Brilliania

Federal Republic of Brilliania Errepublika Federala Berilinakoren
Flag Coat of arms of Brilliania Coat of arms
Motto: Mantendu egingo dugu We will maintain
Capital	Saranegertu
Largest	Martirien Herria
Official languages	Brillian
Demonym(s)	Brillian
Government	Federal presidential republic
• Lehendakari	Haran Elexalde
Population
• 2017 census	9,792,090
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$166,798,461,060
• Per capita	$17,034
Gini (2016)	32.0 medium
HDI (2017)	0.805 very high
Currency	Brillian Florrin (BFL)
Date format	yyyy-mm-dd
Driving side	right
ISO 3166 code	EB
Internet TLD	.br

Brilliania (Brillian: Berilinako), officially the Federal Republic of Brilliania, (Brillian: Errepublika Federala Berilinakoren) is a sovereign state in Eastern Asura bordered by the xxx and the nations of xxx, xxx and xxx. Brilliania consists of 6 states. It is a federal presidential republic with around 16.5 million inhabitants. Ethnic Brillian people, which speak the isolated Brillian language make up 79% of the population, with a significant minority of Iparinans from the southeastern region of Iparina.

The territory of Brilliania has been populated for several thousand years, with the first evidence of civilization being traced to 5000 years ago. The ancient Herritxa civilization existed until 600 BC.

Brilliania was ruled by a monarchy for almost a thousand years, starting when Prince xxx unified several Brillian towns in the year 964, and ending with the suicide of Prince Ilurdo in 1900. However, the Prince became mostly ceremonial in 1875, with the creation of the first parliament of Brilliania. The parliament was unique in the fact that every adult man was able to vote in elections. Female suffrage did not exist prior to redemocratisation in 1980.

Brilliania is a developed country with a high-income service-based economy. It ranks very highly in the Human Development Index. Brillian citizens have a high quality of life, assisted by massive technology investments, low-cost education and a state healthcare system. Despite governmental investments in social security, income inequality is relatively high, with a medium ranking for Gini.

History

Princedom of Brilliania (964 - 1900)

- Prince xxx unifies tribes - Some small wars with neighbours, nothing major - Mostly dominated by Veleaz

Communism(1902 - 1980)

- Events in xxx and xxx inspire Brillian revolutionaries, combined with the death of King Ilurdo

Republic of Brilliania (1965 - current)

After the end of FSR rule, Brilliania started its transition to democracy. The ceremonial renaming of the city of Sirizio (named after the first president of the Brillian xxx) to Martirien Herria (Town of the Martyrs) marked the symbolic end of socialism in Brilliania. The first free elections resulted in the big-tent opposition movement Brillian Forum for Democracy winning by a landslide. Rapid introductions of economic changes and constitutional changes including the addition of a directly elected president proved unpopular, with the second elections in 1984 giving the Social Democrats an absolute majority in the Muntaia. Elections between 1988 and 2001 caused the Forum to gain popularity, becoming a dominant party. Many Asuran observers considered Brilliania to have one of the most antiquated and conservative constitutions in xxx. Protests in 2000 caused by the rising unpopularity of the Forum with younger generations and the growing levels of unrest in society caused the downfall of the Forum with newer parties such as the Elkarrekin Movement, Alliance of Young Democrats and the Brilliania Not For Sale Movement gaining rapid popularity. The Democrats of Brilliania won a plurality in the early elections in 2003, allowing it to make a grand coalition with the Elkarrekin Movement to have the two-thirds supermajority required to amend or remake the constitution. The 2002 constitution introduced laws liberalizing the Brillian political atmosphere and modernizing the constitution to reflect the liberalization of the Brillian society.

Geography

Brilliania is a relatively low-lying country, with parts of the northern coast being below sea level. The southern parts are hillier, including the capital city of Saranegertu. The average national elevation is around 30 metres. The highest point of Brilliania is the 560-metre high Szaran Peak, which is close to Saranegertu. The Szaran Peak is easily climbable and is a popular spot for tourists. Szaranközel itself is one of the highest-elevated cities in Brilliania, being around 350 metres high.

Politics and Government

The Republic of Brilliania is administered as a federal presidential republic governed by the laws defined in the Fourth Constitution of the Republic, which was signed in 2002. The parliament of Brilliania is the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the lower Muntaia Federala and the upper Muntaia Estatua. The highest role in Brillian politics is the Lehendakari, which is elected directly by the people using the two-round method. The current Lehendakari is Haran Elexalde, representing the Alydian People's Appeal.

Parliament

The Parliament is the bicameral legislature of the Republic of Brilliania. It consists of two chambers, the 200-member Muntaia Federala and the 100 member Muntaia Estatua. The Lehendakari is allowed to make law proposals and parliamentary motions, the latter only if they are physically in the Parliament.

Interior of the Legebiltzarrak.

20 MPs, or the Lehendakari alone, may propose a parliamentary motion to expel a member if he breaks parliamentary protocol.
Since 2005, the parliamentary rules have included provisions for a weekly parliamentary question session for the Lehendakari, according to Midrasian standard.

Parties

Since the fall of communism, Brilliania has a multi-party system. The most recent legislative election will occur on 10 May 2019.

Law and judicial system

The judicial system in Brilliania is based off civil law. There are three kinds of courts: district courts, regional high courts and the Supreme Court (Kuria). The Kuria is based in Saranegertu.

Law enforcement in Brilliania is operated by the Ertzaintza, which carries out all major police duties such as investigation, patrol activity, traffic policing and border control. The Ertzaintzav is highly trained and is led by the National Commissioner of Law Enforcement, supervized by the Interior Minister. It is divided into regional and city divisions. The elite force of the Ertzaintza, the semi-militarized Jendarme, is used for riot control and critical incidents.

Jendarme members during exercise.

Economy

Transport

Production at the xxx plant in xxx, Brilliania, in 1970.

Demographics

According to the most recent national census, a total of around 9.8 million people live in the Republic of Brilliania. Most citizens live in xxx, xxx and xxx provinces. The largest city is Martirien Herria, which houses around 2 million people and was the former capital of Brilliania until xxx. The capital city is Saranegertu.
Brilliania is considered a relatively homogenous nation, with the most major groups being the Brillians and the Iparinans. Other minorites include xxx, xxx and xxx.

Education

Education in Brilliania consists almost fully of public education, with standards being created by the Ministry of Education. Preschool is optional but highly recommended, and 97% of Brillian children between the ages of 3 and 6 attend preschool. Schooling generally starts at age 7 and is mandatory until the age of 17. At the age of 12, students must do the EPA exam which decides which of the 3 levels of secundary education a child will go to.

The three levels of secondary education in Brilliania are called Lower Secondary, Middle Secondary and Higher Secondary. Lower Secondary is a form of vocational education and prepares a student for future work. It takes 3 years and exams are performed at the age of 15. Middle Secondary is a form of education mostly meant for preparation for future education or work. It takes 4 years and exams are performed at the age of 16. Higher Secondary is the most prestigious form of secondary education. It prepares a student for the Matura and university-level tertiary education. It takes 5 years. Higher Secondary students are given Matura at the age of 17.

Brillian students in summer uniform.

Culture

Music

Brilliania has had several musical developments in its history. A very common type of Brillian music is the "Bizitza kantua" (Life song). These life songs often are about subjects of lost ones or loneliness. They have a simple melody and a straightforward musical structure. A common element in life songs are accordions and guitars.

The singer Salbatzaile Tzobiral is well known for his contributions to modern jazz.

Cuisine

Erreta, a traditional beef stew with onions and copious amounts of paprika is eaten often and is one of the national dishes.

Cuisine is a big part of the Brillian culture, with cooking being regarded as a communal event especially at special occasions. Brillian cuisine is influenced by its history and geography, especially the historical releations with Veleaz. In the north, fish dishes are widespread, while in the south meat is preferred. Traditional dishes are often marked by their simplicity, with most dishes consisting of less than 5 ingredients.
In Iparina, the Veleazan influence is most visibly in the prominence of paprika. Most dishes from Iparina are stewed, with beef being the most popular meat used. Nationwide-renowned Brillian dishes are erreta and kullas. Both are forms of beef stew featuring paprika as a key ingredient.

A common occurrence in Brilliania are the so-called txoko, which are closed gastronomical societies for men. Txokos doubled as speakeasies during xxx rule. Most txokos have their own constitutions featuring rules the members must agree to. They are very common institutions. Most txokos are very conservative - traditional clothing is required and women are banned from entering because cooking is often regarded as a male activity in Brilliania. In recent years the so-called txoko soziala, or social txoko, have been started in most major cities. Social txokos allow women, and have liberal dress codes. Txokos are also a common place for political debates.

Art

The Fallen Angel, a painting by Mikeles Berasko made in 1912.