Esperantio

Esperantio Respubliko Esperantio Republic of Esperantio
Flag National Seal
Motto:  "Espero, Libereco kaj Paco." "Hope, Freedom, and Peace."
Anthem:  "The Hope" La Espero
Map of Esperantio
Capital and largest city	Haveno 4°42′N 134°46′E
Official languages	Esperanto
Recognised national languages	Chinese Emerstarian Hebrew English
Ethnic groups	66.5% European 15.1% Chinese 10.2% Jewish 8.2% Others
Demonym(s)	Esperantano
Government	Unitary Presidential Representative Democratic Republic
• President	Esa Rapaporto
• Assistant President	Sofia Pinto
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Altakomitato
• Lower house	Liberkonsilio
Formation
• National Foundation Day (legendary)	June 15, 1911 CE
• Constitution	April 2, 1929 CE
Area
• Total	2,040 km2 (790 sq mi)
• Water (%)	3.39
Population
• 2024 estimate	1,421,500
• Density	696.8/km2 (1,804.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Total	$105.411 billion
• Per capita	$74,155
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$97.271 billion
• Per capita	$68,500
Gini (2023)	36.4 medium
HDI (2023)	0.888 very high
Currency	Dolaro ($) (ESO)
Time zone	UTC+7
Date format	yyyy-mm-dd (CE−2022)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+909
ISO 3166 code	ESO
Internet TLD	.ep

Esperantio, officially known as the Republic of Esperantio (Esperanto: Respubliko Esperantio) is an island country in the Southern Ocean, about 900 kilometres off the southeastern coast of Ling Shou, east of Ilarya. It includes the main island (also called Esperantio), as well as Tropiko, Koralo, and Sankta Katarina. The main island of Esperantio, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Haveno. The country spans 2,040 square kilometres (790 sq mi) and has an exclusive economic zone covering 2,300,000 square kilometres (670,000 square nautical miles) and a population of 1,421,500 (2023). Formerly one of the region's poorest countries—with a GDP per capita of about US $1,354 per year in the late 1920s—it has since transformed itself into a highly developed country, with one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

The country is heavily urbanized, with most people living in Esperantio's four major cities. The lush vegetation of these cities – even in urban areas – has earned Esperantio the nickname “forest republic”. This abundance of greenery is largely due to the country's equatorial climate, which is uniformly hot and stormy throughout the year. Given its geographic location and associated centuries of colonialism, the people of Esperantio are uniquely diverse in their ethnicity, culture, language and faith.

Esperantio is frequently presented as an example of rapid and extraordinary economic success. After independence from Emerstari in 1917, Esperantio was able to become, with very few natural resources and significant socio-economic setbacks (race riots, unemployment massive, housing difficulties and access to fresh water), one of the most developed and prosperous countries in the area, in terms of economy, education, health, security and urban planning. This prosperity, however, is based on the exploitation of short-term immigrant labor (20-30% of the active population) who generally do not benefit in any way from these living conditions.

Esperantio's history is rich and distinct, dating back more than five-hundred years. As a maritime emporium known as New Eriksland, it served as a key trading post for several countries throughout the 19th century. Its modern era began in 1776, when Ravel Karlsson established it as a shipping hub for the Emerstari Kingdom. After 141 years as a shipping colony, Esperantio gained self-governance in 1917 and became part of the Association of Southeast Oceanic Nations.

Despite its geographic limitations, such as its small size and lack of natural ore reserves, Esperantio is home to significant offshore oil reserves, which the country has been leveraging since the 1940s. Its rapid development is based heavily on international trade and trans-continental economic agreements, with a strong emphasis on free trade, export-oriented industrialization and the accumulation of foreign direct investments, reserves and assets. Its relatively high gross national income per capita (by some estimates the largest in local economic zone) gives the country a relatively high standard of living and a respectable Human Development Index which has been increasing steadily for over 20 years.

History

Early History & New Eriksland

The island of Esperantio was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by Emerstarian explorers in the end of the 18th century. The 1776 arrival of Emerstarian explorer Captain Ravel Karlsson marked the first documented contact by an explorer with modern day Esperantio territory; early Emerstarian influence can be seen in the architecture of Haveno's "Renaissance Quarter", which borrows heavily from the Emerstarian Renaissance Revival style. Karlsson named the island "New Eriksland" in honor of his sponsor Ingemar Erik Sandborg, attaché to King Karl IV Lorens of Emerstari, publishing the islands' location and rendering hundreds of detailed geographic reports. The form "New Eriksland" or "Nya Eriksland" is preserved in the names of certain locations in the Esperantano landscape, among them being Monto Eriko, named after three Emerstarians of a Sandborg-sanctioned trapping party who went missing in the area during the 18th century.

The 1799 arrival of Emerstarian governor Wilhelm Frisk coincided with development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Frisk established Haveno (Then called Sigismund) as a naval base and a shipbuilding centre. Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing. These include part of Government Manor, the Stadshuset, and the Line Barracks, the headquarters of the police force. The island was under the administration of the Emerstarian South Sea Company, which maintained its presence until 1867. After 3 years of governership, Frisk returned to Emerstari in 1802, leaving Major Gustaf Linderolf as the Resident and Commandant of the new settlement, supported initially by some artillery and a single regiment of soldiers. Establishing a trading port from scratch was in itself a daunting prospect, but Linderolf's administration was, in addition, practically unfunded, as Frisk did not wish his superiors to view the island, which lacked ore and minerals, as a waste of financial resources. In addition, it was forbidden from earning revenue by imposing port duties, Frisk having decided from the outset that New Eriksland would be a free port.

In spite of these difficulties, the new colony rapidly proved to be a spectacular success. As news of the free port spread across the region, European, Chinese, and African traders flocked to the island, seeking to circumvent trading restrictions. During the first year of operation, 400,000 Emerstarian Skilles worth of trade passed through Sigismund. It has been estimated that when Frisk arrived in 1799, the total population of the whole of New Eriksland was around a thousand, mostly made up of fishermen. By 1811, the island's population had increased to around five thousand, and the trade volume was 8 million skilles. By 1825, the population had passed the ten thousand mark, with a trade volume of S 22 million.

Frisk returned to New Eriksland in 1822. Although Linderolf had successfully led the settlement through its difficult early years, Frisk was critical of many of the decisions he had made. For instance, in order to generate much-needed revenue for the government, Linderolf had resorted to selling licenses for gambling and the sale of opium, which Frisk saw as social evils. Frisk was also appalled by the slave trade tolerated by Linderolf. Frisk arranged for the dismissal of Linderolf, who was replaced by Sone Bruun. Frisk took over the administration himself, and set about drafting a set of new policies for the settlement.

In 1824, Frisk banned slavery, closed all gambling dens, prohibited the carrying of weapons, and imposed heavy taxation to discourage what he considered vices such as drunkenness and opium smoking. Frisk, dismayed at the disarray of the colony, also arranged to organise it into functional and ethnic subdivisions under the drafted Frisk's Plan of New Eriksland.

Disorganisation of the Colony

During the subsequent decades of the 19th century, Esperantio (Still called New Eriksland at this point) grew to become an important port in the region. Its success was due to several reasons including the opening of trading markets, the advent of ocean-going steamships, the dramatic reduction in the time and cost of shipping goods across the region after the opening of several canals, and the production of rubber and sugar on the island. Ling Shou had not featured significantly in New Eriksland's trade until the 1840s, when the tin-mining and gambier-pepper cultivation industries grew in the Ling Empire.

Its status as a free port provided a crucial advantage over other colonial port cities in Zhonghou and Miantou where tariffs were levied, and it drew many East-Asian traders operating in the region to Sigismund. Steamships had to frequently bunker and therefore take the route along the Ilaryan coast line which also preferred New Eriksland over Miantou. The later opening of the Bainbridge Canal in 1871 would further boost trade in New Eriksland. By 1880, over 1.5 million tons of goods were passing through the port of Sigismund each year, with around 80% of the cargo transported by steamships. The main commercial activity was entrepôt trade which flourished under no taxation and little restriction. Many merchant houses were set up on the island mainly by European trading firms, but also by Jewish, Chinese, Arab, Armenian, and Phoenixian merchants. There were also many Chinese middlemen who handled most of the trade between the European and Asian merchants.

By 1827, Europeans had become the largest ethnic group in Sigismund and by 1845 formed more than half of its population. They consisted of Gröners, who were descendants of early Emerstarian settlers, and Koopish farmers who flocked to the colony to escape economic hardship in southern Kooplieden. Their numbers were swelled by those fleeing the turmoil caused by the Spice Wars (1839–1860). Many arrived in Sigismund as impoverished indentured laborers. The Chinese were the second largest ethnic group until the 1860s and they worked as fishermen, craftsmen, or as wage earners while continued to live mostly in Pagodas. By 1860, the Phoenixians had become the second-largest ethnic group. They consisted of unskilled labourers, traders, and convicts who were sent to carry out public works projects such as clearing jungles and laying out roads. There were also Phoenixian troops garrisoned on the island by the Emerstarians.

Despite New Eriksland's growing importance in regional economics, the administration governing the island was understaffed, ineffectual, and unconcerned with the welfare of the populace. Administrators were usually posted from overseas and were unfamiliar with local culture and languages. While the population had quadrupled from 1830 to 1867, the size of the civil service had remained unchanged. Most people had no access to public health services and diseases such as cholera and smallpox caused severe health problems, especially in overcrowded working-class areas. As a result of the administration's ineffectiveness and the predominantly male, transient, and uneducated nature of the population, the society was lawless and chaotic. In 1850 there were only twenty-one sworn constables in the city of nearly 60,000 people. Prostitution, gambling, and drug abuse (particularly of opium) were widespread. European criminal secret societies (analogous to modern-day mobs) were extremely powerful, and some had tens of thousands of members. Turf wars between rival societies occasionally led to hundreds of deaths and attempts to suppress them had limited success.

The Esperanto Independence Movement

Although crime was at an all time high in the late 19th century, Sigismund was slowly becoming a destination point for people from every corner of the globe — businessmen from the Latin world, Jews fleeing oppression, and refugees escaping the turmoil that followed the Spice Wars. Millions of others — from the Urilas Straits, the Urlistan subcontinent, and Aguas Ricas, from Ling Shou, Durradon, Phoenixia, and literally dozens of other countries — were drawn by the city's untapped opportunity and by its rumors of economic opportunity. This rich tapestry of culture, however, made communication difficult, particularly with Emerstarian authorities who faced growing resentment in the colony.

In 1891, Tobias Davidsson, a leader in the independence movement and a former student of Polish physician Ludovic Zamenhof, sought to introduce Esperanto, a simple, easy-to-learn planned language as the national language in an effort to unify the colony's residents. With dozens of ethnic groups comprising the cultural fabric of the island, Davidsson deemed it imperitive to the independence movement for islanders to have a means of communicating freely and easily. His goal was to erase communication barriers between ethnic groups by providing them with a politically neutral, culturally free standard language that would allow the country the opportunity to preserve its complex cultural identity. Davidsson's Esperanto movement grew in popularity amongst the colony's inhabitants, and the goal of uniting the country under a common language became a symbol of hope and ambition.

By the turn of the century, Esperanto educational material was being distributed daily, and in 1902, over 100,000 people were communicating in the language. In some instances, people were reported to have learnt a working-level of the language in just 4 weeks. The rudimentary components proposed by Zamenhof, and by extension Davidsson, soon evolved into a blossoming language that seemed destined to become the country's lingua franca. Tron Hammarström, the colony's governor at the time, considered the Esperanto Movement a seditionist plot and, in 1905, banned all materials written in Esperanto. Despite opposition, Esperanto was more popular than ever, with newspapers even publishing full articles in Esperanto out of protest.

As early as 1911, Gröner communists, with strong ties to the trade unions and Gröner schools, waged a guerrilla war against the government, leading to the Sigismund Emergency. The 1914 National Service riots, Friberg Train Station riots, and normal school riots in New Eriksland were all linked to these events. Davidsson, now the pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won the country's first general election in 1915. He led a delegation to Kronbø, and Emerstari rejected his demand for complete self-rule. He resigned and was replaced by Wan Wei Zhi in 1916, and after further negotiations Emerstari agreed to grant the colony full internal self-government on 1 November 1917, with William Ceder West and Wan Wei Zhi as the first prime minister and president respectively.

The Republic of Esperantio

After being granted its independence in 1917, the country drafted its first constitution, with the Liberkonsilio formally abandoning the island's colonial name in favour of the name "Esperantio." In 1923, the country co-founded the Association of Southeast Oceanic Nations (ASEON). Extensive race riots broke out in 1929, as ethnic Chinese and other non-Gröner ethnic groups in Esperantio rejected the discriminatory policies imposed by the Gröner such as quotas for the Gröner as special privileges were granted to the Gröner guaranteed under Article 77 of the Constitution of Esperantio. There were also other financial and economic benefits that were preferentially given to Gröners. William Ceder West and other political leaders began advocating for the fair and equal treatment of all ethnicities in Esperantio, with a rallying cry of "Unify!".

William Ceder West's emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for business entrepreneurship, and limitations on internal democracy shaped Esperantio's policies for the next half-century. Economic growth continued throughout the 1930s, with the unemployment rate falling to 3% and real GDP growth averaging at about 8% up until 1949. During the 1940s, Esperantio began to shift towards developing a domestic oil industry in order to remain competitive as neighbouring countries began manufacturing and farming with cheaper labour.

Geography

Topographic map of Esperantio

Rugged, young volcanic terrain is a distinguishing feature of Esperantio.

Esperantio is the only known habitat of the endangered harlequin tini.

Esperantio, has a landmass of 2,040 km² (790 sq mi) and is located directly in the pathway of the notorious "Tropic Whip" wind that encircles the globe. It is the 177th largest nation in the world by size. The Republic of Esperantio comprises "Big Esperantio" and several outlying islands. The nation's exclusive economic zone covers about 2.3 million km² (890,000 sq mi) of the Middle Ocean, including approximately 400,000 km² (150,000 sq mi) jointly managed with nearby countries.

Esperantio is 2,000 km (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of of the nearest continent, between latitudes 19°58.8'S and 20°31.7'S and longitudes 57°18.0'E and 57°46.5'E. It is 65 km (40 mi) long and 45 km (30 mi) wide. Its land area is 1,864.8 km2 (720.0 sq mi). The island is surrounded by more than 150 km (100 mi) of white sandy beaches, and the lagoons are protected from the open sea by the world's third-largest coral reef, which surrounds the island. Just off the Esperantano coast lie some 49 uninhabited islands and islets, several of which have been declared natural reserves for endangered species.

Most of the country's land is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Together with Esperantio, Tropiko, and Koralo, the island is part of the Esperantio archipelago. These islands emerged as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of kilometres to the east of the continental block made up of the nearby continents. They are no longer volcanically active and the hotspot now rests under Tropiko Island. Esperantio is encircled by a broken ring of mountain ranges, varying in height from 300 to 800 metres (1,000 to 2,600 ft) above sea level. The land rises from coastal plains to a central plateau where it reaches a height of 670 m (2,200 ft); the highest peak is in the south-west, La Pinto de la Fondinto at 828 metres (2,717 ft). Streams and rivers speckle the island, many formed in the cracks created by lava flows.

Climate

Esperantio's climate is tropical, with generally humid and stable conditions year-round, although weather phenomena and infrequent storms have caused instances of extreme weather. At the lower elevations, the annual precipitation varies from an average of about 130 cm on the windward (northeastern) shore to less than 51 cm on the (southwestern) leeward side of the island. The average temperature in Haveno, the capitol and largest city, ranges from 19 °C in June to 23 °C in September and October. The central plateau is much cooler than the surrounding coastal areas and can experience as much as twice the rainfall. The prevailing trade winds keep the east side of the island cooler and bring more rain. Occasional tropical cyclones generally occur between January and March and tend to disrupt the weather for about three days, bringing heavy rain.

Rainfall is more concentrated towards the central and southern parts of the island, and lessens towards the coast in the north. The northern and western parts of the island are both slightly drier and warmer than the southern and eastern. There is no specific rainy season, although the summer months tend to be wetter, with the wettest months often being February and March. This coincides with the cyclonic season in the region. The coastal areas also experience greater lengths of sunshine across the seasons with an average of 7.5-8 hours, compared to an average of 6.5 in the interior.

Geology

The geology of Esperantio is comparatively recent. The oldest rocks on Esperantio are only 10 million years old and 1.54 million years old on outlying islands. The mafic basalts of the country's islands were formed in relation to the hotspot that generated the Nayalayan Trenches and coral reefs, which themselves were built on volcanoes forming non-volcanic sediments.

Esperantio is the centre of a line of three islands — Tropiko, Esperantio, and Koralo — some hundreds of kilometers apart; they are all volcanic, and in reality quite unconnected, except in so far as they are on a line of volcanic action. The main island of Esperantio consists essentially of a mass of volcanic debris thrown up from craters now extinct. A central ridge, which is the main watershed of the island, and in which are situated all the more recent craters, commences at the south, where it has an elevation of about 600 m, and runs northwards, gradually curving to north-east. The gentle slopes on each side are stopped, round the greater part of the circumference, by ranges of mountains up to nearly 900 m in height, so thin and steep as to resemble walls. From the outer precipices of these, comparatively level plains of variable width stretch to the sea. There are three wide gaps in these mountains, through which the slopes from the main watershed fall gently to the sea. The northern part of the island — the pointed end of the pear — is cut off from the rest by these mountain-walls, but the general direction of the watershed continues across it at a much lower level, and is even prolonged under water by a bank extending 20 or 30 kilometers before it sinks to 100 fathoms below the sea.

Natural Resources

Natural resources on the island includes small deposits of gold, copper, coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos. The island is 55% forest and woodland (mostly on the mountains) and 24% arable land (mostly on the plains), with 15% going to other purposes. 5% is permanent pasture and 1% is permanent crops.

Because of the intensive exploitation throughout Esperantio's pre-modern and modern history, the island's mineral resources (e.g. coal, gold, marble), as well as wild animal reserves (e.g. pandas), have been virtually exhausted. Moreover, much of Esperantio's forestry resources, especially firs were harvested during early island development for the construction of housing and have only recovered slightly since then. To this day, forests do not contribute to significant timber production mainly because of concerns about production costs and environmental regulations.

Climate data for Haveno (Northern Esperantio) (1991–2020, extremes 1961–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.6 (90.7)	32.0 (89.6)	32.1 (89.8)	31.6 (88.9)	31.6 (88.9)	31.6 (88.9)	30.8 (87.4)	33.0 (91.4)	35.7 (96.3)	36.4 (97.5)	34.5 (94.1)	33.7 (92.7)	36.4 (97.5)
Average high °C (°F)	26.9 (80.4)	27.2 (81.0)	27.0 (80.6)	26.8 (80.2)	26.0 (78.8)	25.3 (77.5)	25.6 (78.1)	27.4 (81.3)	29.1 (84.4)	29.0 (84.2)	27.0 (80.6)	26.8 (80.2)	27.0 (80.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	21.9 (71.4)	21.9 (71.4)	21.8 (71.2)	21.6 (70.9)	20.3 (68.5)	19.3 (66.7)	19.3 (66.7)	21.0 (69.8)	22.8 (73.0)	23.1 (73.6)	21.7 (71.1)	21.7 (71.1)	21.4 (70.5)
Average low °C (°F)	18.3 (64.9)	18.2 (64.8)	18.2 (64.8)	17.7 (63.9)	15.6 (60.1)	14.2 (57.6)	13.9 (57.0)	15.3 (59.5)	17.6 (63.7)	18.5 (65.3)	18.1 (64.6)	18.3 (64.9)	17.0 (62.6)
Record low °C (°F)	12.2 (54.0)	11.0 (51.8)	14.5 (58.1)	10.7 (51.3)	3.2 (37.8)	3.3 (37.9)	1.6 (34.9)	5.0 (41.0)	9.0 (48.2)	10.2 (50.4)	11.4 (52.5)	11.4 (52.5)	1.6 (34.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	206.0 (8.11)	179.5 (7.07)	226.0 (8.90)	145.2 (5.72)	26.9 (1.06)	3.3 (0.13)	1.5 (0.06)	16.3 (0.64)	38.1 (1.50)	141.8 (5.58)	253.1 (9.96)	241.1 (9.49)	1,478.8 (58.22)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	16	14	15	9	3	1	0	2	4	10	17	18	109
Average relative humidity (%)	74.7	74.2	76.1	72.2	65.4	58.8	51.0	43.5	46.4	58.8	74.5	76.0	64.3
Average dew point °C (°F)	17.2 (63.0)	17.3 (63.1)	17.6 (63.7)	16.7 (62.1)	14.2 (57.6)	11.8 (53.2)	9.7 (49.5)	8.7 (47.7)	10.6 (51.1)	14.2 (57.6)	17.0 (62.6)	17.4 (63.3)	14.4 (57.9)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	159.6	158.9	168.7	200.8	237.9	247.6	268.3	273.5	225.7	191.3	138.3	145.0	2,415.6

Government & Politics

Esperantio is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. Its constitution states representative democracy as its political system. In 2035, Esperantio was ranked the 3rd least corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International.

The Cabinet has executive power, and is led by the Prime Minister, and the President. The president is elected through popular vote, and has some veto powers for a specific decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a post with little power.

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of government. Members of Parliament (MPs) are made up of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) system and represent either single-member or group-representation constituencies. Elections are free, and the People's Progress Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since 1989. In the most recent parliamentary elections in 2036, the largest opposition, led by the Constitution Party, increased its representation in the House to 10 elected MPs out of 60.

The legal system of Esperantio is based on English common law, however with large and important local differences. Trial by jury was removed in 1995 leaving judicial judgement done completely and only by judgeship. Esperantio has laws that include corporal punishment in the form of whipping for rape, robbery, abuse, and some assault crimes. There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, and for certain drug-trafficking and firearms offences.

Economy

Esperantio has a highly developed market economy, historically rooted in widespread financial trade. The economy is dominated by financial services and petroleum, together accounting for 90% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. The nation's low tax rates have led to it being used as a tax haven for corporations; there are 100,000 overseas companies registered in Esperantio, five times as many as the number of domestic corporations. The country have come under criticism for allegations of money laundering and other financial crimes, including a 2035 statement by the president of Trachtenberg, Zamir Kahn, whom described Esperantio's economy as the world's most egregious "tax scam".

For many years, Esperantio has maintained a AAA credit rating from the big three rating agencies, a distinction shared by only a few countries and unique among nations in the area. This strong economic position, combined with its strategic location, skilled workforce, low tax rates, advanced infrastructure and zero-tolerance anti-corruption policy, make Esperantio a magnet for foreign investment. In 2023, the Global Council for Management Development ranked Esperantio as the world's 9th most competitive economy among 64 countries, underscoring its strong economic health.

Interestingly, despite its free market, the Esperantano government plays a substantial role in the economy, contributing to 22% of GDP. The island-state is a popular destination for conferences and events, further bolstering its economic activity. The Banking Authority of Esperantio (BAE) issues the Esperantano Dolaro (ESD or E$), the national currency, which has been interchangeable with the Mark at par since 2007. Unlike most central banks, which use interest rates to manage monetary policy, the BAE allows the dolaro exchange rate to rise or fall within an undisclosed floating band.

Esperantio's economic strength is underlined by its posession of the world's 30th largest reserve of oil. Crude oil and natural gas production account for about 30% of its GDP. About 167,000 barrels (26,600 m³) of oil are produced every day, making Esperantio the fourth-largest producer of oil in the Southern Sea. It also produces approximately 25.3 million cubic metres (890 million cubic feet) of liquified natural gas per day, making Esperantio the ninth-largest gas exporter in the world. It's robust petroleum industry, combined with its low personal income rates and tax exemptions on income and capital gains earned abroad, has attracted wealthy individuals such as Ling Shou retail billionaire Li Cheng, and Ahabank co-founder Mario Cavalcanti.

Despite being ranked the 10th most expensive city in the world for three consecutive years, acute poverty is rare in Esperantio. The government offers assistance programs to the homeless and needy through the Ministry of Social Unity. These programs range from financial aid to needy households, free government medical assistance, and paying children's tuition. Other benefits include gym membership compensation, baby bonuses, heavily subsidized healthcare, financial aid for the disabled, reduced-price laptop computers for poor students, and discounts on public transportation and utilities. This comprehensive social security system has helped Esperantio rank high on the Human Development Index (HDI), 9th in the world in 2036.

Transportation

Due to Esperantio's small geographic size and high population density, the number of private cars on the road is restricted in order to control pollution and congestion. Those who buy a car must pay fees equal to the market value of the vehicle as well as an 25% excise fee to acquire a Vehicular Certificate of Use (VCU), which allows the vehicle to be driven for 11 years. Due to the high cost of vehicle ownership, only one in nine residents own a private vehicle, and only 1 in 4 possess a vehicle operator's license.

Today, many of Esperantio's residents travel by foot, bicycle, bus, taxi and train (Mass Rapid Transit or Light Rail). Two companies operate the public bus and train transportation system – EF Transit and the National Commuter Corporation. The island has the Rallande Haveno Checkpoint Station and, previously, the Stelara Junkturo Station . There are more than a dozen taxi companies, which between them operate about 10,000 taxis on the road. Taxis are a popular form of public transportation as fares are relatively cheap compared to many other developed countries.

Esperantio has a road network spanning 1,756 km, including 193 km of controlled access motorways. The Haveno Pollution Control Scheme, implemented in 1979, became the world's second congestion pricing scheme, and included complementary measures such as road-limiting property quotas and traffic improvements. Updated in 2003 and renamed Electronic Travel Pricing, the system introduced electronic toll booths, electronic detection, and video surveillance technology, paying for infrastructure repair and maintenance throughout the country.

Demographics

Society

As of 2036, the estimated population of Esperantio was 1,421,500, of whom 877,492 (61.6%) were citizens and the remaining 544,000 (38.4%) were either permanent residents (256,300) or international students, foreign workers, or dependants (287,700). The overall population increased 5% from the prior year, driven largely by foreign workers. According to the country's most recent census in 2035, nearly one in four residents (citizens and permanent residents) was foreign born; including non-residents, roughly 43% of the total population was born abroad. This proportion is largely unchanged from the 2030 census.

The 2035 census reported that about 66.5% of residents were of European descent, 15.1% of Chinese descent, 10.2% of Jewish descent, and 3.2% of other descent (such as Phoenixian); this proportion was virtually identical to the 2030 census, with slight increases among European and Chinese (0.2% and 0.1% respectively) and minor deceases in Jewish and others (0.2% and 0.1%). Prior to 2030, each person could register as a member of only one race, by default that of his or her father; therefore, mixed-race persons were solely grouped under their father's race in government censuses. From 2030 onward, people may register using a multi-racial classification, in which they may choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more than two.

Like other developed countries in Ionis, Esperantio experienced a rapid decline in its total fertility rate (TFR) beginning in the 1980s. Since 2020, its TFR has largely plateaued at 1.1 children per woman, which is among the lowest in the world and well below the 2.1 needed to replace the population. Consequently, the median age of Esperantano residents is among the highest in the world, at 41.1 in 2022 compared to 39.6 ten years earlier. Starting in 2011, the government introduced a series of programs to increase fertility, including paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, tax relief and rebates, one-time cash gifts, and grants for companies that implement flexible work arrangements; nevertheless, live births have continued to decline, hitting a record low in 2032. Esperantio's immigration policy is designed to alleviate the decline and maintain its working-age population.

91% of resident households (i.e. households headed by a Esperantano citizen or permanent resident) own the homes they live in, and the average household size is 3.43 persons (which include dependants who are neither citizens nor permanent residents). However, due to scarcity of land, 78.7% of resident households live in subsidised, high-rise, public housing apartments developed by the Land Development Grant (LDG). Also, 75.9% of resident households live in properties that are equal to, or larger than, a four-room (i.e. three bedrooms plus one living room) LDG flat or in private housing. Live-in foreign domestic workers are quite common in Esperantio, with about 44,500 foreign domestic workers there, as of December 2033.

Urbanisation

Haveno is the capital and the largest city of Esperantio, and lies on the northern coast of Esperantio, along the Orange Gulf. There are 33 cities and several planning areas in the country. More than 50% of the population lives in Haveno.

Largest cities or towns in Esperantio Esperantio Department of Statistics population report for 2036
	Rank		Region	Pop.
Haveno Coromandelo	1	Haveno	Haveno	775,226	Anĝeleso Moŝto
	2	Coromandelo	Centro	159,289
	3	Anĝeleso	Centro	82,355
	4	Moŝto	Centro	78,618
	5	Neblumara	Mirinda	55,308
	6	Lulea	Bonalando	31,269
	7	Curepipo	Centro	20,910
	8	La Smeraldo	Vestervelo	27,710
	9	Florplena	Jacoteto	21,671
	10	Suna Valoro	Mirinda	17,042

Religion

Religion in Esperantio
Category				%
Christianity			31.1
No religion			26.1
Buddhism			18.9
Judaism			8.8
Taoism and folk religion			5
Hinduism			3
Other			7.1
Esperantio Department of Statistics, 2035.

Most major religious denominations are present in Esperantio, with the Inter-Religious Organisation, Esperantio (IRO) recognising 10 major religions in the island state. A 2014 analysis by the Pew Research Center found Esperantio to be the world's most religiously diverse nation, with no single religion claiming a majority.

Christianity is the most widely practised religion, with 31% of residents declaring themselves adherents in the 2035 census. Budddhism was the second largest religion at 18.9%, followed by Judaism (8.8%), and Taoism (5.0%). Over one-quarter of the population had no religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Buddhists, and the nonreligious slightly increased between 2020 and 2030, while the proportion of Jews and Taoists slightly decreased; Hinduism and other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population.

Languages

Language used most frequently at home
Category				%
Esperanto			48.3
Emerstarian			15.1
Mandarin			10.0
English			5.8
Hebrew			2.3
Other			7.1
Esperantio Department of Statistics, 2035.

Esperanto is the lingua franca and the main language used in business, government, law and education. The Constitution of Esperantio and all government legislation is written in Esperanto, and interpreters are required if a language other than Esperanto is used in a judicial setting. Statutory corporations conduct their businesses in Esperanto, while any official documents written in a non-Esperanto official language such as Emerstarian, Mandarin, or English are typically translated into Esperanto to be accepted for use.

Esperantanos are mostly bilingual, typically with Esperanto as their common language and their mother-tongue as a second language taught in schools, in order to preserve each individual's ethnic identity and values. According to the 2030 census, Esperanto was the language most spoken at home, used by 48.3% of the population; Emerstarian was next, spoken at home by 15.1%. Nearly 100,000 people speak other ancestral varieties of Chinese, English, Russian, Hebrew, and others as their home language, although the use of these is declining in favour of Esperanto.

Education

The history of formal education in Esperantio dates back to the 1867 when Bonde University was established. Today, Esperanto is the main language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in Esperanto, except for family and foreign language exams.

Education in Esperantio is divided into general, vocational, and hobby. The education system is based on four levels: pre-school, basic, secondary, and higher education. A wide network of schools and supporting educational institutions have been established. The Esperantio education system consists of state, municipal, public, and private institutions. There are currently 589 schools in Esperantio, including two public universities, and nine public vocational institutes of technology.

Basic education, which is compulsory, begins with six years of schooling, consisting of a four-year basic education course and a two-year pre-secondary stage. The curriculum emphasizes the development of Esperanto, a chosen family language, a chosen art, mathematics and science. Secondary education lasts four to five years and is divided into Vocational, Academic and Technical, depending on the student's level. The courses at this level are similar to those in primary school, but the classes are more specialized. Pre-university education is optional, and provided at 16 Junior Colleges, with a duration of two years. For students not attending university, they can either enter the workforce or proceed to a vocational institute of technology which offer programs such as skilled trades, nursing, IT, etc.

In the 2036 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, Esperantio's students rank 1st in Ionis. In the world, Esperantio's students rank 5th in reading, 6th in mathematics and 4th in sciences. Additionally, around 90% of Esperantio adults aged 25–64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, one of the highest rates in the industrialized world.

Academic higher education in Esperantio is divided into three levels: bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies. In some specialties, the bachelor's and master's levels are integrated into one unit. Esperantano public universities have significantly more autonomy than applied vocational institutes. In addition to organizing the academic life of the university, universities can create new curricula, establish admission terms and conditions, approve the budget, approve the development plan, elect the rector, and make restricted decisions in matters concerning assets.

Some of the best-known scientists related to Esperantio include astronomers Alex Osslero, Kosti Karjalainen and Amar Ganjawala, biologist Karl Blumenfeldo, Isaac Schwarzmann, chemists Yang Hanying and Adamo Schmitt, economist Zheng Yaling, mathematician Felix Hai, medical researchers Ludvigo Puuseppo and Børge Ovesen, physicist Henriko Hoffman, political scientist Reno Bang, psychologist Stormo Davidsson and Franko Bisgaard, semiotician Olivero Sihota.