Normudria

The Kingdom of Normudria Ríocht Nhormudrea
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: In memoriam, in spem
Capital and largest city	Dáildrummoth
Official languages	Normudric
Demonym(s)	Normudric
Government	Unitary constitutional monarchy
• King	Sean IV
• Prime Minister	Cáel Ó Gábháin
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Council of Peers
• Lower house	Council of Deputies
Population
• 2019 estimate	14,946,834
• 2015 census	14,937,984
Currency	Punt
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy

Normudria, officially the Kingdom of Normudria, is a sovereign state in Anteria's Northern Hemisphere. A constitutional monarchy for nearly half a millennium, the nation's modern history has been marred by many conflicts both internal and external. Normudria's position upon a wealth of natural resources helped speed the industrialization of the country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but has acted in recent decades as a sort of resource curse that has a destabilizing effect on the already politically weakened Normudria.

History

Normudric Civil War

Dáildrummoth during the Civil War, 1923.

Politics and Government

Normudria's government is derived from the 1878 Constitution, which grants the monarch extreme influence in the nation's policy. Prior to 1878, the Kingdom was governed as an absolute monarchy that claimed divine right to rule. Even after the Constitution was promulgated, though, it was seen as a gift from the Normudric nobility that could revoked at any time, and it was only after decades of pressure from liberals in the new Council of Deputies that the Constitution was eventually seen as the supreme law of the land.

Legislative Branch

While the lower house of Parliament (The Council of Deputies) is elected via a direct vote from the people, the Council of Peers' membership is appointed; members only come from those who have achieved the status of peerage from a Royal Decree. Any new laws must pass both Councils and be approved by the King or Queen, thus removing much of the power from the people in actual governance. This lack of direct input has often led to tension and conflict, and is cited as a frequent sticking point in recent Normudric history.

Executive Branch

The Prime Minister of Normudria is elected from within the Council of Deputies, but can only take office after personal approval from the King/Queen. After this accession, the Prime Minister may then appoint a new Government (or Cabinet) in consultation with the King/Queen to head the nation's Ministries:

• Civil Affairs
• Foreign Affairs
• Finance
• Justice
• Public Works
• Education
• Armed Forces

In addition, the three subordinate Department heads (Army, Navy and Air Service) are appointed by the Prime Minister in consultation with both the King or Queen and the advice of the Armed Forces Ministry. The Prime Minister, in addition to their duties as head of the Cabinet, also has several powers within Parliament such as the ability to end sessions of the Council of Deputies and call for snap elections. Confusingly, the monarch also has this power, though typically refrains from using it due to custom and potential political backlash. The ruling monarch in general has historically been prevented from direct interference in government affairs for fear of sparking popular unrest.

Demographics

Education

Education is mostly publicly-funded in Normudria and compulsory for all children from the ages of six to sixteen (or until students have completed three years of second level education) and until the completion of the B-Level Matriculation Certificate examination. The education system in Normudria is divided into three sections: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary (also referred to as "Further" or "Higher" education informally). Since 1981, a passing grade the B-Level has also acted as the threshold for suffrage.

Primary Education

Attending a state-run primary education facility is mandatory for all Normudric children. Students typically enter the Normudric public education system at ages 5 or 6, though some parents opt to send their children to privately-owned play schools from ages 4 until 5 or 6. The grade structure of Normudric primary school is as follows:

• Introductory Class (age 5-6/6-7)
• First Class (age 6-7/7-8)
• Second Class (age 7-8/8-9)
• Third Class (age 8-9/9-10)
• Fourth Class (age 9-10/10-11)
• Fifth Class (age 10-11/11-12)
• Sixth Class (age 11-12/12-13)

Sixth Class can be bypassed by passing the C-Level Advanced Aptitude Test, an optional and controversial test that parents can choose their child to take at the end of Fifth Class.

Secondary Education

The typical age for beginning secondary school is between 12–13, though early entrance is possible through the C-Level Advanced Aptitude Certificate. Most students complete secondary education, with approximately 90% of school-leavers taking the terminal examination, the A-Level Matriculation Certificate following their 6th Year (aged 16–19). The secondary education program is divided into two main cycles, the B (or Junior) Cycle and the A (or Senior) Cycle. Typically, both A and B Cycles are housed within one school campus, but some private institutions offer specialized facilities for just one. Each cycle is geared towards preparing students towards either the B-Level or the A-Level Matriculation Certificate Exam, respectively. As such, the A Cycle is entirely optional; passing the A-Level, however, is a requirement for obtaining any sort of Post-Secondary education and thus most students take the A Cycle courses as well. The structure of these Cycles is as follows:

B Cycle

• First Year (ages 12–14)
• Second Year (ages 13–15)
• Third Year (ages 14–16)

A Cycle

• Fourth Year (ages 15–17)
• Fifth Year (ages 16–18)