Breheim
Republic of Breheim | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Anthem: Opp av Sjøen, Opp av Snøen | |
| Capital | Storvik Bjørnborg Alfby Odinberg Dramre |
| Official languages | Breheimian |
| Ethnic groups (2013) | Breheimian: 91.3% Afrobreheimian: 5.1% Vesan: 1.9% Runit: 0.7% Slavic: 0.7% Others: 0.3% |
| Religion | N/A |
| Demonym(s) | Breheimian Bremsk |
| Government | Federal Tetracameral Semi-Presidential Republic |
• Premier | Vilde Gunnhildsdottir |
| Legislature | National Parliaments of Breheim |
| Founding | |
• Unification | 1522 |
• Second Revolution | 1797 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,239,641 km2 (478,628 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 18,372,145 |
• Density | 14.3/km2 (37.0/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | $554,232,498,215 |
• Per capita | $30,167 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $543,062,234,055 |
• Per capita | $29,559 |
| Gini (2012) | 38.6 medium |
| HDI (2012) | 0.91 very high |
| Currency | Breheimian Krone |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Driving side | vehicles drive on the right side of the road |
| Calling code | +772 |
| Internet TLD | .brb |
Breheim is a nation and archipelago located in the north of Ardania. It has a population approaching eighteen million by most estimates, and 17.7 million as of the most recent census in 2013.
Etymology
It is commonly asserted among Bremen that Breheim means 'land of glaciers', however most etymologists dispute this claim. The first mentions of referring to the archipelago as 'Breiðrheim' was in the early 13th century, while glaciers only started to be referred to as 'bre' in Breheim in the 17th century. 'Breiðrheim' originally referred to only the areas settled by the 'Breiðrfólk'. Breiðrfólk, or 'Broad People', emerged as a term for the Nordic settlers that first arrived in Breheim in the 6th century as a distinct term from the Runitfólk (the indigenous population of Breheim). Breheim is therefore believed to come from this term, as a reference to the lands settled by the Bremen, rather than a reference to the glaciers in the northern and central areas of the country.
History
The oldest discovered settlements in the Breheimian archipelago only dates to around the 5th century AD, consisting largely of finno-ugric settlers (the Runmi people), with the oldest nordic settlement discovered being the abandoned town of Ulvang in what is now Fjordland, whose oldest buildings date to the late 6th century AD. The nordic Bremenn and finno-ugric Runmi maintained amicable relations for a long while, as the Bremenn largely settled in the most fertile territories of the southern fjords, while the Runmi largely kept to the interior grazing lands as well as to some extent on the shorelines. While hostilities did break out, these weren't any more significant than the petty wars waged within each group.
Geography
As an archipelago, Breheim has no natural borders with other countries. Breheim itself consists chiefly of hills, mountains and fjords with only the far south and north having significant amounts of flat terrain (the Runit Plains of the north and the agricultural lands of Alfheim, Taranger and Vestøy in the south). Breheim is characterized by mild summers and long harsh winters, with the north being covered in permafrost even during the height of summer. Central Breheim is characterized by its dense boreal forests, particularly within the fylke of Svartskog, and wide arching lakes running from the Breheimian mountain chains to the southern river deltas, which in ages past served as natural borders between petty-kingdoms. Due to Breheim's northern latitude, there are significant differences in daylight between summers and winter, particularly in the north of the country where the midnight sun is a phenomenon in the summer.
Government
Breheim is a Federal Tetracameral Semi-Presidential Republic, with a high degree of separation of powers. The current form of government of Breheim is quite recent, having been implemented through drastic constitutional amendments in 2013 by the government of Lars Sebastiansen. Between 1836 and 2013, the governmental form of Breheim had remained largely the same, barring the implementation of universal suffrage in 1915, as a unitary parliamentary republic.
The Parliaments
Breheim has four parliaments, those being the National Assembly of Breheim, the People's Assembly of Breheim, the Storfylke Assembly of Breheim and the Interest Assembly of Breheim. The National Assembly has 320 seats, and is elected on a system of proportional representation along party-lists, with an electoral threshold of 10% to enter parliament. The People's Assembly has 200 seats, and is elected by single-member constituencies, and may be contested by independents. The Storfylke Assembly has 60 seats and is elected by Proportional Representation within each Storfylke, with each having an equal share of seats regardless of population (giving a de facto threshold of 8.3% within each Storfylke). The Interest Assembly has 150 seats, with 50 seats appointed by major trade union federations according to relative membership, 50 by public non-party political organisations depending on membership and 50 by corporations and companies by the amount of Breheimian Citizens employed in each company.
The Parliaments acts as the legislative bodies of Breheim. For a bill to become law, it needs to pass a majority of three out of four parliaments. In the event of a tie, with two parliaments in favour and two opposed, the Premier holds the tie-breaking vote. Each Parliament also appoints a fourth of the cabinet positions each.
The Premier
The Premier acts as the Head of State and Head of Government of Breheim, and is elected directly in a two-round system, with terms lasting four years. A single Premier may hold an indefinite number of terms, as long as they are re-elected. The Premier acts as the Commander in Chief of Breheim, holds the power to grant appeals, holds a tie-breaking vote in the legislative process if the parliaments are split evenly on a bill, leads the executive branch (although, individual ministers are appointed by the parliaments), is in direct command of the Brigade of the Republic and holds various ceremonial duties.
The High Court
The High Court is the supreme judiciary of Breheim, with thirteen members. High Court Justices have terms lasting for life, and the other Justices appoints the successor of a Justice who has passed on or resigned. The High Court is the supreme court of appeals in Breheim, and may veto legislation running contrary to the Breheimian Constitution (although, an absolute majority within all four parliaments may overturn a decision by the High Court).
The Storfylker
Breheim is a Federation consisting of six semi-autonomous Storfylker. The current Storfylker are the Taranger Storfylke, the Vestøy Storfylke, the Alfheim Storfylke, the Nordbreheim Storfylke and the Fjordland Storfylke. Each Storfylke is headed by a Storfylke Parliament (Storfylketing) elected directly by the population. While each Storfylke may amend its own electoral laws, they are required to be democratic and republican in nature (with the High Court determining if a Storfylke remains democratic and republican). Each Storfylke is responsible for supplying basic services to the population, regulating parts of the economy, provide police, healthcare, education and basic infrastructure. Each Storfylke may also form its own militia for the purposes of defense and handling of natural disasters.
The Political Parties
Breheim's history of political parties originated in the early 19th century, with the formation of various political parties. The oldest still-existing political party is the Party of Farmers and Fisherman, which traces its origins to 1821. The United People's Party also claims a long lineage, having formed in 1926 as a result of a merger by the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, who had dominated Breheimian politics since 1836. For most of the 20th century, the Socialist Worker's Party held the government (since its first electoral victory in 1922).
Currently, Breheim has many large political parties competing in a free multi-party democracy. The largest political parties include the Socialist Worker's Party, the Electoral Alliance of Democratic Liberalism and the Alliance of Radical Socialists and Farmers. Other parties who has at least one seat in one of the three elected parliaments include the Patriots of Breheim, United People's Party, the Skrog Party for Common Sense, the Freedom Party of Breheim, the Republican Party of Breheim, the Liquor Party, the Old Customs Party, the United Autonomist Party and the Marijuana, Kasatschok and Techno Party.
In addition to the parliamentary parties, Breheim has dozens of smaller registered political parties some of which are represented in local government. These include the Modern Labour Party, the National Front of Breheim, the Communist Front of Breheim (Marxist-Leninist), the White Patriotic Labour Movement, the International Socialists in Breheim, the Society of Women, the Party of Christ, the New Runit Party, the Harmonist Party of Breheim and many other smaller political parties. The Breheimian Party for Monarchism and Tradition is renowned for being the only 'old' still-existing political party to have never held any elected representatives, even locally.
To register a political party in Breheim, all one needs is a deposit of 100,000 BKR (roughly $7,692), at least a hundred members and a thousand signatures by individuals with suffrage in Breheim. Registered Political Parties receive state-funding depending on electoral performance and membership, but are required to be audited by public auditors annually in order to receive this funding. Registered parties may nominate candidates for any election at no additional cost.
Economy
Breheim is a developed resource- and manufacturing-based economy, which has struggled financially and economically since the 2008. The 2008-2013 period is called 'The Long Recession', while the 2013-2016 period has been dubbed 'The Collapse' and 'The Great Contraction' within the country as unemployment skyrocketed, many industries went bankrupt and purchasing power collapsed. Breheim retains a significant industrial base compared to its low population, and a relatively well-educated and young workforce. The Breheimian state retains a strong position within the Breheimian economy, despite the shock-market therapy of 2013, with the state holding monopolies within banking, healthcare, education, liquor retail and weapons retail.
The Breheimian energy sector is dominated by the nuclear sector, fueled primarily by Breheimian uranium and thorium resources, which produces 67% of Breheim's electricity requirements. Fossil fuels and hydropower covers the majority of the remaining Breheimian energy demands. The majority of Breheim's energy production are now in private hands, but power lines remain a state monopoly.
Since shock-therapy, the Breheimian economy has developed into what some term an oligopoly. Three corporations (Skrog Enterprises Incorporated, the Irka Group and Bola Industries) control a plurality of the nation's economy, and employ nearly a fifth of the workforce. These corporations are involved in a wide variety of industries, including housing, food processing, whaling, tourism, military industry, manufacturing, retail, electricity and chemicals.
Despite measures by the new government to increase the number of business start-ups, entrepreneurship remains low in Breheim. Large companies dominate the economy, with relatively few medium-sized and small-business outside rural areas. Areas of the country also retain a significant amount of local state ownership, particularly Nordbreheim and Fjordland, despite the central government's measures to privatize the majority of the Breheimian economy since early 2013.
Unemployment and poverty have exploded in the last couple of years. While Breheim's former socialist economy guaranteed work and housing for all, privatization has resulted in hundreds of thousands of unemployed Breheimians (unemployment reaching 1.5 million of the workforce in the first quarter of 2014) and thousands of homeless. Inflation also remains a problem, having accelerated in the past months, although inflation has been an issue in the Breheimian economy for decades.
Breheim has a very high unionization rate at 70% of the workforce, with certain industries having near 100% rates of unionization. This is reduced from 2009, when union density in Breheim was 90%, as anti-union laws were established in 2013. Breheimian trade union politics is dominated by two major confederations: The Breheimian Worker's Confederation and the National Trade Union Federation, with the latter being largest as of 2014. The BWC used to be the dominant trade union, but after a general strike in late 2013, a significant number of unions left for the NTUF. BWC is adamantly socialist, bordering on communist, while the NTUF is more moderate and pragmatic. The sectors with highest union density in Breheim is manufacturing, shipbuilding, the public sector, whaling, professional athletes, mining and the timber industry. Lowest union densities are in the retail, media, transport and energy sectors.
Demographics
Per the 2017 census, Breheim has a slowly growing population of 18,372,145. Annual population growth is slow, despite a fertility rate of 1.9, due to low net emigration. While Breheim is ethnically homogenous, with ethnic Breheimians making up more than nine tenths of the population, the religious situation is rather more heterogenous. Irreligion became the plurality "religion" in the 20th century (although, even in the 21st century, only around 10% of Breheimians identify themselves as fully atheist. The irreligious population also includes agnostics and the culturally religious).
Ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Breheimian | 90.6% |
| Afrobreheimian | 5.3% |
| Vesan | 1.9% |
| Slavic | 1.1% |
| Runit | 0.7% |
| Others | 0.4% |
Religion
Breheim is a highly secular and religiously diverse country, with three religions considered to make up the national religions, those being Lutheran Protestantism, Old Paganism and Alfartru Paganism. Roman Catholicism and the Cult of Kvitekrist also remain prominent minority religions. The Lutheran Church in Breheim was state-run until the first revolution of 1791, and despite some attempts to bring the church back under government control in the 19th century, remain an independent force.
The Lutheran Church in Breheim is split, largely between the Western Church and the Eastern Church. The Western Church is dominant in the storfylke of Vestøy, while the Eastern Church is the most common form of christianity in Taranger. The two churches originally split over organizational differences, the Western Church retaining a system of bishoprics and archbishoprics, while the Eastern Church reformed into a system more devised around bishops and priests elected by their congregation. The Western Church is perceived to be more traditional and puritan than the Eastern Church, and the Eastern Church is perceived to be more tolerant than the Western Church.
| Religion | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Irreligious | 36.8% |
| Lutheran-Evangelical Christianity (Western Church) | 18.7% |
| Lutheran-Evangelical Christianity (Eastern Church) | 15.3% |
| Alfartru Paganism | 11.0% |
| Old Paganism | 10.1% |
| Roman Catholic Christianity | 3.6% |
| Cult of Kvitekrist | 3.2% |
| Russian Orthodox Christianity | 0.8% |
| Other Faiths | 0.5% |