Erishlands

Erish Realm Ärskríkið (Erish)
Motto: "Bladið av Yrdjan bir furbättra oss" (Erish) "Fate's edge will better us"
Location of Erishland (green) in Belisaria
Capital and	Serdstad
Official languages	Erish
Recognised minority languages	Ottonian Corvaik Cyneric Eonese
Religion	Ardist Order
Demonym(s)	Erish
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Queen	Ljosna III
• Realm Chancellor	Eirik Geiralkson
Legislature	Allthing
Establishment
• Nord-Keldi Confederation	550
• Annexation by the Ottonian Empire	850
• Kingdom of Staalmark	1150
• Erish Realm established	18 August 1297
• Constitution of the Realm	3 January 1838
Area
•	84,256 km2 (32,531 sq mi)
Population
• 2019 estimate	7,152,886
• Density	84.9/km2 (219.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2019 estimate
• Total	$361.9 billion
• Per capita	$50,597
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$380.0 billion
• Per capita	$53,132
Gini	27.2 low
HDI	0.940 very high
Currency	Hød (Ƕ) (HOD)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy (EA)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+602
Internet TLD	.ei

Erishland (Erish: Ärsklandið [ˈæːʂkˌlandɪ]), officially the Erish Realm (Erish: Ärskríkið [ˈæːʂkˌɽiːkɪ]), is a country in northern Belisaria. It is bordered by Valgtea to the east, Ottonia to the south, and the Boreios Sea to the north and west. Its capital city is Serdstad.

Erishland was first inhabited by Celtic and Germanic peoples known as the Corvaik, but became dominated by the Erish following the arrival of the Allamunnic tribes during the fifth century. An independent Erish realm emerged during the late thirteenth century out of the Northern Crusade, with Brejtur of Tousch being crowned king in 1297. After the brief establishment of an Erish Republic in 1858, it was annexed by Ottonia in the late 1800s. Movements for the independence of the country first culminated in the Royalist Revolts from 1915 to 1920, which were ultimately suppressed by the Ottonian government. Another revolt by Royalists in 1932 sparked the Great Ottonian War, ending in the restoration of Erish independence and the monarchy.

The Erish political system is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The monarch, currently Queen Liexne III, functions as head of state whilst the duties of head of government are carried by the Realm Chancellor, who is Eirik Geiralkson as of 2020. The modern economy is highly developed, upholds an extensive welfare system, and ranks highly for economic mobility and income equality.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Erishland

Erishland is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy which operates within the framework of the 1940 Constitution of the Erish Realm. The monarch, who is Queen Liexne III as of 2011, is a ceremonial head of state, whilst the Realm Chancellor, currently Eirik Geiralkson, acts as head of government. Legislative power is exercised by the semi-bicameral Folkthing, whilst judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, Court of Cassation, Courts of Assizes, and various other independent courts. Under the Erish system, the state is unitary, but the eleven Lands have some degree of autonomy.

The Erish constitution, adopted on 3 January 1940 following a referendum the prior year, establishes the intentions of the constitution, a bill of rights, and the framework of the national government, though it binds Lands to follow a similar framework. Both the provisions and spirit of the constitution are binding upon all government institutions. It may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the Folkthing in two consecutive terms followed by a successful referendum, though it has not been successfully amended thus far; certain basic rights and the representative democratic framework of the government are entrenched from being restricted.

The monarch is the head of state. Though the constitution never explicitly states it, the crown acts under almost all circumstances as a ceremonial figurehead. The terminology used to refer to most of the crown's powers implies their exercise upon the advice of the Cabinet, almost all exercise of the powers of the crown are easily reversible by the Folkthing, and their formal status as Speaker of the Folkthing (a duty which is outside of ceremonial occasions delegated) has no impact on the proceedings of the legislature. It is even possible for the reigning monarch to be impeached. Consequently, it is understood that if the monarch were to ever exercise what symbolic powers they have in defiance of democratically elected officials, it would be a symbolic gesture in defense of the constitutional democratic state.

National legislative power is vested in the semi-bicameral Folkthing, which, since 1983, has been composed of 250 Deputies. It is elected every four years by mixed-member proportional representation, with half of all seats being elected by individual constituencies, and the other half being apportioned based on a national proportional vote. All laws at the national level originate and are passed by the Folkthing. The Realm Chancellor, and all other Chancellors of the Cabinet, are appointed by the monarch from the largest party amongst the locally-elected Deputies, who confirm and have powers of confidence over them. This process of government formation, combined with only these Deputies having the power to propose, draft, and pass the national budget, is viewed as keeping the executive and legislative branches separate through "semi-bicameralism".

Most executive power is constitutionally vested in the Royal Cabinet, which is headed by the Realm Chancellor, the head of government and, thus far, the leader of the largest party amongst local Deputies. Because the Realm Chancellor and other Chancellors are Deputies of the Folkthing, they can propose and vote on legislation, and are able to be questioned by fellow Deputies on government actions. The current Cabinet, formed in 2019 and headed by the Democratic Party leader Eirik Geiralkson, is a one-party minority government, per the norms of Erish politics.

Erishland is a unitary state, but is structured under the constitution to devolve powers to the eleven Lands, each of which stands as a partially autonomous region. Though they are obligated to follow the basic outlines of the national government, they have their own legislatures, governments, and judiciaries, and have varying degrees of competency over certain areas of policy.

Erishland has a multiparty system marked by the predominance of the Democratic and People's parties as the parties of governance (especially at the national level), and a variety of other parties which obtain seats in the legislature due to the electoral threshold only being 2%. As of 2020, for example, there are no less than eight parties in the Folkthing. Though coalition governments have disappeared at the national level since 1971 because local Deputies have been only of one of two parties (a few are still occasionally formed at the land or local levels), coalitions between parties on particular legislative issues are normal since no governing party in the entirety of modern Erish history has ever held a majority in the Folkthing.

Demographics

Language

Main article: Erish language

The official language of Erishland is Erish, a West Germanic language that is mostly closely related to languages like Anglish or German, but which has undergone significant convergence with the Nordic languages as a consequence of extensive contact with them. There is some limited degree of mutual intelligibility between Erish and those languages, but not to the same extent as between the Nordic languages, especially in speech. Recognized minority languages in Erishland include Anglish and Norsk