Lindenholt
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The Kingdom of Lindenholt Koninkrijk der Lindianen | |
|---|---|
 Flag
Shield
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| Motto: Luctor et Emergo (Latin: I struggle and arise) | |
| Anthem: Where Sonnae and Kreugel Flow | |
| Location of Lindenholt within Ventismar indicated with dark green, members of the VU are light green. | |
| Capital | Artwingen |
| Official languages | Dutch |
| Recognised regional languages | Frisian |
| Ethnic groups (2017) | 89.4% Lindian 3% Ripuarian 7.6% Others |
| Demonym(s) | Lindian |
| Government | Parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• King | Maximilian IV |
• Prime minister | Jasper Tulpen |
| Legislature | States General |
| Established Lindian Republic | |
• Treaty of Artwingen | October 11 1599 |
• Constitutional monarchy | 7th of March 1793 |
| Area | |
• Total | 483,372 km2 (186,631 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 0% (as measurements did not include water) |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 73,453,603 (14th) |
• Density | 152/km2 (393.7/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $3,381,524,762,869.50 |
• Per capita | $46,036.20 |
| HDI (2015) | 0.949 very high (6th) |
| Currency | Aurei (AUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (Central Ventismarien Time (CVT)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (Observed) |
| Maximilian Islands do not follow DST | |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | the right |
| Calling code | +024 |
| ISO 3166 code | LIN |
| Internet TLD | .lin |
The Kingdom of Lindenholt, commonly referred to as just Lindenholt (Pronounced: /lɪndɜːnhɒlt/), is a sovereign nation state located in western Ventismar on Sunalaya. It is a medium-sized country with a population of around 73 million people. Lindenholt's possessions stretch as far as the south western tip of Corentia where the Maximilian Islands are also an integral part of the country.
Lindenholt shares a land border with Ripuaria and separated by sea to the north lies Capsland. Artwingen is the country's capital, and Stokfort is the country's second largest city. In the southern province of Brusseland the city of Dorningen has the largest port on the continent of Ventismar, which, along with the Sonnae and Kreugel river systems are the lifelines of Western Ventismar for trade with the rest of the world.
In 1599 the Lindian nations united as a result of the 15 Years War. The nation's name is based on the area's name during the Romeleus Empire period.
Lindenholt was one of the first Sunalayan countries with a parliament. Kreugelen, a historical nation state located in modern day Lindenholt could be seen as the predecessor to the Lindian nation as Lindenholt adopted many cultural and political traditions from Kreugelen. Kreugelen had a parliament as early as 1544. In 1684 the parliament was moved from Kreugelerdam to Artwingen. That parliament, officially known as the States General, is still in use today. Lindenholt has a history of tolerance, and has even fought a war in order to practice their religion freely during the reformation period. Lindenholt has fully legalised prostitution, abortion, euthanasia, same sex marriage and a very liberal drug policy.
Lindenholt is one of the founding members of the United Sunalayan Assembly. It is also one of the founding members of the Ventismar Union and its currency the Aurei.
Lindenholt has a free market economy, and ranks in the top ten GDP per capitas in the world. It is one of the 10 largest economies in Sunalaya, and is ranked 4th in the human development index with a very high standard of living.
Etymology
The area that comprises most of modern-day Lindenholt was known in Latin as Tilia Silvestris, which translates to the forest with linden (lime) trees. After the Romeleus Empire period modern-day Lindenholt was divided in many smaller states. In 1599 Lindenholt united, and the literary name for the land established on the Romaleans was translated and used as the name of the young nation.
Demographics
Population
The Bureau of National Statistics, Linfo, counted that on the 1st of January 2017 there were 73,453,603 people in Lindenholt. Of those 73,453,603 people there are 33,610,652 people who live in one of the thirty largest cities of the country. The Lindian population was at 17.5 million people in 1900 and one hundred years later, in 2000 there were almost 70 million Lindians which means that the population had quadrupled in the last 100 years.
The birth rate is 13 per 1000, and as of 2017 there is a population growth of 0.6% annually. According to Linfo, there are 7,811,114 people of which at least one parent was not born in Lindenholt. According to estimates there about 3.5 million self proclaimed members of the LGBTQ community.
Languages
The national language of Lindenholt is Dutch, which is spoken by the majority of Lindians as their first language. Besides Dutch there is Frisian spoken in the north by around 5 million people. Across the entire nation there are a multitude of dialects spoken which, although they differ from Dutch, are still mutually intelligible and are only used for informal communication between speakers of the dialect. Including native speakers of Frisian, 92% of Lindians is at least fluent in the Dutch language; the remaining 8 percent being foreigners.
The vast majority of Lindians are not only fluent in the national language, but many of them posses fluent English skills, as the education system in Lindenholt promotes the use of the language through extensive courses.
Religion
Until the second half of the 20th century Lindians society was heavily influenced by religion. The south, predominantly Catholic and the north, Calvinist made Lindenholt a nation of two worlds. Up until the 1960's the pillarisation of Lindian Society made it hard for groups to interact as they were segregated from each other.
The beginning of the end for the pillarisation started during the second world war, different groups (mainly resistance fighters) fought together for their country. Cooperation between the groups was deemed possible. After the war the younger generations of the different groups started to interact, mainly in urban areas. Throughout the late 40's and 50's pillarisation ended in major urban centres. Pillarisation ended in more rural areas during the late 60's. In the 70's, with the arrival of new immigrants, the pillarisation was completely gone.
Health
The healthcare system in Lindenholt consists mainly out of private institutions. All adults (and their children) must have medical insurance provided by a private insurer. Families who cannot afford such insurance receive subsidies by the government. Hospitals are both privately and publicly owned. Medical staff such as doctors and nurses are all government employees.
Health insurance is mandatory and is provided by private companies, who are also heavily regulated by the government. The government has regulations to make sure all insurers provide a basic set of treatments in their insurance policies. Those treatments include dentistry, surgery, check ups, etc. Along with individual insurance, employers are required to offer their employees free health insurance for work related health issues.
Education
Education in Lindenholt is private, and there are no state schools. Costs for education (books, teachers and school supplies etc.) are all paid for by the government. 19% of the government budget is used for education. This unusual arrangement in the school system is a direct result of the pillarisation of Lindian society during the 20th century. Catholics demanded Catholic schools, socialists demanded secular schools and Protestants demanded Protestant schools. The liberal government at the time refused to fund religious schools and instead decided to subsidise parents for them to provide the education they wished for their children.
History
Prehistoric Lindenholt
Lindenholt's geography was largely shaped during the ice ages. Sediments left by glaciers that used to cover nearly the entire country had a significant impact on the physical geography of the country, producing a predominantly low-lying flat land dotted with lakes. The abundance of fresh water, ease of fishing and attractive hunting grounds made modern day Lindenholt an attractive spot for early hunter gatherer groups. Population numbers were largely dependant on the glacial state of the area. Evidence suggests that groups migrated from the temperate south to the tundra-like north to hunt.
Despite this semi-permanent presence, the first recorded humans in Lindenholt were the Homo Tilialis. They inhabited Lindenholt during the late pleistocene era. Evidence suggests they intermingled with the later arriving modern humans and died out somewhere between the end of the ice ages and the introduction of agriculture. It is widely believed that the overwhelming competition from modern humans is what drove the Homo Tilialis to their extinction.
In the late glacial periods there were several cultures present in modern day Lindenholt; distinguished by patterns found in their respective pottery. These cultures were the so-called Beakercultures, they include the Spike, Dent, Line, Spiral, and Bundle groups.
Agriculture arrived around 7300 years ago. Plants and animals such as cows, oxen, pigs, horses, sheep and chickens were domesticated. Plants such as cereals, fruits and vegetables became staples of the diet. Newcomers brought grain, peas and lentils as new crops. Prehistoric Lindians were milk drinkers and brewed alcoholic drinks. Population numbers remained low due to the difficulty of cultivating the heavy clay soil. When several thousand years later the oxen plough was introduced the population saw a considerable increase, as ploughing the clay soil became easier.
5000 years ago iconic dolmen were constructed on the island near the city of Vrezen. The surrounding areas, including what today is a large bay area, were a large peat-soil swamp and did not provide a solid enough construction area for these dolmen (Dutch: Hunebedden). While the peat-soils were inhabited, the structural instability made it so that the dead were buried on the firm ground of what is today an island.
Pre Romaleus Period
During the bronze ages an important trade route that allowed for trade from the Centismar Sea to an area near modern day Artwingen was a source of cultural interaction with the rest of the Ventismar. This cultural interaction brought bronze to the region. An other important technological advancement made during the bronze age was the usage of manure for crops and using straw as food for livestock during winters.
The pre-Romalean iron age saw the introduction of Celtic groups that settled mainly in the east of the country. The [tribe-name] from modern day Brusseland introduced iron upon their arrival from the east. The introduction of iron caused a significant growth in the food produced per capita. This allowed for urban centres to develop, which as a consequence allowed for trade and crafts to flourish during this era. Germanic tribes founded settlements near cities such as Beutrecht and Elkenstad whilst Celtic tribes founded Reurink. All three settlements grew under the Romalean period until the middle ages and made it in to the modern day.
Early middle ages ~500-~1000
The not!Roman Empire's collapse of around five hundred years prior had left what is now Lindenholt as a collection of small under-developed feudal holdings. Floods in the lowlands were common, and prevented the Germanic states from developing in to large feudal realms, as was the case in the bordering Frankish Ripuarian states to the east. The Ripuarian domination of Lindenholt came about around the year 800, when not!Charlemagne conquered large swaths of what is now eastern Lindenholt.
[insert part where the empire gets divided]
[insert part of Frisians being converted]
High middle ages ~1000-~1500
In [year] the lands of the [divided nation] fell under the control of the [HRE]. These lands, despite the vast majority of its population being Germanic Lindians, was almost wholly ruled by Ripuarian nobility. With the house of [not!Habsburgs] being the most powerful. Despite cultural differences, the Lindian states formed an integral part of the [HRE]. The more organised leadership and stability of the Empire allowed for rapid economic development in the east of Lindenholt. Cities started to play a role in trade and crafts. Around 1300 several cities in modern day Lindenholt had received city rights or Imperial city status; granting them independence from feudal lords, which further benefited the Germanic merchants.
Under protection by the Emperor himself, the city of Stokfort prospered. The fisher's village grew out to be one of the largest cities on the Nordismar over the course of three hundred years. The trade in the Nordismar proved to be very profitable for a new class of Germanic merchants (Kooplui). These merchants' vast wealth allowed them to take control of the city, and in 1349 they founded the Guldebond (lit. "Golden league"). The league consisted of several free cities of the Empire on the Nordismar coast and various cities from what is nowadays Capsland, Allentyr, Umbrellya, Eikangaard and Rezua. Goods such as grains, iron, salt, fish, timber and whale blubber were traded in open markets with a single currency that is the namesake of the league: the guilder (gulden).
The Nordismar trade flowed in to the Lindian mainland via the port of Artwingen. Though not as profitable as the direct trade conducted in Stokfort, the secondary inland routes along the Sonnae and Kreugel rivers allowed for the development of cities such as Kreugelerdam, Dorningen, Artwingen, Seigerberg and Beutrecht. These cities, along with several other inland cities founded the Zilverbond (lit. silver league). These cities directly tried to compete with the Guldebond in order to get better prices for their inland customers. As the name suggests, this trade league's preferred currency was in silver coinage.
Age of reformation~1500-1599
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The 16th century would bring a big changes to Lindenholt. The Protestant reformation triggered by centuries of discontent with the Catholic church would start in the 1520's at the hands of a single monk. Lindenholt would be at the centre of the reformation, and be the birthplace of various Protestant sects; the largest of which being Calvinism. Free cities such as Artwingen and Stokfort were ruled by a merchant upper class rather than the traditional feudal lords that were under much stricter oversight by the church. Because of this the Guldebond and Zilverbond cities granted many liberties to the reformists that the feudal lords could not, or would not give.
Many of the free cities became bulwarks for Protestants. Some influential merchant families converted to the new faith, with their employees and sailors following suit. The Free City of Stokfort was the first Imperial holding to officially acknowledge the Calvinist faith, with many northern nations following suit in the years after because of the the significant trading connections and influence of the Guldenbond and Zilverbond trade leagues. The spread of the Protestant faith was further accelerated by local rulers converting in an effort to gain favour among the merchant elite, who were one of the primary sources of wealth in the land. The de facto rule of cuius regio, eius religio (lit. whose realm, his religion) meant that regular citizens had to follow their liege's religion. By 1560 a majority of the population in north and central Lindenholt adhered to any of the Protestant sects; rather than the traditional Catholic church.
The religious tension between the duke of Brusseland and the Zilverbond had meant that the trade league was formally banned from operating within Brusseland's borders. Several other pious Catholic rulers (mainly in the south of Lindenholt and Ripuaria) also banned the Zilverbond from operating within their lands. Losing access to this important market meant the end of the trade league; their last assets being bought over by the Guldebond, which was also barred from trade in Catholic areas several years later. This was coupled with persecutions against Protestants. The Protestant nobility protested these measures in an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor however acknowledged the right for individuals members of the Empire to persecute Protestants and ban the Guldebond and Zilverbond from their territory. This led to increased tensions between the Protestant and Catholic states of the Empire; eventually boiling over in 1584, at the start of the Fifteen Years' War when the Protestant states rebelled.
[what happened during the war]
The Fifteen Years' War was formally ended with the treaty of Seigerberg. The empire relinquished their claim to the newly founded Lindian realm; the borders of which are still identical to those established by the treaty of Seigerberg in April 1599.
Lindian Republic 1599-1632
Popular belief is that at the end of the Fifteen Years' War the Lindian states immediately united to form a single Lindenholt. This was not the case however. Rather, the states that had fought for independence were called to Artwingen by representatives of the Guldebond to discuss common trade practices and currency - as had been the case in the Empire. Instead, the parties at the conference proved to be more interested in the defence of the Lindian Realm. The threat of the Empire taking back parts of the Realm using their rightful family claims was not fully out of the question.
Delegates came to the unanimous conclusion that a confederation that would defend the borders of the newly founded Lindian Realm and its trade was necessary. The Artwingen Conference of 1599 and subsequent Treaty of Artwingen established a confederation of states that would have a common foreign policy, common currency, common defence and common trade. In addition a parliament with representatives from all member states (Staten Generaal) would make decisions that concerned the entire Realm and elect a new head of state (stadtholder) and head of government (grand pensionary). During the Artwingen Conference Arthur Korenkoper, the secretary of the Guldebond, was elected as the first stadtholder.
The first years of the Republic saw many struggles between noblemen and the merchant elites. In the new Republican system noblemen and merchants were considered equals. To many nobles this was unacceptable. Additionally, many nobles feared that their titles would be stripped away by radicals. To combat this the States General passed the first Rijkswet (lit. realm law) that secured the claims of noblemen in Lindenholt. The realm laws were meant to be a single law that would be valid in the entire Lindian Republic. Despite the intent of the first realm law, the realm laws eventually grew out to be a rudimentary code of law with many functions of a constitution and eventually ledto a controversy over the states' rights. It was decided in 1641 that the States General would have the last say in all affairs of the states, which ledto the Republic becoming increasingly centralised over the course of its existence.
In 1624 several catholic areas in the south of Lindenholt that were administered by northern states, went in to open rebellion. The catholic nobility demanded representation in the states general and equal rights for those adhering to the Catholic faith. The Republic was reluctant to give power to Catholics, and crushed the 1624 rebellion. In a compromise the states general acknowledged the rights of the Catholic nobility to their lands, however did not allow Catholics to hold any form of public office in the Republic. Instead, the Catholic states got the right to be represented by a Protestant in the states general only in 1650.
In many states the display of Catholic symbols was either prohibited or banned, punishments ranged in severity. In the city of Stokfort displaying Catholic symbols in public was punishable by banishment, whilst in the state of Kreugelen it was met with a small fine. Despite this, the realm law of 1634 declared that all states should grant freedom of religious thought; which meant that being a Catholic was not punishable in any of the states.
Golden age 1632-1749
Despite gaining their independence due to the religious struggles of the 16th century, the Republic was a nation founded by merchants, for merchants. By the 16th century traders had reached the new world and the orient, however pirates, wars and the sea's dangerous nature made trips for these far flung places a dangerous undertaking for sailors, merchants and investors at home.
In an effort to secure the interests of its traders, the Guldebond decided to extended their operations in 1632, establishing trade missions all around the world. The Guldebond, now de facto part of the Lindian government, provided both diplomatic and financial assistance to merchants and the crews of Lindian ships. Additionally, areas controlled by these trade missions would only be open to Lindian merchants with little to no fees; giving Lindian merchants a clear edge over other traders in the orient. The establishment of marine infantry regiments, tasked with defending Lindian trade shipping on the costs of the state, made it even easier for the Lindian merchants to sell their goods competitively around the world, which brought a lot of wealth to Lindenholt; ushering in a golden age.
Taxes collected by the state nearly doubled over the course of ten years, which allowed for the establishment of a formidable navy and land army and also led to expanded colonial charters, an increase in academic spending, and great infrastructure and construction projects throughout the Republic. Advances in technology and the availability of funds allowed for the impoldering of vast areas of what was previously marshland in the provinces of Hoveland and Westerland.
It was not just the state that profited from the spice trade however. Ships that sailed to the orient were financed largely by many individual investors. At its peak, shares could be afforded by most middle class citizenry, and because of this an immense amount of wealth trickled down to the middle classes as well. Much of the wealth was used to commission the now world famous art work of artists like [not!Vermeer, not!Rembrandt].
[something about colonisation]
The wealth brought by the spice trade lasted until around the second half of the 18th century. The involvement of other world powers in the orient and the Republic losing multiple wars in Ventismar and at sea led to the end of the Republic's golden age.
Decline of the Republic 1749-1793
War breaks out, Lindenholt gets rekt, insurmountable debt etc. basically the end of a once great empire, 1790's coup attempt by one of the nobles, Former Stadholder wins the civil war, becomes King 1793
Kingdom of Lindenholt 1793-1900
A lot of politics happen in 19th century, constitutional reform, industrialisation, expansion of the empire in to Africa
World wars 1900-1945
Trench warfare + interbellum plagued with economic crisis + turns out to be genocidal maniac during WW2
Cold war 1945-2000
Rebuilding, losing colonies, build up of army, VU founded, cold war tensions
Modern era 2000-present
Some party politics
Geography
The geography of Lindenholt is predominantly flat, with the only discrepancies being in the south east part of the country, where the Ripuarian border area contains the foothills of the [x] mountain range. Here the hilly landscape is home to Sonnae river and Lindenholt's highest peak at 467 metres. Hills can also be found in Fresia and Heelde. These hills, not much higher than 100 metres were formed by the ice sheets of the most recent ice age pushing on the land.
Similar geographic features can be found in the province of Uilenbergen in the east of the country. Here the Uilenberger Heaths were formed by push moraines of the second to last ice age. An other reminder of this event is the Uilenberger lake, which sits in the middle of the heath. The formation of this lake can also be credited to movement of glaciers in the distant past.
Most other areas of Lindenholt are flat low lying areas that rarely exceed 20 metres above sea level. Many areas also fall under sea level. This is due to the fact that many smaller lakes in the east of the country being drained during the middle ages using iconic windmill driven pumps. During the industrial revolution, the advent of steam powered pumps, made it a possibility to drain Lindenholt's vast marshes in the west of the country. This opened up many fertile areas for agriculture; making Lindenholt an agricultural powerhouse.
Land reclamation was not limited to lakes and marshes however. The entire province of Meijerwaard is land completely drained over the course of 50 years. This massive project, starting after the first great war, was only finished in 1986. It added a further 40,000 square kilometres of land destined for agriculture.
As is referenced by its name, the country used to be covered in woodlands and forests. However, in modern times the country is much less forested than in its past. Most of the forests were cleared to make way for pastures and fields throughout the ages, the bulk of which happened during the industrial revolution.
In order to relieve and help the unemployed during the 1930's the government planned a great reforestation of the country, using the labour of the newly unemployed men. The plan was to plant 3 million hectares of forest on pastures and fields that were no longer in use due to the economic downturn. Although the plans never fully came to fruition, as around 1 million hectares of forest was planted. The vast majority of forests present in the country today were planted during that time, and are thus artificial.
Climate
Lindenholt has a mild sea climate where extreme conditions are either non-existent or very rare. Temperatures seldom rise above 30 degrees and rarely drop below -10 degrees Celsius. Rain is very frequent in all seasons, and snow is often a rare sight during winters, even if temperatures are frigid. The geographical latitude of Lindenholt plays a role in the amount of sunlight received which varies by month. In December the nation receives about 7 hours of sunlight whilst in the summer months it can receive up to 17 hours of sunlight.
Administrative Divisions
Lindenholt is divided in to twelve provinces and one dependency; the Maximilian Islands situated off the coast of Sunrisia. All the provinces are further divided in to administrative divisions called landscapes (Dutch: landschappen). There is a total of 619 landscapes in mainland Lindenholt and four representing the four islands of the Maximilian Islands, making a total of 623 landscapes. Landscapes are further divided in to one or several municipalities.
Of the twelve provinces Honicholt is the most populous, with major cities like Artwingen and Beutrecht being located within the province. The second most populous province is Brusseland, where Dorningen is located. Brusseland is followed by Kreugelen, in the centre of the country and number four is Weterholt province; the largest metropolitan area there being Stokfort.
The rest of the country is much more sparsely populated; most of the land used for agriculture. The heaths of Uilenbergen has around 17,000 square kilometres of land dedicated as a national park, whilst the very northern parts of Frêsland are also empty.
| Province | Capital | Largest city | Area (km²) |
Population (1/1/2017) | Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atenland | Aten | Wullink | 28,688 | 3,363,795 | 85 |
| Brusseland | Dorningen | Dorningen | 48,106 | 16,184,773 | 224 |
| Frêsland | Bêtgum | Bêtgum | 36,226 | 5,527,645 | 133 |
| Heelde | Arkasdam | Arkasdam | 15,615 | 2,937,146 | 161 |
| Heintsbergen | Seigerberg | Seigerberg | 28,069 | 7,497,142 | 252 |
| Honicholt | Beutrecht | Artwingen | 49,622 | 25,665,036 | 367 |
| Hoveland | Westerdorp | Westerdorp | 40,632 | 4,953,340 | 62 |
| Kreugelen | Kreugelerdam | Kreugelerdam | 47,672 | 15,115,661 | 182 |
| Meijerwaard | Duivenkade | Duivenkade | 39,225 | 3,104,316 | 28 |
| Oldeniel | Slothuizen | Slothuizen | 49,814 | 3,590,737 | 27 |
| Uilenbergen | Reurink | Reurink | 61,938 | 6,955,685 | 49 |
| Westerland | Boddewijk | Veurink | 75,757 | 4,277,104 | 118 |
| Weterholt | Stokfort | Stokfort | 11,438 | 8,722,862 | 725 |
| Maximilian Islands | Maxburg | Maxburg | 384 | 275,862 | 718 |
| Total | 483,372 | 73,453,603 | 138 | ||
Largest Cities
By comparison, Lindian cities are smaller than most other cities in the world. Urban planning and administratory policies are the cause of this. The vast majority of urban areas in Lindenholt are not dense inner cities, but rather low rise, often large, homes with gardens. Due to regulations in Lindian city planning codes such houses are not allowed to be built in historical city areas, and are thus built outside of city limits. Around 46% of Lindians live in the metropolitan areas of the top 30 largest cities, which are listed below.
| Rank | City | Province | City population | Metro area population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artwingen | Honicholt | 1,572,352 | 11,029,087 |
| 2 | Stokfort | Weterholt | 1,447,700 | 6,443,107 |
| 3 | Dorningen | Brusseland | 991,186 | 5,809,640 |
| 4 | Beutrecht | Honicholt | 372,302 | 2,155,882 |
| 5 | Kreugelerdam | Kreugelen | 209,916 | 1,470,076 |
| 6 | Seigerberg | Heintsbergen | 240,240 | 1,295,982 |
| 7 | Reurink | Uilenbergen | 91,560 | 810,294 |
| 8 | Maximiliaans Haven | Uilenbergen | 147,272 | 347,445 |
| 9 | Elkenstad | Uilenbergen | 157,503 | 331,896 |
| 10 | Ellijn | Honicholt | 153,871 | 321,778 |
| 11 | Slothuizen | Oldeniel | 147,156 | 304,963 |
| 12 | Duivenkade | Meijerwaard | 141,195 | 301,179 |
| 13 | Boddewijk | Westerland | 115,520 | 271,087 |
| 14 | Westerdorp | Hoveland | 81,692 | 237,642 |
| 15 | Hamelberg | Honicholt | 80,828 | 202,408 |
| 16 | Meijerstad | Meijerwaard | 58,600 | 197,008 |
| 17 | Bêtgum | Frêsland | 79,994 | 190,259 |
| 18 | Wullink | Atenland | 58,044 | 189,779 |
| 19 | Metkerk | Atenland | 69,828 | 188,388 |
| 20 | Huiberg | Kreugelen | 51,718 | 183,615 |
| 21 | Puitlus | Hoveland | 48,518 | 174,577 |
| 22 | Klaarkerk aan Zee | Brusseland | 49,392 | 152,992 |
| 23 | Veurink | Westerland | 103,005 | 144,585 |
| 24 | Vrezen | Honicholt | 89,136 | 143,837 |
| 25 | Aresont | Weterholt | 35,148 | 140,579 |
| 26 | Arkasdam | Heelde | 58,905 | 140,348 |
| 27 | Eurenvliet | Oldeniel | 63,061 | 121,966 |
| 28 | Aten | Atenland | 52,581 | 118,941 |
| 29 | Vraken | Kreugelen | 40,714 | 100,839 |
| 30 | Elledijk | Oldeniel | 50,447 | 90,473 |
| Total | 33,610,652 | |||
Politics
Parliament
The composition of the Lindian Parliament is decided by a proportional voting system where the amount of votes needed for a single seat is in proportion with the amount of total voters that participated in the elections. Elections are held with party lists, where voters vote for a specific person to represent them in parliament. Once a candidate reaches the amount of votes necessary for a seat the extra votes they get pass to the next person in the party list who has not received enough votes for a seat. Candidates who win a seat by getting enough personal votes are permanent members of parliament, if they leave their party they keep their seat until the next elections. Members of Parliament who win a seat through the system described earlier do not keep their seat, their seat belongs to the party and can therefore be revoked by the party.
The elections of June 2017 ended in a Liberal People's Party (LV) victory, and in July a coalition between the Liberal People's Party, the Green Progressives and the Union of Democrats was formed. The coalition has a total of 339/623 seats.
The amount of total seats in the Lindian States General is 623, which is based on the 619 landscapes and the four islands of the Maximilian Islands. It is tradition that all parties participate in dividing their party seats in such a way that (almost) all landscapes of Lindenholt have a representative in parliament.
The Prime Minister and the Cabinet
The prime minister of Lindenholt is head of the cabinet and the head of the Lindian government. The current prime minister of Lindenholt is Jasper Tulpen of the Liberal People's Party, a conservative neo-liberal party. The prime minister is the leader of the party that gets the most votes in the election for the States General, however if a single person in the list gets more personal votes than the party leader of the largest party, then they become prime minister.
The ministers of the Lindian cabinet are all appointed by the prime minister, and the ministers of each ministry appoint the secretaries of their secretariats. Lindenholt's cabinet consists out of a total of 32 positions. 15 ministers, all of whom are responsible for a ministry. A prime minister and a vice premier and 15 additional secretary positions that deal with smaller but more specific issues than the ministries that they're under.
The Royal Family
Lindenholt is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy and the constitution rules out all political powers of the monarchy. The royal family is not a political institution, but the monarch themselves are part of the government. The rest of the royal family serves more as a symbol for Lindenholt and Lindian society. The royal family has made it their unofficial duty to be examples for the Lindian people by doing charity work and promoting a healthy life style.
The constitution states that the monarch is Lindenholt's official head of state and that a bill may only be signed in to law if either the prime minister or the monarch sign it in to law. Usually the monarch is not involved in politics, but in exceptional cases where the prime minister refuses to sign a bill in to law parliament can appeal to the monarch to sign it in to law.
The current monarch is Maximilian IV, and his heir apparent is Maximilian V.
Political Parties
Lindenholt has a multiparty system of government where no party has reached an outright majority on their own since the 1900 elections. Lindenholt's culture of pillarisation during much of the 20th century ledto there only being four parties. Protestants, Catholics, classical liberals and socialists. After the second world war this trend was broken, when religion fell out of favour the votes for the Protestant and Catholic parties dwindled, which ledto the first major change in Lindian politics: the merger of the conservative Christians parties.
Classical liberalism had also lost its popularity. Although key values of the party were still widespread: economic liberty and civil liberties, the two ideals were no longer embraced by voters simultaneously. The Union of Democrats split off from The Liberal People's Party of Lindenholt in the 1960's. The Union of Democrats embraced social liberal values and campaigned for more democracy and progressiveness. Now freed from their previous restrictions, the Liberal People's Party of Lindenholt started fresh with a new message, one about economic liberty and conservatism.
The left wing was about to change drastically as well. Although the Lindian Worker's Party managed to gain a lot of support directly after the war, the post-War generations of the 70's disliked the limited options on the left. The Lindian Worker's Party was a classical labour party for industrial workers, whilst the new generation after the war often did not have such careers. This unhappiness ledto the creation of the Leftists and Progressives of Lindenholt (LePL). After a merger with the small Green Movement of Lindenholt in the late 80's the Green Progressives were born.
A more recent change in Lindian politics was the rise of populist right wing parties. The early 2000's saw the rise of the Ventiskeptic Lindenholt Forwards party. The 1999 elections had put the winners of the election, the Liberal People's Party of Lindenholt in to a coalition with the Union of Democrats. Unhappy with the left wing social policies that were being enacted under the Steegmans I cabinet Damiën Bergs and 23 other LP MPs resigned from the party and they founded Lindenholt Forwards. During the elections of 2003 they campaigned with right wing anti-immigration, Ventiskeptic and populist ideals which gave them a result of 44 seats.
An other right wing party came in to existence in 2009 when the Lindian government lowered pensions for seniors. This caused outrage among the retired, and after a convention of National Association for the Elderly a new party was declared which took part in the 2010 elections and managed to gain 23 seats.
The most recently founded party that is represented in parliament is the Pirate Party, which was founded in 2012. It advocates for internet freedom, privacy and a direct e-democracy.
Foreign Relations
Lindenholt pursues a semi-neutral role in diplomacy and aims to promote democracy world wide. Lindenholt has close ties to its Ventismarien neighbours and is one of the founding members of the Ventismar Union. Across the world Lindenholt holds close ties with Sunrisia, and although not a member of the MDAA Lindenholt has worked together with the MDAA in peace and supply missions.
| Country | Status | Embassies | Trade agreements | Visa requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Allentyr
|
Allentyr and Lindenholt are both VU members and have a very close relationship. | Yes | VU single market | VU free movement |
 Belantica
|
Trade deals and associations like REDBUL give Lindenholt and Belantica a warm, friendly relationship. | Yes | VBPD[1] | Yes |
 Capsland
|
Capsland and Lindenholt are both VU members and have a very close relationship. | Yes | VU single market | VU free movement |
| Template:Country data Esotana | Through VU deals Lindenholt and Esotana have reached agreements on trade. | Yes | VEPD [2] | Yes |
 Felsinia
|
Felsinia and Lindenholt are both VU members and have a very close relationship. | Yes | VU single market | VU free movement |
 Ophioneus
|
Through VU deals Lindenholt and Ophioneus have reached agreements on trade and visa policies. | Yes | VOPD [3] | 90 day visa free [4] |
 Pantorrum
|
Pantorrum and Lindenholt, both Ventismarien nations share a long history. Pantorrum is also a VU associate member. | Yes | ARPAMS [5] | VU free movement |
| Philomachus | Philomachus and Lindenholt have shared history, and have fought to protect each other in numerous wars. | Yes | No | Yes |
 Rhodevus
|
Lindenholt and Rhodevus share extensive trade relations and a long history. | Yes | VRPD [6] | Yes |
 Ripuaria
|
Ripuaria and Lindenholt are both VU members and have a very close relationship. | Yes | VU single market | VU free movement |
 Sunrisia
|
Lindenholt and Sunrisia share a longstanding defence relationship. Lindenholt is a MDAA associated state. | Yes | VSWFTA [7] | 90 days visa free [8] |
 Umbrellya
|
Umbrellya and Lindenholt are both VU members and have a very close relationship. | Yes | VU single market | VU free movement |
Military
Lindenholt's military consist of multiple branches, including the air force, the army, the navy and the genderarme. The genderarme (Rijkswacht) is tasked with police, security, coast guard and border patrol duties. The Rijkswacht does not have heavy equipment like other branches of the military as it deals mainly with civilian affairs. Although the Rijkswacht has access to assault rifles and armoured personnel carriers it uses them rarely, and units are often equipped with jeeps or SUVs and small machine guns.
Lindenholt's armed forces are an all volunteer force, however military service is still in effect. All men age 17 through 27 are conscripted, however attendance has been suspended until a state of emergency is declared, and even then parliament must convene to reinstate active conscription. Those between ages 17 and 27 who willingly report for duty are put through training and assigned to the national reserves. Reservists are compensated for when they are called to preform duties, however once they are demobilised they are not paid. Thus, reservists will have to attend other jobs to make a living.
The Royal Army, Koninklijke Landmacht, is Lindenholt's main defence force on the ground. The Lindian Royal Army is primarily made up out of air mobile and mechanised infantry units, and has a sizeable tank force to back up the mechanised infantry. The Lindian army is well trained and is equipped with modern materiel. It operates within Ventismar and currently is involved in keeping the Umbrelliet border safe from intrusion by Eikengaardan armed groups.
The Lindian army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world, and has been in existence in various forms since the formation of Lindenholt as a country. Although large parts of it still depended on mercenaries some units were permanent. The largest of which was the Lindian Marine Corps who were tasked with protecting trade ships that sailed to the orient. After the establishment of the Kingdom of Lindenholt the army was wholly transformed in to being a conscription based army. During the first great war the army saw combat on various fronts of the war, mostly trench warfare. In 1940 the Lindian army was beaten by invading forces of the Second World War and the only surviving units were volunteers who escaped to Capsland, or expeditionary forces in countries that were not occupied. In 2003 the army was reformed yet again to be a professional army and to no longer rely on conscripts.
The navy, Koninklijke Zeemacht, is Lindenholt's main defence force on the seas. Its primary duties are the defence of Lindenholt's territorial waters and the defence of Lindian trade shipping. Lindenholt has a sizeable fleet, with modern equipment. The navy mainly employs destroyers and guided missile destroyers as its main ships and they posses a sizeable fleet of frigates. The first Maximilian Class corvettes have also been commissioned in 2015 to assist the frigates and destroyers and there are plans for 6 more corvettes in order to replace the severely out of date Maximilian Islands' fleet.
The air force, Koninklijke Luchtmacht provides air to air, air to ground and other air related capabilities, such as logistics for the Lindian military. Lindenholt's air force was founded after the Second World War, when the army's Air Reconnaissance Service (Lucht Verkennings Dienst), Air Combat Unit (Luchtgevechtseenheid) and the navy's Nautical Air Service (Maritieme Lucht Dienst) were merged.
Lindenholt, lacking much of an arms industry, imports their military equipment from other countries. Allentyr being the largest supplier; followed by Aznazia. In 2018 a deal was reached between Lindenholt and Allentyr to have the Aalborg class guided missile destroyer built in Lindian dockyards. The only weapon systems that are not imported from overseas are Aerobus' fighter jets and military cargo aircraft and helicopters. All of which produced in Lindenholt and in service by the Lindian armed forces.
Economy
Lindenholt has a developed market economy similar to its neighbours in Ventismar, by sheer size the Lindian economy is one of the largest in the world. Lindenholt is a member of the Ventismar Union and the REDBUL organisation and hosts many globally active companies such as the logistics giant EGH Logistics, auto manufacturers [not!VW] and [not!Audi], chemical manufacturer Reijnen Chems, and multinationals such as Multilever, engineering firm Dekkers and weapons manufacturer Bouwer. Additionally the Ventismarien aerospace manufacturer Aerobus has its headquarters in Lindenholt.
Banking also plays a large role in Lindenholt, as the Cappo-Lindian Artwingen-Louis Investment Bank (ALIB) finds one of its main headquarters in Artwingen. Globally known brands such as Pieteken beer and fashion brand [uhm...] also call Lindenholt their home.
Lindenholt's financial capital is considered to be Artwingen, as it is home to the Artwinger Stock Exchange (ASX). Considerable central business districts can also be found in cities such as Stokfort and Dorningen. The city of Dorningen's port, on the Kreugel river delta that connects to the Sonnae is the lifeline of western Ventismar, and also the largest sea port in the world. Most of Ventismar's imports and exports flow through the port of Dorningen.
The nation's exports mainly consist of industrial machinery, automobiles and electronics. Contrasting its high-tech economy, there is also a significant agricultural sector; made possible by the country's vast polder areas destined for agriculture. Nearly 17% (by value) of Lindenholt's exports are agricultural crops and it is is often regarded as the breadbasket of Ventismar.
Lindenholt's five largest export partners are: Ripuaria (24.5%), Capsland (11.1%), Allentyr (8.4%), Umbrellya (9.3%) and Felsinia (4.2%)[9]. Main imports include raw materials such as bauxite and iron ore, petrochemicals, foodstuffs, consumer electronics and other consumer goods. Lindenholt's five largest import partners are similar to its export partners, with the exception of Pantorrum and Rhodevus. In order they are: Ripuaria (14.7%), Capsland (14.5%), Allentyr (8.2%), Umbrellya (5.1%), Pantorrum (5.7%), Rhodevus 4.1% [10].
As a member of the Ventismar Union, Lindenholt shares a common market with the other member states of the Union that has full freedom of movement for citizens and goods. This close connection to its neighbours has allowed for Lindenholt to boost its export significantly. The Ventismar Union has also allowed for Ripuaria, Felsinia and Lindenholt to share a common currency; the Aurei. The Aurei is the de facto currency of the Ventismar Union and one of the most valuable, as it is the second most traded currency in the world; second only to the NationStates Dollar.
Past this point everything is BS.
Culture
Art
During the 17th and 18th century the Lindian people were among the most affluent in the world. Paintings and portraits were widespread, and access to more colors and stones that were produced in the colonies meant that art in the form of paintings and statues could boom. Artist popped up in the Noble Republic and their artwork was spread over the entire world.
Literature
Lindenholt has long been the center of art, literature, trade and technology in the region. Lindenholt was one of the first countries to embrace free speech and free press, which made it one of the places in Sunalaya where books could freely be written and published.
Media
Lindenholt has 4 public, government owned, channels. Each of them with different themes. Lindenholt 1 is mainly aimed at informing the people, with trustworthy news and late night shows that discuss current events. Lindenholt 2 is aimed at entertaining the adult population, with films and documentaries. Lindenholt 3 is aimed at entertaining children and teens, with cartoons and drama series for teens. Lindenholt 4 is a multipurpose channel, but it mainly airs English programs that are popular in Sunalaya. Even though the channels are owned by the government, the government does not have any power to decide what is aired (and what is not aired). There are a lot more privately owned TV stations in Lindenholt.
Sport
From here on stuff starts to make sense again.
There is no officially defined national sport of Lindenholt, however according to a survey conducted by Vandaag.lin the most popular practised sport is association football. Football is also the sport that is most watched on television. Around 18% of respondents claiming to practice a sport at least weekly reported they play hockey, whereas 52% of answers on the survey were for football. 10% of respondents play tennis on a weekly basis. The remaining 30% was split between a multitude of different sports.
The Lindian Secretariat for Sports estimates that around 53% of Lindians between the ages of 18 and 24 are part of some sort of sports association. This number is even higher for ages 12 through 18, with a percentage of 68%. This can be attributed to the Lindian education system taking great measures to promote sports, especially team sports, seeing them as an important instrument for a healthy body and a healthy mind.
Culturally sports that are typically Lindian are ice skating, cycling and korfball. Korfball was a popular sport until it lost its popularity over the course of the 20th century, in favour of football. Ice skating and cycling are still widely practised in their respective seasons.
Cuisine
Lindian cuisine is best described as rustic, largely shaped from its location and the historical needs of labourers and farmers. Lindenholt's location makes it so that grains, potatoes, dairy, fish and meats play a large role in the kitchen as ingredients. Stroopwafels are known around the world to be typically Lindian, though the choice of pastries and desserts is not limited to just that. Ingredients for desserts are largely based on Lindenholt's location, with semolina puddings being a common dessert as well as dairy based vla. Vlaai pies from Heintsbergen province are also commonly eaten.
Vast pastures have allowed a well-ingrained dairy culture to develop. On average a single Lindian drinks 50 litres of milk eats around 20 kilograms of cheese on a yearly basis. Lindian cheeses, popular across the globe are a large part of culinary culture. Cheese is traditionally eaten on a sandwich (boterham) or as a snack in the form of small cubes; usually accompanied by sausages such as liverwurst.
Fried foods enjoy large amounts of popularity among Lindians. Croquettes, bitterballen and chips being the most iconic. Chips are thicker than the international standard, and can be eaten with a multitude of sauces, the most popular of which being mayonnaise. Lindenholt's colonial empire has also brought oriental styles of food, such as satay, to the dinner table. A patat oorlog, chips served with satay sauce, is a good example of this mix of east and west. Being surrounded by ocean also made fish a food for the masses. Battered and fried fish like kibbeling and visfriet are traditional snacks, usually eaten and served at marketplaces.
Other popular dishes with fish range from simple snacks like Stokfortse Nieuwe, raw brined herring served with onions, to somewhat more complicated dishes such as Oldeniel's traditional mussels, oysters and smoked eels.
Breakfasts are simple and usually only involve whole grain bread (volkoren) topped with cold cuts, cheese or sweet toppings such as hagelslag, chocolate spreads, peanut butter or thick apple syrup. Gingerbread, called ontbijtkoek, and currant buns (krentenbol) are also a common sight on breakfast tables. Both are usually topped with butter before eating. In recent years eating corn flakes or other breakfast cereals has gained popularity as well. Common breakfast drinks include milk, tea, coffee and fruit juices.
Lunch is more diverse as it can include similar items eaten during breakfast like whole grain bread topped with cheese, cold cuts or sweet toppings. However it can also be of a more caloric character and include fried snacks like croquettes, fried fish and chips. Soups are also often served as lunch.
Dinner, served around 6 PM in most cases, is a lot less intricate than other Ventismarien cultures. Traditional home dinners only have a main course, omitting any appetisers and dessert. Although tea, coffee and something that would typically be considered dessert is usually served several hours after dinner. This simplicity is part of Calvinist culture that most of Lindenholt adhered to. Southern areas that were more influenced by Catholicism have a more elaborate style of eating that does involve multiple courses.
Main courses are mostly season based, with foods usually eaten around the time that they would be harvested. Winters feature pea soup called snert and dishes like stamppot, whilst spring usually features a lot of asparagus dishes. Stereotypically the Lindian main course consists out of boiled potatoes (whole or mashed), any type of meat (beef, pork, poultry, less often mutton or lamb), a sauce or gravy and boiled vegetables.
Infrastructure
Energy
Source of Lindenholt's energy
With the last coal powered power plant closing its doors in 2015, Lindenholt is in the progress of phasing out fossil fuel based energy generation in favour of renewable sources. Large thinly populated areas destined for agriculture proved to be the perfect grounds for generating energy from the wind. The availability of a large, well-developed domestic industry for wind turbines, made possible by companies such as Dekkers, along with significant investments by the previous and current governments have allowed Lindenholt to have nearly 30% of all generated electricity to be sourced from the wind alone.
Generous subsidies, tax breaks and mutually beneficial deals by the private sector have also made roof mounted solar panels, used to heat water, accessible to around 40% of low-rise homes; lowering Lindenholt's dependence on foreign natural gas to heat homes. A smaller percentage, around 25%, of homes have opted to install photovoltaic panels. Though estimates vary, the national statistics bureau (Linfo) estimates that around 6% of electricity has its source in solar panels; most of which originating from private owned home photovoltaic panels.
Around thirty percent of power usage is satisfied through the burning of biomass. Lindenholt's large agricultural sector allows for the collection of big amounts of plant waste, which is then put to good use. Natural gas, imported from the Nordismar Sea accounts for the rest of Lindenholt's power needs.
There are several nuclear power plants active that produce electricity. Most of the plants have become older, although there are plans to modernise and even build additional power plants. Other sources of power are non existant as Lindenholt's geographical features do not allow for any significant gains from hydro or geothermal sources.
Transport
Lindenholt being a country reliant on trade with its neighbours boasts extensive motorway and (high speed) rail systems; as well as having three international airports that serve airlines from across the world. Unique to Lindenholt is the bicycle infrastructure, that provide cyclists stretches of road separated from pedestrians and motorised traffic.
A national public transportation system is also in effect, coordinating arrival and deperature times for trains, busses, metros and trams nationwide; regardless of operating companies or location. At reasonable cost a ticket can be bought that is valid for all previously named modes of transportation. Alternatively citizens can apply for a public transport card with the added benefit of being cheaper than a single ticket and being easy in use.
External links
References
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=32358391#p32507327 Ventismar Belantica Partnership Deal
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=34114392#p34114392 Ventismar Esotana Partnership Deal
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=420355&start=50#p33740993 Ventismar Ophioneus Partnership Deal
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=420355&start=50#p33740993
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=34189784#p34189784 Accession of the Republic of Pantorrum as an Associate Member State
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=32358391#p32507327 Ventismar Rhodevus Partnership Deal
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=420355&p=34515877#p34515877 Ventismar SOWEFTA Free Trade Agreement
- ↑ https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=32316903#p32316903 Visa Free Entrance for Citizens of Sunrisia
- ↑ 2015 estimate
- ↑ 2015 estimate
 Lindenholt | |
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 Sunalaya | |
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| Nations | Aborzhenia • Allentyr • Aznazia • Belantica • Englean Empire • Kiez • Librira • Lindenholt • Molenston • Rhodevus • Ripuaria • Romaikos • Shastara • Talvistova • Taoist Empire • Tyrenes |
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