Berique

Berique
Flag
Capital	Saint-Benoît
Official languages	French
Demonym(s)	Beriquois
Government	constitutional republic
Area
• Total	553,372 km2 (213,658 sq mi)
Population
• 2019 estimate	29,456,899
Currency	Beriquois Livre (BQL)
Time zone	UTC−2 (WTT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+668
Internet TLD	.bq

Berique is a developed country and sovereign state on the Mederano Peninsula of western Teudallum, the westernmost major continent in Astyria. It is bordered to the north by Nikolia and to the east by Slovertia and Khyragus; to the west and south it possesses a long coastline fronting on the Mederano Sea.

Berique has been settled since prehistoric times; cave art and other archaeological finds demonstrate inhabitation as early as blah blah blah. In the second millennium BC a hillfort-dwelling culture developed in the region, which then enjoyed a much warmer climate and was noted as a source of something, and by the end of the millennium the region's many ports were key centres of trade with the empires of the Sea of Jajich and the petty kingdoms of the Mederano Peninsula. In the 4th century BC, the southwest coast was settled by migrating Ethlorek peoples, some of whom subjected themselves to local rulers; others established independent statelets along the south coast, founding cities such as Menda and Vimrette.

Medieval history here :)

Empire; settlement of Cassonne; revolution; flight of royal family to Cassonne; Bernadottic Wars under Emperor Longin Bernadotte.

The modern Beriquois state is governed as a constitutional republic, its laws codified in a civil law system. Berique is unique in Astyria for possessing a tricameral legislature. Blah blah president.

Etymology

The modern name of Berique originates in its early medieval title. When the territory was a duchy of the Sartorean Empire, the population spoke both Francien and Old Arimathean. Although its name in Francien was the Duché { }, in Old Arimathean it was called the Berregeg { } (compare modern Trellinese beregi and Khadenz beriq, "duke"). Administrative errors in Haguenau led to the territory being known simply as Berregeg, later gallicised to Berique. A similar phenomenon is responsible for the name of nearby Étlaurlande.

History

Earliest settlement by a pre-Romance-language pop.; obv., because we can't give them French if there's no Latin yet. Also probably shouldn't speak Gaulish since that's a Celtic language; but the name Gaul comes from a Celtic word (cf. Galatian) so we need a different name for the Gaulic League maybe. Maybe.

Geography

Bays on the west coast.

Politics

The modern Beriquois state is governed as a constitutional republic, its laws codified in a civil law system. Berique is unique in Astyria for possessing a tricameral legislature. Blah blah president.

Administrative divisions

Berique is divided in three major categories of division: the highest subdivision is the province, followed by the department; the smallest major subdivision is the paroisse (civil parish), originally called a fédération paroissiale, i.e. a grouping of ecclesiastical parishes. A paroisse generally corresponds to the area of between three and eight church parishes.

Foreign relations

Berique is a member of some stuff.

Culture and society

Cuisine

Beriquois cuisine makes distinctive use of meats, breads, vegetables and sauces. Pastry. Wine. It's nice.

Religion

Berique is a majority Catholic country. Extensive Huguenot-lookalike populations in the southeast...? Some Nikolians on the border with, you guessed it, Nikolia.