Visargia

Republic of Visargia
Flag Coat of arms
Capital and largest city	Kiem
Official languages	Visargian
Ethnic groups (2015)	Visargian (87.7%) Other (12.3%)
Demonym(s)	Visargian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Axhnar Matzenk
• Prime Minister	Hanuske Klebenk
Legislature	National Council
Unification of Visargia
Area
• Total	766,016 km2 (295,760 sq mi)
Population
• 2019 estimate	72,818,038
• Density	95.06/km2 (246.2/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$3,625,221,910,000
• Per capita	$49,613
Currency	Visargine Hlinder (HLN)

Visargia, officially the Republic of Visargia, is a sovereign state in the north of Thuadia. It is bordered to the north by the Rimidic Ocean, to the northwest by Empty Land, to the east by Sventsa, to the south by Empty Land and Kistolia, and to the west by Anderum. The country has an area of 766,016 square kilometers with a population of 72.82 million according to the most recent estimates. The capital is Kiem, which also serves as one of the key economic and cultural hubs of the nation. Other major cities include Barinze, Dretnem, Ersin, and Heimkar.

The modern state of Visargia was formed gradually through the union of three main entities, the Duchy of the Hofesar, the Kingdom of Wahelin, and the Kingdom of Patajania. Wahelin and Patajania would unite under one ruler by the early 17th century whilst the Hofesar would join the union by the end of the 17th century. Visargia had a long tradition of monarchism prior to the Visargine Revolution of 1918-19, which would see the Emperor flee the country and renounce the throne, with the first Republican government coming to fruition in the aftermath.

Visargia is a unitary state operating under a parliamentary republic. The President serves as a ceremonial head of state for the most part with some powers reserved for them as a check on the parliament and the executive. The Government is led by the Prime Minister who is appointed by the President on the advice of the National Council, usually by a majority vote approving them to form the government. The Ministers are then appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. The country's highest court and final court of appeals is the 15-member Chief Court.

History

Main article: History of Visargia

Geography

Main article: Geography of Visargia

Government and politics

The Rostangar Palace in Kiem, where the President resides.

On a national level Visargia operates as a parliamentary republic where the President mainly operates as a ceremonial figure and a guarantor of the stability of the nation. The executive is the Council of Ministers, which is appointed by the President. The President is advised by the legislature on who to appoint as Prime Minister with the Prime Minister advising the President on which individuals to appoint to the ministerial posts. Ministers can be removed by either the President or the legislature. The legislature is a unicameral organ known as the National Council, under the constitution it technically outranks the President, the Council of Ministers and the Judiciary in terms of power, but in reality this is limited due to the nature of political parties. The legislature is elected every 4 years. The judiciary is led by the Chief Court which is made up of 15 members who are selected by the Independent Judiciary Committee. The Chief Court is the highest court in the nation and the final court of appeals.

Judicial system

The Chief Court building in Kiem.

The Visargian judicial system is made up of three main levels, the Chief Court, the Regional courts and the County courts. The Chief Court is the highest court under the system and serves as the final court of appeals with final say on all matters that make it to their docket, meaning they have the ability to set legal precedent. In order for a case to make its way to the Chief Court all other legal measures must first have been exhausted, this tends to mean that most cases that make it to the court have been ongoing for multiple years.

Visargian law is principally divided into three main areas, Civil, Criminal and Governmental. Civil law relates to disagreements between multiple parties which are not criminal offences punishable under the nations Criminal Code and which are not related to the governance of the nation. Divorce and custody cases are part of civil law, although some custody cases can also have separate criminal trials depending on the situation. Criminal law relates to offences which are punishable under the criminal code and which carry legally binding punishments, this can range from minor crimes such as public disorder to major crimes such as robbery and murder. Governmental law is related to the constitution and other issues surrounding the way in which the nation, from local to national level, is governed. Civil law cases can also be brought against the government as governmental law is strictly related to the way in which the nation is governed, set out under the constitution. The carrying out and implementation of new laws is overseen by the Ministry of Justice.

The Chief Court is made up of 15 members who are elected to serve life terms, although retirement becomes mandatory at age 80. The members are elected by the Independent Judicial Committee, which is made up of 300 members randomly chosen from active members of the Law Society and the Bar Council. This is done to ensure there is no political involvement in the choosing of the nations most senior justices. The candidates for the Chief Court, however, are chosen by the Ministry of Justice but may only be individuals who have served on a Regional Court for at least 3 years and who have at least 15 years experience in the legal profession with a degree in law from a recognised university.

The Regional courts tend to be divided between judges who specialise in the three main areas of Visargian law. Criminal law cases held at a regional level tend be those of significant notoriety such as murder with appeals cases also heard at this level. Criminal cases on a regional level are still held with a jury, as they would be at County level. Civil law cases that make it to the regional courts tend to be appeals to rulings by the judges at county level. Governmental law cases that are ruled on at the regional level also tend to be appeals from county courts. These are the cases that are most likely to be appealed in the Chief Court regardless of the ruling at regional level as the plaintiffs tend to want a final decision that sets legal precedent in their favour.

The County courts, like those at regional level, tend to be divided between judges who specialise in the three main areas of Visargian law, although judges who specialise in both criminal and civil law are very common at county level. The bulk of county level cases are Criminal cases which are held with a jury and result in a punishment being given to the offender. Most civil law cases are also settled at county level as well, especially divorce's, with the judge having the final say in these cases, although collaboration between the two parties to reach an amicable solution is always desired. Many Governmental law cases start at county level but a large amount of these end up going to higher level courts.

Political Parties

The Mutualist Party building in Kiem.

Political parties play a key role in Visargian politics, with a position in the National Council essentially impossible without being a member of a party. Since the 1950s the Mutualist Party and the People's Party have been the two most dominant forces within Visargian politics. The Sobelian Alliance, Patajanian Agrarian Union, Party of the Left and Liberty Party have also played key roles in the nations governance with the electoral system meaning coalition governments are a likely result of elections. Since 1955 the People's Party and the Patajanian Agrarian Union have had a formal agreement whereby the People's Party will not stand candidates in the electoral regions of Central Patajania and East Patajania, in return the Patajanian Agrarian Union has agreed not to join coalitions with other political parties. The agreement has been nicknamed "The Understanding" by members of the press and members of both parties.

Political parties in Visargia recieve most of their funding from private donors with these donations regulated by the Election Commission. The parties also receive $13500 for every seat elected in the National Council, $5000 for every seat elected in Regional Councils, and $1000 for every seat elected in local government from the state.

Political party				Main ideology	Position	Leader	Seats
							National Council	Regional Councils	Local Government
	MPV	File:.png	Mutualist Party	Reformed Mutualism	Centre-left	Visje Tredromt	180 / 485	508 / 1,550	2,048 / 7,575
	VPP	File:.png	Visargian People's Party	Liberal conservatism	Centre-right	Hanuske Klebenk	141 / 485	528 / 1,550	2,360 / 7,575
	SOA	File:.png	Sobelian Alliance	Sobelian democracy	Centre-right	Visje Tredromt	41 / 485	98 / 1,550	737 / 7,575
	PAU	File:.png	Patajanian Agrarion Union	Regionalism	Right-wing	Visje Tredromt	39 / 485	153 / 1,550	686 / 7,575
	PBV	File:.png	Party of the Left	Democratic Mutualism	Left-wing	Visje Tredromt	32 / 485	89 / 1,550	548 / 7,575
	LPT	File:.png	Liberty Party	Liberalism	Centre	Visje Tredromt	28 / 485	47 / 1,550	148 / 7,575
	HLD	File:.png	Homeland Party	Visargian Nationalism	Far right	Visje Tredromt	18 / 485	57 / 1,550	348 / 7,575
	CPV	File:.png	Collectivist Party of Visargia	Collectivism	Far left	Visje Tredromt	6 / 485	43 / 1,550	233 / 7,575

Administrative Divisions

11 Regions 91 Counties

Economy

Main article: Economy of Visargia

Skyline of the Commerce District in Kiem, the capital city. It is the leading business hub in Visargia.

Since the 1950s, Visargia has developed a high-income economy which has been characterised by varied levels of government involvement, focus on an educated highly skilled workforce, high innovation and a diverse economy with multiple strong industries. The service sector represents roughly 65% of the country's economic output and 60.5% of the country's employed workforce, manufacturing and industry accounts for roughly 33.5% of economic output and 37% of the employed workforce and agriculture accounts for roughly 1.5% of economic output and 2.5% of the employed workforce. Despite agriculture making up a small amount of national economic output Visargia is still largely self-sufficient in food production and the agricultural sector has received strong government support in the name of the national interest.

The government of Visargia has traditionally aimed for low employment as a key matter of national policy, however, this was ignored under some governments in the interest of controlling inflation. According to 2021 estimates from the government, unemployment currently stands at around 5.2%, although youth unemployment is considerably higher at around 11.7%. Since 1950, unemployment peaked at 13.8% in 1983 and was at its lowest point of 2.7% in 1971. Unemployment had dropped considerably in recent years due to a loosening of some of the tight government regulations put in place for employers. However, this decline has stagnated somewhat recently.

Visargia's economic growth since the mid 20th century has led to a number of Visargian companies developing notable domestic and international brand profiles. Some of these major brands include 7 Star Shipping Line, AgroVis, FBH Bank, KEMA, Kestinke Orynke, Nortzup Bank, OZIN and Visargia Airways.

Demography

Main article: Demography of Visargia

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1800	13,671,890	—
1830	18,489,952	+35.2%
1860	26,537,989	+43.5%
1890	37,121,462	+39.9%
1900	40,291,635	+8.5%
1920	45,656,034	+13.3%
1930	48,110,046	+5.4%
1940	50,835,480	+5.7%
1950	52,169,911	+2.6%
1959	55,969,996	+7.3%
1969	60,243,395	+7.6%
1979	63,078,240	+4.7%
1989	64,391,997	+2.1%
1999	67,053,651	+4.1%
2009	69,847,834	+4.2%
2019	72,818,038	+4.3%
Source: Ministry of the Interior

Visargia is home to an 72.82 million people according to the most recent census, in 2019, with that number now estimated to have surpassed 73 million. The country's population saw a particular boom from the start of the 19th century until the mid 20th century with the population tripling between 1800 and 1950. The country's primary ethnic group are the Visargines who make up for an estimated 87% of the population according to the most recent census. The country has seen a rise in the number of immigrants since the 1950s with a notable part of the country's population growth since then being due to these immigrants.

Visargia's birth rate currently stands at around 11.2 births per 1000 women per year, this number has been in continual decline since the mid 19th century with a particular decline since the 1960s with the birth rate declining from 18.8 births per 1000 women in 1964 to 11.2 births per 1000 women in 2020. In 2021, 813,075 babies were born in Visargia, the lowest number since 2002. Some of the decline has been accredited to a rise in working women as well as the expense of raising children in the country today.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Visargia

Religion in Visargia in 2019.

  Sobelianity (75.8%)

  Agnosticism & Atheism (10.4%)

  Kanosticism (5.2%)

  Others (8.6%)

Sobelianity has been the dominant faith in the current Visargian lands since the 6th century and first began to rise to prominence in the 3rd century. Prior to that Kanosticism was the dominant religion. With the rise of Sobelianity, Kanosticism was mainly pushed into the countryside & remained the main religion in the southern lands of the Hofesar & the Alemsar until the 14th century when the 1371 Kiem Decree by the Grand Duke of the Hofesar led to the something Campaign to spread Sobelianity to the countryside of the Grand Duchy as the staunch religiousness of the Sobelian population in Kiem and Loyset became even stronger and led to demands to wipe out what was seen as a threat. In the lands of the Wahelin and the Patajania Sobelianity had began to dominate much earlier with a large majority of the population having converted by the 10th century. In the 8th century the first buildings of the Grand Rodary of Jenispat were constructed in Wahelin, over time various monarchs would add new buildings to the Rodary and it would come to be viewed as one of the spiritual centres of Sobelianity. Other major religious buildings include the Kiem Rodary, the Rovanem Rodary and the Orsak Rodary.

Today, Sobelianity retains an important role in Visargian society as the largest religion in the country by far, with almost 76% of the population claiming to follow the religion. The church is affiliated with a large number of the nations schools, although these schools are ran independently with their own headteachers and governors boards. Among those who profess to follow the faith around 12% claim to attend the Rodary weekly, amounting to more than 6.5 million people. Attendance is particularly high amongst the elderly but youth attendance tends to fair better than the major religions in many other nations. Donations to the many Sobelian charities, which assist those in need globally, are also high with the charities having considerable funds to carry out their work.

Kanosticism continues to have many followers in Visargia, just over 5% of the population. The main population centre for the religion is Kiem and the Hofesar-Alemia region. The religion has also seen a revival since the 1970s with many people converting, sometimes as a form of rebellion against the power of Sobelianity. Agnostics and Atheists make up over 10% of Visargia's population and have seen a large amount of growth in recent years, with some speculating their numbers could be much higher due to people "just ticking the box for Sobelianity" on government forms and surveys. Other religions which haven't traditionally been popular within Visargia have also seen a rise since the 1950s, with immigration being a large driver for this. The rise of the internet and a more connected world has also allowed more people access to non-traditional religions.

Freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Visargian constitution with laws against religious discrimination having also been passed by the National Council. Sobelianity retains the special status of a Nationally Important Faith which has allowed for Sobelian affiliated schools to remain operating. There is some criticism over the government being more accommodating for Sobelianity than other religions.

Education

Main article: Education in Visargia

The main building of the University of Barinze, one of Visargia's most prestigious universities.

In 1163, the University of Orsak was founded by King Vrytskaus II of Wahelin and this is widely considered to be the first university in modern-day Visargia. Other major univerisities such as those in Kiem, Barinze and Ersin would be founded between the 12th and 15th century. The development of public education in Visargia gained great pace in the 1860s with Royal Councillor and social reformer Vyzlar Blersvant being a key proponent. Starting from 1863, all male children under the age of 10 would be required to attend public education whilst large numbers of high schools were founded for the children of the well-off to gain greater access to education. Many of these newly founded schools would be affiliated with the Sobelian Church which included religious teachings as a core part of their curriculum.

Today, education in Visargia is controlled, regulated and mostly funded by the state at a national level. Education is divded into three stages, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Primary education starts at age 5 and runs through to age 12, Secondary education runs from age 12 to age 18, and tertiary education is for all students who are 18 and older. The government runs 91% of the Primary and Secondary educational institutions in Visargia whilst universities are ran independently, although under heavy government regulation. Primary and Secondary education is fully-funded by the government with government-funded school places available for every child living in Visargia, citizen or not. The choice to send children to private primary and secondary schools is also available for all parents, though not encouraged.

Tertiary education in Visargia is fully funded by the state with funds raised through a graduate tax of 3% on all income above a certain threshold for all people who have attended university. Prior to 1997 tertiary education had to be self-funded by the student, with some government grants given, but reform by the government abolished this system and introduced the graduate tax. Those who left university prior to 1997 are not required to pay the tax whilst those who have graduated since are required to pay the tax. Students who attended university whilst the system was being put in to place pay a reduced rate of the tax. Non-citizen students must pay to attend Visargian universities so that they cannot avoid the tax afterwards.

The quality of education in Visargia is often regarded as high with praise for the governments focus on core skills and a recent focus on giving assistance to children with additional barriers to their learning, such as disabilities. There has been some criticism over the continued role of the Sobelian church in the education system, with 44% of primary schools and 35% of secondary schools being affiliated to the Church. A lot of the criticism also stems from the long standing government policy of refusing to allow other religions to set up schools in the country.

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in Visargia

The New Hospital, in Dretnem, is one of the largest hospitals in Visargia.

Healthcare in Visargia is largely funded by the government through the National Medical Care Provider (NMCP). The NMCP gains the overwhelming majority of it's funding through taxes with additional income raised from foreign citizens being able to pay for elective procedures in it's hospitals. All citizens and permanent residents of Visargia will recieve an NMCP card upon turning 16, although this is not required to gain access to treatment. The card is mainly used to allow those with it to gain access to their medical records online. No card is needed for those aged under 16 as their medical records are legally allowed to be seen only by licensed professionals. Citizens are free to use private medical providers, although there is no reimbursement for those that do.

One particular challenge that the healthcare system has faced in recent years has been the rise in obesity in Visargia. This has placed a strain on some of the NMCP's systems and has led to large government-led efforts to try to reduce the rate of obesity in Visargia. There has been a particular focus on the young as part of this program. The government has also introduced taxes on products containing large amount of sugar in an attempt to discourage their purchase, although they have been criticised for disproportionately affecting the poorest members of society by doing so.

Overall, Visargia has a strong healthcare system that provides for residents and has led to an increasing life expectancy as a result. The ageing population has led to an increase in funding being required to deal with the effects which has led to some questions over the viability of the country's healthcare system in the future.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Visargia

Sport

Main article: Sport in Visargia

The most popular sport in Visargia is Football with the Vitsligi being the nations premier football league. The most successful teams include SK Dretnem, ASK Barinze, Sebonia Kiem, Veseuria Kiem and SK Rovanem each with hundreds of thousands of fans across the country.

Television

Main article: Media in Visargia