Coulcisen

Coulcisen of Seld-Cordan Coulciser Seld-Cordal
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Tava Cisen, Tava Ârimein (Seldarion) "For the Law, For the People" (English)
Capital and largest city	Solanyve
Official languages	Seldaris
Ethnic groups	96.8% Seldarion 3.2% other
Religion	58.2% Feadan Hagdvadal 25.2% No religion 18.2% Vaen-Atal 0.4% Other
Demonym(s)	Coulcisarin, Coulcisaris
Government	Unitary stratocratic Coular-Cisel republic
• Coulan	Siuan Semolosan
Establishment
• Formation of the Kingdom of Seld-Cordan	545
• Democracy formed in the wake of the First Summer Coup	1405
• Second Summer Coup and beginning of military rule	1462
• Christening of the Wall of Rights	1468
• Current constitution	1587
Population
• 1611 census	17,645,533
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Per capita	$53,892
Currency	Coulcises Hauon (CCH)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.cc

The Coulcisen of Seld-Cordan (Seldaris: , tr. Coulciser Seld-Cordal, pronounced [koʊlkiseɾ seɪd̪kord̪al]) commonly referred to as the Coulcisen (Seldaris: ) or, rarely, Seld-Cordan, is an elven nation in Pelia, just off the southwestern coast of the continental mainland, on the planet of Sparkalia. It is an island country, with several smaller islands and minor archipelagos. Solanyve is the largest city and capital, with other major cities including Caldun, Afisiven, Goiceoch and Patin. The main island of Seld-Cordan is the largest island in the Coulcisen, and is the third largest island in Sparkalia. The Coulcisen has a population at last census of 17,645,533.

The Coulcisen is a unitary stratocratic republic under the native Coular-Cisel ideology. Its ruler, Coulan Siuan Semolosan, has ruled the state since 1595 as the fourth Coulan to have ruled the country since its foundation. The Coulcisen emerged from a series of coups against the Kingdom of Seld-Cordan, citing the massive corruption, the large rich-poor divide in the state, and the practice of serfdom as reasons for the first coup. The subsequent Seldic Democracy suffered from many of the problems that plagued the Kingdom, not least the retention of power by the guilds and the church, prompting the Second Summer Coup, led by Tiisar Tsiosan, leading to the Lawful Revolution, the dismantling of the Seldic Democracy and the establishment of the Coulcisen.

Ethnically, nearly 97% of the population is Seldarion, an elven people group native to the island. Many Seldarios believe that they arrived on the island from elsewhere long ago, in an event known to them as The Great Blessing, or Molos Seldal, which has become mythologised in the Vaen-Atal faith that many Coulcisaris profess. The Vaen-Atal is one of the two main faiths that many Seldarion follow, with the atheistic Feadan Hagdvadal, or 'Cult of Logic', currently holding the larger following in the nation.

Coulcisen produces a small number of raw resources, but has a thriving production sector, specialising in higher technologies. Farming and agriculture are predominant in many of the rural regions around the country, with fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates providing the main bulk of the farm yield of the nation. In the tertiary sector, Coulcisen has a developing tourism sector, with the fairly mild climate of much of the island, including its rolling plains, abundant forests, seaside cliffs and white-sand beaches, being an attractive prospect for tourists. The Coulcisen practices a planned economy, with the military operating many of the state-owned businesses. Since the rise of the Coulcisen, Seldarios have consistently scored high on litracy, life expectancy (even compared to many other elves) and higher education.

The Coulcisen has an authoritarian stratocratic regime, with democracy not permitted outside of city governments (and the associated Council of Representatives, comprising all of the representatives of city governments). Independent journalism is repressed in the state, and it is considered one of the poorest countries on Sparkalia for press freedom. However, the government places a high degree of importance on civil liberties, social role valorisation and welfare, with the expansion and protection of these entrenched into the Constitution of the Coulcisen.

Etymology

The word Coulcisen comes from a shortening of the Seldaris Coular-Cisel, which remains the name for the ideology followed by the leaders of the Coulcisen. The name of the ideology comes in-turn from the words coulan, a form of military commander, and cisen, meaning "law". The full name thus means "Law of the Commander", indicating the high value that the Coulcisen places on a watchful figure protecting liberties from corruption.

The name of the island, Seld-Cordan, comes from the words seld, meaning "blessed", and cordan, meaning island. This name is in reference to the Vaen-Atal belief in The Great Blessing (Molos Seldal), referring to the time in which their theology dictates that the Seldarion arrived on the island from elsewhere, and seeing its fertility and temperate weather, believed it to be a blessing for them. While the name is always used in reference to the island and the landmass, the use of the name Seld-Cordan to refer to the Coulcisen is somewhat controversial. The official name of the nation is "the Coulcisen of Seld-Cordan", though its abbreviation is usually "the Coulcisen", with "Seld-Cordan" mostly being used by those sympathetic to monarchists or fundamentalists of the Vaen-Atal faith. There have been attempts within the military to rename the island to another name, most prominently "Sar-Cordan" (meaning "our island"), though this has never gained much support.