of General Secretary of Pharexia. Shortly after seizing control, the Pharexian Communist & Workers' Party was organized and declared the only legal political party in the country.
====The Socialist Republic of Pharexia====
:''Main article: [[Socialist Republic of Pharexia]]''
In the years after the socialist uprising, Pharexia saw an increase in violence against the wealthy, landowners, and leaders of religious communities. Many key members of the original insurrection were purged by Knudson as he further consolidated his power. Despite promises to the contrary, Pharexia saw little economic growth and famines were still common, especially in the south and east. Knudson increased international interest in the Pharexian economy, but little was felt by the public, who remained furious over continuing requisitioning of grain. Over the next five years, Pharexia continued to veer towards an authoritarian model of governance. Members of the Verkalýðsþing, originally elected by union members, became hand-picked by Knudson. In 1875, Knudson dissolved the advisory council entirely.
In 1892, Pharexia was hit with a deadly epidemic of influenza that resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people, which at the time was approximately one-fifth of the country. It is believed that people were especially susceptible to the virus due to widespread emaciation and the lack of clean water outside of Breíddalsvík and Sojord. Only a month after the virus had been identified, Knudson and half of his inner circle had died.
Without Knudson's leadership, infighting broke out among the party executives. Cryło Maouzía, who supported liberalization of the economy, was reluctantly chosen to succeed Knudson after the other two contenders died of influenza.
Upon taking office, Maouzía embarked on an ambitious program of reform involving major economic and political restructuring. He reinstated the Verkalýðsþing and gave them greater authority over domestic affairs. He also divided the county into three regions: north, south, and east, and gave a degree of autonomy to each. He said this was to allow for quick, local decision-making intended to slow the influenza's spread, respond to Klyasilian aggression, and better allocate resources, all of which it did. While members of the national and regional government were still hand picked by the General Secretary, many citizens were pleased with the reforms.
By the mid 1890's, free elections were introduced in the east and western regions, ending the one-party rule that the Workers' Party had enjoyed for nearly twenty years. Strict left-wing ideologues in the Party were furious with Maouzía for allowing the general population to take part in the democratic process, and he lost the support of many Party executives. However, Maouzía retained high approval from the citizenry.
On 6 June 1898, Maouzía was assassinated by a Party member during a signing ceremony for democratic reforms in the north and capital district. It is believed the assassin was a hard-line opponent of Maouzía's reform program and was supplied by fellow Workers' Party leaders. Despite the Party's intention to then take back control, the event destabilized Pharexia and it is widely considered to have contributed to both the demise of the Workers' Party and the dissolution of the Republic.
The vacuum of power was seized by the Southern region's pro-democray government. One of their first actions was to formally dissolve the Socialist Republic of Pharexia and establish a democratic federation.
===Modern Era (1899 CE - present)===
[[file:Europeade 2015 dans 02.jpg|thumb|200px|right|People in traditional Pharexian clothing celebrating Democracy Day.]]
====Democratic Reforms====
In 1900, an assembly was commissioned by the Liberal Democrats and the National Unity Party to write a new constitution, which invited delegates from all of Pharexia's major cities, language-speaking communities, political parties, and religions. This assembly crafted a new constitution, known as [[People's Law]], which declared that a multi-membered council would take over the role of the executive and head of state; this council was to have five members and be divided between both the main political forces and geographic regions in the nation to ensure peaceful co-operation. The new nation was also to have elements of direct democracy, in that referenda could be held if a petition with a certain number of signatures called for one, and that any citizen could petition to have a referenda on any law passed by the Federal Legislature. A bill of rights that guaranteed the rights of all Pharexia was incorporated, which was to be of the utmost importance in the constitution. Representation was also guaranteed to members of the country's three largest language groups, which at the time were still bitterly divided.
It was in this constitution that Pharexia formally established cantons as a form of local government below the regional governments, and significant authority was ceded to them.
Over the following twenty years, the newly established Federal Government passed a series of social reforms including mandatory sick pay, frequent factory inspections, a ten-hour working day, and other various worker protection laws. Waterfalls, rivers, and coastal lands were used for hydroelectricity, which became an important resource in this period. Since the large industrial companies that manufactured Pharexia's steel, concrete, and other materials had been squandered during the Socialist Republic, and the Federal Government gave them significant direct subsidies and tax breaks which allowed them to recover. They then contributed to Pharexia's infrastructure boom of the 1930's, in which the Federal Highway System (Pharexia: ''Alríkisvegakerfi'') was built. This cut the travel time between Breíddalsvík and Sroreset in half.
====Contemporary history====
Contemporary Pharexian history has been dominated by liberalization of the market. The government has prioritized privatizing a number of state-owned companies. Economic stability increased and previously chronic inflation has drastically reduced.
==Geography==
===Climate===
{{climate chart
|[[ Pharexia]]
|0|18|0.89
|4|22|0.90
|9|27|1.61
|20|35|2.84
|28|48|3.72
|39|56|4.48
|40|50|4.40
|35|46|3.89
|30|44|3.56
|24|37|2.82
|12|31|1.85
|4|19|1.13
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
}}
The climate of northern Pharexia is {{wpl|temperate}} and covered in {{wpl|deciduous forest}} while middle and southern Pharexia is largely {{wpl|taiga grassland}}. Temperatures average between 5°C (41°F) in the north and -1°C (30 °F) in the south throughout the year. As a result of the moderation and the southernly latitude, summers normally hover around 12 °C (53 °F). Average temperatures are -7 °C (19 °F) in winter. The southernly latitude location also results in perpetual {{wpl|civil twilight}} during summer nights and very short winter days.
===Nature===
When Pharexia was first settled, it was extensively forested, with 80% of the original land covered in trees. In the late 17th century, permanent human settlement had greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber. A 1987 government assessment found only 12% of the original forests remained. Deforestation, climatic deterioration, and overgrazing by livestock imported by settlers caused a loss of critical topsoil due to erosion. The issue has recently gained significant attention at the state and federal level. The left-wing environmentalist political party Green–Left has put forth several legislative proposals in recent years to halt all remaining logging operations in Pharexia and require all raw wood be imported. The ruling Conservative Party, while criticizing the proposal as "impractical", passed legislation in 2015 requiring logging companies to replant two trees for every one they cut down.
==Government and politics==
Pharexia is a federal multi-party directorial republic comprised of four language communities, three regions, and 21 cantons. For each of these subdivision types, the subdivisions together make up the entire country; in other words, the types overlap.
The country's government is based on the 1900 constitution, [[People's Law]] (Pharexian: ''Folkslöv'', Astellian: ''Qunnerit'', Valian: ''Народный закон''), which defines how the government's branches work and how they interact with one another and protects the civil rights of the population. Amendments to the constitution require a 75% majority in the Federal Legislature or the approval of 16 out of 21 cantons, accompanied by a public referendum. The constitution has been amended five times; in 1905 to abolish the death penalty, in 1964 to change the electoral system of the Federal Legislature's lower house from a FPTP system to STV, in 1977 to change the Federal Council from 5 members to 6, in 1979 and enshrine Pharexia's universal healthcare system, and in 2017 to add a seventh and eighth position on the Federal Council. There are three major branches of the federal government: the bicameral Federal Legislature holds legislative power, the eight-member Federal Council holds executive power, and the High Court of Justice holds judicial power.
===Executive===
[[file:Narendra Modi is greeted by British MP Priti Patel cropped.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Councilor Rökfræð greeting the President of Susonia (left) and Governor of Fjerholtia (center)]]
The Federal Council of Pharexia (Pharexian: ''Þalagaráð'', Astellian: ''Cónaidhme'', Valian: ''совет'') is the executive branch, consisting of eight councilors. One of the councilors is labeled as the ceremonial Head Councilor (Pharexian: ''Seansailéir'', Astellian: ''Ceannasaí'', Valian: ''лидер'') and another is labeled the Vice Councilor (Pharexian: ''Seasmhack'', Astellian: ''Staðgengill'', Valian: ''ассистент''). Members of the Council are appointed and re-affirmed by joint sessions of the Federal Legislature. Head Councilors and Vice Councilors are limited to a single four-year term, after which they are constitutionally required to leave the Council. Each member except the Head Councilor is in charge of one of Pharexia’s seven large government departments dealing with broad policy fields. The Council itself is based on ideas of consociationalism, in which the main political parties of Pharexia share out the seats within the council, a tradition that has been maintained since the beginning of the country and relies on pragmatism between the parties. Currently, the [[Conservative Party (Pharexia)|Conservative Party]] and the [[Science–Moderate Party]] hold two sets each while the [[Ilyçisian Democrats]], [[Liberal Party (Pharexia)|Liberal Party]], and [[New Future (Pharexia)|New Future]] hold one seat each. One member of the Council is unaffiliated.
=== Race ===
White people are the predominant race in Svenskbyderna. Asians (mostly Indians) make up around a half of a percent.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! width="40%" | Position
! Picture
!
! width="30%" | Name
! width="25%" | Party
|-
| Head Councilor of Pharexia<br/>''<small>(Seansailéir/Ceannasaí/лидер)</small>''
| [[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Priti Patel MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| width=5px style="background-color:#00ADEF" |
| Hansíne Rökfræð <small>''DLJ''<ref>Doctor of Law and Justice</ref></small>
| [[Conservative Party (Pharexia)|Conservative Party]]
|-
| Vice Councilor of Pharexia, Councilor of Defense and Immigration<br/>''<small>(Seansailéir/Ceannasaí/ассистент, Innanríkismáladeild/Inimirce/Оборона)</small>''
| [[File:Official portrait of Andy McDonald MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| width=5px style="background-color:#F46F25" |
| Aðalheiður Böðvars
| [[New Future (Pharexia)|New Future]]
|-
| Councilor of Health and Social Care<br/>''<small>(Dochtúireachta/Culgarmálarádherra/Советник)</small>''
| [[File:Official portrait of Chloe Smith MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| width=5px style="background-color:#1A9094" |
| Karoline Fleischer <small>''DM''<ref>Doctor of Medicine</ref>''FPPH''<ref>Faculty of Pharexian Public Health</ref></small>
| [[Science–Moderate Party]]
|-
|-
| Councilor of Foreign Affairs<br/>''<small>(Utanríkismáladeild/Gnóthaíerra/Иностранные)</small>''
! Race
| [[File:Official portrait of Crispin Blunt MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
! Numbers
| width=5px style="background-color:#522C7F" |
! Percentage
| Sir Ole Møller
| [[Ilyçisian Democrats]]
|-
|-
| Councilor of Culture and Religion<br/>''<small>(Sjávarútvegi/Eaglaiscultúr/религия)</small>''
<!-- Logo -->
| [[File:Official portrait of Fabian Hamilton MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| {{wpl|White people|White}}
| width=5px style="background-color:#dbdbdb" |
| 4,034,321
| Arne Egede
| 98.28%
| Unaffiliated
|-
|-
| Councilor of Finance and Economic Affairs<br/>''<small>(Fjármálastjóri/Airgeadais/финансов)</small>''
<!-- Logo -->
| [[File:Official portrait of Justin Tomlinson MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| {{wpl|Asian people|Asian}}
| width=5px style="background-color:#00ADEF" |
| 22,166
| Isak Petersen <small>''DLJ''</small>
| 0.54%
| [[Conservative Party (Pharexia)|Conservative Party]]
|-
|-
| Councilor of Transport, Infrastructure, the Environment<br/>''<small>(Velferðarráðuneytið/Gníomhaithe/инфраструктура)</small>''
<!-- Logo -->
| [[File:Official portrait of Baroness Golding crop 2, 2019.jpg|60px]]
| {{wpl|African Americans|Black}}
| width=5px style="background-color:#FA3B45" |
| 12,314
| Pavia Knudson
| 0.30%
| [[Liberal Party (Pharexia)|Liberal Party]]
|-
|-
| Councilor of Justice and Equality<br/>''<small>(Dómsmálaráðuneytið/Oidhreachta/юстиция)</small>''
<!-- Logo -->
| [[File:Official portrait of Siobhain McDonagh MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| All others
| width=5px style="background-color:#1A9094" |
| 36,123
| Nja Johansen <small>''DLJ''</small>
| 0.88%
| [[Science–Moderate Party]]
|-
|-
| '''Total'''
<!-- ! (add again if we can find original logos. -->
| '''4,104,926'''
| '''100.0%'''
|}
|}
===Legislature===
=== Languages ===
Legislative power is vested in the bicameral [[Federal Legislature of Pharexia|Federal Legislature]] (Pharexian: ''Síðari'', Astellian: ''Félagið'', Valian: ''законодательная''). The lower chamber is the 274-seat People's Assembly, and the upper chamber is the 63-seat States' Assembly. The houses have identical powers. Members of both houses represent the states, but, whereas seats in the National Assembly are distributed in proportion to their population using open-list proportional representation, each state has three seats in the States' Assembly, which are elected using single transferrable vote. Both are elected in full once every four years on the 1st March, with the last election being held in 2018.
{{Pie chart
|radius =
The Federal Legislature possesses the federal government's legislative power, along with the separate constitutional right of citizen's initiative. For a law to pass, it must be passed by both houses. The Federal Legislature may come together as a United Great People's Legislature in certain circumstances such as to elect members to the Federal Council and justices to the High Court of Justice.
|thumb = right
|caption = [[wikipedia:First language|Native languages]] in Hverland
===Judicial===
|label1 = [[wikipedia:Swedish language|Swedish]]
The judicial branch plays a minor role in politics, apart from the High Court of Justice (Pharexian: ''Réttlæti'', Astellian: ''Lagâleg'', Valian: ''Судья''), which can annul laws that violate the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution. The Federal Legislature, in a joint session, creates a list of legislative appointees to the High Court, with the Federal Council choosing from that list. The HCJ has 5 members.
|value1 = 80.2
|color1 = #FF9700
===Federal laws===
|label2 = [[wikipedia:German language|German]]
:''Main article: [[Overview of federal laws in Pharexia]]''
|value2 = 13.4
The Pharexian Federation is home to a belief in personal and more recently {{wpl|digital privacy}}, a high degree of {{wpl|public safety}} and a complex social insurance scheme mixing private and public funding. Pharexia has strict {{wpl|gun control}} laws: a national government safety course must be passed, a {{wpl|Gun license|special license}} is required to own a {{wpl|handgun}} which may only be used for target shooting at a licensed range, {{wpl|semi-automatic firearms}} have caliber restrictions, while fully automatic firearms are banned entirely. Most psychotropic substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, and other class A drugs have been decriminalized but are believed to be rarely used.
:''Main article: [[List of political parties in Pharexia]]''
|value3 = 3.0
Pharexia is home to a diverse slate of political parties. Pharexia was rated a "full democracy" in 2019.
|color3 = #00D2CF
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|label4 = [[wikipedia:Finnish language|Finnish]]
|+ class="nowrap" | See last federal election results
|value4 = 1.5
|-
|color4 = #5500FF
|colspan=9|[[File:2014 Pharexian General election map.png|center|300px]]
|label5 = [[wikipedia:English language|English]]
|-
|value5 = 0.7
!colspan=2|Party
|color5 = #D20000
!Votes
|label6 = Other
!%
|value6 = 1.2
!±%
|color6 = White}}
!Upper Seats
Swedish is the mother tongues of 90.2% citizens, a percentage that has increased from under 60% in 1900. Under the ''Bilingual Languages Act'', Swedish and German had equal status in federal courts, parliament, and in all government institutions. However, this legislation was repealed in 2022, making Swedish the sole official language of the country. The public still has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive some federal government services in German. As a part of the legislation, all existing online content produced by the government must remain available in German as well as Swedish, but new information will be unilingual. Immigrants who are applying for citizenship must be able to fluently speak Swedish.
The German-speaking community is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country. They make up majorities in the towns of Uddellefteå, Linberg, Skegård, Båtköping and Grönsås. About 7% of people living in the capital city of Pétursholm listed German as their primary language, but a total of 19% said they were fluent in both German and Swedish.
Pharexia has a complex system of national division. These assist with the institutional, cultural, and territorial organization of Pharexian territory.
Norwegian is the mother tongue of around 3% of citzens, almost all of whom are decendents of Norwegian immigrants or are immigrants themselves.
| Federal state || 1
! colspan="21" | {{flag|Pharexia}}
|-
| ''Regions'' || 3
| colspan="10" | [[File:Flag_of_Northern_Pharexia.png|23px]] Northern region
| colspan="7" | [[File:Flag_of_Southern_Pharexia.png|23px]] Southern region
| colspan="4" | [[File:Flag_of_Eastern_Pharexia.png|23px]] Eastern region
|-
| ''Communities'' || 4
| colspan="8" | Pharexian
| colspan="2" | Bi-lingual
| colspan="4" | Astellian
| colspan="7" | Valian
|-
| ''Cantons (ID)'' || 21
| FE || HA || LK || LO || LV || RG || SJ || TR || BR || HE || CE || DY || OS || VO || MA || SA || SO || BE || GA || HV || ST
|-
|}
The highest order of division is done by geography, which splits the country into three "regions" (Pharexian: ''svæði'', Astellian: ''limistéar'', Valian: ''площадь'')
[[file:Regions_of_Pharexia.png|thumb|right|250px|Regions of Pharexia{{legend|#A023D2|Northern}}{{legend|#009145|Southern}}{{legend|#FFDD00|Eastern}}]]
- the Northern region: is composed of the capitol canton, surrounding suburbs, and other northern areas. It is the most populated region in the country with over 65% of all Pharexian citizens residing here. Its citizens tend to tilt towards liberalism and are less likely to describe themselves as highly religious. It is the only region with embedded bi-lingual speaking communities.
<br/>
- the Southern region: is known for its relative remoteness, conservatism, and religiosity, being considered the hotbed of Sólheimaka (Orthodox) Ilyçisianism in Pharexia. 32% of Pharexians reside here. <br/>
- the Eastern region: is composed of all cantons and territories not apart of mainland Pharexia (with the exception of Reika Grav, apart of the North). It is by far the least populated region with only 7% of Pharexians residing here.<br/>
Each region has their own devolved legislature and a 5-person executive council, akin to the Federal Legislature and Federal Council’s structure respectively. Regions are able to legislate on matters that have not been reserved for the federal government.
Over 80% of citizens are fluent in English, and often acts as the auxiliary language between Swedish and non-Swedish speakers. Starting in 1975, English has been taught as a required second language in all schools. While English is not an official lagnauge, most public services offer an English option.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ class="nowrap" | Regional government overview
|+ Languages spoken in Hverland
|-
|
! scope="col" | Legislature image
! scope="col" | Legislature composition<br/><small>('''Bold''' indicates in executive)</small>
The second-level of administration is based on language-speaking communities (Pharexian: ''tungumálumælandi'', Astellian: ''labhraítear teanga'', Valian: ''языковые сообществ'') of which there are four:
=== Religion ===
[[file:Language_regions_of_Pharexia.png|thumb|right|250px|Language-speaking communities of Pharexia{{legend|#FAB274|Pharexian}}{{legend|#EF536A|Astellian}}{{legend|#00B217|Vallian}}]]
{{Pie chart
- the Pharexian-speaking community<br/>
| thumb = right
- the bilingual Pharexian-Astellian-speaking community<br/>
| caption = Religion in Svenskbygderna (2021)
- the Astellian-speaking community<br/>
| label1 = {{Abbr|ELCS|Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbygderna}}
- then Valian-speaking community<br/>
| value1 = 89.4
| color1 = DodgerBlue
| label2 = Lutheran Free Churches
| value2 = 3.9
| color2 = DarkTurquoise
| label3 = Roman Catholic Church
| value3 = 2.2
| color3 = Aquamarine
| label4 = Eastern Orthodox
| value4 = 0.3
| color4 = purple
| label5 = Latter-day Saint
| value5 = 1.1
| color5 = Indigo
| label6 = Other Christian
| value6 = 0.7
| color6 = Pink
| label7 = Jewish
| value7 = 0.4
| color7 = Tomato
| label8 = Other non-Christian
| value8 = 0.5
| color8 = orange
| label9 = Unaffiliated
| value9 = 1.5
| color9 = white
|}}
For much of Svenskbyderna's history, Christianity has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbyderna (commonly called the State Church) is both the established church in Svenskbyderna as well as the largest denomination of Christianity, with 9 in 10 of the population reported as members. Membership in the State Church has decreased in recent decades. There are several smaller Lutheran churches officially unaffiliated with the Church of Svenskbyderna that an additional 4% of the population affiliates with.
Pharexia is officially a triingual nation: the three languages of Pharexian, Astellian, and Valian are recognized as equal official languages nationwide, but are not regularly spoken outside their designated community. The four language-speaking communities are each afforded a 5-person executive council. Language-areas do not have legislative autonomy from the regions they are in.
Lutheranism in Svenskbyderna is influenced on the Pietist movement of the early 18th century. Pietistic Lutherans emphasize following "biblical divine commands of believers to live a holy life and to strive for holy living. Frugality, humility, restraint, and sense of duty and order are common virtues of Pietistic Lutherans in Svenskbyderna. The second largest Christian denomination in Svenskbyderna is Catholicism, making up 2.2% of the population. About 1% of Svenskbydernians are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and 0.3% are Eastern Orthodox. In total, Christians make up around 98% of the population. Their distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the country, although non-Lutheran Christians are almost entirely exclusive to the capital city.
The third-level of administration, known as cantons (Pharexian: ''rijords'', Astellian: ''bharda'', Valian: ''кантон''), are based around population centers and cities, of which there are 21. Cantonal governments consists of two main branches: the Cantonal Council, which is the unicameral elected body, and the Cantonal College, which is the 3-person executive body. One member of the College is appointed by the regional government (i.e. the Northern, Southern or Eastern Government), while the other 2 are directly elected via the populous. It is customary for the regional appointee to be the ceremonial head executive of each canton, a position akin to the Head Councilor of the Federal Council. The size of the Cantonal Council, on the other hand, varies based on each canton's population.
Religion continues to play a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Svenskbyderna. The official Church of Svenskbyderna stance is, "Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church". Parties in the Conservative Bloc (Independence Party, Farmer-Labour, Christian Democrats, and New Future) all generally oppose abortion and cite these values as one of their justifications. Among the Left Bloc, the Liberals, Green-Left, Social Democrats, and Social Liberal Party all support some form of legal abortion, although there is disagreement on gestational cutoffs and state-funding for the procedure. Alternative and the People's Party, also members of the Left Bloc, do not support legalized abortion and often vote with the Conservative Bloc on this issue. The Centre Party and National Unity do not have official policy positions on abortion.
Together, these two branches are responsible for the functioning of local courts, public utilities, libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. They prepare and processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolution. The cantonal recorder normally maintains the official record of all real estate transactions. Other key officials include the medical examiner, treasurer, assessor, auditor, and comptroller.
While Lutheranism is officially the state religion, People's Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, around 1.5% of the population identified as having no religion.
[[file:Cantons_of_Pharexia.png|thumb|right|250px|Cantons of Pharexia]]
The cantons of Gæcadoia and Lofogengenlok are notable exceptions to the rules described above. Gæcadoia is a geographically expansive and sparely populated canton and does not have a Cantonal Council or College. Rather, its functions are managed by the Eastern region government. Lofogengenlok is the only fully autonomous region and self-governing part of Pharexia, officially deemed as such after the 1934 Pharexian–Lofogengenlok reunification. Lofogengenlok, originally a Pharexian canton (now referred to as a "autonomous canton"), had in 1521 declared itself an independent country. While Pharexia never officially recognized this claim, Pharexian foreign policy had largely treated it as a separate country until negations warmed during the Second Great War. As of 2020, Pharexian federal law does not generally apply in the region and Lofogengenlok is treated as a separate jurisdiction, although there is continued debate regarding its independence from the Northern region's laws. It’s head of state is currently Queen Melisende III, and Lofogengenlok has its own legislature, the Legcø.
=== Immigration ===
Over recent years, the immigrant population has been growing. In 2021, 8% of the population identifies as foreign-born, with the largest groups originating from Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. However, since 2018, the centre-right government has placed more stringent requirements on obtaining citizenship, including a language fluency requirement.
The military of Pharexia consists solely of the Coast Guard (Pharexian: ''Varnirliðið'', Astellian: ''Glijbaan'', Valian: ''Береговая'') which patrols Pharexian waters. The country is one of few who has no standing army.
Hverland is composed of 21 municipalities, The main tasks of the municipalities are regional planning, education, and emergency services. In addition, the public health services are usually organized on the basis of regions. Three municipalities, known collectively known as the Grundaríslands, have a special status within Hverland and have a much higher degree of autonomy than the others, with their own collective parliament and local laws, due to its unique history and the fact that the overwhelming majority of its people are Icelandic Hverlanders who speak Icelandic. Icelandic is rarely spoken outside of the Grundaríslands and does not have official status on the mainland (although has national minority recognition). The population of the Grundaríslands was 13,772 in 2021, or 4.5% of Hverland's total population.
The Coast Guard is based upon a small core of professional volunteers. If necessary, it can field up to 200,000 soldiers of fighting age in the case of a ground invasion. For obvious reasons, this is unsustainable in any other situation, and so the regular strength of the Coast Guard is closer to 20,000 professionals and militia. The military's role is purely defensive. They have yet to engage in battle either overseas or within the Pharexia.
==Economy==
Economically, Pharexia is a competitive and highly liberalized, open market economy. Most Pharexian enterprises are privately owned and market-oriented. This is combined with a strong welfare state. Pharexia has generous maternity/paternity leave, government-funded job training, and a free healthcare system. While public spending was estimated to be 25% of GDP in 2019, this percent has been stedily declining for nearly five decades. Public-held debt has more than halved from 50% of GDP to 22%. Much of this is because private companies are now able to provide public goods by competing for contracts alongside public providers (such as in healthcare and education). Since the major wave of liberalization in the mid-1940's, savings haven't changed much and there is still continued debate about if private firms are able to the same quality as public-run services. However, since the fall of the Communist government of Pharexia's state-run economy in 1899, standard of living, life expentency, and self-reported happiness has increased substantially.
The Pharexian economy is heavily reliant on both imports and foreign investment. Global shocks are apt to have a disproportionate effect on Pharexia, therefore. Pharexia has no significant natural resources apart from fish, sheep, and cherries, and has a high degree of economic specialisation.
Finance contributes to around 25% of the economy, by far the largest single sector. It is based around a strong banking sector which is a mix between secrecy and strict regulation, and social responsibility. Banking secrecy laws are extensive and enforced strictly. Research and development makes up around 12% of the economy and is geared primarily towards high-value and high-tech electronics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and armaments. Armament development accounts for 4% of the economy, directed primarily towards moderately sophisticated equipment designed to match but not exceed the capabilities of foreign-made products. Ship-building accounts for 4% of the economy as well, and works in close conjunction with the armaments industry. Luxury goods account for 3% of the economy. A lot of it is not designed for export (such as tailors) and others are usually small artisans rather than large chains (watchmakers and fashion). Tourism accounts for 7% of the economy, and this is split between 'cultural tourists' who come for the history and odd culture of Pharexia, and 'luxury tourists' who come to visit the wine bars and stay in luxury hotels. Brewing and distilling accounts for 4% of the economy and is based around ale, rye whiskey, gin and unique Pharexian beverages. Energy production accounts for 6% of the economy and is focused on dynamic tidal, hydro-electric and geothermal. The majority of this energy is used to power Pharexia itself as the government strives for energy self-sufficiency. Greater export potential comes from the physical power-generation appliances and designs. The remaining 18% is primarily service sector jobs or small-scale manufacturing of high-value high-tech goods.
==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[file:Opdracht Gasaccum Maatschapij AGA . Fietsers in Rotterdam, Bestanddeelnr 912-3663.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Cycling has long been a part of Pharexian life]]
Transportation in Pharexia is facilitated by road, air, rail, and waterways (via boats). The vast majority of passenger travel occurs by cycling or automobile for shorter distances, and railroad or bus for longer distances.
Driving in Pharexia is a frequent occurrence, with approximately 60% of Pharexians owning private automobiles. Each canton has the authority to set its own traffic laws and issue driving licenses, although these laws have largely been the same since the 1960's. Licenses from other state are respected throughout the country. Pharexians drive on the right side of the road. There are numerous regulations on driving behavior, including speed limits, passing regulations, and seat belt requirements. Driving while intoxicated with alcohol or marijuana is illegal in all jurisdictions within Pharexia.
Most roads in Pharexia are owned and maintained by either the federal, regional, or cantonal governments. National Highways (Pharexian: ''Ajóðveginum'', Astellian: ''Mhórbhealaigh'', Valian: ''дороги''), defined as controlled-access roads spanning 2 or more regions, are federally maintained and subject to federal regulations. Expressways–controlled-access roads existing entirely within a single region–are built and maintained by the region and are likewise subject to regulations set forth by the state. In addition, there are many local roads, generally serving the many of the remote or insular locations of southern and eastern Pharexia.
====Cycling====
Cycling is a common mode of transport throughout Pharexia, with 45% of the people listing the bicycle as their most frequent mode of transport on a typical day as opposed to the car by 38% and public transport by 21%. Cycling for transport tends to be much lower in rural areas than in urban centers.
==Healthcare==
[[file:Aarhus Universitetshospital, Skejby.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Pharexia's flagship hopsital, Breíddalsvík University Health Centre]]
Pharexia has a single-payer, universal healthcare system. The system was adopted in 1970 as a part of the creation of the welfare state in Pharexia. It is managed centrally by the Councilor of Health and Social Care, and at the local level by 43 health boards elected every five years by the general populace.
The healthcare system is funded via federal income tax, and it is the largest recipient of money from the federal budget, with around 10% of the entire Pharexian GDP being spent on healthcare. This funding has led to an efficient, well-maintained, well-staffed healthcare system free at the point of use. PHS is thus admired by many, and recent polls in Pharexia have shown that over 85% of the population is supportive of the system.
Mental health has received increased attention in Pharexia in recent years, with mental health funding being increased in response to increased openness around mental health in Pharexia. Recent research has found that significant proportions of Pharexians suffer from conditions such as depression and anxiety.
==Education==
Both public and private schools exist in the Pharexian Federation. Education is compulsory: federal law ensures that all children attend school until they are at least 18 years old and provides for them to attend further education beyond that age. Schooling does, however, start later than many countries, at 5 years old.
In general Pharexian schools try to instil a desire to learn for the sake of learning, and to pursue what one is interested in simply because it is interesting. A premium is placed on social interaction and emotional awareness, particularly at younger ages, where long break times are included in the school day and much outdoor activity is encouraged. Sports and general physical fitness grows to take up a large part of the timetable in later school years, partly for philosophical reasons but also because Pharexia's competative economy requires a high level of fitness.
Schools are able to give religious instruction according to the beliefs of their religion. It also preserves the right of teachers not to give religious instruction if they so choose, and for parents or guardians to decide whether or not their child will receive such instruction. In general, religious instruction is common simply as a means of broadening the minds of students and teaching them the value of approaching life and other situations from multiple perspectives. This accounts, in part, for the high degree of religiousness amongst the population.
Almost all classes are conducted in Pharexian as a standard. Foreign language classes tend to be conducted in the relevant language being taught, depending on the level of the students. As Astellian is also one of the Federation's official languages and spoken by 82% of the population, some teachers choose to take classes in it so as to improve the speaking skills of their students. This is encouraged as a way of improving Arthuria's ability to interact on the global stage, as Pharexian is spoken almost exclusively by Pharexians only.
Typically, the summer school day lasts from 0800 to 1400, with variation depending on schools. In the winter months, due to extreme temperatures, the school day may start at 0900 and last until 1600 instead, or simply be shortened. Schooldays tend to run from Monday to Friday, so that various religions which take Saturday and Sunday may observe their religious obligations.
Break periods are seen as a vital part of developing students' social skills and emotional awareness, and in all-but extreme circumstances they are required to go outside in these times. In earlier years, break periods take up a large portion of a student's day, to be gradually replaced by physical fitness as their school career progresses.
==Religion==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Formal religious affiliation in Pharexia (2020)
|label1 = Church of Pharexia
|value1 = 63.47
|color1 = #9932CC
|label2 = Free Lutheran Church in Beisjørdia
|value2 = 4.75
|color2 = #D470A2
|label3 = Lutheran Church of Heselsalevikki
|value3 = 3.98
|color3 = #F2BDCD
|label4 = Independent Lutheran Congregation
|value4 = 1.89
|color4 = #FAE6FA
|label5 = Catholic Church
|value5 = 7.98
|color5 = RoyalBlue
|label6 = Eastern Orthodox Church
|value6 = 1.05
|color6 = DodgerBlue
|label7 = LDS Church
|value7 = 0.76
|color7 = #00e195
|label8 = Other Christian
|value8 = 2.05
|color8 = #a6ffe1
|label9 = Buddhism
|value9 = 0.62
|color9 = #FDEE00
|label10 = Hinduism
|value10 = 0.35
|color10 = #FFBF00
|label11 = Judaism
|value11 = 0.13
|color11 = #C32148
|label13 = No religion
|value13 = 10.66
|color13 = WhiteSmoke
}}
===Ilyçisianism===
:''Main article: {{wp|Lutheranism}}''
For much of Pharexia's history, Christianity has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life. The [[Church of Pharexia|Lutheran Church of Pharexia]] (Pharexian: ''Fuðursvæðikirkja'', Icelandic: ''Fjallagróari Þjóðkirkjan'', Swedish: ''Bergläkare Kyrkan''), often abbreviated as the KHF, is both the established church in Pharexia as well as the largest denomination of Christianity, with nearly 65% of the population reported as members. However, membership in the KHF has decreased in recent decades. There are several smaller Lutheran churches officially unaffiliated with the Church of Pharexia that an additional 15% of the population affiliates with, although these churches are also reporting declines in attendence.
Pharexian Lutheranism (Pharexian: ''Þórar'') and Christianity have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Þórar has been described by non-Pharexian scholars as a distinct denomination of Christianity separate from mainstream Lutheranism. For example, while Þórars consider the Bible to be scripture, they do not believe in inerrancy or literalism like most Lutherans do. Þórar theology argues that interpreting Christian scripture must be informed by scholarship (particularly from psychological, evolutionary, and existential perspectives). Perhaps the largest distinction is that most Þórars do not profess a belief in a celestial being. Rather, Þórars believe that theism has lost credibility as a valid conception of God's true nature. Such a belief is commonly referred to as Þórar atheism. Þórar atheism is a form of cultural Christianity and ethics system drawing its beliefs and practices from Jesus Christ’s life and teachings as recorded in the Bible and other sources, whilst rejecting supernatural claims of Christianity. In 2005, the book Believing in a God Who Does Not Exist: Manifesto of An Atheist Minister, KHF pastor Hendrikse describes that Þórar Lutherans believe "God is for me not a being but a word for what can happen between people. Someone says to you, for example, 'I will not abandon you', and then makes those words come true. It would be perfectly alright to call that [relationship] God". Hendrikse's views are widely shared among both clergy and church members. Pharexian Lutheranism is typically classified as a liberal denomination. For example, the Church of Pharexia has long supported gay and lesbian rights. Weekly Þórar services do not revolve around worship but rather focuses on {{wpl|Demythologization|deconstructing ancient scripture to extract out philosophical, ethical and theological wisdom that can be applied to the modern day}}. There is also a strong emphasis on community and fellowship.
== Economy ==
Economically, Hverland might typically be thought of as a socialist state: incredibly generous paternity leave, government-funded job training for the unemployed, and free healthcare. But underlying these interventionist policies is a core of liberal economics. Public spending is 23% of GDP, but this has been in decline for nearly two decades and is continuing its downward trend. In the same period, public debt has more than halved from 70% of GDP to 34% thanks to a shift in the budget from an 11% deficit to a 0.8% surplus. A lot of this has come about by allowing private companies to provide public goods by competing for contracts alongside public providers. What this sort of system amounts to is not the free market guiding the public sector, but being allowed to contribute to a well-developed welfare state. Since the initial wave of liberalisation efficiency savings haven't budged much and there is continued debate about whether private firms provide the same quality as public-run services. In essence, Hverland attempts to balance a competitive business environment with a high level of public provision of goods and services. It does not do so by sticking rigidly to the traditional free-market vs. planned economy dichotomy, but by focusing on the ends it wants to achieve (such as a higher quality of life, happiness and individual autonomy, among others) and determining which means will best accomplish them.
The second largest Christian denomination in Pharexia is Catholicism, making up nearly 8% of the population. Among people who identify as Catholic, 25% of them attend weekly religious services, a figure much higher than other religious people in the country.
Hverland's political system is well suited to this economic approach. Human capital is at the centre of the government's economic agenda, and its directorial democratic institutions offer an atmosphere of trust and stability which facilitates continued safe investment. Society's egalitarian nature and easy mobility further reassures Hverlanders of the system's success and ensures their support for it. While the state does employ around 30% of the labour force, the focus of policy is on individual autonomy within an open economy rather than on state direction. This is why the private sector has been brought back into state policy after clumsy top-down planning of the mid-to-late 20th century. As one example of 'intelligent government', Hverland uses a form of 'flexicurity' that allows firms to sack employees with considerable ease, but then uses government resources and facilities to provide these unemployed citizens with generous benefits and considerable assistance in finding new work. Similarly, the government uses resources to invest in innovation within problem areas, rather than trying to solve those problems through taxes which historically proved ineffective within Hverland. Essentially, the government tends to turn political projects into business plans. In other areas, such as education, the government refuses to consider private involvement, but in these cases tends to offer a considerable degree of autonomy to the local providers rather than centrally-directing efforts.
There is also a sizeable Latter-day Saint population living in Pharexia.
In the 1990s, Hverland suffered a deep recession following the collapse of a telecommunications bubble The government's long-term response has been to encourage a wider range of vocational courses throughout the education system and to support graduates in creating diverse start-ups through a venture-capital fund. The fund is controlled by the Federal Technological Innovation Agency, which works alongside large businesses to provide support and advice to high-potential start-ups. This example is simply to show that innovation and entrepreneurism are strongly encouraged in the Hverlandic economic system. Its flaws are twofold: (1) many start-ups remain small in scale, or (2) they move abroad when they do begin to significantly expand. Recent government efforts to counter these problems have seen corporation tax reduced from 32% to 25%, and there is talk of further cuts.
In total, Christians make up around 83% of the population. Their distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the country.
== Culture ==
Hverlandic culture is often seen to have arisen as a fusion of the Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic elements. While Hverlandic attitudes around most cultural issues tend to be quite liberal like the rest of Scandinavia, one area where the nation is a notable outlier relates to sexual morality – sexual relations outside marriage are controversial and promiscuity is looked down upon. Social scientists disagree on why this taboo exists.
===Influence of religion===
Hverlandic music has had long folk and popular traditions. Hverlandic folk music is believed to have started with the setting of poetry and Christian and Lutheran prayers to musical backing, for group entertainment and worship, and of purely instrumental tracks played at social gatherings for entertainment, often featuring group dancing. Traditional instruments that these were played on generally consist of pipes and fiddles.
[[file:Svalövs kyrka 2015 01.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A KHF church in Haugliveria.]]
Religion continues to play a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Phareixa. The official Church of Pharexia stance is, "Life, the experiences we gain from being a part of the world and of humanity, are necessary and essential to spiritual fulfillment." This position is shared by most Christians. The Conservative Party, New Future, and the Christian Democrats all generally oppose abortion and cite these values as one of their justifications.
While Lutheranism is officially the state religion, People's Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, only around 10% of the population identified as having no religion, despite nearly 80% of the country answering that they "do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force". This strangely makes Pharexia one of the most religious and secular countries in the world. A poll released in 2016 indicated that only 42% of Pharexians would vote for an openly theistic candidate. This is up slightly from 36% and 40% in 1987 and 1999 respectively.
The fusion of these folk ballads and instrumental dance pieces with the work songs found by many in the cities led to popular music in the late 19th century; performers turned away from the poetic or religious lyrics of traditional folk music towards singing about every day issues many of its singers faced, such as the hardships of labour or romantic pursuits; many would start performing these songs at bars in Pétursfjord, gaining larger audiences. In the modern day, these styles of music have grown into Hverlandic styles of schlager, which in the modern day has seen many electronic influences, yet the ballads detailing people's ordinary lives still persist.
===Statistics===
Hverlandic philosophy has developed as a particularly rich field over the years, with philosophers exploring many questions within the subject within their works. Notably, Hverlanders have done much to explore the philosophy of Lutheranism, its implications on the world, and the development of Hverlandic Lutheranism; much of this philosophy has had a great influence on the policies of Hverlandic governments in both a religious and secular form.
According to a 2016 poll:<br/>
• 8% of Pharexian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God".<br/>
• 16% responded that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".<br/>
• 62% responded that "they don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".<br/>
• 14% gave no response.<br/>
According to 2018 data from annual social-cultural study, 40 percent of Pharexians responded with "No" to the question to the question "Do you believe in God?", while 6 percent said "Yes" and 54 percent said that either they did not know or that the question was “difficult to answer”. Follow up questionares have found that while over 80% of Pharexians do not believe in a "literal, celestial supreme being", nearly 75% believe that they believe in a "higher order or calling" that is "synonymous with the idea of God". The survey also showed that 7-in-10 Pharexians say religion is an important part of their lives.
== International ==
{{Pharexian topics}}
Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality, this has been questioned in recent years, with Hverland becoming a member of {{wpl|NATO}} in 2017. Though Hverland is philosophically and constitutionally a pacifist country, it continues to maintain a minimal defense force that consists of a coast guard and national guard. Hverland is also a member of the UN, OECD, and the Nordic Council. Hverland ranks high in economic, democratic, social stability, and equality. It is consistently ranked as one of the most developed countries in the world and high on the {{wpl|Global Peace Index}}. The country runs entirely on {{wpl|renewable energy}}.
Svenskbygderna (Swedish: Svenskbygderna) is a country in the upper midwestern region of North America. is located around 300km southeast of Iceland and 100km from Norway. The capital city is Péturholm. It is home to around 4 million people.
Svenskbygderna comes across as a typical Scandinavian-inspired state: it has liberal views towards the LGBT community, gender equality, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty. It is home to a collective bargaining culture, a strong belief in both personal and more specifically digital privacy, a high degree of public safety and a complex social insurance scheme which mixes private and public funding and provision. Svenskbygderna has reluctantly accepted the need for firearms within its uniquely-positioned society. The development of many of Svenskbygderna's significant social reforms have been instigated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbygderna, which is the official state church of Svenskbygderna. Around 81% of citizens were members of the church in 2021.
Hverland is one of the most racially homogenous societies in North America, with 95% of the population identifying as Northern Europeans.
Statisics Hverland is the national statistical institution established in 1905. It's primary responsibility is to collect, process and share data on the economy and society with the public.
Race
White people are the predominant race in Svenskbyderna. Asians (mostly Indians) make up around a half of a percent.
Swedish is the mother tongues of 90.2% citizens, a percentage that has increased from under 60% in 1900. Under the Bilingual Languages Act, Swedish and German had equal status in federal courts, parliament, and in all government institutions. However, this legislation was repealed in 2022, making Swedish the sole official language of the country. The public still has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive some federal government services in German. As a part of the legislation, all existing online content produced by the government must remain available in German as well as Swedish, but new information will be unilingual. Immigrants who are applying for citizenship must be able to fluently speak Swedish.
The German-speaking community is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country. They make up majorities in the towns of Uddellefteå, Linberg, Skegård, Båtköping and Grönsås. About 7% of people living in the capital city of Pétursholm listed German as their primary language, but a total of 19% said they were fluent in both German and Swedish.
Norwegian is the mother tongue of around 3% of citzens, almost all of whom are decendents of Norwegian immigrants or are immigrants themselves.
Over 80% of citizens are fluent in English, and often acts as the auxiliary language between Swedish and non-Swedish speakers. Starting in 1975, English has been taught as a required second language in all schools. While English is not an official lagnauge, most public services offer an English option.
Languages spoken in Hverland
Language
Recognized
Classification
Fluency
Swedish
Official–National
90.2%
English
Curriculum–Foreign
80.2%
German
Minority–National
18.7%
Other Scandinavian
Unrecognized–Foreign
15.0%
Polish
Unrecognized–Foreign
3.0%
Ukrainian
Unrecognized–Foreign
0.9%
Yiddish
Minority–Foreign
0.6%
French
Minority–Foreign
0.5%
Hebrew
Minority–Foreign
0.2%
Religion
Religion in Svenskbygderna (2021)
ELCS (89.4%)
Lutheran Free Churches (3.9%)
Roman Catholic Church (2.2%)
Eastern Orthodox (0.3%)
Latter-day Saint (1.1%)
Other Christian (0.7%)
Jewish (0.4%)
Other non-Christian (0.5%)
Unaffiliated (1.5%)
For much of Svenskbyderna's history, Christianity has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbyderna (commonly called the State Church) is both the established church in Svenskbyderna as well as the largest denomination of Christianity, with 9 in 10 of the population reported as members. Membership in the State Church has decreased in recent decades. There are several smaller Lutheran churches officially unaffiliated with the Church of Svenskbyderna that an additional 4% of the population affiliates with.
Lutheranism in Svenskbyderna is influenced on the Pietist movement of the early 18th century. Pietistic Lutherans emphasize following "biblical divine commands of believers to live a holy life and to strive for holy living. Frugality, humility, restraint, and sense of duty and order are common virtues of Pietistic Lutherans in Svenskbyderna. The second largest Christian denomination in Svenskbyderna is Catholicism, making up 2.2% of the population. About 1% of Svenskbydernians are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and 0.3% are Eastern Orthodox. In total, Christians make up around 98% of the population. Their distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the country, although non-Lutheran Christians are almost entirely exclusive to the capital city.
Religion continues to play a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Svenskbyderna. The official Church of Svenskbyderna stance is, "Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church". Parties in the Conservative Bloc (Independence Party, Farmer-Labour, Christian Democrats, and New Future) all generally oppose abortion and cite these values as one of their justifications. Among the Left Bloc, the Liberals, Green-Left, Social Democrats, and Social Liberal Party all support some form of legal abortion, although there is disagreement on gestational cutoffs and state-funding for the procedure. Alternative and the People's Party, also members of the Left Bloc, do not support legalized abortion and often vote with the Conservative Bloc on this issue. The Centre Party and National Unity do not have official policy positions on abortion.
While Lutheranism is officially the state religion, People's Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, around 1.5% of the population identified as having no religion.
Immigration
Over recent years, the immigrant population has been growing. In 2021, 8% of the population identifies as foreign-born, with the largest groups originating from Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. However, since 2018, the centre-right government has placed more stringent requirements on obtaining citizenship, including a language fluency requirement.
Hverland is composed of 21 municipalities, The main tasks of the municipalities are regional planning, education, and emergency services. In addition, the public health services are usually organized on the basis of regions. Three municipalities, known collectively known as the Grundaríslands, have a special status within Hverland and have a much higher degree of autonomy than the others, with their own collective parliament and local laws, due to its unique history and the fact that the overwhelming majority of its people are Icelandic Hverlanders who speak Icelandic. Icelandic is rarely spoken outside of the Grundaríslands and does not have official status on the mainland (although has national minority recognition). The population of the Grundaríslands was 13,772 in 2021, or 4.5% of Hverland's total population.
Economy
Economically, Hverland might typically be thought of as a socialist state: incredibly generous paternity leave, government-funded job training for the unemployed, and free healthcare. But underlying these interventionist policies is a core of liberal economics. Public spending is 23% of GDP, but this has been in decline for nearly two decades and is continuing its downward trend. In the same period, public debt has more than halved from 70% of GDP to 34% thanks to a shift in the budget from an 11% deficit to a 0.8% surplus. A lot of this has come about by allowing private companies to provide public goods by competing for contracts alongside public providers. What this sort of system amounts to is not the free market guiding the public sector, but being allowed to contribute to a well-developed welfare state. Since the initial wave of liberalisation efficiency savings haven't budged much and there is continued debate about whether private firms provide the same quality as public-run services. In essence, Hverland attempts to balance a competitive business environment with a high level of public provision of goods and services. It does not do so by sticking rigidly to the traditional free-market vs. planned economy dichotomy, but by focusing on the ends it wants to achieve (such as a higher quality of life, happiness and individual autonomy, among others) and determining which means will best accomplish them.
Hverland's political system is well suited to this economic approach. Human capital is at the centre of the government's economic agenda, and its directorial democratic institutions offer an atmosphere of trust and stability which facilitates continued safe investment. Society's egalitarian nature and easy mobility further reassures Hverlanders of the system's success and ensures their support for it. While the state does employ around 30% of the labour force, the focus of policy is on individual autonomy within an open economy rather than on state direction. This is why the private sector has been brought back into state policy after clumsy top-down planning of the mid-to-late 20th century. As one example of 'intelligent government', Hverland uses a form of 'flexicurity' that allows firms to sack employees with considerable ease, but then uses government resources and facilities to provide these unemployed citizens with generous benefits and considerable assistance in finding new work. Similarly, the government uses resources to invest in innovation within problem areas, rather than trying to solve those problems through taxes which historically proved ineffective within Hverland. Essentially, the government tends to turn political projects into business plans. In other areas, such as education, the government refuses to consider private involvement, but in these cases tends to offer a considerable degree of autonomy to the local providers rather than centrally-directing efforts.
In the 1990s, Hverland suffered a deep recession following the collapse of a telecommunications bubble The government's long-term response has been to encourage a wider range of vocational courses throughout the education system and to support graduates in creating diverse start-ups through a venture-capital fund. The fund is controlled by the Federal Technological Innovation Agency, which works alongside large businesses to provide support and advice to high-potential start-ups. This example is simply to show that innovation and entrepreneurism are strongly encouraged in the Hverlandic economic system. Its flaws are twofold: (1) many start-ups remain small in scale, or (2) they move abroad when they do begin to significantly expand. Recent government efforts to counter these problems have seen corporation tax reduced from 32% to 25%, and there is talk of further cuts.
Culture
Hverlandic culture is often seen to have arisen as a fusion of the Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic elements. While Hverlandic attitudes around most cultural issues tend to be quite liberal like the rest of Scandinavia, one area where the nation is a notable outlier relates to sexual morality – sexual relations outside marriage are controversial and promiscuity is looked down upon. Social scientists disagree on why this taboo exists.
Hverlandic music has had long folk and popular traditions. Hverlandic folk music is believed to have started with the setting of poetry and Christian and Lutheran prayers to musical backing, for group entertainment and worship, and of purely instrumental tracks played at social gatherings for entertainment, often featuring group dancing. Traditional instruments that these were played on generally consist of pipes and fiddles.
The fusion of these folk ballads and instrumental dance pieces with the work songs found by many in the cities led to popular music in the late 19th century; performers turned away from the poetic or religious lyrics of traditional folk music towards singing about every day issues many of its singers faced, such as the hardships of labour or romantic pursuits; many would start performing these songs at bars in Pétursfjord, gaining larger audiences. In the modern day, these styles of music have grown into Hverlandic styles of schlager, which in the modern day has seen many electronic influences, yet the ballads detailing people's ordinary lives still persist.
Hverlandic philosophy has developed as a particularly rich field over the years, with philosophers exploring many questions within the subject within their works. Notably, Hverlanders have done much to explore the philosophy of Lutheranism, its implications on the world, and the development of Hverlandic Lutheranism; much of this philosophy has had a great influence on the policies of Hverlandic governments in both a religious and secular form.
International
Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality, this has been questioned in recent years, with Hverland becoming a member of NATO in 2017. Though Hverland is philosophically and constitutionally a pacifist country, it continues to maintain a minimal defense force that consists of a coast guard and national guard. Hverland is also a member of the UN, OECD, and the Nordic Council. Hverland ranks high in economic, democratic, social stability, and equality. It is consistently ranked as one of the most developed countries in the world and high on the Global Peace Index. The country runs entirely on renewable energy.
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