Artarum: Difference between revisions
Vistulange (talk | contribs) m ("Khashukh" changed to "Ereva", which at least has a certain logic in Hebrew, whereas the former was completely made up.) |
Vistulange (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
|government_type = {{wp|Unitary state|Unitary}} {{wp|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wp|constitutional monarchy}} | |government_type = {{wp|Unitary state|Unitary}} {{wp|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wp|constitutional monarchy}} | ||
|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Artarum|Emperor]] | |leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Artarum|Emperor]] | ||
|leader_name1 = | |leader_name1 = Lothar I | ||
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Artarum|Prime Minister]] | |leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Artarum|Prime Minister]] | ||
|leader_name2 = | |leader_name2 = Anthony Bishop | ||
|leader_title3 = | |leader_title3 = | ||
|leader_name3 = | |leader_name3 = | ||
| Line 91: | Line 91: | ||
|HDI_rank = | |HDI_rank = | ||
|HDI_year = 2015 | |HDI_year = 2015 | ||
|currency = [[Pound sterling]] (£) | |currency = Imperial [[Pound sterling]] (£) | ||
|currency_code = | |currency_code = IBP | ||
|time_zone = AST (Artarumen Standard Time) | |time_zone = AST (Artarumen Standard Time) | ||
|utc_offset = | |utc_offset = | ||
| Line 294: | Line 294: | ||
The Artarumen Empire is a {{wp|constitutional monarchy}} with a {{wp|Parliamentary Democracy|parliamentary government}} based on the {{wp|Westminster system|Tyn system}}. The Imperial Parliament convenes in Tyn Palace, and has two houses: The directly elected House of Commons and the appointed House of Lords. The Imperial Parliament is sovereign, with no body in Artarum being legally recognised to override its laws. The title of Prime Minister is granted to the head of the Artarumen government. The position of Prime Minister is traditionally and practically held by the individual who holds the majority of votes in the House of Commons; this individual is usually the leader of a political party that other parties has agreed to enter into a coalition with or support, thus giving them a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. The Prime Minister forms a Cabinet, appointing its members to form the Government. | The Artarumen Empire is a {{wp|constitutional monarchy}} with a {{wp|Parliamentary Democracy|parliamentary government}} based on the {{wp|Westminster system|Tyn system}}. The Imperial Parliament convenes in Tyn Palace, and has two houses: The directly elected House of Commons and the appointed House of Lords. The Imperial Parliament is sovereign, with no body in Artarum being legally recognised to override its laws. The title of Prime Minister is granted to the head of the Artarumen government. The position of Prime Minister is traditionally and practically held by the individual who holds the majority of votes in the House of Commons; this individual is usually the leader of a political party that other parties has agreed to enter into a coalition with or support, thus giving them a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. The Prime Minister forms a Cabinet, appointing its members to form the Government. | ||
The members of the Cabinet are traditionally drawn from the party of the Prime Minister, as well as the parties of supporting coalition partners if applicable. Cabinet appointments are not subject to the review of the Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The current Prime Minister is [[ | The members of the Cabinet are traditionally drawn from the party of the Prime Minister, as well as the parties of supporting coalition partners if applicable. Cabinet appointments are not subject to the review of the Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The current Prime Minister is [[Anthony Bishop]] who was sworn in on the the 1st of April 2020, succeeding Montgomery Walther Rorschach. | ||
For elections to the House of Commons, Artarum is divided into 650 constituencies, each electing a single representative to the House of Commons. General elections are called for by the Emperor on the advice of the Prime Minister, at his pleasure, though elections for the House of Commons must be held at least every five years. | For elections to the House of Commons, Artarum is divided into 650 constituencies, each electing a single representative to the House of Commons. General elections are called for by the Emperor on the advice of the Prime Minister, at his pleasure, though elections for the House of Commons must be held at least every five years. | ||
| Line 372: | Line 372: | ||
===Languages=== | ===Languages=== | ||
{{wp|English language|Artarumen}} is the {{wp|de facto}} official language of Artarum, and the {{wp|de jure}} official language of the national government. Afrikaans is the second-most spoken language, though less than 4 percent of the country speaks it as a native language, though it is a popular language for many Artarumen, especially following the large-scale emigration of white Boers from Bergsehuis in 2020. | {{wp|English language|Artarumen}} is the {{wp|de facto}} official language of Artarum, and the {{wp|de jure}} official language of the national government. Afrikaans is the second-most spoken language, though less than 4 percent of the country speaks it as a native language, though it is a popular second language for many Artarumen to learn, especially following the large-scale emigration of white Boers from Bergsehuis in 2020. | ||
===Largest cities=== | ===Largest cities=== | ||
| Line 404: | Line 404: | ||
| img_4 = | | img_4 = | ||
| city_5 = | | city_5 = Kingsmoor | ||
| div_5 = | | div_5 = Kingsmoor | ||
| pop_5 = 11,115,020 | | pop_5 = 11,115,020 | ||
| img_5 = | | img_5 = | ||
| Line 414: | Line 414: | ||
| img_6 = | | img_6 = | ||
| city_7 = | | city_7 = Northampton | ||
| div_7 = | | div_7 = Northampton | ||
| pop_7 = 7,547,620 | | pop_7 = 7,547,620 | ||
| img_7 = | | img_7 = | ||
Revision as of 09:47, 12 April 2020
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Artarumen Empire | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Imperial Coat of Arms
| |
| Motto: A Light Upon Nations | |
| Anthem: Artarum Above All Royal anthem: God Save the Emperor | |
| Capital | Liudan |
| Largest city | Rumlew |
| Official languages | Artarumen |
| Ethnic groups (2015) | Artarumen (91.4%) Other (8.6%) |
| Demonym(s) | Artarumen |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Emperor | Lothar I |
| Anthony Bishop | |
| Legislature | Imperial Parliament |
| House of Lords | |
| House of Commons | |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,809,567 km2 (1,084,780 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 7.1 |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 156,717,980 |
• 2015 census | 156,171,800 |
• Density | 56/km2 (145.0/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | £11.635 trillion |
• Per capita | £74,500 |
| Gini (2015) | 27.5 low |
| HDI (2015) | 0.931 very high |
| Currency | Imperial Pound sterling (£) (IBP) |
| Time zone | AST (Artarumen Standard Time) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +1 |
| ISO 3166 code | ART |
| Internet TLD | .ar |
The Artarumen Empire, commonly known as Artarum, is an archipelago country located on the Artarumen Archipelago in the Artarumen Sea, north of the continent of Aurelia. It occupies several of islands, though three major ones constitute the majority of the country. In addition to its metropolitan area, Artarum maintains a vast network of colonies, protectorates, and dominions throughout the world. Being an archipelago nation, it has no land neighbours. It has the longest coastline in the world, and with an area of 2,809,567 square kilometres, it is one of the larger countries on Earth. As of 2015, Artarum has a population of approximately 156 million people, the vast majority of which are white Artarumen.
Artarum is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, with a purely ceremonial Emperor, the real power in the country being held by the Prime Minister. The capital of Artarum is Liudan, a global city and financial centre. It is consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world. Other major cities in Artarum are Rumlew, Ventnor, Silban, and Kaldan.
Artarum emerged in the late 1500's as a unified nation, raiding nearby islands for valuables and slaves. Following a political standoff between the King and the Parliament, the Parliament took upon itself all practical power in the realm, prompting a large scale colonisation and exploitation drive. From then on, Artarum transitioned into a ruthless trading state, first employing mercantilist policies alongside its newly forming overseas empire, and transitioning to a free market economy during the 1800's. In 1878, the Empire was declared and Euric I was crowned the first Emperor of Artarum. The Empire continued to expand, protected by the immensely powerful Imperial Navy and its land forces the Imperial Marines, until the mid-1950's. By the start of the 1960's, the political system and its deadlock created a series of economic and political problems, causing a number of colonies and dominions to declare independence in a series of rebellions. These rebellions turned into outright war between Artarum and its colonies, with the 1960's being dominated by war and conflict, known as the Great War. The Great War left Artarum in economic crisis and political turmoil despite its eventual victory. In the 21st century, political reforms and economic overhauls are also accompanying a mostly peaceful process of independence for Artarum's vast overseas empire, as the country is largely considered to be unable to maintain the costs of such commitments. By mid-2020, many of the colonies held by Artarum were granted independence, and multiple large-scale reforms undertaken in the country's political, social, and economic systems had overseen the transformation of the decrepit empire into a modern nation-state, though still nominally an empire.
Artarum is a developed country and has one of the world's largest economies, both by GDP and purchasing power parity. It is a very high-income economy and has a "very high" Human Development Index, ranking one of the highest in the world. It was one of the primary mercantile nations in the world and the foremost naval power for a few centuries. It remains a regional power and is also one of the worlds principal great powers with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear-weapons state.
History
Prehistory
The first trace of human life in Artarum is traced back to around 15,000 BCE, when vast glaciers connected the archipelago to mainland Aurelia. Jagged arrowheads made out of rocks, alongside spearheads, indicate that the culture was primarily a hunter-gatherer society for quite long, and the increasing sophistication of these tools over time indicate to modern archaeologists that these cultures remained hunter-gatherers for longer than peoples living in more temperate climates and conditions. Indeed, due to the sheer lack of arable land, rugged terrain, and hostile climate, these humans were forced to make a living through fierce competition with others, and the first tribes that formed were savagely protective of the few resources they had.
The southern islands, however, are observed to have transitioned to sedentary, agricultural societies relatively sooner compared to the northern islands, as the conditions there were comparably more suitable for farming and herding. The first cities of the archipelago developed primarily in the southern part of the archipelago primarily due to this reason, with one of the oldest discovered human settlements in Artarum being on the banks of a river, at the southern tip, a particularly well-suited geography for agriculture.
Artarumen League
As the entire archipelago transitioned into a sedentary lifestyle, though with some remaining
Kingdom of Artarum
The largest of the northern islands eventually grew to be the strongest of the five, expanding out of the Artarumen archipelago and beginning to extract resources from its colonies. Its colonial administration was, even then, marked by a decidedly poor treatment of the locals and large-scale discrimination, though very little instances of slavery exist and it was largely illegal from the very beginning. Under Thorismund the Great, this island gradually conquered the other three northern islands and declared the creation of the Kingdom of Artarum in 1578, laying claim to all islands in the archipelago.
Conquest of the Isles
This began a war that would last for three decades, with Thorismund and his dynasty being wiped out due to disease, assassination, or battle. The islands were unified in 1607, under the House of Nibelunging, with Euric I Nibelunging crowned the first King of a unified Artarum on 5 May 1608. In the aftermath of this conflict, a compromise had to be reached with the powerful patrician families of the southern islands in order to buy their loyalty to the crown, culminating in the creation of the Parliament in 1 September 1609.
Supreme Declaration
Despite Euric I's initially successful compromise with the wealthy patricians of the south, the rifts between the King and the Parliament continued to increase during the rule of his successors. His son and successor, Euric II, sought to dissolve the Parliament indefinitely, but failed to do so after his levies were outmatched by Parliament's hired, professional troops, forcing him to abdicate the throne in lieu of his brother, Alaric I. Alaric I proved to be far more co-operative with Parliament, but more and more authority was usurped by the Parliament over time, eventually ending up with the authority to raise armies and levy taxes being assumed by the Parliament. Alaric I died childless, with the throne passing to a cousin of Euric I, Sigeric I. Sigeric I was largely considered to be inept and incapable of leading the Kingdom, with the King's council transforming into the Cabinet around this time and assuming far more responsibilities for the management of the realm. Sigeric I died under suspicious circumstances in 1687, with Euric III ascending to the throne.
Considered a tyrant and unfit for the throne, the Parliament began to move to remove this unpopular King. While this was unheard of in Artarumen history, Parliament nevertheless declared that it, and it alone, held sovereignty over the entirety of the Kingdom of Artarum in what was called the "Supreme Declaration" on 10 August 1688. The royal palace was surrounded and raided, with the royal family being arrested on falsified charges of treason. Euric III acceded to Parliament's demands. He and his family were spared, and he was permitted to retain the throne, but at the cost of turning Artarum into a de facto constitutional monarchy. From then on, the House of Nibelunging would no longer have any political clout.
Imperial Artarum
With the Supreme Declaration and the subsequent political upheaval behind them, the Kingdom of Artarum could look to the future. Immediately, an expansionist policy was adopted by the Parliament, in which the southern, more peace-oriented factions lost power in favour of the northern factions who preferred a more militant foreign policy. Spurred by developing technology as well as a dedication to meritocratic rule, alongside radical reforms which decreased the role of noble birth and increased skill and talent in every aspect of life, the administration of the Kingdom was centralised and streamlined, with the first centralised military being formed around the late 17th century.
This military was incredibly effective in its time, with an equivalent Navy being formed parallel to it. The Navy gained importance with the advent of foreign colonies, and its importance was emphasised throughout Artarumen history as it was a nation of islands. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kingdom forged a massive overseas empire, extracting all sorts of resources and leading a mercantilist trade policy, forcing all of its colonies to import from Artarum proper at high prices. While unpopular, the natives could not resist the sheer might of the Artarumen Army and the Artarumen Navy, the last of which rigorously protected its shipping lanes.
With the conquest of a large subcontinent in 1878, the empire reached its peak. Accordingly, recognising the value of the rich subcontinent, then-Prime Minister Valdemar Hiram declared the Empire of Artarum, with William I being crowned the first Emperor of Artarum.
1908 Revolution
However, with the rise of the empire and the Industrial Revolution, the entirety of the Artarumen social, political, and economic structure had changed. Turmoil and dissent brewed in the urban centres of Liudan, Rumlew, and other many cities, with the labour movement mixing with the institutionally discriminated minorities from the colonies. The tensions boiled over in 1908, when a large-scale revolt erupted in the capital city of Liudan, quickly spreading over to Rumlew, followed by the other cities of the Empire. The rebels demanded equal rights for all, religious freedom, an end to mercantilist trade policies, universal suffrage - for both non-whites and for women - as well as the proclamation of a formal constitutional monarchy.
Despite the initial shock, the central government in Liudan managed to reorganise itself well, striking back with brutal efficiency. A fierce propaganda campaign, enabled by new technologies such as the radio, ran alongside a brutal military campaign which obliterated the rebellion in a matter of weeks. A month after the initial riots in Liudan, the revolution had been crushed and in its place stood a stronger institution. Several policies were implemented by the ruling National Party, institutionalising many of the restrictions from before: Only those aged above 25 years old, were Artarumen Christian, white, and were male could vote or run for office. The ban on left-wing politics was reaffirmed, and liberalism was repudiated.
Once the initial shock of having been challenged died out, however, the government realised the excessive nature of its restrictions in the mid-20th century. Liberalism was permitted into the political mainstream once more, to be an outlet for revolutionary views, and archaic ideas such as mandatory church attendance and fasting during Lent were repealed. The government's stranglehold over daily life was greatly loosened, though the economy continued to be largely managed by the state.
The burdens of maintaining the massive overseas empire, however, gradually began to overtake the benefits, and by 2019, the entire system was crumbling around the central administration of Liudan. In 2019, the decision to open up Artarum to the outside world was taken.
Twilight of the Empire
Following the 31 August 2019 elections, National Coalition formed the government, but was immediately faced with a coup attempt and a resistant Emperor. Through its massive parliamentary support, National Coalition swiftly moved to remove Alaric IV from the throne despite his protests and installed his son, Euric VI as the regent, while also passing a law to cement the constitutional nature of the Artarumen monarchy in writing. On 16 November 2019, Euric VI was formally crowned Emperor.
On 30 November 2019, in a historically momentous occasion, the two Imperial Dominions of the Realm - Ereva and Obscurae - were formally granted independence through treaties signed between them and Artarum, marking the first colonies to successfully become independent of Artarum.
Geography
Located in the north-west of the world, Artarum is placed at a relatively calm place in the world within the Artarumen Sea, though it is close to several natural gas and petroleum deposits. Artarum is divided into two climate zones, a tundra climate zone and a taiga climate zone.
Location and borders
The majority of the territory that makes up the Artarumen Empire is situated on the Artarumen Archipelago and is referred to as "metropolitan Artarum". Artarum is surrounded by the Artarumen Sea all around, and is located north of Aurelia. It covers 2,809,567 square kilometres and is one of the larger countries on Earth, while also having extensive economic zones and water areas.
Climate
Almost all of Artarum is located in the subarctic climate (Dfc in the Köppen classification) zone. The southern provinces, however, do enjoy warmer climates as a result of warm ocean streams. Artarum has a harsh climate, characterised by long and hard winters, with mean temperatures in January of -4.3 °C, and short, cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 10.2 °C. The most extreme temperatures ever recorded in Artarum have been 37.3 °C in Rumlew in 1977 and -48.9°C in Stavanger in 1930. Artarum has an average of 155 days a year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of about 1100 millimetres per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest.
Thanks to the northern location, there are large variations in daylight depending on the season.
| Climate data for Artarum, 2000–2020; precipitation 1960–2000; extremes since 1905 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
17.2 (63.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
28.1 (82.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
22.4 (72.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.7 (49.5) |
31.4 (88.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.3 (29.7) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
0.2 (32.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
8.2 (46.8) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.8 (60.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.7 (42.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
0.9 (33.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.4 (54.3) |
11.3 (52.3) |
7.4 (45.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
3.1 (37.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.6 (21.9) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
4.8 (40.6) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
0.5 (32.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.3 (−0.9) |
−18.4 (−1.1) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
0.7 (33.3) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−18.4 (−1.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 112.4 (4.43) |
95.4 (3.76) |
71.7 (2.82) |
66.1 (2.60) |
57.4 (2.26) |
54.1 (2.13) |
77.8 (3.06) |
86.6 (3.41) |
110.9 (4.37) |
135.9 (5.35) |
98.3 (3.87) |
112.3 (4.42) |
1,078.9 (42.48) |
| Average precipitation days | 15.4 | 12.9 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.1 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 12.6 | 14.9 | 17.7 | 13.5 | 15.6 | 160.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 3 | 32 | 112 | 160 | 218 | 221 | 205 | 167 | 92 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 1,265 |
Environment
In the period of rapid economic growth prior to the Great War, environmental policies were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations; as a result, environmental pollution was widespread in the 1950's and 1960's. Responding to rising concern about the problem, the government introduced several environmental protection laws in the 1970's. In addition, the reactions to the massive shortages and economic problems of the 1970's pushed the usage of sustainable energy due to a chronic lack of fuel.
Politics
Government
The Artarumen Empire is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government based on the Tyn system. The Imperial Parliament convenes in Tyn Palace, and has two houses: The directly elected House of Commons and the appointed House of Lords. The Imperial Parliament is sovereign, with no body in Artarum being legally recognised to override its laws. The title of Prime Minister is granted to the head of the Artarumen government. The position of Prime Minister is traditionally and practically held by the individual who holds the majority of votes in the House of Commons; this individual is usually the leader of a political party that other parties has agreed to enter into a coalition with or support, thus giving them a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. The Prime Minister forms a Cabinet, appointing its members to form the Government.
The members of the Cabinet are traditionally drawn from the party of the Prime Minister, as well as the parties of supporting coalition partners if applicable. Cabinet appointments are not subject to the review of the Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The current Prime Minister is Anthony Bishop who was sworn in on the the 1st of April 2020, succeeding Montgomery Walther Rorschach.
For elections to the House of Commons, Artarum is divided into 650 constituencies, each electing a single representative to the House of Commons. General elections are called for by the Emperor on the advice of the Prime Minister, at his pleasure, though elections for the House of Commons must be held at least every five years.
The members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Emperor on advice of the Privy Council, on a per-need basis.
Law
Foreign Relations
Military
The Imperial Artarumen Armed Forces are the military and paramilitary forces of Artarum, with the Emperor being the commander-in-chief. The Imperial Armed Forces consists of the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy (referred to as the "Elder Service"), and the Imperial Air Force. Overall, the Artarumen Armed Forces are one of the best trained and equipped forces in the world, with power-projection capabilities across the globe.
The Artarumen intelligence community is composed of 11 different divisions, each responsible for different aspects of intelligence, tied to vastly different departments and ministries. The Office of National Intelligence is responsible directly to the Prime Minister.
Artarum has major military industries with one of the largest naval industries in the world. It actively exports military equipment to all of its former colonies, and co-operates with them in training and development.
Economy
Artarum has a developed mixed economy, and is classed as a high-income country by several international organisations. It ranks in the top of the world in terms of GDP per capita, both in terms of PPP and nominal GDP. This is attributed to its well developed economic system and a relatively strong financial sector.
It has a large ratio of tertiary degrees, though it is restricted to white Artarumen citizens for whom university education is free of tuition fees. Artarum ranks in the middle-strata in the world for labour rights and unionisation is not widespread, though this trend is changing with the left-wing government in charge. A corporatist model is being implemented in Artarum by the social democratic Ministry of Labour, prompting increasing membership in trade unions by the labour force. There is no minimum wage law in Artarum.
The Artarumen currency, the pound sterling (£) is one of the strongest and most stable currencies on the world as of 2020, being traded frequently. First created in 1601, it is one of the older currencies of the world, and has never been devalued. Once a strongly mercantilist country, Artarum moved to free-market policies in the 19th century to further facilitate its economic domination of its colonies and expand its economy. However, much of the internal economy remains nationalised, regulated, and rigid, causing inefficiency and low quality goods in certain sectors of the economy.
Important Artarumen exports include armaments, machine parts, consumer electronics, and petroleum products, while the import market is overwhelmingly dominated by agricultural products from across the world alongside raw materials.
Companies
Artarum is home to numerous notable corporations, with its history of trade extending as far back as the 17th century, with trading companies and joint stock companies emerging at the time. As the national policy evolved from a mercantilist policy to one of free trade, these companies also changed to accommodate for the changing times.
Agriculture and fishing
Artarum has an extremely favourable location in the seas, surrounded by the vast and diverse Artarumen Sea. As a result, fishing has been a primary part of the Artarumen economy until the 1980's. While not a large part of the general Artarumen economy today, fishing still remains very important to Artarum's rural coastal communities.
Owing to its climate, Artarum is a massive importer of agricultural products. Very little agricultural activity occurs in Artarum itself, with rye being the only real produce grown in the archipelago. However, modern technologies alongside centralised planning for greenhouses is allowing Artarum to slowly expand its domestic agricultural production, albeit at a far less efficient rate than more favourable geographies.
Energy
Artarum has large deposits of petroleum and natural gas in the northern Artarumen Sea thanks to several outlying islands giving it a large part of the sea-floor. Exploitation of these major petroleum and gas-fields have in large part strengthened the economy, with Artarum producing 2.5 million barrels of crude oil a day in 2015, its peak. However, despite the relative drop in petroleum extraction, the amount of petroleum produced remains considerable.
The Imperial Energy Corporation (IEC) is the single electricity generation and distribution company in Artarum, and the owner of all of the Artarumen petroleum and natural gas fields, constituting a monopoly on the sector. In recent years, efforts have been made to reform the IEC to break its monopoly and decouple its activities.
Transport
The Artarumen railway network stretches 17,004 kilometres, connecting all of the major Artarumen centers of population along with the more rural parts of the country. Currently, the Imperial Rail Service (IRS) is in the process of constructing several rail-bridges to connect the country's three primary islands to one another by rail connection. The IRS owns all the railways and rail systems in Artarum, and operates all inter-city rail lines in the country. Several large cities, including Liudan, Rumlew, and Ventnor have high-speed electric rail lines within the city for suburban and intra-city transport, though the IRS has begun to implement the technology to inter-city connections as well. Alongside rail connections, many medium to large population centres in Artarum have tramway, bus, and metro lines operating, though these are operated by the local municipal governments as opposed to the IRS. Ferries and other water-based transport constitutes another large means of transport in Artarum, owing to its geographic conditions. More than a hundred ferry lines operate in Artarum, on varying scales, allowing ease of transport throughout the country and crucially connecting its smaller islands to the economically vital primary islands.
Private vehicle ownership is very common in Artarum amongst the white majority, with most white homes owning two or more cars, though heavy taxation on vehicles make them more and more expensive to obtain, and therefore newer cars are quite rare in Artarum, restricted to mostly wealthier families. Most Artarumen-made cars are of very good quality, though this makes them even more expensive, which practically sees them only used by the imperial government. Recently, the government has been trying to subsidise several electric and hybrid car designs to make them both affordable and high-quality in an effort to lower the amount of inefficient and polluting automobiles in Artarum, though the state-owned monopoly in the automotive industry makes that difficult.
Artarum hosts ten international airports, with three in the capital Liudan and two in the largest city Rumlew. Rumlew International Airport is the largest airport in Artarum, as well as the largest in that part of the world, handling around 25 million passengers per year.
Demographics
Population
In January 2019 the population of Artarum was estimated to be 156,717,980. The median age was 32.4 years, increasing from 31.1 in 2010, and there were 0.94 males per female. Artarum has a positive birthrate, though barely so, with 2.01 children born per woman, thanks to consistent campaigning by the right-wing governments throughout the 1990's and 2000's to increase fertility rates.
Ethnic groups
Population by ethnicity
Most Artarumen (around 94%) belong to the same Anglo-Nordic ethnolinguistic group. Of this group around two distinct ethnic groups are recognized by the Artarumen Academy of Languages: The Artarumen, the largest and dominant ethnic group, and the Boers, the second largest ethnic group primarily living in the southern islands of the country.
Artarum rejects diversity between its ethnic groups, instead presenting Artarum as a ethnically homogeneous nation and country, not including ethnicities other than Artarumen and Boer in its census. No language other than Artarumen, the language of the Artarumen majority, is recognised in Artarum, though Afrikaans - spoken by the Boers - is tolerated in public.
The other minority groups, the Jews, Arabs, and Turks in Artarum are not recognised as minorities, and are very rarely full citizens, due to racial purity laws preventing them from enjoying full citizenship rights. Many Arab subjects of the Empire, specifically, are statistically overrrepresented in the criminal system in Artarum, due to large-scale institutional discrimination against them.
Languages
Artarumen is the de facto official language of Artarum, and the de jure official language of the national government. Afrikaans is the second-most spoken language, though less than 4 percent of the country speaks it as a native language, though it is a popular second language for many Artarumen to learn, especially following the large-scale emigration of white Boers from Bergsehuis in 2020.
Largest cities
Largest cities or towns in Artarum
Imperial Statistical Institute of Artarum | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Province | Pop. | |||||||
| 1 | Rumlew | Rumlew | 17,595,160 | ||||||
| 2 | Liudan | Liudan | 16,980,110 | ||||||
| 3 | Ventnor | Ventnor | 15,324,000 | ||||||
| 4 | Silban | Silban | 14,952,105 | ||||||
| 5 | Kingsmoor | Kingsmoor | 11,115,020 | ||||||
| 6 | Havensport | Havensport | 7,725,120 | ||||||
| 7 | Northampton | Northampton | 7,547,620 | ||||||
| 8 | Grimsby | Grimsby | 7,401,000 | ||||||
| 9 | Lowescar | Lowescar | 6,900,500 | ||||||
| 10 | Inverstrath | Inverstrath | 6,457,650 | ||||||
National Holidays
| Date | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | National holiday |
| 15 March | Unification Day | National holiday |
| 1 May | International Workers' Day | Not a holiday, generally not celebrated publicly. |
| 10 October | Remembrance Day | All flags are flown at half-mast in acknowledgment of fallen veterans. It is customary to wear a poppy. |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | National holiday |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve | Not a national holiday |