Valmont
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Kingdom of Valmont Royaume de Valmont | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: "Avec la grâce de Dieu" "With God's Grace" | |
| Anthem: Je m'engage à vous, mon Royaume I Pledge to You, My Kingdom | |
| Location of Valmont (green) in Corsiva (grey) Location of Valmont (green) in Corsiva (grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Belvoir |
| Official languages | French |
| Demonym(s) | Valmontian/Valmontois(e) |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Odette II |
| Charles de Lévesque | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Chamber of Peers | |
| Chamber of Deputies | |
| Formation | |
| c. 1200 | |
| 3 January 1909 | |
| 25 August 1911 | |
• Current constitution | 13 March 1917 |
| Area | |
• Total | 30,518 km2 (11,783 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 4.0 |
| Population | |
• 2012 estimate | 6,122,388 |
• 2010 census | 5,900,502 |
• Density | 199.9/km2 (517.7/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2012 estimate |
• Total | $357.633 billion |
• Per capita | $58,414 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2012 estimate |
• Total | $649.218 billion |
• Per capita | $106,040 |
| Gini (2012) | 27.6 low |
| HDI (2012) | 0.941 very high |
| Currency | Valmontian livre (VML) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (UTC) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (UTC) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +13 |
| ISO 3166 code | VM |
| Internet TLD | .vm |
Valmont val-mont; French: [val.mɔ̃]), officially the Kingdom of Valmont (French: Royaume de Valmont), is a landlocked country located in western Corsiva. The country is comprised of 8 provinces and is bordered by X to the west, Auvare to the east and Savou to the south.
Spanning an area of 30,518 square kilometres (11,783 sq mi), Valmont is the third smallest country in Corsiva after Beauville and Saint Lierre respectively. The population of approximately 6.1 million is concentrated in the west of the country, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them is the capital and global city of Belvoir. A considerable portion of the country's terrain is mountainous, which makes it a popular winter sports destination.
Valmont is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system, with Queen Odette II as head of state. Although Valmont is officially a constitutional monarchy, the Queen wields immense executive and political power. It is also a developed country with an advanced economy, and is one of the region's richest countries, boasting the second-highest GDP (PPP) per capita in Corsiva at $58,414. The country has a strong financial sector centered in Belvoir, maintains low taxes and has been identified as a tax haven. Valmontian citizens enjoy a very high standard of living, high education level and long life expectancies with leading privatized healthcare.
Valmont has a medium-sized military and is a recognized nuclear weapons state, with a small stockpile of 25 active nuclear warheads. The country has a long history of armed neutrality and did not join the World Assembly until 2005. Nevertheless Valmont supports free trade and pursues an active foreign policy, frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. It is notably not a member of the Corsivan League due to the government's Corsesceptical stance.
Etymology
The name "Valmont" is derived from the Old French term val mont, which means "mountain valley". The term's origins come from the Latin vallis meaning "Valley" and mons meaning "Mountain" or "Mount". During the Medieval period the name of the area was was first referred to as Vallem Montium – Latin for "Valley of Mountains".
History
Politics
Valmont is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system. The current Constitution of Valmont was adopted in 1917, replacing the previous constitution which had originally established Valmont as a constitutional monarchy.
Queen Odette II is the country's current head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Queen retains immense executive and political authority and can veto legislation, call referendums, propose new legislation, and dissolve parliament at her discretion. The Queen also carries out a strong diplomatic role and represents Valmont in its international relations. Although Valmont is officially a constitutional monarchy, the extent of the monarch's power and influence has led to Valmont often being described as a "semi-constitutional monarchy".
The Parliament of Valmont is the bicameral legislature of Valmont, comprising an elected Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des députés) and an appointed Chamber of Peers (Chambre des pairs). Members of the Chamber of Deputies represent local constituencies (cantons) and are directly elected through a two-round voting system for 6-year terms. Peers are appointed by the monarch and act as a body of scrutiny and amendment. In the event of a major disagreement between the two chambers, the Queen may have the final say. Any bill passed requires Royal Assent to become law, which the monarch can choose to withhold.
The Chancellor is the head of government and exercises executive power on behalf of the monarch, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies. The position of Chancellor belongs to the member of parliament who can obtain the confidence of a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, usually the current leader of the largest political party in that chamber. The Chancellor is formally appointed by the monarch to form Her Majesty's Government. The incumbent Chancellor is Charles de Lévesque.
The Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is the cabinet of Valmont and is traditionally drawn from members of the Chancellor's party in both legislative houses. Like the position of Chancellor, members of the Council of State are appointed by the monarch. Executive power is exercised by both the Chancellor and the Council of State. In addition, there is the Royal Council (Conseil Royal), the formal body of advisers to the monarch.
Valmontian politics is characterized by a multi-party system with seven political parties represented in parliament. The largest political parties are the Conservative Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Bourgeois Democratic Party. The Conservative Party is the current governing party with 107 out of 152 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
Foreign Affairs
Since 1810 Valmont has maintained a neutral, non-aligned foreign policy and avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action. Only in 2005 did Valmont become a full member of the World Assembly and is one of few states to join by referendum. Nevertheless, Valmont maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states within Corsiva. Valmont is not a member of the Corsivan League; the Valmontian government has consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s.