Gagium

The Gagian Republic La République Gagienne
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Ex Notitia, Victory
Location of Gagium in Stratea
Location	Northeastern Stratea
Capital	Laurillac
Largest city	Fort-Anfree
Official languages	Gagian, Anikgan
Recognised national languages	Gagian, Anikgan, not!catalan, not!latin
Ethnic groups	By race: 86.5% Gagian 7.4% Anikgan 6.1% Other
Religion	100.0% TBD
Demonym(s)	Gagian
Government	Bicameral Parliamentary Republic
• President	Cédric Leavitt
• Prime Minister	Céleste de Saint-Pierre
• Orateur of the Assembly	TBD
• Orateur of the Chamber	TBD
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Gagian Assembly
• Lower house	Chamber of Representatives
Establishment
• Kingdom of Gagium	1274
• First Gagian Republic	1835
• Modern Republic	1953
Area
•	1,111,111 sq mi (2,877,760 km2)
• Water (%)	5
Population
• 2022 estimate	143,860,000 (TBD)
• 2020 census	143,293,214
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$5.610 trillion
• Per capita	$39,000 (TBD)
HDI (2018)	0.917 very high
Currency	Gagi (GAG)
Time zone	+TBD
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	TBD
Internet TLD	.ga

Gagium, officially the Gagian Republic (Gagian: la République Gagienne), is a country located in Stratea that covers an area of ZZZ. Gagium shares a border with XXX and YYY to the west and south, respectively, as well as the ZZZ Ocean to the north and the PPP Ocean to the east. The nation's largest city is Fort-Anfree, which serves as the nation's economic and social hub alongside being the home to over over 6 million inhabitants, while other large cities include Agen, Chatrois, Nouveau Vitre, Allen, and the nation's capital city of Laurillac. Gagium is the XXXth most populated country in the world, with most of its population of 143.8 million people concentrated in the warmer south and the eastern coast.

INSERT HISTORY HERE

Gagium is a federal state subdivided into 20 commonwealths. These subdivisions have their own constitutions and laws, but are subject to the Constitution of the Gagian Republic and any laws passed by the federal government. The nation is a highly developed industrial country, with a slight majority of the nation's inhabitants residing in urban areas and with the nation's labor force employing 52.1% of Gagians. The country ranks highly in several socioeconomic indicators, ranking XXXth in the Human Development Index, the YYYth highest in Stratea, and possessing the world's ZZZth largest economy. Gagium is a member of INTERREGIONALORG1, INTERREGIONALORG2, and INTERREGIONALORG3.

Government & Politics

Administrative Divisions

Gagium is divided into 20 commonwealths, each with certain rights and privileges regarding self-governance. The 20 commonwealths are governed by an executive cabinet led by a governor, together with their commonwealth parliaments. The commonwealths operate as parliamentary republics, with their relationship with the cabinet mimicking what is practiced on the national level: the legislatures are elected by constituencies to serve for 4 year terms, and the governor is then voted into confidence with a majority vote in the commonwealth parliament. The governor is tasked with appointing a cabinet to manage the commonwealth's affairs and to carry out the executive duties of the commonwealth government. The legislature has the ability to vote out a governor with a vote of no confidence.

The following is a list of the 20 commonwealths of the Gagian Republic.

Government

The Gagian Republic is a bicameral parliamentary republic, with the nation’s Parliament consisting of the Gagian Assembly and Chamber of Representatives. The nation’s executive branch is led by the Prime Minister, who serves as head of government and is voted through a expression of confidence by Parliament. The Prime Minister is tasked with appointing Ministers, who are usually experienced members of Parliament. The President, the nation’s formal head of state, is elected by the Council of Representatives, a body formed every 5 years from members chosen by the 20 Commonwealths. The government of the Gagian Republic can be described as broadly liberal and progressive, with a large presence from progressive, socialist, and centrist-traditionalist factions.

The Parliament of the Gagian Republic, consisting of the Gagian Assembly and the Chamber of Representatives, is the legislative authority in Gagium, tasked with lawmaking and overseeing the government. The Chamber of Representatives is comprised of 189 seats, which are filled through party-list votes conducted within the commonwealth legislatures, typically at the beginning of each term. Members of the Chamber of Representatives do not have a term limit, and serve until they are voted out of their seat by their commonwealth's legislature. They are tasked with representing their commonwealth. The Gagian Assembly, on the other hand, is composed of 335 representatives from across the country. 284 of these are directly elected from constituencies in a first-past-the-post manner, while the remaining 51 are apportioned based off of mixed-member proportional representation. The members of the Gagian Assembly are not bound to serve the commonwealth from which they originate. The Gagian Assembly is presided over by the Orateur of the Assembly, currently TBD, while the Chamber of Representatives is presided over by the Orateur of the Chamber, currently TBD2.

Elections

Gagium has national elections in order to elect the members of the Gagian Assembly, the upper house of the Parliament of the Gagian Republic. These members are elected every four years from the 284 Assembly constituencies, with an additional 51 seats being apportioned based off of mixed-member proportional representation. That way, even smaller political parties who may not be competitive within the constituencies may win seats within the Gagian Assembly. The last Assembly elections were held on 31 May of 2019, and the XXth Assembly took office on 30 June 2019.

There are also Presidential elections conducted within the Council of Representatives, a body consisting of the members of the Chamber of Representatives as well as an additional 188 members apportioned based off of the results of the last concluded legislative election via party lists. Elections are conducted in the Council of Representatives using a secret ballot and numerous rounds until a candidate obtains a majority of the votes. The Council of Representatives last convened on 16 July 2017 to elect President Cédric Leavitt, and is expected to convene again on 16 July 2022.

On a subnational level, all 20 commonwealths of Gagium conduct elections to elect members of the commonwealth legislatures, who in turn have the role of electing members to the lower house of the Gagian Parliament, the Chamber of Representatives. Elections are also often conducted within municipalities to elect lawmakers and government officials.

Foreign Relations

The Gagian Republic conducts foreign relations with a multitude of different countries across the globe, generally having friendly relations with countries with similar ideology in regards to both domestic policy and foreign policy. On the world stage, the Gagian Republic takes an active stance in advocating for free trade and human rights, though the nation, like many others, has faced criticism for ignoring human rights violations when convenient.

Economy

Gagium is home to a diversified service economy with relatively large manufacturing and agricultural sectors. The nation has a liberal free market economy, though Gagium’s government maintains significant control over the energy and transportation sectors.

Infrastructure and Transportation

The Gagian Republic is home to a sprawling infrastructure network consisting of an extensive roadway network combined with a modern, efficient high-speed rail network that connects the urbanized Eastern Corridor with the rest of the nation. The main Gagian highway network is the Gagian Expressway System, which consists of numerous controlled-access routes across the country. Gagium’s high speed rail is primarily operated by Boréale.

Demographics

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

Compulsory primary and secondary education in the Gagian Republic extends from ages 6-7 and 17-18, for a total of roughly 12 years. This education is split into 12 grade levels, in which grades 1-6 include primary elementary level education, 7-9 include junior high school secondary education, and 10-12 include high school secondary education. There are some public institutions that deviate from this structure, however, with high school encompassing grades 9-12 and junior high, or middle school, including students from grades 7-8. Education is typically interdisciplinary and is conducted on a public level, though a small number of private academies are permitted to exist, with many of these institutions being religiously affiliated. Compulsory subjects taught at the primary and secondary level include: Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy), Language (Both National and Foreign), Social Studies (History, Geography, and Civics), Physical Education, and the Humanities (Arts/Music).

The average Gagian secondary school, whether it be junior high or high, has a wide range of extracurricular activities promoted towards students so that they can develop outside of the classroom setting. The most common extracurriculars offered are through the form of athletic clubs or music clubs (involving either instrument use or singing), though other commonly offered extracurricular activities include theater, debate, further academic study, and scouting. Scouting programs in Gagium are most often operated by the school district, and teach students a wide variety of skills, including developing physical fitness and individual talents and strengths.

Postsecondary

About 41% of Gagians who graduate from high school go on to attain a 4-year degree from a University, while 18% attain both a 4-year degree and a graduate-level degree. The vast majority of Universities in Gagium are operated by the Commonwealths, with many receiving funding from the national government to conduct research. A number of privately-operated Universities do exist, but are not typically popular due to higher tuition rates and a bad public image as a result of a number of scandals. However, many more select private universities are renowned for high academic standards, with 4 of the top 8 universities (Ranked by TBD metrics) being private universities. The vast majority of universities offer a wide selection of courses and offer degrees in numerous fields, though some specialized institutions that only offer degrees in a specific field or area do exist.

Culture

Gender & Family

Historically, and especially after the Progressive Revolution, more genders than male and female have been recognized, especially amongst the Anikgan population. In Gagian society, third genders (such as identifying as nonbinary) are widely accepted, and official identification documents recognize third genders.

Fashion

Gagian fashion trends are similar to that of other industrialized nations, though (especially in the Northern parts of the country) fashion revolves more around practicality/utility to deal with weather conditions as opposed to style. Furthermore, Gagians, on average, tend to dress more modestly than those in warmer nations. However, Gagium also has a sizable industry for custom-made attire, especially within the Anikgan community. The primary center of fashion in Gagium is Chatrois.

Drug Use

For the most part, recreational drug use is legal in the Gagian Republic to individuals over the age of 18, including alcohol and marijuana use. However, the use of certain drugs, such as many opiates and methamphetamines, remain illegal and punishable by incarceration. Some variation in drug laws exist between the Commonwealths. The national government operates several programs designed to reduce fatalities from drug usage and reduce illegal drug use.