Fáel
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State of Fáel
Stát Fáel | |
|---|---|
State | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname: The Green State | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Map of Rizealand with Fáel in red | |
| Country |  Rizealand |
| Before Statehood | Colony of Fáel |
| Capital (and largest city) | Tyrell |
| Joined Federation | June 6, 1773 (3rd) |
| Government | |
| • President | Isaac Doyle (TNC-SDP) |
| • Legislature | Tionól of Fáel |
| • Federal councillors | Appointed
Elected |
| • Federal representatives | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 104,330.06 km2 (40,282.06 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 3,938,200 |
| • Density | 37.75/km2 (97.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+10 (Central) |
| Abbreviation | FA |
| ISO 3166 code | RZ-FA |
| Website | www |
Fáel, known officially as the State of Fáel and unofficially as "FA" or "Stát Fáel", is a state in southern Rizealand that is bordered by the Capital Territory to the northwest, Providence to the north, the Nehinaw Nation to the northeast, Lyhoming to the east, San Andreas to the southeast, the Vehemens Ocean to the southwest, and Lothicania to the west. Fáel has a total area of 104,330.06 square kilometers, making it the seventh largest state and eighth largest political division of Rizealand. Fáel also has a population of 3,938,200, making it the fifth most populous state and political entity. Fáel's capital and largest city is Tyrell while Ealaghleann is its second largest city.
Etymology
The name "Fáel" was first used by Caldian explorers to refer to the southern coast of present day Rizealand that included the colonies of Tyrell and Ealaghleann. The name "Fáel" is a Ghaillish word for "wolf." Caldian explorer Sir Rian MacCathal is credited with first giving Fáel its name after he arrived on its shores and found its forests to be filled with packs of wolves. Although few wolves live in Fáel today, early colonists hunted and trapped them with wolf fur pelts being a staple export and wolves being considered their local mascot. In 1602, the Caldian crown officially consolidated the colonies of Tyrell and Ealaghleann into the Colony of Fáel. Starting in 1764 after declaring independence in the Asterian War of Secession as the "State of Fáel", revolutionaries adopted the wolf as their symbol of rebellion and resistance.
Geography
Fáel is located in southern Rizealand and has a total area of 104,330.06 square kilometers, making it the seventh largest state and eighth largest political division of Rizealand. The highest point in Fáel is Kinney Ridge at the top of Mount St. Ellen at 3,751 meters above sea level. The lowest point is the Vehemens Ocean at 0 meters above sea level. Located on the west coast of Rizealand, Fáel has one large natural harbor in the center of the coast, MacCathal Bay, that is accessed by Tyrell, the state's largest city and capital. The northern half of Fáel is lower, forming part of the Weanoke River Valley. The northern and lower half of the state is also crossed by the Gallee River, which additionally forms the eastern border of Fáel.
The southern half of Fáel, where MacCathal Bay and Tyrell are located, is higher in elevation and includes the western half of Mount St. Ellen. After Fremont in San Andreas, Tyrell is the second closest state capital to a dormant volcano. Although Mount St. Ellen has not had a major volcanic eruption since the early 1600s, it has had a series of smaller eruptions and periods of increased volcanic activity, the most recent one occurring in 1987. Although never utilized, the proximity and possibility of a future volcanic eruption has led to evacuation and early warning systems being put in place for southern Fáel and northern San Andreas. In addition to volcanic activity, southern Fáel also sees frequent earthquake activity due to its proximity to the Asterian Fault which runs under Mount St. Ellens along the Fáel-San Andreas border. While southern Fáel has thousands of earthquakes a year, most are barely measurable and only a handful of earthquakes typically can be felt each year. The last serious earthquake that caused significant damage and loss of life occurred in 1987.
Ecology
Historically, Fáel was covered by temperate coniferous forest but today, temperate coniferous forest biomes only exist in a handful of small locations, replaced by deforestation. Mount St. Ellen is located in a boreal forest due to its higher elevation and has different varieties of fir trees, larch, spruce, and hemlock. Where forests are still standing in lower elevations, there are different varieties of douglas fir, oak, maple, walnut, and ash. Other plants growing in Fáel include bunch grass, festuca grass, rye grass, sedges, rushes, shadbush, blackberry, dogwood, snowberry, mouse ears, gentians, dandelion, aster, orchid, and roses.
Fáel has many species of birds including loon, duck, goose, eagle, tern, seamews, snipe, heron, hawk, Asterian condor, owl, wren, thrush, hummingbird, sparrow, woodpecker, swallow, chickadee, warbler, finch, Asterian robin, crow, cardinal, new world oriole, meadowlark, blackbird, wild turkey, grouse, pheasant, and pigeon. Fáel also has other land mammals including deer, Asterian black bear, muskrat, fox, mink, raccoon, opossum, skunk, marmot, cottontail rabbit, red squirrels, gray squirrels, ground squirrel, bushdog, and wildcat. In the wilderness surrounding Mount St. Ellen, there are also small populations of Asterian brown bear that have been reintroduced to the area.
Reptiles and amphibians located throughout Fáel include garter snake, kingsnake, rattlesnake, horned lizard, spiny lizard, side-blotched lizard, skink, painted turtle, pond turtle, salamander, and the frog. In the freshwater lakes and rivers throughout the state, there are trout, bass, perch, muskellunge, carp, bearded fish, and pike. Fáel also has small populations of anadromous fish including pink haddo, silver haddo, king haddo, red haddo, and coastal cutthroat trout. Off the coast of Fáel in the Vehemens Ocean or in coastal marine habitats, there are orca, dolphin, seal, sea otter, gray whale, humpback whale, sea bass, cod, Vehemens halibut, lobster, shrimp, clam, oyster, mussel, and crab.
Climate
Fáel has a marine climate due to its location on the western coast of Rizealand. The state sees moderately dry summers with precipitation ranging from 1 to 0 inches a month and highs ranging from 69°F to 81°F. Winters are wetter with precipitation ranging from 11 to 15 inches a month and highs between 51°F and 63°F. The temperature around Mount St. Ellen is substantially cooler with summer highs of 49°F to 61°F and winter highs of 19°F to 28°F On average, the state receives between 1 and 5 inches of snow a year while Mount St. Ellen receives an average of 200 to 400 inches of snow a year. Coastal Fáel can be subjected to extratropical cyclones from the west which can range from minor to severe. Other natural hazards in addition to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes include flooding along major rivers, wildfires in the forested areas of the state, landslides, avalanches, and tsunamis.
Conservation
Fáel has significant problems with deforestation as overlogging for commercial purposes and clearing of trees for farmlands have greatly reduced the number of forests in the state, compared to when it was first settled in the 1600s. The loss of habitat has caused a reduction in the populations of bear, deer, and other forest animals. Since then, conservation efforts however have restored many forests around the foothills of Mount St. Ellen and also lead to the successful reintroduction of Asterian brown bears into the area. However, the state government has been unsuccessful in attempting to reintroduce Asterian wolf, the state mascot, back into the region. Fáel also has air and water pollution due to industrial zones, farmlands, and urban areas.
Below are a list of state preserves and reserves maintained by the government of Fáel.
Government and politics
The government of Fáel is established and organized according to the Constitution of Fáel. Because Fáel is a constituent state of Rizealand, the powers of its government are subject to certain limits by the Articles of Federation including the requirement of a democratic form of government and prohibitions on forming alliances with foreign governments, declaring war, raising or maintaining armies, establishing forms of currency, and placing unlawful restraints on interstate and international trade. In addition to constitutional restraints on state power, the Articles also allow the Central Assembly to enact legislation that can supersede state laws when involving national security, interstate commerce, foreign affairs, immigration, and the public's welfare. Like the federal government of Rizealand, the government of Fáel is divided into three branches of government.
The legislative branch consists of the unicameral Tionól of Fáel. The Tionól's 125 seats are filled through closed party list proportional representation elections held every five years. As the state legislature, the Tionól is responsible for enacting legislation and can do so with a simple majority, although a majority of two-thirds is required to enact super laws. The Tionól is also responsible for approving the President's executive and judicial nominations and has the power to remove government officials from office. Since Fáel's founding, the Tionól is considered one of the most powerful state legislatures as it can override presidential vetoes with a simple majority and also is responsible for nominating judges and executive agency heads.
The executive branch is headed by the President of Fáel, who serves as the head of state and government. The President is elected in a statewide two-round direct election at the same time as the Tionól for a five-year term and cannot serve more than one term. The President is a much weaker executive than most state executives in Rizealand. Like the President of Rizealand and most state executives, the President of Fáel is required to sign bills into law and can veto such legislation, although the Tionól can override a veto with a simple majority, unlike most state legislatures. The President is also responsible for appointing executive agency heads and judges from a panel of candidates or nominees suggested by the Tionól.
The judicial branch consists of the High Court and Court of Appeal. Below them are the circuit courts, justice courts, and county courts. Circuit courts have original jurisdiction over civil cases while the justice courts have original jurisdiction over criminal cases. County courts have limited jurisdiction over misdemeanors, small civil, probate, family, and juvenile cases. Justices and judges of the High Court, Court of Appeal, circuit courts, and justice courts are nominated by the Tionól and appointed by the President for a lifetime term, subject to a mandatory retirement age of 75. County court judges are elected in two-round direct elections for five-year terms.
There are also independent agencies and commissions established by state super laws that do not neatly fit into any branch of government, as they often enforce state laws (executive), issue rules and regulations (legislative), and adjudicate cases or claims (judicial). While their agency heads or commission members are usually nominated or appointed by the Tionól, they can only be removed from office by the Tionól through the impeachment and removal process.
Fáel has a mixed common law and civil law legal system with Estmerish and Caldian influences. In most private law cases, Fáel courts apply civil law and Caldian civil codes while in criminal cases, they follow common law traditions and utilize juries. In addition to the protections of the Articles of Federation, the Fáel Constitution also establishes additional protections and gives citizens the right to recall state government officials, refer legislation to a referendum vote, enact legislation via an initiative vote, and approve amendments to the state constitution.