Werania

Weranian Confederation Ostischen Bund
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Unteilbar und untrennbar Indivisible and Inseparable
Anthem: Was ist des Ostischen Vaterland? What is the Weranic’s fatherland? Royal anthem: Gott mit dir God be with thee
Capital	Westbrücken
Largest city	Wiesstadt
Official languages	Weranian
Recognised regional languages	Ruttish
Ethnic groups	Weranic, Ruttish, Aldman
Demonym(s)	Weranian
Government	Federal parliamentary elective monarchy
• Federal President	Charlotte II
• Chancellor	Otto von Hößlin (NKP)
• Vice-Chancellor	Käthe Schickdanze (DA)
Legislature	Bundestag
• Upper house	Herrstag
• Lower house	Volkstag
Formation
• Unification	17 March 1842
• Ascension to the Euclean Community	1955
Population
• 2014 estimate	58,579,684
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$2,767,931 million
• Per capita	$44,231
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$2,631,134 million
• Per capita	$42,045
Gini	28.0 low
HDI	0.925 very high
Currency	Euclo (EUC (€))
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+19
Internet TLD	.we

Werania (Weranian: Ostischland) officially the Weranian Confederation (Weranian: Ostischen Bund) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state in northern Euclea, bordering Swetania to the southwest, Estmere to the south, Buckland to the southeast and sharing a maritime border with Ordennya to the north. Its capital is Westbrücken and its largest city is Wiesstadt.

Weranian history dates back to the emergence of Weranic tribes during antiquity. The southern areas of Werania, Cislania, became part of the Solarian Empire before Weranic tribes drove the Solarians out by 311CE, resulting in the area to be split between various tribal entities. In 500CE the region became briefly under the authority of King Rudolf the Magnificent. Rudolf's empire splintered after his death, but in 574 CE the kingdoms under the authority of the Kingdom of Cislania formed the Rudolphine Confederation, a confederation of states wherein they remained independent but united under the authority of the elected Emperor of the Rudolphine Confederation. The Confederation would come to attempt to assert hegemony in the area, and as such faced numerous wars with its neighbours including Ordennya, Caldia and Swetania.

The Confederation collapsed into civil war between 1546-1557 following religious reformations and tensions between the dominant Cislania and its main rival, Rötenberg. The war saw the Confederation greatly weakened as Rötenberg and its ally Ruttland starting to dominate the confederation. Despite colonising parts of the Asteria's the confederation continued to weaken, a fact proven first in the Gilded Wars and more dramatically the Pereramonic Wars where the Confederation siding with Florena suffered a crushing defeat to Swetania. Bankruptcy, centralisation, feudalism, the unpopularity of Emperor Leopold III and the successful revolution in Etruria led to the Weranian Revolution which saw the Confederation dissolved, absolute monarchy repudiated and the Republic of Werania declared under the Declaration of Man and His Natural Rights. The republic was invaded by its neighbours and dissolved in 1805, being being divided into several kingdoms once again.

During the 1800's the reformed Kingdom of Cislania through a series of conquests, royal marriages and diplomatic annexations was able to unify the disparate states. Under King Rudolf VI in 1842 the Weranian Confederation was proclaimed as a federal state. Werania would quickly industrialise and amass a colonial empire in Coius becoming a great power in the process especially after the War of the Triple Alliance. Colonial tensions became high with Gaullica which Werania saw as its main rival; as a result Werania formed a de facto alliance with its old rival Estmere to counter Gaullican dominance. Werania would as a result be heavily involved during the Great War against Gaullica, with the Weranian front being one of the bloodiest of the war famed for its heavy use of trench warfare. Following the war Werania became a member of the Community of Nations and the Euclean Community, rebuilding from the war to become of the largest economies in the world.  

Werania is a liberal democracy, and has a mixed market economy based around finance, industry and agriculture. It also has a welfare state with subsidised healthcare and education. It is a member of the Community of Nations, EC, GIFA and the ITO and one of the few states to possess nuclear weapons.

Etymology

'Ōsaithaz = Our Oath (originally to an anti-Solarian character I think, I can't quite remember) Ostisch = Modern form of above Exonym origin: Gaullish: Tarchwéran Exonym – Werania Endonym – Ostischland'

History

Main article: History of Werania

Prehistory

Archaeological evidence dates human presence in Werania to at least 600,000 years ago, with the discovery of complete hunting javelins dating to 380,000 years ago in coal mines in Western Weranland. The Goel valley in Werania was the location where the first ever non-modern human fossil was discovered and recognised in 1856; the new species of human was named Goelerthal man.

Solarian Period

Solarian control of Werania was limited to territory south of the river Lahn, the territory there being referred to in historical documents as the province of Cislania. Around 260 SE, Eastern Weranic tribes started to break into Solarian territory, moving further south and west into Estmere, Vredlandian, and Weiderland, while areas of what is known today as western Werania were inhabited by various other Weranic people's such as the Ruttish.

While the Solarian Empire's collapsed allowed Gaullica and a number of other Euclean states to coalesce into kingdoms and petty monarchies, the province of Cislania proved to be an exception- the capital of Tecinum was sacked by Weranic tribesmen in 311 SE, and the provincial government was entirely dissolved, with the governor Publius Cisinus returning to Solaria in disgrace soon after.

Modern history

Unification

Rudolf VI declaring the Weranian Confederation on the 17 March 1842.

Government and Politics

Federal President Charlotte II

Chancellor Otto von Hößlin

Werania has since unification in 1842 been a federal parliamentary de jure elective constitutional monarchy with an independent judiciary, a bicameral legislature known as the Bundestag (with an upper house known as the Herrstag and a lower house known as the Volkstag) and an executive known as the Cabinet. The head of state is the Federal Presidency (Präsidium des Bundes or Bundespräsidium). The Federal Presidency is held by one of the five constituent monarchs and is officially elected by the constituent monarchs after the death of abdication of the incumbent, making it a de facto monarchy. Up until 1986 the post was largely hereditary under the House of Schwarzollen-Brücken but after the 1986 Weranian constitutional crisis and the formulation of the Siegberg Convention the post officially rotates between the monarchs. The current holder of the Federal Presidency Charlotte II was the first head of state elected under this system in 1987 being co-currently the Queen of Roetenberg and the first Amendist monarch since 1705. The head of government is the Chancellor of Werania who heads the cabinet. The Bundestag has 232 members of the upper house and 545 in the lower house with the prime minister and cabinet governing with the confidence of the chamber. In practice the Volkstag is the more powerful house.

Werania’s political culture due to the legacy of deep political divisions during the 19th and 20th centuries has been marked by a sharp divide between the monarchist, Catholic right and the radical, socialist left. The Sotirian democratic National Consolidation Party (NKP) is considered the successor of the traditional Catholic right whilst the liberal Modern Centre Party (PMZ) is considered to be the party following the tradition of liberal reformists. The social democratic Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SRPO) is associated with the reformist-social democratic and radical tradition of the left whilst the Weranic Section of the Workers' Internationale (OSAI) - the oldest party in the country - is seen as representative of more revolutionary and radical socialism. Since the 1980's newer parties such as the environmentalist Green Party and souverainiste Democratic Alternative have emerged. Other parties are traditionally more ideologically narrow or represent regional-nationalist interests, such as the separatist National Coalition for Independence or völkisch Weranic Völkisch Freedom Party.

Since 2019 Werania has been ruled by a coalition government of the National Consolidation Party and the Democratic Alternative under Chancellor Otto von Hößlin.

Government

The executive government of Werania is the cabinet (Kabinett), which has 15 ministers including the Chancellor (Kanzler). The Chancellor is officially a primus inter pares acting more as the chairman of the government rather than head of government. Traditionally, executive decisions in Werania are driven by consensus. The cabinet relies on the confidence of the Volkstag in order to govern. Since 1979 all cabinets in Werania have been multi-party, giving Werania a tradition of coalition governments.

The current government is based on a coalition of the NKP and the DA, both of which represent the populist right of Weranic politics.

Legislature

Werania legislature is known as the Reichstag with an upper house known as the Herrstag and a lower house known as the Volkstag. The Herrstag's has 232 members with 116 seats elected every four years under a first-past-the-post system with Herrstag members serving eight-year terms. The directly elected Volkstag contains 545 members elected via a single non-transferable vote system with deputies elected from multi-member districts. Sitting for a term of four years, the Volkstag officially lends support for the government, but since 1989 it can only dissolve the government it can swear in another government to fill out the previous one’s term — if this is not possible the monarch can appoint a caretaker cabinet to serve the rest of the Volkstag’s term.

There are ten parties currently sitting in the Volkstag. The governing parties are the conservative National Consolidation Party with 244 seats and the right-wing populist Democratic Alternative with 32 seats, holding an overall majority of 276 seats. The opposition is led by the centre-left Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania with 85 seats with the eco-socialist Green Party with 80 seats the third largest party in the Volkstag overall. Other opposition parties include the liberal Modern Centre Party with 32 seats, the Ruttish separatist National Coalition for Independence with 30 seats, the syndicalist Weranic Section of the Workers' International with 22 seats, the regionalist Sotirian Democratic Homeland, the völkisch Weranic Völkisch Freedom Party with 8 seats and the Aldman People's Party with 2 seats.

In 2018 the government passed a new electoral law that enforces a mixed-member majoritarian system with 300 seats in single-member districts and 245 proportional seats with no electoral threshold. The system is set to be in force for the 2023 elections.

Administrative divisions

Werania is divided into two kingdoms (Königreich), three free states (Freistaat; laisva valstybe), a grand duchy (Großherzogtum) three duchies (Herzogtum) and two free cities (freie stadt). The free cities are officially headed by Lord Mayors (Oberbürgermeister) who also serve as head of government, whilst the free states are technically headed by their legislatures. Aside the free cities each division are led by head of government known as a minister-presidents (Ministerpräsident) who are appointed by the monarch within the territory. Since the 1900's minister-presidents govern with the confidence of directly elected state diets (Landtag; seimas). As with the Volkstag local government's cannot be dismissed unless landtags or the seimas can propose an alternative government; if no alternate government is produced the Ministry of Regional Development can appoint a caretaker cabinet to serve out the reminder of the council's term.

Elbenweis

Cislania

Roetenberg

Kolreuth

Prizen

Ruttland

Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken

Westbrücken

Wittislich

Wolfsfled

Charlotte
Island

  Kingdoms   Grand Duchies   Free State   Duchies   Free Cities

Name	Coat of Arms	Administrative centre	Population	Leader
Grand Duchy of Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken		Gothberg	6,679,316	Grand Duke Minister-President
Free State of the Charlotte Island		Lapaha	98,645	Minister-President
Kingdom of Cislania		Wiesstadt	14,469,087	King Minister-President
Duchy of Elbenweis		Innsheim	3,245,864	Duchess Minister-President
Free City of Kolreuth		Kolreuth	254,684	Lord Mayor
Free State of Ostry		Eriksztadt	21,630	Minister-Chairman
Duchy of Prizen		Frankendorf	4,126,954	Duke Minister-President
Free State of Ruttland		Lipliškės	10,792,847	Minister-Chairman
Kingdom of Roetenberg		Kotzenberg	8,778,322	Queen Minister-President
Free City of Westbrücken		Westbrücken	1,075,896	Lord Mayor
Duchy of Wittislich		Bürchaft	1,490,565	Duke Minister-President
Grand Duchy of Wolfsfled		Malstadt	7,545,874	Grand Duke Minister-President

Armed forces and intelligence

Weranian soldiers conducting a training exercise in 2016

The Reichswehr (Realm Defence) serves as the national defence force of Werania, being split between the army (Ostische Landstreitkräfte), navy (Marine von Ostischland), air force (Ostische Luftwaffe) and the military constabulary (Ostische Militärpolizei), a gendarmerie force that is under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.

The monarch serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces whilst the Cabinet via the Ministry of Defence oversees the chiefs-of-staff and manages the army as a whole. As of 2017, there are 365,835 active soldiers and 52,680 in reserve with Werania spending 2.4% of GDP on defence and the minimum age of recruitment being 18. Werania's armed forces are one of the largest in Euclea. Werania is a recognised nuclear power, maintaining an arsenal of around 180 active nuclear weapons that can be deployed by both air and sea based means.

Werania's foreign policy since the end of the Great War has meant its military has undergone strategic and personnel changes. The Weranian constitution defines Weranian security protocols as being based on the principle of collective security with the army being tasked with protecting the people of Werania and ensuring peace in Euclea. Conscription for all adult males was previously in force until 1996 when it was abolished, with the armed forces being a fully professional army since. Werania maintains a large weapons and aerospace industries.

The main intelligence service of Werania is the General Intelligence Organisation (Allgemeiner Nachrichtendienst; AND) which falls under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs. AND handled both domestic and foreign intelligence operations, with the two function being merged in 1973. The Military Intelligence Organisation (Militärischer Nachrichtendienst; MND) handles military intelligence matters being under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.

Economy

Wiesstadt's financial district.

Werania possesses a social market economy with partial regulations, low trade barriers and an extensive welfare state. Werania has a GDP PPP of $2,767,931 million and a nominal GDP of $2,631,134 million, making it the third largest economy in Euclea after Gaullica and Estmere. The Ministry of Finance (Finanzministerium) is responsible for setting government expenditure and implementing government financial policy, whilst the Zentralbank acts as the central bank within the Euclozone banking system, with Werania using the Euclo as the national currency formally using the Reichsmark.

Services make up two-thirds of the economy of which finance is the major component, with Werania and its largest city Wiesstadt is considered to be the main financial centre of Euclea. Werania's diversified economy also is notable for its pharmaceutical, arms, aerospace infrastructure and automotive industries. Werania's economy also has basis in agriculture, transportation, telecommunication services and tourism. The primary agricultural exports in Werania are maize, sunflowers, barley, sugar beets and wheat. The Weranian government has majority shares in the railway, electricity, aircraft, nuclear power and telecommunications, albeit since the 1990's it has started to corpratise or partially privatise these industries.

During the 1940's the Weranian government managed the economy through Keynesian means, with a strong focus on manufacturing leading Werania into quadrupling its economic growth between 1930-1964. During the 1980's the economy was deregulated with most state run industries privatised, with free trade and deregulation being championed. The government cut corporation tax leading to many companies to move to Werania; investment in science and technology increased substantially as the government sought to make Werania into a technology hub. Werania had a real estate bubble that existed from 1994 (when the capital gains tax was cut from 42.5% to 18.6%) to 2005 when the bubble collapsed leading to Werania to enter recession - the economy remained in recession until 2012 when growth returned.

Demographics

Healthcare

The Royal Kolreuth Hospital, the largest in the country

Werania, alongside the majority of the developed countries, maintains a two-tier system of universal healthcare, divided between a statutory health insurance system centred around the Health Assistance Programme (Program zur Gesundheitshilfe; GHP) and a private sector. There also a large alternative medicine sector controversially subject to lax regulation.

The GHP was created in 1980 by merging and restructuring health coverage schemes across Weranic states. Prior to 1980 healthcare coverage was at the discretion of state governments albeit an ordinance from 1957 committed state governments to providing some form of universal healthcare. The GHP works as a single-payer compulsory social insurance plan. Citizens can opt to be covered by the GHP's insurance plans with the use of a GHP card which entitles them to access to GHP services, meaning those who do not possess GHP cards cannot use GHP services. The GHP is financed through premiums based on the payroll tax and is supplemented with out-of-pocket payments and direct government funding. Provision of healthcare however depends on state governments - the Ruttish government for example owns and employs much of the hospital staff in the state whilst in Cislania most hospitals are privately owned with the government contracting their services for patients covered under the GHP. Unless signed onto a private insurance scheme coverage by the GHP is compulsory for Weranic citizens. The GHP only does partial coverage of dental and optic treatment, not covering cosmetic services.

A smaller private sector within the healthcare industry exists for those who wish to pay for private services. Private health providers are also arranged around insurance schemes, which pay for healthcare providers either within state-owned facilities or private hospitals.

The alternative medicine industry in Werania is considered to be controversial due to relatively lax regulation. In 1921 the government passed laws consolidating the role of heilpraktiker's which gave way to a large naturopathic industry with homeopathy being a particularly important component. Alternative clinics often mix legitimate medicinal practice with alternative methods and have been known to offer an unproven but legitimate experimental drugs in their treatment. Many of these clinics have been accused of offering patients expensive but ineffective treatment for conditions such as cancer leading to some of accuse them of health fraud with some states restricting the registration and operation of heilpraktikers.

Life expectancy in Werania is high, with women on average living for 83.8 years and men 78.4, ranking overall at around 81.1. Cancer, alcoholism and obesity are considered the mot pressing issues in relations to Weranian health, with the government heavily advocating weight loss camps. Since the mid-1980's, smoking has been on the decline in Werania.

Religion

Religious composition of Werania

  Catholic (45.4%)

  Irreligious (22.8%)

  Protestant (18.6%)

  Irfanic (6.2%)

  Atudaists (2.7%)

  Other (4.3%)