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Ecclesiastical Theodemocracy of Pharexia Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx (Pharexian)
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "Að búa saman í einingu" "Dzīvot kopā vienotībā" "Me kirjoitamme omat kohtalimme" "To dwell together in unity"
Anthem: "Press Forward, Saints"
Capital	Brichard
Official languages	English, Pharexian
Ethnic groups (2017)	84% Cörpathia 8% Dvorxicks 8% Pencikata
Demonym(s)	Pharexian
Government	Theodemocracy
• Prime Minister	Aemilia Signý Argyris
Legislature	Síðari
Population
• 2017 estimate	9,072,293
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$254.5 billion
• Per capita	$23,601
Gini (2017)	46.70 high
HDI (2017)	0.899 very high
Currency	Pharexian Mormana
Driving side	right
ISO 3166 code	PHX
Internet TLD	.phx

The Ecclesiastical Theodemocracy of Pharexia, commonly known as the Democratic States of Pharexia, or simply Pharexia, is a sovereign island country in the northern OCEAN on the planet PLANET. The country geographically consists of eight major landmasses and around 100 smaller islands. Pharexia has been described both as a democratic theocracy and a religious democracy. Pharexia consists of 10 wards, each with significantly influential devolved administrations. As of 2019, Pharexia is home to approximately 9.4 million citizens. The capital city of Brichard, located on the eastern coast, is also the most populated city in the country. The climate of Pharexia is generally subartic, with permafrost common in the northern regions. The southern border region is classified as tundra, and temperatures rarely reach above 0 degrees Celsius.

Culturally, because of its isolated and heterogenous population, Pharexia demonstrates a cohesive national character more clearly than many countries. That character is attributed to the inhospitable landscape, the constant darkness of its winters, the reality of death in close-knit communities, and the need to work together in order to survive. Consequently, Pharexia is above everything a blend of individualism and egalitarianism. It is both tolerant, free and peaceful, as well as neutral, isolated and calculating. Its people harbor a strong belief in compassion, love and grace, which can be seen in the state's strong social welfare system.

Socially, Pharexia comes across as a typical religiously affiliated state: it has conservatives views towards abortion, marriage, the family, and the role of women in society. It is home to a strong belief in both personal and more recently digital privacy, a high degree of public safety and a complex social insurance scheme which mixes private and public funding and provision. Pharexia has a unique gun culture among developed countries in terms of the large number of firearms owned by civilians and generally permissive regulations. Most psychotropic substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, and other class A drugs are illegal. Culturally, its attachment to reason and rational thought is evidenced in its constructed language. At a quick glance, Pharexia appears as a typical bastion of conservative thought. But it is also tempered by its politics; Pharexoa has imposed limitations upon itself which make it an almost insignificant global strategic player, and it is content to remain as such.

Politically, those constraints are epitomized in its Declaration of Neutrality, a commitment to permanent, armed neutrality in any international conflict. This is perhaps the single greatest influence on Pharexia's international standing. Thus, while Pharexians enjoy certain civil liberties and political freedoms, its government will not promote human rights abroad, choosing instead to value the sovereignty of all other states above its own philosophical beliefs. A fundamentally and philosophically a pacifist country, it maintains a small defense force.

Tensions within the government are explained by its legislative system, which requires much deliberation before executive action is taken. This is overcome somewhat by the role of the Síðari (the Federal Legislature) in the law-making process, but decision-making is still a highly proceduralized matter, made more complex by the country's federal structure. Still, of late Pharexia has shown patterns in its policies, including the liberalisation of the economy over the past two decades.

Pharexia is an extremely devout country, with a majority of citizens adhering to the official state religion, the Ilyçisian Church of Pharexia. Its role in Pharexia jurisprudence described in Pharexian Common Law. Despite the Church's high degree of adherence, Common Law ensures that people of other faiths "shall be entitled to practice their creeds and to hold religious services to the extent consistent with morality and public order".

Although it is not required to be a member, those who attend the temple on a regular basis receive tax breaks. The church's teachings has a significant influence on daily life, governmental legislation, and social policy. According to a recent poll, 90% of citizens say religion is "very important to them".

Pharexia is currently a mixed government, adhering to both theocratic and democratic principles. The populous is responsible for electing the unicameral legislature of Pharexia. Whomever leads the party with the most representation in the chamber is selected as Prime Minister. Their administration represents the executive branch of the federal government. The leaders of the Church of Pharexia provide advice and consent to the legislature regarding most legislation and have significant influence.

Etymology

The term "Pharex" is believed to be derived from "Fahreckx", the name of an ancient and believed-to-be extinct flower present in the various mountain ranges of the region. According to the records of the Cörpathian Society, the first known inhabitance of Pharexia, these flowers were used to heal various ailments and illnesses, such as the Annoria Virus, which killed an estimated 310 society members.

Geography

A geologically young land, Pharexia is located on the Rutter hotspot. This location means that the archipelago is highly geologically active with many volcanoes, notably Grimkellsson, Gizursson, Kristensson, and Asgilsson. The catastrophic volcanic eruption of Asgilsson in 1183–1184 caused a famine that killed nearly half of the peninsula's population, and additionally affecting the climate for several years after.

Pharexia has many geysers highly concentrated near the capital which are used as a geothermal power source. By harnessing the many rivers and waterfalls for hydroelectricity, most residents have access to inexpensive hot water, heating, and electricity. The archipelago is composed primarily of basalt, a low-silica lava. Pharexia has thousands of volcanoes while only about 12 remain active systems.

Akurayri, one of the youngest islands in Pharexia, is part of the Southern Ring. Named after Prime Minister Kracukla Akurayri, it rose above the ocean in a series of volcanic eruptions between 8 November 1895 and 5 June 1896. Now, only scientists researching the growth of new life are allowed to visit the island.

Climate

The climate is arctic to subarctic, with cool, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The mainland terrain is mostly a flat, but icecap covers approximately half of the country. The majority of the eastern coast is mountainous, barren, and rocky. The lowest elevation is sea level and the highest elevation is the summit of WIP at 3,694 meters (12,119 ft). The Southern Ring, home to over three dozen islands, was discovered by WIP in 1822. They are rich in iron ore, coal, gold, platinum, and uranium.

Pharexia
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.9     12 −10     0.9     15 −8     1.6     19 5     2.8     39 20     3.7     45 24     4.5     49 29     4.4     48 37     3.9     47 35     3.6     46 30     2.8     37 24     1.9     31 12     1.1     19 6 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     23     −11 −23     23     −9 −22     41     −7 −15     72     4 −7     94     7 −4     114     9 −2     112     9 3     99     8 2     90     8 −1     72     3 −4     47     −1 −11     29     −7 −14 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

Nature

Around three-quarters of the mainland is barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly of grassland, which is regularly grazed by livestock. The most common tree native to Pharexia is the northern Hazel (Corylus), which forms forests over much of northern Pharexia, along with aspens (Populus tremula), rowans (Sorbus aucuparia), common junipers (Juniperus communis), and other smaller trees, mainly willows.

When the island was first settled, it was extensively forested, with 30% of the land covered in trees. In the late 12th century, Ari the Wise described it in the Íslendingabók as "forested from mountain to sea shore".[80] Permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem of thin, volcanic soils and limited species diversity. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber.[81] Deforestation, climatic deterioration during the Little Ice Age, and overgrazing by sheep imported by settlers caused a loss of critical topsoil due to erosion. Today, many farms have been abandoned. Three-quarters of Pharexia's 100,000 square kilometres is affected by soil erosion, 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi) serious enough to make the land useless.[80] Only a few small birch stands now exist in isolated reserves. The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but the result does not compare to the original forests. Some of the planted forests include introduced species.[81] The tallest tree in Pharexia is a sitka spruce planted in 1949 in Kirkjubæjarklaustur; it was measured at 25.2 m (83 ft) in 2013.[82]

Government

Main article: Síðari

Prime Minister Aemilia Signý Argyris

President Rang Agnarsdóttir

The Government of Pharexia is a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President (Pharexian: Huachtarán) is the head of state and the Prime Minister (Pharexian: Premíeris) is the head of government. The country's government is based on the 1900 constitution Common Law, which defines how the government's branches work and how they interact with one another, and protects the civil rights of the population. Amendments to the constitution require a 60% majority in the legislature or the approval of 7 out of 10 states, accompanied by a public referendum. The constitution has only been amended twice, once to ban divorce and another to extend free speech to cover online material.

Executive power is exercised through the president who appoints by the prime minister and the cabinet. However, the president must have the support of a majority in the Síðari to confirm his or her selection of a government. In order to remove a prime minister or the whole cabinet from power, the president can dismiss them, or the parliament can remove them by a vote of no confidence. Its members are typically chosen from the majority party or coalition.

Legislative power is vested in the unicameral legislative chamber of parliament, the Síðari. It consists of 500 members elected by proportional representation from ten constituencies. The most recent election resulted in an ideologically conservative governmental coalition. Currently seven parties are represented. Parliamentary elections occur at least every eight years.

The president, as the head of state, is the commander of the Pharexian Armed Forces, has the power to veto legislation passed by the legislature (which may be overridden by a majority of three fifths), and can dissolve the parliament under certain conditions. Presidential elections occur every eight years. They are conducted via instant run-off.

Because the two leaders are elected independently of one another, Pharexia has sometimes experienced periods in which the president and the prime minister are from differing political parties. This is called "bifurcation". Bifurcation can create an effective system of checks and balances or a period of bitter and tense stonewalling, depending on the attitudes of the two leaders, the ideologies of themselves or their parties, or the demands of their constituencies.

The judicial branch plays a minor role in politics, apart from the Lagâleg (Constitutional Tribunal), which can annul laws that violate the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution.

Political Parties

Main article: Political Parties in Pharexia

Wards

Main article: Wards of Pharexia

Pharexia is divided into 10 wards. De facto Pharexian wards date back to the founding of the Church of Pharexia in 1765, which were used primarily as ecclesiastical administrative units for the distribution of church resources and personnel. While these wards were originally entirely divorced from the government, in 1930, they began to additionally serve as local government subunits. Since then, they have gained in importance and prominence. Each ward has its own unicameral legislature, and currently has devolved powers relating to taxes, healthcare, and transportation. However, legislation creating devolved parliaments can be repealed or amended by the Síðari at any time.

Every ten years, the Church and the federal legislature redraw the ward lines to reflect the change in population and demographics.

Wards of Pharexia

Ward	ID	Population	Governor/Party	Ward ID
Apror	AP	63,037	Remi Dupont (AUfC)	5
Brichard Proper	BP	164,283	Jules Fongemie (Sci)	8
Clayp Thines	CT	140,283	Valgeir Eðvaldsson (Sci)	7
Dalvuk	DV	301,293	Sigurgeir Ákason (NF)	3
Egrait	EG	157,293	Clarimunda Brisette (AUfC)	9
Holmavíke	HM	132,393	Oddur Þórlaugarson (Éco)	10
New Waldensia	NW	182,283	Kolbrún Ásgeirsdóttir (Sci)	4
Ruscya	RU	79,281	Páley Valberg (AUfC)	5
Uxbridbury	UX	72,193	Sólbjört Magnúsdóttir (IDP)	1
Victorium	VI	203,283	Bernharð Arason (AUfC)	2

Demographics

Religion

Main article: Religion in Pharexia

Religion in Pharexia
Religion			Percentage
Ilyçisianism			74.1%
Alydianism			10.8%
Luhenye Aptar			6.9%
Vrybosni			5.0%
Khartreuse			2.1%
No religion			1.1%

Front of Brichard City TCP Temple

Religion in Pharexia is remarkable in its high adherence level compared to other developed countries. For much of Pharexia's history, the Ilyçisian religion has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life, with nearly three-fourths of Pharexia identifying with the religion in the 2019 census. The Church of Pharexia, formally known as the Ilyçisian Church of Pharexia (ICP) is governed by the Ilyçisian Congregation in Pharexia, which acts as a representative democracy, with each federal ward electing an amount of members proportional to the amount of members in that diocese to the religious body's regulatory organization. The Pharexian denomination of Ilyçis differs significantly from mainline Ilyçisian beliefs regarding homosexuality. While most denominations teach that there is nothing morally controversial with homosexuality and that same-sex relations are normal, the ICP has come out in strong opposition to the practice. The Church's 2001 proclamation is accredited as the catalyst for the abolition of same-sex marriage in Pharexia.

The distribution of Ilyçisians is spread relatively equally throughout the country. With the exception of Uxbridbury and Brichard Proper, the average percentage of Ilyçisians in each ward stands at approximately 70-80%. Uxbridbury Ward is the headquarters of the church and approximately 95% of residents are members. The capitol of Pharexia - the Brichard Proper Ward - has the lowest membership ratio with only 20% adherence.

Among people who identify as Ilyçisians themselves, 83% of them attend weekly religious services, a figure much higher than other Ilyçisians elsewhere in the world.

Lagging far behind the Ilyçisian Church, Alydianism is the second most practiced religion in Pharexia, with approximately 10.8% of the population identifying as a member. Most of those who consider themselves apart of the church are descendants of Asuran families. Tradition is very important to Pharexian Alydians, especially daily prayer. They are distributed equally throughout Pharexia. Luhenye Aptar, a new-age religion that was founded by former Brichard Proper governor Briito Aptar in 1945, is practiced almost exclusively in the capital district. The Church was formally organized during the mayor's tenure and he was strongly criticized as using his position to publicly sponsor a religion. Nevertheless, nearly half of Brichard citizens identified with the religion as of 2014.

Religion also plays a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Phareixa. The official Ilyçisian stance is, "Life, the experiences we gain from being a part of the world and of humanity, are necessary and essential to spiritual fulfillment. One cannot be expected to appreciate the gift of Paradise without understanding why Paradise is a gift." This position is generally referred to as the "Virtue of Life" and as a result, has made opposition to suicide and abortion major issues within most Ilyçisian political platforms.

While Ilyçis is officially the state religion, the Common Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter whether someone is Ilyçisian, Alydian or secular according to the Preamble. In the last census, only 2.1% of the population identified as having no religion, a proportion that has held steady with only modest gains recently. This is in stark contrast to the increasing secularity of WIP. A released in 2016 indicated that 89% of Pharexians would refuse to vote for an atheist as president, up from 78% in 1987 and 1999. Research shows that candidates that are perceived to be religious are considered more trustworthy.

Culture

Public Opinion for Same-sex Marriage
Stance			Percentage
Support			15.3%
Oppose			76%
No opinion			8.7%

Public Opinion for Abortion
Stance			Percentage
Support			14.6%
Oppose			84.2%
No opinion			2.2%

Public Opinion for the Death Penalty
Stance			Percentage
Support			31.7%
Oppose			66.4%
No opinion			1.9%

Public Opinion for Physician-assisted Death
Stance			Percentage
Support			45.2%
Oppose			54.1%
No opinion			0.7%