Ebrary
Christian Commonwealth of Ebrary Republica Christian de Ebraria (Ebrarese) | |||||||
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: "Deo et patriae" | |||||||
Anthem: Hymn of Ebrary | |||||||
 Location of Ebrary in Yeetland and the Adlantic Ocean | |||||||
| Capital | Ceres | ||||||
| Official languages | Ebrarese | ||||||
| Recognised regional languages | Vorstish, Gallasian | ||||||
Recognised minority languages | Aurivizht | ||||||
| Ethnic groups | Ebrarians, Vorsts, Gallasians, Others | ||||||
| Religion | Church of Ebrary | ||||||
| Demonym(s) | Ebrarian (Ebrariano) | ||||||
| Government | Unitary dominionist presidential Christian republic | ||||||
• Protector Soveran | Daniel Lucas | ||||||
• Presidente | Carlos Renaldo | ||||||
• Consul de Senato | Henrico Ricardo | ||||||
• Presidente de le Assemblea | Georgio Abel | ||||||
| Legislature | Parliamento (Parliament) | ||||||
| Senato (Senate) | |||||||
| Assemblea Popular (Popular Assembly) | |||||||
| Establishment | |||||||
• Founding of Ceres | 413 | ||||||
• Founding of the Kingdom of Ebrary | 780 | ||||||
• Independence from Vorstland | 1099 | ||||||
• Proclamation of the Republic | 1932 | ||||||
• Founding of the 2nd Kingdom of Ebrary | 1943 | ||||||
• Christian Revolution | 1980 - 1982 | ||||||
| 15 June 1983 | |||||||
• Latest amendment | 28 July 1999 | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
• Total | 297,770 km2 (114,970 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 2020 estimate | 22,130,469 | ||||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate | ||||||
• Total | $259.03 billion | ||||||
• Per capita | $11,705 | ||||||
| Currency | Ebro (EBR; ∉) | ||||||
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy | ||||||
| Driving side | right | ||||||
| Internet TLD | .eb | ||||||
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Ebrary (Ebrarese: Ebraria), officially the Christian Commonwealth of Ebrary (Ebrarese: Republica Christian de Ebraria), is a country located on Eurth, on the continent Argis, in the Yeetland region. Ebrary borders the Adlantic Ocean on its southwestern and eastern shores, Aurivizh to its west, other countries to the north. Its eleven provinces and two autonomous cities span an area of 297,770 sq km and over 22 million people. Ceres is the nation's capital and largest metropolis, and other major cities include Arsa, Corbo, Miron, Gana, Cierala, and Urtedo.
The Government of Ebrary is a Christian authoritarian state which includes elements of a presidential republic and theocracy. A large amount of authority is vested in the head of state, Sovereign Protector Daniel Lucas who has held office since 1983. Elections in Ebrary are held regularly, but political parties may be banned by the Sovereign Protector and the State Synod. Freedom of speech, the press, and religion, are also restricted in Ebrary, although the 1983 Constitution of Ebrary contains a narrow guarantee of freedom of religious belief.
Ebrary was long inhabited by the Old Ebrarians, Geltic tribes who inhabited the area roughly coinciding with modern Ebrary. Ebrary was settled by Aroman-speaking Christian settlers during the fifth to seventh centuries, who eventually developed a common ethno-cultural identity as Ebrarians. Ebrary became a unified kingdom in the 10th century upon being conquered by the King of Vorstland, and during the 16th century, Ebrary became the center of the Ebrarian Reformation. Following the Ebrarian Civil War, the Republic of Ebrary was declared in 1932. However, efforts to nationalize its major industries and curb foreign ownership in the economy led to an Anglo-Seylosian coup in 1943 and the reinstatement of the monarchy. After the Ebrarian Revolution, the current Christian Commonwealth was established in 1983 by Daniel Lucas and the Christian dominionist movement.
Etymology and name
When the area now known as Ebrary was settled by the Aroman-speaking conquerors in the 5th century CE, they were led by General Marcus Ebraius to conquer and settle the coast of the nation. Originally the settlers referred to the country as Ebrarae, and made Ebrarius one of their ruling Consuls. By the 7th century, the Ebrarian chronicles began referring to the region as Ebraria in extant sources. The Anglish exonym "Ebrary" is derived from the native name Ebraria.
The full name of Ebrary in Ebrarese is Republica Christian de Ebraria, which directly translates to "Christian Republic of Ebrary". However, it is the preference of the government of Ebrary that the nation be referred to as the Christian Commonwealth of Ebrary in the Anglish language or the equivalent term in other languages.
History
(OOC: History section is definitely in rough draft status.)
Pre-Aroman era
The Old Ebrarian (Ebraro-Geltic) culture developed from the 6th century BCE, and possibly as early as the 5th century BCE, in the western and southern coasts of the Ebrarian peninsula. The Old Ebrarians lived in villages and walled-towns, and their communities were tribal in organization. The Old Ebrarians in the southern coasts were more urbanized than their inland neighbors to the north. The Old Ebrarian peoples were by and large Geltic, and had an understanding of metalworking, writing, and agriculture.
By the 5th century AD, Ateenian raiders had established a number of small-scale settlements along the southern coast of Ebrary, pacifying a portion of the local Gelts. These settlements allowed Ateenians strategic bases for raiding other areas. Piracy perpetrated by the Geltic inhabitants also flourished at this time, making Ebrary a source of instability in the North Adlantic.
Aroman settlement period
Knowledge of the Aroman settlement period is drawn from a number of sources, chiefly the account Victor Ex Ebrarae written by Marcus Ebraius detailing his conquest of southern Ebrary and subsequent establishment of the city of Ceres. Other sources include a few extant Aroman writings which mention Ebraius or the latter migration of Aromans to settle Ebrary. The Aroman settlement of Ebrary is principally thought to have occurred from the early fifth to mid-seventh centuries.
The period began with a series of military campaigns led by Aroman statesman and general Marcus Ebraius from 403-415 CE, where his army progressively conquered the lands of southern Ebrary and founded the city of Ceres. In his accounts, Ebraius states his task was God-given, and his efforts to forcibly convert the Ebraro-Geltic inhabitants and rid the area of pagan raiders and pirates are likened to a sort of proto-crusade by many historians. The city of Ceres, now the capital city of Ebrary, was established in 413 at the location of the Ebraro-Geltic village of Kenfar.
After word of the successful conquest reached the Aroman Empire, a steady flow of Christian migrants from all walks of life took the oceanic journey to Ebrary. It is thought that a majority came from core areas of the empire. It is estimated a large portion of them died en route of disease, ill-weather, or raiding by Ebraro-Geltic and Ateenian raiders, but a large number eventually settled in temperate Ebrary. Ebraius established Ceres as an independent polis, himself being made the first Consul of the new city and having a republican government complete with a Senate. Other Aroman settlements established their own independent governments, with only a tentative allegiance to Ceres.
After the death of Ebraius, migration from the Aroman Empire began to wane but did not completely cease for some number of years. Settlers from Europa and native-born Aroman-Ebrarians founded multiple settlements inland, and the Aromano-Ebrarian Confederacy began to develop as a loose confederation of independently-governed city states in Ebrary.
Genetic markers of Aroman migrations
Genetic testing has confirmed the large-scale migration of Aroman peoples to Ebrary, tentatively supporting the conclusion that the Aromance-speaking incomers, while contributing substantially to the current Ebrarian gene pool, did not replace the previous Ebrarian population. A study in 2002 by the Ebrarian Institute of Sciences found evidence of a large Aroman migration from the Europan continent, impacting 60-100% of the male gene pool in southern Ebrary. However, this and other similar studies have been criticized with claims that genetic similarity could be rooted in earlier, prehistoric movements of peoples. However, in 2017, three studies were published, based on data collected from skeletons found in Old Ebrarian, Aroman, and late medieval era graves in Ceres, Gana, and Cierala, concluded that the ancestry of the modern Ebrarian population contains large contributions from both Aroman migrants and Ebraro-Geltic natives, as well as a small but statistically significant Nordic contribution.
Ebrarian confederacy
After the initial settlement of Ebrary by Aroman colonists, several city-states formed around Ebrary's preeminent settlements such as Ceres, Velosa, Dariorita, Condato, and Gana. The Ebrarians divided themselves into four different subgroups with their own cultural peculiarities and dialects. These groups were the Lavians, Patrians, Etrians, and Rothnians (the modern provinces of Laverna, Patriana, Etria, and Rothnacia, respectively derrive their names from these groups). The loose association and shifting alliances of the Ebrarian city-states of this era are collectively referred to by historians as the "Ebrarian confederacy". Ebrarian city-states warred among themselves but generally cooperated with allied cities and would, in times of external threat, ally together to fight a common foe.
Ceres remained the largest and preeminent city in Ebrary, but other cities rose to prominence as well. The three Ceresian Wars occurred in the 7th and 8th centuries, where the city-state of Ceres tried and failed to conquer multiple other Ebrarian city-states. Coalitions of Ebrarian cities also engaged in a number of wars with Geltic tribal confederations and principalities. Eventually, Gelts in the far west of modern Ebrary established the Kingdom of Gallasia in the middle of the 7th century, which maintained its independence from the Ebrarians for a number of centuries. In the late 600s, the Bishop of Ceres successfully established the autocephalous Orthodox church in Ebrary in response to the triumph of iconoclasm in the Aroman Empire. The Ebrarian church maintained the usage of icons and broke communion with the Enlightened Aroman Church, but did not acknowledge the primacy of Pope Calrissius who was driven from Arome to Salvia.
Ateenian raiders continued their raids on Ebrarian coastal settlements, with the Ebrarians largely unable to coordinate and repel them due to their loose organization. Due to this pressure, Ebrarians continued to settle further inland until pushing against a unified Kingdom of Gallasia and allied Geltic tribes. Multiple monasteries and cathedrals were completely ransacked during this time.
An army known by Ebrarians as the "Grand Pagan Host" invaded an area of northern Ebrary inhabited largely by unorganized Geltic tribes and small Ebrarian settlements and established the Kingdom of Vorstland centered on the city of Egschwil. These initial Vorstish conquests and migrations occurred c. 705-716. The origins of the Vorstish people are historically uncertain, but the Vorstish language is linguistically related to the languages of other Nordish peoples. The Vorstish Kingdom was eventually Christianized when their king converted to Ebrarian Orthodoxy in 745.
Vorstish Conquest and foundation of the Ebrarian Kingdom
In 765, the Vorstish King began a series of conquests of Ebrarian city-states, which culminated in the conquest of Ceres in 777 and the crowning of King Alsting by the Bishop of Ceres as the King of Ebrary in 780. A handful of small wars eventually pacified the east of the country by the end of the century. During this time, the Vorstish people were heavily influenced by Ebrarian culture, and it is in this time period which historians point to the Vorstish people as becoming "culturally Christian." The Vorstish kings would rule Ebrary and Vorstland separately in personal union until the Veno Revolt established an Ebrarian dynasty as rulers of the Kingdom of Ebrary. Due to being united and under personal union with Vorstland, Ebrary was able to better defend against continued coastal raids by Ateenians. While the raids declined in number, they did not conclusively end until well into the 9th century.
Ebrarian War of Liberation and Veno era
The Ebrarian War of Independence began as a revolt of peasants in southern Ebrary, which quickly saw Ebrarian nobles rise up in arms also and fight against the increasingly burdensome rule of the Vorstish Konger dynasty. Jon of Veno, a minor noble from Patriana, distinguished himself as a brilliant general and was crowned King Jon of Ebrary in 1099. The House of Veno would continue to rule Ebrary for two centuries. Ebrary and Vorstland became bitter rivals for a century after the war. Ebrary later conquered the Kingdom of Gallasia (1126-1129).
Ebrarian Reformation and Borth era
In 1502 the Ebrarian Church separated from the wider Orthodox communion when King Charles 'the Greedy' declared himself head of the church in Ebrary in order to expropriate church lands and wealth for the use of the Ebrarian state. This caused a break in communion with other autocephalous churches in the Orthodox communion. Discontentment with the state of the church ultimately led the priest August Roel to publish his "Proposal for Amending the Church" in Miron in 1513. Due to the weakening nature of the Ebrarian monarch, and a succession of short-lived kings after the death of Charles, the Reformation spread throughout Ebrary and Vorstland.
August Roel founded the first Parishist church independent of the Ebrarian Church in 1518, after being tried in absentia for heresy and excommunicated from the church. Roel (himself of Vorstish descent) fled to Vorstland where a number of nobles had converted to Parishism, while in Ebrary the Reformation continued to spread among the populace and minor nobility. Vorstish King Gustav II of House Borth converted to Parishism and granted general religious tolerance for all Christians in Vorstland in 1555 and elevated the Parishist Church in Vorstland to the status of the national church. Gustav II then inherited the throne of Ebrary in 1567 and instituted reforms to scale back the corruption which had plagued the Church of Ebrary, and appointed Protestant-oriented theologians to positions of leadership. This heralded the complete break of the Church of Ebrary with the Orthodox communion, and its reinvention as a national church. In 1570, Gustav II extended general tolerance of most Christians to the lands of Ebrary as well.
From the 1660s to 1680s, the 1st Great Rebirth occurred, a period of Christian revivalism that saw a great increase in Ebrarian religious fervor.
Vorstland continued to be in personal union with Ebrary until a member of the Ebrarian House of Lecua inherited the throne of both countries in 1702. Vorstland was incorporated as a realm of Ebrary in 1710, which sparked the two-year Vorstish Revolt of nobility in northern Vorstland. The revolt ended in defeat for the rebels, and Vorstland has remained a constituent part of Ebrary since that time.
Return of native rule
The last king of House Borth died and the throne of Ebrary passed to an Ebrarian nobleman.
In the mid 1700s, the 2nd Great Rebirth occurred, which was a period of religious revival and Christian fervor among the Church of Ebrary.
In the early 20th century preceding the Ebrarian Civil War, the 3rd Great Rebirth occurred.
Civil War and Republican era
The Ebrarian Civil War lasted from 1920-1932 and ended in a victory for Republican forces. King Marco II (Anglicized: Mark II) was overthrown in favor of a democratic republican mode of government.
After a Republican victory, Ebrary became a liberal democracy and adopted the 1933 Ebrarian Constitution, setting up a unicameral Parliament under a presidential system. The country became increasingly secular, with the disestablishment of the Church of Ebrary in 1935. The Democratic Party, formed from a coalition of liberal and conservative elements, won the presidential elections in 1934 and 1938, but lost to the United Socialist Party candidate in 1942. Under the Democratic Party, the country increasingly opened up to foreign investment, and significant portions of Ebrary's resource extraction and railways were bought by by Anglian and Seylosian companies. Ebrary saw a great increase in industry and trade as well, particularly in heavy industry and the export of manufactured goods. In addition, Ebrarian output in cinema and popular music during this era was some of the most notable. A large proportion of this output was controversial, addressing controversial social issues, so a large proportion of these works of popular culture are only found in the collections of foreign film companies and collectors due to them being banned by the current Ebrarian government
However, after the election of the United Socialist candidate Oscar Decorvo, foreign interests saw their stakes in the Ebrarian economy threatened and laws were passed in the first few months of his term which laid the groundwork for expansive unionization and nationalization of the Ebrarian economy. In addition to this, rising inflation and a recession caused riots that were led by right-wing militias, most notable of these being the royalist Ebrarian Restoration movement.
Coup and restoration of the monarchy
After Oscar Decorvo, candidate of the United Socialist Party, won the presidency of Ebrary on a platform of economic change, Decorvo's administration was beset on all sides by crises. To prevent the nationalization of lucrative assets, a coup backed by Anglian and Seylosian intelligence agencies occurred during September 14-25 1943 and reestablished the monarchy. Anglian operatives paid criminal gangsters in Ebrary to stage riots along with the royalist Ebrarian Restorationist militias. Some notable Ebrarian businessmen, fearful of nationalization of their businesses and backed by both Seylos and Great Anglia, also aided in the coup. The middle son of King Marco II was declared King Marco III of Ebrary by a vote of Parliament on 25 Sep 1943, ending the 1943 Ebrarian Coup (also known as the 1943 Ebrarian Restoration). The King ruled under a wholly secular monarchy, being crowned by the Supreme Justice of the newly formed High Royal Court of Ebrary, although in practice all subsequent monarchs in this era remained members of the Ebraricist Church.
After the coup, the ending of economic uncertainty restored stability and order to the Ebrarian economy. The reign of Marco III was notable for its economic growth, but regional separatism began to rise strongly during this time. The unpopular 1964-1966 Gallasian War was fought in the mountains of Gallasia against ethnic Gallasian separatists. During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, a period known as the "4th Great Rebirth" when Christianity experienced a renaissance of participation and interest among the Ebrarian people. Marco III continued to rule until his death in 1977 when his son Marco IV took the throne.
Marco IV proved ineffectual and unpopular, embroiled in a war with Aurivizh and scandals both marital and financial. Seylos experienced a restoration of their constitutional monarchy the year Marco IV took the throne, ending Seylosian backing of the more authoritarian Ebrarian monarchy. The Ebraro-Aurivizh War lasted from 11 Apr 1977 - 4 May 1978, and began when Aurivizh launched a surprise invasion of Gallasia. Though Ebrary lost no territory, the government went further into debt and experienced economic downturn which the new and inexperienced Marco IV was unable to manage. Great Anglia, which had also backed his father's rule, fell out with the new king in the first few years of his reign due to his erratic and untrustworthy behavior. Extremist elements, including religious nationalists as well as separatists, began to grow in numbers. Most notable of these being the Christian Dominionist movement headed by radical Christenist preacher Daniel Lucas, which had gained in influence due to the religious fervor brought by the 4th Great Rebirth.
Ebrarian Revolution and aftermath
The Ebrarian Revolution happened between 1980 and 1982 led by Daniel Lucas, with the current constitution being drafted in 1983. Amid public tensions between Daniel Lucas and the king, anti-monarchy protests in Ebrary's major cities began in the spring of 1980 and continued well into the fall months of that same year, but died down during the winter months until the national treasury building was burned down by a group of protesters in Jan 1981. This sparked more violent riots particularly in the capital of Ceres.
Marco IV fled Ebrary to Great Anglia on 1 Mar 1981, leaving Ebrary under the regency of his elderly uncle Petro and the weak Prime Minister Georgio Sartor who was holding together a fragile coalition government. Daniel Lucas was escorted into Ceres by a Christian militia and was greeted by thousands of Ebrarians on 5 May 1981. The royal regent fled to the city of Urtedo and loyalists to the royal government continued fighting to hold onto the city of Urtedo until 15 February 1982, when militiamen and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the King in urban combat, bringing Lucas to power.
On 15 June 1983, Ebrary adopted its current constitution, establishing Daniel Lucas as the Sovereign Protector of Ebrary for life. Under Lucas and his close ally President Jacobo Castello, Ebrary initially pursued an economic policy of extreme autarky, closing off the country to most imports and drastically reducing exports. This is cited by many economists as the cause of the 1985-86 Ebrarian Depression, which saw industrial and agricultural output decrease exceptionally and unemployment rise to 26.3% in the last quarter of 1985.
President Castello was defeated in Nov 1993 by the insurgent Farmer-Labor candidate Christophoro Morgano. The Morgano administration saw Ebrary expand the welfare state and strengthen the rights of unions. Morgano and Lucas eventually became close partners, with Lucas increasingly seeing a robust welfare state as key to maintaining the stability of the dominionist regime.
In 2005, a series of bombings were orchestrated in Ceres by the Gallasian Wildcats, terrorists supporting separatism and independence for the Gallasian minority. Suicide bombers killed people in multiple government buildings, and IEDs were detonated at the Ceres Stock Exchange.
Morgano served until he declined to run for another term in the 2018 election, and Carlos Renaldo of the Center Reformist Party was subsequently elected to the presidency.
Geography
Ebrary's large territory covers 297,770 km2 (114,970 miles2) and spans diverse geographical regions with access to the ocean. Geography ranges from the mountains in Gallasia, hills in the west, the Ceres Delta Region, and the West Ebrarian Plains. The climate is mostly humid continental throughout the country (Dwa in the west, Dwb in the east), with some subarctic climate in the northwest of the country. Generally, Ebrary experiences dry winters and wet summers, with hot summers in the west and warm summers in the east. The eastern side of Ebrary is also known as having a hemiboreal climate midway between the temperate and subarctic climates.
Government and Politics
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Ebrary is governed under a system outlined in the Ebrarian Constitution of 1983. Ebrary has a syncretic political system which combines aspects of a Christian dominionist theocracy with representative democracy.
Parties and elections
Ebrary has operated under a three-party system since 1991, when the Center Reformist Party (Partito Reformator Centro; PRC) was formed, which is currently the largest party in Ebrary. The other two major parties are the Ecumenical Dominionist Party (Partito Dominionista Ecumenic; PDE) and the Farmer-Labor Party (Partito del Fermeros e Laboratores; PFL). The Center Reformist Party is generally considered to be center to center-right in orientations, while the Farmer-Labor Party is considered center-left, and the Ecumenical Dominionist Party is right-wing to far-right. There are other political parties in Ebrary, but they do not hold any seats. A party may be banned by the State Synod for reasons of promoting unchristian or unpatriotic values.
Voting rights are extended to all Christian male citizens, with membership in the Church of Ebrary, who have reached the age of 21, and who have completed national service and have not been convicted of a felony offense. Voting rights have also been granted to unmarried widows over the age of 25, provided they too show acceptable church membership and have not been convicted of a felony.
Currently, the Popular Assembly is controlled by a coalition of Center Reformists and the Farmer-Labor Party, and the Senate is narrowly controlled by the Ecumenical Dominionist Party. The current President is Carlos Renaldo, a Center Reformist who heads a "unity cabinet" which incorporates members of each party proportional to each party's representation in the Popular Assembly.
Sovereign Protector
The head of state of Ebrary is known as Sovereign Protector, who heads the High Protectorate Office. The office is held for life, and an individual can only be removed from office by a 4/5ths vote of the Supreme Court. The protector exercises a veto power over laws passed in the Parliament, may refer any law to review by the Supreme Court prior to enactment into law, appoints certain seats in the Senate, may dissolve the Parliament, has the right to attend cabinet meetings and meetings of the State Synod, and can refer treaties to popular referendum. Upon the death, resignation, or removal of a Sovereign Protector, the Senate and State Synod will vote on a replacement in a joint session.
State Synod
The State Synod is a 13-member council which wields considerable influence and power in Ebrary and meets in the Casa National building. It serves both religious and governmental functions. The President of the State Synod is the Bishop of Ceres, while the other members are Ebraricist bishops which serve one-year terms on a rotating basis. However, members may be dismissed by the Sovereign Protector. The Synod has direct control, with no court supervision, over the law directly concerning marriage, divorce, burials, inheritance, sexual relations, and the sabbath (blue laws). Otherwise, the Synod is empowered to ban political organizations or parties which are determined to undermine Christian religion or values. The Christian Defense Legion, a paramilitary organization whose commander-in-chief is the Sovereign Protector, is under the partial oversight of the council.
President and cabinet
The head of government of Ebrary is the President, who is elected by an instant-runoff voting method to a five-year term with a two term limit. The power of the president includes the execution and enforcement of national law, and the responsibility to appoint national executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers, and some seats in the Senate. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Ebrarian armed forces, excepting the Christian Defense Legion. While a veto is reserved solely to the Sovereign Protector, the president may introduce bills directly to the Popular Assembly for consideration, review, and voting, and call a special meeting of Parliament in the event of a national emergency.
The Cabinet of Ebrary consists of the heads of the executive branch's national ministerial departments, appointed by the president, with approval of the Senate. All members of the cabinet serve at the leisure of the president, and may concurrently hold membership in the Parliament but this is not required. The president may designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed office-holders in the executive branch as Cabinet-level members of the Cabinet. The Sovereign Protector also holds the right to attend Cabinet meetings, although he is not considered a de jure member of the Cabinet.
Legislature
The national legislature of Ebrary is the bicameral Parliament, made up of the Senate and the Popular Assembly. Despite being names as such, the government of Ebrary is actually not a parliamentary system. The Parliament makes national law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove the President and sitting members of the cabinet and the judiciary. The Parliament may, by a 4/5ths vote of the Popular Assembly and a 3/5ths vote of the Senate, override a veto by the Sovereign Protector. Legislators enjoy parliamentary immunity.
The Senate is the upper house, with 40 appointed members who serve life terms. Senate appointments are allocated to different institutions in the government and Ebrarian society. The Ecumenical High Council, Sovereign Protector, and President, all appoint varying numbers of Senators, and two seats are hereditary seats. The Senate regulates its own membership and may vote by a 2/3rds majority to unseat one of its own members at any time, but the Sovereign Protector may reinstate a Senator whom he believes was wrongfully unseated. The Senate is presided over by the Consul, who is selected from amongst its membership by a simple majority of Senators. The Consul holds the ability to break a tie vote if the occasion occurs.
The Popular Assembly comprises 125 members (Membro del Assemblea Popular; MPA) directly elected for two year terms by the people of Ebrary using mixed-member proportional representation, where each voter places a vote for his single-seat constituency and one for a political party. 71 members of the Popular Assembly represent constituencies, while the remaining 54 are apportioned to make the results more proportional. The number of seats in the Popular Assembly are fixed, with no compensation for overhang seats. It is presided over by the Speaker of the Popular Assembly, who is generally a member of the largest political party in the assembly. Seats are apportioned to the various provinces and two independent cities proportionally. The last elections for the Popular Assembly were held in Oct 2019, and new elections are scheduled for Oct 2022.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest authority concerning the interpretation of the Ebrarian Constitution, and is made up of 9 members who serve until they reach the age of 75. Justices of the Supreme Court are selected by the President of Ebrary and approved by a simple-majority in the Senate. On matters not concerning those which the State Synod has supremacy, the court may strike down laws or council edicts and interpret their meaning in light of the meaning of the Constitution and Christian teaching.
Military and national service
National service
All males over the age of 17 are required by the Ebrarian Constitution to spend an allotted period of time performing national service before their 25th birthday. For males, engaging in national service in the allotted time-frame is a requirement for voting. Those with severe disabilities or criminal records may be disqualified from national service. The Ebrarian constitution does not specify the method and time period which this national service will take, but legislation has defined three methods to engage in national service. Ebrarians who enroll in career military service are exempted from further service, and are considered to have completed national service. The National Service program is administered by the Directorate of National Service.
Most Ebrarians elect to serve six months in either the Army Training Corps or Navy Training Corps, where they are taught basic combat and afterwards make up the bulk of Ebrary's military reserves. It is also common for those in the Army Training Corps to be assigned to patrol the Ebrarian land border. Ebrarians may also serve eight months in either the Ebrarian Conservation Corps, which engages in environmental work on public lands and disaster relief, or eight months in the Foreign Missionary Corps, which sends Ebrarians with sufficient Biblical literacy abroad to act as missionaries in conjunction with the Church of Ebrary. The majority of Ebrarians who serve in civilian national service are either medically disallowed from service in the military or a member of a Christian denomination practicing nonviolence, such as the Lamenters, but this is not a requirement and civilian service can be chosen entirely due to personal preference.
Ebrarian Armed Forces
The Ebrarian Armed Forces are staffed with both conscripts and volunteers, per Ebrary's policy of national service. Those enrolled in the conscript Army Training Corps or Navy Training Corps are generally housed separately from career volunteers, and conscripts usually engage in support duties or menial labor to free volunteers for more intensive and specialized duties. The first standing army, as opposed to reliance on feudal levies, in Ebrary was formed in 1571 during the reign of the Gustav II.
There are currently 89,580 active duty members of the Ebrarian Armed Forces. Military of the Christian Commonwealth of Ebrary comprises:
- Army
- Navy
- Air Force
- Coast Guard
Christian Defense Legion
The Christian Defense Legion (Legion Defensa Christian; LDC) is a paramilitary force, with features of a secret police, that answers to the Sovereign Protector and is under the oversight of the State Synod. The LDC was created with the 2nd Edict of the Sovereign Protector, and is not found anywhere in the Ebrarian Constitution. However, the ability of the Sovereign Protector to create such a paramilitary organization has not been challenged in the Supreme Court. It has a membership of 5,453, with a chain of command separate from the Ebrarian Armed Forces central military command. Unlike the Ebrarian Armed Forces, the LDC is primarily tasked with protecting the Christian republic political system of Ebrary. The primary activities of the Legion include the suppression of subversive organizations and certain counterterrorism efforts. Despite being independent of the military and police, the Legion cooperates heavily with them.
The LDC is divided into three branches, the Primary Forces, Gendarmerie, and Servicio Secrete. The Primary Forces make up the bulk of the LDC, comprising typical paramilitary functions. The Gendarmerie serve as a policing arm of the LDC in the civilian population as well as protection for Ebraricist bishops and the Sovereign Protector. The Servicio Secrete comprise the intelligence arm of the LDC.
Administrative divisions
Ebrary has eleven provinces, two of which (Vorstland and Gallasia) have greater autonomy than the other nine, as well as two autonomous cities (Ceres and Egschwil). Because Ebrary is a unitary and not a federal state, the Ebrarian provinces and autonomous cities are granted devolved powers by the national government.
Ebrary's autonomous cities are governed by an elected mayor and elected city councils, which function similarly to other municipal governments but also retain the powers devolved to Ebrary's nine standard provinces. Ebrary's nine regular provinces all have elected Provincial Councils, which can legislate in limited areas defined by national legislation. As established in the Autonomous Provinces Act (1986), the autonomous provinces of Vorstland and Gallasia have much greater powers, with elected Provincial Assemblies, elected Governor-Presidents, and a regional cabinet and bureaucracy. Powers devolved to autonomous provinces include the ability to determine matters of education, tourism, property taxes, animal welfare, the provision of utilities, cultural promotion, and more. The governments and legislatures of all provinces and independent cities may be dissolved at any time by the Ebrarian Parliament. The Ebrarian government may legislate in matters that are not devolved, as well as legislate in areas that are devolved, and national law and regulation always takes precedence over provincial law and regulation.
List of provinces and autonomous cities
| Name | Capital | Classification | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberna | Corbo | Province | 2,445,000 |
| Adansema | Vigera | Province | 1,032,000 |
| Ceres | N/A | Autonomous city | 2,530,000 |
| Egschwil | N/A | Autonomous city | 871,000 |
| Etria | Miron | Province | 2,424,000 |
| Galava | Cierala | Province | 837,000 |
| Gallasia | Vugo | Autonomous province | 623,000 |
| Laverna | Urtedo | Province | 3,421,000 |
| Lecua | Velosa | Province | 2,331,000 |
| Opa | Lenta | Province | 1,097,000 |
| Patriana | Dariorita | Province | 2,577,000 |
| Rothnacia | Condato | Province | 1,334,000 |
| Vorstland | Skalia | Autonomous province | 582,000 |
Foreign relations
Foreign relations in Ebrary are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ebrary's priorities since the election of President Carlos Renaldo have been to increase economic, cultural, and military ties with friendly nations. Ebrary also funds foreign religious missionary activity via the Church of Ebrary and male Ebrarians may elect to serve out their term of mandatory national service engaging in such foreign missionary activity.
Ebrary is a full member of the Assembled Nations.
Economy
Ebraria is an upper-middle income[1] mixed economy. From the 1940s to the 1970s, Ebraria transformed into a moderately industrialized economy with notable scientific and technological research output. The 1980-1982 Ebrarian Revolution and the adoption of extreme economic protectionism via restrictions on exports and imports, in an attempt by the new regime to achieve economic autarky, led to a sharp decrease in industrial and agricultural output. This significant rise in tariffs ultimately led to the 1985-86 Ebrarian Depression. Afterwards, the country loosened trade restrictions, but still had significant barriers to trade in many sectors. Ebrary has a heavily unionized economy, with around 65% of the Ebrarian labor force unionized. Significant barriers to economic growth in Ebrary include below-replacement fertility, significant tariffs, and an inflexible labor market with low labor force participation of women.
Ebrary has guaranteed paid vacation and holidays as well as paid family leave as a legal right. Family leave is only extended as a right to parents who are married, as opposed to single parents. Ebrary has no minimum wage except for government workers, as wages are set through collective bargaining agreements in the private economy. Ebrary operates the General Benefit Fund, which is a compulsory savings and pension plan for Ebrarian citizens and permanent residents to fund their retirement pension needs. The retirement age for unmarried widows is 62, and 68 for all others. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income to fund their retirement savings accounts.
Mining and resource extraction
Mining is an important part of the Ebrarian economy, and provides a significant proportion of Ebrary's exports. Mining is generally performed by private corporations, although the industry is heavily unionized and regulated. Significant coal deposits are primarily found in the mountains and hills of Gallasia, and large tungsten and manganese mines operate in the plains in the east of the country. Jobs related to mining and resource extraction constitute approximately 4.5% of the nation's employment, and prospects are good for further growth in this field.
Agriculture
Approximately 70% of Ebrarian agricultural exports are beef products. Cattle is primarily raised on ranchos (ranches) in the eastern provinces. While the state provides significant tax breaks and subsidies to family-owned and worker-owned ranches, the share of cattle produced by corporate-owned farms has increased sharply in the last decade. Most Ebrarian cattle are traditionally of the long-haired Miron breed, which descend from cross-breeding of the cattle brought to Ebrary from Europa by Aroman settlers and the cattle of the original Ebraro-Geltic inhabitants. The Miron cattle are hearty and able to survive the cold Ebrarian winters. Ebrary also has a large tobacco industry, as it bans the import of all foreign tobacco products. While the smoking rate in Ebrary has declined, the usage of Ebrarian snus has marginally increased and Ebrarian officials have taken little action to reduce tobacco usage. The very warm to hot summer weather in most of the country permits crops such as maize and wheat to be grown at high yields, and soybeans, flax, millet, and barley are also produced in notable quantities.
Manufacturing and industry
Most of Ebrary's industry was heavy industry from the 1940s to 1970s. Because Ebrarian industry was configured to export markets, the loss of those markets due to the adoption of heavy tariffs and domestic quotas led to a depression in manufacturing output in the mid-1980s. After showing growth in 1995, Ebrary's industrial sector has grown slowly but steadily into the early 2000s. The performance of individual manufacturing industries has been uneven, however. Food processing and tobacco processing has increased in the following decades while, textile processing generally has declined. Natural gas and coal generally survived the economic shocks of the late-20th century due to continued domestic demand for the products. Production of automobiles, locomotive, buses, and trucks still has not recovered to former capacity, although agricultural machinery is being produced in increasing quantities.
Infrastructure
The Ebrarian road system is mostly centralized around the capital, with five limited-access highways connecting Ceres to Gallasia, Egschwil, Galava, Adansema, and Lecua. There are also two highways along the western and eastern coasts, respectively. All public and private bus fleets are required to be natural gas vehicles (NGV), and either run solely on natural gas or be bi-fuel vehicles. The Ebrarian military also runs the majority of its transportation vehicles and armored fighting vehicles with retrofitted bi-fuel NGV/diesel engines. Approximately 4.5% of the registered civilian vehicles in Ebrary are either full NGVs or bi-fuel vehicles. Conversion kits for both diesel and gasoline engines are subsidized by the national government, and the NGV share of the Ebrarian automotive fleet continues to increase. Approximately 0.4% of automobiles in Ebrary are electric vehicles.
The Corporation Ferrovia National de Ebraria (CFN) is the state-owned railway corporation of Ebraria, which owns and operates the commercial and passenger rail lines in Ebrary. Ebrary has an extensive railway network, but it is not well-maintained and the locomotive fleet is outdated. Since 2018, the Ebrarian government has been funding research into transitioning the CFN locomotive fleet to natural gas engines.
Ebrary has an extensive land-line telephone network that covers nearly the entirety of the population, as well as relatively sizable coverage by cellular phones on a national scale. Since 1998, the Ebrarian government has banned residential buildings from having access to the internet, and cellular phones have been banned from accessing the internet since 2003. However, commercial enterprises, educational institutions, and government offices are able to use the internet for business and research purposes only. Currently, the internet is accessed via dial-up outside of major metropolitan areas. Private individuals are still able to own and operate computers, but their adoption has been restricted to a few hobbyists due to the lack of internet proliferation. Fax machines are still widely used as a primary form of business and personal communication due to the lack of high speed internet.
Energy
Ebrary has moderate but steadily growing energy needs, and produces an increasing majority of its own energy in a concerted effort by policymakers to attain full energy self-sufficiency. The state-owned Compania Methano de Ebraria (CME) manages and extracts Ebrary's ample natural gas resources, which exist almost entirely off its eastern shore. Approximately 55% of Ebrary's energy needs are met by natural gas power plants controlled and operated by CME. Large coal deposits also provide approximately 22% of the country's electricity. Ebrary is a net exporter of both coal and natural gas. 7% of Ebrary's energy needs are met with renewable resources such as wind, solar, and biofuel.
Electricity and other utilities are provided to commercial and residential end-users via government chartered consumer cooperative corporations, except in Gallasia where these companies are operated by municipal governments.
Science and technology
Publicly-funded research is managed by a government-run system of grants to universities and corporations, while private funding for research and development makes up about half of total funding in the country. Ebrarian research and development in recent years has been largely geared toward developing more efficient natural gas vehicles, and improvements in natural gas extraction and the mining of coal and other resources. The country lags significantly behind in the domain of software development and computer science.
Demographics
According to the 2020 Ebrarian census, Ebrary's population was 22,130,469. Its population is expected to decline gradually as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates and negative net migration rate.
Ethnicity
The majority of Ebrarians are ethnic Ebrarians, whose language Ebrarese is an East-Arhomance or Amutian language derived from dialects spoken in the Aroman Empire with some West-Arhoman and Buranic influence. The Gallasian minority are a Geltic group which constitutes Ebrary's largest minority and find their homeland in the province of Gallasia. The Vorstish people have their homeland in the province of Vorstland and speak a Nordish language. There are also approximately 150,000 ethnic Aurivizh people living in the regions of Gallasia and Aberna bordering Aurivizh, with a notable number also residing in the autonomous city of Egschwil.
Ebrary recognizes the Vorsts, Gallasians, and Aurivizh as minority groups with protected interests. The ethnic interests of these official minority groups are represented by the government's Secretariat of Ethnic Affairs. The secretariat funds educational and cultural programs to ensure the continuity of their distinct ethnic heritage while also fostering cooperation between minority groups and Ebrary's ethnic Ebrarian majority.
Language
The sole official and national language of Ebrary is Ebrarese. Census figures state that 96.7% of Ebrarians are proficient or better in Ebrarese, and 81% of Ebrarian residents primarily speak Ebrarese in the home. The Vorstish language holds official status in the province of Vorstland, and the Gallasian language holds official status in the province of Gallasia. Both Vorstish and Gallasian are almost exclusively spoken by their corresponding ethnic group, and have been slowly declining in number of speakers since the early 1900s.
The vast majority of Ebrarians over the age of 35 do not speak a second language. However, due to increased language education, approximately two thirds of Ebrarians under 35 report speaking more than one language. The most common foreign language spoken in Ebrary is Laimiaic, with Anglish also being popular.
Religion
The national church and state church of Ebrary is the Church of Ebrary, which adheres to a Protestant, Reformed Orthodox theology. Approximately 81.6% of Ebrarians are Ebraricists (members of the Church of Ebrary), 17.9% are other Christians, and 0.5% are non-Christian (primarily non-religious). Male citizens who are members of the Church of Ebrary are granted full voting rights in Ebrary, assuming other qualifications are also met. Most non-Christians are not forbidden to be residents of Ebrary, but they must register with the state and cannot evangelize within the country.
Ebraricist Christians collectively form the largest religious denomination in Ebrary, all belonging to the Church of Ebrary. Other major Protestant groups include Parishists, and Lamenters. The largest non-Protestant Christian groups are the Orthodox Aroman Church in Ebrary and Ebrarian Orthodox Catholic Church. Other Christian groups with a presence in Ebrary include the Catholic Church and smaller Protestant denominations.
Bishops in the Church of Ebrary serve rotating terms on the twelve member State Synod, which notably disperses the Ebrarian church tax to the various Christian denominations and Ebraricist dioceses. The five largest Christian denominations in Ebrary have organized under the Ebrarian Christian Congress (CCE). The CCE serves as a forum of ecumenical cooperation and dialogue between these denominations.
The practice of paganism has been subject to official persecution, with courts interpreting pagan practices to be banned under legislation and council edicts which outlaw the practice of witchcraft. The dissemination of non-Christian literature is also heavily censored or banned. The promotion of non-religion or atheism is also heavily restricted, although there is no law or regulation in Ebrary which forbids an individual from being an atheist.
Education
Public education in Ebrary is administered by the national government, except in the autonomous provinces of Gallasia and Vorstland where it is administered by the provincial governments. Education in Ebrary is mandatory from age 5, up to the age of 18 in Gallasia and 17 in the rest of the country. The Ministry of Education administers the educational system and also provides funding to the provincial education systems in the two autonomous provinces. The government provides free education for grades 1 to 10 and two years of free optional vocational training or community college. All tertiary education institutions are required to accept as credit courses taken during time spent in free vocational training or community college. A minimum level of Bible education is a mandatory subject in all Ebrarian primary and secondary schools, technical schools, and universities.
There is also an extensive network of private, religious primary and secondary schools. Secular schools are banned, so a school must be sponsored or connected to a church organization in Ebrary to legally operate in the country. The Ministry of Education runs a voucher system and a private school receives fixed per pupil funding from the Ministry of Education, as well as being required to teach a minimum curriculum. There are no regulations on the tuition and fees a private school may charge, so the cost of a private education typically exceeds that of the voucher.
Universities in Ebrary are a mix of publicly run institutions and church-run or affiliated universities. The national government operates a number of public research universities, as well as technical schools and other colleges. Private schools of higher education must be connected to an Christian denomination in some way. The autonomous provinces of Gallasia and Vorstland each operate one "provincial university" which must follow similar rules to private universities, excepting that they are run by the provincial governments.
Notable Ebrarian schools of higher education include:
- Polytechnic University of Egschwil
- University of Ceres
- University of Urtedo
- Provincial University of Vorstland
- University of Miron
- University of Southern Adansema
- University of Opa
- Provincial University of Vugo
Healthcare
Healthcare accounts for approximately 7.5% of Ebrary's GDP and the public and private sectors are both involved. The government mandates participation for every employed person in a national medical savings account system, and mandates the purchase of health insurance by all employed persons who meet a government-defined income minimum. Health insurance may be purchased directly from non-profit corporations or from labor unions. All children 12 and under[2] and those unemployed or under the income minimum are provided health insurance by the National Christian Healthcare Fund, a government managed health insurance fund. Ebrarians over the age of 65, widows over the age of 60, and those who are disabled are enrolled in the Special Medical and Pharmaceutical Fund, which provides coverage more generous than the National Christian Healthcare Fund. The national government operates a network of public hospitals which compete directly with private hospitals, and all private and public hospitals are required to accept payment from all government and private health insurance schemes. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income to fund their medical savings accounts.
Culture
Ebrarian culture is an Arhomance culture with heavy influences from Geltic and Nordish people. The culture of Ebrary, especially since the 1980-82 Christian Revolution, is strongly religious. Traditional Christian gender roles in Ebrary are upheld strongly, and the government actively promotes a collectivist family-oriented culture.
Notable landmarks
Philosophy and theology
Philosophy was introduced to Ebrary by the Aromans. Ebrarian philosophy originates from Aroman roots, with the Ancient Laimaic philosophy having great influence. The writings of Augur Marcus Ebraius, son of Marcus Ebraius, combined cynicism with early Christian doctrine and had a great influence in the days of the Ebrarian confederacy. Other major theological and philosophical writers of the Ebrarian confederacy include Alexander of Ceres, Sextus Plotinus, and St. Ignatius Sirius.
Philosophical output slowed during the latter decades of the Ebrarian confederacy, but was renewed under the patronage of the Vorstish kings after the foundation of the Kingdom of Ebrary. Into the middle ages, many notable scholastics produced prolific output, such as the most notable Petro Galavas (c. 911-967) who formulated the philosophical and theological school of Petrism. After the Veno Revolt installed the Veno dynasty as monarchs of Ebrary, Ebrarian philosophy lacked much new innovation until the Ebrarian Reformation.
Notable theologians during and immediately following the Ebrarian Reformation include August Roel (founder of Parishism, seminal figure of the Ebrarian Reformation), Eduardo Puteos (Bishop of Ceres, considered the father of Ebraricism), Jon Gallesa (important figure in early Ebraricism), and Jon Vulpe (founder of Lamenterism). Ebrarian philosophy and theology generally stayed within the bounds of Christian thought until the late 18th century. Notable rationalist philosopher Paucilice challenged monarchical authority, the authority of the Ebrarian Church, and criticized other religious groups. The views of Paucilice went on to influence Ebrarian liberalism and socialism, even influencing major players on the Republican side of the Ebrarian Civil War. Paucilice's views never ceased to be controversial in Ebrary, and his writings are censored to this day by the current Ebrarian government. On the other hand, important apologist for Reformed Orthodoxy and advocate of the monarchy Daniel Risa was a contemporary of Paucilice who publicly debated him on multiple occasions. Risa's ideas were used to justify the power of the Ebrarian monarchy well into the 20th century.
The writings of Daniel Lucas, current Sovereign Protector of Ebrary, were instrumental in promoting the theological and philosophical justification of an officially Reformed Orthodox Christian theocracy in Ebrary. Lucas's writings blended an evangelical theology with a far-right version of theonomy and dominion theology.
Cinema
Ebrarian films have historically achieved noted international recognition, particularly during the 1932-1943 Republican era. A large proportion of output during this period was controversial, addressing hot-button social issues. A significant number of these Republican era works of popular culture are only found in the collections of foreign film companies and collectors due to them being banned by the current Ebrarian government.
Cinema continued the previous tradition of quality under the 2nd Kingdom, but moderate censorship prevented films from addressing most controversial topics. By the 1970s, however, the second largest Ebrarian film studio closed due to bankruptcy and box office revenue fell drastically. Since the Christian Revolution (1980-1982), film-making continues under much more significant censorship, but is subsidized moderately by the Ministry of Culture and Christian Affairs. While modern Ebrarian cinema does poorly internationally, it has fair revenue domestically and its funding for propaganda purposes is a cornerstone of the government's cultural policy.
Cuisine
Ebrarian cuisine has been influenced by Aroman and Geltic cuisine, but also shares some similarities with other cuisines in the northern latitudes. Ebrary is notable for having a beef-oriented diet. Ebrarian barbecue grilled meat is a principal food, with beef ribs (costa bove) and steak being chief among them. Chicken is the second most important type of meat, but pork, lamb, and fish are also popular. Ebrarian-style pork sausage, or salporco, is particularly popular.
Ebrary has a long tradition of beer and whiskey production. Ceriso is a type of whiskey legally only allowed to be produced in the Ceres Delta Region, and uses water from the nation's rivers in its production and a specific local mode of production.
Sport
Forms of football have been played in Ebrary as far back as the Aroman settlement, and sports in Ebrary has been led by association football since the late 19th century. The two most popular football teams in Ebrary are Ceres Unite and Urtedo Citate. The second most popular team sport in Ebrary is ice hockey, with the Egschwil Boars being the top hockey team in Ebrary.
The third popular sport in Ebrary is traditional bull fighting, although the autonomous Province of Vorstland has banned the practice in their jurisdiction. Other sports with notable popularity in Ebrary are basketball, motor racing, horse racing, and boxing. Boxing was banned by the Sovereign Protector in 1990, but the efforts were largely ineffective, and the ban was lifted in 1994. The most popular traditional sport (other than bullfighting) in Ebrary is amusamento del sacco (literally, "fun of the sack"), a team sport played with sacks filled with beads.
Public holidays and festivals
Ebrary celebrates a variety of Christian, national, and local holidays. The most important holidays celebrated in Ebrary are the Feast of St. Ebraius (Sept. 29), Ebrary Day, Dominion Day, Easter, and Christmas.
References
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