Lihnidos
Empire of Lihnidos | |
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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Motto: Πάντα να υπερέχει ("Ever to Excel") | |
 Location of Lihnidos (dark green) – in Belisaria (dark grey) – in the Belisarian Community (light green) | |
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| Capital | Arcadia |
| Largest | Ikaria |
| Official languages | Hellenic Latin |
| Ethnic groups | 77.5% Lihnidosi 16.4% Latin 6.1% Other |
| Demonym(s) | Lihnidosi |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Empress | Stella II |
| Fotis Raptis | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Formation | |
• Founding of Xanthi City-State | 710 BC |
• Confederation of City-States | 356 BC |
• Kingdom of Xanthi | 154 BC |
• Latin Invasions | 413-457 CE |
• Integration into Latin Empire | 457 CE |
• Independence from Latin Empire | 1054 CE |
• Lihnidosi Empire Proclaimed | 1675 CE |
• Civil War | 1752 – 1753 CE |
• Second Lihnidosi Empire Proclaimed | 1753 CE |
| Area | |
• | 299,580 km2 (115,670 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 72,420,744 |
• 2014 census | 71,394,929 |
• Density | 241.74/km2 (626.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $3.091 trillion |
• Per capita | $42,684 |
| HDI | .870 very high |
| Currency | Denarius (X̶) |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +57 |
| Internet TLD | .lnd |
Etymology
History
City-states and Unification
The first recorded date of a modern civilization for the time was in 710 BC. The settlement, founded as Xanthi, took the form as many settlements at the time did as an independent city-state. The small city-state was the first of many of its kind throughout present day Lihnidos, most notably along the coast of southern and eastern Lihnidos. While records indicate that city-states also existed in the Lihnidosi interior, most were situated along or near the coast. Historic records indicate that the majority of the city-states were ruled by a single individual as an autocracy, with some being early versions of military dictatorships. Xanthi is believed to have been unique in the way that it was governed. Rather than having power concentrated in one individual, Xanthi was ruled by a council of individuals, a number of which were elected by the populace. Xanthi society, varying from its counterparts, put it at a disadvantage in matters of war and there are several instances where it is believed that Xanthi was almost captured by hostile powers.
The frequent clashes between city-states led to a breaking point around 360 BC when several of the city-states were suffering due to constant fighting. The constant and ongoing disputes at the time prompted the leaders of Xanthi to call for an assembly of the leaders of the most prominent and powerful city-states of the time in an attempt to cease the hostilities. The proposal did not gain traction until three years later in 357 BC when several smaller city-states that had not been previously considered proposed the assembly of leaders once again. The increased interest from smaller city-states and Xanthi, which at the time, despite its non-military culture, was one of the more powerful military powers in the region, prompted remaining holdouts who were against such a meeting to accept. The assembly took place in 356 BC in Xanthi. The assembly of the leaders of the city-states brought many concerns, as many of the militaristic city-states believed the assembly to be a ploy by the smaller city-states to eliminate the leadership of the city-states that threatened them. Because of this belief, four different city-states brought military contingents that camped outside of the walls of Xanthi for the duration of the assembly. While the exact number of troops camped outside the city was not recorded, writings from people in the city point to a total troop count in the tens of thousands.
The assembly is believed to have lasted for two weeks as leaders from the city-states debated and negotiated peace that would be beneficial to them. The result of the assembly led to the creation of a confederacy of city-states that would promote mutual defense and resource sharing. The fragile attempt to stop the wars appeared to succeed until 156 BC when the city-state of Hyeligeneia accused another city-state leader of an attempted assassination on the Hyeligeneian leader. The two were quickly drawn into war as Hyeligeneia marched on the city of Aigane. The war drew other city-states into the fighting and despite the best efforts of some members of the confederacy it collapsed shortly after. The fighting led to Hyeligeneia conquering a number of city-states in the surrounding lands and eventually the leadership turned its wrath to Xanthi. In 154 BC Xanthi fell to the Hyeligeneian military. By the time that Xanthi had been conquered, a majority of the land in southern Lihnidos was under its control. Following Xanthi's conquering, the leader of Hyeligeneia proclaimed himself king, using the name of the most recently conquered city-state as his kingdom. The Kingdom of Xanthi under Anastasius I quickly took control of much of what is today the province of Boeotia, Serres, Kilkis, and parts of Thasos.
Latin Invasions
The Kingdom of Xanthi expanded from its creation in 154 BC until 413 AD. By this time much of present day south and central Lihnidos was under the control of the kingdom. The expansion was halted in 413 AD when the Latin Empire became attacking and seizing Xanthi holdings in its western lands. The Latin invasions, which pushed eastward, lasted from 413 to 457 AD when all of Xanthi fell under its control. The forty-four year span of invasions was a result of careful integration of the conquered people into Latin society. It is widely acknowledged that the Latin legions at the time were far superior to that of Xanthi and their military capabilities would have allowed the Latins to conquer the Xanthi lands much quicker than had occurred. By the time the final holdouts in southern Xanthi had been taken by the Latins and incorporated into the Latin Empire, much of the lands previously held by Xanthi had already been incorporated and the people assimilated into the Latin culture.
Latin rule over Xanthi territory lasted for almost six hundred years from 457 AD when all of Xanthi had officially been conquered to 1040 AD. During this time Latin culture began to overcome that of Xanthi culture. Despite the acceptance of Latin culture and relative happiness under Latin rule, there were holdouts that sought independence and who maintained their Xanthi culture and language.
Independence from the Latin Empire
As the Latin Empire began to enter a decline in the early to mid eleventh century, the far eastern lands in the Latin Empire that had previously been controlled by the Kingdom of Xanthi began to experience discontent with Latin leadership. Due to the decline of power exercised by the Latins in the eastern parts of their empire, several ambitious nobles in the south-eastern regions of present-day Lihnidos began to speak of rebellion and independence from the failing empire. In 1042, Count Eneas of Dosse declared himself as the new King of Xanthi as Baste I. His initial attempts at rallying support for his cause were not successful until another powerful noble in the region, Count Gyuri of Pavleira, pledged his forces to the newly declared king. Reaction from the Latin Emperor was swift as he declared the attempt at independence treasonous. The Latin forces in the newly independent lands attempted to squash the rebellion, but were defeated at the Battle of Lame. The defeat at Lame required further Latin forces to march from the north if any attempt at putting down the rebellion was to succeed. During the time Latin forces required to arrive in the south, much of the southern nobility, who still descended from previous Xanthi nobles, had declared their support to the newly declared king. In February of 1043, Latin and Xanthi forces clashed once again at the Battle of Caleira, only for the Latin forces to once again be defeated by the Xanthi forces that outnumbered that of the Latins. Four months later in June, the Latin Emperor refused to send further troops south, effectively ceding control to the new King of Xanthi.
Following the successful bid for independence in the lands to the south, Lord Paramount Teodors of Ithaca began planning his own exit from the Latin Empire. The defeat of Latin forces at the Battle of Saint-Nazaire, a major setback for the empire, bolstered hopes that independence from the Latin Empire would be a simple event. Making contact with the Emperor of the Holy Audonian Empire, Emperor Adalbet I, Teodors began discussions of pledging fealty to the emperor of the rivaling empire. By 1050, Teodors had garnered enough support from his advisors and other nobles in the region to formally declare his independence from the Latin Empire and intention to join the Holy Audonian Empire. Teodors quickly declared himself Teodors I of Ithaca before swearing fealty to the Audonian Emperor. The Latin Emperor, having recently suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the Audonians, relinquished control of the large part of his empire without any attempts to take it back by force.
The last of present-day Lihnidos to break away from the Latin Empire and gain its independence was the Kingdom of Messenia in western Lihnidos. At the time, Messenia was the farthest point east for the Latin Empire in Belisaria. The significant decline of the Latin Empire militarily and recent loses in territory created a perception of weakness that prompted further discontent and insurrections in the east. Within the span of the first six months of 1054 several nobles in Messenia declared their independence from the Latin Empire. By the end of the year, the rebellious nobles collectively submitted to Asklepios I of Messenia, forming the Kingdom of Messenia and taking a large section of the eastern region of the Latin Empire.
First Lihnidosi Empire
The First Lihnidosi Empire was declared in Empress Theodora I in 1675 in the capital city of Xanthi. The declaration followed the conquering of the Kingdom of Ithaca by Theodora I, who prior to declaring herself Empress had been the Queen of Thasos (formerly the Kingdom of Xanthi.) The Kingdom of Ithaca had broken away from the Holy Audonian Empire in 1641 under Yorgos II of Ithaca following [insert event/reason here]. The Ithacan Kingdom remained independent for thirty years before Theodora II of Thasos declared war on Oceanus I of Ithaca in 1671. Ithaca had undergone a dynasty change in 1644 when House Vasiliou usurped the throne from House Pagonis. Due to this, several of the vassals of Oceanus I were discontent and still acclimating to the new leadership. Despite being the larger and arguably the militaryily superior kingdom, the Ithacan capital in Cephalonia was captured in 1674 by Thasan forces. Oceanus I's capitulation followed suit and Theodora II claimed the Kingdom of Ithaca for herself. She held the two titles for a short time until March of 1675 when she declared the first empire and restored Oceanus I to his position as King of Ithaca as a vassal king.
Much changed in the first ten years of the empire. In 1677 Empress Theodora I unilaterally changed all inheritance law throughout the empire to only allow females to inherit titles. All male vassals, including King Oceanus I of Ithaca, were forced to abdicate to a female family member or relinquish their title to the crown. Inheritance to the throne of the empire was changed from strict primogeniture to a system that allowed the Empress to select her heir. The change was followed by several small revolts in which male vassals refused to abdicate or relinquish their titles. The rebels were quickly put down by Theodora I's forces and all former vassals were executed and their titles revoked from those who would have inherited them after their death. Seven years later in 1684, Theodora moved the capital of the Empire from Xanthi to Arcadia, where she had ordered the construction of a new palace years prior.
In 1688, King Cronus IV of Messenia, under threat of invasion, willingly entered the Empire as a vassal kingdom. He immediately abdicated, allowing his first daughter to ascend to the throne as Andromeda I of Messenia. The expansion of the Empire further west completed the conquest of the former Latin territories that had gained their independence from 1043-1054. Messenia's entrance into the Empire occurred two years after Theodora I had died at the age of eighty. Empress Hyacinthe I, sixty-one at the time of Messenia's entrance, continued to reign for another twenty-five years before passing at the age of eighty-six. Following the death of Hyacinthe I, her second daughter ascended to the throne as Maria I. Maria I, not burdened by the desire for further expansion of the Empire, oversaw a time of prosperity in the Empire as the quality of life of the average subject in the Empire increased. Economic expansion and increased relations with the empires surrounding Lihnidos allowed for the military to participate in public works projects that improved the lives of many.
Lihnidosi Civil War
Following the death of Empress Maria I in 1725, her first daughter ascended the throne as Maria II. Unlike her mother, her time as Empress was not a time of prosperity. Twenty-three years into her reign there were several consecutive years of bad harvests throughout the empire. Increased trade with foreign empires for foodstuffs required less funding to be allocated to public works and the military was increasingly used to keep peace throughout the Empire as several areas began to see increasing unrest. Many laid the blame on the Empress at the time, causing her popularity among the common people and the nobility to decrease.
The unrest in the Empire continued until its breaking point in 1752. On 15 July 1752, Empress Maria II and her husband Emperor Consort Andre were assassinated in the throne room of the Imperial Palace in Arcadia. The assassinations were carried out by a contingent of imperial guardsmen who entered the throne room during a session of court and barred the doors. While guardsmen loyal to the Empress attempted to enter the throne room, the rebelling guardsmen assassinated Maria II and her husband along with all of the attending courtiers. Shortly after the assassinations were carried out, guardsmen loyal to the Empress managed to enter the throne room and killed the perpetrators. Throughout the palace other rebelling guardsmen also killed the children of Maria II, leaving no clear heir to the throne. As the Empress and her designated heir were both dead, the throne sat vacant.
Shortly after the news of the deaths of the Imperial Family spread through the Empire, Queen Konstantina III of Ithaca declared her intention to claim the throne. Several vassals who had remained loyal to the deceased Empress and her house contested the claim, asserting that Konstantina had no right the throne. Following Konstantina's claim, Queen Honna II of Messenia declared her support for Konstantina's claim. Those still contesting Konstantina's claim attempted to prevent Konstantina from claiming the throne, plunging the Empire into a civil war that lasted for less than a year. Konstantina's Ithacan forces, backed by forces from Messenia, were able to quickly dispatch the dissenters and install Konstantina as the new Empress of Lihnidos as Konstantina I of Lihnidos.
During the war and after, several who had been close to Maria II insisted that Konstantina and Honna were behind the assassinations and that the imperial guardsmen who had carried out the attack were operation on orders from the two queens. The accusations were never proven.
Second Lihnidosi Empire
Konstantina I of Lihnidos declared the creation of the Second Lihnidosi Empire in 1753 after ascending to the throne. Konstantina claimed the title Queen of Thasos which had also been held by Maria II, and shortly after becoming Empress revoked the title Queen of Messenia from Honna II. Despite her support for Konstantina and her claim, Honna was unable to keep her title and was instead created the Grand Duchess of Messenia. All kingdom level titles were absorbed into the crown, and Konstantina announced by imperial decree that the highest level vassal title under her rule would be grand duchess. Konstantina's rule only lasted another two years until her death in 1755. Her first daughter ascended to the throne after her death and took the name Athanasia I of Lihnidos.
Reforms began under Empress Selene I who was the first Empress to institute a system of representation for the populace in for form of an elected council of advisors in 1785 who would assist her in decision making on domestic policy. The creation of the council led to the creation of the National Assembly in 1839 following the dissolution of the previously named High Commoner Council. The National Assembly began overseeing matters of law and government funding under the newly created position of Prime Minister. Following the abolition of the High Commoner Council, Konstantina ordered the formation of the Matriarch Council to act as a body of advisors. The Council was comprised of the heads of the remaining noble families of Lihnidos who still held a title of Duchess or higher. While holding no true government role, the Council still holds sway in the formation of government policy due to its role in advising the monarch.
The Second Lihnidosi Empire continues to the present day under House Vasiliou. The current Empress, Stella II is the eleventh Vasiliou Empress and the fifteenth Empress of Lihnidos.
Recent History
Geography
Lihnidos is located on the southern part of the continent of Belisaria. Lihnidos borders Latium to the west, Fabria-Poveglia to the south-west, Vannois and Lyncanestria to the north, and shares a maritime border with Eagleland to the east. The western half of the nation is primarily hills and mountains, with a large mountain range spanning part of the border between Lihnidos and Lyncanestria. The eastern half of the nation, while also having hilly regions, is primarily flat, especially along the coast. The flat eastern part of the country has a large coastline with the Perliclean Sea, with the southern half of the coast opening directly into the sea and the northern half of the coast opening into a strait between Lihnidos and Eagleland. Lihnidos holds control over the four Samos Islands off the southern coast of Boeotia. In the center of the country lies a large freshwater lake that is larger than the individual provinces of Pieria, Evros, and Serres.
A small bay on the Kilkis coast.
Much of the eastern part of the country have lands good for farming.
Coast of Ialara, one of the Samos Islands.
Cliffs near Arta on Lake Poseidia.
Mount Boraros, the highest mountain in the Álpeis, from the Lihnidos side.
Small houses along the southern coast of the Boeotia peninsula.
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Climate
There are a number of climate zones in Lihnidos when using the Köppen climate classification system. The southern coastal regions of Lihnidos are characterized as having a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. The conditions in the center and western half of the country can be characterized as halving an oceanic climate with warm summers and cool winters. The mountainous region on the border of Lihnidos and Lyncanestria can be characterized as a subarctic or tundra climate, especially in the higher elevations on the mountains. Snowfall is common along the border of Lyncanestria in the mountainous regions in the fall and winter months, while less common in the other parts of the country. Snowfall is less common but still typical in the central parts of the country while less common in the southern regions where rain is the norm.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2014 census conducted by the Ministry of Local and Regional Governance, the population of Lihnidos at the time was 71,394,929. With continued immigration, emigration, and new births, it is estimated that the current population is roughly 72,420,744, only an increase of slightly over one million. Lihnidos's estimated population of over seventy-two million makes it the fourth largest nation on Belisaria by population, only behind Vannois, Arthurista, and the Allamunnic States. According to the 2014 census, a vast majority of the population identify themselves as Lihnidosi nationals, with 77.5% doing so. The second largest group of individuals are those who identify themselves as Latin, which account for 16.4% of the population. The majority of the remaining 6.1% come from other Belisarian countries including Vannois, Lyncanestria, and Eagleland, while some others come from non-Belisarian countries such as Sydalon, Belfras, and Ghant. The racial makeup of the population is homogeneous in the aspect that 96.2% of the population identify as Caucasian. The other primary racial groups in Lihnidos are Scipian at 1.9%, Oxidental at 1.5%, and Ochran at 0.4%.
Largest Cities
A majority of the population live in rural areas opposed to urban areas like large towns and cities. Only three cities in Lihnidos have populations over one million: Ikaria, Arcadia, and Xanthi All three cities have deep historical significance and hold a special role in the nation. Ikaria, often considered the financial capital of Lihnidos, has served as home to the headquarters of many of Lihnidos's largest businesses, both domestic and foreign. Arcadia, the capital of Lihnidos, has served as the seat of the government since 1753. Xanthi, the original capital of the empire served as the capital of the Xanthi Confederation of City-States, the Kingdom of Xanthi, and the First Empire of Lihnidos until 1753. Due to its historic role, it is often deemed the cultural capital of the nation. Close behind the top three cities is Cephalonia, which ranks fourth with a population only slightly under one million. After Cephalonia the populations of the largest cities begins to drop significantly.
Largest cities or towns in Lihnidos
Ministry of Local and Regional Governance estimates for 2014 | |||||||||
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| Rank | Province | Pop. | |||||||
_-_Brasil.jpg) Ikaria  Arcadia |
1 | Ikaria | Serres | 2,761,569 |  Xanthi  Cephalonia | ||||
| 2 | Arcadia | Pieria | 1,518,631 | ||||||
| 3 | Xanthi | Boeotia | 1,422,754 | ||||||
| 4 | Cephalonia | Ithaca | 949,562 | ||||||
| 5 | Phliita | Thasos | 732,110 | ||||||
| 6 | Rethymno | Lasithi | 600,364 | ||||||
| 7 | Hion | Kilkis | 359,615 | ||||||
| 8 | Sozillai | Messenia | 202,164 | ||||||
| 9 | Thesprotia | Preveza | 191,949 | ||||||
| 10 | Arta | Rhodope | 189,457 | ||||||
Provinces
Lihnidos is divided into twenty provinces, each of a different size and population. The borders of each province are partially based on the borders of the historic duchies that comprised the three kingdoms of Lihnidos in its medieval history. Serres is the largest province by population, but the second smallest by land area. With over eight million people, it holds over eleven percent of the population of the nation, over a fourth of which live in the capital city of the province, Ikaria. Many of the provinces are close in terms of population, with half having a population of between three and four million.
| Province | Abbr. | Provincial Council Control | Capital | Largest city | Population Estimate as of 2018 |
Seats in the National Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serres | ||||||
| Boeotia | ||||||
| Pieria | ||||||
| Ithaca | ||||||
| Thasos | ||||||
| Phthiotis | ||||||
| Lasithi | ||||||
| Evrytania | ||||||
| Chania | ||||||
| Rhodope | ||||||
| Messenia | ||||||
| Evros | ||||||
| Piraeus | ||||||
| Kilkis | ||||||
| Kalymnos | ||||||
| Thefkada | ||||||
| Chios | ||||||
| Corinthia | ||||||
| Preveza | ||||||
| Samos |
Religion
Religion is held sacrosanct in Lihnidos and the intermingling of church and state is often criticized by those who believe that religion should not be present in government. The majority of individuals in Lihnidos describe themselves as adherents of Fabrian Catholicism. While Lihnidos does not have a state religion, a number of prominent government officials and nobility are followers of the faith and therefore occasionally may make decisions that follow the teachings of the church. Over forty-four million individuals in Lihnidos identify as Fabrian Catholic, accounting for almost sixty-two percent of the population.
The second largest religion in Lihnidos is Alban Christianity, which while far behind Fabrian Catholicism, has a significant following in Lihnidos. Almost seventeen million individuals identify as Alban Christian, which accounts for another twenty-three percent of the population. Other religious groups are not as prominent in the nation, with almost seven percent of the population describing themselves as Christians that do not follow either Alban Christianity or Fabrian Catholicism. Those who have no faith or who do not describe themselves as Christians comprise slightly more than eight percent of the population.
Prior to Fabrian Catholicism and Alban Christianity being the predominant faiths in Lihnidos, a large number of Lihnidosi practiced a form of polytheistic paganism. This paganism varied in several parts of what is now Lihnidos, but many of the different sects had enough similarities that they could collectively be referred to as one religion. The ancient religion was present in every part of an individuals life and had an extensive mythology that caused followers to see works of the gods in almost everything. Alban Christianity began to take hold in Lihnidos in the 2nd century as it became the dominant faith in the neighboring Latin Empire. Spreading from west to east, the teachings of the Albian church attracted several who were dissatisfied with the teachings of the dominant pagan religion at the time. By the early fourth century Albian Christianity had a substantial following across the Kingdom of Xanthi. In 413 AD the Latin Empire began invasions into the western areas of the Kingdom of Xanthi and by 457 AD had integrated almost all of what had been the Kingdom of Xanthi into the Latin Empire. During and following the invasions Alban Christianity was the state faith of the Latin Empire, which resulted in a push by the Latin leadership to convert to Alban Christianity. Following independence and the creation of Fabrian Catholicism after its split from the Albran church, Fabrian Catholicism slowly rose to become the dominant religion in the empire
The amount of those who identify as not following any religion has risen slightly over the years. In 2004 the percentage of individuals who identified as atheist or agnostic was 3.8%. Ten years later in 2014 the percentage had risen to 5.2%. The rise in those who do not identify with any religion has been accompanied by a decrease in church attendance rates in the nation. A survey conducted in 2016 showed that, out of those who consider themselves religion, only 58% attended mass regularly, while 30% only attended on holidays and 12% had not attended a church service in the last year. Church attendance rates have been a concern of clergy members in every religion in the nation, and the Fabrian Archbishop of Arcadia acknowledged in 2017 that people were less likely to attend mass currently due to a shift in the culture of the nation and attitude towards religion in general.
Ethnic Groups
Lihnidosi is the majoirity ethnic group in Lihnidos, with 77.5% of the population identifying as such on the 2014 census. Alongside the Lihnidosi, Latins are the largest minority group, making up 16.4% of the population. Those who identify as Latin primarily reside in the western parts of the nation, with the largest percentages living in the provinces of Messenia and Corinthia. Messenia boasts the highest percentage of Latins living in the nation due to its position as the only province bordering the Latin Empire. The large percentage of those who identify as Latin is often contributed to the almost six centuries that present-day Lihnidos was under the control of the Latin Empire from 457 AD to 1054 AD. While the entirety of the country was at one point under Latin rule and therefore exposed to Latin culture, the majority of the areas that are still accustomed to the Latin traditions and cultures are in the west while the traditional Hellenic customs are customary in the eastern part of the nation.
There is an additional 6.1% of the population that do not identify as either Lihnidosi or Latin. This percentage is primarily comprised of individuals who identify as Vannosian, Lyncanestrian, or Eaglelander. Due to Lihnidos's membership in the Belisarian Community and involvement in the Laennes Area, it has been easy for individuals from the neighboring nations to enter the country and establish permanent residence or achieve citizenship. Of the 6.1%, 1.8% identify as ethnic Vannosian, 1.3% as ethnic Lyncanestiran, and 0.8% as ethnic Eaglelander. The remaining 2.2% are primarily comprised of ethnic Sydalene, Belfrasian, and Ghantish.
Languages
The two dominant languages in Lihnidos are Hellenic and Latin. Both are official languages of the nation, although Hellenic is more widely spoken. Hellenic is the first language of approximately 80% of the nation while Latin falls behind at approximately 17%. The language of the government is primarily Hellenic, although all documents are translated to Latin. Latin is spoken mostly in the western half of the nation, although many in the east are able to speak fluent Latin. Latin is the primary secondary language taught in primary and secondary education, and a survey taken in 2012 indicates that over half of university-level students are "confident in their ability to understand and converse in Latin." Other languages that are somewhat prominent at the university level are Audonais, a language spoken in both Lyncanestria and Vannois, as well as English.
Government and Politics
Monarch
As an executive constitutional monarchy, the head of state of Lihnidos is the Empress of Lihnidos. The Empress retains a significant amount of political and executive power in the Constitution of Lihnidos. As the head of the executive branch of the government, the Empress has the ability to appoint and dismiss individuals in the executive branch. She also has the ability to write Imperial Directives that, while not laws, can direct specific actions of the government, most commonly in the executive branch. The Empress also has the authority to appoint a Prime Minister after a candidate has been nominated by the National Assembly. If the candidate does not receive the approval of the monarch, the National Assembly would be forced to nominate another individual for the position. This power is granted to her due to her position as the Imperatoria Vilicus, or the Imperial Overseer, of the National Assembly. That position also allows her to effectively veto legislation by refusing imperial assent and to dissolve the National Assembly after consultation with the Prime Minister. As the head of state, the monarch also has the authority over foreign affairs and is the only individuals to represent Lihnidos abroad unless another is given her permission, which is granted following an appointment to certain positions in the Foreign Ministry or an ambassadorship.
Currently, following a change to the succession laws by Empress Theodora I in 1677, only females are eligible to inherit titles. All males have been deemed ineligible and are unable to hold or be granted a title other than that of a consort. The Empress has the ability to change succession law at her discretion.
The monarchy traces back to the early Empresses of the First Lihnidosi Empire that was founded in 1675 AD by Empress Theodora I of House Laskaris. Prior to founding the First Empire, Theodora ruled as the Queen of Thasos during the time of the three kingdoms. At the time, the Kingdom of Thasos, Kingdom of Ithaca, and Kingdom of Messenia were independently ruled kingdoms that formed following their independence from the Latin Empire. The formation of the First Empire followed the invasion of the Kingdom of Ithaca by the armies of the Kingdom of Thasos. The war lasted for roughly three years before the capitulation of King Oceanus I. Following his capitulation, Theodora formed the Empire and permitted Ithaca to remain as a vassal kingdom rather than taking the title for herself. The First Empire lasted for seventy-eight years before the founding of the Second Empire of Lihnidos. The collapse of the First Empire was a result of poor leadership and declining popularity in the Empress at the time, Maria II. In 1752, Empress Maria II was assassinated in the Imperial Palace in Arcadia alongside her husband and a number of courtiers by a contingent of rouge Imperial Guardsmen. The empty throne, a result of the death of the Empress and her heirs, was quickly claimed by the Queen of Ithaca, Konstantina III of Ithaca. After a civil war that lasted for less than a year, Konstantina was crowned the Empress of Lihnidos as Konstantina I.
The current Empress, Stella II, is still of the same house as that of Konstantina I. House Vasiliou has held the throne since the beginning of the reign of Konstantina I in 1753. The popularity of the monarchy has remained high among the citizenry, with most monarchs having steady approval ratings in the high fifties to mid sixties. The only monarch to have a lower approval rating than the norm was Teresa I, who earned an approval rating that averaged in the mid forties due to her outspoken nature in regards to her political beliefs. Despite their significant political power, most Empresses opt to remain out of political affairs as much as possible.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government and the second most prominent and influential member of the Lihnidosi government behind the Empress. While a constitutional monarchy, the Crown retains special abilities when it comes to the appointment of the Prime Minister and other government officials. Following a general election, the newly sworn in National Assembly will take a public vote in which each member is able to cast a ballot for who they wish to be Prime Minister. Typically, individual parties will select a person who they wish to act as the leader of the party, and that individual is who each party will vote for for the position of Prime Minister. After one person receives a majority of the votes in the National Assembly, the candidate for Prime Minister will attend an audience with the Empress in which she will either appoint the person to the position of Prime Minister or decline their appointment. If the Empress declines to appoint the National Assembly's nominee for Prime Minister, the National Assembly will have to vote another time to appoint another person,
Following the appointment of a Prime Minister, the individual will recommend qualified individuals to be appointed to the Cabinet of Ministers whom the Empress must also approve of. The Cabinet is currently comprised of eighteen secretaries of state, the Prime Minister, and eight other individuals who are officials in the ruling party or representatives of the monarch. While the Prime Minister is the head of government, the members of the Cabinet are tasked with carrying out the day to day operations of the ministries that they oversee. Cabinet secretaries and the Prime Minister will ordinarily answer questions during sessions of the National Assembly on their job performance.
Powers of the Prime Minister include recommending individuals for appointment to executive offices and advising the Empress on matters of state and government. The Prime Minister is also allowed to initiate the process of dissolving the National Assembly. By recommending the dissolution to the Empress, she is then able to make the final decision, and if approves, the National Assembly will be dissolved and a general election held.
Prime Ministers will normally stay in office either until resignation or when their party loses the majority. If the National Assembly passes a Motion of No Confidence against the government the Prime Minister and entire Cabinet will be removed from office. It is uncommon for a Prime Minister to be forced out by their own party and almost unheard of for the Empress to force the resignation of a Prime Minister.
National Assembly
The National Assembly has acted as the unicameral legislature in Lihnidos since its creation by constitutional amendment in 1803. Prior to its creation there was no legislature that represented the citizenry of the nation. Instead, there was a small, elected council that advised the Empress in matters of domestic policy named the "High Commoner Council." The council was first created in 1785 by Empress Hyacinthe II and slowly grew in power. The Council took part in drafting the first version of the Constitution of Lihnidos which solidified their power as a part of the government. In 1803 under Empress Selene I the Council submitted a draft amendment to the Constitution that created an additional part of the government, an elected legislature of one hundred individuals who would propose laws for the Council and Empress's approval. The Empress approved of the amendment and the first version of the National Assembly was created. The name National Assembly did not come into use until 1839 when the Empress abolished the High Commoner Council and transferred the duties that the Council previously fulfilled to the legislative body and increased its powers.
Today, the Empress holds the title Imperatoria Vilicusm, or Imperial Overseer, of the National Assembly and has a number of powers that can be exercised over the body. The de facto leader of the National Assembly is the Prime Minister, who is a man or woman who is chosen by the legislature and approved by the Empress. The 350 members of the National Assembly are representatives of individual constituencies, each with an average approximate population of 207,000. As a multiparty system, each National Assemblyperson is a member of one of the multiple national parties or an independent.
The National Assembly holds authority over a number of functions of the government. The largest power of the National Assembly is its ability to decide upon the budget and other financial matters. All government spending must be approved by the National Assembly at the beginning of every year, and the allocated money must be used for what it was pledged to in the budget bill. The National Assembly may also pass other laws that it determines are adequately written and that do not violate the Constitution. Once bills are passed by the National Assembly they are sent to the Empress who must give imperial assent by signing the bills in order for them to become law. If the Empress refuses to sign the bill, thereby withholding imperial assent, the bill is effectively vetoed and does not become law. This power granted to the Empress makes her personal political views a factor in the drafting of legislation, and the government will typically ask for input from the Imperial Offices before submitting a draft bill for review by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly is divided into twenty different committees that will review and debate bills before they are sent to the full National Assembly for a vote. Each committee specializes in a specific topic and are able to exercise a number of roles. Before bills are voted on by the committee, amendments are permitted to be added by the committee and revisions are able to be made. A simple majority on the committee will send it to the full National Assembly for a vote. Committees are also able to begin inquiries into actions taken by the government. This may include subpoenaing evidence or calling witnesses to testify before the committee. Each committee has a varying number of members of the National Assembly led by a chairman or chairwoman.
Elections
Elections in Lihnidos take place on the second Friday in October. During this day, citizens have the ability, if registered, to travel to their designated polling locations and cast a ballot for a number of elected offices. The most notable elections in Lihnidos are elections for the National Assembly, during which the entire 350 seats of the legislature are up for reelection. Elections for the National Assembly happen every four years, although on rare occasions that the National Assembly is dissolved and a general election called an election could be held sooner. Also, if a majority of the National Assembly are unable to nominate a candidate for Prime Minister, a general election could be held again shortly after one was already held. Voters have a choice to elect candidates from one of several official national parties that are permitted to run candidates during the election or could opt to vote for an independent candidate.
Prior to running in the general election, parties are able to select candidates to run in constituencies in ways that the party deems fit. Several parties choose to have primaries in the constituencies in order to select a candidate that is popular among the party's voters, while some have opted to hand pick candidates to run. The deadline for parties to submit the name of their candidate for every constituency in the general election is the second Friday in August and typically begins on the second Monday in July after the National Assembly is officially dissolved the Friday before. After elections in October, the newly election members of the National Assembly are sworn in on the third Friday in October and the state opening of the National Assembly takes place the following week. Members are elected through a first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the most votes is the winner.
Voters are also able to elect representatives to represent them on provincial councils. Provincial councils have no authority to write and pass laws for their province, but are rather representatives for the province as a whole on the national level outside of the National Assembly. The powers that the councils do have are the discretion on how the tax money that the national government gives each province is spent.
One final type of election that is held in Lihnidos are elections for the Belisarian Parliament. Belisarian Parliament elections, which traditionally have low turnout, are held between January and June every four years. In Lihnidos, seats in the Belisarian Parliament are divided into constituencies under the first-past-the-post system much like the National Assembly.
Administrative Divisions
Until 1827 administrative divisions in Lihnidos were still following historic borders for noble lands. Kingdoms, duchies, and counties were the three divisions typically used, each of which could be headed by a queen, duchess, or countess. While these divisions were rarely used due to total governmental control being exercised in the capital, several of the divisions had a countess or duchess that oversaw the workings of the county or duchy. Following an amendment to the Constitution in 1827, a separate, non-monarchical system was created to divide Lihnidos into manageable divisions. The largest division currently is the province, of which there are twenty. Each province is led collectively by a provincial council. Each council is headed by a provincial chancellor. Provinces have no authority to write or pass laws due to the unitary nature of the Lihnidosi government. Instead provincial councils are able to decide how funds given to the province by the national government are able to be spent. The council can also represent the province on a national level.
Under provinces are counties which are headed by county commissioners. Counties have local authority and are able to set local taxes that are then used as the county government deems fit. Alongside the county commissioners are county commissions which assist the commissioner in his or her duty in overseeing the county and its services. Counties are further divided into townships, which are able to have mayors, town or city councils, and other representatives.
While not having any local legal status, constituencies are also a level of administrative division used to determine the area that members of the National Assembly represent. The borders of constituencies do not usually follow a prescribed format and often are drawn in order to encompass a certain population. Constituency borders are drawn by provincial councils.
Military
The Lihnidosi Armed Forces are divided into three branches: the Army, Air Force, and Navy. The Lihnidosi Armed Forces are led by the commander-in-chief, a position that is occupied by the Empress of Lihnidos. Lihnidos has no mandatory service requirement and entrance to the military is restricted to individuals who can meet certain standards set out by the Ministry of Defense. If an individual wishes to join the Lihnidosi Armed Forces, they must first choose a branch that they wish to enter. Each branch of the military has a separate basic training with different requirements. Any individual who does not meet the requirements during basic training can be removed from the service. As of 2018, the Lihnidosi Armed Forces had an approximate total 187,000 personnel on active duty with another 41,000 in the reserves. Per the 2018 budget, the government allocated a total of 36.94 billion for defense spending, approximately 1.2% of GDP.
Controversy surrounds the Imperial Guard, as it is not officially recognized as a branch of the armed forces. In theory, the Imperial Guard is a contingent of troops that are directed by the Empress and are not overseen by the elected government. The lack of oversight has led many governments to criticize the Guard and question its legitimacy as a lawful entity. Several administrations have attempted to limit the effectiveness of the Imperial Guard by cutting its budget, but subsequent administrations more favorable to the Empress have refunded the Guard at the levels requested by the Imperial Offices. Recruitment for the Imperial Guard is not an open process, as individuals cannot apply to join or enlist in the Guard. Rather, recruits going through basic training for the three branches of the military who show exceptional skill are selected and offered a position in the Guard. The current official number of Imperial Guardsmen are 12,541 as of 2018.
Foreign Relations
As the Head of State, the Empress of Lihnidos directs the foreign policy of Lihnidos. The Empress has the sole power to appoint ambassadors and other foreign envoys after recommendations by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Due to it's membership in the Belisarian Community, Lihnidosi foreign policy is largely formed by the collective member states in the community. Despite this, Lihnidos maintains diplomatic relations with almost all governments in the region through embassies and consulates.
Economy
Agriculture
Energy
Lihnidos has largely been energy independent since the late 19th century following the discovery of large reserves of natural gas in the western regions of the country near the Latin, Lyncanestrian, and Fabrian borders. Following the discovery fracking became essential in the Lihnidosi energy sector and private industry quickly placed bids for government contracts to set up fracking operations on government land. In 1943 an incident at a fracking site in Messenia resulted in the contamination of large amounts of drinking water for surrounding towns. The incident was addressed by the Democratic Coalition government at the time in the form of increased regulations. The increase in regulation and regulatory power in the Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture was described as "strangling" the fracking industry by politicians in many areas where fracking was a large part of the economy. The decrease in the fracking industry at the time was followed by an increase in green, renewable energy in the form of hydroelectric, solar, and nuclear power.
Currently energy from natural gas accounts for 46% of energy produced in Lihnidos. Regulation on fracking have been scaled back slightly since 1943 to allow the industry to once again grow. Nuclear energy is the second biggest energy source for the nation, with nuclear energy being credited as 44% of the energy production in Lihnidos. The prominence of nuclear energy came after the increased regulations on fracking and the desire by left-wing governments to secure a method of energy creation that was less polluting than natural gas. While being nonrenewable and characterized by opponents as dangerous, it quickly became a large part of the energy sector. Following behind natural gas and nuclear are the forms of renewable, green energy. Hydroelectric power produces roughly 5% of the energy in Lihnidos with solar producing 3% and wind producing 2%.
Subsidies had been available for renewable energy projects and producers, but following the Conservative-National Alliance regaining a majority in the National Assembly in 2006 subsidies were cut. The current government's seeming lack of interest in promoting renewable energy has led to a decrease in its use.