Kriastowo Commonwealth

Kriastowo Commonwealth Rzeczpospolita Krystowska
Flag Coat of arms
Capital and largest city	Kałuszyn
Official languages	Kriastowish Suebran Varanian
Recognised national languages	Kriastowish Suebran Varanian
Recognised regional languages	Keilish
Ethnic groups	Kriastowish (43%) Suebran (22%), Varanian (30%), Keilish (5%)
Demonym(s)	Kriastowan
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy with elements of a direct democracy
• Monarch	Ania II
• Prime Minister	Brunhilde Zÿmrer
Legislature	Zgromadzenie Narodowe
Area
•	916,597 km2 (353,900 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	145,204,059
• Density	158/km2 (409.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Total	$14.881 trillion
• Per capita	$102,482
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$12.401 trillion
• Per capita	$85,402
Gini (2023)	30.4 medium
HDI (2023)	0.947 very high
Currency	złoty

Geography

The Kriastowo Commonwealth covers an administrative are of 916,597 km2 (353,900 sq mi), and is the largest country in Falore. Topographically, the landscape of the Commonwealth by diverse landforms, water bodies and ecosystems. The Commonwealth is divided into three major geographic regions that correspond to its three constituent nations; Kriastowo, Varani, and Kelmsheim.

Alpine lake in the Iskra Mountains

The central and northern regions of Kriastowo bordering the Hallvic Sea lie within the flat Central Falorian Plain, but its south is hilly and mountainous. The beach coastline of Kriastowo is abundant in sand dune fields or coastal ridges and is indentified by spits, and lagoons. The mountainous belt in the extreme south of Kriastowo is divided into two major mountain ranges; the Kehms in the west and the Hallatians in the east. The highest part of the Hallatian massif are the Iskra Mountains extending along Kriastowo’s southern region.

The landscape of Varani consists mostly of fertile steppes and plateaus, crossed be several rivers as they flow south into the Brokov Sea. To the southwest, the Priester Delta forms the border with (Insert Name Here). Varani’s regions have diverse geographic features, ranging from the highlands to the lowlands. Varani’s only mountains are the Hallatian Mountains in the west. Varani also has a number of highland regions such as the Voryn Upland (in the west) and the Near-Hova Upland (on the right bank of the Hova).

Northern Kelmsheim is an area with varied low mountain ranges, hills, gently rolling fields, deciduous and coniferous forests and arable areas. The landscape of central Kelmsheim is determined by the Priester, the largest river in Kelmsheim, which has carved out a wide plain with many grit and rubble plateaus over time. The Priester flows from west to east through Kelmsheim and is fed by numerous tributaries who all have their sources in the Allens. Eastern Kelmsheim is characterized by low hills, many lakes, plains, and in densely forested mountains in the far east. Southern Kelmsheim has a varied landscape with plains in the north to the Kelmsheim Allens in the south. The Kelmsheim Allens are among the oldest (folding) mountain ranges in the world.

Climate

The climate of Kriastowo is temperate transitional, and varies from oceanic in the north-west to continental in the south-east.[184] The mountainous southern fringes are situated within an alpine climate. Kriastowo is characterised by warm summers, with a mean temperature of around 20 °C (68.0 °F) in July, and moderately cold winters averaging −1 °C (30.2 °F) in December.

Varani is firmly in the mid-latitudes, and generally has a continental climate, except for its southern coasts, which feature cold semi-arid and humid subtropical climates. Average annual temperatures range from 5.5–7 °C (41.9–44.6 °F) in the north, to 11–13 °C (51.8–55.4 °F) in the south. Precipitation is highest in the west and north and lowest in the east and southeast. Western Varani, particularly in the Hallatian Mountains, receives around 120 centimetres (47.2 in) of precipitation annually, while the coastal areas of the Brokov Sea receive around 40 centimetres (15.7 in).

The climate across the Kelmshiem varies. This is mostly due to a high amount of mountains and highlands inside of Kelmsheim. Most parts in the western parts lower than 500–800 metres (1,600–2,600 ft) enjoy an almost year-round mild oceanic climate (cfb in Köppen classification). The climate in the eastern parts of Kelmsheim are more continental. While winters in the warmest areas often lack snow, the Blue Forest, Kelmsheim Allens and the Allens tend to get snow frequently, especially in areas of high elevation. Summers here have more rain than in the valleys, but winters tend to have more sun. Due to the differences of the landscapes, average annual temperatures reach from only 5 °C (41 °F) in the microclimates of Blue Forest and Bresgäu up to 13 °C (55 °F) in the Upper Röszt Valley

Biodiversity

Black stork foraging in the wetlands of the Priester Delta

The flora and fauna in the Commonwealth is that of Continental Falore. Among the most protected species is the wisent, Falore’s heaviest land animal, as well as the Falor-Hassan beaver, the lynx, the gray wolf and the Iskra chamois. The region was also home to the extinct aurochs, the last individual dying in Kriastowo in 1647. Game animals such as red deer, roe deer, and wild boar are found in most woodlands. The Commonwealth is also a significant breeding ground for migratory birds and hosts around one quarter of the global population of black storks.

Politics

Queen Ania II

Kriastowo has a somewhat enigmatic political system, which combines elements of absolute monarchy, representative democracy, and direct democracy. The monarch retains extensive executive and legislative powers, and plays a strong active role in the day to day politics of the country, and over all three branches of government. Representative democracy and direct democracy coexist in that elected parliament enacts legislation, and also voters can propose and enact laws and constitutional amendments independently of the legislature. However, as with laws passed by the legislature, these can be vetoed by the monarch.

The reigning Queen is the Head of State and represents Kriastowo in its international relations.

The current Constitution of Kriastowo was adopted in March 2001, amending the 1919 constitution, giving the monarch extensive veto powers, and the ability to dismiss the government and rule by emergency decree, and maintaining the monarch's active role in the legislative process.

Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral Zgromadzenie Narodowe, made up of 636 members elected for maximum four-year terms according to a proportional representation formula. 212 members are elected from the Kriastowo, 212 from Kelmsheim, and 212 from Varania. Parties must receive at least 3% of the national vote to win seats in parliament. Parliament proposes and approves a government, which the Queen formally appoints. Parliament may also pass votes of no confidence in the entire government or individual members.

The government comprises the head of government (prime minister) and eighteen government councillors (ministers), who are appointed by the Queen upon the proposal of parliament and with its concurrence, and reflect the balance of parties in parliament. The constitution stipulates that at least four government members be chosen from each of the three nations. The members of the government are collectively and individually responsible to parliament; parliament may ask the Queen to remove an individual minister or the entire government, or the Queen may do so unilaterally.

Parliament elects from among its members a "Komitet Narodowy" (National Committee) made up of the president of the parliament and twelve additional members. The National Committee is charged with performing functions of parliamentary supervision. Parliament shares the authority to propose new legislation with the Queen, and with the citizenry, as both parliament and the citizenry may initiate referendums.

In 1243, Kriastowo codified full cognatic succession, making it among the first nations on the continent to do so.

Administrative Divisions

Kriastowo is divided into 20 provinces or states known as voivodeships. As of 2022, the voivodeships are subdivided into 530 counties (powiats), which are further fragmented into 3,413 municipalities (gminas). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. The provinces are largely founded on the borders of historic regions, or named for individual cities. Administrative authority at the voivodeship level is shared between a crown-appointed governor (voivode), an elected regional assembly (sejmik) and a voivodeship marshal, an executive elected by the assembly.

Local government in Kelmsheim is divided into 170 council areas (Gemeindegebiete) with a wide variation in size and population. Each Gemeindegebiet has an elected area council (Gebietsrat) and council president (Ratsvorsitzender) that share administrative duties.

Local government in Varani consists of 14 Princessly provinces (oblasts). As of 2022, the oblasts are subdivided into 63 districts (raions) with major cities often acting as single raions. Oblasts are largely founded on the borders of pre-union Varani princessly domains. Administrative authority at the oblast level is shared between a crown appointed princess and an elected small council (mala rada).

Devolved governments

Main article: Devolution in the Kriastowo Commonwealth

Country	Population	Capital	Parliament	First Minister
Kriastowo	68,245,908	Kałuszyn	none	none
Kelmsheim	29,040,812	Biberach	Landtag	Alaric Heltzer
Varani	33,396,934	Hlyniany	Rada	Kseniya Zayika

Law

The Kriastowo does not have a single legal system as Article 19 of the 1706 Treaty of Union provided for the continuation of Varani's separate legal system. Today Kriastowo has three distinct systems of law: Kriastowan law, Varani law and Kelmsheim law. A new Supreme Court of Kriastowo came into being in October 2003 to replace the Crown Appellate Committee. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, including the same members as the Supreme Court, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the Kriastowan Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies.

Both Kriastowan law, which applies in Kriastowo, and Varani law are based on civil-law principles. The court of Kriastowo is headed by the Senior Courts of Kriastowo, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). Kelmsheim law is a hybrid system based on common-law and civil-law principles. The chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases. The Supreme Court of Kriastowo serves as the highest court of appeal for civil cases under Kelmsheim law.

Kriastowan labour laws entitle staff to have a minimum set of employment rights including a minimum wage, a minimum of 30 days annual holiday, statutory sick pay and a pension. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Kriastowo, Kelmsheim, and Varani since 2000. LGBT equality in Kriastowo is considered advanced by modern standards

Military

Main article: Kriastowo Commonwealth Armed Forces

Kubina Poryw of the Commonwealth Air Force

The Commonwealth Armed Forces are divided into the Commonwealth Army, the Commonwealth Navy, the Commonwealth Marines and the Commonwealth Air Force. As of 2023, the military has around 1.3 million active-duty personnel, and around a million reserve personnel. It is mandatory for all citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for a year of service in the Armed Forces.

The Commonwealth possesses a large fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is one of a small number of countries operating strategic bombers. The Commonwealth’s military expenditure for 2023 was spending $508.4 billion in 2022, corresponding to around 4.1% of its GDP. In 2023 it was the world's largest arms exporter, and had a large and entirely indigenous defence industry, producing most of its own military equipment

The commonwealth operates numerous bases and facilities abroad and maintains deployments across the world.

The Commonwealth has major military industries and one of the largest aerospace sectors in the world. The country has produced such equipment as the Poryw fighter, the Ludmiła Mrówka aircraft carrier, the Rekin missile and the Kościuszko tank among others. The Commonwealth is a major arms seller, with most of its arsenal's designs available for the export market, except for nuclear-powered devices.

One Commonwealth intelligence unit, the Directorate-General for External Security is considered to be a component of the Armed Forces under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. The other, the Central Directorate for Interior Intelligence is a division of the National Police Force. The Commonwealth’s cybersecurity capabilities are regularly ranked as some of the most robust of any nation in the world

Economy

Resources

Oil industry

Export revenues from oil and gas have risen to over 40% of total exports and constitute almost 20% of the GDP. Kriastowo is the fourth-largest oil exporter and second-largest gas exporter in the world. In 1993, the Kriastowan government established the sovereign wealth fund to be funded with oil revenues.

The government controls its petroleum resources through a combination of state ownership in major operators in the oil fields (with approximately 60% ownership in Helincor in 2005) and the fully state-owned Petrolinka, which has a market value of about twice Helincor. Finally, the government controls licensing of exploration and production of fields. The fund invests in developed financial markets outside Kriastowo. Spending from the fund is constrained by the budgetary, which limits spending over time to no more than the real value yield of the fund, lowered in 2017 to 3% of the fund's total value

Demographics

Languages

Kriastowish, Suebran, and Varanian are all official languages of the Commonwealth with Kriastowish being the most widely spoken. Kriastowish is the language of the national government and the Commonwealth promotes the language globally to build connections. It is estimated that 85 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population is at least bilingual. It is estimated that 5 per cent of the population speak languages brought to the Commonwealth as a result of relatively recent immigration.

Keilish is a language spoken by the Keilish ethnic community traditionally practice the Lailesh faith. It is spoken as a first language by a large majority of the Keilish population and gained status as a regional language in 1924. The Keilish language is based Upper Kriastowish and Low Suebran fused with many elements of Lahs. The language developed in the 10th century alongside the ethnogenesis of the Keilish identity among the Lailesh inhabitants that resided along the border regions of between Kriastowish and Suebran speaking peoples.

Education

Higher education in the Commonwealth is offered by a range of seven universities, specialized colleges, university colleges as well as a range of private colleges. Education follows the Bologna Process involving Bachelor (3 years), Master (2 years) and PhD (3 years) degrees. Acceptance is offered after finishing upper secondary school with general study competence.

Public education is virtually free for citizens from the Commonwealth and IEA member states, but other nationalities need to pay tuition fees. Higher education has historically been free for everyone regardless of nationality, but tuition fees for all students from outside IEA member states was implemented in 2020.

The academic year has two semesters, from August to December and from January to June. The ultimate responsibility for the education lies with the Commonwealth Ministry of Education and Research.

Health

From the 1900s, improvements in public health occurred as a result of development in several areas such as social and living conditions, changes in disease and medical outbreaks, establishment of the health care system, and emphasis on public health matters. Vaccination and increased treatment opportunities with antibiotics resulted in great improvements within the Norwegian population. Improved hygiene and better nutrition were factors that contributed to improved health.

The disease pattern in the Commonwealth changed from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases and chronic diseases as cardiovascular disease. Inequalities and social differences are still present in public health in the Commonwealth.

In 2013 the infant mortality rate was 2.5 per 1,000 live births among children under the age of one. For girls it was 2.3 and for boys 2.7, which is the lowest infant mortality rate for boys ever recorded in the Commonwealth.