Byennordvest

The Grand Duchy of Byennordvest
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Mitt land mitt hellige land
Capital	Byennorde
Official languages	Byeansk
Demonym(s)	Byeansk
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
• Grand Duke	Edvarde V
• Prime Minister	Runa Höelff
Legislature	Byeansk Stortrigesknet
Establishment
• Settlement	460 BC
• Foundation of De Vest	1092 AD
• Unification of The municipalities	1178 AD
• Second Monarchy	1234
• Byeansk Republic	1782 AD
• Third Monarchy	1884 AD
Area
• Total	380,720 km2 (147,000 sq mi)
Population
• 2018 estimate	5,595,900
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	USD $50 billion
• Per capita	USD 57,600
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	USD $30 billion
• Per capita	USD 55,692
Gini (2017)	25.2 low
HDI	0.9679 very high
Currency	Byeansk Krone
Time zone	UTC+1:00 (UET)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+72
Internet TLD	.bv

Byennordvest , officially the Grand Duchy of Byennordvest is a country located in the continent of Austrinalis. It is bordered by the outerlands and seprated from them by the Grøff mountain range. ByenNordVest's territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Byeansk plateau; the remote island of Jan Vernlansk and the archipelago of Trølland are also part of the of The Grand Duchal Kingdom of ByenNordVest.[note 1] The Antarctic Henter I Island and the sub-Antarctic Rølend Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part of the kingdom. ByeNordVest also lays claim to a section of the antarctic known as Joseffland.

The northern and western parts of the country are dominated by the Grøff mountain range while the fjorded east is less steep. Most of the population is concentrated on the eastern fjords.

Geography

Byennordvest is located in the continent of Austrinalis and shares a border with the outerlands to the south, north and west and the Byeansk sea to the east. Byennordvest is one of the southernmost nations in the world. Byennordvest has one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world, and some 80,000 islands off its much indented coastline. During the last ice age, the country was covered with a thick ice sheet. The movement of the ice carved out deep valleys. When the ice melted, the sea filled many of these valleys, creating Byennordvest’s numerous fjords. Of these fjords the largest is the Grøndfyord which stretches from the Byeansk sea to inner Effenland. Byennordvest is dominated by two main mountain ranges. To the west Byennordvest is Dominated by the Grøff Mountain range. The highest peak in the country Røadbabroshnik is located in northern Effenland. The Josef mountains dominate the eastern fjords and meet the Grøff mountain ranges in the Byeansk midlands. Byennordvest has a stunning array of lakes, most of which are concentrated in Houdanjavik which make up the Vestur Lakes. It is estimated that in total Byennordvest is home to over 1,000 lakes. As a result of its mountainous geography Byennordvest does not have much arable land with only around 5% of Byeansk land being used for agriculture. As a result of its southern latitude Byennordvest experiences phenomena such as midnight sun and aurora australis. Byennordvest is known one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth due to its physical geography and nature.

Map of Byennordvest

Climate

The climate of Byennordvest is temperate. Coastal areas generally experience a milder climate than inland areas with mountainous areas experiencing cooler temperatures and an alpine climate on average. Byennordvest experiences cool summers and harsh winters. Byennordvest experiences midnight sun and polar night. In the summer the average temperature can vary from 14°C to 16°C whilst in winter temperatures can go from 0°C to -17°C with mountainous areas and temperatures in extreme cases sometimes reaching as much as -29°C. With warm summers meaning temperatures can reach up to 25°C. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Byennordvest was -50°C in the upper Grøff mountain range and the highest temperature recorded being 30°C in The Lirkes peninsula.

Politics and Government

Edvarde V
Grand Duke
since 14 April 1989

Runa Höelff
Prime Minister of Byennordvest
since 12 August 2009

Byennordvest is a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state in which the monarch of Byennordvest, Grand Duke Edvard Røhllem av Trølland, is the head of state. Byennordvest is a high functioning democracy with the Byeansk constitution which was first written in 1884 and then ammended in 1967 putting emphasis on human rights, freedom of religion and the separtion of church and state. The government of Byennordvest is split into three branches. The executive whose power lies in the cabinet which is presided over by the Byeansk Prime Minister. The legislative branch of government which lies in the hands of the Byeansk Parliament the Stortrigesknet and the judiciary branch which is nominated by the executive. There is a high degree of government transparency and accountability leading to high satisfaction rates amongst the Byeansk public towards their government. Byennordvest can be described as a full democracy.

The government forms the executive branch of the government and is led by the Byeansk Prime Minister (Runa Höelff since 2009). The Prime Minister and the cabinet are accountable to the Stortrigesknet. The Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Crown on basis of the party composition in the Stortrigesknet. No vote of confidence is necessary to install a new government after an election. If the Stortrigesknet expresses its lack of confidence in the Prime Minister, the entire cabinet must step down, unless a new parliamentary election is called in which case the old government continues as a caretaker government until a new government can be formed. In Byennordvest it is very unusual for a single party to win a majority in the Stortrigesknet, because of this all governments that have been formed in the Grand Duchy have been coalition governments, the current coalition government is made up of four parties Sentrumparti, Byeansk Grønnaparti, Ekte Rødt and Ny Liberal. This coalition has been in existance since 2015. Before that the Byeansk Grønnaparti and Ekte Rødt ruled alongside the Sentrumparti of whom the Byeansk Prime Minister Runa Höelff is leadder. From the 1990's until 2005 the country had been ruled by successive Konservativ-Frøkrittsparti coalitions.

The members of the cabinet are all heads of government departments known as ministries.A department acts as the secretariat to the Minister. Its functions comprises overall planning, development and strategic guidance on the entire area of responsibility of the Minister. The Minister's decisions are carried out by the permanent and politically neutral civil service within the department. The legislative branch of the government is spearheaded by the Stortrigesknet which is made up of 170 members and is the unicameral parliament of Byennordvest. The government is accountable to parliament through the principle of parliamentary control (question hour, general debates and the passing of resolutions or motions). Ministers can be questioned by members of Parliament regarding specific government policy matters. Byennordvest has an highly independent judiciary

In accordance with the Byeansk Constitution the monarch as head of state is the theoretical source of all executive and legislative power. However, since the introduction of parliamentary sovereignty in 1894, a de facto separation of powers has been in effect. The current Grand Duke of Byennordvest Edvarde V has been on the throne since 1989. As Byennordvest is a constitutional monarchy, the monarch's role is largely ceremonial today, restricted in his or her exercise of power by the convention of parliamentary democracy and the separation of powers. However, the monarch does continue to exercise three rights. The Byeansk monarchy is one of the world's oldest dating back to the 12th century having been founded by Roska The Great. The only time in which they have not ruled the country was during the Byeansk Republic (1784-1884). Today the monarchy is well liked by the Byeansk people.

Foreign relations

Byennordvest is renound for its friendly relations with neighbouring nations. Byennordvest has the initiative of active foreign policy. Human rights, democracy and other crucial values are to be defended actively. Concerns such as fishing, whaling and geopolitical concerns dominate the Byeansk foreign policy. Although it has traditionally been a strong backer of Austrinalian intergration the Byeansk people on two seperate occasions have rejected further intergration into the Austrinalis Union project. This started with the rejection of AU membership in 2007 by referendum in which three quarters of the Byeansk population voted no to joining the UP and in a referendum on the future of the currency of Byennordvest the Byeansk public chose overwhelmingly to keep the Byeansk Krone over the alternative the Austrinalia. Byennordvest is noted for its pacifist stance towards conflict.

Military

A Royal Navy patrol boat on one of the country's many fjords

The military of Byennordvest is split into four main branches. The Land forces, The Royal Airforce, the Royal Navy and the Førren Serve. The primary goal of the Byeansk military is to protect the sovreignty of Byennordvest. The commander in chief of the military is Edvarde Røhllem av Trølland Grand Duke of Byennordvest. Byennordvest does not enforce conscription and due to its role on the world stage as a neutral country Byennordvest's troops usually take part in diplomatic excersises. During the 1960's the Byeansk government underwent heavy pressure to lower military spending. Although in recent years calls for an increase in spending, cyber security and capabilities to act in international operations and international stabilization efforts. The reaction speed is increased, with an entire brigade on standby readiness. The Byeansk land forces in the modern era are a mix of mechanized infantry and armoured cavalry. The land forces also provides protection for the Byeansk royal family, in the form of the Royal Guard Company. The Royal Navy consists of frigates, patrol vessels, mine-countermeasure vessels, and other miscellaneous vessels. The navy's chief responsibility is maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Byeansk territorial waters. The Royal Byeansk Air Force consists of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The Førren Serve, the fourth wing of the Byeansk armed forces began as a service to ferry people through Byennordvest's many fjords. However, in the early 19th century the Førren serve began to be an orginisation of exploration. It cemented its place in Byeansk history when its men mapped the Antarctic and is still used as a research orginisation today.

Economy

Byennorde skyline, the economic centre of the country

Byennordvest is classed as a high income mixed economy. Due to this Byennordvest enjoys high living standards with a high level of government services. Byennordvest has the third highest GDP in the world. In 1972 the Ekte Rød Democrats introduced the Tømlovejugevende which saw a steep rise in tax and a correspondingly high level of government-provided services (e.g. health care, child care and education services) and income transfers to various groups like retired or disabled people, unemployed persons, students, etc. another result of the Tømlovejugevende was the increase in union representation within the Byeansk labour market. In Byennordvest there is a high level of state owned enterprise, these high levels of state ownership have been motivated for a variety of reasons, but most importantly by a desire for national control of the utilization of natural resources. Direct state involvement began prior to the 20th century with the provision of public infrastructure, and expanded greatly into industry and commercial enterprises. The service industry dominates the Byeansk economy at 68.4% with the other dominant industry being manufacturing. In most of recorded history it has been an agricultural country with most of the population living on a subsistence level. Since the 19th century Byennordvest has gone through an intense technological and institutional development. The standard of living has experienced formerly unknown rates of growth, and the country has been industrialized and later turned into a modern service society. Only 4% of Byeansk territory is arable with the west of the country being doninated by the Grøff Mountain range and much of the east being dominated by fjords. Major Byeansk imports included medicines along with machinery.

Transport and infrastructure

Transport in Byennordvest is influended by its mountainous landscape in the west and its fjords and long coastline in the east. On average the level of public transport is very good with it being better on average in cities and built up areas than in the countryside. There are three tiers of Byeansk roads. National Roads, B-Roads and Primary Routes. Motorways exist around the largest cities; many of the larger cities have introduced toll schemes to help finance roads. Byennordvest's main motorways are conventrated in the east around major cities like Byennorde, Langtlegangett and Harlavanjö. There is only one motorway which goes into the Grøff mountain range which services the Municipal Region of Ravouskland and the cities of Ålvansa and Northensö. Rail transport in Byennordvest is likewise well functioning. The main rail network services the east coast of Byennordvest and the cities of Langtlegangett, Byennorde, Lirkesbourg, Grodnsk, Berthansbourg, Longbyren and Kuppavík and the cities of Effensbourg and Solenbourg. Tramways operate in Byennorde, Langtlegangett, Ålvansa and Harlavanjö. Rail transport in Byennordvest is run by the state owned Byenjaer-Banne. Dud to its fjorded eastern coast Byennordvest has an abundance of ferry services run by the Førren Serve a branch of thd Byeansk military. There are two railway and road tunnels that connect the city of Langtlegangett to Grodnsk and Grodnsk to the capital Byennorde.

Energy

Byennordvest is a substancial producer of energy. This is due to the large deposits of oil and natural gas located in the Byeansk sea. Byennordvest has a high rate of energy consumption. Reasons for this include industries with high energy consumption, high standards of living, cold climate and long distances. In 2005 the Byeansk governmemt produced the Nyegrønnaplanne which aimed to reduce carbon emissions and increase usage of renewable energy sources. One of the largest reasons for high energy consumption alone is heating. Byennordvest is home to three nuclear power stations another nuclear power station is under development and is expected to be completed by 2022. Other large sources of energy include peat and wind. The Byeansk government has put plans in place to eliminate all fossil fuel emissions by 2032 with the country already getting 75% of its energy from renewable sources. This can be contributed to old coal power plsnts being replaced by nuclear and wind power stations. Wind power was heavily invested in in the 1990's during the period in which the Nyegrønnaplanne was being written. Due to this Byennordvest is one of the worlds top producers of wind energy.

Demographics

The population of Byennordvest is around 5,500,000. One of the lowest populations in the world. This is due to it’s mountainous topography and extreme climate. As a result of this topography most of the Byeansk population live in the east of the country in the Eastfjords where the topography is significantly lower than the high mountains of the west. Byennordvest has a high life expectancy at 82.2 years this can be contributed to the expansive Byeansk welfare state and free healthcare. Byennordvest is classed as homogeneous with more than 80% of Byenjaer claiming to be ethically Byeansk. The largest non-Byeansk ethnic groups include Ankarans and those from West Antranobyle. Byennordvest’s population significantly rose in the 19th century as a result of industrialisation and improved living conditions and again increased during the 1920’s after the creation of the Byeansk welfare state. The main metropolitan areas of Byennordvest include the capital and largest city Byennorde, the Trøllish capital Langlegangett and the cities of Ålvansa, Ravouskland, Effensbourg the municipal capital of Effenland and Harlevanjö in the Houdansk capital. The most populated municipal region is Byennorde with the least populated being Ravouskland this can be contributed to the latter’s mountainous topography. There is a considerable Byeansk diaspora with considerable numbers being found in countries such as West Ankara. In terms of cultural and linguistic demographics the Trøllish people are set apart from other Byenjaers. The Trøllish language is often called a dialect of Byeansk whilst many people in Trølland would tell you it is a langue of its own.

Healthcare

Healthcare in Byennordvest is delivered through a universal public healthcare system which is funded through taxes gathered at a local council level. Byennordvest also has private healthcare although practitioners must be registered with their local municipal council. Both public and private healthcare meet the same standards and are largely the same in terms of service. Due to this there is high satisfaction rates towards the health service within Byennordvest. Byenjaers have a life expectancy of 82.2 years which is one of the highest in Jeneria. Byennordvest ranks amongst one of the happiest countries in the world. Byenordvest also has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world due to health promotion and public campaigns. Drug use has steadily fallen in Byennordvest due to heavy regulation as has the use of tobacco which came after a long campaign from the Byeansk government to limit its uses. The highest causes of death amongst Byeansk people include Cancer and cardiovascular disease. In terms of mental health Byennordvest has greatly improved throughout the last decade with there being heavy promotion of mental health awareness and methods to treat mental health issues drastically growing better within the last few years.

Religion

Kanstoff Cathedral in Byennorde

The largest religious body in Byennordvest is the Church of Byennordvest which is a Lutheran church and one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. The church of Byennordvest makes up 84% of the religious population of the country. Despite this it’s membership has seen a slight decline in recent years. There are small groups of other Christians including other Protestant denominations and Roman Catholics. The Byeansk population has been polled to show that 80% of the population are members of the Church of Byennordvest however in terms of weekly services only 4% are polled as attending week on week. Despite this the church and it’s ceremonies still plays a heavy role in Byeansk culture and ceremony with Easter, Christmas, Weddings and funeral services seeing large spikes in church attendance and still have gravity on a cultural level. Amongst the growing groups within these demographics include the irreligious amongst these are agnostics and atheists. Amongst the largest non-Christian religion in the country is Islam followed by Judaism.

Education

Byennordvest is renowned for its high level of education. Education in Byennordvest is delivered in three stages; Primary, Secondary and Higher. There are two main categories of Byeansk schools State schools and private schools. Education before the age of 6 is voluntary.The Byeansk education system puts heavy emphasis on learn through play at an early age. Formal education in Byennordvest begins at the age of 6 and Primary education lasts for 7 years. However many attend pre-schools beforehand. It is then mandatory that students then must attend secondary school until the age of 16. At the end of their third year in secondary education Byeansk students are required to sit a leaving exam. Once graduated from secondary education Byeansk students may choose to join the workforce or Pursue higher education in the form of universities and colleges. Byennordvest has five universities Harlevanjö, Byennorde, Rohelma University of Byennorde, Langtlegangett and Ålvansa. These universities are renowned as centres of learning and have ensured that Byennordevest has an extremely high rate of literacy and is one of the worlds highest ranking nations in terms of science and scientific publications.

Language

The predominant language in Byennordvest is Byeansk which is the official national language. Variations in the way that Byeansk is spoken can be seen throughout the country the most noticeable dialect exists in the municipal region of Trølland and is known as Trøllish. Speakers of the dialect claim that it is its own language. This is debated by many linguists who claim that it is simply a dialect of Byeansk. Other dominant dialects can be found in the Lirkes peninsula and North Effenland and Ravouskland. The Byeansk language has changed little since it was brought to what is today Byennordvest by the Første Mennesker. As well as Byeansk in schools the learning of foreign language is heavily encouraged with multilingualism being extremely high within the country. The most spoken foreign languages include Ankaran, English, Italian and Narvish. With the first, second and last being compulsory from the first grade to the end of secondary education. The only language with official status in Byennordvest is Byeansk however there is a growing campaign to give the Trøllish tongue official status. There is currently some legislation that gives the Trøllish language privileges in Trølland but none so far on a national level.