|native_name = <small>'''Pharexian:''' ''Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx''<br/>'''Astellian:''' ''Talamh na n-Oileán go Leor''</small>
|conventional_long_name = Svenskbygderna
|conventional_long_name = Ecclesiastical Democratic Federation of Pharexia
|native_name =
|common_name = Pharexia
|image_flag = Flag of Hverland.png
|image_flag = Flag_of_Pharexia.png
|alt_flag = <!--alt text for flag-->
|alt_flag = <!--alt text for flag-->
|image_coat = Coat_of_Pharexia.png
|image_coat = File:Coat of arms Hverland.png
|alt_coat = Coat of Arms
|alt_coat =
|symbol_type = Coat of Arms
|symbol_type =
|national_motto = "To dwell together in unity"<br/><small>Pharexian: "Að búa saman í einingu""</small><br/><small>Astellian: "Cónaithe le chéile in aontacht"</small>
|national_anthem =
|national_anthem =
|royal_anthem = <!--N/A-->
|royal_anthem = <!--N/A-->
|other_symbol_type = <!--Another symbol, e.g. Hymn-->
|other_symbol_type = <!--Another symbol, e.g. Hymn-->
|government_type = Confederal {{wpl|multi-party}} {{wpl|consociationalist}} {{wpl|directorial}} {{wpl|republic}} with significant elements of {{wpl|direct democracy}}
|government_type = Unitary {{wpl|multi-party}} parliamentary republic with significant elements of {{wpl|direct democracy}}
|leader_title1 = Federal Councilors
|leader_title1 = Prime Minister
|leader_name1 =
|leader_name1 = Sölbrun Hallsdottir
Hansine Karlson<br/>
|legislature = [[Rokthing]]
Hans Mathiassen<br/>
Karoline Fleischer<br/>
Pavia Knudson<br/>
Arne Egede<br/>
Sir Ole Møller<br/>
Nja Johansen<br/>
Isak Petersen
|legislature = [[Federal Legislature of Pharexia|Federal Legislature]]
|upper_house = Ward Assembly
|lower_house = National Assembly
|sovereignty_type =
|sovereignty_type =
|sovereignty_note =
|sovereignty_note =
|established_event1 =
|established_date1 =
|area_rank =
|area_rank =
|area_magnitude =
|area_magnitude =
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|area_sq_mi = <!-- area in square mi (requires area_km2) -->
|area_sq_mi = <!-- area in square mi (requires area_km2) -->
|area_footnote = <!-- optional footnote for area -->
|area_footnote = <!-- optional footnote for area -->
|percent_water =
|percent_water =
|area_label = <!-- label under "Area" (default: Total) -->
|area_label = <!-- label under "Area" (default: Total) -->
|area_dabodyalign = <!-- text after area_label2 (optional) -->
|area_dabodyalign = <!-- text after area_label2 (optional) -->
|population_estimate = 2,730,536
|population_estimate = 4,104,926
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_rank = 178th
|population_estimate_year = 2017
|population_estimate_year = 2020
|population_census =
|population_census =
|population_census_year = 2015
|population_census_year = 2015
|population_density_km2 = 521
|population_density_km2 = 2.9
|population_density_sq_mi = 1,351
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_density_rank =
|population_density_rank =
|GDP_PPP = $130 billion
|GDP_PPP = $6.9 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2017
|GDP_PPP_year = 2020
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $49,451
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $50,000
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal =
|GDP_nominal =
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|Gini_change = stable
|Gini_change = stable
|Gini_category =
|Gini_category =
|HDI = 0.933
|HDI = 0.946
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_year = 2019
|HDI_year = 2020
|HDI_change = increase
|HDI_change = increase
|HDI_category =
|HDI_category =
|currency = Pharexian Sherbornes
|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 = .phx
|cctld = .hv
|iso3166code = PHX
|iso3166code = HV
|calling_code =
|calling_code = +54
|alt_map3 =
|alt_map3 =
|footnotes = <!--for any generic non-numbered footnotes-->
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}}
}}
'''Pharexia''', officially the '''Ecclesiastical Democratic Federation of Pharexia''' ({{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|/fərɛziɑ/}}; Pharexian: ''Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx'' {{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|[kiɒkju:lɛgd l ʁɛ:i af hɑjɛgss]}}, Astellian: ''Talamh na n-Oileán go Leor'' {{small|pronounced:}} {{IPA|[ˈfɒːbɔnˀ æˀ kʰʁ̥yˈlænd̥ə]}}, commonly referred to as the '''Federation of Pharexia''' or the '''Pharexian Federation''', is a Eseværian nation consisting of the southwestern portion of the Sofjord mainland, the western portion of Djupivogur Island, in addition to several surrounding islands. It shares mainland borders with Fjerholtia to the northwest and Selsoykenia to the southwest. Eastward, across the Passäcaglia Sea, Pharexia controls a small portion of land on the Vivorian mainland which borders Klyasilia to the southeast, the city-state of Trelisfieldia to the northeast, and Susonia to the west.
'''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.
Pharexia is a {{wpl|Semi-direct democracy|semi-direct democratic}} {{wpl|federation|federal}} {{wpl|republic}}. It consists of 21 wards, each with some degree of {{wpl|semi-autonomous}} {{wpl|Devolution|devolved administrations}}. The capital city of [[Breíddalsvík]] is located on the northeastern part on the coast of the Passäcaglia Sea. Most of Pharexia’s terrain is flat with the exception of its mountainous border western border.
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.
Culturally, Pharexia's relatively small population of 2.7 million demonstrates a {{wpl|nation-state|cohesive national character}}. This character is attributed to the country’s largely inhospitable southern landscape, the constant darkness of its winters, and the high degree of adherence to the [[Ilyçisianism|Ilyçisian]] religion. As a result, 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.
== Demographics ==
Hverland is one of the most racially homogenous societies in North America, with 95% of the population identifying as Northern Europeans.
Pharexia is often described as a unique amalgamation of both {{wpl|conservative}} and {{wpl|liberal}} ideologies: for example, despite having rather restrictive {{wpl|abortion laws}}, it has relatively liberal {{wpl|LGBT+ laws}}. This dichotomy is usually attributed to the rather unique teachings of the Church of Pharexia, which has both a high adherence and a {{wpl|Religion in politics|large influence over public policy}}. Pharexia maintains a Nordic-like 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 Global Peace Index. The northern third of Pharexia–home to over half of the country’s citizens–runs almost entirely on renewable energy.
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.
Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality, this has been questioned in recent years, with Pharexia becoming a member of the [[Esevær Alliance]] 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.
=== Race ===
White people are the predominant race in Svenskbyderna. Asians (mostly Indians) make up around a half of a percent.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Race
! Numbers
! Percentage
|-
<!-- Logo -->
| {{wpl|White people|White}}
| 4,034,321
| 98.28%
|-
<!-- Logo -->
| {{wpl|Asian people|Asian}}
| 22,166
| 0.54%
|-
<!-- Logo -->
| {{wpl|African Americans|Black}}
| 12,314
| 0.30%
|-
<!-- Logo -->
| All others
| 36,123
| 0.88%
|-
| '''Total'''
<!-- ! (add again if we can find original logos. -->
| '''4,104,926'''
| '''100.0%'''
|}
The Pharexian Federation is home to a belief in personal and more recently digital privacy, a high degree of 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 special license is required to own a handgun which may only be used for target shooting at a licensed range, 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 rarely used. Culturally, Pharexia's attachment to reason and rational thought is evidenced in its constructed language. Astellian is also commonly spoken by Pharexians, and in 1978 it was made an official co-language of the Federation. The Valian language is recognized as a regional language of Eastern Pharexia.
=== Languages ===
{{Pie chart
|radius =
|thumb = right
|caption = [[wikipedia:First language|Native languages]] in Hverland
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.
Pharexia has a rather unique relationship with religion–while an overwhelming majority (80%) of citizens are members of the reformed Ilyçisian denomination of Reykjavík, nearly 90% of the population identify as nontheists. The official state church is the Reykjavík Church of Pharexia, which professes that the mainstream monotheistic Ilyçisian God is better conceptualized as a metaphor for a transcendent reality and the relationships that exist between people. The Church of Pharexia rejects the concept of the personal God taught in mainstream Ilyçisianism. Rather, it embraces the cultural and humanistic aspects of Ilyçisianism without their basis in historical events.
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.
==Etymology==
Norwegian is the mother tongue of around 3% of citzens, almost all of whom are decendents of Norwegian immigrants or are immigrants themselves.
It is thought that "Pharexia" is derived from an Old Pharexian word for 'mountain healer', a reference to a medicinal herb found in the country's modern-day western border with Selsoykenia. This flower 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 Duxnusaric word for 'wooded', a reference to the city’s former densely forested landscape.
==History==
===Ancient Pharexia (Before 3rd Century CE)===
[[file:Alta petroglyphs.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Ancient petroglyphs found in Rifjordur depicting hunting and animism]]
The first recorded settlement of Pharexian territory is Rifjordur (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, indiciating 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 Rifjordur settlement, and the two exchanged knowledge of pottery, agriculture, and it is believed this is what spurred the development of the ancient Astellian language.
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.
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. The western and southern regions of the country were rocky and cold, and had fewer easily exploited water sources, requiring a higher degree of labor to become farmable. 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 Angshire tribe, who developed the first nation state of Pharexia. Through a series of conquests and marriages the Angshire tribe would come to control all of what they considered to be their homelands.
===The Angshire Era (late 7th century to 1000 CE)===
=== Religion ===
Under the rule of the Angshire family, a feudal system was implemented which the royal family would lease land to roughly 100 wealthy families and would give them the title of lord families. These lord families would then lease lands to baron families who would lease them to peasants. Due to the Passäcaglia Sea that seperated the two nations, Pharexia was largely spared from Klyasilian invasions, as the Klyasilians had only very small, rudimentary boats.
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
However, around 800 CE, a large army of invaders from the Valian Kingdom successfully annexed most of northern Pharexia, ending the Angshire family's 300 year claim to the region. At this point in time, the Valian Kingdom covered most of the Sofjord mainland. A major civil war broke out in the Valian Kingdom in 951CE 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 Litio I.
| caption = Religion in Svenskbygderna (2021)
| label1 = {{Abbr|ELCS|Evangelical Lutheran Church of Svenskbygderna}}
==Geography==
| value1 = 89.4
===Climate===
| color1 = DodgerBlue
{{climate chart
| label2 = Lutheran Free Churches
|[[ Pharexia]]
| value2 = 3.9
|0|18|0.89
| color2 = DarkTurquoise
|4|22|0.90
| label3 = Roman Catholic Church
|9|27|1.61
| value3 = 2.2
|20|35|2.84
| color3 = Aquamarine
|28|48|3.72
| label4 = Eastern Orthodox
|39|56|4.48
| value4 = 0.3
|40|50|4.40
| color4 = purple
|35|46|3.89
| label5 = Latter-day Saint
|30|44|3.56
| value5 = 1.1
|24|37|2.82
| color5 = Indigo
|12|31|1.85
| label6 = Other Christian
|4|19|1.13
| value6 = 0.7
|float=right
| color6 = Pink
|units=imperial
| label7 = Jewish
|clear=both
| value7 = 0.4
}}
| color7 = Tomato
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.
| label8 = Other non-Christian
| value8 = 0.5
===Nature===
| color8 = orange
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 (Pharexia)|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 of Pharexia|Conservatives]], while criticizing the proposal as "impractical" and "anti-business", have passed legislation requiring logging companies to replant two trees for every one they cut down.
| label9 = Unaffiliated
| value9 = 1.5
==Government==
| color9 = white
Pharexia is a federal multi-party directorial republic, consisting of 21 different subdivisions known as wards. The country's government is based on the 1900 constitution, People's Law (Pharexian: ''Folkslov'', Astellian: ''Qunnerit''), 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 13 out of 21 wards, accompanied by a public referendum. The constitution has only been amended four times, in 1905 to abolish the death penalty, in 1964 to change the Federal Legislature from a plurality-based system to STV, in 1977 to change the Federal Council from 5 members to 6 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 Síðari/Félagið (legislature), the eight-member National Council (executive), and the Lagâleg Court of Justice (judicial).
|}}
====Executive====
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.
[[file:Rt Hon Priti Patel MP.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Head Councilor Hansine Karlson]]
The Federal Council of Pharexia (Pharexian: ''Sambandsríki'', Astellian: ''Cónaidhme'') is the executive branch, consisting of eight councilors. One of the councilors is labeled as the ceremonial Head Councilor (Pharexian: ''Seansailéir'', Astellian: ''Ceannasaí'') for the year, and another is labeled the Vice Councilor (Pharexian: ''Seasmhack'', Astellian: ''Staðgengill''). 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 and the Science–Moderate Party hold two sets each while the Ilyçisian Democrats, Liberal Party, and New Future hold one seat each. One member of the Council is unaffiliated.
====Legislature====
Legislative power is vested in the bicameral [[Federal Legislature of Pharexia|Federal Legislature]] (Pharexian: ''Síðari'', Astellian: ''Félagið''). 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.
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.
====Judicial====
The judicial branch plays a minor role in politics, apart from the High Court of Justice (Pharexian: ''Réttlæti'', Astellian: ''Lagâleg''), 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 law of [[Pharexia]] comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, the supreme of which is the [[People's Law]], the foundation of the federal and [[Wards of Pharexia|wards']] government. People's Law sets out the boundaries of federal law, which consists of [[Federal Legislature of Pharexia|Acts of the Federal Legislature]], treaties, regulations promulgated by the [[Federal Council of Pharexia|Federal Council]], and case law originating from the federal judiciary, the [[High Court of Justice]]. The Pharexian Code is the official compilation and codification of general and permanent federal statutory law.
==Federal laws==
The law of Pharexia comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, the supreme of which is the People's Law, the foundation of the federal and wards' government. People's Law sets out the boundaries of federal law, which consists of Acts of the Federal Legislature, treaties, regulations promulgated by the Federal Council, and case law originating from the federal judiciary, the High Court of Justice. The Pharexian Code is the official compilation and codification of general and permanent federal statutory law.
===Abortion and reproduction===
Abortion in Pharexia is illegal at all stages of pregnancy and for any reason except in cases of rape, incent, or to save the life of the mother. Compared to other developed nations, Pharexia is an outlier with its restrictive laws governing the practice. While there is no explicit legal reference to abortion in the [[People’s Law]], the [[High Court of Justice]] has interpreted Articles 2 and 21 to include foetuses, and thus allows the national parliament to restrict or ban the procedure entirely. In 1981 AD, the Liberal-led [[Federal Parliament of Pharexia]] passed the Devolution of Abortion Act, which barred the federal government from overriding ward statutes on abortion. This resulted in the more liberal-learning wards (such as [[Breíddalsvík]]) liberalizing their laws and conservative-leaning wards restricting them. However, many were concerned about the legal inconsistency, which allowed those who lived in restrictive wards to travel elsewhere in the country to obtain an abortion. The 2014 Pharexian general election was centered around resolving this issue, with the now current coalition of the Conservatives, New Future, and Science–Moderate Party, as well as Ilyçisian Democrats, promising to repeal the Devolution of Abortion Act and introduce legislation to federally ban most abortions. The two main opposition parties, the Liberal Party and the Greens–Left Party, campaigned on retaining the act. The Dignity–Solidarity Party advocated for legalizing abortion nationwide.
Six months after winning the 2014 election, the Conservatives introduced legislation to overturn the 1981 DoA Act. It passed easily and was signed by the President, effectively neutralizing all ward laws relating to abortion and returning legislative power to the Síðari. Since the passage of that bill, the Federal Government has passed several pieces of follow-up legislation, most notably the 2016 Right to Life Act, which banned all abortions except for those pregancies that resulted of rape, incent or pose a danger to maternal health across Pharexia. This means that a person who procures an abortion for the three aformentioned reasons is not guilty of an offense. Life in this context means that the continuance of the pregnancy would adversely affect the physical health of the mother. The adverse effect must, however, be a real and serious one and there will always be a question of fact and degree whether the perceived effect of non-termination is sufficiently grave to warrant terminating the unborn child. It is unlawful to procure a miscarriage where the fetus is abnormal but viable unless there is a risk that the mother may die or is likely to suffer long-term harm which is serious to her physical health. The Right to Life Act states "termination of a pregnancy based solely on the abnormality of the fetus is unlawful and cannot lawfully be carried out."
===Marriage===
Marriage in Pharexia is a legal and religious institution. The minimum marriage age is set by each ward. An individual can marry in Pharexia without parental consent or other authorization on reaching 18 years of age in all wards.
Marriage laws have changed considerably in Pharexia over time, including the removal of bans on interracial marriage and legalization of same-sex marriage. Polygamous marriages are not recognized, either in the form of marriage or civil union. Prior to 1956, polygamous marriages were de-facto legal, but rarely practiced. Polygamous marriages are now punishable by hefty fines and/or jail time no greater than 1 year.
The median age for the first marriage has increased in recent years. The median age in the early 1970s was 23 for men and 21 for women; and it rose to 28 for men and 26 for women by 2018.
Marriages vary considerably in terms of religion, socioeconomic status, age, commitment, and so forth. Reasons for marrying may include a desire to have children, love, and economic security.
Historically, the only grounds for divorce in Pharexia was adultery or cruelty. However, in 1975, the Divorce Act was passed to permit divorce for other reasons, including physical and mental cruelty and separation for at least 1 year. The Divorce Act was amended in 2012 to reduce the separation period to one year, with no requirement to prove "fault" by either spouse. The more technical aspects of divorce are delegated to each ward–this includes issues such as how the two spouses bifurcate their property, how children will be cared for, and support obligations of one spouse toward the other. Since the late 1960s, divorce has become slightly more prevalent. However, the divorce rate still remains significantly lower than most developed country at only 9%.8
===LGBT===
Pharexia is usually considered liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights. In 1990, Pharexia became one of the first countries in the world to enact an anti-discrimination law explicitly including sexual orientation.
Same-sex marriage has never been illegal in Pharexia. No law has ever explicitly abolished it. However, it became legally protected in 1945 AD when the Federal Marriage Act was passed through the Síðari. This act was designed to bring different marriage laws across the Federation into line with one another. Part of this involved legally recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry equal rights as their fellow citizens. It did not rule for adoption, which remained unregulated apart from the separate ward laws which attempted to improve conditions for orphans, not to determine who could become their guardians or parents.
Prior to the Federal Marriage Act, same-sex relationships were commonly accepted. The prominence and influence of Reykjavík Ilyçisianism (via The Church of Pharexia) throughout Pharexia's history has explained its tolerance of homosexuality, as the denomination believes that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality and that same-sex relations are normal. In fact, the Church of Pharexia was a major proponent of including protections for same-sex couples into the Federal Marriage Act. The Church has openly performed same-sex marriage ceremonies since 1895.
Same-sex adoption was only provided for in 1991 AD. It had been the first time that the rights and duties of foster parents had been regulated for at the federal level and was arrived at because of a consensus amongst the wards that family rights had to be equal across the Federation.
In 2016, the Síðari passed the Gender Affirmation Act, which allowed transgender citizens to legally change their name and gender on their birth certificate. It also instructed the National University Hospital of Pharexia to create a department dedicated to diagnosing gender dysphoria, as well as performing sex reassignment surgery (SRS). After successfully completing an 18-month process, including living 12 months in accordance with their gender, applicants appear before a committee of clinical psychologists and physicians. If the committee determines that a diagnosis of gender dysphoria is appropriate, the National Registry is informed, and the applicant chooses a new name to reflect their gender and is issued a new ID-number and ID.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people can serve openly in the Armed Forces.
While there is no legal recognition of gender diversity beyond the female/male binary, gender expression is protected by a 1990's amendment to the Federal Anti-discrimination Act.
===Capital punishment and crime===
The death penalty is constitutionally forbidden in the Federation of Pharexia and has been so de facto since the first iteration of People's Law entered into force in 1900. Article 2 stipulates that "every person shall have the right to life and physical integrity". Following the accession of People's Law, the ward of Feldehamdevikia attempted to execute an offender as had been permitted by their ward's constitution. The High Court of Justice, accepting the case from the Federal Government, ruled against Feldehamdevikia's government. Their decision argued that the ward was in violation of Articles 2 and 26 of People's Law. In 1905, Article 110 was added to FPL which explicitly outlawed the use of capital punishment.
Further laws enacted after the accession of People's Law instead set the maximum continuous prison sentence permissible at fifty years. The sentencing limit applies to single sentencing as well as combined prison terms. Because this was legally a ward responsibility, it was implemented sporadically across the Federation and over a time period of nearly 80 years. All of the 21 modern Pharexian wards finally achieved harmony over this law by 1985 AD.
There has been no strong desire in Pharexia to undo the works of the abolitionist cause.
===Movies===
Movie classification in the Pharexia is managed by the Pharexian Film, Music, and Media Classification Association (PFMMCA). PFMMCA is a regulatory board set up under the Department of Church & Culture that reviews all films, foreign or domestic, as well as regulate other media facets. The current classification system was created in 1976.
A (All Audiences/A h-uile luchd-èisteachd) All ages admitted; contains no violent, profane, or sexual content. Movies rated this are generally suggested to people no earlier than age 3.<br/>
L (Older Audiences/Luchd-èisteachd nas sine) All ages admitted; contains mild violence and no profanity or sexual content. Movies rated this are generally suggested to people no earlier than age 10.<br/>
16 (Restricted 16/Beperken 16) Those under 16 are not admitted at cinemas or permitted to purchase/rent the video; contains moderate violence, and/or moderate profanity, and/or mild sexual suggestiveness.<br/>
18 (Restricted 18/Beperken 18) Those under 18 are not admitted at cinemas or permitted to purchase/rent the video; contains severe violence, and/or moderate sexual suggestiveness.<br/>
21 (Restricted 21/Beperken 21)Those under 18 are not admitted at cinemas or permitted to purchase/rent the video; contains severe violence, and/or any sexual activity or nudity.<br/>
AIR (Refused/air a dhiùltadh) Banned and may not be sold or shown in any venue.<br/>
In 1998, the PFMMCA added sub-descriptors to use in conjunction with the core descriptors to better describe the specific content of a film.
S for sex.<br/>
L for language.<br/>
V for violence.<br/>
P for prejudice.<br/>
N for nudity.<br/>
H for horror.<br/>
D for substance abuse.<br/>
SV for sexual violence.
===Prostitution===
Prostitution in Pharexia is a devolved matter, meaning it is up to the individual wards to legislate on the matter. Currently, 18 of the 21 have outlawed the pratice in its entirety, although the intensity of enforcement and punishment varies considerably. Despite its legality in 3 wards, it tends to be heavily regulated. The following limitations are placed on the practice:
Eligible sex workers must be Pharexian citizens, be at least 21 years old, and have residence in a ward where prostitution is legal.
To protect sex workers, brothels are illegal.
Advertisements concerning sexual services are prohibited in public spaces and cannot be placed on the outside of any building. It is illegal to promote ones sex work online.
Sex workers must go through mandatory health checks every two weeks to ensure that they comply with the ward statutory regulations (e.g. use of condoms and birth control is mandatory). Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their license and repeated offense often result in imprisonment.
If a sex worker becomes pregnant, she, like any other Pharexian citizen, does not have the right to an abortion and must stop practicing prostitution until she has given birth.
===Privacy===
Interpretations of the People's Law have tended to strengthen the right of the individual to privacy against the state's requests for greater surveillance powers. Restrictions can only be authorized by a judge if deemed necessary in order to avert danger against the free, democratic, constitutional order. There a right to privacy within the home and within one’s vehicle. A person’s personal belongings are secure from unreasonable search and seizure.
==Politics==
Pharexia is home to a diverse slate of political parties.
====Conservative Party====
The Conservative Party of Pharexia (Pharexian: ''Stéttarfélags''), is the major contemporary party of the Pharexian centre-right, and the leading party in both of the federal legislative houses. It was established as the merger of the Liberal Democrats and the Ilyçisian Unity Party in 1961. The party self identifies as a conservative party of progress, and holds economic and social politics that align with standard conservative and Ilyçisian principles.
A coalition of the Conservative Party, the Science–Moderate Party, and New Future entered office in 2018 based on promises of tax cuts, better public services and stricter rules on immigration, with the informal support of the Ilyçisian Democrats.
The party advocates economic liberalism, reduction of taxes, and individual rights, and defines itself as a "conservative party of progress". The party generally supports semi-privatization through state-funded private services, laissez-faire economics, LGBT rights, gun control, and tougher law and order measures. They oppose identity politics and abortion.
There have been in total 17 Conservative members of the Federal Council, the most from any one political party. It currently has 2 members, one of which is Head Councilor. As of 2019, the Conservatives leads the governmental coalition in both houses of the Síðari.
====Science–Moderate Party====
The Science–Moderate Party (Pharexian: ''Šísindasveit'') is a major contemporary political party in Phareixa. It is classified as centre by the Pharexian Political Independent Research Association. It currently has the second and third most number of seats in the Síðari's Ward and National Assemblies, respectively. The Science–Moderate Party is built on the belief that scientific advancement has the potential to improve all aspects of public life in the country. They advocate for medical and scientific research, and education.
====Liberal Party====
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 Liberal Party of Pharexia (Pharexian: ''Frjálslynda réttlæti'') is a classically liberal political party in Pharexia. The Liberals are led by Petrína Áskelsdóttir. The party was founded in 1948 by members of former liberal political parties (primarily from the Liberal Democrats). It was in response to the 28 years of Conservative governance at the national level. The party strongly supports human rights, civil liberties, and internationalism. The party is traditionally considered left-wing, although has drifted more towards the centre in recent years. Since the 2004, the party has firmly pushed economic liberalism and has aligned itself closely to the promotion of free markets and privatization. It is strongly opposed to political and internet censorship. The party also supports socially liberal policies like LGBT rights and loosening the country's abortion laws.
====New Future====
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.
New Future (Pharexian: ''Framtíðinni'') is a conservative agrarian political party in Pharexia. They hold socially conservative positions, opposing abortion, gun control, and euthanasia, while maintaining moderately progressive stances on agrarian, economic and environmental issues. The party self-describes itself as "centre".
====Ilyçisian Democrats====
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.
Ilyçisian Democrats (Pharexian: ''Ilyçieoan aðila''), also commonly referred to as the Ilyçisian Party, is a right-wing political party in Pharexia. The party was founded in 2000 as the result of the merger of the National Party and the Traditional Voice Party. The party is not officially affiliated with the Church of Pharexia, although members advocates church doctrine.
The Ilyçisian Democrats exists to maintain Ilyçisian representation at both levels of government – federal and ward - and to promote "ethical values based on...Ilyçisian values". They support free speech, criminalizing pornographic distribution and ownership, mandatory religious instruction in public schools, automatic membership in the Church of Pharexia unless one opts out, gun rights, religious and cultural tests for immigrants. They oppose legalizing abortion, loosening substance laws, euthanasia, and the current government-run healthcare.
=== 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.
====Greens–Left====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
Greens–Left (Pharexian: ''Græn-vinstri'') is an active political party in Pharexia. It is a merger of the Pharexian Greens and the Left Party. The party's ideology combines environmentalism with left-wing and centre-left economic policies, such as supporting a state economy with regulated capitalism and increased taxes for the wealthy. Members support progressive social policies on civil liberties, LGBT rights, animal rights, and drug reform. The party supports non-violence, a universal basic income, and instituting a minimum, living wage across the country.
====Dignity–Solidarity Party====
The Dignity–Solidarity Party (Pharexian: ''Reisn–Verç'') is a left-wing political party in Pharexia that has been described as an alliance of democratic socialists, communists, and secularists. The party's platform emphasizes greater state intervention, social justice, strengthening workers' rights, and, unlike most other political parties in Pharexia (including other left-wing parties) supports the formal separation of church and state.
====Strength of parties====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=2 width=180px | Party Name
! width=80px | Seats in the [[Síðari|Ward Assembly]]
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|63|#DAA700}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|8|277|#DAA700}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|8|#DAA700}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|1|96|#DAA700}}
| Left-wing
| {{wpl|Regionalism (politics)|Regionalism}}
|-
! style="background-color:#dbdbdb" |
| '''''Unaffiliated'''''<br><small>''Óaðstoð''
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|63|#dbdbdb}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|27|277|#dbdbdb}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|1|8|#dbdbdb}}
| width=100px | {{Infobox political party/seats|14|96|#dbdbdb}}
| N/A
| N/A
|}
==Wards==
[[file:Simonetta Sommaruga 2016.jpg|100px|thumb|right|Queen Melisende III of Lofogengenlok]]
Pharexia is currently divided into 21 administrative regions called wards (Pharexian: ''rijords'', Astellian: ''bharda''), which assist with the institutional and territorial organization of Pharexian territory. There are currently four types of wards: states, free cities, territories, and autonomous regions. A ward’s classification is based on its autonomy from the federal government. States–which make up 15 of the 21 wards–have devolved legislatures and their own 5-person executive council, akin to the Federal Council’s structure. States are able to legislate on all subjects that are not reserved matters of the federal government. Free cities (such as the capital city of Breíddalsvík) have a singular executive but lack a legislature and a full executive council, and thus rely on the Síðari/Félagið to pass legislation. Gæcadoia, currently the only ward currently classified as a territory, has neither an independent executive or legislature and is administered by a federally appointed viceroy. Finally, 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 ward, 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 national law does not generally apply in the region and Lofogengenlok is treated as a separate jurisdiction, although there is continued debate regarding its independence. It’s head of state is currently Queen Melisende III, and Lofogengenlok has its own legislature, the Legcø.
The military of Pharexia consists solely of the Coast Guard (Pharexian: ''Varnirliðið'', Austellian: ''Glijbaan'') 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 ward 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 or ward governments. National Highways (Pharexian: ''Ajóðveginum'', Austelliann: ''Mhórbhealaigh''), defined as controlled-access roads spanning 2 or more states, are federally maintained and subject to federal regulations. Expressways–controlled-access roads existing entirely within a single state–are built and maintained by the state 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 western 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%.
==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.
==Demographics==
===Language===
Pharexia is officially a bilingual nation: the two languages of Pharexian and Astellian are recognised as equal official languages.
===Religion===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Formal religious affiliation in Pharexia (2020)
|label1 = [[Church of Pharexia|Reykjavík Church of Pharexia]]
For much of Pharexia's history, Ilyçisianism has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life. The Reykjavík Church of Pharexia (Pharexian: ''Kirkja hins af Fharheckx'', Austellian: ''Séipéal n-Oileán naofa''), often abbreviated as the KHF) is both the established church in Pharexia as well as the largest denomination of Ilyçisianism, with nearly 60% of the population reported as members. There are smaller Reykjavíkian churches unaffiliated with the Church of Pharexia that make up an additional 15%. Reykjavík and Ilyçisianism have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. While Reykjavík (Reformed) Ilyçisians consider the [[Endurreisn Heimsins]] to be scripture, they do not believe in inerrancy or literalism like most Sólheimaka (Orthodox) Ilyçisians do.
Reykjavík theology argues that interpreting Ilyçisian scripture must be informed by scholarship (particularly from psychological, evolutionary, and existential perspectives). Perhaps the largest distinction is that most Reykjavík do not profess a belief in a celestial being. Rather, Reykjavíkians believe that theism has lost credibility as a valid conception of God's true nature. Such a belief is commonly referred to as Ilyçisian atheism. Ilyçisian atheism is a form of cultural Ilyçisianism and ethics system drawing its beliefs and practices from Addindr’s life and teachings as recorded in the Endurreisn Heimsins and other sources, whilst rejecting supernatural claims of Ilyçisianism. In 2005, the book Believing in a God Who Does Not Exist: Manifesto of An Atheist Minister, Reykjavíkian pastor Hendrikse describes that Reykjavík Ilyçisians 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. Some–especially Sólheimaka Ilyçisians–view the Reykjavíkian denomination as distinct enough from traditional Ilyçisianism so as to form a new religious tradition, although the KHF rejects this claim.
== 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 Ilyçisian denomination in Pharexia is Sólheimaka. Sólheimakans are orthodox Ilyçisians in the sense that they continue to believe in an actual heavenly God, as well as Endurreisn Heimsins literalism. The Church of Sólheimaka is the largest Sólheimaka church in Pharexia, with nearly 8% of Pharexians considering themselves members. An additional 2% are members of smaller, independent Sólheimakan churches.
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 total, all Ilyçisians of both the Reykjavík and Sólheimakan denonination make up around 83% of the population. Their distribution is spread relatively equally throughout the country. With the exception of southern Pharexia (~95%), and [[Breíddalsvík]] (~45%), the average number of Ilyçisians in each ward stands at approximately 8-in-10.
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.
Among people who identify as Ilyçisians, 50% of them attend weekly religious services, a figure much higher than other religious people in the country. Reykjavík Ilyçisianism is typically classified as a liberal denomination. For example, the Church of Pharexia has long supported gay and lesbian rights. Weekly Reykjavík 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.
== 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.
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 Ilyçisians. The [[Conservative Party of Pharexia|Conservative Party]], [[Science–Moderate Party]], [[New Future (Pharexia)|New Future]], and the [[Ilyçisian Democrats]] all oppose abortion and cite Ilyçisian values as their justification.
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.
While Reykjavík Ilyçisianism is officially the state religion, [[People's Law]] (Pharexian: ''Folkslov'', Austellian: ''Qunnerit'') guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, only 12% 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 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.
According to a 2016 poll:<br/>
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.
• 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, which is notably higher than other developed nations.
== International ==
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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Svenskbygderna
Sweden
Germany
Norway
Finland
Denmark
England
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Scotland