Lindenholt

Kingdom of Lindenholt Koninkrijk Lindenholt (Dutch)
Flag
Motto: Luctor et Emergo (Latin: I struggle and arise)
Anthem: Waar Sonne en Kreugel Vloeien
Location of Lindenholt within Ventismar indicated with dark green, members of the VU are light green. Location of Lindenholt within Ventismar indicated with dark green, members of the VU are light green.
Capital	Artwingen
Official languages	Dutch
Recognised regional languages	Frisian
Ethnic groups (2017)	89.4% Lindian 10.6% Others
Demonym(s)	Lindian
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• King	Maximilian IV
• Prime minister	Jasper Tulpen
Legislature	States General
Established  Lindian Republic
• Treaty of Artwingen	11 October 1599
• Constitutional monarchy	7 March 1793
Area
• Total	483,372 km2 (186,631 sq mi)
• Water (%)	17.6%
Population
• 2017 estimate	73,453,603 (14th)
• Density	152/km2 (393.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$3,381,524,762,869.50
• Per capita	$46,036.20
HDI (2015)	0.949 very high (6th)
Currency	Aurei (AUR)
Time zone	UTC+0 (Central Ventismarien Time CVT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (Observed)
	Maximilian Islands do not follow DST
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	the right
Calling code	+024
ISO 3166 code	LIN
Internet TLD	.lin

The Kingdom of Lindenholt, commonly referred to as just Lindenholt (pronounced /lɪndɜːnhɒlt/), is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy located in Western Ventismar. It is a medium-sized country with a population of around 73 million people, most of which live in the country's thirteen provinces in Ventismar. Around a hundred thousand Lindians live on the Maximilian Islands off the coast of Corentia, giving Lindenholt a maritime border with Ispanza and Sunrisia. Lindenholt proper borders Ripuaria to the east and to the north, separated by the Amica Channel, lies Capsland, which is connected to Lindenholt through the Gildelew Tunnel.

The country's capital and largest city is Artwingen, with the second largest city being Stokfort. The third largest city, Dorningen, hosts the world's largest sea port. This port, along with the Sonnae-Kreugel river system is the lifeline of Western Ventismar, as goods flow from and to the hinterland via Dorningen.

Lindenholt has had a long history of trade, with the Guldebond and Zilverbond starting a trade network in the 13th century, to traders laying the foundations of international trade in the Eastismar Sea trade and merchants sailing the world's oceans during the 17th and 18th centuries. Lindenholt also has a history of tolerance, and has even fought a war to practice their Calvinist religion freely during the reformation period. This war resulted in the unification of Lindenholt in 1599. Today this tolerance is reflected in Lindenholt's fully legalised prostitution, abortion, euthanasia, same sex marriage, its liberal drug policy and extensive civil rights and liberties.

Lindenholt is one of the founding members of the United Sunalayan Assembly. It is also a founding member of the Ventismar Union, and its currency the Aurei.

Lindenholt has a free market economy, and ranks in the top ten GDP per capitas in the world. It is one of the 10 largest economies in Sunalaya, and is ranked 4th in the human development index with a very high standard of living.

Etymology

The area that is modern-day eastern Lindenholt was known in Latin as Tilia Silvestris. This name, coined by the [notromans] referred to an area in North Western Ventismar that compromised Western Ripuaria and Eastern Lindenholt. This area was inhabited by Celtic tribes that predominantly lived in forests that are recorded in history to be rich in linden trees.

The Latin name for the area was used during the early middle ages exclusively to refer to Germanic language speaking areas west of French speaking Ripuaria. By this time most of the linden forests had been cut down to make way for pastures and farmland. Regardless of the change in landscape, the area still retained its old name.

The name Lindenholt would not appear in literature until 1234, when Guldebond traders would introduce themselves as hailing from the "linden forest" (linden holt in Old Dutch). This is a direct translation of the Latin Tilia Silvestris.

Demographics

According to Linfo's 2017 census, Lindenholt has a population of 73,453,603, of those 33,610,652 live in the country's thirty largest cities. Lindenholt's population density is around 152 people per square kilometre, although this figure is an average for the entire country. In reality the eastern part of Lindenholt is much denser populated than the west, which is largely rural.

In 1900 the country had a population of around 34 million people. Over the past 100 years the population had almost doubled, as in 2000 Lindenholt had a population of almost 70 million. In 2015 Linfo registered a birth rate of 13 births per 1000 inhabitants. Coupled with a positive migration rate, Lindenholt's population has an annual growth rate of 0.6%.

According to Linfo there are 7,811,114 people in Lindenholt of whom at least one parent was not born in Lindenholt. According to estimates of the Lindian LGBTQ movement, there are around 3.8 million self-proclaimed members of the LGBTQ community.

Language

Lindenholt's national language is Dutch. Schools nationwide teach the language and use it for instructions. Standard Dutch is predominantly spoken in urbanised areas of the country. Informal communication in rural areas is usually conducted in what is collectively referred to as plat (lit. "flat"), which are local dialects. Despite the vast majority of rural inhabitants being proficient in Standard Dutch the day to day language in the countryside is plat.

In the province of Frêsland the Frisian language has a special status. Along with standard Dutch, all government services and school instructions are offered in Frisian as well. Additionally schools in the province are required to teach the Frisian language together with Dutch.

Around 92% of the Lindian population is at least fluent in the Dutch language. With the remaining 8% consisting mostly out of foreigners.

Linfo conducted a survey in 2012, finding that around 38% of Lindians above the age of 18 were conversationally proficient in French and around 80% were sufficient in English. This high English proficiency is due to the Lindian education system teaching English as a second language from primary school through the end of secondary education, combined with high every day exposure to the English language.

Religion

Religion in Lindenholt
Religion			Percentage
Irreligion			56.1%
Christianity			34.4%
Islam			5.5%
Judaism			1.0%
Other or Unknown			3.0%

Religion in Lindian culture is often regarded as a private matter. Those who adhere to a religion often only practice it at home, or a place of worship. Lindenholt is a secular state, with strong influences from laïcité. While the Lindian constitution guarantees freedom of religion, institutions funded or operated by the state act with a strict neutral religious character. Government employees are not allowed to display or otherwise disclose their religious affiliation. A similar situation exists in publicly funded education, where students and teachers may not visibly display their religious affiliation through wearing religious symbols such as necklaces with a cross, headscarves or a kippa.

Irreligiousness, atheism and agnosticism are on he rise in Lindenholt, and form the largest religious group with nearly 56% of the population declaring themselves as one of the three aforementioned groups. Historically, up until the 1960's, the vast majority of Lindians were either Catholic or Calvinist. Traditionally, the Kreugel, Sonnae and Waads rivers formed a rough border of the Calvinist north and Catholic south, although pockets of both denominations can be found far from the "border". Large cities are usually a roughly equal mix between Catholics and Calvinists as during the industrial revolution people migrated throughout the country. Similarly, provinces wholly or at least partially reclaimed from the sea are also roughly equally mixed. Here the government made an active effort to populate these newly created lands as diversely as they could.

Starting during the industrialisation period, the urbanisation of Lindenholt lead to cities with mixed religious and political backgrounds. Generally, the main zuilen (lit. "pillars") of Lindian society are recognised to be the socialists, liberals, Catholics and Calvinists. Each pillar created their own social institutions such as schools, universities, news papers, radio and television channels, political parties, stores, sport and hobby clubs, and trade unions. Despite often living in mixed neighbourhoods, members of each pillar made use of their own pillar's social institutions. Marriages outside of one's own pillar were taboo, and there was little social interaction.

During the second world war, members of each pillar had fought and died side-by-side to defend their country. This, along with a new generation of post-war Lindians being better educated and more outspoken than their parents made it more likely for them to no longer identify as religious. The rise of irreligiousness, the rebellious character of youth in the 1960's, a sense of unity instilled during the war and the coming of immigrants eventually brought an end to pillarisation during the 1960's.