Lihnidos
Empire of Lihnidos Λιχνίδου Αυτοκρατορία (Hellenic) | |
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: Πάντα να υπερέχει ("Ever to Excel") | |
 Location of Lihnidos (dark green) – in Belisaria (dark grey) – in the Belisarian Community (light green) | |
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| Capital | Arcadia |
| Largest | Ikaria |
| Official languages | Hellenic Latin |
| Ethnic groups | 77.5% Lihnidosi 16.4% Latin 6.1% Other |
| Demonym(s) | Lihnidosi |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Empress | Stella II |
| Fotis Raptis | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Formation | |
• Founding of Xanthi City-States | 900 BC |
• Confederation of City-States | 356 BC |
• Kingdom of Xanthi | 154 BC |
• Latin Invasions | 0 - 50 AD |
• Integration into Latin Empire | 55 AD |
• Independence from Latin Empire | 565 AD |
• Hellenic Empire | 1713 AD |
• Lihnidosi Empire | 1827 AD |
| Area | |
• | 299,580 km2 (115,670 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 72,420,744 |
• 2014 census | 71,394,929 |
• Density | 241.74/km2 (626.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $2.977 trillion |
• Per capita | $41,109 |
| Gini | 38.9 medium |
| HDI | .870 very high |
| Currency | Denarius ( |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +57 |
| ISO 3166 code | LS |
| Internet TLD | .lnd |
Lihnidos, officially the Empire of Lihnidos, is a sovereign country located in southern Belisaria. Lihnidos shares land borders to the north with Lyncanestria and Seredinia, to the west with Latium, and to the south with the Ecclesiastical State. To the east, Lihnidos shares a maritime border with Eagleland. Southern and eastern Lihnidos is surrounded by the Periclean Sea. With an area of 299,580 square kilometers and an estimated population of approximately 72.5 million inhabitants, Lihnidos is the eighteenth most populous country in Ajax yet also one of the smaller nations in land area.
Lihnidos is a unitary parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. The current and ninth monarch is Stella II, who has reigned since late 2007. The current and twenty-sixth prime minister is Fotis Raptis who leads the Conservative-National government in the National Assembly and who has been in office since early 2010. Lihnidos's capital is the city of Arcadia and the largest city is Ikaria. Other major population centers include the cities of Xanthi and Cephalonia.
Modern humans first arrived in Lihnidos around 35,000 years ago from Scipia. Hellenic settlers from Eagleland began making their way to Lihnidos around 4,000 BC, resulting in numerous coastal settlements and the development of Hellenic cultures in southern Lihnidos. Settlements consolidated under centralized rule in the form of city-states and later duchies and kingdoms until the region came under Latin rule around 50 AD. After the fall of the Latin Empire in Lihnidos around 600 AD, numerous kingdoms formed and later joined as the United Kingdoms of Lihnidos in 1675.
In 1713 the United Kingdoms of Lihnidos and the Tarsan Empire fell under the same rule and formed the Hellenic Empire. This wide-spanning empire that included lands in Belisaria and Scipia lasted for roughly one hundred years before fracturing into smaller empires and kingdoms. Following Lihnidosi independence from the Hellenic Empire in 1827 the Lihnidosi Empire was declared as the successor state of the Hellenic Empire. The fall of the Hellenic Empire caused instability in parts of Lihnidos and Scipia which lasted in Lihnidos until roughly the mid-1850s.
Presently, Lihnidos is a developed and high income country with the world's 9th largest economy by nominal GDP. The country is a member of the Belisarian Community, Forum of Nations, and Joint Space Agency.
History
Prehistory
The first evidence of the presence of modern humans in Lihnidos was found in the Bylyyn caves outside the town of Nauros in southern Boeotia. The best known artifacts from this time period are cave paintings and fossilized remains that were created between 35,900 to 21,200 BC. Genetic evidence suggests that the first humans in Lihnidos arrived from the southern continent of Scipia and made their way north into Belisaria.
Lihnidos is home to some of the first advanced civilizations in Belisaria. Many of these civilizations were began by Hellenic settlers who arrived from Eagleland in 4000 BC. The Hellenes inhabited the southern and eastern coastal areas of Lihnidos before moving further north and west. These civilizations began with the Gythacan civilization on the eastern coast of Lihnidos in Thasos around 3000 BC, the Cyrelean civilization around 2700 BC in Kilkis, and the Iolcippian civilization in the Samos Islands around 1900 BC. These civilizations remained largely independent of one another with limited conflict until around 1000 BC when the Gythacans began a time of regional upheaval by attempting to conquer surrounding civilizations.
City-states and unification
Latin invasions
Independence from the Latin Empire
Hellenic Empire
Lihnidosi Empire
Recent history
Geography
Lihnidos is located on the southern part of the continent of Belisaria. Lihnidos borders Latium to the west, the Ecclesiastical State to the south-west, Seredinia and Lyncanestria to the north, and shares a maritime border with Eagleland to the east. The western half of the nation is primarily hills and mountains, with a large mountain range spanning part of the border between Lihnidos and Lyncanestria. The eastern half of the nation, while also having hilly regions, is primarily flat, especially along the coast. The flat eastern part of the country has a large coastline with the Perliclean Sea, with the southern half of the coast opening directly into the sea and the northern half of the coast opening into a strait between Lihnidos and Eagleland. Lihnidos holds control over the four Samos Islands off the southern coast of Boeotia. In the center of the country lies a large freshwater lake that is larger than the individual provinces of Pieria, Evros, and Serres.
A small bay on the Kilkis coast.
Much of the eastern part of the country have lands good for farming.
Coast of Ialara, one of the Samos Islands.
Cliffs near Arta on Lake Poseidia.
Mount Boraros, the highest mountain in the Álpeis, from the Lihnidos side.
Small houses along the southern coast of the Boeotia peninsula.
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Climate
There are a number of climate zones in Lihnidos when using the Köppen climate classification system. The southern coastal regions of Lihnidos are characterized as having a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. The conditions in the center and western half of the country can be characterized as halving an oceanic climate with warm summers and cool winters. The mountainous region on the border of Lihnidos and Lyncanestria can be characterized as a subarctic or tundra climate, especially in the higher elevations of the mountains. Snowfall is common along the border of Lyncanestria in the mountainous regions in the fall and winter months, while less common in the other parts of the country. Snowfall is less common but still typical in the central parts of the country while less common in the southern regions where rain is the norm.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2014 census conducted by the Ministry of Local and Regional Governance, the population of Lihnidos at the time was 71,394,929. With continued immigration, emigration, and new births, it is estimated that the current population is roughly 72.5 million, only an increase of slightly over one million. Lihnidos's estimated population of over seventy-two million makes it the sixth largest nation on Belisaria by population, behind Liothidia, Seredinia, Arthurista, Latium, and Ottonia. According to the 2014 census, a vast majority of the population identify as Lihnidosi, with 77.5% doing so. The second largest group of individuals are those who identify as Latin, which account for 16.4% of the population. The majority of the remaining 6.1% come from other Belisarian countries including Seredinia, Lyncanestria, and Eagleland, while some others come from non-Belisarian countries such as Sydalon, Belfras, and Ghant. The racial makeup of the population is homogeneous in the aspect that 96.2% of the population identify as Caucasian. The other primary racial groups in Lihnidos are Scipian at 1.9%, Oxidental at 1.5%, and Ochran at 0.4%.
Largest Cities
A majority of the population live in rural areas opposed to urban areas like large towns and cities. Only three cities in Lihnidos have populations over one million: Ikaria, Arcadia, and Xanthi. All three cities have deep historical significance and hold a special role in the nation. Ikaria, often considered the financial capital of Lihnidos, has served as home to the headquarters of many of Lihnidos's largest businesses, both domestic and foreign. Arcadia, the capital of Lihnidos, serves as the seat of the govermnet. Xanthi, the original capital of the empire served, as the capital of the Xanthi Confederation of City-States, the Kingdom of Xanthi, and the early Empire of Lihnidos. Due to its historic role, it is often deemed the cultural capital of the nation. Close behind the top three cities is Cephalonia, which ranks fourth with a population only slightly under one million. After Cephalonia the populations of the largest cities begins to drop significantly.
Largest cities or towns in Lihnidos
Ministry of Local and Regional Governance estimates for 2014 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Province | Pop. | |||||||
_-_Brasil.jpg) Ikaria  Arcadia |
1 | Ikaria | Serres | 2,761,569 |  Xanthi  Cephalonia | ||||
| 2 | Arcadia | Pieria | 1,518,631 | ||||||
| 3 | Xanthi | Boeotia | 1,422,754 | ||||||
| 4 | Cephalonia | Ithaca | 949,562 | ||||||
| 5 | Phliita | Thasos | 732,110 | ||||||
| 6 | Rethymno | Lasithi | 600,364 | ||||||
| 7 | Hion | Kilkis | 359,615 | ||||||
| 8 | Sozillai | Messenia | 202,164 | ||||||
| 9 | Thesprotia | Preveza | 191,949 | ||||||
| 10 | Arta | Rhodope | 189,457 | ||||||
Provinces
Lihnidos is divided into twenty provinces, each of a different size and population. The borders of each province are partially based on the borders of the historic duchies that comprised the three kingdoms of Lihnidos in its medieval history. Serres is the largest province by population, but the second smallest by land area. With over eight million people, it holds over eleven percent of the population of the nation, over a fourth of which live in the capital city of the province, Ikaria. Many of the provinces are close in terms of population, with half having a population of between three and four million.
| Province | Abbr. | Provincial Council Control | Capital | Largest city | Population Estimate as of 2018 |
Seats in the National Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serres | ||||||
| Boeotia | ||||||
| Pieria | ||||||
| Ithaca | ||||||
| Thasos | ||||||
| Phthiotis | ||||||
| Lasithi | ||||||
| Evrytania | ||||||
| Chania | ||||||
| Rhodope | ||||||
| Messenia | ||||||
| Evros | ||||||
| Piraeus | ||||||
| Kilkis | ||||||
| Kalymnos | ||||||
| Thefkada | ||||||
| Chios | ||||||
| Corinthia | ||||||
| Preveza | ||||||
| Samos |
Religion
Religion is held sacrosanct in Lihnidos and the intermingling of church and state is often criticized by those who believe that religion should not be present in government. The majority of individuals in Lihnidos describe themselves as adherents of Fabrian Catholicism. While Lihnidos does not have a state religion, a number of prominent government officials and nobility are followers of the faith and therefore occasionally may make decisions that follow the teachings of the church. Over thirty-seven million individuals in Lihnidos identify as Fabrian Catholic, accounting for almost fifty-two percent of the population.
The second largest religion in Lihnidos is Alban Christianity, which while far behind Fabrian Catholicism, has a significant following in Lihnidos. Almost seventeen million individuals identify as Alban Christian, which accounts for another twenty-three percent of the population. Other religious groups are not as prominent in the nation, with almost seven percent of the population describing themselves as Christians that do not follow either Alban Christianity or Fabrian Catholicism. Those who have no faith or who do not describe themselves as Christians comprise almost nineteen percent of the population.
Prior to Fabrian Catholicism and Alban Christianity being the predominant faiths in Lihnidos, a large number of Lihnidosi practiced a form of polytheistic paganism. This paganism varied in several parts of what is now Lihnidos, but many of the different sects had enough similarities that they could collectively be referred to as one religion. The ancient religion was present in every part of an individuals life and had an extensive mythology that caused followers to see works of the gods in almost everything. Alban Christianity began to take hold in Lihnidos in the 2nd century as it became the dominant faith in the neighboring Latin Empire. Spreading from west to east, the teachings of the Albian church attracted several who were dissatisfied with the teachings of the dominant pagan religion at the time. By the early fourth century Albian Christianity had a substantial following across the Kingdom of Xanthi. In 413 AD the Latin Empire began invasions into the western areas of the Kingdom of Xanthi and by 457 AD had integrated almost all of what had been the Kingdom of Xanthi into the Latin Empire. During and following the invasions Alban Christianity was the state faith of the Latin Empire, which resulted in a push by the Latin leadership to convert to Alban Christianity. Following independence and the creation of Fabrian Catholicism after its split from the Albran church, Fabrian Catholicism slowly rose to become the dominant religion.
The amount of those who identify as not following any religion has risen slightly over the years. In 2004 the percentage of individuals who identified as atheist or agnostic was approximately seven percent. Ten years later in 2014 the percentage had risen to over ten percent. The rise in those who do not identify with any religion has been accompanied by a decrease in church attendance rates in the nation. A survey conducted in 2016 showed that, out of those who consider themselves religion, only 58% attended mass regularly, while 30% only attended on holidays and 12% had not attended a church service in the last year. Church attendance rates have been a concern of clergy members in every religion in the nation, and the Fabrian Archbishop of Arcadia acknowledged in 2017 that people were less likely to attend mass currently due to a shift in the culture of the nation and attitude towards religion in general.
Ethnic Groups
Lihnidosi is the majoirity ethnic group in Lihnidos, with 77.5% of the population identifying as such on the 2014 census. Alongside the Lihnidosi, Latins are the largest minority group, making up 16.4% of the population. Those who identify as Latin primarily reside in the western parts of the nation, with the largest percentages living in the provinces of Messenia and Corinthia. Messenia boasts the highest percentage of Latins living in the nation due to its position as the only province bordering Latium. The large percentage of those who identify as Latin is often contributed to the almost six centuries that present-day Lihnidos was under the control of the Latin Empire. While the entirety of the country was at one point under Latin rule and therefore exposed to Latin culture, the majority of the areas that are still accustomed to the Latin traditions and cultures are in the west while the traditional Hellenic customs are customary in the eastern part of the nation.
There is an additional 6.1% of the population that do not identify as either Lihnidosi or Latin. This percentage is primarily comprised of individuals who identify as Vannoisian, Lyncanestrian, or Eaglelander. Due to Lihnidos's membership in the Belisarian Community and involvement in the Laennes Area, it has been easy for individuals from the neighboring nations to enter the country and establish permanent residence or achieve citizenship. Of the 6.1%, 1.8% identify as ethnic Vannoisian, 1.3% as ethnic Lyncanestiran, and 0.8% as ethnic Eaglelander. The remaining 2.2% are primarily comprised of ethnic Sydalene, Belfrasian, and Ghantish.
Languages
The two dominant languages in Lihnidos are Hellenic and Latin. Both are official languages of the nation, although Hellenic is more widely spoken. Hellenic is the first language of approximately 80% of the nation while Latin falls behind at approximately 27%. The language of the government is primarily Hellenic, although all documents are translated to Latin. Latin is spoken mostly in the western half of the nation, although some in the east are able to speak fluent Latin. Latin is the primary secondary language taught in primary and secondary education, and a survey taken in 2012 indicates that over half of university-level students are "confident in their ability to understand and converse in Latin." Other languages that are somewhat prominent at the university level are Audonais, a language spoken in both Lyncanestria and Seredinia, as well as English.
Government and Politics
Monarch
As an executive constitutional monarchy, the head of state of Lihnidos is the monarch of Lihnidos. The monarch retains a significant amount of political and executive power in the Constitution of Lihnidos. As the head of the executive branch of the government, the monarch has the ability to appoint and dismiss individuals in the executive branch. They also has the ability to write Imperial Directives that, while not laws, can direct specific actions of the government, most commonly in the executive branch. The monarch also has the authority to appoint a prime minister after a candidate has been nominated by the National Assembly. If the candidate does not receive the approval of the monarch, the National Assembly would be forced to nominate another individual for the position. This power is granted to them due to her position as the Epitiritís Aftokratorikós, or the Imperial Overseer, of the National Assembly. That position also allows them to effectively veto legislation by refusing imperial assent and to dissolve the National Assembly after consultation with the prime minister. As the head of state, the monarch also has the authority over foreign affairs and is the only individuals to represent Lihnidos abroad unless another is given her permission, which is granted following an appointment to certain positions in the foreign ministry or an ambassadorship.
The current monarch is Empress Stella II of House Vasiliou. House Vasiliou has held the throne since the beginning of the reign of Emperor Isidoros in 1827. The popularity of the monarchy has remained high among the citizenry, with most monarchs having steady approval ratings in the high fifties to mid sixties. The only monarch to have a lower approval rating than the norm was Empress Teresa, who earned an approval rating that averaged in the mid forties due to her outspoken nature in regards to her political beliefs. Despite their significant political power, most monarchs opt to remain out of political affairs as much as possible.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of Lihnidos is the head of government and the second most prominent and influential member of the Lihnidosi government behind the monarch. While a constitutional monarchy, the Crown retains special abilities when it comes to the appointment of the Prime Minister and other government officials. Following a general election, the newly sworn in National Assembly will take a public vote in which each member is able to cast a ballot for who they wish to be Prime Minister. Typically, individual parties will select a person who they wish to act as the leader of the party, and that individual is who each party will vote for for the position of Prime Minister. After one person receives a majority of the votes in the National Assembly, the candidate for Prime Minister will attend an audience with the monarch in which they will either appoint the nominee to the position of Prime Minister or decline their appointment. If the monarch declines to appoint the National Assembly's nominee for Prime Minister, the National Assembly will have to vote another time to appoint another person.
Following the appointment of a Prime Minister, the individual will recommend qualified individuals to be appointed to the Cabinet of Ministers whom the monarch must also approve of. The Cabinet is currently comprised of eighteen secretaries of state, the Prime Minister, and eight other individuals who are officials in the ruling party or representatives of the monarch. While the Prime Minister is the head of government, the members of the Cabinet are tasked with carrying out the day to day operations of the ministries that they oversee. Cabinet secretaries and the Prime Minister will ordinarily answer questions during sessions of the National Assembly on their job performance.
Powers of the Prime Minister include recommending individuals for appointment to executive offices and advising the monarch on matters of state and government. The Prime Minister is also allowed to initiate the process of dissolving the National Assembly. By recommending the dissolution to the monarch, they is then able to make the final decision, and if approved, the National Assembly will be dissolved and a general election held.
Prime Ministers will normally stay in office either until resignation or when their party loses a majority. If the National Assembly passes a Motion of No Confidence against the government the Prime Minister and entire Cabinet will be removed from office. It is uncommon for a Prime Minister to be forced out by their own party and almost unheard of for the monarch to force the resignation of a Prime Minister.
National Assembly
The National Assembly has acted as the unicameral legislature in Lihnidos since its creation by constitutional amendment in 1803. Prior to its creation there was no legislature that represented the citizenry of the nation. Instead, there was a small, elected council that advised the monarch in matters of domestic policy named the "High Commoner Council." The council was first created in 1785 by Empress Maria II. The Council was created to advise both the monarch, who reigned from Aenonesos in Tarsas, and the monarch's proxy ruler in Lihnidos. The Council took part in drafting the first version of the Constitution of Lihnidos which solidified their power as a part of the government in Lihnidos. In 1803 under Emperor Manuel, the Council submitted a draft amendment to the Constitution that created an additional part of the government, an elected legislature of one hundred individuals who would propose laws for the Council and monarch's approval. Manuel approved of the amendment and the first version of the National Assembly was created. The name National Assembly did not come into use until 1839 when Emperor Isidoros abolished the High Commoner Council and transferred the duties that the Council previously fulfilled to the legislative body and increased its powers.
Today, the monarch holds the title Epitiritís Aftokratorikós, or Imperial Overseer, of the National Assembly and has a number of powers that can be exercised over the body. The de facto leader of the National Assembly is the Prime Minister, who is a man or woman chosen by the legislature and approved by the monarch. The 350 members of the National Assembly are representatives of individual constituencies, each with an average approximate population of 207,000. As a multiparty system, each Deputy is a member of one of the multiple national parties or an independent.
The National Assembly holds authority over a number of functions of the government. The largest power of the National Assembly is its ability to decide upon the budget and other financial matters. All government spending must be approved by the National Assembly at the beginning of every year, and the allocated money must be used for what it was pledged to in the budget bill. The National Assembly may also pass other laws that it determines are adequately written and that do not violate the constitution. Once bills are passed by the National Assembly they are sent to the monarch who must give imperial assent by signing the bills in order for them to become law. If the monarch refuses to sign the bill, thereby withholding imperial assent, the bill is effectively vetoed and does not become law. This power granted to the monarch makes their personal political views a factor in the drafting of legislation, and the government will typically ask for input from the Imperial Offices before submitting a draft bill for review by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly is divided into twenty different committees that will review and debate bills before they are sent to the full National Assembly for a vote. Each committee specializes in a specific topic and are able to exercise a number of roles. Before bills are voted on by the committee, amendments are permitted to be added by the committee and revisions are able to be made. A simple majority on the committee will send it to the full National Assembly for a vote. Committees are also able to begin inquiries into actions taken by the government. This may include subpoenaing evidence or calling witnesses to testify before the committee. Each committee has a varying number of members of the National Assembly led by a chairman or chairwoman.
Elections
Elections in Lihnidos take place on the second Friday in October. During this day, citizens have the ability, if registered, to travel to their designated polling locations and cast a ballot for a number of elected offices. The most notable elections in Lihnidos are elections for the National Assembly, during which the entire 350 seats of the legislature are up for reelection. Elections for the National Assembly happen every four years, although on rare occasions that the National Assembly is dissolved and a general election called an election could be held sooner. Also, if a majority of the National Assembly are unable to nominate a candidate for Prime Minister, a general election could be held again shortly after one was already held. Voters have a choice to elect candidates from one of several official national parties that are permitted to run candidates during the election or could opt to vote for an independent candidate.
Prior to running in the general election, parties are able to select candidates to run in constituencies in ways that the party deems fit. Most parties will handpick candidates to run while some may choose to have primaries to allow voters to select their candidates. The deadline for parties to submit the name of their candidate for every constituency in the general election is the second Friday in August. Candidate selection and campaigning typically begins on the second Monday in July after the National Assembly is officially dissolved the Friday before. After elections in October, the newly election members of the National Assembly are sworn in on the third Friday in October and the state opening of the National Assembly takes place the following week. Members are elected through a first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the most votes is the winner.
Voters are also able to elect representatives to represent them on provincial councils. Provincial councils have no authority to write and pass laws for their province, but are rather representatives for the province as a whole on the national level outside of the National Assembly. Provincial and local government elections take place on the second Friday in October every four years and are held on a different schedule to National Assembly elections.
Administrative Divisions
Until 1827 administrative divisions in Lihnidos were still following historic borders for noble lands. Kingdoms, duchies, and counties were the three divisions typically used. While these divisions were rarely used due to total governmental control being exercised in the capital, several of the divisions had a member of the nobility that oversaw the workings of a county or duchy. Following an amendment to the Constitution in 1827, a separate, non-monarchical system was created to divide Lihnidos into manageable divisions. The largest division currently is the province, of which there are twenty. Each province is led collectively by a provincial council. Each council is headed by a provincial chancellor. Provinces have no authority to write or pass laws due to the unitary nature of the Lihnidosi government. Instead provincial councils are able to decide how funds given to the province by the national government are able to be spent. The council can also represent the province on a national level.
Under provinces are counties which are headed by county commissioners. Counties have local authority and are able to set local taxes that are then used as the county government deems fit. Alongside the county commissioners are county commissions which assist the commissioner in his or her duty in overseeing the county and its services. Counties are further divided into townships, which are able to have mayors, town or city councils, and other representatives.
While not having any local legal status, constituencies are also a level of administrative division used to determine the area that members of the National Assembly represent. The borders of constituencies do not usually follow a prescribed format and often are drawn in order to encompass a certain population. Constituency borders are drawn by provincial councils.
Military
The Lihnidosi Armed Forces are divided into three branches: the Army, Air Force, and Navy. The Lihnidosi Armed Forces are led by the commander-in-chief, a position that is occupied by the monarch. Lihnidos has no mandatory service requirement and entrance to the military is restricted to individuals who can meet certain standards set out by the Ministry of Defense. If an individual wishes to join the Lihnidosi Armed Forces, they must first choose a branch that they wish to enter. Each branch of the military has a separate basic training with different requirements. Any individual who does not meet the requirements during basic training can be removed from the service. As of 2018, the Lihnidosi Armed Forces had an approximate total 187,000 personnel on active duty with another 41,000 in the reserves. Per the 2018 budget, the government allocated a total of 36.94 billion for defense spending, approximately 1.2% of GDP.
Controversy surrounds the Imperial Guard, as it is not officially recognized as a branch of the armed forces. In theory, the Imperial Guard is a contingent of troops that are directed by the monarch and are not overseen by the elected government. The lack of oversight has led many governments to criticize the Guard and question its legitimacy as a lawful entity. Several administrations have attempted to limit the effectiveness of the Imperial Guard by cutting its budget, but subsequent administrations more favorable to the monarch have refunded the Guard at the levels requested by the Imperial Offices. Recruitment for the Imperial Guard is not an open process, as individuals cannot apply to join or enlist in the Guard. Rather, recruits going through basic training for the three branches of the military who show exceptional skill are selected and offered a position in the Guard. The current number of Imperial Guardsmen is approximately 10,000 as of 2018.
Foreign Relations
As the Head of State, the monarch directs the foreign policy of Lihnidos. The monarch has the sole power to appoint ambassadors and other foreign envoys after recommendations by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Due to it's membership in the Belisarian Community, Lihnidosi foreign policy is largely formed by the collective member states in the community. Despite this, Lihnidos maintains diplomatic relations with almost all governments in the region through embassies and consulates.
Economy
Agriculture
Energy
Lihnidos has largely been energy independent since the late 19th century following the discovery of large reserves of natural gas in the western regions of the country near the Latin, Lyncanestrian, and Fabrian borders. Following the discovery fracking became essential in the Lihnidosi energy sector and private industry quickly placed bids for government contracts to set up fracking operations on government land. In 1943 an incident at a fracking site in Messenia resulted in the contamination of large amounts of drinking water for surrounding towns. The incident was addressed by the Democratic Coalition government at the time in the form of increased regulations. The increase in regulation and regulatory power in the Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture was described as "strangling" the fracking industry by politicians in many areas where fracking was a large part of the economy. The decrease in the fracking industry at the time was followed by an increase in green or renewable energy in the form of hydroelectric, solar, and nuclear power.
Currently, energy from natural gas accounts for 46% of energy produced in Lihnidos. Regulation on fracking have been scaled back slightly since 1943 to allow the industry to once again grow. Nuclear energy is the second biggest energy source for the nation, with nuclear energy being credited as 44% of the energy production in Lihnidos. The prominence of nuclear energy came after the increased regulations on fracking and the desire by left-wing governments to secure a method of energy creation that was less polluting than natural gas. While being nonrenewable and characterized by opponents as dangerous, it quickly became a large part of the energy sector. Following behind natural gas and nuclear are the forms of renewable, green energy. Hydroelectric power produces roughly 5% of the energy in Lihnidos with solar producing 3% and wind producing 2%.
Subsidies had been available for renewable energy projects and producers, but following the Conservative-National Alliance regaining a majority in the National Assembly in 2006, subsidies were cut. The current government's lack of interest in promoting renewable energy has led to a decrease in its use.