Mespalia

Kingdom of Mespalia Mechpælæn râcunta (Mespalian) Royaume de Mespalie (French)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Tællæ zinun omi elædæpæ e côltaba Ici tu dois vivre et mourir "Here you must live and die"
Anthem: Iumala sôiâ meden râta "God Bless Our King" Royal anthem: Rimmin marchi "March of Rimmi"
Map of Mespalia
Capital	Iouzzene
Official languages	Mespalian, French
Recognised regional languages	Pannonian
Demonym(s)	Mespalian
Government	Unitary parliamentary electoral monarchy
• King	Francis V
• Minister of State	Caleva Tœlaczi
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Assembly of the Estates
• Lower house	General Assembly
Establishment
• Independence from Ainin	1804
Population
• 2016 census	35,265,835
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$1,614 billion
• Per capita	$45,785
Gini (2016)	26.1 low
HDI (2016)	.897 very high
Currency	Mespalian sampo (Ms)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	92
ISO 3166 code	MSP
Internet TLD	.ms

Mespalia (Mespalian: Mechpælæ, /'meʃpælæ/), officially known as the Kingdom of Mespalia (Mespalian: Mechpælæn râcunta, /'meʃpælæn rɑːkuntɑ/) is a Conitian country in Esquarium. Located on a small peninsula just north of the Tropic of Gemini, it is the westernmost sovereign state in mainland Conitia. The country is a parliamentary democracy and an electoral monarchy, with the head of state being elected amongst the nobility.

Mespalia is inhabited by Mespalians, a Nevanic people originating from northern Nordania, who settled in present-day Mespalia sometime around 500 BC. In addition, the country has a significant Aininian minority dwelling along the western coast. For most of its early existence, Mespalia consisted of dozens of small, fragmented pagan chiefdoms and principalities. Kingdom of Ainin invaded the area starting in 1141 and by 1145, the entire area of present-day Mespalia had become a semi-autonomous province of Ainin known as the Principality of Mespalia. Aininian power lasted almost seven centuries, until the country declared its independence in 1804 during the aftermath of the Aininian Revolution.

Today, Mespalia is a small Conitian regional power with a robust social market economy and a high standard of living. Mespalian political system is relatively stable, though concerns have been raised by some human rights activists regarding the King's right to interfere in day-to-day running of the state as well as restrictions on voting rights imposed on some groups.

Etymology

The Mespalian world for Mespalia, Mechpælæ comes from the Proto-Nevanic words mëxe meaning land and pælæ meaning side. The compound can be translated to "land's side", referring to the Mespalia's geographic position on the continental side of the Gulf of Mespalia. The name can be compared to the Mespalian name for Ainin, Særpælæ, that combines the Proto-Nevanic word sær, or island, with pælæ, meaning "island's side".

History

Prehistory and Latin era

Archeological findings indicate that humans have lived in present-day Mespalia since 3000BC. Lazarenite peoples from Karazawa settled down sometime in 2500BC and also expanded to Ainin. However, Nevanic tribes began arriving from the North around 1500C and quickly displaced the Lazarenites. At the same time, Latin colonizers began settling the eastern coast and the Aininian islands.

Mespalia was formally under the Latin Republic starting from 15BC, though in practice the Republic excercised little control outside of the few coastal cities. At the same time, various Mespalian tribes began organizing various pagan chiefdoms of their own. In practice, this meant that the fragmentation of the Latin Republic that begu in the 4th century affected Mespalia comparatively little.

Pre-Aininian era

Immediately after the dissolution of the Latin Republic, Mespalia consisted of countless native states, most of them pagan and tribal in nature, as well as a handful of Aininian free cities and principalities along the coast. Mespalia benefitted from its geographic position where several important trade routes converged. This brought prosperity to the area, but the increased wealth was mostly controlled by the Aininian minority living on the coast. Aininians also used discriminatory laws to expel a significant portion of the native coastal Mespalians further inland, changing the demographical composition of the area.

Starting in 1100, the Kingdom of Douray in the Aininian Isles had begun growing in strength and had begun harrassing the native states as well as the Aininian principalities. The Principality of Old Verquinte was conquered and annexed in 1108, followed by the annexation of New Verquinte, Sardenne and Lacolle in 1126. By 1140, the Douray together with its annexed principalities began a conquest of remaining Mespalian regions. While these areas were not populated by Aininians, their strategic location as well as important natural resources convinced Marc VII of Douray that their annexation would be beneficial. The ensuing War of Conquest lasted until 1142 and ended when the final native chiefdoms in Lumeva were subjucated. The failure of numerically superior Mespalian tribes to resist the Aininian conquest has later been attributed to lack of unity and co-operation between the various tribes.

Aininian era

Following the Aininian conquest, Mespalia was divided into two viceroyalties: The Viceroyalty of Verquinte and the Sardennes covered the modern provinces of Old and New Verquinte, Sardennes and portions of Suve and Turu and Churemâ, while the Viceroyalty of Mespalia covered the remaining territory. While Aininians formed a majority in the former, in the latter the population was almost exclusively Mespalian who did not speak French. The area also suffered from lawlessness, banditry and lack of investment, while Verquinte and the Sardennes, located on the Strait of Mespalia flourished and became one of the wealthiest parts of Ainin.

Following the passing of the 1245 Charter of Tourres, Ainin began practicing a policy of Aininization in both viceroyalties. This led to many ethnic Mespalians to changing their names and ceasing to use their language to increase their social status and by 1750, only two thirds of the population knew how to speak Mespalian. Ainin was used as the sole language of administration and business, whereas Mespalian was only an oral language whose use was restricted to some religious activities. Mespalians also suffered from a system of X, effectively a form of serfdom, under which native Mespalians where forced to work for free in plantations owned by Aininian nobles. Aininians also founded Cisnelieu, modern day Iouzzene, as the capital of Verquinte and the Sardennes in 1328.

Several rebellions took place during this time, most notable of these being the Cudgel Rebellion between 1385 and 1388 and the Upper Mespalian Rebellion in 1706, during which portions of Lomeva and Neidevæ briefly declared independence]]. All of these were bloodily put down by the Aininian military.

Revolution

Aininian Revolution initially affected Mespalia fairly little. The two viceroyalties had always been a backwater of Ainin and there was little revolutionary fervour in the area. Rural Mespalians were mostly uneducated and had been taught not to question their Aininian masters, who in turn were afraid that the revolution could harm their privileged position. The Mespalian viceroyalties thus remained firmly in royalist hands while the republicans slowly gained the upper hand in Ainin.

However, the few Mespalians with high education as well as Aininians receptive to the Mespalian cause began agitating for autonomy, equality between Mespalians and Aininians and unification of the two viceroyalties. Many of them were imprisoned or executed by the Aininian authorities. Ransis Râcava, who would eventually become the first King of Mespalia as Francis I, was imprisoned and sent to a prison in Bounesquebourg shortly after the revolution began in 1795. These efforts at raising the Mespalians' national consciousness would be vital in securing Mespalian independence a decade later.

Starting in 1799, the royalist forces in Vaudale had almost been crushed. Defeated, King Mathieu IV signed the Treaty of X with the republicans in 1801. The Treaty exiled the King to the Mespalian viceroyalties, but also guaranteed that the new Republic of Ainin would not try to extend its influence over the area. Mathieu left X on May 14 and arrived in Saint-Rémy on May 16, 1801. The King set up his court in Cisnelieu and for a year, ruled as the King of Ainin from his Mespalian territories. This situation did not last for long, as the Republican forces invaded Mespalia in 1802 in direct violation of the Treaty. Mathieu, who was tipped off about the impending invasion in advance, escaped to Montnoir together with the entire royal treasury. Republican troops quickly routed the remaining royalist forces and declared the two viceroyalties to be a part of the Republic of Ainin.

War of Independence

Initial reception to the republican invasion was mixed. Native Mespalians and liberals hoped that they would gain equal rights under the Republic, while many Aininians were sceptical and afraid of losing their privileges. While the new president, X Ruisseau declared that Mespalia would become autonomous, this did not occur. In fact, the new regime was even more repressive towards Mespalians than the monarchy. Unification of the two viceroyalties, now called governorates, did not occur, and tens of thousands of Mespalians were arrested while republican troops searched for suspected royalists. Old restrictions on the use of Mespalian language also remained in place. In practice, the two governorates were seen as enemy territory, populated by inferior Mespalians and royalist Aininians.

The new regime was hated by the population. Owing to the education and agitation performed by nationalist Mespalians in the immediate aftermath of the revolution meant that a significant portion of the native Mespalian population was now conscious of their situation. Starting in 1803, isolated attacks against republican troops and officials began to occur. Sabotage and passive resistance also became commonplace, which the Aininian troops responded with execution and imprisonment of suspected enemies. Rather than stop the attacks, these aggressive actions led to increased co-operation and understanding between the Aininian and Mespalian populations.

President X was forced to call back a significant portion of the troops located in Mespalia back to Ainin in 1804, which in effect meant giving up on attempting to control the mostly Mespalian-inhabited Governorate of Mespalia. The remaining forces were concentrated in the Governorate of Verquinte and the Sardennes where most of the Aininian population lived, especially the garrison cities of Cisnelieu and Saint-Rémy. On 4 October 1804, independence of the State of Mespalia was declared in Neidevæ. With Verquinte and the Sardennes still under Aininian control, Mespalian troops began advancing south. The troops were commanded by two field marshals: Aininian Armand de Monteil advanced from the west while Mespalian Alexanter Oczi Tœquéllêr advanced from the south. De Monteil decisively defeated the forces led by Aininian rank name in the Battle of Valquise, while Tœquéllêr advanced to Saint-Rémy and laid siege to the city. When de Monteil's troops arrived to reinforce Tœquéllêr, the governor of the city, X surrendered. The remnants of the republican troops fled to Rânporma (then called Porte-de-Liberté) where they would stay, holding on to Sardennes until Ainin finally recognized Mespalian independence in late 1806.

19th century

The new state was formed by a coalition of unlikely allies with wildly different interests: Native Mespalians, mostly uneducated and poor peasants and serfs who comprised about 80% of the population, and Mespalian Aininians, who were wealthy royalist nobles, burghers and large landholders who mostly lived in major cities and along the western coast. Immediately after the declaration of independence, the question of what the form of government should be sprang up. Mespalians favored a republic with universal suffrage, land reform and equal status for the Mespalian language, whereas Aininians wanted to establish a monarchy and hold on to their privileges. To resolve the form of government and to draw a Constitution for the new nation, a constitutional convention was called in 1806.

Both sides had to compromise. Aininians, although in an economically powerful position, were small in number and realized that they could not look down on Mespalians as second-class citizens, especially after the dramatic rise of Mespalian nationalism in the aftermath of the War of Independence. Mespalians on the other hand knew that most of them had little education and even the Mespalian language did not have proper words for most situations that did not involve day-to-day chores. In the end, a compromise solution was agreed upon: Mespalia would become an electoral monarchy, with a National Assembly consisting of nobles and democratically elected delegates would elect the King. Mespalian and French would have equal status, but French would remain the de facto language of administration. Universal suffrage was guaranteed, but a bicameral parliament would also give representation to nobles. Minor redistribution of land would also occur, primarily from the lands of those people who had supported the republican regime. The Constitution of Mespalia was finally ratified in Iouzzene on 4 October, 1807.

The first national assembly held in 1808 was convened soon after the ratification fo the Constitution. Initially there were over 200 candidates for the new King, but the election soon became a two-man race: Ransis Râcava, a native Mespalian noble who had been imprisoned by the Aininians for opposing both the monarchists and later the republicans and Étienne de Mortemart, an Aininian noble and a wealthy landowner. While most of the nobles supported de Mortemart, the elected delegates overwhelmingly voted for Râcava. In the end, Râcava won the vote by a margin of 19 votes (485-466) and on 20 September 1808, Ransis became the first King of Mespalia, choosing the regnal name of Francis I.

Francis I reigned until his death in 1828. He was successful in forging a new, Mespalian identity that consisted of both native Mespalians and Aininians, which is to this day considered to be his greatest achievement. He was succeeded by an Aininian noble and former field marshal Edvard I, who died only nine years later in 1837. In that year's extremely contested election, Francis I's grandson Francis II was elected King. The election caused a small-scale rebellion known as the Red Flag Revolt by republicans who saw it as a sign of the state becoming a de facto hereditary monarchy. The rebellion was quickly put down, but it initially smeared the new King's reputation as a heavy-handed ruler. He watched over the beginning of industrialization in Mespalia and slowly gained the trust of the population. He reigned for another 34 years until dying in 1871. He was succeeded by Francis III, the first native Mespalian king not from the Râcava dynasty, whose greatest accomplishment was switching the official language of administration from French to Mespalian. During his reign, the country almost went to war with Ainin due to Ulcoilo Crisis, but this was resolved due to skillful negotiations of his Minister of State, Costia Tœviliacca. Francis' successor, Charles I was elected in 1889 and became a vocal opponent of the rising socialist and republican tendencies among the population. As the head of the Church of Mespalia, he formally excommunicated all Mespalian socialists in 1898. He was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901 and would thereafter be known as Charles the Martyr King.

20th century

Charles' successor, Edvard II took a more moderate approach, negotiating with representatives of the labour movement and granting them representation in the National Assembly. At first, his efforts to abolish or decrease the power and privileges of the nobility were hampered by the conservative-dominated Parliament. In 1914, he managed to alter the electoral laws in order to suppress the conservatives by switching the electoral system from first-past-the-post to proportional representation and abolishing the requirement for the Council of State to hold the confidence of the Assembly of the Estates. Edvard's sudden death in 1915 prevented most of his reforms from being enacted, and his successor, Charles II initially preferred not to intervene in political affairs, in effect maintaining the status quo.

During the early 1920's, Mespalia experienced a severe economic downturn. High unemployment and the miserable situation of destitute tenant farmers and smallholders that led to the rise of both socialist and fascist groups that opposed the traditionalist, monarchist old order. Communists demanded establishment of a republic and nationalization of large estates owned by Aininian Mespalians, a goal shared by the fascist League of the Toucan. Mespalia was plagued by constant strikes, riots and protests for most of the early 1920s. This culminated in 1925 in an attempt by the League of the Toucan to march on the capital to depose the government. However, urged by his advisors, the King made a personal intervention and rode to the city gates on his horse, demanding the marchers to turn back. They complied, and the League faded into irrelevance soon thereafter.

By the late 1920s and the early 1930s, Mespalia had recovered from the economic downturn, aided by the booming economy of neighbouring Ainin. Mespalia continued to industrialize and modernize during this time and several changes to the Constitution were made, including the reform of the National Assembly in 1941. The influence of the Aininian upper-class also began to diminish as their large holdings became less and less profitable and the educated native Mespalians began participating in the political scene more actively.

Following the death of Charles IV in 1951, Edvard IV was elected King. Edvard presided over a time of radical changes in Mespalian society. Peasants and small landholders began to move to the cities, leaving the countryside empty. Women began demanding for the right to vote, civil rights issues regarding structures that discriminated against native Mespalians began to be discussed and radical movements both on the right and the left changed the traditional balance of power. Two national assemblies were held on the issue of female suffrage, in 1960 and 1973, but they were both rejected.

In the 1960s and 1970s, radicals within the Socialist Left Party, Social Democratic Workers' Party and various enviromentalist movements organized protests and acts of civil disobedience, which in turn prompted the rise of a cross-party organization of right-wingers, the Mespalian Organization of Patriots that attacked the leftist protests. Following a terrorist attacks targeting a railway station and a conservative newspaper and a revenge attack on an office of an anarchist group in 1972, Edvard IV declared a state of emergency, adjourned the Parliament and ordered the arrest of both left-wing and right-wing extremists in what became known as the Hot Summer of 1972. The state of emergency lasted for three months and were followed by a general election that was won by a coalition of moderate parties and an unofficial gag rule was placed on discussing the issues that had caused the events.

Edvard IV died in 1976 and was followed by Francis IV, the fourth member of the Racava dynasty to hold the office. The late 1970s were a time of economic growth in Mespalia, with new industries growing and Revontuli becoming one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles and aircraft in Esquarium. This period of growth was halted by the Recession of 1980 that led to bankruptcies of two major banks and hundreds of other businesses. However, Mespalia recovered from the recession in the late 1980s, spurred by increased international trade and co-operation.

Mespalia sought membership in the Esquarian Community in the early 1990's, but the lack of female suffrage caused other nations to reject Mespalian membership. In 1992, a national assembly was held where the issue was discussed for the first time since the 1970s. Since the membership was conditional on approving female suffrage, a majority of the 24th Mespalian National Assembly approved it. Two years later, a new national assembly was called to ratify Mespalia's EC membership, which took place on 1 January 1995.

Modern times

Mespalia has faced new issues in the 21st century. The 200-year old Constitution has been called out for being undemocratic and outdated. New populist movements opposing immigration have risen in popularity, while deindustrialization has caused unemployment and social problems in some areas.

Tensions between the Mespalian Aininians and native Mespalians have also arisen. An increasing separatist movements in Sardennes and New Verquinte demanding independence or integration with Ainin have also caused occasional outbursts of violence. Following the 2014 West Ainin Crisis, seven Mespalian Aininians were killed in spontaneous outbursts of violence. Segregation of the two groups has become a major issue recently.

Geography

Administrative divisions

According to the Constitution of Mespalia, the country is an unitary state, though in practice many powers have been devolved to local governments.

The first-level administrative divisions consists of thirteen provinces (Mespalian: provencci) and the metropolitan city of Iouzzene (Mespalian: metropolitânilitna) that also acts as a municipality. Each province has its own provincial assembly that is responsible for issues related to health, social welfare and public transportation.

The provinces are in turn divided into 418 municipalities (Mespalian: commûne) that can be divided into cities (Mespalian: litna) and districts (Mespalian: pîri), though in practice the division is purely cosmetic. Municipalities are responsible for urban planning, education, utilities and rescue services.

Map	Province	Capital	Population	MP's
Lanzi Suve Iouzzene New Verquinte Outer Montecara Sardennes Old Verquinte Turu e Churemâ Cârinmâ Lomeva Neidevæ Cæizenvirta Somme Islands Ylævalta Pochiamâ	Cârinmâ Carinma	Cârivezi	1,460,000	16
	Cæizenvirta Sept-Fleuves	Vylævasqué	1,920,000	20
	Iouzzene Cisnelieu		5,100,000	54
	Lanzi Lancy	Iogensû	3,140,000	33
	Lomeva Lauméva	Cûzicqo	950,000	10
	Neidevæ Neidevé	Neidevænlitna	1,820,000	19
	Pochiamâ Pojama	Viesca	3,930,000	42
	Sardennes Sardenmâ Sardennes	Rânporma	710,000	8
	Somme Islands Sômensârdet Isles de Somme	Pychæ Lucia	590,000	6
	Suve Souvé	Sachela	3,890,000	41
	Turu and Churemâ Turu e Churemâ Turu et Chouréma	Mûra	1,830,000	19
	New Verquinte Ûzi Verecunta Nouvelle Verquinte	Rimmi	4,540,000	49
	Old Verquinte Vancha Verecunta Vieille Verquinte	Chalôna	1,120,000	12
	Ylævalta Uilévalta	Chærmæ	2,090,000	22

Climate

Map of climate areas of Mespalia

Owing to its varied geography, Mespalia has a very diverse climate ranging from high mountain tundra to subtropical highlands and tropical rainforests.

The northern parts of the country can be classified as having a humid subtropical climate. This cooler climate is influenced by cool northern winds from the Hyperborean Sea and higher altitudes. During the winter months, even snowfall can even occasionally occur. The interior of the country is classified as subtropical highland, though the weather is mostly similar to the northern part of the country.

Most of the coastal areas have a tropical monsoon climate, with warm temperatures and a rainy season typically lasting from May to November. However, it is difficult to separate the rainy season and the dry season, as these areas have a high precipitation year round, even during the dry season. The far southern part of the country has a tropical rainforest climate, with high precipitation year round and temperatures rarely falling below 25C.

The climate of high altitude mountain areas is classified as having either a humid continental climate or tundra climate, depending on the altitude.

Politics

Monarchy

Mespalia is an electoral monarchy. The current King is Francis V, who has reigned since 1983. Despite being a constitutional monarchy, the King enjoys far more power compared to most other Esquarian monarchs. These powers are broad and consist of executive, legislative and judicial powers that technically break the principle of separation of powers. Whether the King can realistically use all of these powers is a matter of debate, although the current King Francis V has tended to take a more active role in politics compared to his predecessors.

Within the executive branch, the King has the right to veto any legislation and to dissolve the Parliament or adjourn it for a maximum of six months, as well as to nominate judges, members of the Council of State and other high officials. All bills must be signed by the King in order to become a law. The King's legislative powers include the right to send bills to the Parliament as well as to issue royal decrees, though the latter can be vetoed by a majority of both houses of Parliament. Finally, the King also has the right commute or suspend criminal punishments. Besides these powers, the King also acts as a symbol of Mespalia itself, representing Mespalia abroad and undertaking various ceremonial duties. The King also traditionally acts as a patron of various charity organizations and is the supreme commander of the Royal Mespalian Armed Forces.

Unlike in most other monarchies, the King of Mespalia is not a hereditary position, but an elected one. While the method of election has varied over the years, since 1985 it has been conducted under a complex system of electoral college. Under the current system, when the previous King dies or abdicates, the National Assembly is summoned to elect a new King. After a candidate gets at least two-thirds of the vote, he is duly elected and crowned as the King of Mespalia. Laws state that the future King must be a native-born Mespalian citizen, male, at least 35 years of age and of noble blood.

Executive branch

The executive branch consists of the King, who exercises his powers through the Council of State whose members are appointed by the King himself. Though in theory these members can be anyone, in practice the members are all parliamentary deputies. The Council consists of various ministers and is chaired either by the King or the Minister of State. When the King is unable to attend the meetings, the Regent, usually some other member of the royal family, attends the meetings on his behalf. Presence of the King or the Regent is necessary for the Council to exercise executive power.

The members of the Council of State must enjoy the confidence of the General Assembly of the Mespalian Parliament. If a vote of no confidence is passed, the government must by law resign. In this case, the King has a right to appoint a new, caretaker government until a new one is formed.

Government   Conservative Party (90)   People's Party (73)   Party of the Aininian Minority (22) Opposition   Social Democratic Workers' Party (97)   Patriotic League (27)   The Greens (22)   Liberal Party (12)   Socialist Left Party (8)

Legislative branch

The legislative function is performed by the bicameral Parliament of Mespalia. The Parliament is bicameral and consists of the General Assembly and the Assembly of the Estates. The General Assembly consists of 350 members known as deputies and is directly elected every four years by Mespalian citizens over the age of 21. Its members are elected from 43 constituencies that each send between one and twelve members to the Assembly using a system of open-list proportional representation. The Assembly of the Estates on the other hand consists of 628 nobles whose seats are hereditary. Parliament of Mespalia is an example of imperfect bicameralism, as the General Assembly has far more power compared to the Assembly of the Estates. The latter cannot pass votes of no confidence, nor can it initiate budget bills. It can veto bills passed by the General Assembly, but only once. In this case, the General Assembly has to vote on the bill again, but this time it does not need assent from the Assembly of the Estates.

All bills of passed by either house must recieve royal assent before becoming a law. If a bill is refused royal assent, it must be approved with a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly and a majority in the Assembly of the Estates.

In addition, there is an unique institution known as the National Assembly. The National Assembly is usually not in session and usually only meets 1-3 times in a decade, most recently in 2015. As of 2018, the National Assembly consists of 1,240 members and include all members of the Assembly of the Estates, delegates that are both directly elected by the populace and appointed by various charitable and non-profit organizations and itnerst groups, bishops of the Church of Mespalia, rectors of all Mespalian universities and representatives appointed by the reigning or former Kings. The duties of the National Assembly include electing a new king, altering the Constitution and passing legislation that is considered to be so important that it warrants an opinion from the entire nation. As referendums are banned by the Constitution, the National Assembly is often seen as their Mespalian version.

Judicial branch

The Mespalian legal system is based on civil law. It relies heavily on written legal code and as such, only the decisions of the Supreme Court carry precedent and no juries are used. Death penalty is in effect and regularly utilized, and courts also have the right to temporarily or permanently strip persons of their civic trust, in effect making them ineligible to vote or to run for office.

There are three separate, hierarchical levels in the Mespalian judicial system as well as on various special courts. The Supreme Court of Mespalia acts as the supreme court and below it are 18 Courts of Appeal in provincial capitals and 292 Crown Courts. In addition, there are separate courts for labour disputes (Labour Court), market law and competition disputes (Market Court) and crimes against the state (Court of State).

Military

The Royal Mespalian Armed Forces is responsible for the defense of Mespalia. It consists of four branches: Royal Mespalian Army, Royal Mespalian Navy, Royal Mespalian Air Force and the Royal Mespalian Gendarmerie, although during peacetime the Royal Mespalian Gendarmerie is a de facto under the control of the Ministry of Interior and its troops are not included in the total troop strength. Excluding the Gendarmerie, RMAF has a total strength of 69,000 active personnel.

RMAF practices conscription, and every Mespalian male over the age of 18 is required to serve between 6 and 18 months in the military. 100,000 conscripts serve in the military at any given time, and the Armed Forces officially has an reserve of 7,065,000 men.

Economy

Mespalia is a highly developed nation with a market economy and a relatively high GDP. However, both the poverty rate and levels of inequality are slightly higher than in neighbouring Conitian countries. The national currency is the Mespalian sampo, which is further subdivided into 100 arjanttes.

Mespalia's main exports are chemicals, electrical goods, foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and wood products. The largest trade partner is Ainin, which accounts for 29% of all Mespalian exports and 21% of imports. Other major trade partners include Champenia, Hagieria and Agrilan, Namor, Ordennya. Being a member of the Esquarian Community, Mespalia is also a part of the common market.

Energy

Mespalia produces 76% of its energy from nuclear power. This is due to an aggressive campaign in the late 1980s and early 1990s to replace aging coal power plants with more environmentally friendly alternatives. The second largest source of electricity is hydroelectricity. However, during the 2000's there has been an increasing trend to remove old dams to restore aquatic environments that the dams have destroyed.

The remaining 8% of Mespalia's energy is produced using fossil fuels, mostly coal. In 2016, Mespalia pledged to close down all of its remaining coal power plants by 2026.

Transport

Due to Mespalia's high population density in the non-mountainous areas, the country has a well-developed transportation network consisting of a dense network of highways, railways and airports.

Around 85% of the railways are operated by the state-owned Royal Mespalian Railways, while the rest, mostly commuter railways, smaller non-electrified and narrow gauge routes are owned by private companies or by municipal or provincial authorities. The pride of the railway network is a high-speed rail network that connects Iouzzene and Rimmi with the northern cities of Chærmæ, Vylævasqué and Viesca. An eastern extension that would connect the network to Ainin via a tunnel under the Strait of Mespalia with branches to Chalôna and Rânporma has been in the planning stages since the 1980s.

The highway system consists of a network of free primary and secondary roads and a system of toll motorways that require motorists to purchase a vignette. The vignette system was introduced in 1999 to fund the construction of the Trans-Salpa Connection, a collection of bridges and tunnels that would connect Pochiamâ with Lomeva.

For its relatively small size, Mespalia has a dense network of regional airports, mostly located in major cities or in areas that are difficult to reach by road or rail. The national carrier is Royal Mespalian Airlines, known also by its acronym "MERI".

Ethnic composition of Mespalia

  Mespalians (83.2%)

  Mespalian Aininians (13.6%)

  Pannonians (1.4%)

  Other (1.8%)

Demographics

According to the Mespalian government, the Mespalian nation consists of three indigenous people groups. Native Mespalians, form approximately 83% of the population and are also the largest. They are a Nevanic people group who originate from northern Nordania and speak Mespalian. The second largest group, Mespalian Aininians form 13% of the population. They are descendants of French speaking Aininians who migrated to Mespalia at the same time as native Mespalians. Their population is concentrated along the southeastern coastal areas in the provinces of Sardennes and Old Verquinte, where they form a majority and the cities of Iouzzene and Rimmi. The third group, Pannonians are also the smallest. Distantly related to native Mespalians, they are a Nevanic people who live in the mountains of Lomeva and form around 1,5% of the total population. The remaining 2% consists of various non-indigenous groups, including migrants from Nautasia.

Language

Mespalia has two official languages, Mespalian and French, and one recognized regional language, Pannonian.

Historically, French was the language of administration and the language of interethnic communication. Meanwhile, Mespalian was an oral language mostly used at home. Beginning in the mid-1800's, Mespalian slowly started to take over this role and in 1874, Mespalian became the main language used in administration governmental affairs.

Today, all Mespalians must study both national languages. All municipalities are classified as unilingual Mespalian-speaking, unilingual French-speaking or billingual: a municipality is considered to be unilingual if less than 10% of its population speaks the other official language. While state administration has to provide services in both Mespalian and French, in local administration only bilingual municipalities have this requirement.

Religion in Mespalia
Religion			Percentage
Saturnism			76.8%
Irreligious			18.6%
Christianity			2.1%
Txoism			1.2%
Islam			0.8%
Other religion			0.5%

Religion

The national religion of Mespalia is Saturnism, professed by 77% of the population. Despite this, the Constitution of Mespalia guarantees full freedom of religion. Besides Saturnism, other religions such as Christianity, Txoism and Islam are professed by 4.6% of the population, mostly by recent immigrants. Around 18% of the population has no religious affiliation.

Saturnism arrived in Mespalia together with the Latin Republic in the 2nd century BC and has been the dominant religion ever since. It quickly displaced the previous pagan religions practiced by native Mespalians, of which very little of which is known today. Mespalia was fully Saturnized by the mid-500's and for almost two millenia formed an integral part of the Pontificate of Ainin. However, after the independence of Mespalia the Pontificate of Ainin was divided, with Mespalia with the exception of the provinces of Old Verquinte, New Verquinte and Suve forming the new Pontificate of Mespalia while the three French Aininian provinces remained with Ainin. The three provinces remaining with the Pontificate of Ainin remains a divisive issue: many nationalists would like to include the three provinces within the Pontificate of Mespalia, while others either support the status quo or wish to form an entirely new Pontificate out of the three provinces.

Health

Mespalia has an universal multi-payer healthcare system that consists of a national, state-funded health insurance that is supplemented by various private health insurances. In certain cases, individuals can opt-out of the state health insurance and get full coverage from private companies. 67% of the health industry is publicly funded, while the remainder is funded privately

Life expectancy is 76 for men and 80 for women, while the infant mortality rate is low at 5 per 1,000 live births. In 2012, Parliament of Mespalia passed a bill making it illegal not to vaccinate children.

In 2000, Mespalia begun a 30-year program to completely abolish smoking in the country. This began with an annual 5% increase in tobacco tax, reaching 125% in 2025 after which the sale of tobacco would be completely banned. In 2010, the sale of tobacco was banned to those who would turn 18 that year, meaning that people born after 1992 cannot legally purchase tobacco products.

Education

Education in Mespalia consists of both public and private schools. Around 80% of children attend public schools, while the rest opt for private alternatives. While public education is free, private schools are allowed to levy tuition fees. School attendance is compulsory until the age of 18.

Children enter a two-year preschool at the age of 4 and then go to a primary school for six years. At the age of 12, children are separated to three different types of schools according to their academic performance:

• Academic Track consists of a 3-year middle school and a 3-year gymnasium. At the end of their studies pupils complete the matriculation examination which gives them the right to attend university. The academic track is meant for gifted children and prepares them for university education.
• Vocational Track consists of a six-year vocational school that prepares pupils for a vocational education. After three years, pupils can either seek an apprenticeship or finish their education at school.
• General School is a mix of the two and consists of a three-year general school where pupils learn both vocational and academic skills. After three years, pupils with good grades may advance to gymnasiums, while the rest can seek apprenticeships or attend a vocational school.

After completing their matriculation examinations, students can either choose to attend university or head to a three-year polytechnic, a tertiary institution that is also open to pupils who have completed an apprenticeship.

Mespalia has 97 universities, the oldest of which, the University of Rimmi, was founded by Aininians in 1680. Publicly-owned universities have nominal tuition fees of around 1000-2000 dollars a year, but are quite selective, whereas private universities can either be selective or open to everyone who has passed their matriculation examination.

Culture

Literature

Until the nineteenth century, very few books were published in Mespalian; with the exception of government documents, religious literature and some other exceptions, nearly everything was written in French. Following Mespalian independence in 1806, increasing numbers of Mespalian authors started to write their books in Mespalian.

The national author of Mespalia is Chyværi Rasantaia, who wrote the seven-part National History of the Mespalian People from 1838 until 1851. The book tells a half-fictionalized story of the Mespalian people's history, from the creation of the world to present day. It has several small stories of both fictional and actual individuals as well as more factual portions that resemble a dictionary.

Today, Mespalian literature is written in both Mespalian and French and is popular both in Mespalia and abroad.

Cuisine

Mespalian cuisine has been heavily influenced by the tropical and subtropical climates of the country as well as by mountainous geography with little arable land and abundance of rivers with freshwater fish. Spices are used sparingly, as precious arable land was rarely used for spice cultivation. Aininian cuisine has historically had strong influence on Mespalian cuisine as well.

Corn is the main staple crop and is used in nearly all Mespalian dishes. Maiccelaipa or leavened cornbread is usually served with every meal. Another common crop is rice that can be easily cultivated on steep mountainside terraces.

Tropical fruits like mangoes, bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits and coconuts are also frequently used in many dishes and as fruit juice. Fruits are often paired with seafood like shrimp along the coast and chauqui fish along major rivers, and poultry further inland. The national dish of Mespalia is chauquipata, consisting of grilled chauqui fish served with maiccelaipa, rice and various spices.

Caleia is a native Mespalian alcoholic liquor made from sugarcanes and citrus fruits and vanilla. It is often served as dessert. Non-alcoholic fruit juices are also popular.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, new crops like potatoes and wheat slowly gained prominence and are now commonly used in Mespalian cuisine. Influence from Northern Conitian countries has been especially strong, and a fusion cuisine combining Northern Conitian and Mespalian ingredients has been gaining in popularity. Meanwhile, Mespalian cuisine has slowly become more popular abroad, with Mespalian restaurants opening and operating in many Esquarian countries.

Media

Constitution of Mespalia guarantees freedom of speech and press, and Mespalia has a vibrant media sector with hundreds of newspapers and TV channels. However, there are some limitations; criticism of the reigning King is often self-censored by major media, and strict Lèse-majesté laws prohibit insults against the King.

The state-owned RATEM broadcasts six channels; four in Mespalian and two in French. In addition, four major companies operate several TV channels, with their flagship channels being TV3, Telemes 4, VTV and Le Six.

While there are local newspapers, Mespalian newspapers are mostly divided by ideological spectrum, with multiple different versions being printed in different cities. Mespalia's main daily broadsheet newspapers are liberal Mâmme and conservative Mechpælæn Actualitêtit, while their French language counterparts include the liberal Le Mespalien and conservative La Couronne. Tabloids are also popular, with the social democratic Pæivæjurnali and right-wing Iltaposte being the most popular Mespalian language ones, while the largest French tabloids include the liberal Aujourd'hui en Mespalie and conservative L'Avenir National. There are also two nationwide socialist newspapers, the Mespalian Rachvachen Æni and French Le Républicain

Public holidays

Mespalia has 17 national, public holidays.

Date	Holiday	Remarks
1 January	New Year's Day
6 January	Epiphany
Varies	Good Friday	The Friday before Easter Sunday
Varies	Easter Sunday
Varies	Easter Monday
1 May	May Day
Varies	Ascension Day	39 days after Easter Sunday
Varies	Pentecost	49 days after Easter Sunday
24 June	Summer Solstice
17 July	King's Birthday	Varies depending on the King; was 19 January before 2010
15 August	Armed Forces and Veterans' Day
4 October	Independence Day
1 November	All Saints' Day
24 December	Christmas Eve
25 December	Christmas Day
26 December	Boxing Day
Varies	St. Stephen's Day