Sel Appa
Sel Appa | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital | Nemnenait |
| Official languages | English, French |
| Demonym(s) | Sel Appan |
| Government | Parliamentary republic |
| François Tourmont | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Currency | Sel Appan pound (£) (SAP) |
Sel Appa is a parliamentary republic comprising thirty-five provinces, one capital, and two dependencies. The country is situated in the northwestern part of the Sel Appan continent, with Saint Elmo Isle to the north, De Jewish Mafia and Comunistictuckeys to the east, and MassPwnage to the south.
With its large size and with 1.3 billion people, Sel Appa is the largest country by total area, land area, and population on the continent. Sel Appa is one of the continent's most ethnically diverse nations, the product of large-scale migration among the many nearby countries. Its national economy is the continent's largest, with a nominal 2006 gross domestic product (GDP) of more than a lot.
The nation was founded by the descendants of early settlers around 2200 BCE as Sel Nemnen, located at what is now Nemnenait. Aftor growing and prospering, the leaders decided to expand. An army raised amongst the citizens quickly conquered surrounding areas that soon became an empire under Herbert the Great. The empire lasted for several centuries before reorganizig as the Grand Archduchy. This exclusive aristocracy continued until the revolutions of 2005 that eventually led to the formation of the current republic.
Etymology
Sel Appa is named after a legendary temple from ancient times.
Geography
Environment
History
Sel Appan history spans several millenia since the first "Sel Appans" arrived.
Early settlers
Sel Appan history dates back over 4500 years when settlers began farming near modern Nemnenait. Around 2200 BCE, a trading town was established where Nemnenait is now. They called it Sel Nemnen meaning "the house". The residents began selling copper and buying rice from MassPwnageans to the south. Salted meats were imported from Jewish settlements to the east. At 1990 BCE, Sel Nemnen leaders voted to expand their domain.
Expansion and Empire
The army picked up a good chunk of the surrounding area in just 150 years. The leader, Herbert the Great marched into Sel Nemnen in 1840 BCE and declared himself emperor. In honor of the achievement, he ordered a giant, bronze turtle be built. It is still in the centre of Nemnenait today. At just age 29, he enjoyed the longest reign of any leader in Sel Appan history. He died at age 111 after leading for 82 years. His son Herbert II was the second emperor and tried to unite the empire better by building more roads.
Copper and the Golden Age
Copper production began to rise and it became the official metal for currency. All coins were minted with copper. It was called the kuprik, after the name of the metal. As the years went on, the empire expanded more and more. By 600 CE, it had reached its extent and for the next two and a half centuries was Sel Appa's Golden Age. Writing, science, math, and other studies became reformed and advanced. In 800 CE, people began speaking English more than the native tongue. By the end of the Golden Age, almost everyone spoke English.
Post-Golden Age
In 900 CE, the empire fully switched to English and the empire was renamed Sel Appa, meaning "our land". It has been called that ever since. By now, the Golden Age phased down. Rebels began trying to get independence on the fringes of the empire.
Grand Archduchy
Grand Archduke Kirby I
Republic
Ngu Phuok Dinh
Government and politics
Formal Title: The Grand Archduchy and the Parliamentary Republic of Sel Appa
Conventional Long Form: The Republic of Sel Appa
Conventional Short Form: Sel Appa
UFR Abbrieviation: SEL,SAP
Government Type: Parliamentary Republic
Capital: Nemnenait
Administrative Divisions: 35 Provinces -
Other Divisions: Nemnenait (capital)
Overseas Bostopian Territories: Saint Elmo Isle (protectorate)
Independence: Sel Appa has been independent since it was first settled over 4500 years ago. Sel Nemnen was established as a trading town in 2200 BCE, becoming the first permanent settlement in Sel Appa. An empire soon rose and fell, followed by the Grand Archduchy. The current government, established in 2005, is a parliamentary republic.
Constitution: Adopted ? March 2005
Suffrage: 16 years of age; Universal
Head of State: Grand Archduke Kirby II (Since 2005). Heir to the throne is Crown Prince Kirby III.
Head of Government: Ngu Phuok Dinh - Communist Party (CP)
Flag Description: Blue field with a yellow and a white vertical bars.
Foreign relations and military
Economy
The economy of Sel Appa is considered socio-capitalist, meaning that it is part-socialist and part-capitalist. Aspects of socialism include welfare, high taxes on the rich, and government-owned transportation. The government owns all public transportation and 50% of the only airline: Air Sel Appa. Only the railroads are privately or cooperatively owned. Also, the government oversees many industries, such as arms and automobile manufacturing. Most other industry is not owned by the government. Retail and service is completely open to private ownership. Everything except emergency health care is covered by the government.
Progress
Sel Appa's economy is stable. There has been little downfall in history. No major depressions have hit ever, however a few times inflation went crazy and prices were very high. The last time this happened was in 1909, after a war. It is expected that Sel Appa will continue its current prosperous course and one day become more of a world economic power. It is the main continental power. Few doubt the value and credibility of Sel Appan money.
Currency
The Sel Appan currency is the (copper) pound (£), divided into 100 pence (p). It is worth exactly 50g of pure copper. Coins comes in denominations of 1p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2. Cash is denominated in £5, £10, £20, £50, £100, and £500 (rare).
Exchange Rates (as of 26 July 2007):
-£1 SAP = $0.388 USD
-£1 SAP = £0.189 GBP
-£1 SAP = €0.282 EUR
-£1 SAP = $0.409 CAD
-£1 SAP = $0.443 AUD
-£1 SAP = ¥46.209 JPY
Several people have tried to change the currency name. The House of Earls changed it to the dollar in 2004, however no new money was printed or minted. The same was used, just with a different name. In 2005, General John Alexander renamed it the credit. Eventually, it became the pound again.
Demographics
Population: 1.3 billion
Nationality: Noun: Sel Appan Adjective: Sel Appan
Ethnic Groups: Sel Appan 98% Other 2%
Religions: Atheist 85%, Jewish 10%, Other 5%
Languages: English, French, Esperanto, Hebrew, Mandarin
Official Language: English and French
Culture
Language
Sel Appa has three official languages: English and French. All languages are protected, and all citizens are required(not retroactively) to learn English and French fluently. The constitution prevents neither English nor French from dominating the other, however mainly English is used in national government. Sel Appan English is slightly modified from general English. The letters "c" and "x" represent the sounds /tʃ/ (lunch) and /ʃ/ (fish) respectively. What was "c" is now "k" or "s" as needed. The letters "g" and "j" always represent /ɡ/ (goat) and /ʒ/ (measure)" respectively. (Also, the digraph "ph" is replaced with "f". In addition, many silent letters are removed, such as "ugh" in "through" and "though", which are now spelled "thru" and "tho" respectively. Oddly, rough is not respelled. Spellings generally follow the British standard (metre, licence, realise). Attempts to reform spelling further have been tried, but no method has been found acceptable.
Example: "Tho I went thru the whole market, I did not even find any fiq for lunc. There was a goat with ruf wool that the vendor meajured on his scale."
Sports
Popular sports include football(soccer), archery, equestrian, wrestling (Mongolian-style), ice hockey, tetherball, running, and boating. Other sports such as basketball and cricket have small leagues, but have significant obstacles to national status. All are quite popular and most children will engage in all activities. The highlight every year is the Sel Appa National Olympics (SANO), in which competitors from all over the nation compete in all of the above sports. Also, guests from other nations in the region commonly participate.
Food
The typical Sel Appan diet is high in complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. The government subsidises production of grain, fruit, and vegetables. Examples are barley, maize, rice, apples, oranges, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and carrots. Meat and fish is frowned upon in massive quantities, however beef, chicken, and turkey are widely available and eaten. Fish is rarely eaten despite its potentially wide availability.
The most popular foods are pancakes and soup, which come in dozens of varieties. Often, they are combined in a meal. Pancakes are made from virtually every grain available, including acorn which is popular amongst wildernessmen and campers. The national soup is called Supen (soo-pen). It is made up of barley, rice, maize, onions, potatoes, carrots, and many spices. Besides the main national cuisine, that originated in the area around Nemnenait, Oriental and Jewish cuisines are quite popular. This is due to the close proximity of MassPwnage and De Jewish Mafia.
Religion
Religion is not a major issue in Sel Appa. Publicly, everyone is atheist and religion is generally kept to oneself. Religion rarely influences thought and morals, unlike in many other countries. It does, however, exist. There is a sizable Jewish population, as well as, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, and others. Christianity is virtually nonexistent and is not thought of highly by most Sel Appans.
Holidays
National Holidays:
Vernal Equinox - Equivalent to New Year's in other countries, this holiday is considered the beginning of the year by most Sel Appans because it originally was in ancient Sel Appa.
Sel Appa Day - 1 April - This holiday is similar to independence days in other countries and celebrates Sel Appa. Fireworks, bonfires, parades, music and public gatherings are organized. It is the anniversary of the formation of the current Republic.
Socialist Day - 1 May - This holiday celebrates the workers of Sel Appa and their vital contributions.
Summer Solstice - This minor holiday is celebrated with picnics, barbecues, and "get-togethers".
French Day - 14 July - This holiday celebrates the French culture that makes up a large part of Sel Appan society.
Winter Solstice - Families get together and gifts are exchanged in thanksgiving. Bonfires are also a major part celebrating the warmth created despite the cold temperatures.
Civil Rights Day - 15 January - This holiday celebrates the civil freedoms and rights enjoyed by all in Sel Appa.
Travel
Transportation
There are plenty of ways to get around Sel Appa. The country has an enormous world-renowned public mass transportation infrastructure that has rendered private automobiles almost obsolete. When visiting, one should at least tour their location on one form of mass transit. It can offer much excitement, as well as give a unique taste of the country.
Mass-Transit
The entire nation is an enormous network of several mass transportation systems. All of which are public and government-owned. As such, it is very cheap, even for foreigners. Expansive underground subways, known as the "Metro" connect parts of a city together and allow anyone to easily travel frm any part of a city to another. Nemnenait's metro system is the largest and expands into its suburbs. Automobiles are banned inside the city. Trains and monorails run service between cities and their suburbs. Buses connect rural areas to cities. High-speed trains travel between cities and provincial capitals. They travel at over 300 kph (186 mph). Slower trains are also available for a more leisurely ride. Prices for mass-transit are minimal because it is government-owned.