Datchlia

The State of Datchlia Den Dachstaten
Flag
Motto: Skik, Velstand, Enhed (Datchens: Tradition, Prosperity, Unity.)
The State of Datchlia in relation to Northwest Meridon
Capital	Hadradstadt
Largest city	Giestberg
Official languages	Datchens
Recognised national languages	Datchens
Ethnic groups	92% Datchens (38% Black Datchens 34.8% White Datchens 27.2% Mixed Datchens) 7% Narendian 1% Other Especian and Meridonian
Demonym(s)	Datch, Datchen, Datchens, Datchlian
Government	Parliamentary Republic
• Chancellor	Mona Abu Ibsen
Legislature	Parliament
Establishment
• Foundation of Kingdom of Datchlia	667
• Establishment of the First Datch Republic	1st of July, 1799
• Establishment of the Modern Datch State	8th of November, 1932
Area
• Total	124,867 km2 (48,211 sq mi)
Population
• 2018 estimate	32,624,500 (10)
• 2016 census	32,620,742
• Density	261.3/km2 (676.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$2,678,960,817,500 NSD (4)
• Per capita	$82,115 NSD
Currency	Meridonian Unit
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.ds

The State of Datchlia (Datchens: Den Dachstaten) is a unitary Parliamentary Republic located in Northwest Meridon in the global region of Greater Meridon. It is an ethically homogeneous state in the sense that most persons in the Datch State are part of the two primary groups that identify as being of the Datchlian ethnicity, or of persons descended from cross group families of these groups. The State of Datchlia, as a result of its longstanding peace, and access to the rare resource Datchium, has become a major economic and political power in Northwest Meridon and has been a major influencer of Meridonian politics.

The first humans to arrive in Northwest Meridon, did so via the Gokan steps roughly 8,500 years ago. Datchlia was settled shortly after this event thanks in large part to the large amounts rich land and wide availability of food. These early Datch tribal groups would eventually settle and form fairly complex societies 6,200 years ago, with later progress being much quicker than a number of other early civilizations thanks to the discovery of Datchium metallurgy, resulting in the explosion of wealthy trading cities in the Northwestern Meridonian region. When plague swept through Northwest Meridon towards the end of the classical period these early civilizations collapsed in most of the region, however the wealthiest areas, in Datchlia contracted, but survived, with a major convocation as a result of the plague resulting in the formation of a unified Datchlian state.

The Kingdom of Datchlia's early years were marked primarily by putting an end to the conflict between the Ghirali descended peoples and the native Datch peoples, and to create an idea of a mixed Datch Peoples. As the Post-Classical period progressed, distrust of the other eventually declined resulting in greater intermixing. Also during this period the Kingdom of Datchlia began to expand its borders outward taking lands even beyond the mountains and the Stor Flod, the newly conquered areas put a greater stress on the Datch Kingdom, resulting in a number of civil wars that wracked the Datch towards the end of the Post-Classical period, and into the early Modern Period, with the most devastating occurring after the arrival of Diternalism in the Datchlian region. After the conclusion of this civil war a series of Datch kings centralized power, much to the chagrin of the common peoples, and high tax rates, paired with a crop failure in the 1798 season resulted in revolutionary pressure and a liberal revolution overthrowing the Kingdom in June and early July of 1799.

The First Datch Republic was among the first to industrialize in Northwest Meridon adopting many of the technologies developed further to the South, in exchange for trade of Datchium which was perhaps, the most important natural resource for them at the time, which brought about an economic boom to the Republic. The First Republic's golden age ended when in 1866, the State of Datchlia was invaded by Walakia at the start of the Second Walakian Datchium War. The troubles would persist with the Third Walakian Datchium War, though there would be a brief recovery during the early twentieth century, these issues, compounded with increasing class struggles, would eventually boil over into a constitutional crisis, that culminated in the November 1932 referendum that established the modern Datch state. Throughout the rest of the twentieth century the State of Datchlia remained relatively neutral in foreign affairs, avoiding the conflicts of the time, and profiting immensely off of trade broked throughout the region, and has become a major economic and political power in Meridon.

The Datch State is a hyper-developed nation, and the fourth largest economy in the region, and has one of the largest per capita GDPs in Greater Meridon. Datchlia is a densely populated nation in comparison to some of the larger Meridonian states, thanks in large part to the early industrialization of the nation. Living standards are quite high in the State of Datchlia in particular urbanization continues apace. Datchlia is a significant political and economic power, preferring to use its influence rather than military force to achieve its objectives regionally. Datchlia does however maintain a sizable defense expenditure and accompanying defense force.

Etymology

The term Datchlia refers to the material Datchium which is famous for its somewhat unique properties as a naturally occurring alloys, and was a major contributor to early Datchlian economic success and came to be synonymous with the people, thusly originating the term of Datchlian. The demonym of the people of Datchlia is Datch, Datchlian, or more rarely Datchen or Datchens. The plurals of these are Datchens, or Datchlians.

History

Antiquity and Classical Period

People first arrived in lands that be considered Datchlia in the the steppe migration roughly 8,200 years ago. These early peoples were largely hunter-gatherers in nature, however, the climate of the early human Northwest Meridon encouraged rapid growth in population resulting in the earliest civilization in the Northwest Meridonian region arising along the Stor Flod 6,500 years ago. These early civilizations would eventually coalesce into a cohesive Datch culture later, roughly 2,500 years ago, with these early Datch states sharing faith in an ancient religion preaching of the divinity of only a single deity. The early Datch cultures became wealthy as a result of trade with the local tribal cultures in the Bastainnach and Wolok regions.

Throughout the classical period, the Datch societies would be the leaders of trade in Northwest Meridon, a role which increased dramatically after the discovery of Datchium, a metal which, at that time was uniquely Datchlian, and whose properties accelerated the progress of Datchlian civilization. In the middle classical period early Datch societies would join into an early Datchlian Kingdom known to modern peoples as the Kongeriget Gomorra, or Gomorran Kingdom, which achieved the height of its power towards the end period of the Classical Era. However, trade with the newly formed Ghirali city-states would become the most important to the formation of modern Datchlia.

The Waden Frad site in Hertugdømme Kolische, an example of Classical Ghriali architecture, and site of the northernmost Classical Ghirali settlement.

In the late Classical Period, most of Northwestern Meridonian civilizations collapsed as a result of a plague brought on by refugees from the Ghirali peoples fleeing from the plague itself. The Gomorran Kingdom would be the first victim of this, as the more active trade links between Ghiraul and Gomorra brought the peoples there first. The Datchlian cities, though dramatically weakened did manage to stabilize, first as fractious city-states, and then as the Kingdom of Hadrada towards the very end of the Classical Period.

Post-Classical Period

The early Post-Classical period would be marked by conflict between the native Datch peoples and Ghirali migrants. Many of the native population viewed the Ghiralis as the bringers of the plague, and the newly formed Kingdom of Hadrada pushed these tensions, and began destroying Ghirali descended villages throughout its territory. These acts led to the virtual annihilation of the population of Ghiralia descended Datch in the Stor Flod region. As this program continued in the North, the Black Datch population in the South, most notably around the Tyr Flod region increased rapidly in size as continued immigration and refugees from the north swelled the population of Tyr Flod citizens. These cities eventually came together in a loose coalition led by the King Ibn al Tier first of the Tyrid Dynasty.

The Tyrids and Hadrada would periodically fight several battles in the middle Post-Classical period, each attempting to secure the western, mineral, and particularly, Datchium rich mountains in the Datch region, and to raid the other's farmlands. These conflicts would slowly wear out the Kingdom of Hadrada, and several crop failures over the spawn of two decades would see the Kingdom of Hadrada severely weakened. In the series of battles spanning the end of the middle of the seventh century the Tyrids under the rulership of Erikur Mugabesen, the first mixed Datch King, would take control of Hadradstadt and depose Gotfried Liefson. The Tyrids would then form a unified state to rule both peoples between the Stor Flod and the Tyr Flod. This unified state was called the Kingdom of Datchlia.

A young noble from Southern Datchlia during the late Tyrid Dynasty.

The Kingdom of Datchlia

The Kingdom of Datchlia's early years were marked by an attempt to unify the decidedly still divided peoples of the Stor Flod and Tyr Flod regions. The latter Tyrid Dynasty struggled to mend the wounds caused by decades of intermittent fighting and was hard pressed to complete the task. Interethnic struggles continued for a couple generations before finally settling down in the later half of the 8th century. After the end of the Tyrid Dynasty, the Helsinid Dynasty took charge and made drastic actions to forcibly integrated the Black and White Datch populations into a single whole. Villages were uprooted and forced together, and miscegenation was strongly encouraged by the Helsinids disparate peoples. Though these actions initially proved unpopular, over the course of a few generations, the population had mostly been resettled into fairly stable integrated communities.

As the internal strife was quelled, the Helsinid kings looked outwards past the ancestral territories of the Datch peoples to the great plains of Northwest Meridon. These lands were seen as open and ripe for the taking, and the Helsinid kinds gradually encouraged peoples to settle in the tribal lands of the Gökans and Walakians. At the same time the Helsinid armies marched upon the feudal realms nominally allegiant to the Kingdom of Narendia triggering an extensive border war lasting most of the 12th century with intermittent periods of peace. As the Helsinid Dynasty went into decline however, the Narendians slowly pushed out the Kingdom of Datchlia which was wracked by constant civil wars and peasant uprisings in the north, until a defacto border was established on the banks of the Tyr Flod, and along the Northern Wolfbriars. Similarly the Gökan tribes would, in their own period of expansion drive the Datch settlers from the steppes and back beyond the Wolfbriars.

A comparison of a Tyr Flod, and Hadradic soldier from the Army modernizations of the late Kingdom.

The period of internal strife came to an end in the late 17th century with the placement of King Getla Ibn Oros upon the Datchlian throne. The Oros Kings would prove to be a significant centralizing influence on the Kingdom, slowly eradicating the feudal order and replacing it with absolute authority vested in the monarchy, and the nobility was subjected to enforced miscegenation laws, in a bid to unite by blood the nascent nation-state. Currency was nationalized and local economies were swept into the grander system of the Datch state. During this time the military was also heavily modernized during this time, and the Datch Kingdom waged several wars against states of Northwest Meridon. The rapid expansion of the army and constant wars drained the Datch coffers, and the financial crisis caused the ascendant bourgeois class and the peasantry to rebel, overthrowing the Kingdom of the Datchlia in the 1799 Revolution and creating the First Datch Republic.

The Datchlian First Republic

The Datchlian First Republic stabilized shortly after the 1799 revolution, peacibly allowing the Northern provinces to be ceded to a radical revolutionary faction, and turning inward to rapidly develop the economy. The Datch Republic was among the first Meridonian states to industrialize with factories springing up in the major cities throughout the early half of the nineteenth century. The Datch State became increasingly defensive of its trade in Datchium however, and by the mid-century, the Walakian state, desperate to secure its own source of Datchium attacked the Datch states and kicked off the Walakian Datchium Wars. During the First Walakian Datchium War, the Datch Union took the brunt of the fighting, and while the Datch Republic offered token support it attempted to remain neutral in the hopes of maintaining peaceable relations with its aggressive neighbors.

In 1868, the Kingdom of Walakia invaded the Stor Flod valley in an attempt to secure the Datchium rich lands just west of the valley. Narendia joined in this struggle, starting the Second Walakian Datchium War. The Vale supported the Datch Republic, launching several campaigns against the Narendians and cutting off much of the Narendian Army from support, draining its ability to fight, seeing Narendia pour resources into fighting on their own soil. The Walakians however were more successful pushing the Datch out of the Stor Flod valley, taking Fort Forsyn, a lynchpin of the Datch defenses in 1869, as well as pushing deep into Datchlian territory and sacking Kolen. With the sack of Kolen however, a vengeful Datchlian Army swelled with recruits and in the campaigns of 1870 crushed the Walakians, forcing their army into retreat, and setting the stage for a counterattack. The war came to an end however, with the Treaty of Bul in 1871 which was mostly a status quo ante bellum treaty.

The Treaty of Bul would remain short lived, when elections in the Vale plunged the state into chaos during the 1885, the Walakians seized their opportunity to assault the Datch Republic, starting the short but devastating Third Walakian Datchium War, though it was initially succesful in driving out the Datch from the Stor Flod Valley, the Datchlian Army managed to stall the Walakians short of the Datchium producing regions east of the Stor Flod. At the battle of Afklippen, a large element of the Walakian Army was completely destroyed by the counterattacking Datch Army. The Datch offensive however stalled out attempting to recapture the lands west of the Stor Flod, and both nations, exhausted, agreed to an armistice. In spite of recent setbacks, the Walakians bargained from a position of strength, and as a result Datchlia was forced to cede all land west of the Stor Flod, establishing the modern Datch-Walakian border.

Datch soldiers in the Nordlige Bjerge region during the Third Walakian Datchium War.

In the closing years of the 19th century class struggle became an increasingly major issue in the Datch Republic. Early socialist movements inspired by the works of Mariana Ortega pushed for radical reform of the economic system, and took increasingly violent steps to enact such reform. These struggles would destabilize the Republic and weaken its position in Northwest Meridon. The instability proved a saving grace however, as the weak government was too focused on internal affairs to be involved in the devastating Valden War. The Datch Republic remained neutral, and even profited off of the sale of arms to the warring powers. However, as several neighboring nations went down in the flames of revolution, Datchlia too was faced with governmental collapse when the assassination of the President caused a constitutional crisis. In 1931, a constitutional convention drafted a new constitution, which was ratified in 1932, marking the birth of the State of Datchlia.

Contemporary History

The State of Datchlia remained relatively neutral in foreign affairs, focusing instead on the reshaping of the economy and the centralization of Datch power. Several key industries were seized by the state, and the Datch transitioned from a free market economy to a mixed economy, a strong emphasis was on the development of advanced industries and the treatment of workers, who had at that point become highly skilled technicians rather than unskilled and replaceable. These economic reforms left Datchlia in a good position to exploit the conflict surrounding the end of the Valden War and the reshuffling of the Meridonian continent. Datchlia remained neutral during the Continuation War, but supported the Gökans with nonmilitary aid, most notably exporting vast amounts of grain to feed the Gökan peoples and the vast number of horses employed by the Federations infamous cavalry. Narendia protested these actions, and even went so far as to embargo the Datch, but never declared war on them. After the Morning War, the Datch wanted to foster stronger relations with the rest of Northwest Meridon and began to place their emphasis on trade and economic development, and in particular the State of Datchlia became a major exporter of advanced industrial goods, most notably it was an early pioneer in the nascent commercial aviation market, and a major producer of medical equipment in the region.

A strike occurring in 1932, part of the Constitutional Crisis and establishment of the State of Datchlia.

Most of Northwest Meridon remained neutral during the Continuation War, and the State of Datchlia was no exception. The Datch supplied medical technology, aircraft, and even weapons to both sides however, commanding high prices for their goods, and profiting immensely off of the increased trade, particularly as the industrial centers of the warring powers were slowly destroyed in the fighting. After the war, the Datch State was forced once more into global politics as when a nationalistic warlord seized power in the newly formed Ghirali Confederacy, they cut off trade links between Northwest and Eastern Meridon. This sparked a short military conflict known as the Port War wherein Datchlian forces launched naval invasions of Ghiraul to seize several key shipping ports and therefore their trade access to the outside world. The war came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Fritaun and the opening of trade between Ghiraul and Datchlia. Tensions would remain high with the Ghirauli government, and thus the Datch-Ghirali Cold War had begun.

Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century the Datch and Ghirali would be locked into a state of international tension, and the Datch State built up its navy to guarantee the security of its trade routes. The cold war would not see any resumption of the Port War, but several tense incidents saw the Datch and Ghirali navies opening fire on one another, and at least fifty people were killed over the course of the forty year period. The cold war eventually came to an end in the 1990s when the nationalistic Ghirali government was replaced by one much more ammenable to international trade, and closer relations with Datchlia. After the end of the cold war, the Datch State returned to a more neutral foreign policy selling off large portions of its navy, and becoming the dominant trading nation in Northwest Meridon. Datchlia was a key sponsor in the creation of the Northwest Economic League, as well as the first Northwestern member of the Meridonian Union, and the foundational member of the military alliance known as the Hadradstadt Pact. As a result Datchlia has become a major center of Northwestern Meridonian politics.

Geography

The hills of Northwestern Datchlia

The State of Datchlia has a land area of 124,867 square kilometers (or 48,211 square miles), and is located along the Southern coast of Northwestern Meridon. Datchlia's landmass is composed mostly of rolling hills and plains. Datchlia has suffered some significant environmental degradation, but economic development in the past few decades has slowed as greater emphasis has been placed on conservation rather than growth for the sake of growth.

Climate and Physical Geography

The State of Datchlia is firmly in the northern temperate climate region, and most of Datchlia consists of a maritime band whereas the northernmost parts of Datchlia, which are also furthest from the warming oceanic current are a colder, Hemiboreal climate. The State of Datchlia is mostly flat or with low rolling hills that slowly rise until reaching the western edge of the Wolfbriar Mountains. Datchlia rests between two major rivers, the Stor Flod in the Northwest, and the Tyr Flod in the Southeast, which define the borders of Datchlia with its neighbors. These rivers are fed by several smaller rivers and streams which permeate the central Datch plains. The highest point in Datchlia is the Kongens Bjerg standing at 2,169 meters in height, and its lowest is the Tyr Flod valley, which at its lowest point in Datchlia is -2 meters below sea level.

Biodiversity and Conservation

Datchlia, is fairly biodiverse nation being home to roughly 1,500 species of animal and vascular plants, with large mammals and wild grasses being noteworthily common, and some species notably the Häsvarg (or Horsewolf) being well known as Datch in nature. Environmental degradation, notably the targetted extermination campaigns against animals deemed pests, and the cultivation of crops in the plains as well as industrial pollution has had a significant negative impact on the Datch ecosystem, however the Datch Conservation Bureau has taken steps to reduce degradation, in particular recommending stricter environmental regulations and an end to extermination hunts. Such efforts have done much to stop the decline of the Datch ecosystem but have not undone the damage caused already.

Demographics

According to the most recent census, the population of the State of Datchlia (in 2016) is populated by 32,620,742 citizens. There has been a slight upward trend in population growth, though birth rates have been outpaced in Datchlia by its neighbors. The State of Datchlia is relatively ethnically homogeneous with 92% of the population being part of the Datch ethnicities. Of these, the largest portion are Ghirali descended Tyrid (Black) Datch with sizable numbers of Hadradic (White) Datch peoples, and mixed descent Datch persons also being present. As with many Northwest Meridonian nations there is a trend towards greater intermixing, though Datchlia remains comparatively slow to follow this trend. Most of the population (52%) reports not being affiliated with any religion. The largest religious following is that of Traditionalist Diternalism with (28%), with Răscumpărare (17%) also having a significant following, and the rest of the religious makeup being comprised largely of traditional practitioners of tribal animistic faiths. 28% of the population as of the most recent census identifies as being part of the lgbt spectrum, the majority of whom are living within traditional Răscumpărare familial structures.

82% of the Datchlian population resides in urban areas, with 60% living in the twenty largest urban areas, and the rest living in cities of between fifty and one hundred fifty thousand denizens. There are currently twenty-two cities in the state of Datchlia with a population of over one hundred thousand, seven with a population of over one million, and two with a population of over two million. Most of the population lives along the Southern coast, or in the Tyr Flod region, with smaller concentrations of population on the South Bank of the Stor Flod, and near the northern mountain chain. Current urbanization trends indicate a decline in urbanization rates, and the stabilization of urban and rural population.

Largest cities or towns in Datchlia 2015 Census
	Rank		Territory	Pop.	Rank		Territory	Pop.
Giestberg Giestberg Kolen	1	Giestberg	Giestberg-Hadradstadt	3,711,205	11	Mugabenberg	Tyr Flod	668,125	Helsinborg Taastrup
	2	Kolen	Hertugdømme Kolische	2,416,892	12	Ballerup	Giestberg-Hadradstadt	666,750
	3	Helsinborg	Stor Flod	1,812,868	13	Byberg	Tyr Flod	566,647
	4	Taastrup	Stor Flod	1,672,681	14	Ilityren	Nordlige Bjerge	562,872
	5	Waden Ilmadad	Tyr Flod	1,456,500	15	Waden Hilen	Tyr Flod	547,486
	6	Waden Hasid	Tyr Flod	1,296,570	16	Waden Raden	Tyr Flod	532,564
	7	Hadradstadt	Giestburg-Hadradstadt	1,110,860	17	Slange	Giestberg-Hadradstadt	467,960
	8	Il Iresh	Giestberg-Hadradstadt	970,805	18	Orø	Hertugdømme Kolische	398,540
	9	Il Arden	Nordlige Bjerge	886,965	19	Afklippen	Nordlige Bjerge	323,871
	10	Tyrstadt	Tyr Flod	876,986	20	Langestadt	Hertugdømme Kolische	301,109

Government

Composition of the Datch Senate

  Labour Party: 25 seats

  Liberal Party: 19 seats

  Social Democratic Party: 5 seats

  National Front: 1 seat

The State of Datchlia is a unitary parliamentary republic and a representative democracy. The State of Datchlia's government is elected directly be the people with minority rights secured by the constitution. The legislative branch of the State of Datchlia is by far the strongest, with both the executive and the judicial in some way subordinate to the legislature. However, the legislature is limited in its authority over the other branches and has only the ability to make appointments and to attempt to impeach a sitting High Magistrate, or call for a vote of no confidence against a sitting Chancellor. Under Datchlian law there are three levels of government, the legislative and administrative national government, and the administrative municipal and territorial governments, with the localized layers of government largely intended to administrate the will of the national government. The three branches of government are as follows:

Legislative: The legislative body of the Datch State is bicameral with a 50 seat Senate and a 200 seat Parliament, which are both elected by the people (every three years for Parliament and every six for the Senate). The legislature has the power to pass laws, ratify treaties, and the power of purse. It has power over the executive and judiciary by appointing a Chancellor and High Magistrate, and having the ability to impeach a High Magistrate, or call for a vote of no confidence against a sitting Chancellor.

Executive: The executive is embodied in the office of the Chancellor, who is appointed by the parliament. The Chancellor serves as head of state, and as chief diplomat as well as having the power to declare wars, and cast tie breaking votes in the Datchlian Parliament. The Chancellor is appointed by the legislature, and is subject to no confidence measures at the behest of the legislature as well. The Chancellor is assisted by an administration of Ministries and Ministers appointed by the Chancellor and confirmed by the legislature.

Composition of the Datch Parliament

  Labour Party: 93 seats

  Liberal Party: 84 seats

  Social Democratic Party: 20 seats

  National Front: 3 seats

Judicial: The Judiciary is embodied by a High Magistrate who is appointed by the Senate, and who serves for a period of ten years after which they may not serve as High Magistrate again. The High Magistrate has the power of judicial review, and can block laws deemed unconstitutional on passage, or if challenged in a court of law within twenty years of its passage. The High Magistrate also casts the tie breaking vote in the Senate, and is in charge of impeachment proceedings, and the prosecution of government officials, excepting a magistrate.

The constitution enumerates the powers of the national government as well as its interactions with the more localized governments. The constitution through its bill of rights also enumerates the rights of citizens which include freedom of speech, conscience, press and of religion, as well as right of habeus corpus.

Parties and Elections

Elections occur on a three or six year basis (three for the Parliament, six for the Senate). All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote in these elections, as well as to stand for office. The parliament's seats are divided along proportional lines with each half of one percent of the national vote representing a seat in parliament. Each party is expected to maintain a list of party members actively intending to serve in parliament, to fill seats as necessary. The Senate on the other hand, relies on people running for Senatorial seats with each seat representing a district of Datchlia, candidates are elected with an instant runoff system being utilized. A new Chancellor is selected along the lines of the parliamentary elections, being appointed by the legislative body.

The State of Datchlia is a multiparty republic, currently operating with a majority government in the senate, and a coalition government in Parliament, with the social democratic Labour Party being the dominant party, ruling in the senate, and as the dominant partner in the Parliamentary coalition. The other parties with national representation are the Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the National Front.

Foreign Policy

The State of Datchlia maintains a diplomatic stance attempting to foster greater economic cooperation with the Meridonian nations, and in particular the nations of Northwest Meridon. The state of Datchlia maintains an embassy in almost every single Meridonian nation bar Versitea, Stipekia, and Snoaga, and maintaining consulates in Versitea and Stipekia. The State of Datchlia particularly tries to maintain strong relations with Finorskia, and with the internationalist government of Ghiraul, and maintains amiable relations with most of Northwest Meridon. The State of Datchlia is a foundational member of the Northwest Economic League, the founding member of the Hadradstadt Pact, and a senior member of the Meridonian Union, as well being a key non-Verdean contributor to the Pan-Verdean Restoration Corps, and an observing member of the Verdean Union.

Economy

Economic Indicators

Monetary Unit: Meridonian Unit (μ) Conversion Rate: μ1 = $1.7733 NSD Fiscal Year: Calendar Year Nominal GDP: $2,678,960,817,500 NSD GDP per Capita: $82,115 NSD Labor Force: 22,837,150 Unemployment: 730,789 (3.2%)

The economy of the State of Datchlia is a mixed-market with several key industries in Datchlia controlled directly by the State, but other industries privately owned and operated. Though regulation of private enterprise is fairly lax, a strong union presence has ensured a relatively high standards for employment through Datchlia. Datchlia is a net exporter, and in terms of political-economic policy is in favor of free trade, largely as a means to secure markets for Datchlian products. Datchlia's economy largely operates on advanced industry and high-tech services. As with many Meridonian states, the State of Datchlia uses the Meridonian Unit (μ} as its legal tender.

The Datchlian labor force consists of 22,837,150 persons. The state provides most of the jobs, employing 32% of the labor force, in large part through its ownership of industries. The largest private employers are the manufacturing sector with aerospace manufacturers (18%), consumer goods (10%), and maritime (6%) sectors being the largest employers in the State of Datchlia. Union membership is nearly universal in Datchlia.

Unemployment and Poverty

The State of Datchlia is one of the most highly developed nations in Meridon, and has some of the highest standards of living in the region. Unemployment exists however, and currently 730,789 citizens or roughly 3.2% are reporting themselves as being unemployed. Though there is some poverty in Datchlia, it is statistically insignificant in the eyes of the Meridonian agencies responsible for tracking unemployment and poverty in Greater Meridon.

Infrastructure

The Lon Bjerge nuclear power station in Northern Datchlia.

Datchlia is well renowned in Northwest Meridon for its infrastructural development. Overland transport is largely done via rail lines, though an extensive road network does also exist, and provides for the personal transport of many cities in the Northern reaches of Datchlia. Air transit is also quite common in the State of Datchlia, though not as common as is overland transit, and several well developed airfields dot the Datchlian countryside, and near most major cities. Datchlia also has many ports, and is a major overseas exporter. Communications are commonly done over the air, with cellular communications being by far the most common, though Datchlia also maintains a well developed fiber optic cable network. Energy in Datchlia is primarily provided by solar and wind sources with a strong focus on decentralized energy production over large power stations, it does however maintain a number of nuclear power stations, and other more primitive energy systems as a legacy from earlier years.

Government Finance

The Datchlian government maintains solvency primarily through taxation, with minimal tariff income and negligible income from other sources. The State of Datchlia's economy is 62% government controlled (totalling $1,660,955,706,850 NSD), though a large part of this is in non-liquid assets necessary for maintaining state owned industries. The national government is the largest user of total government assets, but distributes funding to territorial and municipal governments as is required.

Military

Datch soldiers of the Republikanske Vagtjægerregiment in a training excercise

The State of Datchlia maintains a moderately sized military force in the Datchlian Republican Armed Forces (DRVS), which operates under the command of the Chancellor of the State of Datchlia. The military is divided into four separate branches; The Datchlian Republican Army (DRA), The Datchlian Republican Maritime Force (DRMS) (formerly known as the Datchlian Republican Navy), The Datchlian Republican Naval Infantry (DRIM), and the Datchlian Republican Air Force (DRAS). The Datchlian armed forces are funded and supplied entirely by the state, and staffed entirely by volunteers and professional soldiers. There are currently 160,498 people serving in the Datch Armed Forces with 92,199 serving in the Army, 39,149 in the Maritime Force, 3,049 in the Naval Infantry, and 26,101 in the Air Force. The Datchlian Republican Armed Forces receives 2% of the Nation's GDP or roughly $53,579,216,350 NSD in funding every year with 35% ($18,349,214,905) going to the Army, 30% ($16,073,775,865) to the Maritime Force, 5% ($3,082,471,635) to the Naval Infantry, and 30% ($16,073,753,945) to the Air Force. The State of Datchlia is a nuclear armed state maintaining a small fleet of ballistic missile submarines and 36 nuclear warheads as its primary nuclear deterrent and strike arm.

Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement is primarily provided for at the local level in Datchlia, with municipal police offices and district sherrif's offices doing the bulk of the law enforcement work. Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for beat police work, traffic enforcement, and investigation of most crimes. In the event that local agencies cannot handle a situation by themselves, territorial governments also posses a cadre of counter-terrorism police, and the national government maintains a bureau of investigation which can provide assistance, expertise, and inter-jurisdiction law enforcement capabilities. There are currently 260,996 law enforcement officers working within the State of Datchlia with most working at the local level. Law Enforcement agencies collectively receive $53,579,216,350 in funding amounting to roughly 2% of Datchlia's total GDP.

Human Development

The State of Datchlia is a hyper-developed nation according to the Meridonian Economic Development Index, and is, as a result in the top 3 most highly developed economies in Greater Meridon. Further human development is a major government priority for the State of Datchlia, and funding of education, healthcare, and infrastructure are extremely high as a result. Additionally, Datchlia has become a major leader in human development, sponsoring development projects throughout Greater Meridon, particularly in its immediate vicinity, with the Narendian states (particularly Murmusa), and Göke which are notably underdeveloped in comparison to Datchlia.

Education

Datchlian schoolchildren in the Public School system of Hadradstadt.

Education in the State of Datchlia is public, as well as free and mandatory for all citizens under the age of 18, and university is also paid for, in most part by the state (which does mandate a period of civil service lasting four years for all beneficiaries of the paid for education). The education system is well funded, and teachers rank highly among public employees for pay and benefits. As of 2018, adults over the age of 15 report a 99% literacy rate, with adult citizens having a 100% literacy rate, this is with virtually no distinction between the sexes which are treated equally in terms of education.

Healthcare

The healthcare system is largely run and operated by the state, with small clinics and specialized institutions sometimes operating privately in conjunction with the larger, state owned enterprises. Roughly 17% of the Datchlian government's operating budget is directed towards maintenance of the healthcare system. Healthcare outcomes are relatively high for Datchlian citizens, who have an abnormally high life expectancy and moreso a health life expectancy. Current efforts of the Datch government are largely focused on maintenance over expansion as Datchlia's population growth has, on the whole, slowed down somewhat, and the need for healthcare is projected to plateau at the national level.

Daily Life

Standards of living are quite high for Datchlian citizens, with the average citizen possessing significantly greater access to resources than the average citizen of Datchlia's neighbors. In particular, personal electronic devices are nearly universal among Datchlians, and many Datchlians, particularly in the north are in possession of their own motor vehicles to supplement access to public transport. Similarly, labor saving technology is quite common among the Datch people, freeing up many to pursue hobbies and other interests.

Culture

Datchlia is the cultural locus of Datch Culture, and can be considered its exemplar. Datchlian citizens have, as is the case with most developed nations, become increasingly atheistic in nature, after the industrialization of Meridon, and as a result religion is seen as having only minimal influence on Datchlian culture. As a result, cultural artifacts are largely expressed through dance, and music, with Datchlians in particular favoring styles that demonstrate, and showcase the union of cultures that created Modern Datchlia. Datchlia maintains a domestic film and television industry and does export these products, though not to the same extent as does Verde, Capisaria, or even Finorskia. Most architecture built since 1932 follows futuristic stylings. Cuisine in the State of Datchlia is functional, especially in respect to the relatively cold climate of the country, and as a result stews are very common, with meats and root vegetables being the most common source of calories in Datch meals. Sport is quite common, with football being the most widely enjoyed; the State of Datchlia is a major competitor in the Meridonian Cup. Other sports commonly played in Datchlia are winter sports with the Biathlon being favored, as well as Skiing, in which Datchlia is a major competitor second only to Falkenslovask region of Finorskia.