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Ecclesiastical Theodemocracy of Pharexia Pharexian: Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx Astellian: Talamh na n-Oileán go Leor | |
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: "To dwell together in unity" Pharexian: "Að búa saman í einingu"" Astellian: "Cónaithe le chéile in aontacht" | |
 Map of the 21 wards of Pharexia | |
| Capital | Breíddalsvík |
| Official languages | Pharexian · Astellian |
| Recognised regional languages | Valian |
| Ethnic groups (2019) | 38% Asteillian 23% Mainland Esevær (10% Angshirian, 6% Valian, 3% Eustaki) |
| Demonym(s) | Pharexian |
| Government | Confederal multi-party consociationalist directorial republic with significant elements of direct democracy |
| Hansine Karlson Hans Mathiassen | |
| Legislature | Síðari |
| Ward Assembly | |
| National Assembly | |
| Establishment | |
• Barony of Holafsosan | 1021 |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 2,730,536 |
• Density | 521/km2 (1,349.4/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $130 billion |
• Per capita | $49,451 |
| Gini (2017) | 28.95 low |
| HDI (2019) |  0.933very high |
| Currency | Pharexian Sherbornes |
| Date format | dd/mm/yy (NG) |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | PHX |
| Internet TLD | .phx |
Pharexia, officially the Ecclesiastical Democratic Federation of Pharexia (pronounced: /fərɛziɑ/; Pharexian: Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx pronounced: [kiɒkju:lɛgd l ʁɛ:i af hɑjɛgss], Duxnusaric: Talamh na n-Oileán go Leor pronounced: [ˈfɒːbɔnˀ æˀ kʰʁ̥yˈlænd̥ə], commonly referred to as the Federation of Pharexia or the Pharexian Federation, is a Eseværian nation consisting of the southwestern portion of the Sofjord mainland, the western portion of Djupivogur Island, in addition to several surrounding islands. It shares mainland borders with Fjerholtia to the northwest and Selsoykenia to the southwest. Eastward, across the Passäcaglia Sea, Pharexia controls a small portion of land on the Vivorian mainland which borders Klyasilia to the southeast, the city-state of Trelisfieldia to the northeast, and Susonia to the west.
Pharexia is a semi-direct democratic federal republic. It consists of 21 wards (jords/bharda), each with some degree of semi-autonomous devolved administrations. The capital city of Breíddalsvík is located on the northeastern part on the coast of the Passäcaglia Sea. Most of Pharexia’s terrain is flat with the exception of its mountainous border western border; the northern climate is Template:Wpltemperate and covered in deciduous forest while middle and southern Pharexia is largely taiga grassland. Temperatures average between 5°C (41°F) in the north and -1°C (30 °F) in the south throughout the year. As a result of the moderation and the southernly latitude, summers normally hover around 12 °C (53 °F). Average temperatures are -7 °C (19 °F) in winter. The southernly latitude location also results in perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days.
Culturally, Pharexia's relatively small population of 2.7 million demonstrates a cohesive national character. This character is attributed to the country’s largely inhospitable southern landscape, the constant darkness of its winters, and the high degree of adherence to the Ilyçisian religion. As a result, Pharexia is a combination of individualism and egalitarianism. Pharexians are highly agreeable and compassionate people, reflected in the state's strong social welfare system, while also harboring conscientiousness and responsibility, reflected by the high GDP per capita, high level of educational achievement, and more recently significant technological advancements.
Pharexia is often described as a unique amalgamation of both conservative and liberal ideologies: for example, despite having restrictive abortion laws, it has relatively liberal LGBT+ laws. This dichotomy is usually attributed to the rather unique teachings of the Church of Pharexia, which has both a high adherence and a large influence over public policy. Pharexia maintains a Nordic-like social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. Pharexia ranks high in economic, democratic, social stability, and equality. It is consistently ranked as one of the most developed countries in the world and high on the Global Peace Index. The northern third of Pharexia–home to over half of the country’s citizens–runs almost entirely on renewable energy. Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality and lack of a standing military, the former of these two attributes has been questioned in recent years, with Pharexia becoming a member of the Esevær Alliance in 2019. The government's claims it is merely for economic purposes. Though fundamentally and philosophically a pacifist country, it continues to maintain a minimal defense force. The Pharexian Federation 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. Pharexia has strict gun control laws: a national government safety course must be passed, a special license is required to own a handgun which may only be used for target shooting at a licensed range, semi-automatic firearms have caliber restrictions, while fully automatic firearms are banned entirely. Most psychotropic substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, and other class A drugs have been decriminalized but are rarely used. Culturally, Pharexia's attachment to reason and rational thought is evidenced in its constructed language. Astellian is also commonly spoken by Pharexians, and in 1978 it was made an official co-language of the Federation. The Valian language is recognized as a regional language of Eastern Pharexia.
Pharexia has a rather unique relationship with religion–while an overwhelming majority (80%) of citizens are members of the Ilyçisian denomination of Trúathi, nearly 90% of the population identify as nontheists. The official state church is the Trúathi Church of Pharexia/Kirkja hins af Fharheckx/Séipéal n-Oileán naofa, which professes that the mainstream monotheistic Ilyçisian God is better conceptualized as a metaphor for a transcendent reality and the relationships that exist between people. The Church of Pharexia rejects the concept of the personal God taught in mainstream Ilyçisianism. Rather, it embraces the cultural and humanistic aspects of Ilyçisianism without their basis in historical events.
Economically, Pharexia is a competitive and highly liberalized, open market economy. The vast majority of Pharexian enterprises are privately owned and market-oriented, combined with a strong welfare state. It has incredibly generous maternity/paternity leave, government-funded job training for the unemployed, and free healthcare. Public spending is 30% of GDP, but this has been in decline for nearly two decades and is continuing its downward trend. In the same period, public debt has more than halved from 70% of GDP to 34% thanks to a shift in the budget from an 11% deficit to a 0.8% surplus. A lot of this has come about by allowing private companies to provide public goods by competing for contracts alongside public providers (healthcare is a notable example of this). What this sort of system amounts to is not the free market guiding the public sector but being allowed to contribute to a well-developed welfare state. Since the initial wave of liberalization efficiency savings haven't budged much and there is continued debate about whether private firms provide the same quality as public-run services. In essence, Pharexia attempts to balance a competitive business environment with a high level of public provision of goods and services. It does not do so by sticking rigidly to the traditional free market vs. planned economy dichotomy, but by focusing on the ends it wants to achieve (such as a higher quality of life, happiness and individual autonomy, among others) and determining which means will best accomplish them.
Pharexia's political system is well suited to this economic approach. Human capital is at the center of the government's economic agenda, and its directorial democratic institutions offer an atmosphere of trust and stability which facilitates continued safe investment. Society's egalitarian nature and easy mobility further reassures Pharexians of the system's success and ensures their support for it. While the state does employ around 25% of the labour force, the focus of policy is on individual autonomy within an open economy rather than on state direction. This is why the private sector has been brought back into state policy after clumsy top-down planning of the mid-to-late 20th century (when Pharexia was an explicitly social democratic state). As one example of 'intelligent government', Pharexia uses a form of 'flexicurity' that allows firms to sack employees with considerable ease, but then uses government resources and facilities to provide these unemployed citizens with generous benefits and considerable assistance in finding new work. Similarly, the government uses resources to invest in innovation within problem areas, rather than trying to solve those problems through taxes which historically proved ineffective within Pharexia. Essentially, the government tends to turn political projects into business plans. In other areas, such as education, the government refuses to consider private involvement, but in these cases tends to offer a considerable degree of autonomy to the local providers rather than centrally directing efforts.
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 Dvorxick people, 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.
History
750 to 1124: Settlement and Unionization
The settlement of Pharexia is generally believed to have begun in the second half of the seventh century, when Dvorxick settlers migrated across the ocean to the coast Lake Moskenes, located on modern-day Holmavíke. The reasons for the migration are uncertain, but many historians believe it was because of religious strife and a shortage of arable land in Davork. Pharexia was unsettled land and could be claimed without conflict with existing inhabitants.
The location provided settlers with an abundance of fish, birds, and small game animals. Big game, including, mammoths and ground sloths, also were attracted to these water sources. The first century of settlement was characterized by hardship and the lack of significant development, due primarily to the chilling temperatures during the winter and lack of the population remained small. Many settlers broke away from the main village to attempt to find better living conditions, although it is unlikely any succeeded, as there is no evidence of any other major settlements outside of southern Holmavíke. Approximatly fifty years after settlement, individual villages began uniting into larger social units called Vígis. This process, which took place several times independently (reports estimate 13-20), became known as Unionization. As a result, distinct religious and ritualistic cultures emerged, based primarily off of subsistence farming and local trading. Like other island cultures, Dvorxick societies were centered on connection with the land but, unlike them, it were adapted to a cold, subartic environment rather than a warm, tropical one. The first recognized and largest known Vígi was Tjarnabyggd, founded on the northern coast of Holmavíke, which is currently the capital and most populated city of the ward.
The years 790 and 811 have traditionally been considered the first years of settlement. However, these sources are largely unreliable in the details they provide about the settlement, and recent research focuses more heavily on archaeological and genetic evidence.
Traditionally, the Age of Settlement is considered to have lasted from 874 to 930, at which point most of the island had been claimed and Alþingi (Althingi), the assembly of the Icelandic Commonwealth, was founded at Þingvellir (Thingvellir).
Medieval History
The Great Migration
Ayoubian Empire
The War of Redemption
Pharexian Renaissance
Kingdom of the Quorum of the State
Ayoubian War
Modern History
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 Eastern 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 Eastern Ring, home to five islands, was discovered by Börkur Valsson in 1822. They are rich in iron ore, coal, gold, platinum, and uranium.
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Nature
Around three-quarters of the mainland (consisting of Dalvuk, New Waldensia, Ruscya, Apror, Clayp Thines, and Brichard Proper) is barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly of grassland, which is regularly grazed by livestock. Holmavíke is home to over 80% of Pharexia's farming due to the rest of the archipelago's harsh climate. The most common tree native to Pharexia is the northern Hazel (Corylus), which forms forests over much of northern Pharexia (including the Northern Fringe), along with aspens (Populus tremula), rowans (Sorbus aucuparia), common junipers (Juniperus communis), and other smaller trees, mainly willows, which are found more commonly on the mainland.
When the archipelago was first settled, it was extensively forested, with 80% of the original land covered in trees. In the late 17th century, permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber. A 1987 government assessment found only 12% of the original forests remained. Deforestation, climatic deterioration, and overgrazing by livestock imported by settlers caused a loss of critical topsoil due to erosion. Today, most farms outside of Holmavíke have been abandoned. Only a few small birch stands now exist in isolated reserves. The issue has recently gained significant attention at the ward and federal level. The environmentalist Écologists have put forth several legislative proposals in recent years to halt all remaining logging operations in Pharexia and require all raw wood be imported. The ruling Conservatives, while criticizing the proposal as "impractical" and "anti-business", have passed legislation requiring logging companies to replant two trees for every one they cut down.
Government
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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 bicameral legislative chamber of parliament, the Síðari. The upper chamber is theocratically controlled, while the lower chamber 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. The Síðari approves legislative appointees to the Lagâleg made by the President and his or her cabinet.
Political Parties
Wards
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 audit and re-allocate resources to reflect the changes in population and demographics.
| Ward | ID | Population # | Population % | Governor/Party | Ward ID | Parliamentarians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Apror |
AP | 913,580 | 10.07% | Remi Dupont (AUfC) | 6 | 50 |
 Brichard Proper |
BP | 1,637,549 | 18.05% | Jules Fongemie (SPP) | 8 | 90 |
 Clayp Thines |
CT | 1,392,597 | 15.35% | Valgeir Eðvaldsson (SPP) | 7 | 77 |
 Dalvuk |
DV | 872,755 | 9.62% | Sigurgeir Ákason (NF) | 3 | 48 |
 Holmavíke |
HM | 996,513 | 10.98% | Oddur Þórlaugarson (Ind.) | 10 | 55 |
| New Waldensia |
NW | 1,252,884 | 13.81% | Kolbrún Ásgeirsdóttir (BW) | 4 | 69 |
| Ruscya |
RU | 626,895 | 6.91% | Páley Valberg (AUfC) | 5 | 35 |
| Stavíxs |
ST | 245,859 | 2.71% | Clarimunda Brisette (AUfC) | 9 | 14 |
 Uxbridbury |
UX | 358,089 | 3.95% | Sólbjört Magnúsdóttir (IDP) | 1 | 20 |
 Victorium |
VI | 775,681 | 8.55% | Bernharð Arason (AUfC) | 2 | 43 |
Economy
Infrastructure
Transportation
Transportation in Pharexia is facilitated by road, air, rail, and waterways (via boats). The vast majority of passenger travel occurs by cycling or automobile for shorter distances, and railroad or bus for longer distances. In descending order, most cargoes travel by railroad, truck, pipeline, or boat; air shipping is typically used only for perishables and premium express shipments.
Driving in Pharexia is a frequent occurrence, with the majority of Pharexians owning private automobiles. Each ward has the authority to set its own traffic laws and issue driving licenses, although these laws are largely the same and licenses from other ward are respected throughout the country. Pharexians drive on the right side of the road. There are numerous regulations on driving behavior, including speed limits, passing regulations, and seat belt requirements. Driving while intoxicated with alcohol or marijuana is illegal in all jurisdictions within Pharexia.
The overwhelming majority of roads in Pharexia are owned and maintained by either the federal or ward governments. National Highways (Pharexian: Ajóðveginum), defined as controlled-access roads spanning 2 or more wards, are federally maintained and subject to federal regulations. Expressways - controlled-access roads existing entirely within a single ward - are built and maintained by the ward and are likewise subject to regulations set forth by the ward. In addition, there are many local roads, generally serving remote or insular locations.
Cycling
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Cycling is a common mode of transport throughout Pharexia, with 25% of the people listing the bicycle as their most frequent mode of transport on a typical day as opposed to the car by 50% and public transport by 21%. Cycling has a modal share of 23% of all trips (urban and rural) nationwide.] In Brichard Proper, this is even higher, which has 48%. Several smaller cities exceed that still: for instance, Dijúpivogur, the capitial of Uxbridbury, recorded 56%. This high frequency of bicycle travel is enabled by excellent cycling infrastructure such as cycle paths, cycle tracks, protected intersections, ample bicycle parking and by making cycling routes shorter, quicker and more direct than car routes.
Energy
Water supply and sanitation
Demographics
| Largest cities and towns in Pharexia (2017 census) | |||||||||
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| City | Population | Ward | City | Population | Ward |
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| 1 | Brichard | 796,077 | BP | 6 | - | - | - | ||
| 2 | Vopnafjordur | 505,498 | CT | 7 | - | - | - | ||
| 3 | Laugarki | 301,293 | BP | 8 | - | - | - | ||
| 4 | Montlin Mantenaé | 281,291 | NW | 9 | - | - | - | ||
| 5 | Skjerstad | 197,384 | AP | 10 | - | - | - | ||
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Language
Religion
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Religion in Pharexia is remarkable in its high adherence level compared to other developed countries. For much of Pharexia's history, Christianity has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life, with nearly 98% of Pharexia identifying with the religion in the 2018 census. The largest denomination is the Church of Pharexia, formally known as the Ilyçisian Church of Pharexia (ICP), which accounts for 79% of the population and nearly three-forths of all Christians in the country. Ilyçisianism and Christianity have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. While Ilyçisians consider the Bible as scripture, they do not believe in biblical inerrancy like most Catholic and Protestants do. They have also adopted additional scriptures, most notably the Hinna, which was written by the prophet Ilycis Vygotsky in the early 18th century. Some view Ilyçisianism as a form of Christianity, but distinct enough from traditional Christianity so as to form a new religious tradition, much as Christianity is more than just a sect of Judaism. However, legally it is still considered a Christian denomination.
The Church 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 Church is considered more conservative when compared to the other operating Christian denominations in Pharexia. For example, the church believes that homosexuality is abnormal and should not be accepted within society.
The distribution of Christians is spread relatively equally throughout the country. With the exception of Uxbridbury and New Waldensia, the average percentage of Christians in each ward stands at approximately 95% (combined totals across denominations). Uxbridbury ward is the headquarters of the Church of Pharexia and over 99.9% of residents are members. The ward of New Waldensia, which has had an active political and religious independence movement since the 1950s, has the lowest membership ratio at only a little more than 30% adherence to Christianity, with the majority being irreligious.
Among people who follow as Ilyçisian Christianity, 83% of them attend weekly religious services, a figure much higher than other Christian people in the country.
A small independent branch of Ilyçisianism called the Church of Sigógóts was established by former Brichard Proper governor Briito Aptar in 1945 and is practiced almost exclusively in the capital ward and Clayp Thines. The Church was formally organized during the mayor's tenure and he was strongly criticized by both the Church of Pharexia and many public figures as using his position to publicly sponsor his church. The name Sigógót originates from the Hidda, referencing a great reformation movement lead by a man named Sigógót Byzantyine. As of 2018, nearly half of Brichard citizens identify as "Sigógóts". They tend to be more liberal on social issues.
Lagging far behind the Ilyçisianism, Lutheranism is the second most adhered to Christian denomination in Pharexia, with approximately 7% of the population identifying as a member. The Lutheran Church of Pharexia was known as the Reorganized Church of Pharexia from 1777 to 1925 due to a rise of sectarianism between the two groups. To this day, Lutherans are more commonly referred to as "reformists" by most Ilyçisians. They tend to be more liberal than the Church of Pharexia, both in terms of doctrine and in the political leanings of members. They have historically supported the Liberal Justice Party, and the past three leaders of the party have been Lutherans. Pharexian Lutherans typically support the legalization of same-sex marriage and are split on the issue of abortion, with only 56% considering themselves opposed to it. Church history is very important to Pharexian Lutherans, and the Lutheran Church owns three of the four largest libraries in Pharexia. Members are distributed quite equally throughout Pharexia with the exception of Holmavíke, where over 30% adherence was recorded in 2018.
Roman Catholicism was introduced to Pharexia in 1995 and has grown substantially since to approximately 2% of the population. According to official governmental statistics, the Catholic Church is the fastest growing religion ever recorded in the country's history.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Pharexia since at least 1910, when the Mormon missionaries first preached in Uxbridbury. They converted a number of Pharexian people, forming a branch in Dijúpivogur. Missionary efforts continued in the 1930's, but many members emigrated to Utah or lost interest in the church, and in 1938 the Pharexian mission was placed in the care of the Icelandic mission. A new branch was formed in Brichard Proper in 1975 and the Dijúpivogur branch was reestablished in 1981. All of this occurred despite anti-Mormon disturbances. Mormons currently make up a little less than 3% of the country's population, with most members residing in either Brichard Proper of Uxbridbury.
Religion plays a significant role in the debate over abortion and physician-assisted suicide in Phareixa. The official Church of Pharexia 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 "Value of Life" and as a result, has made opposition to suicide and abortion major issues within most Ilyçisian political platforms.
While Ilyçisian Christianity is officially the state religion, the Common Law guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter one's religious affiliation. In the last census, only 1% of the population identified as having no religion, a proportion that has held relatively steady over the past twenty years. This is in stark contrast to the increasing secularity of other industrialized countries. A released in 2016 indicated that 89% of Pharexians would refuse to vote for an atheist as president, up from 82% and 85% in 1987 and 1999 respectively. Research shows that candidates that are perceived to be religious are considered more trustworthy.
Ethnicity
Racial Makeup of the Pharexia (2015 census)
Culture
The culture of Pharexia is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which began in the 16th century. Other traditional arts include craftsmanship, silversmithing, and wood carving. The Brichard-Capitol area has several professional theatres, a symphony orchestra, an opera and many art galleries, bookstores, cinemas and museums. Pharexia's literacy rate is among the highest in the world, accredited to the importance placed on reading religious scripture. A love of literature, art, and other intellectual pursuits is widespread.