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Ecclesiastical Theodemocracy of Pharexia Pharexian: Kirkjulegt Lýðræði af Fharheckx Duxnusaric: Talamh na n-Oileán go Leor | |
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: "Að búa saman í einingu" "Cónaithe le chéile in aontacht" "To dwell together in unity" | |
| Anthem: "Morguninn Brýtur/Sosanna na Maidine" How Firm, a Foundation! (State Anthem) "Gleðidagur/Lá Aoibhinn" He is the Lord (Church Anthem) "Á þessum degi gleði og gleði/På denna dag av glädje och glädje" Now Let us Rejoice (Ceremonial Anthem) | |
 Map of Pharexia | |
| Capital | Brichard |
| Official languages | Pharexian · Innfæddur |
| Recognised regional languages | New Waldensian |
| Ethnic groups (2018) | 84% Cörpathia 8% Dvorxicks 8% Pencikata |
| Demonym(s) | Pharexian |
| Government | Theodemocracy |
| Rang Agnarsdóttir | |
| Aemilia Signý Argyris | |
| Snæbjörn Hárlaugsson | |
• Governing parties (2014-2022) | AUfC, NF, IDP |
| Legislature | Síðari |
| Quorum | |
| House of Delegates | |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 9,072,293 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $254.5 billion |
• Per capita | $38,358 |
| Gini (2017) | 46.70 high |
| HDI (2017) |  0.899very high |
| Currency | Pharexian Sherbornes |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | PHX |
| Internet TLD | .phx |
Pharexia, officially the Ecclesiastical Theodemocracy 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 known as the Democratic States of Pharexia, or simply Pharexia, is a sovereign island country in the northern Tiverrose Ocean. The country geographically consists of eight major landmasses and approximately 100 smaller islands. Pharexia has been described both as a democratic theocracy and a religious democracy. Pharexia consists of 10 wards, each with significantly influential devolved administrations. As of 2019, Pharexia is home to approximately 9.4 million citizens. The capital city of Brichard, located on the southeastern coast, is also the most populated city in the country. The climate of Pharexia is generally subartic, with permafrost common in the northern regions. The northern region of the country, colloquially known as the Fringe, is classified as tundra, and temperatures very rarely reach above 0 degrees Celsius.
Culturally, because of its isolated and heterogenous population, Pharexia demonstrates a cohesive national character more clearly than many countries. That character is attributed to the inhospitable landscape, the constant darkness of its winters, and the reality of death in close-knit northern communities. Consequently, Pharexia is above everything a blend of individualism and egalitarianism. Its people harbor a both a belief in compassion, which can be seen in the state's strong social welfare system, and a belief in the importance of responsibility, reflected by the high GDP per capita and importance of education.
Socially, Pharexia comes across as an amalgamation of both conservative and liberal ideologies: while it has traditional views towards abortion and the family, it 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 and provision. Pharexia has a unique gun culture among developed countries in terms of the large number of firearms owned by civilians and generally permissive federal regulations. Most psychotropic substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, and other class A drugs are illegal and rarely used. Culturally, its attachment to reason and rational thought is evidenced in its constructed language.
Pharexia is currently a mixed government, adhering to both theocratic and democratic principles. The populous is responsible for electing the lower house of the legislature of Pharexia, the House of Delegates. Whomever leads the party with the most representation in the chamber is selected as Prime Minister. The upper house, known as the Quorum, consists of appointees of both the Church of Pharexia and the President of Pharexia. The Quorum cannot introduce legislation but reviews and amends bills from the House. While it is unable to prevent Bills passing into law, it can delay bills and force the House to reconsider their decisions. The President of Pharexia, who leads the executive branch and the cabinet, is constitutionally required to face election by the populous every eight years.
Tensions within the government are explained by its legislative system, which requires much deliberation before executive action is taken. Decision-making is still a highly proceduralized matter and is made more complex by the country's ten devolved administrations. Still, of late Pharexia has shown patterns in its policies, including both the liberalisation of the economy and the restricting practices that directly violate the teachings of the Church of Pharexia, namely abortion.
Pharexia is an extremely devout country, with an overwhelming majority of citizens adhering to the official state religion, the Ilyçisian Church of Pharexia. Its role in Pharexia jurisprudence described in Pharexian Common Law. Despite the Church's high degree of adherence, Common Law ensures that people of other faiths or none "shall be entitled to practice their creeds and to hold religious services to the extent consistent with morality and public order". According to a recent poll, 90% of citizens say religion is "very important to them", a figure far higher than most developed countries.
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 (IDP) | 10 | 55 |
| New Waldensia |
NW | 1,252,884 | 13.81% | Kolbrún Ásgeirsdóttir (SPP) | 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) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, the Ilyçisian religion has dominated the public and private sphere of daily life, with nearly 95% of Pharexia identifying with the religion in the 2019 census. The largest denomination is the Church of Pharexia, formally known as the Ilyçisian Church of Pharexia (ICP), which accounts for 83% of the population and three-forths of all Ilyçisians. 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 liberal when compared to the other operating Ilyçisian denominations in Pharexia. For example, the church believes that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality and that same-sex relations are normal and should be accepted within society, and openly performs same-sex marriage ceremonies.
The distribution of Ilyçisians is spread relatively equally throughout the country. With the exception of Uxbridbury and New Waldensia, the average percentage of Ilyçisians in each ward stands at approximately 90%. Uxbridbury Ward is the headquarters of the Church of Pharexia and approximately 99% 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 with less than 10% adherence.
Among people who identify as Ilyçisians themselves, 83% of them attend weekly religious services, a figure much higher than other religious people in the country.
Lagging far behind the Church of Pharexia, the Reformed Church of Ilyçisia is the second most adhered to denomination in Pharexia, with approximately 7% of the population identifying as a member. The Church was founded after a succession crisis early after the foundation of Ilyçisianism and was known as the Reorganized Church of Pharexia from 1777 to 1925. Members are now known as "reformists". They are considered far more conservative than the Church of Pharexia, both in terms of doctrine and in the political leanings of members. They strongly oppose legalized same-sex marriage. Church history is very important to Reformists, and the Church owns three of the four largest libraries in Pharexia. Members are distributed quite equally throughout Pharexia.
The Church of Sigógót, is an Ilyçisian reformationist church that was founded by former Brichard Proper governor Briito Aptar in 1945 and is practiced almost exclusively in the capital ward. 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".
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 Ilyçisianism 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.