Nuvania

Nuvanian Free State Nuwanse Vrystaat
Flag
Motto: "Ons land, ons vryheid"(Asteriaans) "Our Land, Our Freedom"
Anthem: Die Stem van Nuwanië The Call of Nuvania
Capital and largest city	Pietersburg
Official languages	Asteriaans
Demonym(s)	Nuvanian
Government	Parliamentary republic
• State President	Walter Kronje
• Chief Minister	Robert Marten
Establishment
• Colonisation of Nuvania	12 October 1673
• Takeover by Estmere	20 July 1720
• Home rule	20 February 1811
• Independence of Nuvania	1 September 1886
Area
• Total	1,055,828 km2 (407,657 sq mi)
• Water (%)	0.8
Population
• July 2019 estimate	48,177,598
• 2015 census	47,448,333
• Density	44.9/km2 (116.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	July 2019 estimate
• Total	$1.37 trillion
• Per capita	$28,895
GDP (nominal)	July 2019 estimate
• Total	$530.33 billion
• Per capita	$11,177
HDI	0. low
Currency	Goudë (₲) (NUG)
Time zone	Nuvanian Standard Time
Driving side	left
Calling code	500
Internet TLD	.nu

Nuvania (Nuvanian: Nuwanië), officially the Nuvanian Free State (Nuwanse Vrystaat) is a sovereign state located in western Asteria Inferior. It is bordered to the west by Vlissingemond, to the northeast by Vilcasumanas, and to the east by Alforja, with coasts on the Vehmens Ocean and the Arucian Sea. With 47.4 million inhabitants, Nuvania is the second most populous country in Asteria Inferior.

Geography

At approximately 1,055,828 square kilometres (407,657 square miles), Nuvania is the third largest country in Asteria Inferior. It is home to a number of topographical features and ecoregions that have had a significant impact on the people that live there.

Northern Nuvania is composed of the Kustveld, a wide alluvial floodplain that extends from the northern slopes of the Grootreeks. The Kustveld is divided between the immediate littoral and seasonal floodplains, the drier but still humid insulaire kust and the foothills of the Grootreeks. The seasonal floodplains are known in Nuvania as the vloedlande and are a series of seasonal riparian wetlands and along the immediate coast, salt water swamps. These areas were once more extensive, but have since been drained to create farmland and urban areas, or have been modified to grow crops such as rice. The alluvial nature of the soils make the Kustveld one of the most fertile areas in Nuvania for pastures and crop growing, and the flat nature of the terrain make it suitable for the construction of large urban areas, making the Kustveld the most densely populated part of Nuvania. This has resulted in substantial losses of forest in the region, in addition to riparian and coastal wetlands.

The Droëveld dominates central Nuvania, stretching from the border with Vilcasuamanas in the east to the coast on the far northern Sublustrian Sea in the west. It is one of the most sparsely populated areas in Nuvania. Much of the terrain is rolling or largely flat, with dry and seasonal streams, and lakes interspersed among eroded gullies known as grootkraake which flood during heavy rains. Within the Droëveld are multiple different zones, although the largest itself is called Droëveld, meaning "dry field". Droëveld is typically flat or rolling terrain with grass cover and cacti, shrubs as principal cover, although trees used to the difficult climate are also found. The soil is a mixture of ancient alluvial [[Wikipedia:sands}] and clay, which is easily eroded. While parts resemble a desert, the droëveld is not considered a true desert but instead a tropical dry forest. The flatter parts of the droëveld are simply referred to as the veld. The area is rich in iron ore, with virtually all of Nuvania's iron ore mines located in this region.

Bushveld is found along the south facing slopes of the Grootreeks and typically consists of dry forests and bushland along the foothills and principal ranges themselves. Here the terrain mostly consists of rugged, often inaccessible terrain with deep valleys, and steep mountain slopes. This area has greater vegetation cover owing to its altitude, as it collects the precipitation from coastal weather systems during the short wet season, in addition to numerous fresh water springs. The bushveld is more prevalent towards the western coast, and largely does not exist towards the border with Vilcasuamanas.

The Westveld is a name given to the area of flat lands between the coast and the droëveld which principally exists in Steynland. This area marks the transition between the rolling terrain of the droëveld and the low coastal plains. The westveld is especially known for the {[wpl|red soils]] rich in iron ores and oxides, as well as the comparatively little vegetation cover aside from certain species of palms. It is the smallest of the veld regions in Nuvania, and aside from the vegetation, has little defining features.

Nuvania shares the Van Horn Strait with Vlissingemond, and much of its western coast immediately faces the eastern coast of Vlissingemond. Known in Nuvania as the West Kust, this area stretches from southwestern Kaap province through Steynland, Arania, and northwestern Suid Arania. It is predominantly flat and either sandy or alluvial in nature as the rivers that cross the central veld region empty into the Van Horn Strait. Like the westveld, there is very little to define it from other parts of the coast aside from the relative aridity. However, the West Kust has significant deposits of phosphates which are economically important to local communities. The southern coast that faces the Sublustrian Sea proper shares much of the same features, but lacks the phosphate deposits.

Nuvania's dominant geographic feature is the Grootreeks, a series of ranges stretching from Vilcasuamanas into northern Nuvania. The Grootreeks form part of an ancient rift system that separated the Asterias millions of years ago, with rift faulting and continental drift still occurring. Because of the nature of the Grootreeks, much of the soil and rock higher up is volcanic in nature, and seismic activity is still present in the mountain chain, although few large earthquakes are recorded. Geothermal activity takes place on both the northern and southern sides of the mountain range, the most famous being the Duiwelsbad Hot Springs near Meyershof. Because of the tectonic nature of the origin of these mountains, the Grootreeks are rich in numerous minerals, including precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, with the latter being found most abundantly in the southern ranges. The Grootreeks are home to numerous mountain peaks over 4,000 metres in height despite being outside of the primary crustal uplift. The tallest mountain in Nuvania is Mount de Wet at 4,507 metres (14,786 feet) in height, located in the Central Range of the Grootreeks.

A spur from the same mountain range can be found in southern Nuvania, close to the frontier with x. These are known as the Kleine Grootreeks. These mountains are unusual in that they were formed in a similar manner to the Grootreeks, but are much older, and therefore are more eroded and weathered. Scientists have dated the rocks at over two billion years old, and consider the Kleine Grootreeks to have been a part of an ancient rift system which could have been involved in the creation of both Asteria Inferior and Asteria Superior. These mountains contain a number of minerals, but are less mineral rich than the Grootreeks themselves. Rondetop is the tallest mountain in the Kleine Grootreeks at 2,251 metres (7,385 feet) in height.

Most river courses in Nuvania are seasonal or dry, especially in the central veld region. In the north, there is ample rainfall where permanent rivers and streams flow. The longest river in this region is the Bruin at 328 kilometres long. The longest river in Nuvania is the Krige River at 862 kilometres.

Government

Constitution

The Constitution of Nuvania (Grondwet van Nuwanië) is the supreme law under which the government of Nuvania operates. It outlines the relationship between the head of state and the head of government and powers vested in those offices, the roles and responsibilities of the National Council, and the relationship between the provinces of Nuvania and the state. The constitution does not provide protections for certain rights and privileges, something which has been the subject of considerable controversy.

The Constitution of Nuvania was formally adopted on June 8, 1895 and a provision within the constitution makes June 8 a statutory holiday within Nuvania. The process for the creation of a codified constitution began with the adoption of the Independence Act 1884 two years prior to Nuvania gaining independence, which contained among others a requirement for the House of Commons in the then Nuvanian Parliament to begin the process of drafting a written and codified constitution. Disagreements and delays plagued the creation of the constitution which resulted in its adoption nearly a decade after Nuvania became an independent state.

In its role as the supreme law in Nuvania, the constitution functions as the metric through which government legislation, government decision making, and government policy is measured.

State President

The State President (Staatspresident) is the head of state of Nuvania. The office was created after independence in 1886 with a provisional office before the first presidential election was held in 1888. Since then there have been an additional eighteen elections for president.

The Office of the State President is a political one. Candidates are required to have served a minimum of ten years in either house of the National Council, are to be a minimum of 35 years old, as well as meet the same restrictions for voters and to be a member of either house of the National Council. Each State President is elected to a term of seven years, and since 1930, has been limited to two terms to be served in succession.

Officially the State President appoints the Chief Minister and each minister within the Cabinet of Ministers, and has the right of refusal to appoint candidates. In practice refusal has never occurred. Cabinet ministers are appointed on the recommendation of the Chief Minister. The State President can dismiss a sitting Chief Minister and sitting cabinet ministers, if the former has lost the confidence of both the General Council and the Legislative Council, and the latter if they have lost the confidence of the Chief Minister.

The State President functions as the executive within Nuvania, and thus acts both as the Commander in Chief of the Nuvanian Armed Forces, and the final authority in Nuvania. Only the State President may declare war. Furthermore all legislation that passes both houses of the National Council must be approved and signed into law by the State President. The State President may refuse to sign legislation into law, and can have legislation reviewed by the Supreme Court.

In addition to these powers, the State President appoints all judges to the Supreme Court and other state courts, signs treaties, accredits ambassadors, and can pardon or commute sentences upon request. Many of these functions often involve the advice of the government, or the Law Commission (Wetskommissie).

Chief Minister

The Chief Minister (Hoofminister) is the head of government of Nuvania. This office predates that of the State President, and was created under Estmerish control with the adoption of the Home Rule Act in 1811. It was originally referred to as the Office of the Prime Minister of the Realm of Nuvania, but was changed upon independence in 1886, with the creation of the Office of the Chief Minister (Kantoor van die Hoofminister), commonly abbreviated to KHM.

Officially appointed by the State President, the Chief Minister effectively is the leader of the party with the majority in both houses of the National Council. The requirements to become Chief Minister are essentially the same as that of State President, with the added requirement of being a leader of a registered political party with representation in both houses of the National Council. Chief Ministers are elected to a term in office of five years, which can be renewed indefinitely. In practice, an incumbent Chief Minister lasts for around two terms before they are replaced as leader.

Chief Ministers retain some of the powers that were inherited from Estmerish customs when the office was created in 1811. Officially they act as an adviser to the State President on constitutional matters, government appointments, and on other issues, such as the dissolution of the National Council. They set and assist in implementing government policy, and alongside the State President, represent Nuvania overseas on official tours. In this respect both the Chief Minister and the State President have dual roles in international affairs. Chief Ministers also have some controls over some intelligence services as well as government funding. Both of these roles are delegated, however, to ministers within the cabinet.

Elections

Elections in Nuvania are organised by the National Election Authority (Nasionale Verkiesingsowerheid, NVW), an independent agency associated with the Ministry of National Affairs (MNS). It was established on June 17, 2009 as a replacement for the General Election Commission (Algemene Verkiesingskommissie, AVK), then a child agency of the Ministry of National Affairs, due to international pressure for free and fair elections.

The role of the NVW is to organise and oversee national and provincial elections, promote electoral law compliance, as well as educate and inform the general public on matters of electoral importance, such as referendums. It also has an ancillary function of providing the government with recommendations regarding Nuvania's electoral system, although these are largely ignored.

In order to be able to vote in Nuvania, an individual must be 18 years of age and registered on the National Electoral Register (Nasionale Kiesregister, NKR). The NKR has the personal contact details of all of those legally allowed to vote in Nuvania. To be able to register, an individual must have proof of address, proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate or passport, and meet minimum literacy requirements.

Nuvania has been criticised for its restrictive regulations regarding who is able to vote. Current electoral law allows citizens, persons not currently serving a prison sentence of more than four years, and those that meet minimum literacy requirements as being able to enroll, and therefore able to vote. Many of these laws date from the early days of Nuvania as an independent state, and the minimum literacy laws date from the dominion era. Originally these requirements simply stated a person had to write their own name to be considered literate enough to vote, but this has since been changed to include the correct spelling of one's name and address on the enrollment form. Because of these requirements, at least 12% of Nuvania's population cannot vote. An additional 1.5% are disenfranchised due to the restrictions against prisoners voting.

Judiciary

Nuvania follows a hybrid system of law that combines aspects of both Hennish law and Estmerish law, both inherited from the early colonial period. Although Nuvania became an independent country in the 19th century, both of these influences have translated into the judiciary that exists in the modern day.

Despite being a unitary state, the judiciary is largely the responsibility of the provinces, and is principally funded and administered by them. This is, in part, due to historical communications difficulties and sparsely populated areas in Nuvania which were covered by the judicial system.

At the lowest level there are Municipal Courts (Munisipalehouwe) which deal with small civil and criminal matters. These range from small claims and neighbour disputes, to dealing with minor crimes like breaches of the peace, parking and traffic fines, and other such issues. Each municipality within Nuvania has at least one court to deal with these matters, usually shared within the same premises as higher courts.

A District Court (Distrikshof) functions between the municipal courts and magistrates courts. These deal with the most court cases in Nuvania, and deal with criminal law, civil law, and family law. District Courts are overseen usually by one judge or a panel of judges in some instances. Unlike most jurisdictions, Nuvania does not practice trial by jury.

The highest level of the court system in the provinces is the Magistrates Court (Landdroshof) which has considerable powers over interpretation of legislation as well as the powers of establishing legal precedents. Magistrates have the ability to interpret law and rule in accordance with the circumstances in specific cases, and these precedents can be followed by other judges. Only the most serious of criminal cases and significant civil cases are heard in Magistrates Court.

Outside of the provincial court system there exist what is known as the "parallel system" (parallelstelsel) of courts pertaining to specific areas of law. Included within these courts is the Labour Court (Arbeidshof) which exclusively pertains to disputes surrounding labour laws and their enforcement, the Business Court (Besigheidhof), which exclusively pertains to laws and regulations surrounding businesses and business competition. Both of these have attached appeals courts.

The highest court in Nuvania is the Supreme Court (Hooggeregshof) which acts as the final court of appeal, as well as a constitutional court, as those appointed to it have the ability to determine legislation or other laws as being in line with the provisions of the constitution. There are six judges that sit on the Supreme Court, with these positions considered to be a "life privilege" (lewensvoorreg) which means that judges can sit on the Supreme Court for life, or until they resign.

Judges within the provincial court system are appointed by the premiers of each province, with the Labour, Business, and Supreme Court judges appointed by the State President.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement in Nuvania is primarily provided by the National Police Service (Nasionale Polisiediens), simply known in Nuvania as the polisie. It is the largest law enforcement agency in Nuvania with approximately 142,691 personnel in 2019, including over 80,000 sworn officers. For the 2018-19 financial year the National Police Service had an operating budget of ₲21.90 billion ($2.65 billion). It is primarily under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice but operates more or less autonomously.

The National Police Service is split between eight provincial commands, each responsible for law enforcement within a particular province. It is tasked with general law enforcement, in addition to the investigation and prevention of criminal activities. Outside of criminal investigations and general law enforcement, the National Police Service has other responsibilities, including the issuing of various permits and identification documents, monitoring the incoming and outgoing monetary transfers of foreign citizens and Nuvanians that go in and out of Nuvania, counter-terrorism intelligence sharing and operations, and riot control.

Outside of the National Police Service, there are four other agencies which have similar powers as police. These are the Nuvanian Customs Service (Nuwanse Gebruikediens), which controls all points of entry into Nuvania and maintains passport controls, in additon to enforcing immigration laws and policies, the Nuvanian Parks Service (Nuwanse Parkediens), which is responsible for the management and maintenance of Nuvania's national parks, the National Prison Service (Nasionale Gevangenisdiens), which is responsible for Nuvania's prisons, and the Nuvanian Coast Guard (Nuwanse Kuswag), which enforces maritime laws within Nuvanian territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as well as performing search and rescue operations over Nuvania's designated area of responsibility.

Municipalities are allowed to create and fund their own police services to enforce local by-laws and provide traffic enforcement at a local level. These police forces are subject to the same legal responsibilities, requirements, and limitations as the National Police Service, but are entirely independent of the Ministry of Justice. Most municipal police forces are not routinely armed, and often provide assistance to the National Police Service.

Administrative Divisions

Provinces

Provinces are the highest tier of local governance in Nuvania, with the country divided between eight of them. The roles, responsibilities, and powers of the provinces are outlined in the Constitution of Nuvania, with most provinces coming into existence upon independence in 1886.

Each province has its own elected government divided between the Provincial Assembly (Provinsiale Vergadering) and the Executive Council (Uitvoerende Raad). The latter is headed by a Chief Executive (Uitvoerendehoof) who serves as the province's executive.

Provincial Assemblies essentially are deliberative bodies as opposed to a legislative body as in the national legislature. Membership of the assemblies is part time, and many members often have other jobs in addition to their roles as members. Their role is primarily to hold the Executive Council and the Chief Executive to account, as well as approve spending, infrastructure projects, and other provincial matters that require deliberation. Members can chose to be partisan, and are limited to renewable six year terms. The numbers of members are decided upon by population, and members are elected from constituencies.

Executive Councils are the upper tier of provincial governments, and are mandated to contain no more than 15 members and more than five members. Each council is responsible for the governance of a province and utilising the powers that provincial authorities have. These are controls over environmental management, including air and water quality, local civil defence, and the planning and construction of infrastructure. In addition, provinces may institute or otherwise issue contracts for inter-urban public transportation. Each councilor is elected from an at large open list for a renewable term of six years using single transferable vote, with the person on the list with the most votes becoming the Chief Excutive.

Districts

Districts (distrikte) are the second tier administrative level in Nuvania. There are approximately 154 districts in Nuvania, with an average of 19 districts per province. Districts are not covered by the constitution but instead have their structure and powers laid out in the Local Government Reform Act 1945.

Districts are divided between urban districts and rural districts based on population. Urban districts, often referred to as city councils, are defined as urban areas with over 50,000 inhabitants. Rural districts are defined as all other districts not meeting the definition of an urban district. District borders are established through the provincial branch of the Local Government Board. Each district council has between five and ten elected councilors elected through single transferable vote from an at-large list every six years.

Districts have the responsibility to provide direct utility services to their residents, these primarily being sewage, water, and waste collection, but occasionally include electricity and household gas supplies. Districts are responsible for the maintenance of infrastructure and roads that are not already under the responsibility of provincial and central governments, as well as the planning and provision of public transport.

Municipalities

Municipalities (munisipaliteite) are the lowest form of internal administration in Nuvania. Municipalities have the least amount of powers and responsibilities within local administration, but do have some important roles. There are approximately 1,124 municipalities in Nuvania.

Municipalities are usually centered around a specific part of larger cities, individual towns in some rural areas, or a collection of villages, hamlets, and settlements, usually with a few thousand residents. They are entirely reliant on provincial and central government for funding. Municipal councils are limited to exactly five persons plus a mayor, and are subject to the same electoral procedures as districts.

Powers reserved for municipalities include establishing zoning laws for residential, commercial, and industrial developments, and local police. In addition, urban municipalities can provide some of the utilities usually reserved for districts, as well as public transport.

Reserves

Most of Nuvania's Asterindian inhabitants live within what is officially termed as Lands Reserved For the Indigenous Peoples of Nuvania (Lande Gereserveer vir die Inheemse Volke van Nuwanië, LGIVN), commonly known as "reserves" (reserwes). Reserves were first created in the mid-19th century as a way of relocating Asterindian off productive agricultural land or to expand urban settlement. These were largely informal and temporary settlements which either grew into some of the poorest suburbs in Nuvania's largest cities, or fulfilled their role and the inhabitants allowed to settle elsewhere. The reserves that exist today stem from the policy of containment (bevalling) introduced by Chief Minister Phillippus Van Straaten and expanded under Frederich Steytler. These reserves were created purely as a method of concentrating and containing Asterindian populations within designated areas, often at the fringes of society.

Reserves effectively functioned as permanent concentration camps until 1960, when the government changed policy from containment to separation (skeiding) where those living in reserves could govern themselves as a state within a state. This allowed for the government to withdraw personnel and services from these reserves, with the intention that the reserves would be self managing and self funding. Despite this, the government still has some responsibilities over the reserves and has begun reinvesting in these areas to address high crime rates, as well as high unemployment and illiteracy.

Officially reserves have powers over most of their affairs, including governance, taxation, law enforcement, and some statutory laws. The latter have mostly been to address issues such as alcohol abuse, with central government providing some services such as education, healthcare, vehicle licencing, as well as assistance in natural disasters. Judicial matters and disputes involving reserve residents or reserves themselves are resolved through the provincial court system outside of the reserves. Residents of reserves require separate identification cards and are subject to travel restrictions. Access to these reserves is restricted, and permission from both the reserve management and the [[Ministry of Indigenous Affairs\\ is needed in order to visit them.

As of 2019, approximately 8.32 million Asterindian in Nuvania live within 150 registered reserves, accounting for 87.3% of the Asterindian population.